Pulled Chicken

I’ve recently decided to drop a few pounds by eating healthier. Exercise never seems to happen as often as it should, so the least I can do is try to eat better. It’s not a diet. It’s a healthier eating lifestyle. That’s not to say I won’t “cheat” here and there, and I’m still going to cook and judge plenty of barbeque this summer. But for the most part, I’m being more selective about what I eat.

The best, “cleanest” source of natural protein you can eat is white meat chicken. Ask Hugh Jackman. He claims to have eaten tons of chicken breasts while gaining massive amounts of muscle preparing for his recent role as Wolverine. It is too bad he felt he had to apologize to all the nut cases who preach against eating meat. In any case, chicken breast is good for you and I plan on cooking a lot of it in the coming months.

I don’t understand why pulled chicken gets such a bad rap. Maybe it’s because people don’t know how to cook it properly and it comes out dry. That’s too bad, because I say pulled chicken can be great. Last week, Shaw’s was having a sale on split chicken breasts. I picked up a few packages, brined them, seasoned them, and tossed them on the smoker for a couple hours. The result was some of the juiciest, most flavorful chicken I’ve EVER had. I’ve had some great chicken while judging contests and at restaurants, but I enjoyed this pulled chicken just as much as most competition entries. Next time, I’ll take pictures. I was so happy with the way it came out that I couldn’t wait to eat it. I made some sauce to go with it, but it really didn’t need any.

Will I be turning in pulled chicken at my next competition? Probably not, but it did make me think for a minute!

I'm a Foodie

I hate the word “foodie.” It sounds snobby and pretentious and it reminds me of “yuppie.” But I just looked “foodie” up on Wikipedia, and it looks like that’s what I am. From Wiki: “…foodies are sometimes viewed as obsessively interested in all things culinary…typical foodie interests and activities include the food industry, wineries and wine tasting, food science, following restaurant openings and closings, food distribution, food fads, health and nutrition, and restaurant management. A foodie might develop a particular interest in a specific item, such as the best egg cream or burrito.”

I tend to obsess about a certain type of food until I feel I’ve perfected it. A few weeks ago, the obsession was ABTs and I think I have a pretty good formula for those now. Lately, I’ve been focused on barbeque finishing sauces. I used to think my sauce was pretty good, but not anymore. Over the past couple years, I’ve tried a lot of great sauces that put mine to shame. So now I’ve been focused on perfecting my recipe. I got some good ideas from IQue’s competition cooking class back in April, but it still needs a little tinkering. I think I’m getting really close.

Here is how bad it has gotten. I found an interesting glaze at the grocery store today. One that sounded so good that I couldn’t wait to try it. So I didn’t. I started driving home and, after about a minute, I grabbed the bottle out of the bag in the passenger seat and opened it up. I poured a few drops on my fingers and gave it a taste. No easy task while driving on city streets.

My house is less than 5 minutes from the store.

KCBS Reps Reinstated

The KCBS Board of Directors reinstated Ken and Kathie Dakai as reps and also reinstated Ken as a CBJ instructor. It was the right decision, and I'm very happy for Ken and Kathie. Not that you ever "left," but it's good to have you back.

I doubt that anyone at KCBS reads my little blog, so I'm probably preaching to the choir here. But to the few individuals on the KCBS BOD who seem determined to stir the pot, I'm not sure what you are thinking. Can you honestly look in the mirror in the morning and say that you are doing what you feel is best for barbeque?

Get over yourselves and start doing what is good and right for KCBS members. Firing Ken without cause was a joke and firing Kathie because she is married to Ken was even more of a joke. Nobody from KCBS was able to specifically say what "conduct unbecoming" meant. If the case against Ken and Kathie was so strong, exact details and proof should have been made known. If such details and proof did not exist, why were they fired in the first place?

Come election time, I urge KCBS members to thoroughly analyze their voting options. I for one hope there are some major changes in store for the KCBS BOD. I also hope the people know about the KCBS BOD "bad apples" will step forward and educate other KCBS members about some of the stuff that has been going on. I don't believe in saying "don't vote for such-and-such person" because voting is a personal choice. However, I hope that those who choose to vote will make informed decisions.