Dug the Smoker Out of the Garage; Should Have Done That Long Ago...

[HighFlyingA380]

I've developed a couple of sauces that I feel can really only be improved much by accompanying with good meat, not the store-bought stuff anymore...

So I dug my smoker out of the garage. I've never used it, and my dad hasn't used it in at least 6-8 years. It was mostly just dusty, so yesterday I cleaned it with some mild detergent and warm water. I then re-seasoned it by rubbing it down inside with olive oil and cranking it up to 275 for a couple hours.

Inspired by my recent voyages down near Memphis with our new route to Jackson, TN, I figured I'd whip-up another batch of my Memphis-style (modified) Jack-n-Coke BBQ sauce. So yesterday I made my inaugural trek to a new-found local butcher, a whoppin' 3/4 of a mile down the road, who I never knew existed until about a week ago... I picked out a supple 8-pound pork butt, and headed home. I used the last of my semi-local (Perry, MO) Blues Hog dry rub, supplemented with other various herbs and spices that sounded good that the moment (and helped clear my cluttered herb and spice rack). I used some spicy brown mustard to apply the rub to said posterior, injected it with a mixture of Coke and Knob Creek Smoked Maple bourbon, and wrapped tightly to rest overnight:

Got up today at 0600, preheated the smoker to 240°F, and put the lump of flesh in, accompanied by a 50/50 mix of apple and hickory wood, which I harvested myself.

After going back to bed for a few hours, I got crackin' on the sauce. As I said earlier, it's a modified Jack-n-Coke BBQ sauce; Modified being that I was too lazy to go get a bottle of Jack, so I again used the Knob Creek Smoked Maple bourbon. (I think that stuff is just too damn sweet to drink but is well suited for cooking with. The first and only time I drank it, I had 3-fingers and am pretty certain I immediately got diabetes...) Other ingredients in the sauce include (obviously) Coke, honey, caramelized onions, garlic, fresh cracked black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, and Frank's Red Hot (I put that **** on everything).

9.5 long, mouth-watering hours later, the butt reached 185°F internal temp, so I turned off the heat, but left it in to rest for a couple hours. (I was shooting for at least 4 hours, but I got impatient/hungry...) It started falling apart just trying to lift it off the smoke rack.

Look at that bark! The aroma was so intoxicating, I had to make myself a sandwich before pulling the rest.

Overall, extremely happy with the results of my first smoking session. However, I think I do have some things to change:

1- Stop adding wood after about 4 hours. While it tastes great, the smoke flavor is dominating and I'm actually missing some of the flavor of the meat itself.

2- Place it fat-cap up. I went cap-down, thinking it would help hold in the juices better. Come to find out, that's really not a problem. It's almost too fatty in the bottom portion, because the rendered fat seemed to be kept in by the cap and pooled up. If it's on top, I think it will seep through, keeping it juicy, but any extra will drip off easier.

3- Get high-quality buns/bread. I kinda forgot about sandwich buns until the last minute, so I just ran to the store. It seems insulting to place such a succulent meat on said buns; I guess I'm gonna have to get into bread-making now...

 

[eman1200]

what kind of tasty beverage accompanied this charred flesh?

 

[HighFlyingA380]

what kind of tasty beverage accompanied this charred flesh?

Since I figured the alcohol content in the pork and sauce would already count towards my 8 hours, I figured I'd go all-in, so I sat out on the deck with a few fingers of 16 year Lagavulin single-malt, and finished off with a Perdomo Lot 23 Nicaraguan.

 

[gkainz]

What smoker?
What wood?
I've used a Great Outdoors Smokey Mountain propane smoker for years

But just picked up a used Brinkmann wood burner that I can't wait to fire up

 

[kayoh190]

I sat out on the deck with a few fingers of 16 year Lagavulin single-malt, and finished off with a Perdomo Lot 23 Nicaraguan.

That's effing classy!

 

[HighFlyingA380]

What smoker?

An older 30-inch Masterbuilt electric smoker. I'm gonna try doing some on the classic Weber kettle, with charcoal as the heat source, with the wood for added flavor.

What wood?

Seasoned apple and walnut that I cut from my farm last year.

That's effing classy!

