Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I just offer to cook the steak to my liking another one of those things from being in the military, I feel like Ive "lived" when others are just stuck in what/how their parents did it. While I havent lived like the two in Second hand lions movie, I feel Ive lived a lot more than others from my home town

quote from second hand lions

Sheik's Great Grandson: So, these two men from your grandfather's stories, they really lived?

Adult Walter: [wistfully] Yeah, they really lived...

 

Not sure what I'm gonna smoke this weekend, maybe do a pork shoulder on Sunday and have leftovers for the week. Supposed to rain on Saturday and I have to take her Highlander to the dealer in the morning for an oil change. Only job I had while she's been out of town on business and she gets back on Monday. Probably drive a taco and 4runner while I'm there depending on how long they say it will take.

Any of y'all ever try smoking a boneless turkey breast and then slicing it and using it for sandwiches for the next few days? Might be easier just to buy deli meat but what fun would that be?

 

Some friends of mine gave us a young turkey smoked breast. Thats what I did..was so much better than store bought.

 

Apparently not you.

 

Figure I can put a shoulder on the top rack and two boneless breasts on the bottom, let some of the rendered pork fat drip onto the turkey. Maybe brine them overnight?

What about smoked meatloaf? I've always wanted to try that but my cholesterol can't handle pork shoulder and meatloaf back-to-back. Sucks being a grown-up.

 

I'd just do a salt brine for the turkey.

Eh everything in moderation...dont eat the whole meatloaf then think you can eat the whole shoulder in one sitting...

 

That's why you need to sous vide it

 

That's all I do for brining, dry brine night before. Not saying it's best, but it definitely works and is way simple to deal with.

 

I built a mini cinder block pit like the one a few pages back and made some ribs wth straight salt n pepper and charcoal no mop or sauce

Like 3.5 hrs later I lifted the 2 racks in the middle and they broke clean w shiny bones lol
Took the small ends off and will pull the thick ends soon
So good this way, not intensely smoky but with great crust and pull

Meanwhile the smoker is jealous

 

I tried a fancy brine and wasnt impressed...the basic salt brine dry or wet works great.

 

I like the custom smoker deck

 

The guy that built that smoker is way taller than me lol
Even with the deck I can barely reach the back

 

I don't believe the hype about cholesterol. You can't eat enough cholesterol as the body produces. IMHO I believe genetics and added sugar are the problems. Pharmaceuticals were/are push behind cholesterol. Some much r&d money had to be made up somehow.

 

Rant of the day...

I dont get this Vegan movement crap(step-daughter just up all of a sudden said one day shes vegan)...If I wanted tofu that tasted like turkey...Id eat REAL TURKEY or soy that tastes like bacon...I'd eat REAL bacon! Oh wait Im not a vegan so I told the wife Im not eating tofu anything...so dont even cook it and try to make me eat it.

 

You are my hero

 

+1 on the brine. I have read a couple of sources that recommend because of its lack of intramuscular fat, you should actually smoke at a higher temp like 350. I did both the brine and higher temp and was pleased with the result.

 

I agree 100%, I don't eat a ton of red meat/dairy and I run or ride my bike 2 or 3 times a week. Doctor says I need to eat better and get more exercise. Last time I had a physical, the doctor said my liver enzymes were off and it could be from the statin or from Hepatitis, he wasn't sure. I said shit, I was fine before I started taking this drug you told me to take, thanks doc. My parents have a friend who is a cardiologist. He prescribes lipitor to every patient who walks through his door and every year, he and his wife go to Hawaii for the week between Christmas and New Year's paid for by the drug companies.

 

This is probably a ridiculous question but, do you guys worry or still grill when it's windy using charcoal? Just wondering about the wind and the ashes when you open lid of the grill.

 

Lump charcoal is your friend. Very little ash.