Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I was shocked to see brisket down to $3.49!

When are you cooking yours!?!?!? Gonna be some calories posted this weekend!

 

Yep

 

Brisket on 8/26. Doubt the belly survives the weekend... gotta test run one before the 26th gathering

 

I haven't worked in the meat packing industry in 20 years but I worked at IBP for 11 years. Always happy to buy IBP product when I can.

 

Thanks - it was a short cook so there might be some bad smoke - I put chicken on after and got a strong smoke flavor too - I think it's the lump's fault not the meat. A little white smoke but mostly you cant see it...

The "Frontier" brand from BJ's wasn't as strong but was still hardwood lump coal - no telling what kind of wood tho...

 

Not smoking but hopefully smoking hot. With the 1st harvest of Habanero, Jalapeño and Cayenne in its time to try something different, fermented hot sauce. All peppers in the pool for a quick chop in the Ninja blender, a 2% salt by weight w/ water to cover. Now the wait begins. 2 to 4 weeks minimum up to a couple of years (1st batch probably won't wait years)

Last week smoked some sharp cheddar, Swiss and gouda cheese. Can't wait for the hot sauce to come to fruition then its smoked cheese, hot sauce and bristling's.

 

bring the beer!!! Lol
But what I would do is just increase your temp as hot as you can get it, probe it, take off meat at 2-3 degrees below your preference and do a hard sear and when I mean hard sear like your coal are screaming red hot, add wood chucks or split log if needed. Life hack use a blow dryer to bring it up to temp if needed.

This was for a reverse sear for a porterhouse 5min at 500 -600F indirect, I got it to 120F and sear for like 20sec each side and was perfect medium rare.


As far as I know London broils don't have a lot of fat and collagen to break down unlike my beef ribs where low and slow is preferred. Cooking at 250 will only increase smokey flavor. Cold meat soak up more smoke flavor over a duration of time so cut it in half or more to decrease smoke flavor.

With my experience of using lump or briq...I only use it as a heat source and add seasoned split log or wood chucks to control my flavor in my meat during the smoke.

As mentioned from other you have to be familiar with dirty smokes and clean smoke. Thin smoke good, thick smoke bad...Burp your cooker or move your coals around as it might be chocking your fire.

Good luck.

 

Brisket on the left look like the point and the one on the left looks like the flat. In either case neither look like th entire brisket to include the point and flat.

Unless you are making pastrami or corned beef put the injector down and step away. Really good brisket needs only a couple of things:

1. Trim the fat cap to 1/4"
2. Liberal coating of kosher salt, extra liberal coating of black pepper and a sprinkle of sugar in the raw.
3. Smoker set to 220 degrees with a water pan filled with 50/50 water apple cider vinegar
4. Smoke over charcoal and apple wood smoke until desired temp is reached
5. Wrap in foil, cover in newspaper and place in cooler for an hour minimum to rest.

After years of trying exotic multiple spice ingredient rubs for both brisket and pork shoulder I have settled on S&P, smoke and time. Let the beef be the boss.

 

London broil is a method for cooking the meat. The meat is a top round. Seasoned and quickly sear over charcoal until medium rare, sliced thinly across the grain, topped with paper thin sweet onions and horse radish on a good roll makes a nice faux Baltimore pit beef sandwich.

Low and slow cooks on meats with low fat content is not suggested unless braising. The reason for low and slow cooks is when using fatty meats the low and slow allows the fat to render out and the connective tissue to breakdown. Lean meats do not have a lot of connective tissue and turn to leather if coked improperly

Also don't be afraid to cook directly on the coals (see Alton Brown cooking flank steaks for fajitas). Once the charcoal (I use lump only) is red hot quickly stir the coals to knock off any ash then throw the meat directly on the coals. The steam from the meat keeps 99% of the coals from sticking and the sear is second to none. After a few minutes flip. The few coals that are stuck on the meat pick right off. I do porterhouse steaks this way.

As a side note you don't want smoke flavor from the charcoal you want smoke flavor from wood. If you are getting prominent flavors from the charcoal you need to let it burn off longer before cooking. Primary smoke flavor comes from wood added to the charcoal.

 

Damn.

 

Costco meat!

I'm partial to that.....

 

Y E A R S?!?!?!

 

Look closer, that is a full brisket on the left and a pork belly on the right.

 

I see it now.

Home cured apple wood smoked bacon sliced 1/4" thick fried in a well seasoned cast iron skillet, fresh slice of garden ripe tomato and 2 slices of white bread. One of heavens little treats. A clamato bloody Mary is a nice compliment.

 

Thanks for the correction I forget it's top round. I always thing a London broil is a type of meat. I always see it done on FB or IG. I never cook it.

 

Would you believe me if I said this is my first time cooking this size of a beef rib. I always did those small beef ribs from major groceries that was cut up in small chucks for stews or something.

Local butchers are awesome!

 

It doesn't have to be Round, I think originally a flank steak was popular for London Broil, you might even see Clod out of the Chuck marketed as a London Broil.

I see Boston Broil steaks are also marketed, there is no standard on what butchers are calling Boston or London Broil, as Perazzimx15 said it is really the cooking method not the cut. Generally used on thinner cuts of meat that have the grain running the length of the steak.

 

I'm a fan of this thread. Thanks everyone!

Ive been "smoking/BBQ" for a little over a year now (propane BBQ only before WSM now)

I think I've learned more from this thread in the last month or so then all the internet research I've done prior. And my meat has shown it!

I'm stoked to keep on it. I really enjoy the process and the challenge of replicatation.
Which is similar to why I love homebrewing beer. The two equal labors of love.

 

Likewise. I have learned so much in this thread. Been smoking for 2 months.

 

It's all downhill from here. Next thing you know you'll be trying to purchase so much charcoal you'll be on a watch list.


@scottalot