Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

well because it’s a cooler day I haven’t gone over 67 degrees. When it’s warmer outside anything over 90 and it turns out not good.

 

Wish they were a little fattier but still good.

 

It is but it’s getting up there in price. I have to find them on sale for me to want to use them for smoked cheese. But I haven’t tried anything else yet until now with the different brand Gouda

 

Dayum. Been waiting for the finale! Was not disappointed! Looks amazing

 

I'll need to adopt a new plan for temps that low. Thanks!

 

once you get to 90 or above most cheese starts losing its oils and it doesn’t taste right after that.

 

I have mentioned it before.... I don’t actually turn my smoker on I just light some pellets in a smoke tube for 3-4 hours. My guide on when to pull them out is solely based on color. Lots of people have liked my cheese and asked me for some

 

Can you do any tricks like at the hibachi restaurant??

 

Belated Merry Christmas fellas, hope everyone had a great time with friends and family. By the looks of it everyone ate well!

I had beef tenderloin Christmas Eve and prime rib yesterday, but nothing smoked as I for once didn't have to do any cooking lol

On a side note, I saw a few folks cooking crab legs. I've never done them, but want to. How do you know when they are done?

 

Thanks!!!!! Sounds like a cheese plan.

 

King crab is already cooked when you buy them. They are cooked and flash frozen as soon as possible after caught. So all you are doing is reheating them.

My favorite way is grilling them. 4-5 minutes a side on the grill at Med low heat has always worked perfectly for me. That is about 350 maybe closer to 400 on my grill with grillgrates. I brush oil on the shell so they don't stick to the grate. Most people seem to steam them but I personally like the meat dryer then dip in melted butter. They cool off fast so like to time it so that they are the last thing to go on the table.

 

I forgot to post these pictures last night but this is the aftermath of three hours of smoking now to let them sit minimum 3 weeks

 

Ever seen the Tacoma Christmas light ad?

 

I use Zach's recipe, and it works very well. I did the foil pan thing last weekend, and won't do it again...

 

Costco here sells Tillamook, and of course it is local to you. Couldn't help but notice that your Gouda was from Wisconsin

An hour and a half drive puts me in about half a dozen cheese shops, mainly in Wi. My favorite is much further down in Mineral Point, Wi. Hook's cheese. Got turned onto it by our "neighbors" in SD where we pheasant hunt each year, they are from Mineral Point. And bring us cheese from Hook's each year. Expensive but well worth it to me. Types of Hook's cheese.

I've also had good luck with cheese from most of the food Co-ops around here. There are also Dairy Cooperatives, think Tillamook is also a dairy co-op although a huge one. Ellsworth co-op creamery in Wi. is an hour and 15 min. from my house. And worth the drive just for the cheese curds. Especially the deep fat fried ones

I like a combination of both smoked and aged cheese for appetizers along with smoked almonds. Especially before grilling.

 

Just finished cutting the Christmas ham away from the bone. Gonna try a ham bone soup this year, never done that. Gotta find a good recipe.

 

I kept mine also. Threw it in the freezer but usually just do pinto beans in crock

 

No right or wrong recipes for ham bone soup, they are all good! Any more I use the Instant Pot for mine. Of course you can just use a crock pot too. Or old fashioned stock pot. Have done it with all 3.

Spoiler: IP Ham Bone Soup

Used ham bone stock to start with. Had a hock left over from Christmas it was a spiral cut ham that I double smoked and glazed.



Put the hock in the Instant Pot this morning covered with water and let go for 2 hours on HP and warm for 2 hours. Then used the stock pot to separate the bone and meat from the broth.



Love the IP the more I use it. It would have taken 24 hours in the past on the stove.

Put 6 cups stock in the IP and then my secret ingredient. Normally when doing it on the stove I would saute the onions, celery and carrots in bacon grease. So I put a rather large spoonful of filtered bacon grease in with the stock. Because Bacon flavor.



Did a PIT ham double smoked and double glazed for Easter, and cubed up a couple of pounds of that.



Smokey ham bone broth and smokey ham is a good thing for great soup.







Turned out so damn good going to have another bowl.

1 lb. Navy beans, rinsed and sorted
1.5-2lbs left over ham, chunked\cubed
6 cups pork bone stock
1 Tablespoon bacon grease
1 large red onion, diced
3-4 celery stalks, cut small
5-6 carrots, cut a little bigger
1 tsp garlic or 3-4 cloves
1/2 tsp oregano
2 Bay Leaves
3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
1/2 tablespoon basil
3 splashes Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp course black pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
salt and pepper at end to taste
Dump all into the IP, navy beans first. Set for 50 mins max pressure, natural release. When the cooking cycle ends, let it naturally release pressure for 20-30 minutes. Then stir S&P to taste.

 

That looks awesome, thanks! So the bone doesn’t actually sit in the soup it’s boiled to make stock then the stock is added to the mix?

 

I have 2 thick tomahawk steaks I want to throw on pellet smoker this weekend....any cooking suggestions??