Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I agree with this, except I can get my kettle to 1,000* with hardwood and cook pizza with a $100 add on. The only ceramic cooker out there that can actually do 2 zone true cooking is the Primo XL Oval grill at around $1,800. I can buy a lot of Weber Kettles and WSM for that price.

I've had a bunch of cheap smokers and gas grills over the years. Took me a long time but finally settled on Weber for everything. I have and do smoke in the teens below zero, with a silicone blanket and ATC it is not a problem. So don't buy the have to have an insulated smoker I live in the coldest State in the winter in CONUS.

The fuel usage is the only advantage I see and isn't enough of one for me to justify. Some will say baking is better on a ceramic but I really don't see how.

Adding an ATC to a WSM or Ceramic basically gives it the ease of use and consistency as a pellet pooper, but independent choice of fuel.

So to each their own that is why Chevy, Ford and Toyota. As long as your happy with what you have and use that is what matters. I am not a fan of convergence and a strong believer in the right tool for the job.



The kettle can be used as a smoker and I did for years. Better than the 3 in 1 smokers that I had in years past, and much better than an electric in the cold. But even with that slow and sear sitting in the background it is enough to make you want to get a WSM if you do it enough. And there is the matter of grill real estate.

11.5 pounds of bacon cured and finally smoked today. Cut some slices opposite of center cut before smoking and test cooked for salt and taste. Hit that nail on the head perfectly.



Tomorrow will smoke and cook the couple of pounds I took off the brown sugar, bay and thyme cured one on the bottom. Bacon candy for supper tomorrow.

 

Looking for some advice on smoking pork loin. I can't seem to get it to be as tender as I would like, and it seems like whole pork loin is the only thing I have this problem with. Yesterday I smoked a 5 lb loin to 155 and rested covered in foil and wrapped in a thick towel in a cooler for 2 hours. When I unwrapped it there was juice in the bottom of the foil and I was thinking yeah, man, this is gonna be good... But it was still -- not so much tough as just not tender. Where might I be going wrong? I use this same method for pork butt or chuck roast and get super tender and moist meat every time. I'm thinking I may need to cook it for a couple of hours wrapped in foil after a couple of hours of smoke.

 

The ones I saw at Sam's were $2.77/lb.

 

In my opinion and experience pork loin is one of those meats that doesn't benefit from low and slow. It is just too lean it does better at higher temperatures and shorter cook times. Even then I usually doctor it up. Doesn't mean you couldn't do it, but you have to work at it.

The best loin I have ever done was on the kettle rotisserie with charcoal baskets on either side. Had a pan under the loin to catch drippings and some cabbage in the pan. I roll cut the loin and stuffed it with provolone cheese and Pancetta. After I roll cut the loin I brined it for 45 min. in a brown sugar and salt brine then rinsed well.

This was quite a long time ago and photobucket messed the pictures up. IIRC did it about 350*.





Now you have me wondering if doing the same way plus doing a bacon wrap on the outside wouldn't be pretty dang tasty.

Shoot I just realized I used a glaze on the outside of the loin. I don't have this cook in my log and can't remember what it was now damn it. May be all the more reason a bacon wrap would work. On the other hand I do remember it was one of the best loins I have ever eaten or cooked. It was a sugar based glaze I do remember that.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Trying to get this particular cut of meat right has been really bugging me. Your's looks like it came out pretty tasty, so I probably just need to chalk this one up to failed experiments and move on.

 

My Sam's only has USDA Select with the occasional Choice mixed in. I've been spoiled by Prime .

 

I usually pay about $33 for 16lbs.

 

Mine is running out. That is some good stuff.

 

Is he making more available? I thought I read that he ran out during the GB, but haven't kept up with the thread.

 

Success! Well, sort of. It took me longer to figure out the little bitty board connector on the antenna wire than I will admit. I've never seen one like it, but once I put my extry strong readin' glasses on...

I got connected to my router and ran the update but I already had V6.4. Thing is, now I can't get my phone to find the GMG network. I think it's just me and my Samsung Grand Prime that I still can't figure out. Waiting for the wife to return with her LG phone to see if it will connect.

Again, thank you Chipskip!

 

Cure it and make back bacon...aka Canadian bacon.

 

I'll have to look into that.

 

See right there is the problem with smoking once you get hooked deep, aka: gut hooked. It is my first thought when I see pork loin now LOL. This batch was a huge loin and I cut it into 3 sections and did all 3 a bit different. And all 3 were great.



I actually found another package in the bottom of the freezer from this batch this weekend, thought I ran out a long time ago. Now I am officially out of Canadian bacon.

Yeah the other thing once your addicted to smoking on a dedicated smoker is you start vacuum sealing food and looking at more freezers. This is a good thing IMO notice I didn't say it is a problem.

Just put some bacon cured pork belly chunks on the smoker to start the bark. I have a feeling this is going to be good...

 

I cut loin into 2" thick slices. Sprinkle with tenderizer then use one of those thingmabobs with with a bunch of pointy knives to pierce the loin. Do both sides, but don't get carried away or you will have mush.Rub with pork rub of your choice, I use Squeal.

Grill at 350f for about an hour to internal temp of 150f, then tent and rest for a bit. Always tender, always tasty.

 

Oh yeah! We're really close. Lots of irons in the fire at the moment, but we're working hard.

Should be up and running soon!

Appreciate you all!

 

I want!!!

 

Are you smoking it at 350°?

 

I cooked some hotdogs for the kids at Vacation Bible School this weekend at church. When I got home I put the almost full bag of charcoal in a trash can without lid on the front porch until I went to our building to put it up. It came a downpour rain which was windy and blew rain in the trash can. I tried to lift the bag of charcoal and the bottom was falling out. Is the charcoal a total loss? First time having this happen.......

 

Well, there is some smoke on the grill, but loin doesn't seem to take smoke too well. At least I've never got it to. It's not going to have a smoke ring, if that's what you are asking.

 

I have had lightly used coals get soaking wet in the rain a couple of times. I put them on the smoker in a foil pan after a cook to dry them out, then use them again.