Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Ribs came out great today!

 

Wife is taking me to a steakhouse for our anniversary. Show me your best steaks, because I’m sure this place won’t be that great!

 

Cold smoked for 6 hours. Kinda floppy still. I’ll put it in the fridge overnight and try some for breakfast.

 

Looks good just a hint of nice coloring developing. My bacons get a minimum of 40 hrs (four ten hour sessions with fridge rests in between) of cold smoke and sometimes 80+ hours. Deep mahogany color doesn't really set in until after the 30th hour nor does the deep smoke flavor. After smoking a 3 to 7 day uncovered rest in the fridge to let the smoke flavor really develop and the meat to continue to dry out a bit is a good thing.

Try you bacon tomorrow and make notes. Then try it aging in 3 to 7 days take notes again and compare. The flavor will be very different. The smoke will mellow and the flavor will deepen. Meats like cheeses right off cold smoke are acrid and bitey. A nice rest is paramount in letting everything even out and the flavors meld.

 

Wife gone for a while, another baloney sandwich. Or

 

I hope that your wrong, and that you both enjoy the meal and evening!



With a Zinfandel Port, smoked almonds, aged blue cheese and an assortment of other smoked cheeses as an appetizer

 

Omg that steak tho!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Chicken Fah-jye-tas. Yeah.

 

Did you smoke the cheeses?

 

The Gouda I did, but not the aged Parmesan. Because it is just me that is going to eat it only do it a couple of times a year. May sound strange but once it warms up just a little bit will do another batch before summer hits. Not too worried about it getting too warm right now though LOL. Going to smoke a Hormel cure 81 ham tomorrow and a few other things. No snow and little wind about as good as it is going to get for awhile.

 

Okay brisket masters have a question or 2. Waking up 5am to start smoking a 7 pound brisket at 230* with some Apple wood.

1. I have a rub I made that has worked for ribs and chicken. It's a sweet and spicey rub using brown sugar, sugar, pepper, salt, and many hot spices. Does this hot/sweet mix work for brisket?

2. How long does it take to smoke a brisket? About 1 hour per pound at 225*?

Thanks for the help.

 

You wrapping? Water pan? Mop sauce? Type of smoker?

 

Everybody likes it differently. Brisket does very well with the basics, S&P. Personally, I would stick with only a little bit of brown sugar and not use regular sugar. Although, I now make my own coffee based rub with several other ingredients in subtle ratios.

Wrap or no wrap matters on cook time. You can also raise the temp to the 270 range and not hurt anything to speed things up. I like over night no-wrap cooks on brisket. It is also possible to go overboard on flavor with beef which can take away from the quality of the overall cook and great beef flavor.

Also, you might be better off using pecan on beef. I find that apple works better on pork. Or maybe do an apple-hickory mix.

 

Just got caught up with the last few pages in this thread. Getting ready to wake up early and get some St. Louis ribs in the WSM. Gotta have them ready by about noon for an Easter Sunday family gathering.

 

I just finished up prepping some st Louis ribs to be smoked tomorrow. I'll probably be using apple to smoke it. Can't wait!

 

I just prepped mine as well with some Famous Daves rub. Gonna be using cherry though.

 

I've never actually have used cherry. I'm going to have to try it one of these days

 

For me cherry is a very strong fruit wood imo. I stuck with apple and plum and never looked back!

 

I never tried plum. Cherry is a strong flavor that goes well with some sweet pork flavor. Cherry also mixes well with hickory on beef.

 

Don’t forget about peach wood too