Lol, thanks, but not what I'm going for. It's effing delicious, and that's all that matters to me.

 

[kayoh190]

Lol, thanks, but not what I'm going for. It's effing delicious, and that's all that matters to me.

Good point. I was at a buddy's drinking Bookers out of a red solo cup last night. Definitely NOT classy! Heh!

 

[Clark1961]

I've been using a Big Steel Keg lately. Invested in a tap-e-que for monitoring on the iPad. Still learning but I have figured out how to get the smoke into the meat which I figure is the first step. Wood chunks and lump charcoal work well together and I can get poultry smokey through-n-through in about 40 minutes. It comes out very moist and tender. Longer smokes require a little more fire service but that isn't a big deal.

Anyway, I've been going with cheaper meat since that's the point of BBQ and using the wood to get the flavor I want. Chicken yesterday was 98 cents/pound at Safeway so 5 pounds of whole legs got smoked. Also got a rack of ribs for $3.50/pound. Cheap pilot syndrome is kicking in...

 

[Matthew]

Sounds, and looks, great! I use Blues Hog, too, among other things.

Cook it fat side up, trim off excess fat, but leave a thin layer, cross hatch it to let smoke and rub penetrate. Lately I've been partially separating the "money muscle" prior to cooking (a lot of people do this, I'm late to the party). Turn it fat side down, with the bone facing away. You'll see a natural separation in the muscle marked by a layer of fat that runs parallel to the bone so it will be running away from you. Use a sharp paring knife and work your way through that fat marker, pulling the small muscle section away. Eventually you'll have a small piece that looks like a pork tenderloin attached by a flap to the rest of the butt - roughly 1/3 is this part, the other 2/3 has the bone. You'll also see a membrane that you can remove (this is that big membrane piece you always find when you pull the butt). Make sure to get plenty of rub in there before you roll it back up for smoking.

It's called the money muscle because, if you separate it like that prior to smoking, it's easy to pull it off in one piece after it's cooked. Then you can slice that part for a nice presentation to contest judges. They seem to give higher scores that way vs pulled.

Smoking a butt in the Weber kettle can be done, and done very well. But it's not optimized for smoking, and good temperature regulation means a lot of babysitting.

 

[Matthew]

Anyway, I've been going with cheaper meat since that's the point of BBQ and using the wood to get the flavor I want. Chicken yesterday was 98 cents/pound at Safeway so 5 pounds of whole legs got smoked. Also got a rack of ribs for $3.50/pound. Cheap pilot syndrome is kicking in...

Don't miss out - toss on a package of hot dogs for about 30-40 minutes. Makes a nice lunch snack while you wait for everything else.

 

[HighFlyingA380]

Sounds, and looks, great! I use Blues Hog, too, among other things.

Cook it fat side up, trim off excess fat, but leave a thin layer, cross hatch it to let smoke and rub penetrate. Lately I've been partially separating the "money muscle" prior to cooking (a lot of people do this, I'm late to the party). Turn it fat side down, with the bone facing away. You'll see a natural separation in the muscle marked by a layer of fat that runs parallel to the bone so it will be running away from you. Use a sharp paring knife and work your way through that fat marker, pulling the small muscle section away. Eventually you'll have a small piece that looks like a pork tenderloin attached by a flap to the rest of the butt - roughly 1/3 is this part, the other 2/3 has the bone. You'll also see a membrane that you can remove (this is that big membrane piece you always find when you pull the butt). Make sure to get plenty of rub in there before you roll it back up for smoking.

It's called the money muscle because, if you separate it like that prior to smoking, it's easy to pull it off in one piece after it's cooked. Then you can slice that part for a nice presentation to contest judges. They seem to give higher scores that way vs pulled.

Smoking a butt in the Weber kettle can be done, and done very well. But it's not optimized for smoking, and good temperature regulation means a lot of babysitting.

Thanks for the tips! I know the kettle is not ideal, but unfortunately for now it's all I have at my farm... I smoke some fish on it without much trouble, but I'll try moving on to doing some other meats. I'll just have to play around with it. Damn, more deliciously smokey flesh to ingest...

 

[HighFlyingA380]

Don't miss out - toss on a package of hot dogs for about 30-40 minutes. Makes a nice lunch snack while you wait for everything else.

