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Mish mash => Open Forum => Topic started by: B.D.F. on January 12, 2019, 01:13:34 PM

Title: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: B.D.F. on January 12, 2019, 01:13:34 PM
Finally bought a pellet smoker / grill. Put it together the end of this week, and went out today in search of pellets, rubs and large pieces of dead animals. Came home with a bunch of rubs, no pellets (though I got three bags with the grill to start off anyway), a rack of ribs (K.C. style), some NY strips, a pork butt (which oddly enough is actually the shoulder- go figure??) and onions and potatoes to smoke. Got the potatoes and onions, two of the strip steaks and the rack of ribs on the smoker right now. I know I should not mix all those foods but as an excuse I can only offer 1) I have a new smoker and 2) I cannot help myself. The plan is only to smoke the steaks a bit and finish them off in the sear box that came with the smoker, get some smoke into the potatoes and maybe finish them off in the broiler in the house and fully smoke the ribs.

It is all part of my master plan for a low calorie diet, coupled with my new anti- cholesterol pills, which seem to be cheaper in large quantities.

Brian
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: gPink on January 12, 2019, 02:31:45 PM
Since it is winter and plenty cold on the docks and in the trucks would you like to sample a variety of meats from around the country?
I'm sure we would be glad to ship you a selection of regional roadkill to satisfy your epicurean desires.
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: tweeter55 on January 12, 2019, 02:53:10 PM
What did you pick up, Brian? I got a Camp Chef Smoke Pro couple months ago.  I haven't used it much but what I've done has been pretty good.
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: connie_rider on January 12, 2019, 05:49:21 PM
What kind of wood {Pellets} are you using?
Down here in South Texas I just use real Mesquite is it's EZ to come by.

Ride safe, Ted
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: tweeter55 on January 12, 2019, 06:11:14 PM
I find a fruit wood works well with a lot of meats. I prefer apple myself. I think it’s probably more of a matter of personal taste.
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: B.D.F. on January 13, 2019, 05:57:16 AM
I grabbed a Camp Chef Woodwind with the sear box (propane). So far, after a couple of days, very happy with the unit. Have actually used the sear box more and find it fantastic- they claim it reaches 900F and I can see parts of the IR grid are red when it is on high. The smoker seems to be very well made and of high quality, and so far it is working well as far as I can tell. The display is not displaying the correct temperature (set the smoker to 250F and it displays numbers like 21 and 47) so I will contact Camp Chef and see how that goes. The control is a separate box, and swapping that out would be easiest for me, and I really do not want an entire new grill 'cause it took hours to assemble it.

For the first use, I just used the bag of pellets that came with the smoker, which are 'competition hardwood' pellets. Smoked a rack of ribs yesterday and they were fantastic! Used the 3,2,1 method and liked it a lot; 3 hours at 250 to form the bark, 2 hours wrapped tightly to finish them, and one more hour back on the smoker with a light coating of BBQ sauce. Parts of the rack literally fell off when I picked it up off the grill. I also have a bag of apple and a bag of hickory pellets that I ordered when I ordered the grill. Going forward I will probably order pellets through WalMart as they have a good selection and are the most reasonable in price. There is no local pellet supplier that I have found yet, so any I use will be ordered and WalMart will ship to the store without shipping charges.

Thanks but I will pass on the road kill. :-)  Although I have eaten a fair amount of that at the game dinner my club puts on- they get their venison from road kills and butcher the usable carcasses. Venison steak, venison sausage, venison meatloaf, venison meatballs in sauce with spaghetti, venison pate. They put on a 9 course meal that takes two days to cook and serve and almost an entire day to consume. There is a chef who is a member and he puts on the dinner, and it is fantastic.

Today is a pig butt which is about 12 or 14 lbs. On Wednesday, a turkey breast will get the smoke.

Brian
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: Conrad on January 13, 2019, 09:57:44 AM
Mmmmmm, ribs....

[smg id=453]

Oops, wrong pic.

