Digg ThisWell, this weekend officially marks the beginning of summer, my favorite season of the year.
It’s my favorite because I enjoy all of the festivals, the parties, the zillion things to do and see, and the weather (of which we haven’t had much summer-like weather so far). My top reason for liking summer best, however, is the fact that I can go outside and grill just about every day.
Today was no exception. The weather held, a nice, sunny 70-72 degrees for most of the day. At about 3:30 this afternoon, I fired up the grill, set it up for indirect cooking, and headed inside to prepare dinner.
What was on the menu, you ask?
How about a nice, plump frying chicken from the West Side Market, propped butt-down on a drained Coke can filled with Newcastle Brown Ale, and rubbed down with a mix of Emeril’s Essence, Montreal Steak Seasoning and Goya Adobo (I dashed what remained of the rub inside the can for good measure). For a nice touch, I soaked some apple wood chips, placed them in a smoker box which I laid inside the grill.
For the next two hours, I went about my other chores for the day, always keeping an eye on the grill in case something went wrong; I don’t need the fire department paying a visit, don’t ya know. My neighbor asked what I was cooking, and I told him.
“Cool. I love chicken like that. Ever done it before?”
“Nope.”
“You’ll love it.”
My neighborhood was filled with the enchanting aroma of what turned out to be one of the finest chickens I have ever eaten in my life — and I kid you not. Simply outstanding! The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, the skin crunchy and tasty, and the meat juicy and flavorful.
It was so tasty that I might never cook a chicken any other way again. I’m even beginning to eye this year’s Thanksgiving turkey already…
…and I’ll bet my father is rolling in his grave — like a lathe!