But then you'd have to open the door to get them out... Is doing so not as big of a deal as some make it out to be?

 

[NoHeat]

so I sat out on the deck with a few fingers of 16 year Lagavulin single-malt.

Yumm

If the meat and sauce were half as good as your Scotch, then you had a great success.

 

[Clark1961]

But then you'd have to open the door to get them out... Is doing so not as big of a deal as some make it out to be?

I think he was being slightly sarcastic....no hot dogs for me. Been experimenting with various brats and kielbasa though...

anyway, opening the door isn't that big of a deal as long as you don't do it every 30 minutes....

 

[gkainz]

With chicken I ignore the basic smoking mantra of "low and slow" and crank my smoker as hot as it will go. I smoke-roast brined and spatchcocked chickens at about 325°-350° and get nice crispy skin instead of rubber skin.

 

[Clark1961]

With chicken I ignore the basic smoking mantra of "low and slow" and crank my smoker as hot as it will go. I smoke-roast brined and spatchcocked chickens at about 325°-350° and get nice crispy skin instead of rubber skin.

salt the skin...not crispy but flavorful...anyway, many choices...

 

[Matthew]

I think he was being slightly sarcastic....no hot dogs for me. Been experimenting with various brats and kielbasa though...

anyway, opening the door isn't that big of a deal as long as you don't do it every 30 minutes....

Sarcastic? Not when it comes to the smoker. If you want a quick, cheap, snack, smoked hot dogs do the trick. I usually toss a package of brats or italian sausage in the nooks and crannies for lunch, but dogs work too. They work better than most people expect, try it sometime.

Opening the lid will have to be done sometime - to check temps, to move things around, to add/remove meat, .., whatever. A lot of KC folks, like me, will use a spray bottle of apple juice and spray the meat a few times as it cooks so opening the smoker is just one of those things you have to live with.

 

[Matthew]

Thanks for the tips! I know the kettle is not ideal, but unfortunately for now it's all I have at my farm... I smoke some fish on it without much trouble, but I'll try moving on to doing some other meats. I'll just have to play around with it. Damn, more deliciously smokey flesh to ingest...

You can find these at Home Depot and Ace Hardware stores:
http://store.weber.com/accessories/category/cook/tools/1348


They really make it a lot easier to use a Weber kettle as a smoker.

 

[HighFlyingA380]

Yumm

If the meat and sauce were half as good as your Scotch, then you had a great success.

I think the sweet meat, the tangy sauce, and the smooth cigar really all helped compliment the Scotch, which ended up being the piece de resistance of the evening.

Sarcastic? Not when it comes to the smoker. If you want a quick, cheap, snack, smoked hot dogs do the trick. I usually toss a package of brats or italian sausage in the nooks and crannies for lunch, but dogs work too. They work better than most people expect, try it sometime.

Opening the lid will have to be done sometime - to check temps, to move things around, to add/remove meat, .., whatever. A lot of KC folks, like me, will use a spray bottle of apple juice and spray the meat a few times as it cooks so opening the smoker is just one of those things you have to live with.

I don't think it would have to be done... I didn't for 11.5 hours today. I had the water dish in the smoker to help maintain moisture, but with that cut of pork, I'm not sure that was necessary. Does spraying it with a sugary liquid help develop the bark enough to outweigh the heat loss and increased cook time? And since I'm just getting started, I'm not cooking huge batches at a time, so really no need to add/remove or move things around...

You can find these at Home Depot and Ace Hardware stores:
http://store.weber.com/accessories/category/cook/tools/1348


They really make it a lot easier to use a Weber kettle as a smoker.

Thanks, but I'll save a few bucks and use a bit of baling wire for the same effect. What I've done in that past works well and is also free:

 

[Matthew]

Apple juice will help create a slightly sweet glaze, and add some flavor. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it or not. I think it is, some won't.

I'm not sure about water pans and humidity. I know they will add steam, but I think their biggest effect is to act as a buffer between the coals and the meat. Offset smokers, where the firebox is off to one side, don't use them and they cook just fine. Vertical smokers need them to create an indirect heat, the humidity is an extra bonus.

