Smokers (Meat)

[WrestlingRasta]

45 minutes ago, Bigbrog said:

One of the best things I have made was mixing up Cowboy beans (pork n beans, with ground beef and bbq sauce (sweet baby rays)) in my cast iron skillet and then cooked them under a pork shoulder I was smoking so all the drippings went in it....so good!!

Thank you for that, sounds great.

[Offthemat]

Here’s a site that I’ve found helpful:

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/spice-rubs-and-pastes/meatheads-memphis-dust-rub-recipe/

 

[mspart]

8 hours ago, Bigbrog said:

One of the best things I have made was mixing up Cowboy beans (pork n beans, with ground beef and bbq sauce (sweet baby rays)) in my cast iron skillet and then cooked them under a pork shoulder I was smoking so all the drippings went in it....so good!!

Sounds really good and like a heart attack in the making!!

mspart

[bnwtwg]

22 hours ago, Husker_Du said:

a whole convo could be had about regions and what not to eat.

The Northeast - don't eat BBQ or Mexican. horrible everywhere.

Midwest (sans Chicago) - zero good pizza.

West Coast - can't find a good hoagie if your life depended on it.

etc

“Chili” from Cincinnati 

[GreatWhiteNorth]

Bought a Traeger a while back - one of the ones they made in Oregon before switching to manufacturing in China. Unlike her Chinese counterparts, this ol' gal will probably last a lifetime.

It was the 3-speed "Lo-Med-Hi" thermostat model. Was foresight from them, that's all you really need. Talked to some competition BBQ guys and got a little jealous - so I upgraded the thermostat to a fully adjustable one. Now I know - I didn't really need it, but it is kind of nice to have.

Learning chicken and salmon was easy (both outstanding), ribs much more difficult (you'll end up ruining more than you would like) - but worth the effort. Once you get it dialed in, you'll make better ribs than any restaurant in town.

Edited June 17, 2023 by GreatWhiteNorth

[Husker_Du]

20 hours ago, Bigbrog said:

Have you ever ordered from Snake River Farms?  It is amazing...super high-quality meats and they not that expensive and are top notch...they send the meat frozen in a cooler and include a free reusable insulated clothed shopping bag.

That's where Basch orders from.

I use Wild Fork b/c, well, one - i stumbled across it first and two - their iberico pork is OFF. THE. CHARTS.

$80 for a 4lb shoulder but it's the best piece of meat i've ever had. 

they also haver rib cap and the prime outside skirt steak is awesome. 

[headshuck]

All this talk of smoking, i’ve got three racks of ribs going now. So do any of you have a Traeger/pit boss and find the temperature fluctuating between 190 and 220? My theory is the pellets might be of different size and texture, causing the burner to fluctuate.

[WrestlingRasta]

I have a pit boss but it’s not digital or pellets. Feel like on mine the thermometer reads kinda ‘ish’. Set it on high for a bit until get a heavy smoke rollin, then dial down toward medium and use the dampeners to control.  Will add wood chunks/chips around hourly, try to keep the temp floating in between 200-225 for most cooks. 

[headshuck]

When I had my Akorn Komodo I could set set it up with lump coal and hickory or apple wood, get it going and keep it within a few degrees all day with the dampers. Automated wood pellet grill… not so much.

[billyhoyle]

On 6/15/2023 at 5:11 AM, Bigbrog said:

That is for sure.

Have you ever had smoked hamburgers?  The recipe I got from my brother is amazing...get Lipton beefy onion soup mix packets and mix that into the burger...patty it and smoke at 250 for like 20-30 minutes depending on how you like your burger...then top it with siracha mayo.  So good!

Smoked Hams? 

[mspart]

I smoked a turkey in my little smoker last year.   I used Apple wood chips.   After tasting the first bite my wife declared that we will never cook a turkey anyother way from now on.  So I'm looking forward to smoked turkey this November. 

mspart

[Bigbrog]

1 hour ago, billyhoyle said:

Smoked Hams? 

Double smoked hams = AMAZING!!  

[Bigbrog]

54 minutes ago, mspart said:

I smoked a turkey in my little smoker last year.   I used Apple wood chips.   After tasting the first bite my wife declared that we will never cook a turkey anyother way from now on.  So I'm looking forward to smoked turkey this November. 

mspart

Sounds amazing!  Turkey is on my list to smoke this year.

[mspart]

5 minutes ago, Bigbrog said:

Sounds amazing!  Turkey is on my list to smoke this year.

What we did was smoke it for about 2-3 hours.   Until all the smoke stopped being generated.   Then we took it out and cooked it the rest of the way in the oven.    It came out great!!   I have been really surprised by this little smoker of mine.   Not one thing has been ruined using it.   It is making me look like a genius in cooking.   I assure all of you, I am not. 

mspart

[Bigbrog]

6 minutes ago, mspart said:

What we did was smoke it for about 2-3 hours.   Until all the smoke stopped being generated.   Then we took it out and cooked it the rest of the way in the oven.    It came out great!!   I have been really surprised by this little smoker of mine.   Not one thing has been ruined using it.   It is making me look like a genius in cooking.   I assure all of you, I am not. 

mspart

I'll try that technique...thanks!

