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Use meat power to beat 'Bama
By Justin Raines
Mmm ... feel that? Yes folks, Old Man Winter is almost here! I sit at the sports desk this morning still relishing the smell of last night's wood smoke. That's right, the past weekend's chilly breezes sparked the inaugural Tiger Mountain Cold Snap Bonfire last night in my backyard, and that means that football weather is officially upon us.
Other than Sunday evening's celebratory blaze, the weekend was fairly uneventful. The Bulldogs crushed an opponent that they were supposed to crush, but even with the victory over Western Carolina, I sensed unease on the streets of Athens.
I haven't talked to a fan yet who is comfortable with the team's chances in Alabama on Saturday. There are still too many unanswered questions. Will our defense show up? Will Stafford be crisp? Do the receivers actually have opposable thumbs?
The game will be pivotal for our season. Should we lose to the Tide, we will probably spend the remainder of the fall trying to mend broken spirits. Murmurs of “let's get ready for next year” are sure to arise. But should we win, oh, think how sweet it will be to thump 'Bama on their home grass. A victory will be crucial for our confidence and momentum. This is perhaps the most important game we will play all year.
Some of you who will watch the game from home might be asking yourselves, “As Dawg fans, what can we do to help the team from afar?”
Here's my plan: If one out of every three Bulldog households in Rabun County fires up their yard grills at the same time during the tailgating hour, we can send a giant, pig-flavored smoke signal all the way to Tuscaloosa.
Some of you may have never cooked an entire pork shoulder before, and I'm going to let you in on the fabled Raines smoking method so that there will be no confusion on game day.
I'm sure there are better recipes out there, but mine is simple and nearly always guarantees success.
Get yourself a nice, fat, bone-in pork shoulder and season it with salt, pepper and chili powder. There are several pre-made rubs out there, but I usually prefer to let the simple spices and wood smoke speak for themselves.
Light up your smoker or grill with basic charcoal. Once the briquettes are ashed over, lay some oak or hickory upon the coals until smoke roils over the sides.
Place the shoulder on the grate and cover it. Keeping a close eye on the temperature, it should not get too hot, let the meat smoke for as long as the coals hold out. Beware, the pork won't be totally cooked. This is where the secret of the Raines method comes in.
Once the smoke has died down, wrap the meat in aluminum foil and move it to an oven set at 215 degrees. Let it slow cook for another five hours or so. You know it's ready when you can push a finger into the foil and it doesn't bounce back. Once the shoulder cools, hand-pull the meat from the bone and serve with sauce.
The success of the plan depends on fan participation. We must band together to pull this thing off. Support your local butcher and get your meat ready. Sometime between noon and kickoff, make sure that a healthy cloud of oak smoke rises proudly from your lawn. Imagine the power of the pig if everyone takes this thing seriously. The entire county will be piping with pork fumes. If our luck holds, and the wind is right, I have no doubt that our cloud will be seen from the stands in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Dawg fans of Rabun, this is a monumental weekend in Georgia's football season. I urge you to get the lighter fluid ready. Don't sit back while your neighbor starts his grill. Do your part. Let's fire it up Rabun! Go Dawgs!
Justin Raines is sports writer of The Clayton Tribune.
Other than Sunday evening's celebratory blaze, the weekend was fairly uneventful. The Bulldogs crushed an opponent that they were supposed to crush, but even with the victory over Western Carolina, I sensed unease on the streets of Athens.
I haven't talked to a fan yet who is comfortable with the team's chances in Alabama on Saturday. There are still too many unanswered questions. Will our defense show up? Will Stafford be crisp? Do the receivers actually have opposable thumbs?
The game will be pivotal for our season. Should we lose to the Tide, we will probably spend the remainder of the fall trying to mend broken spirits. Murmurs of “let's get ready for next year” are sure to arise. But should we win, oh, think how sweet it will be to thump 'Bama on their home grass. A victory will be crucial for our confidence and momentum. This is perhaps the most important game we will play all year.
Some of you who will watch the game from home might be asking yourselves, “As Dawg fans, what can we do to help the team from afar?”
Here's my plan: If one out of every three Bulldog households in Rabun County fires up their yard grills at the same time during the tailgating hour, we can send a giant, pig-flavored smoke signal all the way to Tuscaloosa.
Some of you may have never cooked an entire pork shoulder before, and I'm going to let you in on the fabled Raines smoking method so that there will be no confusion on game day.
I'm sure there are better recipes out there, but mine is simple and nearly always guarantees success.
Get yourself a nice, fat, bone-in pork shoulder and season it with salt, pepper and chili powder. There are several pre-made rubs out there, but I usually prefer to let the simple spices and wood smoke speak for themselves.
Light up your smoker or grill with basic charcoal. Once the briquettes are ashed over, lay some oak or hickory upon the coals until smoke roils over the sides.
Place the shoulder on the grate and cover it. Keeping a close eye on the temperature, it should not get too hot, let the meat smoke for as long as the coals hold out. Beware, the pork won't be totally cooked. This is where the secret of the Raines method comes in.
Once the smoke has died down, wrap the meat in aluminum foil and move it to an oven set at 215 degrees. Let it slow cook for another five hours or so. You know it's ready when you can push a finger into the foil and it doesn't bounce back. Once the shoulder cools, hand-pull the meat from the bone and serve with sauce.
The success of the plan depends on fan participation. We must band together to pull this thing off. Support your local butcher and get your meat ready. Sometime between noon and kickoff, make sure that a healthy cloud of oak smoke rises proudly from your lawn. Imagine the power of the pig if everyone takes this thing seriously. The entire county will be piping with pork fumes. If our luck holds, and the wind is right, I have no doubt that our cloud will be seen from the stands in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Dawg fans of Rabun, this is a monumental weekend in Georgia's football season. I urge you to get the lighter fluid ready. Don't sit back while your neighbor starts his grill. Do your part. Let's fire it up Rabun! Go Dawgs!
Justin Raines is sports writer of The Clayton Tribune.
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