For those of you in Northern Indiana, you may remember the awesome smells to be had when driving past a Nelson Golden Glow's chicken smoker. Well, I recently came across the recipe for the sauce. I'll be trying it out this weekend and will post an update to let you know how accurate it was.
Nelson's Port-a-Pit Barbeque Sauce or Marinade
Serves/Makes:1 qt. approx.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (.5 kg). butter
- 1 cup (225 ml) water
- 1 cup (225 ml) vinegar
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) salt
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) pepper
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 oz (28 grm). Accent
Preparation
Boil together. This will store well in the refrigerator.
17 comments:
Tastes pretty bitter when just tasting, but gives an awesome smoky flavor. Of course, I cheated and poured in a shot of bourbon as well. I am from KY after all.
I'm from Elkhart originally and really miss Port-A-Pit. They had a stand at the Indy 500 a few years ago, that was the only time I've seen it in Indy.
I plan on trying this as soon as the weather allows, could you offer up any more tips. How did you cook it (temp, cooking time, any wood chips?) I'm figuring about 275 on the grill, with some chips to help the smoke ring.
Does anyone have cooking or prep directions....I assume you marinade....what, where, when, how?!? tx
The Nelson's cooker machine would complete dip the meat (usually chicken) in the "sauce" on a conveyor which would take about 2 minutes or so and then the meat goes along over the charcoal and then loops back (cooks both sides) and then dips again. Never actually timed it but I would imagine it took 10-20 minutes for the meat to make a round trip. GOOD stuff. Excellent flavor and it falls off the bone.
Ok, so someone asked how to prepare/cook, I've tried quite a few times and finally got a pretty good match to the actual golden glow chicken. I boiled all the ingrediants, cooled and then cut a chicken in half and marinated for about 8-10hrs. The butter will solidify while in the fridge, but oh well. Use a charcoal grill with mesquite charcoal. Reboil the marinade to use for basting. Cook the chicken over direct heat. Throw the chicken halves on skin side down for a few minutes to brown. Turn over skin side up to finish the final 30-40 minutes. Brush with marinade every few minutes (important part). Check temp for doneness. My wife couldn't believe this, said it tasted just like Nelson's and said I'm not allowed to cook chicken any other way ever again.
I grew up in Elkhart as well and, while not a match, it does serve as an excellent substitute. I cooked 14 chicken legs on my cast iron grill pan due to the current outside temperature and they turned out great. I used I can't believe it's not butter, used 2 Tbls of salt(instead of 4) and used a pre mixed cajun spice instead of the accent. This will be my go to chicken recipe. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy the great taste.
The key is indirect heat and many coats of the Marinate..
Make enough marinade to put in a bucket or deep dish, and grab your tongs, pull off grill and dunk in marinade and place back on grill.
I lived in Mishawaka area most of my life eating Nelson's over seven times a season for 32 years and this is not even close to Nelson's Port-A-Pit chicken. The Rob's disclaimer of being from Kentucky says it all.
I worked for nelsons 20yrs this is not even close. but if it works for you "enjoy"
Tried this recipe over the weekend. Here's what I did: Mix up a half batch of sauce. Marinate five pounds of wings overnight in the sauce. Next day, fire up the grill to 350 degrees. Split the wings (and sauce) into two foil trays (with covers) and place on grill. Rotate after twenty-five minutes, take off the grill after a total of 50 minutes. Take the wings out of the pans and put them on the grill to give them a char. Enjoy. The family enjoyed the wings, had a good, Nelson-like flavor. Thanks Rob!
The secret is marinading the chicken in the marinade slowly...in the oven on 200-250 for an 60-90 minutes. Covered. Put it on the grill with skin on and let it char. The more it burns the deeper the flavor reaches to the bone. We make this all the time love it. Ours is so much more juicy than Nelson's
The secret is marinading the chicken in the marinade slowly...in the oven on 200-250 for an 60-90 minutes. Covered. Put it on the grill with skin on and let it char. The more it burns the deeper the flavor reaches to the bone. We make this all the time love it. Ours is so much more juicy than Nelson's
Then why don't you contribute something other than worthless criticism?
Then why don't you contribute something other than worthless criticism?
I grew up in Goshen and my dad grew up near the Jayco plant on an Amish farm. Anyway, he said that he had worked on a pit crew for Nelson's (for how long I don't know). He would talk about it now and then, especially when he was grilling 'that' chicken. lol
There are two things missing on most (but not all) posts on this site.
1. Brown Sugar is missing in the recipe (and don't forget about some garlic salt too)
2. And most importantly - every two minutes: baste with a mop then turn the chicken over immediately. Then baste the chicken again - right after you have turned it as well. You must do this religiously and never ever miss a two minute cycle to baste and turn!
I watched him do this, and did it with him, so many times it's impossible to forget. ha ha!
Also, the coals have to be very hot, and you gotta keep them that way until the chicken leg pretty much is falls from from the meat.
I’ve been a fanatic admirer of Port a Pit chicken for decades.
The key isn’t Worchestershire sauce.
I talked a Nelson’s employee out of a quart of the marinade and took it home for analysis.
Soy sauce is closer.
And I suspect the SECRET is...beef.
It’s chicken with a beef broth marinade.
I use “Beefer-Upper sauce”.
But the cooking METHOD is the key.
The chicken revolves for fifteen minutes, five times.
Dunk the chicken then smoke for 7 minutes, then SEAR for seven minutes, then dunk.
The searing forces moisture out of the chicken, and creates a partial vacuum.
Dunking it cools the meat so it sucks up the marinade.
And of course, as the fat drips on the coals, you get the smoke flavoring.
I’m trying to come up with a miniaturized cooker.
My plan is to vacuum marinate the chicken, then put it into a modified smoker that raises and lowers the coals 12 inches.
Shooting in more marinade with a needle should work.
Post a Comment