Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Can you guys reccomend a good meat thermometer?

 

I have a thermopop and a chefsalarm. Both are really good

 

American Wagyu is notorious for being all over the map quality-wise. Definitely worth a try, but don't expect Japanese Wagyu.

 

I see you guys going on and on about ribeye cap steaks... was at Costco today, saw these and decided to give them a try for dinner tonight! After much research I think I'll sear in cast iron and cook in the oven, kosher salt/black pepper. Yum!

 

For what its worth everything i have gotten from SRF has been top notch. Haven't gotten the brisket though.

 

I supervise a Costco meat department in San Diego, and had some american wagyu in shop for fathers day weekend. Got a lot of good feed back, but personally never had it.

 

Since you work there, let me ask you; why does Cosco Blade Tenderize ribeyes and other already tender cuts? I noticed my ribeye cap is labeled blade tenderized and recommends cooking to 160f (to kill any bacteria that potentially could have been carried inside the steak with the blade)? Lots of debate about this on line...

 

I don't come from a butcher background like some of the old timers in the department, but it is my understanding that it is company policy based only on having the best and most tender meat products. Now for the 160 degrees part, not all our labels, at least in my shop, have the blade tenderized and 160 degree caption on the label, only a few. We tenderize everything except flanks and fillets in our shop. One could speculate that the temperature recommendation is because the company isn't going to recommend cooking anything less than fully cooked only because if we recommended anything less, say 135 medium rare, there is always a possibility of someone getting ill. Then why even put a temperature on the label; surprisingly there are copious amounts of members who have no clue how to cook meat products. And for the cleanliness of the tenderizer/needles, assuming proper sanitation procedures are followed, which in all shops is very strict, those needles are very clean.

 

I've only had Kobe once... and I would choose choice or possibly select grade over it... was at a steak house and I had to try it. I also made them show me the certificate for it. was just meh.

But the mother in law was at costco with me and told me to get one. so here we are...



Took me awhile to decide on which one. the cryovac is THICK so it was hard to bend test them. After examining all of the options multiple time, the guy behind the window said "just get one". Told him only if there was a good one in there. needless to say, soon I'll give it a try. Was really tough to get cause the USDA Prime was only $3.29 a pound...

 

I could cold ship if you want?

 

Hard enough to find brisket around here. I laid more than that for choice and select.

 

I'll have to start a shipping business

 

So I went to Costco last week and asked for picanha and I am not so sure I got it. The tag was correct but that's printed by the guy there and he was the clean up guy. I couldn't see any distinction on the vacuum pack and the shape looked incorrect. Is there any way to tell?

I still ate the steak and it was good.

 

Tell the Costco in Allentown, PA to stock whole brisket, please.

Thank you.

 

I’d buy from you.

 

If you haven't sliced it already bacon burnt ends. You can of course use a pork belly but I prefer to cure and smoke it first for true bacon burnt ends.

Cut the cubes large they shrink a lot. Add your pork rub of choice and smoke for 2-3 hours.



Add to a pan and sprinkle some brown sugar, honey and butter on them.



Cover with aluminum foil and back on for an hour or 2 to braise them. Remove foil and sauce then back on for about an hour.



Pork candy.

I even throw mine in a large paper bag and shake it a few times until it cools and put it in the fridge overnight in the bag. Then in the morning wrap and seal. If my sons haven't already eaten them all by the time I get that far.

Another vote for the thermopop. One of these days I will get the thermapen Mk4

Cast iron?! Oven?! Someone get a rope!!

j\k. Well kind of...

My preference, cut the strings off and wrap it in bacon. Or a couple pieces of bacon.

Sear the hell out of it with fire. And a little wood for a kiss of smoke.



Salt and pepper are good and all I used for years. Lately been a kick with Montreal Steak Seasoning.



Good luck and hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

 

The fat cap.



I have a pound of Brazillan rock salt for more than a year to make picanha with the rotisserie. Picanha, AKA rump cover, rump cap, or coulotte steak. Nada. Nothing. But when I do find one....

 

Kobe is a very particular type of Wagyu (which just means Japanese cow, not great cow or whatever), so Wagyu does not equal Kobe, but Kobe does equal Wagyu.