Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

It needs a charcoal grate to lift the coal so it's closer to the grates and has more air circulation.

 

I made some elk backstrap steaks tonight reverse seared on the egg with cherry wood and finished on the cast iron. I dry brined them with kosher salt and pepper and they were mighty fine.

 

Morning all!

 

Now that the seasons upon us I'm hoping too see more game meat being smoked!

 

Im trying to hold off on getting a doe, Im trying to see about getting a buck but havent seen many lately...

 

Same. Went to a local spot last night and only saw a small fork. Buck numbers are dull this year.

 

Had a first on the Gunflint Trail at a lodge first night up there, duck wings. They were actually legs\thighs with Sriracha honey and garlic sauce. High end lodge not the typical outfitter for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wildness but were only a mile up the road. 13" of snow first night there this guy was sitting outside the window as we ate them.



The wings, 2 beers and 2 sandwiches came to $80. Fuck that noise things are expensive on the trail it is 140 miles North of Duluth. I grilled supper most evenings on the Jumbo Joe even though it rained or snowed most of the time.

Capsteak, beer and salad likely came to $40 total and was more than a few beers. Priceless.



The cabin even had limited edition Corelle Ware! My knife of course...

Almost 2 weeks left at 0500 this morning and got back at noon. Really didn't want to leave was a great time. On the Canadian Border in the tip of the Mn. Arrowhead surrounded by the BWCA Wilderness. Bird hunting was good, not great but good enough. Dog was happy and so was I and my friend.



The backpack found in the middle of a trail under the snow. Was an emergency pack with a SOS Personal Locator Beacon, space blanket and a single fig newton with a bite out of it. Near as I can figure it was some really skinny guy in the Boundary Waters that got turned around. Who the hell carries a fig newton for survival?!

I do carry a Garmin InReach PLB as do most of us there. No cell phone reception or much of anything else for that matter. Up on a ridge Sprint Canada did send my phone a signal saying that for 25 cents a minute I could use their service. But it only happened one time and for a minute then disappeared.

Exactly! Even if it is a mock up, bad design.

First time at this lodge and cabin, and knew they had grills. Decent ones but was pretty sure couldn't sear a steak so took the Jumbo Joe as always.



Good call. Wasn't always rain and snow actually had one decent day with sun



And sunset



After a week at the beginning of the month in Lake County on Grouse and almost 2 weeks in Cook County he is in his prime.



Going to try a local game farm couple of times a month until the snow is too deep for him to run. Considering some pheasant for him and plucking them so that they will not dry out and smoke them. Wrapped in bacon of course. Dog doesn't care what type of birds he just wants feathers in his mouth and scent right now.

 

Greats pics.

 

What lodge were you at?

I am going to tangent here:

PLBs can help, good training and PLBs save lives.

Was in the San Juans this summer when we came across a UTV that had gone off Engineer Pass. Got out and found both still alive and their friends with no idea how to deal. Both were in pretty bad shock when I got to them, he was still unconscious, which was good. Less bleeding and movement that way. I stabilized the couple and maintained them while coordinating for rescue. Took 1.5hrs for Sheriff to arrive and another hour for the two helicopters to arrive. The two spot PLBs I commandeered from passers by got the word out. My HAM skills failed me and didn’t have the local repeater freqs on hand (that glitch is fixed). Both survived and tracked me down about a month ago to thank me. Him, 5x fractured vertebrae, bad concussion, fractured rib, and some bad chunks missing from leg and arm. Her, fractured sacrum, mild concussion, fractured iliac/pelvic girdle.

Moral: get a PLB if you are adventuring into the wilderness. Also, take some first aid classes with your friends for when shit goes south. Bonus points for actual wilderness survival training.

 

Sounds like an awesome time. Well except for the $80 sammiches and wings.

 

#1 thing people always forget is stay calm. You freak out and things can quickly go from bad to worse. I laugh when people are like ah it’s no big deal to go out in the woods I can deal with anything. I’ve had friends will all sorts of training in the military get turned around before they knew it. One of my friends who’s an ex sniper went hunting one year got turned around chasing an animal he shout so it didn’t bleed out and go to waste. By the time he figured it all out he was 5 miles from where he left the truck.

 

San Juans are for Land Rovers I purchased my FJ55 in the 70's in Bremerton and was tired of the 2F Engine valve guides wearing out dropped a Chevy 350 4 bolt main in it with a Man a Fre mount, couldn't find a THM350 auto so kept it manual.

Used a compass all over the Olympics and Cascades. Of course the Olympics rule and everything else drools

Still carry 2 compasses. And know where true North is. And InReach, Garmin Alpha for the dog and Garmin Nuvi. And pair the Alpha with my watch. Not sure why we can bounce a sat signal off a dog tracking system on the Russian Glonass sats but not the Nuvi vehicle systems but when in the North close to the Arctic it is a huge benefit



Have thought about HAM more than once Forest Service monitors it. But they don't have repeaters throughout the BWCA. Nothing does.

The Nuvi showed some of my hunting spots to the South only 20 miles away but to drive or walk there would be 80 miles or more. Lakes and bogs get in the way...

I know how to take care of a sucking chest wound and many other medical emergency. But a stroke or heart issue is time critical. Seconds matter and when you break 60 you start to think of those type of things...

But knowing how to read a compass is basic and important. When traveling through the iron range and magnetic ore areas of Mn. you can go around in circles and some bodies are never found from those that are using a compass. Risk assessment and take your chances. AKA:

Recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive Lab tests, He said I was doing fairly well for my age.

A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist asking him, 'Do you think I'll live to be 80?'

He asked, 'Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer, wine or hard liquor?' 'Oh no,' I replied. 'I'm not doing drugs, either!'

Then He asked, 'Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?' 'I said, 'Not much... My former doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!'

'Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, boating, sailing, hiking, or bicycling?' 'No, I don't,' I said.

He asked, 'Do you gamble, drive motor-cycles, drive fast cars, or have a lot of sex?' 'No,' I said...

He looked at me and said,.. 'Then, why do you even give a shit?'

 

Looks/sounds like a great time

I got to spend some time in the north country a couple weeks ago. Was visiting some in laws in Duluth and we went to the Bayfield Apple Festival.
My first time in the area, will be going back to explore BWCA and fish the Brule

 

Hey y'all,

Accidentally put 2 racks of ribs on the smoker....ooops. Today is my day off so hey why not. Hopefully I'll get a pic before they are gone

 

Been steady at 220F +/- a few all day.

Always drool over this thread's pics and I finally remember to chip in

Baby back ribs smoked 2-2-1 method

 

Two racks, Two people, 1 meal. Great combination right there.

 

Finally found a Tri Tip, and during 25% off all meat sale at Lowe’s Foods:

 

Lowe’s sells food?

 

Yep, Lowe’s Foods was started by the former co-owner of Lowe’s Home Improvement. They’re in NC, SC and VA. They’re a little expensive but they have a great beer, seafood and meat selection. Make some good sausage in store too. I like that you can go to their Beer Den, have them pour you a local beer and shop while having a couple beers.

 

Well damn. Never knew that. Menards has food but it’s not high end.