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Chicken Thighs on The 22.5" Weber Kettle and Chicken Legs on the Weber Spirit E-310 Gas Grill

I grilled up some chicken on the 22.5" Weber Kettle and Weber Spirit E-310 Grill today.

I put all of the chicken thighs on the kettle and all of the chicken legs on the gas grill.  As a bonus, I also grilled up some chicken breast skewers for my wife.

The chicken all came out great, although I'd have to admit that the taste from the kettle definitely is better than the gas grill.  While the gas grill is fast and convenient, it doesn't has the same charcoal flavor as a kettle.

I had very little flareups from the chicken fat melting and hitting the coals and gas grill flavorizing bars.  I kept them under control by closing the lids as soon as I could after flipping the chicken pieces.  All were cooked to at least 165 degrees for the internal temperature of the chicken.  Temperature was measured with a ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk IV.

Three Slabs of Ribs on the 18.5" Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker

One day after smoking some pork butt for pulled pork, I'm smoking Baby Back Ribs from Smithfield on the WSM!

This time, I've used Kick Butt Rib Rub Hickory for the rub and Hickory wood for the smoke.  I am going to do 2-2-0.25 at 258 degrees... 2 hours unwrapped, 2 hours wrapped in aluminum foil and 15 minutes unwrapped.  I'll put Sweet Baby Ray's original sauce on in the wrap.  No need to measure the meat temperature this way... I'll just monitor the pit temp and keep an eye on the time.

I cut all of the rib racks in half so that I could fit all three slabs onto the top of the rack.  It's tight in there, but I figured the ribs will shrink a bit anyway.

It is drizzling today and expected to rain later in the day (should not affect this cook), so I put the 18.5" WSM under the patio umbrella.
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The finished product was a bit drier than I preferred.  I did not put apple juice in when wrapping and that really dried the ribs out more than I liked.  Next time, I'm going to put the apple juice back in!

6.5 lbs Pork Butt on the 18.5" Weber Smokey Mountain

I am smoking 6.5 lbs of Pork Butt with the Weber Smokey Mountain today.  Started at 10 AM, I am hoping that it finishes by 4 PM so I can get to work on time!  I'm using Costco's Flavor Connections Rib Rub that has been modified with the addition of some cayenne pepper.  The wood is hickory for the smoke.

I placed more charcoal in the smoker than I usually do hoping to smoke it fast and hot, but we'll see how that will affect the pulling of the pork.  But for some reason even after 15 minutes, the pit temp is still only 146 degrees.  I opened all the vents in the bottom to get more air into the smoker, so hopefully it will increase quicker.

I will update the blog as the smoking goes along...

It has been 35 minutes now and the pit temp is only at 185 degrees!  I unlatched the door of the smoker to get more air into it to raise the pit temp and it seems to be working.  I think it could be the fact that some of the charcoal is being re-used from the last smoke and that the dampness from the rain last night might have something to do with it.

After 45 minutes, the pit temp has now risen to 233 degrees.  It's about time!
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3.5 hours into the cook and I've now wrapped the meat in foil.  It had been stalling for a while at 157 degrees internal temperature.  The meat has shrunk a lot.  If you look at the photo when the cook started and look at the photo just before wrapping, you can see it.

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Four hours, 15 minutes in and the internal temperature is now at 180 degrees...

Five hours into the cook and the meat has hit the required 197 degrees internal temperature to break down the collagen for pulled pork.  I will leave the meat in the smoker until it hits an internal temp of 202 degrees.  I'll let the meat sit for a while before pulling it.

Fives hours and 20 minutes into the cook and the meat has reached 202 degrees internal temp.  I take it out of the smoker and wait for the meat to rest before pulling it.
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The finished product... the bone pulls out easily and the pork pulls easily too!

Sushi Station - Arlington Heights, IL

I have been to Sushi Station several times over the years, mostly with my daughter.  She loves sushi, but I only eat the Sushi that has cooked fish on it.  Somehow, I just can't get myself to eat raw fish.  It just envision going fishing and just catching fish, cutting them open and eating them right there on the pier!  Can't do it!

I usually only get the basic $1.25 dishes.  Even then, I think these things are overpriced.  Mostly rice, how much can it cost them to make?  I usually like sushi if it has spicy mayo on it or some kind of creamy sauce on it.  I don't eat wasbi with the sushi either.

Overall, the sushi at Sushi Station is decent.  I like the moving conveyor belt that circles the food around the restaurant.  You need to get there really early if you want a seat though.  The line goes out the door before they open at 11:30 AM.  The kitchen closes at 2 PM too, so you need to be sure you are there at least by 1:30 PM or you won't get served any fresh sushi for lunch.  You can continue eating what's still going around on the conveyor belt, but they won't add any more new sushi after 2 PM.

Worth a try if you are a sushi guy!

Roast Beef - Italian Bread - Tomato - Lettuce - Honey Mustard

Yesterday's dinner... my wife made us a roast beef sandwich with Italian bread, lettuce, tomatoes from our garden and Ken's Honey Mustard.  Yum!

Going forward, we decided that toasting the bread in the George Foreman grill makes it even better!  I'm going to add some cheese too...

Edit: Today's sandwich for my wife!

Mumbai Tandoor - Vernon Hills IL

This was the second time I have been to Mumbai Tandoor in Vernon Hills, IL.  I attended both times with my brother for their lunch buffet.

Overall, the food is decent... similar to many other Indian restaurants I have eaten at in the past.  The food is tasty, but not any better or worse than the other places I've eaten.  However, the owner is very friendly and really likes to fill up your water glass if it is even close to half full.

As with most places, Butter Chicken remains my favorite and it does not disappoint here.  Goat curry is also something I like simply because I can't get it anywhere except at an Indian restaurant.

The last time I was here, I paid for the lunches of two of our US Army soldiers.  I saw them dining in the corner and so I told the owner I was going to pay for their lunches.  I didn't say anything to them, but at the end of their meal, the owner told them that I had paid for their lunches in advance.  The guys were so moved that they came over to shake my brother and my hand and say thank you for doing that for them.  We thanked them for their service to our country.  It's a small gesture to pay for our servicemen's lunches considering they put their lives on the line for us.

2018 Wisconsin State Fair - Original Cream Puff

I attended the 2018 Wisconsin State Fair on opening day yesterday (Aug 2, 2018).  It was my second time at the fair as I had attended in 2016 as well.

I only ordered one food item... the Original Cream Puff!  You can't go to the fair and not get a cream puff!  It's a requirement!  At $4 per cream puff, they aren't cheap, but well worth it.  You can get discounts if you buy 3 or more, however.

I remember my dad making cream puffs when I was younger.  These reminded me of those, but these are bigger.  A bunch of students get to make them during the fair's running days and they churn out a bunch of them each year.  Plus, you get to see them working as you wait in line to get your cream puffs!

This year, I decided to get one very early in the day to beat the crowds.  But even if you go when there's a crowd, the line moves extremely fast.  They have this down to a science... multiple lines to pay and multiple lines to pick up your order.

Great cream puffs and highly recommended.  The cream highlights Wisconsin's heritage in dairy products.  Even though I am lactose intolerant, I still got one!  By the end of the day, I still did not have any adverse effects from the dairy.  I guess my system agrees with these cream puffs!

To see a lot of photos from the fair from 2016 and 2018, click here!