Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons (10 page)

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Authors: Colleen Rush,Gary Wiviott

BOOK: Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons
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MOJO CRIOLLO II
 
This is a marinade-making baby step: tweaking your store-bought, bottled
mojo criollo
. You slightly doctored the
mojo criollo
in the first cook with olive oil and lemon—a simple twist that freshens the flavor of a commercial product. Here, you have a list of optional ingredients to customize the marinade to your taste. Pick one or two. Or three. Adding in seasonings like fresh jalapeño or whole garlic cloves brings another level of flavor to the bottled marinade. The WSM and offset recipe makes enough for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.
WSM AND OFFSET
 
MAKES 4½ CUPS
 
 
1 lemon
½ cup olive oil
1 (32-ounce) bottle mojo criollo,
Goya or other brand
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
KETTLE
 
MAKES 2¼ CUPS
 
 
½ lemon
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups mojo criollo, Goya or other brand
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
OPTIONAL ADD-INS
 
½ medium white onion, quartered
1 to 2 jalapeños, quartered (plus seeds if you want more heat)
½ tablespoon grated citrus (lemon, lime, or orange) rind
1 teaspoon Louisiana-style or Mexican-style hot sauce, such as Texas Pete, Louisiana, or Búfalo
½ tablespoon Toasted Mexican Pepper Blend (page 18)
2 unpeeled garlic cloves, smashed
½ chipotle in adobo, pureed
 
Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a large bowl and add the rind. Add the olive oil and mojo criollo. Add one or more of the optional add-ins to amp up the flavor profile.
For the WSM or offset, divide the marinade between two one-gallon zip-top bags.
For the kettle, pour all the marinade into one zip-top bag.
Add two chicken halves to each bag and press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet. Allow the chicken to marinate for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bags once or twice to redistribute the marinade.
DIY MOJO CRIOLLO
 
Using a commercial
mojo criollo
is easier—which is what you want for the first cook—but you’ll never go back to the bottle once you’ve used this homemade version. Look for sour orange juice (a. k. a. bitter orange, Seville orange, or bigarade orange juice) in Mexican markets. It’s called
naranja ácida, naranja agria
, or
naranja amarga
. In season, you might find fresh sour oranges in Southeast Asian markets. The WSM and offset recipe makes enough for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.
WSM AND OFFSET
 
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
 
 
2½ cups canola oil
2 garlic heads, peeled and crushed
2 medium white onions, sliced
¾ cup sour orange juice (or½ cup orange
juice plus ¼ cup lime juice)
¼ cup water
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon grated orange rind (optional)
KETTLE
 
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
 
 
1¼ cups canola oil
1 garlic head, peeled and crushed
1 medium white onion, sliced
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sour orange juice (or
¼ cup orange juice + 2 tablespoons lime juice)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon grated orange rind (optional)
Heat the canola oil over medium heat in a saucepan. When the oil is warmed, approximately 2 minutes, add the garlic and onion to the saucepan. Cook until fragrant (not browned), about 30 seconds. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the oil to cool, 5 minutes. Stir in the juice, water, vinegar, and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and allow it to boil for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the marinade cool to room temperature. Pour the mixture into a blender. Blend until smooth.
For the WSM or offset, divide the marinade between two one-gallon zip-top bags.
For the kettle, pour all the marinade into one zip-top bag. Add two chicken halves to each bag and press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Allow the chicken to marinate for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bags once or twice to redistribute the marinade.
ACHIOTE MARINADE
 
Kurt, King of Kurtopia, a barbecue man of some note, created this punchy marinade. It works very well in low and slow cooks, but is also quite delicious on regular grilled chicken. The ingredients are very flexible. As long as you have achiote paste and citrus—there’s no need to measure the exact amount or type of citrus juice—all of the other ingredients are flexible and can be added to your taste. The WSM and offset recipe makes enough for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.
WSM AND OFFSET
 
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
 
 
1 (3½ - ounce) block achiote paste
3 limes, juiced (6 tablespoons)
3 lemons, juiced (9 tablespoons)
2 oranges, juiced (½ cup)
1 grapefruit, juiced (½ cup)
1 cup beer
½ cup canola oil
8 green onions, sliced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons cumin, ground
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons Toasted Mexican Pepper
Blend (page 18)
KETTLE
 
