Roasting Garlic

smoker pete

New member
How many of us bought a Garlic Baker over the years only to have it sit around collecting dust? Sure we had great intentions of using it but somehow the opportunity never arose. So I came face to face with my dust covered Garlic Baker and decided there's no time like the present to break in the Garlic Baker ... Sounds so simple.

Baked Garlic Recipe:

2 whole heads of garlic
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Chopped Fresh Oregano, Rosemary, or Basil
Salt & Ground Pepper to taste

GarlicBaker1.jpg


Soak domed lid in water for 10 minutes. Remove some of the papery outer skins from garlic. Slice off the tops of the bulbs so each clove is exposed. Trim base so garlic heads can sit flat in base of baker. Drizzle olive oil over garlic bulbs. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano.

Garlic1.jpg


Instructions call to cover with the domed lid and place in cold oven. Set temperature to 325ºF and bake for 45 minutes or until garlic is tender and husks are golden brown. Baste occasionally with olive oil, if desired.

Since I was smoking a Stuffed Pork Loin Roast at 230ºF in my MAK 2 Grill using Gourmet BBQ Pellets, I decided to throw in the Garlic Baker for 2 hours.

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Figured that if the recipe calls for 45 minutes at 325ºF then 2 hours at 230ºF would work out just as good. WRONG!! Garlic was barely ½ cooked and tasted horribly ... Back to the drawing board - No harm, no foul.

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If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again! Round 2: Prepared the Garlic as per the Recipe.

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This time I smoked/cooked Chicken Leg Quarters at 225ºF for an hour and then bumped the temperature to 325ºF until the Internal Temperature (IT) of the Chicken legs reached 180ºF. From experience I knew that I had at least an hour or more before the Chicken would be done. I placed the Garlic Baker in the MAK 2 Grill just before bumping the temp 325ºF.

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An hour later at 325º and the Chicken Leg Quarters reached their target IT of 180º and I was anxious to see how the garlic would turn out.

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The Baked Garlic turned out 90+% done and tasted wonderful. You could press the garlic with a fork and spread on hot, crusty french bread. Dip in olive oil seasoned with Italian spices. Each clove can also be pressed out and served as a side dish. I know many people may not eat Baked Garlic for a side dish but if you love garlic half as much as I do you'll love it. Or maybe just add baked garlic to pasta sauces, salads, or pizza toppings.

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The money $shot ... A Chicken Leg Quarter garnished with some fresh Pinto Beans, quick and dirty Spanish Rice, and a side of Roasted Garlic ... Good stuff Maynard !!

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I don't see my Garlic Baker collecting dust anymore cause I plan on using it as often as possible.
 

TentHunter

Moderator
Interesting experiment with the temps/time to see how it affects the outcome. Do you think the garlic baker shielded it too much at those temps to keep the sugars from caramelizing and mellowing the garlic?
 

smoker pete

New member
Interesting experiment with the temps/time to see how it affects the outcome. Do you think the garlic baker shielded it too much at those temps to keep the sugars from caramelizing and mellowing the garlic?

I'm not sure TentHunter since the instructions I posted for the temp of 325º for 45 minutes starting in a cold oven are the instructions right on the box. I think maybe an hour would do the trick but shouldn't ± 325º in my MAK be the same as in my oven??

The outside Garlic Cloves were like garlic butter while the inner cloves were nearly done but still very edible. I would say that the majority of the cloves caramelized and mellowed the garlic. Maybe I just have a high tolerance for garlic but it sure tasted great when I wolfed it down :D
 

Bernie

New member
Just did some roasted garlic on the Traeger this past weekend. I ended up taking a few cloves and putting them into the EVOO bottle for flavor :)
 

SisInLaw

New member
I used to do this in my house oven with olive oil, herbs and a foil wrap. It comes out fabulous. The only problem is the next day you totally smell like a the city of Gilroy and EVERYONE notices.
 

bark biter

New member
I just throw some garlic in a cake pan, sprinkle with olive oil and throw on the Traeger for about 6 hours, low and slow, and it is the best we have tasted.
 

