The Kokomo Tribune from Kokomo, Indiana • Page 8

A8 18,1995 READERS'FOOD PAGE KOKOMO TRIBUNE Brad gets 'egg'cited over his smoker By TOM CAREY Tribune Style editor Let's forget Rudolph's red nose for a second. Brad's Big Green Egg may be just the thing to help you get in the holiday mood. Otherwise known as a kamado, the Chinese smoker helps Brad Bayliff prepare his traditional holiday turkey and other foods in a non-traditional way. Many may be used to "Christmas in July" sales. Well, Bayliff has shown that barbecuing in December, and throughout the winter, can be perfectly fine.

Bayliff saw an advertisement for the kamado which received its nickname due to its oval shape and color a couple of years ago. On a trip to Atlanta, he saw a friend cooking on one. In particular, the Kokomo attorney said, he enjoyed dining on chicken wings prepared on a kamado at a Georgia store. "They were moist and tender on the inside, but had a really crisp crust on the outside that held the juices in." Part of the Egg's allure is its use of indirect heat, Bayliff said. "I do what we call barbecuing," Bayliff said, noting it is not directly above fire or coals.

"Meat isn't directly over the grill, which can burn and dry out meat." He began his cooking on the Egg with turkey breasts. Since, he has found the appliance is great for "every type of chicken, turkey breast, roasts you can grill steaks and (bratwursts) and hot- dogs on it. It's a versatile grill. "It doesn't use a lot of charcoal because its naturally insulated by clay firebrick," he continued. "I use natural lump charcoal," adding a 20-pound bag will last him about four months.

He also enjoys using mesquite wood to add flavor to the meat. "You can cook several things on a weekend and reheat them during week," Bayliff said. "They're great." He said an advantage to using the Egg is that "you can get fire going quickly it holds and you don't have to stay outside minding the fire." This allows him to barbecue year 'round. "I don't think I did much last January, but I was out in February. "You could do it on regular grill, but it's a lot easier with this." Bayliff prepared his first holiday bird on the Egg two years ago.

"My brother-in-law said 'this is best turkey I ever Bayliff recalls. "That was real nice, but he shouldn't have said it in front of his mother." Bayliff also said he's discovered using the grill for the turkey allows his wife to prepare other foods in the oven uninterrupted, and can allow him more time to spend with the family. Some may stare at Bayliff standing at the grill while snow blankets the yard around him. "I tend to get my neighbors talking to me more when I'm standing at the grill," he said. "The neighbor's dog in particular barks at me 'cause he knows bones and scraps are to follow." (A free brochure and more information on the Big Green Egg may be obtained by calling (800) 7932292.) Brad Bayliff checks on the temperature of a 12-lb.

bird. (KT photos by ciint Keller) Bayliffs offering up two tasty turkey recipes One of Brad's barbecued birds is definitely worth the wait! Following are two turkey recipes, as provided by Brad Bayliff: Smoked Orange Turkey 15-20 Ib. turkey Salt Orange juice Salt cavity of turkey well and place bird on double layer of aluminum foil. Cook in covered barbecue unit with medium indirect heat (200220 degrees) for 5-7 hours (20-30 minutes per pound), depending on temperature and size of turkey. When turkey is about half done, pour on orange juice and baste with juice and drippings every 20 minutes.

Serves 10-15. Worth-the-Wait Turkey You may be talking gibberish yourself after a long, long day of barbecuing this bird, but your guests -will be talking about the turkey for many more days to come. Injection liquid; cup garlic-flavored oil 4 ounces beer teaspoon cayenne 10-pound to 11-pound turkey Turkey paste: 4 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon coarse-ground black pepper 1 tablespoon kosher salt Pinch of cayenne 1 tablespoon garlic-flavored oil Turkey mop (optional): 2 cups turkey or chicken stock 1 cup water 8 ounces beer 'A cup oil, preferably canola or corn The night before you plan to barbecue, combine the injection liquid ingredients in a small bowl. With a kitchen syringe, inject the mixture deep into the turkey in a half-dozen places, moving the needle around in each spot to shoot the liquid in several directions. Inject the greatest amount into the breast.

With a mortar and pestle or in a mini-food processor, combine the paste ingredients, mashing the garlic with the pepper, salt and cayenne. Add the oil to form a thick paste. Massage the turkey with the paste inside and out, working it as far as possible under the skin without tearing the skin. Place the turkey in a plastic bag and refrigerate it overnight. Before you begin to barbecue, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 200-220 degrees F. Cut a 4-foot to 5-foot length of cheesecloth and dampen it thoroughly with water. Wrap the bird in the cheesecloth and tie the ends. Transfer the turkey to the smoker, breast side down (you should be able to feel through the cheesecloth), and cook for to hours per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F. Wet the cheesecloth down with more water at 30-minute intervals in a wood-burning pit, or as appropriate in your style of smoker.

After about 6 hours, remove the cheesecloth, snipping it with scissors if necessary, and discard it. When the cheesecloth is removed, baste the turkey for the remainder of its cooking time, if possible, in your smoker. If you plan to baste, combine the mop ingredients in a saucepan and warm the mixture over low heat. Mop every 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit, or as appropriate for your style of smoker. When the turkey is done, remove it from the smoker and allow it to sit for 15 minutes before carving.

Serves 8 to 10. BBQ tips: Injecting an oil mixture is a good way of adding internal moistness and flavor to lean meat. The amounts recommended in a recipe may seem large, but they don't make food greasy. Much of it cooks away. To make your own garlic-flavored oil, mince a whole bulb of fresh garlic.

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