OT ...lostleader??

[michdad1]

What kind of smoker do you use?

I use a Smokin Tex? Smoked about 250 lbs. of ribs this past summer. 10 pork butts, whole chickens, only two brisket. Damn, I am hungry now for some good BBQ.

Doing two pork butts tonight for tomorrow.

 

[lostleader]

Well you are far more advanced than me.

I smoke a rack of ribs about once or twice a month. I do two half briskets a year, just what I get out of the calf we butcher. I am yet to venture into chicken, but I got a great recipe for a whole turkey.

As for my smoker, I have the cheap brinkman that you can buy a Lowes for about $50. However I have up graded it. Added vents, put it up on legs, and wrapped the outside to keep the smoke in. My wife got it for me for Fathers day a two years ago, Also have a Weber gas grill. (that baby is slick)

This winter I plan on making a barrel smoker. I have two 55 gallon drums that I am going to turn into a large smoker. I hope to smoke a half a hog next summer. If you got any ideas on how to assemble a good barrel smoker, I am open to suggestions.

Never tried a electric smoker, how does that work compared to Charcoal .(In regards to taste)

Check this out http://www.amazingribs.com/

 

[lostleader]

Oh also, deer loins. Those have turned out great. I take a medallion that is about 1" or 3/4" think pound it down to the size of a softball. Spread on cream cheese add salt, pepper, and garlic, then roll up like a sushi roll and wrap in bacon. Cook slowly until the internal temperature is between 145 and 155. This is better than any steak I have ever had.

If you don't have deer meat you can use beef loin or pork loin just skip the bacon. However I have never tried this.

 

[michdad1]

Well you are far more advanced than me.

I smoke a rack of ribs about once or twice a month. I do two half briskets a year, just what I get out of the calf we butcher. I am yet to venture into chicken, but I got a great recipe for a whole turkey.

As for my smoker, I have the cheap brinkman that you can buy a Lowes for about $50. However I have up graded it. Added vents, put it up on legs, and wrapped the outside to keep the smoke in. My wife got it for me for Fathers day a two years ago, Also have a Weber gas grill. (that baby is slick)

This winter I plan on making a barrel smoker. I have two 55 gallon drums that I am going to turn into a large smoker. I hope to smoke a half a hog next summer. If you got any ideas on how to assemble a good barrel smoker, I am open to suggestions.

Never tried a electric smoker, how does that work compared to Charcoal .(In regards to taste)

Check this out http://www.amazingribs.com/

I've never had a charcoal smoker, but have had a gas smoker.

I like the electric smoker the best. It's double walled insulated and it doesn't use water. It's made of stainless steal and the best part is that the electric heating sensor keeps the oven at the desired temp. So, I just add the wood, meat and walk away. I use an internal temp probe (wireless) that allows me to monitor the temp through the day.

I think I make some of the best ribs around. I had taken 20 lbs to Eastern Michigan vs. Michigan game while tailgating I passed them out to the neighbors that were tailgating along side on the golf course and they all said that they were the best that they had eaten and I should open a restaurant. I smiled and thanked them for compliment.

I mix all of my own rubs and sauces.

 

[jever4321]

So you like to rub your meat eh?

I always knew deep down you two were meat smokers.

HEY-OHHH!

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

What kind of smoker do you use?

I use a Smokin Tex? Smoked about 250 lbs. of ribs this past summer. 10 pork butts, whole chickens, only two brisket. Damn, I am hungry now for some good BBQ.

Doing two pork butts tonight for tomorrow.

Exactly, that's what really all of Michigan is missing - good BBQ places. I know Detroit has Slows BBQ which is good - but it's in a pretty sketchy part of Detroit so I rarely get it. I might invest in a smoker, but I would have no idea where to start.

 

[redandguilty]

I have something like this

that I use about once or twice a year for salmon. The rest of the time, it's a grill.

 

[michdad1]

What kind of smoker do you use?

I use a Smokin Tex? Smoked about 250 lbs. of ribs this past summer. 10 pork butts, whole chickens, only two brisket. Damn, I am hungry now for some good BBQ.

Doing two pork butts tonight for tomorrow.

Exactly, that's what really all of Michigan is missing - good BBQ places. I know Detroit has Slows BBQ which is good - but it's in a pretty sketchy part of Detroit so I rarely get it. I might invest in a smoker, but I would have no idea where to start.