[smg id=337]

Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: VirginiaJim on January 14, 2019, 05:37:49 AM
I love to eat smoked meats but I can't take enough antacid to protect me from the after effects.. :'(
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: B.D.F. on January 14, 2019, 05:47:06 AM
Is that really the result of just the smoke or is it because the rubs / spices used on the meat are hot? Something that often gets confused in smoking foods is that it will be very spicy or 'hot' and that is just not needed. Starting with the rub, before smoking, all the way through the BBQ sauce used at the end, some people put fire into the system and the food will of course have a great deal of 'heat'. But that is not necessary. In fact, all the rubs and sauces we use have no added heat- not a big fan of anything that blisters skin myself :-)

Brian

I love to eat smoked meats but I can't take enough antacid to protect me from the after effects.. :'(
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: VirginiaJim on January 14, 2019, 11:59:54 AM
You know, it might be that.  I haven't done any research into the rubs or sauces themselves.  I may have to try something smoked without any additives to see.
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: Cholla on January 14, 2019, 12:15:02 PM
What are kc style ribs?
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: Rhino on January 14, 2019, 01:09:49 PM
I love to eat smoked meats but I can't take enough antacid to protect me from the after effects.. :'(

I have this problem with pretty much all food. However I find that on those rare occasions that I run out of beer I don't have it. So far haven't found any solution.
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: MAN OF BLUES on January 14, 2019, 04:28:46 PM
What are kc style ribs?

big ribs, slow cooked at lower temps, and slathered repeatedly with a very thick tomato and sugar based sauce, very sticky and sweet, and dark with a crusty outer layer at times... as opposed to a Carolina style, more acidic from higher vinegar and spices combo, squirted on during later cooking, and at time they get plated...
I kinda like Virginia style, but not all of it is true to the state... some is northern, some is southern... Mountain (Blue Ridge) style is the smokiest, and best, combining all the differences...

now, ask about Cleveland Style BBQ, and smoking....low and slow...
I'll never give up my recipe for "Dirty White Boy" ribs... In the 80's, it cost about $35 a gallon to make my sauce... now that I grow my own peppers, and some of the hottest in the world, I may have to update my secret sauce.
Growing up in the Inner City of Cleveland, in the 60's (which was called the ghetto...) I watched and learned as a young child, every different aspect I could from all my pal's momma's, it was a melting pot of BBQ history,KC, NC, SC, Alabama, everywhere they emigrated from.. and on Memorial day, 4th of July, and all thru the summer, up and down my "ghetto" street, the air was filled with "perfume" of smokin' BBQ.
I backed a "biker" store with my sauce, and methods in the early 80's, and they won some top honors in the rib cookoff in Cleveland 2 years in a row....

Cleveland is TOUGH on BBq, I have to say that...

I resurrected a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) Cast aluminum grill, from someone's front "garbage day" discard last year, as I was driving a back road... it actually took me, and another fellow to get it lifted and into the truck...
Had a bad wheel... and the "baffle" plates over the gas flame elements were somwhat rusted, but everything intact, including the "multi burner side cooking areas" for pots and pans... covered since new, and pristine....

I'd have to say the unit when new, had to cost $2k easily..
I pulled the gas burner elements out, and cleaned the interior and cast iron grill tops, (saved the burners and will re-install this coming season), and all the hoses and such, and after cleanup and installing some internal "charcoal pans" have a grill that I can utilize for smoking, and also grilling, using a great "lump style hardwood charcoal", one side for coal for smoking, or both sides for smokin' & Grillin'.
Having 30 acres of hardwoods behind the house, helps dramatically, buying "smokin wood" ain't happening, as 1 dead Hickory tree, and a couple other Oak/Cherry/Chestnut/ and fruitwoods, cut into 2" slabs off the trunks, then simply chopped into small blocks which can be soaked and tossed onto my coals, makes for some nice flavor. I bought Smokin' Wood chunks... once.... then double face palmed myself and said never again. 

I had one of those "tall cylindrical type" smokers, that I used for a couple dozen years, smoked MANY turkeys and ham combos in that, (ham on top, 2 turkeys below).. and always enjoyed the flavor, this new rendition I have didn't cost me a penny, and I really like that part, especially since I can do 4x more in the same time.

smoked turkey?

here's our mobile "grill master 2000"....