 

[HighFlyingA380]

Take 2:

Goin' spicy this time. Made my own rub from scratch and injected the 7lb butt with a hot sauce made from my home-grown jalapeños. I have a BBQ sauce simmering away with all sorts of spice while I sit out here enjoying the aroma accompanied by a couple fingers of Highland Park 12 year single malt scotch and a Macanudo cigar.

Damn it, I forgot to make coleslaw!!! With all the heat, Perhaps I should substitute the coleslaw with a shot of Halon...

 

[BigBadLou]

You really like being an a-hat and making us all drool uncontrollably, right?
Now grab a mop and come help wipe the floor.
Seriously, though, stop it. Otherwise I'll have to pull out my grill, get a few pounds of nice geound chick, inject it with my own secret ingredients and make all our neighbors jealous too.

 

[HighFlyingA380]

You really like being an a-hat and making us all drool uncontrollably, right?
Now grab a mop and come help wipe the floor.
Seriously, though, stop it. Otherwise I'll have to pull out my grill, get a few pounds of nice geound chick, inject it with my own secret ingredients and make all our neighbors jealous too.

I'm just trying my best to get back at 'Gimp for all those Yak-52 pictures he posts...

 

[HighFlyingA380]

Don't miss out - toss on a package of hot dogs for about 30-40 minutes. Makes a nice lunch snack while you wait for everything else.

Oh yeah, I did this as well. Nothing spectacular, but sure does beat boiled dogs for a quick lunch...

 

[DJTorrente]

Thanks, but I'll save a few bucks and use a bit of baling wire for the same effect. What I've done in that past works well and is also free:

That's very interesting. I was under the impression that even with an indirect pile that straight charcoal in a Weber kettle was to hot to really smoke a brisket/pork shoulder, etc. That pile of unlit briquettes makes a slow burning fuse, with the wet wood chips on the outside of the "snake". Thanks.

 

[HighFlyingA380]

That's very interesting. I was under the impression that even with an indirect pile that straight charcoal in a Weber kettle was to hot to really smoke a brisket/pork shoulder, etc. That pile of unlit briquettes makes a slow burning fuse, with the wet wood chips on the outside of the "snake". Thanks.

That's still just my occasional fall-back option; I've never done a whole butt or brisket on it, rather just a bit slower way of doing dome chicken, brats, ect... And I've never put a thermometer on it. I personally still consider it a direct heat cooking method, nowhere near a slow 8-10hr smoke. I don't think I've had that go for more than 2-2.5. But again, not much experience and rarely done.

 

[flyingron]

Much as I like Knob Creek in general the Smoked Maple is disgusting to drink. You may be on to something using it to cook with.

 

[HighFlyingA380]

Much as I like Knob Creek in general the Smoked Maple is disgusting to drink. You may be on to something using it to cook with.

Cooking or a fuel oil substitute is about all I can think of to use it for. Mt dad and uncle were drinking it straight the other night and I about threw-up just watching...

 

[DJTorrente]

What I've done in that past works well and is also free:

So I used this technique this afternoon to smoke 1/2 a 20 lb turkey. This was basically a dry run for some guests coming Saturday (who get to sample the other half of the bird).

Combining this and other techniques, I carved up the bird into manageable quarters, leaving the dark quarters on the bone, and the light quarters I "airlined" (boneless except the first bone [drumette] of the wing). I brined overnight in just salt and brown sugar, then trussed the breast and thighs.

The grill/smoker is a standard 22" Weber kettle. I lined up my briquettes three deep on edge along 3/4 the circumference of the charcoal grate, and lit about a dozen briquettes in my chimney starter. I had some applewood chunks soaking about 2 hrs prior for my smoke medium. Last, I used a disposable square aluminum cake pan on the charcoal grate in the center of the snake filled with about a quart of water (actually, the water from soaking the wood chunks) to help with temperature control. The water pan also did double duty catching much of the fat drippings.

Temperature control was easier to manage than I thought it would be. I was able to keep the grill temp at 225-250 for the better part of four hours. Incidentally, four hours burned almost exactly 1/2 the briquettes -- i plan to use that reference for future smoking. Temps were trending higher by the end of that time, but I temped the bird and it was done so I pulled it and didn't worry about continued futzing with the airflow. I no longer cook by time, I cook by temperature, and the target was 160 internal on the bird.

