Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I decided I was going to try cooking skirt steak directly on lump coal for dinner tonight. I was grabbing stuff at the grocery and didn't pay enough attention when I picked up the steak package. Got home and made the marinade then opened the steak package only to realize it is pretty damn thin.

Any of you guys do this method? How thin/thick was your skirt steak? Mine might just be too thin for the coals (may burn right through!), so I might put it on the grate really close to the coals...

 

Yet is the key word. .. let us know how it turns out.

 

People that did wings on the Webber with a vortex. What was your target temp and how long? Prep on the wings and recipes?

 

This is one of many areas the internet fails really wish I could see it. Yeah I have done quite a few, never had one burn through yet.

Usually anywhere from 2-3 feet long and will be thicker at one end than the other and the thin end can be pretty thin. In one video Alton Brown says 30 sec. a side and another he says 1 full minute. In both he wraps in doubled aluminum foil and lets sit for 15 minutes. I find that leaves it raw in the center but ambient air temperature here is pretty low compared to his. I go one minute a side then wrap and put the grate on and go 3-5 minutes wrapped sitting on the grate over hot coals. Then let sit for 15 minutes.

They are long so I cut them into 3 sections and throw each one of the coals for a full minute before flipping.





2 things are important. First make sure there are no loose charcoal powder at all in your fire. If there is a lot of small powder when you dump it forget about it. Even fanning with a large pizza plate will leave chunks that will not taste right when you cook it. 2nd is how you cut it make sure you cut across the grain. I take the 3 pieces I cut up and cut those into thirds again and then turn and cut across the grain. Nothing wrong with doing them over the coals on a grate either. One of the best I have done has been on the grill grates not long ago and cooked them for a couple minutes each side. Then resting for 10 minutes wrapped.



The more of them you do the more you get a feel for how long to do them and how to do them.

 

~
That is known as twice baked. Every bar in Upstate NY knew what twice baked wings were at one time. Hell even Domino's, although been years since I have ordered wings from a chain.

Been addicted to wings since the 70's and the recipe has changed some over the years in part because Franks changed their formula. Even the Anchor Bar in Buffalo doesn't seem to make them as good as they used to. Back then the sauce was rich in butter most places not so much anymore. The closest I have come to the traditional reciepe and all I eat. Played around with other ones but always go back to the original. Good for 4-5 lb. of wings.

1 stick salted butter
⅔ cup franks original NOT the wing sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste for heat
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

Rinse the wings and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Throw the wings in a dedicated wing stainless steel bowl and pour a little canola oil on them but not too much. Crack some black pepper and kosher salt and toss until everything is well coated.

Then put the wings on the kettle with the dome lid at 12:00 and every 15 minutes rotate it 45 degrees. I use a good sized chuck of apple or cherry wood over top of the Vortex. At about 50 minutes lift the lid to check on them, you want to catch them before the tips turn black, or at least most of them. It can take up to an hour depending on air temperature.

In the meantime I have washed the dedicated wing bowl out and loaded it with the sauce. When the wings are ready time to melt the sauce stirring constantly only takes a minute or 2.



Take the bowl off and start throwing the wings in and toss them. Then back on.



Let them go 5-8 minutes with the lid back on, the butter will burn quickly if your not careful. They are usually crispy at ~8 and burnt at 10 minutes. Throw back in the bowl with the remaining sauce and toss.



And now I'm hungry as hell...

 

Hell yes I am and proud of it.

 

Copied. printed out, will try for my 1st shot at wings. Thanks!

 

@Cold Iron the wood chunk, pre soaked in water or not? And temp to have the kettle?

 

I do not soak wood chunks even for wings although I will use a fairly good size piece of wood for smoke. There will likely be some left over.

I don't even check the temp on the kettle anymore. If using lump I start with a small amount of Kingsford as a base so the lump doesn't fall through and pour out the lump on top of it. But have found using straight Kingsford get about the same results temperature wise don't think lump gives you that much more heat. Once the fire is roaring either lump or KBB then I throw the wings on. Leave both the bottom and top vents open fully. It is what it is going to be at that point. When it is cold out, really cold like down around zero or below, I will add an additional 10 minutes or so to the cook. I go by the tips of the wings. Once they start to burn they are done. If you go much more than that then they will burn. Hope that helps Curt! Wish there was more of a metric to it that I could explain but one of those things that is sort of seat of the pants after awhile

 

$300 later I have everything I need - I think - to feed 75-80 peeps.

Somethings to note:
quartering 10 chickens is not fun
36 oz of Italian Dressing goes a long way
have enough containers - and more importantly, fridge space - for all that meat
burgers & dogs are stoopid easy to do - maybe just stick with that...

I think the real trick is sourcing out your products - shopping for 7 to 5 is easy, shopping for "seventy five", not so much. If I bought trays of breast & leg quarters I would have saved labor - so the $.99/lb bird isn't saving when I spend 2 hrs quartering them.

I need a second box that is 80% freezer, 20% fridge.
I enjoy cooking more than I thought

I might put up a sign, "Cooks for beer" and point to a cooler...

 

Live and learn. Spot on observations.

 

That's mighty ambitious. I did a BBQ at my house for 32 and the cooking was not fun. Had so much going on I let my ribs go longer than they should have and ended up with 7 racks of dry pork.

 

I'm hoping the cook goes well - it has a lot of moving parts:
I am using foreign equipment - club owned, not sure of condition, etc.
I'll be in a new place so I don't know what resources are available - water, power, etc.
I've never chef'd for so many - always a sous chef on big jobs

I'm gonna take the gear over from the lunch shift and just go to town - clean it, prep it and get my chicken squared first - into foil pans and into coolers to maintain temps

Wings are a bonus on the smoker - will give me something to do to burn off nervous energy (pardon the pun there please). I'm hoping to share them with staff only so as to make them feel special and appreciated.

I don't know if I have grill help or not

I'm thinking of doing the cooler method for corn on the cob - adding Old Bay to the boiling water to jazz it up. I have 50 full pieces - gonna do 25 in half and the rest in 1/3 cuts or something like that.

Steamed dogs might be a good thing - so I think I'll bring an appropriate pot or just improvise a tray.

Pucks are pretty easy so as long as I keep the grease fires low I'll be happy.

I'm hoping for a smooth flow instead of a mad rush but that is out of my control - hot food in a timely fashion is what I'm striving for as a goal.

I hope I bought enough - any leftovers from lunch will get employed

I hope I can get pics of it all. I have an Uncle that helped teach me the ways - I wouldn't be here with out him, I hope to make him proud and make my guests happy.

I hope 80 is a real number and not 120 - I'd rather have "to go" boxes than run out...Last meal of the day, no plan B for miles around.

I'm worried which really means I want to do a good job - that's a good sign.

 

Sounds like you have a good plan in place. That makes a big difference. Enlist people to help with the easy tasks so you can watch after the food that is cooking. That was my problem; it was at my house and I was talking to people, making sure there were drinks in the cooler, etc. then running back to check the grills/smoker in between.

 

Hmmm, cream cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped smoked bananas. That might be interesting. We are going to try making some salted caramel, bacon brownies this weekend. Not a big chocolate person but I'm all about that sweet/salty.

 

Smoking some beef ribs

 

Anyone got any thoughts on a Char-Griller 5050? I still want the propane grill for short burns.

 

Delivered today. Got two chickens in the brine. Ready for tomorrow

Going to use the weber chicken seasoning. (Not using the marinade)