Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

@bvbull200 can fix that for ya.

 

yeah. i haven't got there yet

 

Went to Costco today picked up a couple of really nice ribeye cap steaks. But more and more that skirt steak keeps calling me, damn it is good. Then started wondering if the new grillgrates could get hot enough to cook it decently. And smoke.

Couple hours in marinade.



And then was hungry only let it get up to 500 on the lid thermometer before I started. It was close enough, when about 5 min. left put on some fresh pineapple spears I made and coated in brown sugar and cinnamon.



And the wood chips I put in the back corner smoked the whole time.

Side burner with carmalized onions and blistered cherry tomatoes. Cooked in bacon grease of course.



Finished. Still haven't eaten the pineapple yet. Yeah that worked just fine. Actually outstanding LOL. When I can move again think there is some ice cream in the freezer that would go well with that pineapple heated up.

 

Thanks for the tag, @horstuff .

I try not to really hard sell in this thread, much, but you should definitely give our rub a try. Super low sodium and still very flavorful. Link in my sig. If you order, don't forget the coupon code!

 

I just saw that on a cooking show not long ago about spices and rubs. They said the reason why is because it is cheap. And a good reason to make your own. Or hook up with @bvbull200

 

i found a rub for a brisket last week, blindly followed the recipe, WAY too much salt, 1/3 cup. wont make that mistake again !

the Cajon Rub the wife makes only has a table spoon of salt, lots of garlic and onion powder, paprika and cayenne and a some other stuff. its not bad, no sugar either, which i also like

 

Smoked some salmon yesterday, and did my first Tri tip this evening.

 

Btw if anyone wants a SlowNSear for their Weber kettle, I have one that is in excellent used condition for $65 shipped Pp.

 

I've had the spicy rub, @Sandman614 made some meat with that on it, was good. its been a couple months since and i forget what he had flambéed ( there was fire shooting out of every hole, it was impressive... ) I'll have to find the video...

anyway, it's ordered, thank you

 

For the 22 I'm guessing? Hoping it's the XL

Does it have the coal bottom plate?

 

Getting ready for tomorrow afternoon

Finally



Pitface regular rubbed down

 

Finally getting time. 14 hours today at work but should be done at noon tomorrow

 

Received! Thanks a bunch, man. Will get it out Monday!

 

Sorry it's the original 22"

 

All good. It'll sell for sure. @itzyoboipaul ...

 

Another approach is the Meathead Goldwyn method, which is to dry brine with kosher salt overnight and skip the salt in the rub recipe. Works great. Or, just get Pitfaced

 

I stopped at Walmart and bought a pack of beef cheeks. I've been wanting to work with them for a while and now is my opportunity. I was fortunate in that I got a whole beef cheek. Unfortunately at least 52% of it was fat and connective tissue. After trimming and still lots of silver skin on the main piece I was left with 502g of usable product out of . I have decided to cure it like a guanchalai but with only salt, sugar, pepper and cure #2.

Ended up doing:

2.75% salt .
0.25% cure # 2
1% sugar and some black pepper.

Starting total weight 1061.4 grams or 2.34lbs


Out of the pack looks like 1 whole cheek. Not sure f this is the inside or the outside of the cut.



Piece flipped over. As you can see lots of fat and connective tissue.



Muscles separated from the fat.





Pic of the other side. Fat going to the soap making pile.




Meat seasoned with cure, salt, sugar and black pepper. Into the fridge for 5 days to cure. Thickest part of the meat is maybe an inch.




In a few days I'll hang the pieces in the curing chamber for 3 or 4 weeks. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them from there but I'll figure something out.

 

It looks like the fella you were talking to already placed his order, but I will add that before I found your rub the one rule that I had was to look for a rub / spice combo / whatever that did NOT list salt as the first ingredient. It served well for many years, but you have made it quite easy for me.

 

5am check, kettle heat down to 150, internal temp 142°, feed the beast see if it comes up at all and rock on. Looks good smells good. Rained at some point overnight.