If you were to ever purchase a smoker, I recommend either a Smokin Tex or Cook Shack. They are top quality and very dependable. One is made in (China) ST, and the other in the (US) CS. Two guys had a partnership that split and both units are modeled after each other.

For you I would recommend the ST 1400. Small enough for your family yet large enough for parties. Around $600.00. Cook Shacks are at least $150 more for the same unit, but made in the US.

 

[redandguilty]

The type I posted is a lot cheaper (under $200), but a lot more work and it has much less capacity. You have to rotate the food from the hot end to the cold end and learning to maintain the temperature is an art. The extra work is ok if you intend to spend a day babysitting it...meaning drinking beer and watching TV.

 

[michdad1]

The type I posted is a lot cheaper (under $200), but a lot more work and it has much less capacity. You have to rotate the food from the hot end to the cold end and learning to maintain the temperature is an art. The extra work is ok if you intend to spend a day babysitting it...meaning drinking beer and watching TV.

That's right! That's why I purchased the electric.

 

[lostleader]

I have mixed my own sauces and rubs, and still do. I prefer to use "Bone Suckin Sauce" it is great and puts a good flavor. Dropping $600 in a smoker is not in my budget, and I feel that I have done will with the art of Charcoal. It does take some baby sitting and you can't leave it all day. About every 2 hours I have to check it. But it is well worth the effort. $100 and a little know how and you can be a back yard pro. Plus it gives me a reason to watch more football and drink beer.

Charcoal is an art and cooking low and slow is not everyones cup of tea. But I can't buy meat that taste as good as I can cook at home, and thats something to be proud of. MichDad can attest to that. Anytime you get to share your spoils and people love it, thats a good days cooking.

 

[redandguilty]

I don't know how other charcoalers do it, but I build a small charcoal fire, put a metal bowl in the middle of it to smush it into a ring of charcoal, soak woodchip in a bucket of water, and add woodchips periodically to the metal bowl. Babysitting consists of adding a briquet to each side of the bowl every now and then and dumping the charred woodchips and adding fresh chips every so often to keep the smoke going. The metal bowl keeps the chips from catching fire. Keeping that ring of fire going around the bowl and keeping the temp around 200 is the art. 1st time I tried I was bouncing between 240 and 160 all day.

 

[lostleader]

I don't know how other charcoalers do it, but I build a small charcoal fire, put a metal bowl in the middle of it to smush it into a ring of charcoal, soak woodchip in a bucket of water, and add woodchips periodically to the metal bowl. Babysitting consists of adding a briquet to each side of the bowl every now and then and dumping the charred woodchips and adding fresh chips every so often to keep the smoke going. The metal bowl keeps the chips from catching fire. Keeping that ring of fire going around the bowl and keeping the temp around 200 is the art. 1st time I tried I was bouncing between 240 and 160 all day.

Get a charcoal chimney. For most meat keeping the temp between 225 and 250 will be fine. Also you only need to add wood chips for the first hour after that the bark forms on the meat and your just pissing in the wind.

For my smoker I start out with a full chimney and add a 6 in log of apple wood. Let that cook for about 2 or 2 1/2 hours then add another full chimney.

With the chimney you don't have to use lighter fluid, and there is a big taste in the flavor. Best $5 I've spent on cooking tools.

 

[michiganmania]

You guys had to start talking about smoking and grilling when there is already a foot and a half of snow outside here in Alaska? There are no long days of slow cooking meat on the grill in the winter but I still try to grill up steaks and burgers every so often...Got me wanting to cook up another brisket or large pork loin...Sigh...

 

[jever4321]

I have a master forge vertical gas smoker, as well as a chargriller offset charcoal smoker. I thought I would like the "ease" fo the gas smoker, but I prefer cooking with wood/charcoal fire. Although I would like to stack a couple of pork shoulders above a beef brisket for about 11 hours in the vertical smoker and let them drip all their goodness all over the brisket, basting the entire time. I am more of a ribber than a roaster. Too bad my wife likes fall off the bone oven ribs. That's cheating. Ribs should be smoked over hickory IMO.

 

[jever4321]

Also, next time you smoke a shoulder blade or brisket, throw some chicken parts in there too. They are usually cheap and it turns out great. I usually maranade in teriyaki for 24 hours before it goes on the smoker. In about 3.5 hours you have a nice smoked chicken snack. I usually chop the meat off the bones for easy eating.

 

[dannydiggler]

All of the sudden I want BBQ

 

[lostleader]

MichDad have you tried cooking over a wood fire? That is hard, but damn is is good!