Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

It sounds like your idea will work. Any chance you can cook a test rack before you leave? Here's my (long winded) experience.

I will often cook our ribs 3-2-1 and we typically have leftovers which we usually reheat in the oven loosely wrapped in foil. What you are suggesting is basically reheating leftovers. Like many here I'm sure...I've cooked ribs perfectly and sometimes not so perfectly- usually not cooked long enough where they are too tough and not quite fall/bite off the bone.

When reheating leftovers, if the ribs were previously cooked to perfect fall/bite off the bone, I have to be extremely careful not to overheat and dry out the ribs. The ribs were better fresh off the smoker.

If the ribs were previously cooked to where they were not done enough ("too tough" and not quite fall/bite off the bone), then reheating in the oven makes them much better if not close to perfect. Much better than they were fresh off the smoker.

I've made my parents a rack and did 3-2-.5, knowing they would eat them the next day. They said they turned out well but they are pretty easy to please.

My suggestion is to do your 3-2 idea and finish off them off at camp. Be careful after the 2 hour wrap because the ribs will still cook while wrapped in foil. Maybe open the foil to let them cool before you refrigerate them. You can always cook them longer but you can't "un-cook" them.

Good luck and have a great hunting trip! And let us know how it turns out!

 

Picked up a butt from Kroger on Sunday to smoke this week… Up a dollar/lb since the last butt I bought a few weeks ago! And meat quality did t look nearly as good.

Slathered with Dijon mustard, rubbed with Meat Church Holy Gospel and Honey Hog Hot, spritzed with a ACV/Bourbon/Worcestershire mix a few times, and wrapped with some butter/honey/brown sugar after 5 hrs. Cooked for about 10 hrs total on hickory and cherry, running 250-275ish and then rested 45min or so.

Also threw on a lb of wings coated in garlic butter and rubbed with Meat Church Voodoo the last hour and half.

Everything went well except for another Thermoworks probe not registering at all and another probe reading 15-20* off from the others. For the price, these things should last longer than a dozen cooks in a year! 2 different brands, 5 probes, all within 6” of each other and I’m getting a 30* range and one probe not reading at all.

 

Smoked Cream Cheese v2.0!



Cream Cheese mixed with Bacon, Chives and Ranch Dip Mix then coated with Everything Bagel Seasoning and smoked for 2 hours at 225F.

 

Damn that looks good! Gonna try that next smoke!

 

Thank you!
You won't be disappointed!!

 

hmmmmmm might give that a whip.

I have some cheese now and need to do another batch for just in case for thanksgiving, and probably do one on or around thanksgiving for christmas and/or new years.

So far just done cheddar and jack cheeses. Going by the store tonight and might get some other types to try this time around. Any suggestions?

Will be hickory smoke.

 

Well first of all.. pick up some cream cheese too and give my latest creation a whirl, and mozzarella, pepperjack, all the cheddars, colby jack etc.. they all take smoke well I would stick with firmer cheeses as the softer ones might squish through the grates. I wouldn't try to smoke parmesan either.

 

If you can find non smoked Gouda, do it. Brie is great, but you’ll want to remove half of the rind (think bowl shaped) and set it on foil

 

Yeah - I did a bunch of cheddar, jack, jack w/ jalapenos last time around. I'm thinking I'll try to find a mozzarella this time.

I will probably give that a rip too. I haven't done anything like that before.

Should be able to I have some queso fresca right now that just sat long enough to work with this week so will be giving that a try in some dishes - I think maybe some enchilladas with that will do good.

 

It's been a few weeks since I've had wings. Super looking forward to them.

 

I'm considering an upright barrel smoker. I have a vertical offset but it doesn't seem too efficient. I'd like something with a smaller footprint I can load up and smoke overnight. Also considering electric as an option, but I've never used nor do I have an eating experience (that I know of) from an electric smoker. I would appreciate your advice based on your experience. TIA!

 

I have a Pit Boss pellet smoker and I absolutely love it. I get plenty of smoke flavor from it and I like that I don't have to babysit it and deal with temp swings. I've done numerous overnight pork shoulders and briskets without any issues. The pellet smokers are super versatile too. I can open the sear plate and do burgers, steaks, etc. Mine is pretty efficient too. I can fill up the 20lb hopper and go all night at 225* and it'll still be half full in the morning.

 

My vertical Pit Boss Copperhead 5 has served me well and with a 60 pound hopper I don't have to worry about pellets very often.

 

Pit Boss definitely makes nice stuff. I met with them out in Vegas at Shot Show a few years ago and they know their stuff. I'm thinking of something more basic that I wouldn't kick myself for if, Heaven forbid, it walked away from my back patio. This one was recommended to me by a coworker: https://pitbarrelcooker.com/products/18-5-classic-pit-barrel-cooker?variant=29172997095488

 

Honestly - check facebook and craigslist. There are a lot of them that come up in the spring after they're given as gifts, and used once and someone thinks "WHAT I have to wait 12 hours!?", same after father's day too. Worth a shot at least.

 

Making the assumption that you don't live near me... if you lived near me, I'd give you a hell of a deal on a brand new Traeger Mesa 22. Never been used!

 

Smoked Pork Ribs St Louis cut
Twice Smoked Potato
Smoked Beef Ribs Flanken Cut

 

Looks great!