Re: What's in your smoker?
 

What is the yam for?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I'll take "What is dinner?" for $100 Alex.






;s:r

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

*ding* *ding* *ding* we have a winner! :D

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Wanted a chicken cesar salad this just past sunday...

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=3813
(photo kind of sucks - cheap digital camera doesn't focus well in low light)

Two chicken breasts cooked at high heat (abt 300F lid temp) for about 1h-20m. Apple, a bit of cherry and a single small piece of hickory.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

No pics, but cold smoked some jerky...

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

You don't have any problem with them drying out at all? I've never smoked just breasts.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Damn. I made the mistake of reading this thread before eating breakfast.

I think I'm going to passout now. -(P

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Funny you ask that.

Not really sure that 300F lid temp (midway up the lid) is really smoking so much as it is a a low heat indirect grilling with a lot of smoke, but regardless...

This was kind of a last minute thing, so I didn't brine the breasts.

Both breasts were pulled off the smoker at the same time.

The breast on the right, which, as you can see had the breast meat almost parallel to the firebrick & fire pit area, was at 165F or 166F when I pulled it.

The breast on the left, which was the smaller of the two, went down on the grate a tad further back and at an angle to the firebrick, with the thickest part of the breast meat furthest away from the heat source. It only hit 160F when I pulled it.

USDA recommends 165F for doneness on chicken breasts.

The one on the left was succulently juicy. The one on the right was typical restaurant moisture levels - the meat was low moisture, you could cut it and it would have moisture, but not much of any running juices and only a slight sheen to the meat. Dry, but not dried out, if that makes any sense.

Since they were going in a salad, it wasn't a big deal. Well, actually, only the one on the right went into a salad. The one on the left was too good to cover with dressing.

Next time I use unbrined chicken, I'm going to place them a bit differently, squared up to the firebrick at the same point as the front right corner of the left breast, this still allows the radiant heat browning, but not quite as much heat directly onto the flesh and shoot for 160-162F internal.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I can't say I have ever cooked a dry chicken on the smoker. The most difficult feat is crispy skin and too much smoke.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Do you remove the thigh bone when cooking the quarters? I do it and it makes one meaty drumbstick.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

To me, those are the easy parts. Hitting that short window between juicy and dry is the tough one without a remote alarmed temprature probe.

Crispy skin is easy, just keep the grate temp above 325F or so and spray the chicken with a quick blast of canola oil after applying the rub. On a rig like mine, you could even go skin side down over the coals for a few minutes, then move them over to the smoker area and set them skin side up to cook.

As for too much smoke, I just cut back on the amount of wood. About the equivalent of less than one fist sized chunk of apple was used, plus one short robusto sized piece of cherry and a even less hickory. Also, at the higher heat, the meat reaches a point much faster where it wont absorb smoke anymore.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I did not...but that's a great idea! If I'm not too lazy next time I'll give it a shot. Thanks!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

You nailed it, high temps are needed for chicken which makes it not truly BBQ or smoked. When I make a rub, I mix in a touch of olive oil (to get it a touch thinner than a paste) and stuff under the skin and that's it. The residiual I rub on the skin. My rub's are 50% salt and the rest herbs and spices.

If you want to "cheat" a water pan aids in keeping things moist, but I try not to use one unless it's something cooking while I sleep or it's really hot out.

The easiest chicken to cook is a whole chicken split in half with the spine removed. The underside is a perfect shield from overcooking the skin. I never flip chicken either.

The higher temps seem to let off less smoke too.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Cut along both sides of the thigh bone (on back side of thigh) and then go under the bone to the joint. Next cut between the joint and pull the bone out. There will be a little meat on, but that's ok. I save the bones to make chicken broth.

A pairing knife works best. You won't ever cook with the thigh bone again.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Bingo, which is why I called it " low heat indirect grilling with a lot of smoke", not BBQ. I've done BBQ'd thighs for the purpose of shredding them into pulled BBQ chicken where the skin gets tossed out, but this ain't that.

