Original Texan OT420 Wood Pellet Smoker Grill

If you don’t have a wood pellet grill on your deck or patio, what’s keeping you? They are super fun, easy to operate, clean burning and the food that comes off of them is superb!

For me it takes the place of a wood fire pit, charcoal grill without all the hassles. And, you are not going to believe the results you are going to get even if you are a novice to the barbecue world.

So this is kind of a review on a cool wood pellet grill. Grab a nice beverage, relax & read on!

Shoppers Choice features the “Original Texan” that comes in two sizes: 420 square inches and 650. Even with the 420 incher you can BBQ a whole turkey and a ham at the same time. There is lots of room to BBQ and they are built to last.

The grills cook on indirect heat…there is a metal plate between the fire box and the grill. In other words, there is no flame licking at, burning, and ruining whatever you have on the grill. And, you don't need a rotisserie.

The fire box is fed by an auger that moves wood pellets from a large box on the side of the unit. The pellets are not the type you fed a pellet stove with. They are especially designed pellets formulated with real cherry, apple, hickory, maple, mesquite wood and so on. They burn clean, are economical and are readily available.

In making these pellets, there are no funny additives….the wood itself contains its own adhesives. In short, no junk is added to the pellets.

The grills are designed for true barbecuing and smoking. You can grill with them, but they are not designed to sear steaks at 600 degrees. But, hey, your steaks will come out a whole lot better than you think on a grill like this...it just may take a little longer.

A wood pellet grill takes 15 minutes or so to get up to speed. They are not designed for “I want to grill it right now!” types.

If you want your food to taste delicious and you want to impress family, friend and yourself, this is an excellent choice in helping you do just that.

(For all my Texas USMC buddies, I wish I could tell you this is " The Original Oregonian Grill", but I can't.)

Enjoy! Like my favorite chef and friend , George Hirsch would say, “Know your fire!”

I don’t ask that you send me 100K for my BBQ and cooking tips. But, hey, it's OK if you do! Jeez, it really helps with the bills. If not, please check out my sponsors and ads....it helps keep up the blog and my fragile spirit! Thank you, it’s appreciated! Please see bottom of page for Product Disclosure and Privacy Disclosure.

Who Makes The Best Gas Grill?

If you are like me, you don’t want to buy anything that is garbage whether it is a gas grill or a box of toothpicks.

I have had the same gas grill for over 20 years. I know what I am talking about. I did some research back then, just like you are doing now, and it paid off. I’ve had to replace one worn-out hose in those 20 years and that’s it.

Time has a lot to say about just who makes the best grill, and I would lean toward those that have been around for awhile like Weber, OCI and Luxor. Ok, you can go to the big box stores. But, most of their grills are down a few notches...many are junk. They may claim they have many of the features the top ones do, but are not of the same quality, folks.

I can almost guarantee that if you buy a cheap gas grill that you will be replacing it in two years. Further with your cheap grill you won't be be going green. You'll be right in there with filling up the landfill. Do your homework. A gas grill that you will love cooking on is not going to be cheap.

A 30 inch Luxor Grill  It's a dream to grill on. It even has a smoker box and infrared burner....it is very easy to cook on and super easy to clean. It’s designed and built to last for years and years.

The OCI Gas Grills Elite 36 Inch Natural Gas Grill On Cart With Sear Zone Burner And Rotisserie is even more money but has more frills than the Luxor and is well worth checking out if you want to grill on the best. It is also six inches larger than the Luxor.


The Weber Gas Grills Summit S-670 Propane Gas Grill W/ Sear Burner is the most economical choice of these three and you have the Weber name. It’s not an el-cheapo made grill and it should last for years. You do want to invest in something that last for more than 2 years, don't you?



I am not going to say much more. If you are looking for a cheap grill, “these are not it”! Take yourself to the landfill....you'll find all kinds. If you are looking for a gas grill that is way above the norm, here are three of the very best! Like Chef George Hirsch (For me the greatest griller in the world) would say, "Know Your Fire!"

I don’t ask that you send me 100K for my BBQ and cooking tips. But, hey, it's OK if you do! Jeez, it really helps with the bills. If not, please check out my sponsors and ads....it helps keep up the blog and my fragile spirit! Thank you, it’s appreciated! Please see bottom of page for Product Disclosure and Privacy Disclosure.

Beer Can Chicken Recipe

Beer can chicken is popular and for some very good reasons....it's moist, it has beer content and it tastes good!

Here’s a simple recipe: but first don’t use a beer can. In my previous posts I mention using a beer can to sit the chicken on, although I never have personally. Sure it’s economical but beer cans are aluminum and are painted.

It has been pointed out to me that when aluminum and paint are combined with heat it can have a toxic effect and can be very unhealthy. Why would you invite "Unhealthy"? In short, don’t sit your chicken on a beer can when you are barbecuing it.

Ok, you say, “The Dude is just trying to sell me something else!” Well, yes I am and it is a hell of a lot safer than sitting a chicken on a beer can and cooking it.

What I recommend is that you look into a chicken throne, a vertical chicken roaster, a chicken rack or whatever you want to call it. The one I recommend is the Steve Raichlen Stainless Steel Beer Can Chicken Rack. (See Below) It's the best, make things easy and they are economical.

So, let's grind this right into the dirt! The reason is: His chicken rack is not aluminum, it’s not painted, it is stainless steel and it will hold a heavyweight chicken up vertically like it should and you won’t have to worry about the toxic thing or the chicken falling over like you do with the beer can thing.

