Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Reverse sear, pull from smoke at 130 or so if you want a harder sear. Sear until 140 or so, tent, and rest it for at least ten minutes. Take temp in the fat end.

I dry brine with salt a few hours before cooking, then season it an hour or so before it goes on.

 

I did one sous vide to 143 then seared on the grill. Came out perfect. I love my sous vide.

 

How’s the smoke flavor on that?

 

Twas inspired by this! Didn't have apple juice so I used apple sauce and apple jack. Salt, brown sugar, red pepper, granulated garlic, unami spice mix, Germanic spice mix. Brine is cooling now. Will use apple smoke most likely.

 

Sweet! Literally! Should be damn tasty. Enjoy and let us know how it turns out!

 

Starting to roll some smoke a day early. Was planning to cook everything tomorrow but a storm is moving in today with rain changing to snow, temp is dropping all day from upper 40s into the teens tonight and only 20s with a stout wind tomorrow. So decided to smoke things today and not fight low temps and wind tomorrow. Got a ham on now and gonna do twice baked taters and some Mac and cheese today.

 

It's so damn cold outside I will need to bring the brineing roast in tonight, still super cold in the garage. Nice that we don't have to occupy fridge space.

Test fired the pellet smoker, HOLY SMOKE. Pretty sure the smoke made it east of the Rockies!

 

Wake up Merry Smokers!

Meat is ON!!

 

Bacon is a crutch in my opinion and highly overrated.

 

Meat is on also. Merry Christmas!

 

Agree in many cases. Worst is clam chowder. My wife makes an absolutely perfect and awesome clam chowder, NO BACON. Some folks just baconate the chowder and call it good. GROSS. Can't taste anything else! Sometimes substituting pancetta is the thing to do.

 

Ever had bacon and eggs?

 

That's a crutch for a hangover!

 

Merry Christmas!

What is this blasphemy about bacon?! Have my 2021 calendar which is basically the same as the 2020. Wonder what December next year will be?



Last week started smoking cheese and nuts. More than 20 pounds of cheese when all said and done. Kept a little for my me but most gave away as presents.





Ended up with 2 paper bags full of Medium Cheddar, Gouda x Parm (AWESOME), Extra Sharp, and Pepper Jack more than 20 pounds all told. Nuts were Macadamia, Cashews and almonds. Mixed with melted butter, sugar, cinnamon and a little cayenne pepper.

Gave one bag to neighbor. Matt is a principle at a Catholic HS in town, they have 4 well behaved kids and a joy. Great neighbors couple of years ago when it was -34 was going to wait until it got into the twenties below to blow the drive. Looked out the window to see him doing it. This summer they invited me over for a 4th of July family get together. Ended up being seated next to his FIL who is a West Point Grad and spent 3 years in Country in NAM when things first started. His MIL has advanced stage 4B cancer. My son survived IVB cancer and we talked the whole time, mainly him about NAM and also the cancer his wife was going through and treatment. Afterwards Matts wife who is a gem came up to me and hugged me and said thank you I now know a lot more about my father and why I went through what I did growing up then I did before, he never told anyone before what he told you that I know of, and burst into tears. I just nodded and walked away but it was a struggle for me not to cry also. They are the salt of the earth, all of them.

Other bag went to a friend I work with that is also retired Navy and we both were in Desert Shield\Storm together. Although not on the same ship we are still brothers. His wife made my son and I HIPA face masks when this whole COVID thing started. He is 65 a couple of years older than me but we both plan on working until at least ~68 this sit down gig is a cake walk in comparison. It is also rewarding working at the #1 ranked hospital in the US if not the world especially lately. And they pay us a stupid amount of money compared to the military. We are teammates out here in Civlant and think the same. He made and brought Christmas cookies for me and my son last week. He is also salt of the earth and so is his wife, wish I could be so lucky.

It was a great feeling to make something for someone else and see the joy when I delivered it. And am not a touchy feely person, but realize now I have been a slacker. Being able to smoke and make treats for someone else and see the joy in their face when I delivered them kind of made me feel good but not in a sappy way, it was more of the right thing to do. Made me realize what Christmas is really about and am thankful. Very thankfully I am the one that is blessed.

Enough of that crap. But did make realize I need to step to the plate and pull my share of the load in this merry go round we call life..

Anyhow after doing the cheese and nuts on the 26" kettle figured time for a standing rib roast for Christmas for the son and I. The pellet popper just doesn't cut it for me with pellets don't care what pellets you use. And while the WSM has an Automatic Temperature Controller the kettle is just too easy to use.

$95 standing rib roast. Salt and pepper for 2 days wrapped in oil soaked cheese cloth.



Pup is 15 weeks old now and just like his father my helper.





No need for fancy equipment just a good thermometer. Hey at least it was 1 above zero when I started not below zero. Drip pan is the "disposal" cake pan that I did the nuts in. Will be used for the drippings to make Yorkshire pudding.

Yeah started off at 1° and just had to cut the bottom vent down to lower it from 256° to get it down closer to 225°. No need for a ceramic cooker LOL and pretty sure I know what cold is LOL.

A 26" Weber kettle is all you need even in the frozen tundra. Pup approved and pretty sure he just burnt his nose by his reaction LOL



Target is 1800. Will likely be more like 1700. It will be ready when it ready.

Prime Rib. Bearnaise sauce. Yorkshire pudding. Garlic mashed potatoes. Corn. Green bean casserole. Baby carrots with brown sugar and honey glaze.

And Christmas cookies and milk for desert. If there is room.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, hope it is a good one!!

 

Got mine on the egg also.

 

Coated in a mixture of compound butter, salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, and rosemary.

 

you have issue with wind carrying your heat away ?
Currently trying to smoke some belly burnt ends, was doing fine then the winds started picking up and temp dropped below 225, struggling now to get it above 220. Same (similar) grill and deck, currently have my can for charcoal and 2 deck chairs and old gas grill as wind block.

These are just for snacking on later so I guess once the ham in the oven gets done (too large for the grill) we could toss them in there to finish, since hey have he smoke on em already....

Sigh....

 

Prime rib

 

Not with the kettle so much for some reason. Interesting as I have been talking to my BIL in Wake Forrest today several times today. He picked up a 22" WSM and has been fighting to get above 200° today. Cold there today for Wake Forrest and my mother also moved there after her stroke from Florida and she is also complaining about how "damn cold" it is there. And wishes she could move back to Florida.

I cook with the WSM and kettles on the deck where they both get the same amount of wind next to each other. The WSM does better with a silicone jacket, AKA Coors condom.



The kettles for some reason are not effect as much by the wind. And have no reason to explain why...

That sir is a thing of beauty! Trying to figure out if in a few minutes will use the Genesis with grill grates for the reverse sear. Or the oven. I have cleaned off both. Well done, very well done! Not the meat but the cook