Ya Gotta Have Friends: The Tur-Duc-Hen

About two weeks ago, I got an unsolicited email from one Steven Dugas at the Cajun Grocer. It seems an old friend of mine, Dr. Biggles over at Meathenge suggested to Mr. Dugas that I might be interested in trying out this unique bird. Well, Dr. Biggles was right. I've heard much about this legendary beast, but I had never tasted one, let alone cooked one. I was definitely intrigued.

After my usual exchange with the vendor about my rules for review, if I like it I say so - if I don't - I say that too, Mr. Dugas stood by his product and agreed to subject the tur-duc-hen to my pallette and cooking skills. Oh what a trusting fool he is!

What is a tur-duc-hen you say? As you can see from the label a Tur-Duc-Hen is a "stuffed chicken in duck, both boneless, turkey partially de-boned, cornbread pork rice stuffing with creole seasoning." That's easy for them to say. Boy was I looking forward to this.

According to the Cajun Grocer website, the tur-duc-hen has 44 - 5.5 oz servings per bird. That's a lot of food and not something to cook for the family's typical Sunday dinner.

What would I do with this bird? I know - I'll cook it at The Hudson Valley Ribfest. We need to eat on Saturday night, and there will be a lot of people milling around who I'm sure have never tried a tur-duc-hen either. Problem solved. Now how do I smoke it?

Since I was cooking this bird at the ribfest, this meant I was going to smoke it. There as no option for an oven. Looking for advice, I spoke with Mr. Dugas. Unfortunately he had none, so a quick e-mail to Dr. Biggles was composed. He hadn't smoked one yet either, but we both agreed that temps just above normal smoking would work just fine. Basically, we concluded to smoke it like a turkey and ignore the stuffings. One bit of important advice I did get from Biggles, is that the tur-duc-hen takes about 5 days to defrost in the refrigerator. Damn. Best get moving.

So on Saturday night, I built a fire in my trusty Weber Smokey Mountain using oak, maple and apple. I brought the temps to 275 degrees and placed the bird in the smoke. Ignoring the label's cooking advice, I started the bird breast side down, thinking that the fat in the duck would help keep the breast meat of the turkey moist.

After about 2 1/2 hours I flipped the bird on it's back and let it cook until it's internal temperature reached 165 degrees. I didn't add any spices or seasonings to the bird, but I did spray it with apple juice every hour or so. Total cooking time for this bird, 5 1/2 hours.

Basically the tur-duc-hen it's a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. Everything is de-boned except for the wings and legs of the turkey. If you look closely at the picture you can see that in addition to the pork rice stuffing the bird also has a layer of cornbread stuffing.

After letting the tur-duc-hen sit for about 20 minutes we sliced it right across the body. It sliced beautifully. Each slice exposed all three meats and every layer of stuffing. Each meat was juicy and very flavorful. This was a damn nice looking piece of bird meat.

So, how did it taste? I have to say that I sometimes find Cajun spices over whelming. While I do enjoy the heat, the spice sometimes takes over so much that you can't taste the meat. Not so with the tur-duc-hen. The tur-duc-hen was beautifully spiced; just enough heat and flavor to engage the taste buds and to allow the flavors of the turkey and duck to shine through. This was definitely a treat. What about the chicken you ask? It seemed to get lost in the mix.

One very interesting part or the tur-duk-hen I didn't expect was the experience of all the different textures; the turkey, duck, chicken and stuffing. This is a very enjoyable meal.

So will I buy one? Let me put it this way, there wasn't a piece of skin left over that night. Of course I'll buy one. I suggest you buy one too! Imagine how your friends and family will be impressed when you whip out a tur-duk-hen this thanksgiving. My only wish is that the Cajun Grocer would come up with a smaller version that I could serve to just the family.

BBQ Events: Hudson Valley Ribfest - The Results

Well folks, it's time to reveal our standings at the end of the Hudson Valley Ribfest.

Drum roll please.......

In the NEBS sanctioned grilling contest - we came in 24th. Ugh.

In the KCBS sanctioned barbecue contest, we did it! We came in first! Forty-first actually. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but not exactly bad. I'm looking at the pictures of our turn in boxes and nothing looks outstanding. I think we finished where we belonged.

For a group of guys who have never cooked with each other before, we did damn good. We submitted all of our meat in every category, on time. Ask anyone who's competed; that's not a small accomplishment.