There was plenty of smoke produced; the applewood chunks gave of a slightly sweet smoke. The finished bird had a deep mahogany color on the exterior and a nice pink bark under the surface of the breast meat when I tested it.

Looking forward to doing it again Saturday.

 

[gkainz]

I like using apple wood for poultry. I don't understand the soaking the wood first, tho. I want my chunks to start smoking as soon as I can get them to. Seems to me that soaking them would take longer to start the smoke?

 

[HighFlyingA380]

I like using apple wood for poultry. I don't understand the soaking the wood first, tho. I want my chunks to start smoking as soon as I can get them to. Seems to me that soaking them would take longer to start the smoke?

that's something that I looked into when I started this. Yeah, seems conventional wisdom is that there's absolutely no need, especially with chunk. I saw a video on YT where they tested soaking, even for days, and the water still barely penetrated. I do, however, see some logic in soaking smaller chips and shavings: it will supposedly help quell flare-ups compared to dumping a lot of small, dry kindling on. However, in my electric smoker, I've yet to see more than a very short 10 degree F rise when dumping copious amounts of chips... I don't soak anything, and just add in smaller increments. YMMV with a different type of smoker or what-not...

 

[Matthew]

Soaking chips vs soaking chunks: Chips will burn, flare up into flames, very quickly. Soaking them first lets them smolder and smoke longer. How much longer, I dunno. As far as chunks, I don't bother - unless you let too much O2 in the combustion chamber, they'll generally cook nice and slow like charcoal.

 

[HighFlyingA380]

So I used this technique this afternoon to smoke 1/2 a 20 lb turkey. This was basically a dry run for some guests coming Saturday (who get to sample the other half of the bird).

Combining this and other techniques, I carved up the bird into manageable quarters, leaving the dark quarters on the bone, and the light quarters I "airlined" (boneless except the first bone [drumette] of the wing). I brined overnight in just salt and brown sugar, then trussed the breast and thighs.

The grill/smoker is a standard 22" Weber kettle. I lined up my briquettes three deep on edge along 3/4 the circumference of the charcoal grate, and lit about a dozen briquettes in my chimney starter. I had some applewood chunks soaking about 2 hrs prior for my smoke medium. Last, I used a disposable square aluminum cake pan on the charcoal grate in the center of the snake filled with about a quart of water (actually, the water from soaking the wood chunks) to help with temperature control. The water pan also did double duty catching much of the fat drippings.

Temperature control was easier to manage than I thought it would be. I was able to keep the grill temp at 225-250 for the better part of four hours. Incidentally, four hours burned almost exactly 1/2 the briquettes -- i plan to use that reference for future smoking. Temps were trending higher by the end of that time, but I temped the bird and it was done so I pulled it and didn't worry about continued futzing with the airflow. I no longer cook by time, I cook by temperature, and the target was 160 internal on the bird.

There was plenty of smoke produced; the applewood chunks gave of a slightly sweet smoke. The finished bird had a deep mahogany color on the exterior and a nice pink bark under the surface of the breast meat when I tested it.

Looking forward to doing it again Saturday.

Sounds good, glad that method worked for you. Is that really all the seasoning, salt and brown sugar? Honestly sounds a bit lackluster to me... I've never done turkey, but whenever I do chicken (pretty similar; everything tastes like chicken, right?) I'm always loading up in herbs and spices. Perhaps I'll try something a bit more simpler like this next time.

Anyone ever use pear wood for smoking? Can't say I've ever come across it at a shop, but I have an old tree that's having some trouble, so I'm gonna take it down soon. I'm guessing pear would go best with a lighter poultry; Turkey, chicken, dove, etc., and perhaps accompanying some oak or cherry. Unfortunately it'll be about a year to season before I get to try it out...

 

[DJTorrente]

Sounds good, glad that method worked for you. Is that really all the seasoning, salt and brown sugar? Honestly sounds a bit lackluster to me... I've never done turkey, but whenever I do chicken (pretty similar; everything tastes like chicken, right?) I'm always loading up in herbs and spices. Perhaps I'll try something a bit more simpler like this next time.

