Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Seasoning the new grill for tomorrow. Got a 12.5 lb brisket and some rub to let it sit over night! Also bought a 40 lb bag of hickory wood to cook with just to be clear on want to have the brisket in the fridge over night right?

 

With brisket I trim fat to 1/4" and then lots of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper overnight on a cookie rack in fridge lightly covered. That's just one way, I'm sure others will chime in here.

 

Lady at the meat market said she leaves all the fat on and cooks it fat side up this way it cooks in its fat. Also said a few hours before it's done wrap it in foil shiny side in to real cook the bark

 

Fat up, fat down is a never ending who knows... everybody does it thier own way. I do fat up. As far as it basting in it's fat, that's a myth. The meat aint gonna get basted. And, leaving the fat on prevents your seasonings from doing any good, because nobody will eat that much fat (probably ). And the foil... wrapping in foil destroys bark, not help. No foil = crunchy bark. Foil = no crunch, no bark. BUT, having said all that, there's really no way to fuck it up except under or overcooking. Just watch the IT and pull at 200-205 and let rest for awhile, then slice. It'll be good no matter all this other hooey.

 

That butt I posted earlier I cooked fat up, seemed a little greasy. I'm gonna go back to fat down. I've never done a brisket but foe my butts I like to inject them with saltwater then when the water cooks out the salt will stay in the meat & I pat them dry then a light coat of mustard with a dry rub on top. I let them sit in the fridge over night.
I like to let them cook for a couple hours uncovered then wrap with foil for the rest of the time.

 

I brine my chicken over night, but the pork and beef get a starting rub, 2 hrs of smoke, a finishing rub, into the foil, then dried up a bit in the end. Pulled pork doesn't get dried. Ribs get some sauce cooked on then they rest before serving. Chicken doesn't get foil

 

She's looking mighty fine now

 

We run the butts hot for the first hour. We let it spike the temp around 375 and then catch it on the way down to hold about 275. In the foil we go to 300 until it turns to mush. That first heat gets some nice and crispy corners and ends

 

First brisket I did, I didn't get down to 1/4" or less and I thought that there was too much fat on the finished brisket.

 

On big batches I use a slicer and vacuum sealer store. Smaller batched I try to keep my knife skills up to par. If you are in the market for a slicer. Just stick with a hobart. Reason being you will always be able to find parts and new blades.

 

Yes. Wrap tightly or no wrap at all. Let it sit on the counter an hour or so before placing on cooker

 

I always figured the "tightly wrap" in the fridge will screw up the rub (S&P). That's why I just lightly cover, meaning a big piece of foil just tented over it, not even touching, overnight. I probably don't even need to do that but I want my baby at least protected from spills and whatnot

 

Just sum scrimp on the barby

 

I did a flank steak on the grill this evening. Was outstanding.

 

Bone In Ribeye, Chicken Breast & Sausage awaiting the grill

 

Dam son! Looks like those ribeyes are twins!

 

Agree. I know Hobart has been around since at least the 70's and those that have them still have them. Although I don't use a slicer. In a group setting always enough people that want to take turns seeing who can slice the best pieces you don't even need to do it yourself.



And that is where the high walled cast iron griddle really shines in the morning. Weighs about 40 pounds and holds the heat for a long time.

 

I believe I'm going to finish smoking some cheese I bought a few weeks ago. High of 56 tomorrow, maybe rain, should be easy to keep temps low. Then I'm doing a few racks of ribs and a little pork loin.

 

I use cherry almost exclusively because it typically makes up most of my firewood pile lol. It works great

 

They did make it to the grill. Medium to Medium well 1 in cut. Needless to say they were the go to food for the evening for our guests.