(https://advrider.com/f/attachments/img_20150712_181619_788-jpg.1503298/)

and a few years ago, we simply did it the old fashioned way... for 150# of turkey...
mmmmmm that WAS all done on Hickory wood, start to finish....
(https://advrider.com/f/attachments/2012-11-22_13-54-36_585-jpg.1503299/)
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: B.D.F. on January 14, 2019, 05:00:49 PM
Perhaps in addition to what Rich said, KC ribs are a cut of meat. They come from the end of the rib cage and include the end of what would be baby back ribs (from further up the rib cage) as well as two fairly large 'flaps' of meat with no rib or any kind of bone in it. When the pro's, or very serious BBQ people get these ribs, they normally cute them into a rectangle along the edges of the bones so the rack is actually all 'rib'. That is a lot of meat for me to chuck though and it is just as 'good eating' as the actual ribs so I cooked the entire rack when I did mine. In fact, I did not even trim them; other than pulling the tough membrane off the back of the ribs, they went into the smoker like they came out of the pig.

There are other cuts of pork ribs, and in TX they have a tendency to use beef ribs for BBQ but that does not seem to be common elsewhere in the country.

Pulling pork from a pork butt right now that I smoked yesterday. At first taste and smell, it seems great.... :-)

Tomorrow the smoker has the day off and on Wed. a turkey breast is going through. Little more concerned with that one because it is such a lean meat that it will be easy to dry out and turn it into leather.

Brian

What are kc style ribs?
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: B.D.F. on January 14, 2019, 05:08:51 PM
The easiest way to tell is: does bacon or ham irritate you? Both are smoked but bacon gets no 'cure' while ham usually has a mild (no heat), sweet cure on the rind such as maple, honey, etc.

Brian

You know, it might be that.  I haven't done any research into the rubs or sauces themselves.  I may have to try something smoked without any additives to see.
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: MAN OF BLUES on January 14, 2019, 05:18:51 PM
Problem with attempting to just some  turkey breast, or multiples, is as you said... it will turn into leather, way before the flavor permeates the meat...

Best bet is the complete thawed turkey, or multiples as we have done before...

unless you stick the turkey breast in the farthest corner away from heat, and smoke really cold... welll...
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: tweeter55 on January 14, 2019, 05:24:35 PM
Tomorrow the smoker has the day off and on Wed. a turkey breast is going through. Little more concerned with that one because it is such a lean meat that it will be easy to dry out and turn it into leather.
     I have not done this yet but my brother will brine the fowl for a day before putting on the smoker. Don't ask me what he uses.
     Kinda like dry rubs, everyone has their favorite.
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: VirginiaJim on January 15, 2019, 04:55:29 AM
Bacon does it to me big time.  Deli ham not so much.


The easiest way to tell is: does bacon or ham irritate you? Both are smoked but bacon gets no 'cure' while ham usually has a mild (no heat), sweet cure on the rind such as maple, honey, etc.

Brian

Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: Conrad on January 15, 2019, 05:57:19 AM
Bacon does it to me big time.  Deli ham not so much.

My condolences on the bacon issue.    :'(
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: B.D.F. on January 15, 2019, 06:04:37 AM
Wow Jim, that is really bad news and you have my sympathies! A V-twin thumper and you CANNOT eat bacon..... well, I just do not know if life is worth living with those, er, 'detractions'.

 :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

Brian

Bacon does it to me big time.  Deli ham not so much.
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: B.D.F. on January 15, 2019, 06:06:47 AM
Yeah, very common with poultry and some pork (such as chops and other mostly lean, thinner cuts). The usual brine is salt and sugar with variances on that of course. I have even seen a couple of no- salt brines (kinda' miss- worded as 'brine' means salt water but hey....) which might be good to keep in moisture without adding a ton of salt.

Brian

     I have not done this yet but my brother will brine the fowl for a day before putting on the smoker. Don't ask me what he uses.
     Kinda like dry rubs, everyone has their favorite.
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: B.D.F. on January 15, 2019, 06:11:46 AM
Yeah, I am concerned about doing just that- turning a breast into shoe leather. The smoker has a couple of very low temp. settings though, listed as 'low smoke' and 'hi smoke' so I plan on trying low smoke for, say, an hour just to get some smoke into the meat and then kick the smoker up to 350 or so and roast the turkey like one would in a regular oven. Of course the smoker will still produce some smoke at 350 while still cooking the bird fairly quickly so as not to dry it out- maybe I can get some smoke in there without turning the carcass into jerky.