I'm not sold on the theory of water pans keeping the food moist, as all they really do is work as a heat sink to control temperature. Internal meat moisture comes primarily from the internal breakdown of connective tissue and fats, not water. If you've ever had over boiled meat that was dry (dried out corned beef for example), you'd understand that water doesn't do jack for keeping meat moist. Depending on the design of your cooker, the water pan might make a better heat sink and buffer from direct radiant heat than it might in other pit designs, example a WSM where the pan, be it empty, filled with water, sand or concrete is a shield that keeps direct radiant heat from hitting the food. In an offset, the water pan is just a heat sink since direct radiation is very limited.

I don't personally care for using olive oil with BBQs & grills. Main reasons are that some of them like EVOO has a lot of flavor that you might or might not want, it really depends on the food. The fruit compounds in the oil burn very easily and taste icky, also, olive oil goes from being a very good oil for you to being a very bad oil for you at a relatively low temperature. I like my olive oils for cold dipping sauces, dressings and soups but thats about it. I prefer the higher smoke point, more neutral flavored oils that don't burn easily, allowing for better browning, for BBQ & grilling.

I'll agree that a whole butterflied chicken is an easy & tasty thing to cook. I tried once with some foil wrapped bricks to hold to flat open on the grill as described by Steven Raichlen in one of his recipes, but didn't really care for the results. I have since collected a stack of various sized cooking grates salvaged from discarded ovens and toaster ovens, everything from small up to large enough for a 40lb-ish hog, butterfly the sucker out, rub it with spices, drop it on one of the grates, put another grate on top and wire the grates together with uncoated bailing wire. Holds the meat in this wide open flat state for more even cooking.

Although if you give me a whole chicken and a few hours to cook it, screw butterflying it, that sucker is getting beer-canned.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Apologies, on a re-read, that second paragraph sounds rather harsh. Not meant to be harsh, just rushing and made a few poor word choices on my part.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Two words: Beer Can Chicken.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

No worries about that. I use the water pan just because it will baffle the heat and keep the temp stable while I am asleep. In the summer, the water is kind of needed or I have to choke it down so much it may not stay light. I've put big rocks in the pan and that works too.

I use olive oil just because that is old world and the style of food I cook is often Middle Eastern or North African influenced. I don't think it flashes or becomes rancid in the stuff I do (we're talking 250 max). I use canola oil in Indian dishes, mixed with a hint of mustard oil.

I agree the water does not keep it moist, but regulates the temp enough to keep it steady. I love using the WSM in the winter as almost full blast is still in the smoking range without water. For sure without water the end product is better, but for pulled pork I don't think it is very dramatic at all.

The beer can method makes almost too moist. As I stated earlier, I have never cooked a dry chicken and don't understand how people end up with one. I think they pull it off too cooked perhaps.

Have you done lamb shoulder in the smoker?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I hear you, the water pan is good for long cooks to stabilize the temperature.

I'd rather have a Stoker instead though: :ss

I tend to agree with you that OO should be fine at 250F a few hours. For a long cook it will probably run off or convert before it goes rancid. I don't know about EVOO or VOO though. For the high temperature chicken that we were originally discussing cooking at 325F-350F, this is very close to the smoke point of EVOO (365F-400F depending on a few factors IIRC) so I might be concerned. Now, looking at all of this realistically, we're talking about less than a teaspoon of oil in a cooker filled with carcinogens from the smoke, so really, on that level it's irrelevant so long as it doesn't change the flavor for worse, which was my primary reason for abandoning it's use in this method of cooking.

I can think of a number of reasons people end up with dry chicken; a combination of both too high a cooking temp and leaving it on too long, it's a small piece of meat, the internal temperature can climb 10 degrees in just mere minutes, it seems fine one moment, give it another few minutes and it's too cooked, use of the highly inaccurate "juices run clear" test, and the fact that the USDA has revised their internal temperatures, it used to be 180F for chicken, now it's 165F. I have a pocket dial probe thermometer that is still printed on the sleeve with "Chicken 180F". I don't know if they are still being printed with those numbers, but if they are, and since they are available in every supermarket in the US, anyone who follows that number is going to have dried out food. Assuming that they even know how to use the thermometer properly.

As for beer can chicken, I can see how it could be considered extremely moist or even too moist depending on your tastes. What I love about it is the flavors that the meat absorbs when you've packed the beer cans with half a bulb of chopped garlic, four or five chopped habeneros, some chopped serrano peppers, and cilantro - now all these flavors are being infused into the bird during the cook.

