Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Time to try some bacon. 3.5 lbs of pork belly:


Skinned and rub applied. Now we wait.

 

Is it done yet???!!!?!?!?!

 

If all goes well I think I'll be able to smoke it a week from Sunday.

 

Your experience with bacon seems to rival mine, except that I had some amazing bacon last week and decided I'm going to have to learn to make it myself if I want bacon that good, because I had it at Blackbelly in Boulder, CO, which is about 700 miles away from home. I've read about 20 articles on how to do it, but this is my first time.

My rub is a mix of Tender Quick curing salt, brown sugar, honey and pepper. I will be smoking it at ~200 degrees for ~3 hours, give or take. Some cold smoke it; I won't for this batch. After you smoke it, you slice it and cook it like regular bacon. The sitting week lets the cure do its job.

The process is pretty straightforward, fairly foolproof and almost universally produces great results from what I've read. I will probably also try a batch of buck board bacon, which is bacon made out of something other than pork belly, probably shoulder for me. The same process makes Canadian bacon if you use the pork loin.

I also tried jamon iberico for the first time on my trip; an amazing experience that has me trying to justify buying a $500 Spanish ham...

 

Not long - a week maybe. Similar timeframe to buying bacon at the deli. You can freeze it for months of course, just like regular bacon. I've been smoking over wild cherry exclusively for about a year. A friend gave me about 100 lbs he cut down last year. Should work just fine.

 

I know not the same, but I do own a treagar pellet grill in which I have smoked many different things! My favorite is pork loin. With pork I like to mix up a home brew teriyaki glaze. Pellet grills is cheating a little I know, but the taste is so good and my family raves. My favorite mix of pellets is hickory, maple, and a hint of cherry. It is a good all around combo. Look forward to learning more threw you guys.

 

No worries man. Lots of folks have pellet smokers and make good eats on them. Can't deny that they're easy to use. Post up your best stuff!

 

I've done buck board and Canadian bacon. Both are delicious. Buck board is the same process with the shoulder. Canadian is the same price process with the loin. If the meat is thicker that 2" like most loins, it needs injected with the cure to reach the middle.

Most of this I learned from the guys over at smokingmeatforums.com

 

So far. So good. Aiming for about 4 hours more.

 

About how long would it take for a brisket? Just your general experience would be great.

 

I'm a newbie when it comes to this. But I've been getting about 1.25-1.5 hours per pound.

My brisket was 10lbs. Just pulled it off to rest. 630pm start, 1030am finish.

 

Nice. I just picked up a 2lb brisket... That's how Lowe's Food had them prepared, and that was way too much, $22.

 

At 2 pounds I'd probably get tritip instead of brisket.

 

Just got this little brisket on.

 

2lb for $22?!

Sweet Jesus!

 

It's for the family in law and they don't like shopping around sooo... Yea.

 

Tips for a 6lb brisket? I only have a small electric smoker: http://www.hayneedle.com/product/landmann26insmokymountainelectricsmoker.cfm?ltype=child&tid=CP101-1

Rub ideas/wood to use/temps?

 

I'm not an electric guy. But I know there's a good amount of people on here.

@phillstill ?