There are also some tricks, such as covering the lean meat with soaked cheese cloth, and keeping the cloth wet with, say, apple juice for a "cold" smoke. And the age- old large pan of water in the smoker to make a very humid environment.

And I fully expect to ruin some things along the way, just as I did with that batch of potatoes. But I would rather destroy $10 worth of poultry than $60 worth of pig or cow and maybe I can learn along the way?

Brian

Problem with attempting to just some  turkey breast, or multiples, is as you said... it will turn into leather, way before the flavor permeates the meat...

Best bet is the complete thawed turkey, or multiples as we have done before...

unless you stick the turkey breast in the farthest corner away from heat, and smoke really cold... welll...
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: B.D.F. on August 27, 2019, 03:51:03 PM
UPDATE: 27 Aug. 2019: still running the pants off the smoker and still liking it a lot. Right now there are two spatchcocked (look it up) chickens on the smoker with fruit wood pellets merrily cooking them. Tomorrow morning a 12 lb. brisket will hit the smoker with hardwood mix pellets and finish sometime tomorrow night.

So far, I am finding the pellet smoker is a great way to cook. My wife's favorite so far is Pork Butt (which is not the butt at all but the upper shoulder- go figure) turned into pulled- pork. I have done a few of those and each one gets better in our opinion (mostly the rub changes). Briskets are getting awesome as well; this latest one has the new rub and we expect it to be great.

Did the first batch of chicken wings on the smoker yesterday and they are the best we've ever had in 35 years. All previous batches were done in the kitchen oven and required turning at least once; the ones in the smoker needed no attention and were outstanding.

And of course, the ribs.... both St. Louis and Baby Back types, many of them. I am getting particular to the baby back types only because they require almost no preparation. St. Louis, or even a 'rack of ribs' (the full rack) are also excellent but often tend to be thinner, cook faster and are harder to prep. But doing three baby back racks from Aldi's at once has become the norm. and they are excellent!

Brian
Title: Re: New smoker and no animal is safe.....
Post by: MAN OF BLUES on August 27, 2019, 07:25:02 PM
dude, I know the wood piles you have used, and created for your fireplace.. I have tons of wood, unfortunately not all the types i want, but just had a huge cherry tree fall prey to our Wood boring interlopers..
Get the saw running, sharpen it well, and put good big chip cutting grinds on it.. dump the bar oil, rinse well with denatured alcohol, and fill it with Wesson oil, run it a while, then dump and refill with fresh food grade oil, and proceed to cut 1" thick slabs of cherry,oak, or other flavor wood limbs,  and have a tarp to catch all the chips from the blade.. 15 minutes will net you a huge bag of chips, and slabs that can be minced into 1" blocks with a hatchet, and water soaked, for smoking..   I take all the saw dust/chippings, and throw them in a big trashcan with clean water, in the sun, stirring them daily for like 3 or 4 days, and pour off the water, (any oils float to the top, you can rinse and repeat if desired..), then dump that on a tarp in the sun to dry..  rolling it daily, to make sure it's totally dried, like a week or so, and bag it in a burlap sack,(or for or five) and hang it(them).. so it (they) won't mold.. and use that re-wet at use time, for my smoking adders..
free man, and very enjoyable. mmmm mmmm good stuff Maynard....

Living where I live, really rich people throw away stuff, at a whim.. I slammed my brakes on this past year, when I saw the most "majestic" (angels were singing 'AHHHHHHHHH") huge cast aluminum grill, a MONSTER.. that had to cost like $2k.. flipped it into the truck bed, (thing weighs like 200#)and even tho the steel "burner diffuser covers" were rotted, the complete thing still worked.. porcelain covered cast steel grill plates up top, everything all intact, other than the "grease dripper shields' over the burners..
It's in the process of having my "external smoke box" added right now, and when finished next week, will be the King of smoker grills..

yes, I am a garbage picker, and proud of it.. mmmmmmm smokey meats.. and the deer keep taunting me.. at my door.. mmmmmm