Finally got the smoker puffin after a several week hiatus! I took this opportunity to test out a couple of rubs and sauces. First, I had a pork shoulder go in, rubbed heavy the night before with 3 Eyez BBQ Rub. At “press time”, I’m finishing that bad boy in the oven. A first for me, but it was a cold day out and I ran short of charcoal down the home stretch. Will let you know how it turned out!
Next, I had some boneless skinless chicken breasts in the fridge. I’d never smoked chicken breasts before so I figured “What the heck?”. These puppies I rubbed heavy with Old Timer’s Spicy BBQ Rub. Those sat in the fridge most of the morning while the pork shoulder got a head start. Old Timer’s Rubs have been a great addition to my cupboard, with fresh and bright salt and sugar flavors, and just the right amount of heat.
The chicken got rubbed again before I put them in the smoker. I was using charcoal briquettes and some applewood chunks today. When they were almost done, I took out the chicken breasts, and put in a 260 degree oven with a splash of apple juice. They finished in there for about an hour.
The sauce I used for the chicken was The Firehouse from RavensBark. According to the site, The Firehouse is “a super spicy blaze of flavor! This is a fiery version of The General. Habanero Pepper fuels this 5-alarm blaze for a very hot but fruity flavor”. Well we tried this sauce and another tonight. Unfortunately, I have a sinus infection and with virtually no taste buds working – I was in no shape to judge any sauce objectively.
My wife however, raved about The Firehouse, declaring it “the best one we had tried yet” (and we’ve tried a lot!). This sauce is slighlty on the thin side, vinegary and peppery but has some great flavor. Well done, RavensBark – my wife thinks its delicious!