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
 
 
½ (3½-ounce) block achiote paste
2 limes, juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice)
2 lemons, juiced (about 5 tablespoons juice)
1 orange, juiced (about ¼ cup juice)
½ grapefruit, juiced (about ¼ cup juice)
½ cup beer
¼ cup canola oil
4 green onions, sliced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1½ tablespoons cumin, ground
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1½ tablespoons paprika
1½ tablespoons dried Toasted Mexican
Pepper Blend (page 18)
Place the brick (or half brick, if you’re using the kettle recipe) of achiote paste in a large mixing bowl. Pour the juices, beer, and canola oil over the paste. Stir the mixture until the paste dissolves in the liquid. Add the onion, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, and spices. Whisk the mixture until it is blended.
For the WSM or offset, divide the marinade between two (1-gallon) zip-top bags.
For the kettle, pour all the marinade into one zip-top bag.
Add two chicken halves to each bag and press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Allow the chicken to marinate for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bags once or twice to redistribute the marinade.
INGREDIENT FINDER ACHIOTE
 
[ah-chee-OH-tay], a.k.a. annatto or
pimentão doce
, is a thick, deep-red paste made with the dried, ground seeds of the achiote tree, plus garlic, cumin, and other spices. It has a subtle earthy, tangy flavor. It also imparts a vibrant yellow, orange, or red hue to food, which is why some people call it “poor man’s saffron.” Although it sounds exotic, many grocery stores stock it.
 
ITALIAN MARINADE
 
Smoked chicken gets an added bump of flavor if you pile red peppers and capers on top of the chicken as it cooks. The WSM and offset recipe makes enough for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.
WSM AND OFFSET
 
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
 
 
2½ cups canola oil
1¼ cups red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar,
or tarragon vinegar
4 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
or 4 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½ cup marinated roasted red peppers,
drained and chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons capers (optional)
KETTLE
 
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
 
 
1¼ cups canola oil
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar,
white wine vinegar, or tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup marinated roasted red peppers,
drained and chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon capers (optional)
In a medium bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until the mixture is blended.
For the WSM or Offset, divide the marinade between two one-gallon zip-top bags.
For the kettle, pour all the marinade into one zip-top bag.
Add two chicken halves to each bag and press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Allow the chicken to marinate for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bags once or twice to redistribute the marinade.
CAJUN MARINADE
 
The word Cajun gets slapped on a lot of recipes, but this marinade passes the authenticity test with the addition of fresh onion, celery, and bell pepper—the “holy trinity” seasoning of Cajun cuisine. This marinated smoked chicken is perfect for using in Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (page 240). The WSM and offset recipe makes enough for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.
WSM AND OFFSET
 
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
 
 
2½ cups canola oil
6 lemons, juiced (1¼ cups)
2 medium white onions, quartered
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 tablespoons Louisiana-style or Mexican-style
hot sauce, such as Texas Pete, Louisiana,
or Búfalo
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, such as
Tony’s Chachere’s
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
KETTLE
 
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
 
 
1¼ cups canola oil
3 lemons, juiced (½ cup plus 2 tablespoons)
1 medium white onion, quartered
1 rib celery, sliced
½ bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 tablespoon Louisiana-style or Mexican-style
hot sauce
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, such as
Tony’s Chachere’s
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
In a medium bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until the mixture is blended.
For the WSM or offset, divide the marinade between two one-gallon zip-top bags.
For the kettle, pour all the marinade into one zip-top bag.
Add two chicken halves to each bag and press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Allow the chicken to marinate for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bags once or twice to redistribute the marinade.
SOUTHWEST MARINADE
 
The chiles in this marinade—poblanos or Anaheim—are very mild compared to jalapeños or habañeros. If you can’t find fresh poblanos, substitute one tablespoon of freshly ground dried ancho chile powder. (Ancho chiles are dried poblanos.) Any type of mild to medium-hot New Mexican chile can substitute for Anaheims. Chicken Enchiladas (page 234) with Tomatillo Sauce (page 235) is excellent made with leftover Southwest marinated smoked chicken. For extra flavor, lay the pepper strips on top of your chicken during the cook. The WSM and offset recipe makes enough for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.

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