I've also done cornish game hens on small V8 and tomato paste cans. This is nice for picnics and gatherings - everyone gets their own whole game hen.

As for lamb shoulder - no, never done one on the smoker. Done various cuts various ways on the grill, bit never on the smoker. No real reason, just never did. Something to put on my list for this summer.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Wow, that Stoker is cool. Never seen that one. :tu

http://www.rocksbarbque.com/webpage2.gif

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I've used a Stoker for several years now and love it. It really does make cooking, especially overnighters, so much less stressful.

BTW... here is my take on cooking with a water pan. It is really only a heat sink that is only getting to 212 degrees. You are using a lot of your cooking energy to try and bring it higher than that as the surrounding air temp is higher.

If you want to try an experiment... do a cook with a water pan and measure the amount of fuel (charcoal or wood) that you use. The do another cook, preferably with about the same temp and humidity conditions, but this time fill the pan with sand. I think you will find you use MUCH less fuel. Also, IMO, the environment is plenty moist just from the moisture released from the meat. You shouldn't need to add any more.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I want to start using sand. I always forget to take home a bucket of sand when visit my parents on the Cape. I find a couple of basebell size rocks works pretty well, but the sand would be really awesome.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

You can get a bag of nice clean sand at Walmart for just a couple of bucks. I used it in my WSM for a long time. I would cover the sand with foil to keep it clean. When I was done with the cook I would take the foil off and was done with cleanup!!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

When I was using my ECB, I always used playground sand. In my small offset, I have placed a couple of fire bricks beneath the cooking grates. This adds thermal mass, which in turn helps even out the cooking temperatures.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I use a pair of 2" thick firebricks to create the divider wall from the fuel area to the cooking area in 22"OT that I turned into a smoker. Works great.

Later this year I'm going to try a terracotta round (flower pot base) as the lower baffle/heatsink in my ECB (it's actually a Char-Broil, but same exact design as the ECB) that I use for smoking chipotles.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Smoked up some pastrami yesterday afternoon w/ apple and plum wood, sliced it up this morning.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=3819
Washed, coated w/ ground pepper, corriander and mustard seeds. About to go in the smoker.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=3820
All done, into foil and a cooler to contemplate life for a few hours, then straight to the refrigerator overnight.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=3822
First slices... Love the smoke ring.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=3824
Sliced - fat cap gets trimmed off as I use the slices.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=3825
Breakfast. Yum.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Very Nice!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

What about the seaweed, trash, and salt? I want all my food to taste like a clam bake. Nothing like sand from Old Silver Beach.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

How many pounds was that and how long did you cook it? It looks like the outside did not get that black. Do you foil it at some point while cooking?

It looks amazing! Better than my breakfast of yogurt and fresh blueberries... I make Montreal smoked meat which is similar, but it's steamed then put on the smoker to finish it. Similar blend of spices too.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thanks. Your breakfast was healthier though.

It wasn't a big cut, right around 2.5lbs. Took about 3hours. No foil.


I'll have to look up Montreal Smoked meat. sounds interesting.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Dang Adam...that looks amazing! Well done sir!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Killer looking Pastrami Adam. I have only done that a few times but it is so freakin' good!!!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

For anyone who hasn't noticed yet, Costco is running a $3 off coupon on twin packs of kingsford competition, which is the all wood charcoal pressed briquette (no clay binder as what is in the blue-bag kingsford) which brings them down to $13.79 for a twin pack out here. I picked up two twin packs so I can give it a whirl.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

It is good stuff!!! I still like the Stubbs and Rancher better... but not by much. For that price it is hard to beat:tu

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Never used Stubbs - never even seen it out here come to think of it.

Funny, as I was moving some crap out of the way in the garage to store the four bags, I found a bag of Rancher that I guess I had forgotten about. I must have bought that bag three years ago when the local Home Depot cleared out Rancher at the end of the season for about $2/bag (maybe even less).

Rancher was always kind of a love/hate briquette for me. I never liked how it took Rancher F-O-R-E-V-E-R to set up, but I always liked the looooong burn times and the flavor. If this K-comp can meet in the middle, I'll be happy.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

That's a good price on the Kingsford. A few dollars off. Nothing to go crazy for, but I am starting to get low on it.

