Grocery Grill BBQing featuring Hunk A Chuck!
First up, Indirect Grilling & Smoking:
On one half of Charcoal Pan, large heavy gauge aluminum foil pan (Water Pan) to hold liquid (apple juice or red wine). On the opposite half of charcoal pan, 40 Kingsford charcoal briquets (Kingsford gives a consistent burn). In the middle of the charcoal I place a Soup Can with a chunk of hickory (apple wood, mesquite) inside.
Note: I modified my Cooking Grill by cutting an opening in one half (middle), see picture above of Cooking Grill. This opening allows me to place wood in the soup can (below the Cooking Grill opening).
Lighting the Fire and the Cooking Grill:
I use Kingsford charcoal for it's even burn. Whatever charcoal you use, make sure it is not made with lighter fluid in the briquet (quick light charcoal), this will ruin the taste of the meat you are bbqing. That being said, I do soak my charcoal briquets with lighter fluid, 2 minutes ahead of lighting.
Put charcoal briquets, Soup Can (empty) and Water Pan (at least half full of liquid) in place. Put Cooking Grill, with cooking side over charcoal in place. Light the charcoal, after a few minutes when it has burnt down, use a wire grill brush to scrub clean the Cooking Grill. After about 20 minutes: the lighter fluid is burnt off, Cooking Grill is clean, and charcoals are glowing. Flip the Cooking Grill so that the opening – hole is over the Soup Can and the cooking side of the grill is over the Water Pan. Place a chunk of hickory inside Soup Can, within 5 minutes it will start to smoke. After wood starts to smoke, place meat on grill over Water Pan. Close Grocery Grill lid and enjoy the smokey goodness aroma!
WARNING! ALWAYS USE BBQ TONGS AND BBQ MITS WHEN COOKING WITH A CHARCOAL GRILL! Add wood to Soup Can with BBQ Tongs. Add liquid to Water Pan with BBQ Mits. ALWAYS!
Grocery Grill Running HOT, Running Cool:
Grocery Grill lid vent should always be wide open. This is important for proper smoke circulation. Again... TOP LID VENT ALWAYS WIDE OPEN! Smoke is a seasoning, it will roll over the meat on its way out the top vent. This constant movement of smoke over the meat on its way to escaping out the top vent allows for proper smoke flavoring of the meat.
I use an Oven Thermometer sitting on top of the Cooking Grill (near the meat) to monitor Grocery Grill temperature. Target temperature is 225F. If Grocery Grill temperature is running hot, above 250F, I will close bottom (Charcoal Pan) vents to bring temperature down. If Grocery Grill temperature is running cool, below 200F, I will open bottom vents to bring temperature up. Adjust bottom (Charcoal Pan) vents to keep Grocery Grill temperature between 200F and 250F. Check Oven Thermometer temperature at 30 minutes and again at 60 minutes. You do not have to be super crazy about temperature, as long as you are between 200F and 250F.
Typical bottom (Charcoal Pan) vent settings:
Charcoal first lit – bottom vent open.
After meat is added to Grocery Grill – bottom vent closed.
At 30 minutes – bottom vent half open.
At 60 minutes – bottom vent open.
TOP LID VENT ALWAYS WIDE OPEN!
Prep and Technique:
The night before bbqing, I season a thawed (fridge temperature) 5 pound chuck pot roast with my favorite dry beef rub (any dry beef seasoning works). I placed the seasoned Hunk A Chuck in a plastic container in the fridge to keep until bbq time.
The Water Pan keeps the meat moist while it is cooking. The meat absorbing moisture is a chance to add flavor. I like using apple juice, or red wine adds great flavor to beef.
A 5 pound chuck takes 2 hours to bbq. At hour 2, add another chunk of hickory to Soup Can. Check Water Pan, if it is below a quarter full add more liquid. When adding more liquid, you can add water at this point.
TIP: Do not peek, keep Grocery Grill lid closed! Every time you open the lid, you lose smoke and heat.
BBQ Controversy (a BBQ Dave technique):
At the end of hour 2, I remove the Hunk A Chuck from the Grocery Grill and place it in a Crock Pot. Prior to adding the chuck, I put ¼ to ½ inch of apple juice (or red wine) in the Crock Pot. Let it cook in Crock Pot (on LOW) another 2 hours, and PRESTO! The Best Beef You Ever Had!
BBQ Dave's Crock Pot Technique is not acceptable to most Master BBQers. For true bbqing: cook chuck in Grocery Grill until meat reaches internal temperature of 160F (check with meat thermometer). Remove chuck from Grocery Grill, wrap in tin foil and let stand for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove from foil, cut and serve. For Pure BBQing and for Great BBQ information, check out Blue Smoke BBQ and The Virtual Weber Bullet.
And that is BBQing on a Grocery Grill!!!
