So I finally got to smoke on my Christmas day WSM rescue!
I bought 2 packs of decent quality party wangs.
Followed the Habanero Death Wings recipe from the OR website, one pack got the Habanero Death Dust, the other got the new Crucible Ghost Chili rub.
Marinated each in a gallon freezer bag with EVOO and a hefty amout of each rub for a few hours.
Fired up the WSM with Stubbs in minion method and about 4 chunks of Hickory and a big handfull of Apple chips spread throughout.
Applied another medium coating of each rub right before putting them in the smoke.
Smoked 'em at 250-275F for about 50 minutes, then removed the side door and opened all the vents to bring the temp up close to 400F at the top grate.
I don't have a leaf blower to do it like the official recipe, but I thought about using my bicycle tire pump as a bellows, insulating the nozzle with aluminum foil.... naw, maybe next time:twisted:
Both batches turned out great! Crisp skin, smoke ring to the bone, good smokey flavor, intense smell from the rubs and the sweet smoke intermingling, tender and moist meat. Easily the best wings I've ever made.
For the comparison, I started with a couple HDD wings, since they are a well known flavor profile to me, and because I anticipated them to be the mellower of the two levels of extreme heat. I then ate a couple Crucible wings, dipping in Lighthouse Big Blue dressing as a reprieve/contrast to the heat. Then alternating between the two and dipping as needed. Cleansing the palette with Pyramid Snow Cap winter ale between flavors.
The Crucible rub tastes amazing. I think it's now one of my favorite OR rubs.
The initial flavor is sweet/savory/exotic, followed by an intense heat that threatens to overpower, but eases off when you take another bite and then the savory kicks in again. The heat builds with each bite, and I was hurting a bit after 2 or three pieces, but they were so good I just had to eat more!
The Habanero Death Wings were delicious as well. Less of a sharp, shocking heat and more of a warm glowing, full mouth heat that tastes really intense, without being too harsh. The heat grows with each bite, but never reaches the same near painful intensity as the Crucible.
In comparison, I actually feel like the HDD flavor fell kind of flat next to the Crucible. It just doesn't seem as well rounded of a flavor profile when it's side by side. I love it, and I will continue to put it on everything when I need to add a little zing, but strictly as a standalone rub, it needs something else. Normally I add some Secret Weapon or Game Bird rub and a little extra garlic powder and salt. This is the first time I have rocked the HDD with nothing else and all I picked up on was a mild sweet followed by a nice intense warm heat.
I ended up eating more of the HDD wings only as a reprieve from the extreme intensity of the Crucibles heat. They seem mild in direct comparison!
The Crucible rub has some kind of magical combination of exotic and familiar, paired with an almost narcotic level of heat that just has me hooked on the first taste. I'm very impressed, and highly recommend that Brethren who like it hot run over to Oakridge and grab some of this before it's gone. You won't regret it!
Thanks for looking, and have a Smokin' Hot new year!
I bought 2 packs of decent quality party wangs.
Followed the Habanero Death Wings recipe from the OR website, one pack got the Habanero Death Dust, the other got the new Crucible Ghost Chili rub.
Marinated each in a gallon freezer bag with EVOO and a hefty amout of each rub for a few hours.
Fired up the WSM with Stubbs in minion method and about 4 chunks of Hickory and a big handfull of Apple chips spread throughout.
Applied another medium coating of each rub right before putting them in the smoke.
Smoked 'em at 250-275F for about 50 minutes, then removed the side door and opened all the vents to bring the temp up close to 400F at the top grate.
I don't have a leaf blower to do it like the official recipe, but I thought about using my bicycle tire pump as a bellows, insulating the nozzle with aluminum foil.... naw, maybe next time:twisted:
Both batches turned out great! Crisp skin, smoke ring to the bone, good smokey flavor, intense smell from the rubs and the sweet smoke intermingling, tender and moist meat. Easily the best wings I've ever made.
For the comparison, I started with a couple HDD wings, since they are a well known flavor profile to me, and because I anticipated them to be the mellower of the two levels of extreme heat. I then ate a couple Crucible wings, dipping in Lighthouse Big Blue dressing as a reprieve/contrast to the heat. Then alternating between the two and dipping as needed. Cleansing the palette with Pyramid Snow Cap winter ale between flavors.
The Crucible rub tastes amazing. I think it's now one of my favorite OR rubs.
The initial flavor is sweet/savory/exotic, followed by an intense heat that threatens to overpower, but eases off when you take another bite and then the savory kicks in again. The heat builds with each bite, and I was hurting a bit after 2 or three pieces, but they were so good I just had to eat more!
The Habanero Death Wings were delicious as well. Less of a sharp, shocking heat and more of a warm glowing, full mouth heat that tastes really intense, without being too harsh. The heat grows with each bite, but never reaches the same near painful intensity as the Crucible.
In comparison, I actually feel like the HDD flavor fell kind of flat next to the Crucible. It just doesn't seem as well rounded of a flavor profile when it's side by side. I love it, and I will continue to put it on everything when I need to add a little zing, but strictly as a standalone rub, it needs something else. Normally I add some Secret Weapon or Game Bird rub and a little extra garlic powder and salt. This is the first time I have rocked the HDD with nothing else and all I picked up on was a mild sweet followed by a nice intense warm heat.
I ended up eating more of the HDD wings only as a reprieve from the extreme intensity of the Crucibles heat. They seem mild in direct comparison!
The Crucible rub has some kind of magical combination of exotic and familiar, paired with an almost narcotic level of heat that just has me hooked on the first taste. I'm very impressed, and highly recommend that Brethren who like it hot run over to Oakridge and grab some of this before it's gone. You won't regret it!
Thanks for looking, and have a Smokin' Hot new year!