But as a team we were very disorganized. As of Friday afternoon, we were still debating recipes. Hell we didn't even have our fish or chicken purchased. As a matter of fact, our fish and chicken were purchased after the meat inspection on Saturday morning. Don't worry, they were all inspected before we cooked them. Hey, we follow the rules.

As a team, we have a lot to learn; about each other, about how to cook together, how to criticize each other's cooking, how to accept criticism, how to communicate with each other both in words and in action and how to perform that special dance that will win a contest. In up coming posts I'll talk about what we cooked, how we cooked it and why, but not tonight.

It would be a lie to say that I'm not a bit disappointed by our results, but the important thing is that we had a great time cooking together. Mike, Mike and John are some of the greatest people on earth and I wouldn't have missed this chance to get to know them better for anything. As Spanky once sang, "maybe we'll do it again someday."

Time to go.

In a couple of hours I'm heading off to the Hudson Valley Ribfest (if you need a link see a previous post) I'm a bit apprehensive, but I'm really trying to take this one as a lark. This contest is for fun. If we place, fantastic. If not, that's fantastic too. This is for the fun of cooking and to introduce some new people to the world of competitive barbeque. This is all for pleasure. The un-named team member is back on board. I'm so glad. He's a great guy and would have been sorely missed. YEAH! We're gonna have a great time now.

But then again, that all seems a bit hollow. Those of you who know me, know I don't like to loose. Part of me wants to be in the top 5 or so. Alright, I admit it first. First would be out of this world and t I really doubt it. I know we can cook, but we haven't practiced at all. We haven't even settled on recipes. I don't know if we have everything we need to compete. I keep dropping things in the boxes. But like I said, I know we can cook. Can we cook to the judges expectations? Only time will tell.

I'm also worried a bit about the actions of a certain tribe in the barbeque world. Some of them will be at New Paltz. They've screwed with me and my friends before, and I don't put it past them to do it again. Some actions have been plain stupid, juvenile and even sophomoric; but others have frankly, been criminal. I don't doubt for a second that they've got something planned for this event. Every time I've crossed paths with them this year, a shit storm follows. I'll be sleeping with one eye open this weekend (like I sleep at all) and I'm not going to take any shit.

It's really a pity and I've tried to put it all to rest, but sometimes there's no reasoning with people. Peace, love and barbeque man. What's so funny about that? Sorry Elvis. Sorry Mike.

But even with all that drama, come on up to New Paltz. Hang with us. We're gonna have a great time. There's a turduken from the Cajun Grocer for Saturday night. There's a cart load of lamb from the American Lamb Board for your enjoyment and of course, our smiling faces. There's a lot of beer too, but we can always use more. And if my buddy Dmitri is reading this, I have a special surprise for you.

C'mon up. Bring chairs and beverages; adult and diet coke. You know how I love my diet coke. We'll raise the roof. And if you're a member of the tribe, come in peace. You'll be welcomed with open arms. We'll smoke a pipe or something and make peace, love and barbecue. Get your mind out of the gutter you filthy animals. See you there.

Dos

2 days to go to the Hudson Valley Ribfest and one of the team members has dropped out. We think. He hasn't made up his mind, but the rest of us are pretty sure that all signs point to him leaving. It's funny, if this had happened a week ago, I would have freaked out. Now, it doesn't bother me. Don't get me wrong, I sincerely hope that he comes up as he's one of my favorite people and we will definitely miss him if he doesn't. But it's beyond my control.

It seems that I've lost or worked through all my apprehensions and nervousness about this event. What will be, will be. We'll do our best and hopefully it will be good enough. We'll be experimenting on some foods, and following time honored traditions with others. We will have fun - that I can guarantee.

If you're anywhere near New Paltz, New York this weekend, come on by.

BBQ Life: 7 days to go

7 days to go until the Hudson Valley Ribfest and I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about the event today. Last night I met up with two of the members of the team and discovered a few things that bothered me.

1. One of the team members is going to the event to "get drunk and have fun. I don't give a shit how we do." I want to have fun, and I'll probably drink a beer or two, but I do care how we perform. We can "get drunk and have fun" any time without the expense or pressure of a contest.
   