Should I just continue on the Kingsford or try something new?

How do you compare it to Royal Oak? All I have used on the WSM is Kingsford Comp. On my Smokin' Pro, I was using logs more than charcoal.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Exactly, I'm down to about 30lbs (1-1/2 bags) of blue bag k-briqs, so this was a well timed sale for me. Best deal I think I ever found on k-briqs was the beginning of this year or the end of last year, ACE hardware ran a 50% one item only, $10 max discount coupon. I picked up a twin-pack of 21.6lb blue bags for about $9.25 the door. If there had been more ACE hardware stores in a reasonable driving distance and I could be guaranteed the larger twin bag packs (since even at 1/2 price, the per lb single bag price at ACE is about the same as Costco) or the larger (40lb? 50lb?) sacks of Lazzari, I'd have hit every Ace hardware in the area.

I'll have to leave Royal Oak comparison to Gator, since I haven't used the K-comp briqs yet, and can't honestly remember if I've used Royal Oak lump or not. If I have, it's been long enough that I've forgotten so I would question of the comparason would even be accurate with whatever is going in the bags today. I do know that Royal Oak Lump seems to have three different countries of origin. Two in South America, the third is the US. IIRC, one of the S.A. producers just tosses crap in the bag, the other is good - I think Brazil is the good one, abet, it's mystery wood. The US one is supposed to be quite good too.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

It has been years since I have used Royal Oak briqs in I don't know how long. I really can't remember whether they are good are bad. In general though, I have gone away from using any kind of briq that isn't "all natural" which I am sure the RO briq isn't. The all natural briqs that use some kind of vegetable starch for a binder smell better when burning, have longer burn times, leave less ash, and I like the product cooked over them better. Of course that is just my opinion!!

As for RO lump... it is good overall and great for the price. I have been using it exclusively in my BGEs the last couple of years and am very happy with it. It has nice size pieces, not much dust, lights and burns well, and I can always get it at Walmart for under $6 a bag.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Same here.

Kingsford Comp. is really neutral tasting, but has a steady heat and easily to light. There's a huge Brazilian population around me and some of the local stores have lump for Brazil that is a bear to light, but has a decent flavor and held heat pretty good too. I have only used it for grilling as it seemed a little expensive.

The Maple lump fro Quebec is outstanding! No additional wood is needed. Next time I see it, I'll post the brand and distributor so you guys can give it a go.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

It's called Maple Leaf. It is no longer sold in the USA. Here is a review of it: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag3.htm

There is a new brand called Real Montana Lump Charcoal. He has maple and people who have used both, says his might be even a little better. http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag86.htm

I have talked with the guy and he is pretty easy to deal with. It's just freakin expensive charcoal. He does have other hardwoods and fruitwoods. He says he is always experimenting and might even consider doing custom orders.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Some brisket and ribs on the smoker during my vacation days...

http://cigar-review-site.com/cooking/CIMG0062.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

That's not the same brand I am talking about which is easy to find in my area. Same kind of charcoal though.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I would love to know of a more readily available Maple Charcoal. Maybe these guys?

http://www.basquescharcoal.com/bbq_products.htm

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

$6.50-something for 10lbs of US made RO lump at wally-world out here.
(was just there yesterday since they are down the street from costco)

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Cool, there's a place near my house that sells the brand you posted. The bag I am elluding to is different, but that one sounds great. Sugar Maple, yummy! The smell of Montreal BBQ! :banger

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Pork Roll wrapped in bacon stuffed with sausage, spinach, queso fresco, and spices.

http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/a...b/IMG_4973.jpg

http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/a...b/IMG_4976.jpg

Au Gratin Potatoes

http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/a...b/IMG_4974.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Pork, wrapped in cured pork, stuffed with seasoned ground pork, oh, and spinach too. :dr:dr:dr:dr

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Need a Cray Super Computer to figure out the calories on that. Looks indulgent! :dr

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Pork heaven right there :tu

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

That looks awesome Joe!!!

I do one once in a while that is stuffed with purple onion, basil, sun dried tomatoes, and prosciutto.