Sometimes the best dishes come from the heart! This is precisely the case of Jeff Trudel, whose passion for cooking knows no bounds. Trudel creates real magic in the kitchen. He uses BBQ and opens fire to create some of the most delicious food, guaranteeing finger-licking goodness.

The dish we are about to present takes more than a day to make. The process may seem intimidating but follow the instructions to the T, and you will be absolutely fine.

The ingredients

• Bird of choice
• A gallon of room temperature water
• ¾ cup smoked salt
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Freshly squeezed orange
• A lemon
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• 4 to 5 garlic gloves
• Six Thai chilies
• Freshly cut ginger

The cooking process

Preparing the brine

1. Pour the water into a large stockpot. You want the volume of the pot to be twice the water required. Pour in the salt, sugar, soy sauce, and olive oil. Continue stirring the broth until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
2. Leave the brine mixture to brew and after the first boil, add the Thai chilies, peppercorn, and ginger. Let the brine continue to boil and develop flavors.
3. Once the brine has reached half its original volume, add more water and let the pot simmer.
4. Continue boiling the brine on low heat. Do not rush the process, or the bird you intend to be delicious will just taste of water with raw spices.
5. Once the brine has reached its intended consistency, grab a colander and sieve through the ingredients so only the broth remains.
6. Don’t throw out the ingredients. You will need them later.
7. Grab the bird and dunk it into the broth and seal the lid.
8. Transfer the broth into an airtight container if you don’t want the bird to escape (ha!)
9. The airtight lead will conceal the flavor, which is the intention behind creating the broth.
10. Place the container in the cooler with cold water bottles around it. It will keep the bird calm.
11. Leave the bird submerged in the brine/broth mixture for 24 hours.

It’s the next day!

1. You woke up refreshed, and its time to tackle the bird.
2. Was it thoroughly.
3. Take the bird out of the brine and pat it dry. Dry skin will ensure crisp skin and deliciously tender meat.
4. In a separate frying pan, place some butter. Add the rosemary to create an aromatic blend.
5. Brush the rosemary butter onto the bird.
6. Insert the lemon cut into two pieces inside the bird’s cavity.
7. Drink half of a can of Sleeman beer.
8. Drop the garlic cloves into a half-empty beer can.
9. Insert the beer can inside the bird’s cavity. Set it upright, so the beer does not spill.
10. Erect the bird onto the rooster chicken holder from TomsRiDICKulousThings.com 
11. Preheat the Traeger grill at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The bird will take three and a half hours using the Pitmaster Choice pellet.

Time to make the sauce

1. While the bird is baking, grab a separate frying pan and add neutral flavor oil.
2. Add the broth ingredients you saved from the broth into the frying pan.
3. Let the ingredients simmer on low heat.
4. Add the remaining brine to the container as necessary. Do not add too much of it.
5. Add the orange juice and continue stirring until it shapes into a delicious sauce.
6. Blitz the mixture into the food processor until no smaller or larger chunks remain.
7. Add in salt and freshly ground pepper to season to taste.

Complete the dish

1. Take out the bird and place it on the kitchen counter.
2. Let it rest at least 30 seconds before serving.
3. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and garnish it with freshly chopped cilantro.

Tips

• The bird will be cooked perfectly when the thickest point at the breast reads 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a probing temperature for a correct reading.
• Wear gloves while transporting the bird from the grill to the kitchen counter.
• Do not prepare the brine over high heat. The trick to delicious, flavorful brine is letting the flavors brew and develop over low heat over four hours.
• Do not have a grill? Use the same temperature setting to prepare the bird in the kitchen oven.

About Us

The festive season is upon us where everyone wants a delicious peace of a bird. Toms RiDICKulous Things offer creative stands to present the dishes to hungry guests. It will surely make a permanent contribution to everyone’s camera rolls.