2. There will be a lot of folks coming up from Brooklyn to check out the event. While that in it self doesn't bother me at all, I don't think we're going to be prepared for the amount of folks showing up. At last count it will be around 40. I hope they bring drinks, coolers, ice and chairs as they'll be in short supply at our site. We'll have plenty of food.
   
3. One guy who plans on showing up, along with his bratty kids, is hated by one team member, despised by another, tolerated by the third and actually liked by the forth. I'm not saying which member I am, but I really hope this interloper doesn't interfere with the cooking. If he does, I could easily see one member of the team dismembering him. Or walking out.
   
4. We still have no idea of who's doing what on the team. We're supposed to meet next week and finalize all of that, but damn, I'd be a lot more comfortable if we did it already. I'm a but uneasy telling the guys what to do, as they've cooked together before, but if they're not willing or able to make a decision, I will.
   
5. I'm still trying to figure out what we're cooking for the grilling contest. The BBQ contest is a no brainer, but the grilling event is wide open.
   

Even with all that on my mind, I'm really excited about the contest. We've had some great things come our way, which will be revealed in time, and its a great bunch of guys I'm cooking with. It's a very well run contest in a beautiful location. I'll be cooking BBQ again. I like judging, but the real fun is in the competition.

BBQ Events: Hudson Valley Ribfest

12 days to go to the Hudson Valley Ribfest.

Now that I've gotten all my nerves and apprehensions out of the way, I can concentrate on the event. Today I'm cooking up a couple of pork butts and lamb ribs. I've never done lamb ribs on the grill before so this is going to very interesting.

I came up with a new pork injection yesterday. It's a mixture of apple juice, oil, vinegar, pork stock, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, garlic, salt, pepper and a couple of other ingredients I'm keeping secret for now. If I like it, I may use it in the competition. If it wins, I'll publish the whole recipe.

I'm also trying out a new rub. I found it in Fairway the other day and I've never tried it or seen it before. We like the manufacturer's other products and it passed the pinky test, so here's hoping.

I'm busy today putting together the equipment we'll need. I pulled my Weber Smokey Mountain out of the garage for a good cleaning. I haven't used it since my last competition, which was the ill fated Grill Kings. (I guess I'm getting spoiled. I have a lot of grills to choose from now.) Opening up the WSM, I noticed that I have two charcoal grill racks and only one cooking rack. Time for a visit to Home Depot for a replacement.

Sorry, no pictures today. The batteries are dead and I'm too busy to buy new.

BBQ Events: Hudson Valley Ribfest

13 days to go to the Hudson Valley Ribfest.

I'm cooking with friends who I've never cooked with before. This should be interesting. We're signed up to do both the NEBS grilling contest on Saturday and the KCBS event on Sunday. That Sunday is also my 45th birthday. Shit, I'm old. We're signed up to cook fish, lamb, sausage and beef steak on Saturday and chicken, ribs, pork shoulder and beef brisket on Sunday.

Since I'm the only one on the team to have any experience with a full blown KCBS event, the rest of the team is looking at me as the expert. This is making me a bit apprehensive as both of the Mikes have competed before at Grillin' On The Bay and they cook with each other during the year. They know how to cook together. I've done contests, but I really don't know what to expect from both of them and how I'll fit into the mix. One Mike is definitely the more serious cook, but the other is a "git er done" type of guy. They've never let me down, I just hope I can live up to their expectations of me.

I've got to remember my own advice written way back when I attended my first barbecue event...

1. Don't worry about the food too much. You've cooked enough Q to allow your instincts to direct you.
2. Have fun.
3. Don't be a chicken shit - just do it!
   

BBQ Judges Needed.....

This just in....

Hey there you crazy barbeque lovin’ folks;

The 3rd Annual Hudson Valley Rib Fest has taken off beyond all imagination and is now in need of more certified judges for their event on the weekend of August 18th & 19th. Currently there are more than 60 teams that have signed up and some are coming from over 1,500 miles away. There will be nationally recognized teams as well as a presence from the Food Network so the samples will be the best ever.

The event takes place at the Ulster County Fairgrounds which is located in beautiful New Paltz, NY and really easy to get to from the New York State Thruway.

If you have been looking to judge and event that hosts some seriously famous barbeque, then you need to sign up now. Here’s the link: judges@hudsonvalleyribfest.org.

Hope to see you all there!

Mike Lee

For more info, please visit: http://www.hudsonvalleyribfest.org