Now to the recipe: You need to apply a Rub. But first, clean the bird and pat dry. Sprinkle a generous amount of Italian Seasoning and Garlic Granules in the cavity and on the body. I like to gently cut open some of the skin and apply there.

One of the best marinades I have discovered for chicken is “Catalina Dressing”. It has all the ingredients you need to give your chicken a fabulous flavor. Well, then there is the beer.

Pour the dressing on! Put lots of it on and don’t forget the cavity. Sprinkle more Italian Seasoning and Garlic on, but don’t rub it in this time.

Marinate the chicken over night in a marinating pan or plastic bag. Take it out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before putting it on a pre-warmed grill.

Hey, you can do this Dude on a gas, charcoal or a wood pellet grill and get super neat results. You will want to set your gas or wood pellet grill to a medium temperature of around 325 degrees.

I have a Traeger wood pellet grill so this was a piece of cake because it cooks on indirect heat. On a gas grill, fire up only one side of the grill and cook on the other.

With charcoal, you want a 3-zone split fire. Pour some brew into the chicken throne cup, but only about half full. You’ll find that there be more liquid coming out of the chicken than what you care about.

Cooking time is about two hours, or 190 degrees. Be careful when it’s time to get the Dude off the grill. Don’t be spilling hot stuff all over yourself. Wrap the chicken in foil when done and let it sit out for 15 minutes, or so and then serve. I don’t recommend doing a beer can chicken in an oven. You can, but make sure you have a large tray that will handle all the liquid that comes out of the bird.

This is a simple recipe! Why make it complicated? Your friends and family are just going to love it and you will get more compliments than you can handle! You'll be a celebrity and be signing autographs.

Enjoy! Like my favorite chef and friend , George Hirsch would say, “Know your fire!”

I don’t ask that you send me 100K for my BBQ and cooking tips. But, hey, it's OK if you do! Jeez, it really helps with the bills. If not, please check out my sponsors and ads....it helps keep up the blog and my fragile spirit! Thank you, it’s appreciated! Please see bottom of page for Product Disclosure and Privacy Disclosure.

How To BBQ Pork Ribs

My family and I love Country-style Pork Ribs. These are serious-sized ribs. My father-in-law use to call them Dinosaur bones, and rightfully so when he barbecued them.

This package of pork ribs weighed five pound and there were five of them. So each rib weighs a pound. These ain’t etsy bitsy baby back ribs, folks! Ok, they are theoretically not even ribs at all, but...who cares!

Your goal, anytime you are BBQing, or cooking, should be to add taste and keep whatever you are cooking moist and tender. This may be a “Duh!” but the “moist & tender” part can be tough to achieve if not done right.

Let’s get to the recipe, now. Wash the ribs and pat dry. Rub with a generous amount of EVOO.

If you don’t know what that term means you may want to consult “Rachael’s Unabridged Dictionary Of Cooking Terminology”. Hey, you’ll also learn what “Delish, Stoup & Yummo" means.

Just kidding, she’s a Doll and prepares excellent food and you can learn a lot from her! Maybe the fastest cook in the world!

Rub the ribs with EVOO and placed in a plastic marinating container or large plastic bag. Next, pour a generous amount of a quality Rub on these puppies. I prefer to make my own and here is a good one from Cheryl Jamison (author of Smoke & Spice...see her two books below) who has given me permission to pass it on : “Wild Willy's Number One-derful Rub Recipe”.

Once you have her Rub made, distribute generously on the pork ribs and rub in real good. Now, this works like a champ for a marinade, just plain old yellow mustard. ( Has all the ingredients you'll need for one of the best marinades you'll run across)

Don’t go berserk! But, pour on a fair amount of mustard and distribute with a cooking brush.

Best results dictate marinating the pork ribs over night. Before you put them on the grill or in the oven, let them sit out for 30 minutes while you get the cooking temperature up to medium or 325 degrees.

My Traeger Grill cooks on indirect heat and theoretically I can put them directly on the grill, but the mess with the mustard could be catastrophic. I highly suggest that you some type of pan when cooking.

On a gas grill, use indirect heat by lighting one side of the grill and putting the ribs on the other. On a charcoal grill, a two-zone fire should do the trick. Put a water pan in the middle of the grill to keep things moist. See this gas grill tip: ( How To BBQ Pork Ribs On A Gas Grill).

In an oven, I suggest using a Dutch Oven, or Clay Pot. Add a little water to the Dutch Oven so that you maintain moisture and don’t burn up the meat.

Cooking time should be around two hours. Check for internal temperature, ideally around 170 degrees. I added another 20 minutes to this by smoking them on the Traeger at 90 degrees. You can do the same thing on a gas grill by using a “Smoker Box”!

Once you take the pork ribs off the BBQ, wrap in foil for 15 minutes before serving. I would even do the same with a Dutch Oven.

I hope you enjoyed this post on this very simple recipe. Sometimes things can just get too complicated and why not just do simple?

Enjoy! Like my favorite chef and friend , George Hirsch would say, “Know your fire!”

I don’t ask that you send me 100K for my BBQ and cooking tips. But, hey, it's OK if you do! Jeez, it really helps with the bills. If not, please check out my sponsors and ads....it helps keep up the blog and my fragile spirit! Thank you, it’s appreciated! Please see bottom of page for Product Disclosure and Privacy Disclosure.