Well, I was intentionally keeping the brine simple this time. I'm sure it could have benefited from a more complex spice mix. I was mostly trying to test out the viability of using the Weber as a smoker; particularly temp control, since I didn't have much faith in a simple indirect pile. I've cooked -- not smoked, cooked -- bigger pieces of meat than my 1/2 turkey using an indirect pile. The brine was just a little moisture insurance to be sure the final product would be palatable presuming the temps worked out right. I also didn't apply any rub at all to the turkey. Spouse liked it so much she floated the idea of smoking a turkey for T-giving.

Baby steps...

 

[gkainz]

I've used different fruit woods - one of our local smoke shops sells bags of mixed fruit wood... but I honestly don't recall if there's pear in the mix.

For turkey brines (wild turkey ... the bird, not the libation) I've used a number of fruit juices as part of the brine ... apple, pear, orange, mango, mixed citrus, etc ... they all came out quite good, and each had a distinctly different flavor.

 

[Gerhardt]

I've never used a smoker. Back before gas grills were the thing we used to break out the briquettes at least once a week. Then got a gas grill and never looked back. It was SO easy and clean! Fast-forward 30 years and my burners went out/can't get replacement at the Depot and a bag of briquettes caught my eye.

Put them on the bottom grate of my gas grill and first time I used them in 30 years. We couldn't believe how much more flavor was in the meat. I don't know that I could ever go back to just straight gas.

 

[Stevel]

I saw
I tried
I liked
(never took Latin, so I can't say it the classic way)

I used my smaller Weber (20-22ish inches), and went around as far as I could without lighting the other side at the same time. Applewood Kingsford and applewood chips soaked in beer. I also put the remaining beer in the cast iron smoker box that I usually use for the chips and set that in the middle of the charcoal grate. I got low and slow smoking for 12 hours, and the 10 pounds of pork shoulder cushion meat in five chunks came out perfect, except for one marble-sized undercooked spot in the chunk that was at the center of the grill. If I had saved one or two chunks for another day, leaving space around the others, it probably would have been perfect.

I had only cleaned the ashes out by using the gismo that is built into the grill. That left some ash around the edges that hampered the airflow. I believe that this and the beer steam are what enabled the extremely slow burn.

I want to try this again with my larger Weber (26ish inch) with the same amount of meat. That should allow complete smoke circulation around all sides of each chunk, and probably 16-18 hours of low and slow smoking.

A hint to anyone wanting to try this. You can tell how far around the coals have burned, without opening the kettle, by feeling the side of the kettle. Start at the end of the coals, working your way back toward the start until it starts feeling hot. After that, hold your hand an inch or so away from the metal and find the hottest spot. I took a picture of my left hand pointing at the hot spot, with the face of my watch in the picture, thus allowing me to track progress and estimate remaining burn time.

When the last coals were about done, I completely shut both the top and bottom vents, and let the meat cool. The almost-sealed, sterile, smoky environment made me comfortable that I wouldn't be introducing pathogens into the meat. As soon as it cooled enough that I was sure that it would not harm the zip-lock bags, I tossed it in the fridge.

Sliced about 1/8 inch thick, this made a nice, leaner, low-salt ham alternative for sandwiches. I recooked the underdone one in the crock-pot with the ends from the other pieces that got too small to slice easily. That made a nice leaner than usual pulled-pork. In both cases, I would definitely prefer the real-deal, but these healthier alternatives were still pretty darn good.

 

[DJTorrente]

Saturday Report - illustrated. Nothing different from previous report. Setup; Before; After (4+30). Guests were happy.

 

[DJTorrente]

Let's revive this thread for a minute.

I did a 12-hour pulled pork shoulder last week. The bark was divine. With a tangy Carolina vinegar sauce with just a bit of heat; served on buns with slaw and pickle slices.

 

[asechrest]

Nice, DJ. Love it. I may have to try that approach to see how it works.

I use the Smokenator in my 22" Weber. It is, frankly, a bit expensive for what it is. But if you combine it with a wireless thermometer to monitor the temperature at the cooking grate, It turns the classic kettle into a fantastic smoker. The only downside is that it does require attention every hour or two.