Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Spring Flower Green pattern, an early now classic Corelle pattern.

I was supposed to be a Ceramic Engineer like my grandfather at Corning Glass according to the family. They were upset when I joined the Navy instead.

The Ex liked cheap stoneware and I always hated it. When she left about 10 years ago bought a bunch of high end China on sale even though both sons were living with me. Didn't take long before I replaced it all with Corelle that is what everyone in my family had and I grew up with. As did millions of Americans back then. Still love it.

Original Corningware came out the year I was born 1958 and was cornflower blue. Last year they released a limited run of it. I bought every piece of it that was offered.



Goes well with my classic cafe blue Corelle, Corelle was released in 1970. Think that green flower pattern came out ~1980 or so.



Corelle is pretty much all I use, the China is buried in the back of the cupboards. Do have the Ex's China hutch top and bottom yet. But it is put to proper use and sits on my reloading bench and holds my old school rosewood hand planes and shells\reloading supplies.



My really good China is hanging on the wall. 3 painted plates of a trout, grouse, and a bedded buck.

 

Well thank you for your service!

I remember the green flower pattern from being a kid. I’m sure my ma and nana had them.

As of late some lady at work had been talking about it....the green flower pattern specifically.

Obviously I didn’t realize Corelle had such a following.

Also, I heart your dog!

 

Thanks for the tips. It has been raining here so I have not had a chance to even fire it up. I have hickory, cherry and apple to try. Can't complain about the weather here in SoCal considering what the rest of the country is dealing with - Stay Safe!!

I have heard that if the pellets have a hard time staying lit, I should microwave them for a minute or so to remove the moisture?? Who knew there was so much to smoking?

To date, I have been practicing on store brand cheese. I will try to find Hoffman. I love a good sharp cheddar. Not a fan of pepper/hot cheeses so I will try jack, swiss and ???

RiskDude

 

Try some fresh off the smoker. Different, but not bad. My wife loves it that way.
I let it set for a while to cool, wrap it in cling wrap, in the frig it goes. Next day I start eating it. If i smoke 10 pounds it lasts 6 months or more, and I really can't tell much difference. Smoked cheese doesn't mold, at least mine hasn't. No vac pack, no freezing, IMO not needed.
Just try resting, aging, or whatever and see what YOU like.

 

Not sure about pellets, sometimes I have to relight them. I use a propane torch. Not sure about Jack, Swiss, etc, but I need to try Swiss. I've bought it smoked before, and boy howdy it was good. Any cheese you try to smoke needs to be solid, not squishy. Otherwise it starts to melt thru the grate before it takes any smoke. Been there, done that.
If you smoke some Swiss, please report back. Don't forget the brand name.

 

Going to Costco next week for ribs/brisket. I will check out the cheese section. They tend to have better brands than Kroger.

RiskDude

 

Still $2.96lb at walmart We have another place that has prime brisket for the same price...

 

I am curious what the brisket will cost. I have not ruined, I mean smoked one in a couple years. Gonna try burnt ends with the point.

First time ever I did brisket, the temp gauge that I relied on was off by about 50-70 degrees. Left it on 8 hours, cooking 70 degrees to high. I think we went out to eat that night.

RiskDude

 

Ive ruined a couple myself...

 

Trying out the starter recipe...I just put a batch in a glass bowl. Should be ok I hope.

 

Literally the same thing happened to me on my first brisket. I'm still working on not screwing them up.

 

Gouda and mozzarella are both good cheese to smoke. Gouda may be my very favorite.

 

Tillamook FTW

 

Now I have REALLLY got to try smoking cheese.

I need to stay out of this thread.

 

Right there with you. I've taken to substituting 1/3 of the cheddar in Mac-n-cheese for gouda. Gives an entirely different depth of flavor to it. I'm thinking paprika might be something good to try, too.

 

I keep forgetting to make the starter. Must remember to do so this evening, so I can bake Sunday. I finished the last of my white wheat bread last night- PB&J (because apparently I am still 5 years old on some level).

 

Don't forget Parmesan cheese when your smoking cheeses. From a block, preferably aged I don't want too many crystals in mine though. And aged blue cheese. And nuts, almonds, cashews and walnuts.



Works well with a Port and while waiting for the beef to cook IME.

 

Which type of Bleu cheese do you like to smoke?

 

I really need to figure out how to cook one of these tomahawk steaks. Hmmmmm... maybe tonight for dinner...

 

For me, cooking it is not the problem. It's finding a crowbar big enough to pry my wallet open and get enough $$$ out to buy one.