TentHunter

Moderator
The outside Garlic Cloves were like garlic butter while the inner cloves were nearly done but still very edible. I would say that the majority of the cloves caramelized and mellowed the garlic.

It sounds like a just little more time would have gotten the whole head done.

I find this whole thing interesting because I can't recall ever seeing a garlic baker/roaster let alone ever using one.

When I roast garlic I follow the same basic steps (trim top & bottom apply a little olive oil & seasoning). The only real difference is I just roast them openly on the grill (indirect heat) around 325° - 350° for an hour or so. So I wondered how much the dome shielded it.

Do you think the baker transfers the heat more evenly through the bottom of the garlic heads?


I love threads like this. Really good and useful info. Thanks for posting your results! :)
 

roburado

New member
Okay, that all looked awesome!

I'm thinking I might need to get my chicken thighs up to higher IT. Did some thighs last night to about 160. Wasn't enough. Put them back on and cooked some more, doing it just by sight. Should have kept the thermometer in to see what temp I was at.
 

smoker pete

New member
When I roast garlic I follow the same basic steps (trim top & bottom apply a little olive oil & seasoning). The only real difference is I just roast them openly on the grill (indirect heat) around 325° - 350° for an hour or so. So I wondered how much the dome shielded it.

Do you think the baker transfers the heat more evenly through the bottom of the garlic heads?
:)

I will be roasting garlic without the baker/roaster to see the results. I'm thinking that the the garlic baker provides a hot moist environment inside since it's soaked in water for 10 minutes. I also have read online that you can just wrap the garlic with foil.

Next time I think I'll try all 3 methods: garlic baker, foil, and openly on the grill. Stay tuned :D
 

smoker pete

New member
I'm thinking I might need to get my chicken thighs up to higher IT. Did some thighs last night to about 160. Wasn't enough. Put them back on and cooked some more, doing it just by sight. Should have kept the thermometer in to see what temp I was at.

I take my chicken legs and thighs to at least 180º. 160º is the temp I use for the breast.
 

MAK DADDY

Moderator
Okay, that all looked awesome!

I'm thinking I might need to get my chicken thighs up to higher IT. Did some thighs last night to about 160. Wasn't enough. Put them back on and cooked some more, doing it just by sight. Should have kept the thermometer in to see what temp I was at.

Yes, 180 for the thighs is what you want to shoot for.
 

smoker pete

New member
Roasted Garlic Methods Update

My initial Roasted Garlic tests brought about numerous responses which led me to test the 3 most popular methods. Prepared all 3 Garlic heads identically:
  • Sliced off the top of each head of garlic and trimmed the base so they lay flat
  • Drizzled the heads with EVOO allowing the Olive Oil to penetrate the garlic cloves before repeating the EVOO process
  • Sprinkled the heads with Fagundes Seasoning (Use Salt & Pepper or your favorite seasoning) and some Oregano

garlic1.jpg


The 3 methods are:
  • Wrapping the garlic head in foil - leaving the top slightly open for steam to escape
  • Using a Garlic Baker - Soaked the dome in water for 10 minutes as per instructions
  • Placing the garlic head directly on the grill

Most Roasted Garlic recipes call for 1 to 1½ hours at 325ºF. The MAK 2 Star Wood Pellet Grill was at 325º as I was roasting some Chickens which provided me the perfect scenario for the Roasted Garlic test.

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An hour and 20 minutes later I pulled the garlic. My first clue that the garlic had caramelized and mellowed was seeing one of the garlic cloves that popped out of it's skin providing a great morsel for a taste test

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Here are the 3 heads of garlic chopped in half : Left to Right - Foiled, Garlic Baker, and Grill Method. All 3 were delectable. The Foil and Garlic Baker method were a touch more done than the Grill method but the Grill method still provided scrumptious results!!

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Lesson Learned : All 3 methods provide comparable results. It comes down to personal preference.
 

smoker pete

New member
Did the grill method provide a noticeable smokiness compared to the other two?

I didn't find any noticeable smokiness to any of them TentHunter. At 325º it's more about a nice controlled heat than anything else. I'm thinking maybe I would need to smoke it first for ½ hour or so and then bump it up to 325º in order to infuse some smoke.
 
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