Myron Mixon Brine Food

HOG INJECTION

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine the apple juice and vinegar over medium heat. Stirring continuously, pour in the sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Stir until the seasonings are completely dissolved. Do not boil. Remove from the heat.
• If reserving for a later use, let the liquid cool; then pour it into a large bottle or container. Store refrigerated for up to 1 year.

MYRON MIXON'S WORLD-FAMOUS CUPCAKE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat a smoker to 300˚F.
• Using poultry shears, remove the knuckle on each end of each chicken thigh bone. Then trim the excess fat off the skin and meat of each thigh until the pieces are 3 to 4 inches wide, leaving about 1/4 inch of excess skin at the edges of the meat. Apply the chicken rub evenly to both sides of the thighs.
• In the cupcake mold, place each thigh, skin side down, in an individual cup. Sit the mold in the baking pan, and pour the chicken broth into the pan, being careful not to pour it directly on top of the chicken. Place the pan in the smoker and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the baking pan from the smoker. Gently flip the thighs onto the baking sheet. Season the tops of the thighs with salt and pepper. Return the thighs to the mold cups, skin side up, and put the baking pan back in the smoker. Cook for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until thoroughly combined. In a medium pan over medium heat, warm the sauce until it is hot but not boiling. Set aside.
• Remove the pan from the smoker, and unmold the chicken thighs onto the baking sheet, skin side up. Brush the thighs lightly with the warm sauce. Place the baking sheet in the smoker and cook for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize into the chicken skin.
• Remove the baking sheet from the smoker, and serve the cupcake chicken immediately.

MYRON'S PEACH BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Place the beans in a large nonreactive bowl, and add enough cold water to cover them by 3 to 4 inches. Cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel and leave the beans to soak at room temperature overnight.
• When you are ready to cook the beans, rinse them thoroughly in fresh cold water, and drain.
• Place the beans in a large pot, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Drain the beans.
• Preheat a smoker or oven to 300˚F.
• In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt and pepper, mustard, maple syrup, ketchup, pie filling, and peppers. Mix well. Then add the beans and stir again. Pour the bean mixture into a large aluminum pan (for the smoker) or into a large ovenproof baking dish or Dutch oven. (You can assemble the beans to this point 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate until you're ready to cook them.)
• Add just enough water to the pan to cover everything, and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Cook in the smoker or oven until the beans are tender, about 4 hours, checking hourly to make sure they aren't drying out (if they are, add more water to the pan). The beans are done when the top is dark brown and bubbling. If you want the top to be slightly crunchy, uncover the pan for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• Let the beans stand for about 15 minutes, then serve.

MYRON MIXON'S PRIZE-WINNING WHISTLER BURGER

Steps:

• Preheat a smoker or oven to 300˚F.
• In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine the ground beef with the ranch dressing mix and the beef rub. Mix gently with your hands until the spices are just integrated with the beef-be careful not to overwork the meat. Form into 2 patties (or more if you want smaller burgers).
• Place the burgers in a shallow aluminum pan and place the pan in the smoker or in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes for medium-rare and up to 30 minutes for medium-well.
• Remove the burgers from the smoker or oven and allow them to rest, uncovered, while you melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the butter is hot but not smoking, slide the burgers carefully into the skillet, using a spatula. Cook the burgers for about 3 minutes on each side, just until they're seared and a nice crust has formed-be careful not to overcook them. Top them with the slices of cheddar cheese. Slide the burgers onto a platter and let them rest, lightly covered with aluminum foil.
• While your burgers are resting, cook the Canadian bacon and toast the buns: In the same medium skillet over medium heat, cook the slices of Canadian bacon for about 2 minutes on each side, until they are lightly crispy. Using a spatula, slide the Canadian bacon onto paper towels to absorb any excess grease.
• Toast the buns on a "light" setting in a toaster oven or toaster. Smear the bottom half of each bun with a little mayonnaise. Top with the cheeseburgers, a slice of Canadian bacon, a nice piece of iceberg lettuce, and a slice of ripe tomato. Smear the top of each bun with a little mayonnaise. And that's the best burger you'll ever put in your mouth.
• As with nearly all of the recipes in this book, you can use your grill as a smoker. However, if you don't want to take the time to create some smoke to cook these hamburgers, then you can just grill them. They won't have that delicious smoky flavor and won't be as great as the way I do them, but they'll still be damn good.
• Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill.
• Place the burgers on the rack directly over the coals. Cover the grill and cook to your desired doneness, 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare.
• Top each burger with a slice of cheddar cheese. Transfer them to a platter and let them rest, lightly covered with aluminum foil.
• Cook the Canadian bacon, toast the buns, and fill the buns with the burgers and garnishes as described above.