Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

No wrong pink salt..

https://www.thespruceeats.com/pink-salt-using-nitrates-to-cure-meat-1447029

 

Thanks! Glad I asked!

 

This sounds/looks amazing!

 

Disposable “Vortex” Just seen these storm shields for wood stove flute. Looks it would work for a minute. Fairly thin stainless, for $5.00. Even adjustable.

 

What would those be for?

 

On topic for a change, from me (ie: smoking, not cooking in an oven)

Let's say you had the opportunity to score either a 14 or an 18" WSM (hattip to the very kind dan0mite for the offer). Which would you elect to go with?

I don't imagine you can go wrong either way, but which is easier to modify if I wanted to do the Tamale Pot mod, for example?

EDIT: Nevermind, this is a dumb question. There is no need to mod a WSM, it seems. It is already done (I got confused between a Weber Smokey Joe and a Smoky Mountain)

 

I'd take the extra real estate. The fuel consumption difference between the two will be fairly minimal.

The tamale pot mini-WSM is, I believe, a touch smaller than the 14" WSM, but serves a very similar purpose.

 

En route .

 

Yessir, just found that out. A simple google search would have saved my time and yours. Duh. Sorry for that- is not having my coffee yet a viable excuse?

Can't wait to get the Pitfaced rub in. Thanks again!

 

-drooling- over here!
And got the USPS ship notification, presumably that's you- it will be here Monday!

 

Another grilling accessory.....


https://youtu.be/QwA3LQmxSok

 

http://virtualweberbullet.com/miniwsm.html

 

I built one some years back, just for shits and giggles. I never fired it up and gave it to a buddy of mine to try to get him hooked on smoking. Besides, I already had a keg smoker at the time.

I painted the tamale pot black and used two Weber Smokey Joe bottoms to make it. The top on mine had the traditional WSM bullet shape. This was before the actual 14" WSM was a thing .

I used a 1" ball-valve for the intake, too. I'll see if I can scare up a pic of it. It was (well, still is) pretty sweet!

 

Built mine, and it was perfect for the trailer while at work

 

2nd time I've done them this way. Swear it's the best chicken I ever had.

 

I know you sort of answered your own question already. Go for the 18”

 

I've cured a lot of bacon using various recipes.
I prefer Pops Brine recipe for many reasons including that it's a set it and forget it type of recipe.
I've cured pork belly, pork loin, pork shoulder, chicken wings, chicken breasts, turkey breasts and on and on ...
It's very difficult and time consuming to use all the different dry and wet cures weighing the meat and then doing the math for each ingredient.
Pops Brine is repeatable and unbeatable. You can make 1 gallon or 10 gallons and it's all the same measurements.

For those using the other ways weighing your meats tell me how you would weigh a bone in pork shoulder to make pulled ham and ensure that it was cured all the way through even around the bone?

I'm all for people doing things their own way and I've learned thru the years that it's rare when someone is willing to try something new just because "that's the way it's always been done"

I challenge all of you naysayers to make 1 gallon of Pop's Curing Brine and cure something and then report back.

 

Someplace around here have my pinewood derby car, it is ~50 years old now. My father and grandfather cut shotgun slugs out and melted them for weight. Have my oldest sons car some place too, he is 30. No idea where that scale is. But have everything from reloading powder scales to several kitchen scales I use for cooking and smoking.

Building his Pinewood car he kept asking if he would win. I kept telling him I was a propulsion engineer in the Navy so good chance he would. Well he did win. All of Western NC with more than 300 people there. When he walked up to get the trophy the Scout Master said you acted like you knew you were going to win how did you know and put the microphone in his face. He said because my daddy is a pee pee engineer in the Navy. Place roared with laughter. Pretty sure I turned red, felt like my face was on fire. Kids say the darndest things...

WINGS!!!







I have 2.5 lbs. of wings thawing in the fridge now. Was going to do them twice confit style (twice fried) tonight. But weather is so damn nice at 32° outside think they will meet their fate with the vortex and Mr. Kettle instead of with hot oil.

 

What's the point of having the sauce in the bowl in the middle- trying to reduce it and therefore intensify it?

 

If you look at the one pic you can see a whole stick of butter in there so he’s probably mixing up his own buffalo sauce.