[Offthemat]

Turkey is better smoked than deep fried.  
Ham I like to sparsely stick cloves in.  I’ve watched people nibble on it for half an hour, they can’t stop reaching for it.  
I smoke both for about 8-10 hours.  Smoke all the way, no wrap.  
Chicken quarters about 4 hours.  Check the temp.  Like turkey - better than fried. 
The slow cooking seems to render the fat better than fast cooking.  
 

I started out with cheapy uprights with a water pan.  Wore out about three of them.  I learned that cutting a whole onion in half and dropping it in the water pan added a subtle but favorable flavor to brisket.  A neighbor moved away about 12 years ago and told me he wasn’t going to take the one he had with him, he never used it while he lived there, if I wanted it, come get it.  I went to look at it and was amazed, overwhelmed.  Theres an offset traeger at Ace for $529.  This one is about the same size.  The one cubic foot firebox is 1/4” thick steel.  The cooking chamber is 13” x 24” probably 5/16” thick, 2” pipe legs and heavy 6” cast iron wheels, 3 1/2” smokestack.  It is very heavy.  It was made by Log Cabin Smokers, I’m sure now defunct, out of Chouteau, (pronounced show-toe)OK.  The amount of welding on it is impressive.  I was lucky that day.  
 

Once I learned how to control the fire I have been able to cook some amazing tasting food.  My wife too, nudges me into cooking mostly brisket from time to time.  I’ll be cooking another one very soon.  

[WrestlingRasta]

On 6/15/2023 at 5:33 AM, WrestlingRasta said:

 

the PitDock.  Yes we love some bbq. 

I'm going to have to do something.  Storm this weekend put the dock 3 inches under water, that's never happened before, not even during IAN.  Three storms out in the Atlantic back to back to back........this summer is going to be quite  an advenuture...

[Jason Bryant]

Wife’s old job had “points” and a store so before she left, we cashed in all those points and boom, Traeger it was. Still working on some of the nuances with various meats. I’ve crushed 3 briskets, but one smaller one left a bit to be desired (it was took short on the cook time).

Sweet corn in the husk is an awesome side that I throw on the last hour of a smoke.

When we do Thanksgiving here, I do a “practice bird” on Tuesday so we get some leftovers since when we host, everyone eats it all.

I do finally understand why good bbq costs so much after getting a smoker.

[WrestlingRasta]

58 minutes ago, Jason Bryant said:

Wife’s old job had “points” and a store so before she left, we cashed in all those points and boom, Traeger it was. Still working on some of the nuances with various meats. I’ve crushed 3 briskets, but one smaller one left a bit to be desired (it was took short on the cook time).

Sweet corn in the husk is an awesome side that I throw on the last hour of a smoke.

When we do Thanksgiving here, I do a “practice bird” on Tuesday so we get some leftovers since when we host, everyone eats it all.

I do finally understand why good bbq costs so much after getting a smoker.

Sweet corn on fire is amazing.   I soak in water for a couple hours, then throw right on the coals/wood for just a couple minutes.  Comes out great.

[headshuck]

For those of you with a Pellet Grill’s like Traeger, have you figured out a way to put a pan of water underneath the grate or raise the meat you’re smoking above a tray? Or do you just dry smoke everything?

[Offthemat]

29 minutes ago, headshuck said:

For those of you with a Pellet Grill’s like Traeger, have you figured out a way to put a pan of water underneath the grate or raise the meat you’re smoking above a tray? Or do you just dry smoke everything?

I don’t know about Traegers, but I’ve put a small metal pan under the grate as close to the fire as it’ll go.  Works ok. 

[Jason Bryant]

I've also added this thing called a BBQ hack to my Traeger, it's basically a flat-top grill add-on, rather than buying a blackstone. I'm still on the fence about it, since it's a real bitch to clean. 

[WrestlingRasta]

5 minutes ago, Jason Bryant said:

I've also added this thing called a BBQ hack to my Traeger, it's basically a flat-top grill add-on, rather than buying a blackstone. I'm still on the fence about it, since it's a real bitch to clean. 

Strongly suggest getting a griddle grill, was my last piece and a great addition.   And they are absolutely simple to clean.

[mspart]

14 hours ago, Offthemat said:

I started out with cheapy uprights with a water pan.  Wore out about three of them.

I haven't worn mine out yet but the chip box and the water tray are showing signs of wear.   I might need to get new ones soon.   Hopefully they can be purchased separately. 

mspart

[Offthemat]

7 hours ago, mspart said:

I haven't worn mine out yet but the chip box and the water tray are showing signs of wear.   I might need to get new ones soon.   Hopefully they can be purchased separately. 

mspart

I haven’t looked in a long time but I’ve never seen them sold separately.  I don’t know if they are available where you are, but Oklahoma Joe makes an upright deluxe version for $450 that is really nice, has hangers for chicken and such.  This:

 

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/outdoor-living/grills-and-smokers/smokers/8023745