Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Yeah it's been awhile, but I'm going KISS method. Very little trim, S&P and smoke. But I will be pulling the point when done and rubbing them down and tossing back on for some burnt ends...

 

(Updated) back to basics lol

 

I'm ready

 

I think someone said it before....but, is that @scottalot stash?!?!

 

Sometimes, it's a straight forward burger thats best! Looks tasty!

 

Lord, it's been too long since I had a good stout loaded grilled burger. Looks more than great.

 

so who's cooking burgers in Austin tonight...? stuck at work drooling over this damn thread again...

 

I'm cooking burgers with my mind right now

 

Whats going on again? peekchur?

 

Fires Lit One Alpha Smoker!

Home Depot opens in an hour at 6 AM here

 

I woke up a six to take this baby out of the refrigerator and onto the smoker.

 

What's everyone smoking for Memorial Day? I figure there ought to be some nice spreads planned among the group.

I might be going to my in-laws for my meal, meaning I'm off the hook for that, but I have to start a big cook Monday night. I put an incentive out for a fundraiser and, due to the success, I'm holding up my end of the bargain my cooking for about 60 coworkers for Tuesday afternoon. I have a few butts, going to pick up some briskets, then adding 3 or 4 dozen wings. Pot luck on the sides.

 

Smoking all kinds of stuff this weekend. A naked ham, 15lbs of spicy goose snack sticks and making ponhaus ( scrapple ).

 

Looks awesome!

 

What can I say.. I'm a breast man. SPOG chicken that got pulled not too long after this and coated in white sauce. It's being paired with German potato salad that isn't done yet.

Also, this chicken is dry brined.

 

I keep a couple shakers of premixed SPOG on hand at all times

 

I just freehand it. I didn't actually add any salt beyond the dry brine. Salted the chicken and left it in the fridge for 4 hours or so prior to cooking. The skin is nice and crisp with most of the cooking happening at 275F.

 

Ok so here's the latest update. We went to lowes to buy some charcoal, my wife still doesn't know yet that I already bought four twin packs already but we got two more. We get to the register and she says I need to add one of the grills outside that's on sale. So she bought me the chargriller that was on sale. My dad also bought one and we cooked on his last night. We cooked steaks which I knew would be something easy to start with. This is what we did and maybe I need to change things. I put a chimney full of charcoal to the top. Let it burn for about 15 minutes til they ashed over. Then I put the coals mostly in the middle making it a single layer for the most part. Some areas maybe two. Dang coals get really hot trying to move them around. Lol. I had bottom damper wide open and stack damper wide open. Temps was 500 degrees. I cook some potatoes wrapped in foil which were supposed to be done at 350 for an hour, which didn't happen at 350. So I waiting until 45 minutes later to put the steaks on and by this time I had closed both dampers to almost closed to see if temp would drop. Once I put steaks on, temp gauge read around 400 and stayed consistent there the remainder of the cook. Did I put the food on too early after I dropped the coals? Or should the temp dropped sooner than it did? Sorry for the long post. I need some charcoal cooking 101. My wife and I picked up some ribs to cook for tomorrow and know they have to be cooked lower that's why I'm trying to figure all this out. Thanks