Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Of course you did.

 

I managed to snag these three pictures before the food was gone. The brisket was choice and a tad drier than I'm used to, but still very good. I did a lazy trim and had to move it along quickly towards the end, so there was a band of fat that didn't quite render. Few would notice and I didn't plate it for anyone, so no harm done.

That pork shoulder was good. The chicken was a top 5 chicken for me. A honey BBQ sauce glaze at the end. They were smoked at 300* using cherry and mesquite wood. Good stuff.

 

I just assumed that picture posted here earlier of the pallets stacked to the ceiling was just your order.

 

He took it in one truck-load too.

 

RATINGS? We don't need no stinkin ratings. When you got a warehouse full of charcoal to get home you throw caution to the wind.

 

Bump stops are cheap, and hardtails make Harley riders tough. Pull that skirt up and grab some balls!

 

I wonder how many pounds of that charcoal TW bought.

 

Make sure you don't have any unwanted airflow too! That's the biggest thing I find with all the mass produce smokers out there. Each one is different! I have 2 22in Weber kettles that I use for smoking and both have different leaks in them.. I find 3-4 black clamp style paper clips around the rim helps close the gaps! You can do everything correct that people have told you and showed you, but they tend to forget about those little air leaks that make the spike in temp

 

I don't know which is worse the food on the floor or no dividers between the pissers.l

 

Come to the Tunbridge Worlds Fair in VT where there is no divider and it's one big trough!

 

overspray...

 

Our fair is like that too I call it the trough of death. I've never been but there's the Carrier dome near me and I heard the troughs are in a big circle so essentially your looking at the guy across from you and everyone else around the circle, I guess I'd be the circle of death.

 

Got a rack of St louis ribs, chicken& thigh pack, brisket packer, and some pork chops today at Walmart...wife is making something with the chops tonight and I want to make some ribs tomorrow or in the next day or two

 

How's the salt content in that rub? I'm trying to go to a low sodium diet.

 

You'll probably want to use the offset box whenever you are wanting to cook indirect (low and slow) and put the fuel source in the cooking chamber when you are cooking direct. You can put the coals to either side of the cook chamber and the ribs in the middle, and it will work just fine, it is just that you have a smaller surface area for indirect cooking and the temps will likely be a bit higher (though you can cook a mean brisket, rack of ribs, or pork shoulder at 325*, too!). Indirect cooking is indirect cooking, so it really doesn't matter where your fuel goes, so long as your food is being cooked in a space that has a relatively lower temperature that you have some control over.

My suggestion, given your equipment, would be to get handy using the offset box. It will burn more fuel to heat the cooking chamber, but when you get your BBQ dialed in and get called on to cook for the next birthday or Christmas party, you'll want to be comfortable using the offset box so that you can utilize the whole cook chamber (I hope that makes sense).

Where are you getting your temp readings? Is it a dial on the lid? If so, I'd suggest picking up an oven thermometer or two and set them on the grate next time you cook. Something like this:

$7 Taylor 5932 Large Dial Kitchen Cooking Oven Thermometer, Kitchen Food Grill Thermometer, 3.25" Dial, Stainless Steel, Silver

Oven Thermometer

That will tell you the temperature at the grate level, which is much more valuable. After using that a few times, you can figure out the relationship between the grate reading and the reading at the lid so that you can tell your temp without lifting the lid.

 

well Im waiting on the group buy!

 

I don't know that it would qualify for "low sodium", but it isn't very high in salt content compared to other BBQ rubs. My wife and I are conscious of our sodium intake, so we're quick to swell with high salt content foods and do not have issues eating this stuff. I know, it makes me sound like a salesman, but I'm trying to shoot straight with you . I'll have to see if I can find my notes for the ratio of each ingredient to the total, otherwise I'll calculate it off of the recipe.

 

I'll be getting a shipping quote tomorrow, hopefully, then setting up a thread for the group buy. I'm excited that you all are excited about it. I'm working on it, I promise!

 

Here's a few ways I do them

Salt, pepper, and a little oregano.... grilled

Yellow mustard, garlic, and brown sugar....grilled

Sprinkle of tenderquick for an hour or so... Makes them hammy. It's German styled.. Fry this one, don't grill it

Huli huli marinaded and served with pineapple...grilled

Hammer it paper thin and coat in bread crumbs.. Fry it. schweineschnitzel

Cut into strips and coat in Greek seasoning.. Grilled




Cook until 145 internal.

 

Anyone have favorite rubs or a rub that they swear by and want to share?! I personally love Everglades Heat and Cactus dust! The Mrs loves the Everglades Heat so I tend to use that on everything!