Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Very Nice Joe :tu :tu :tu

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Got the rub on the ribs, and the smoker is a seasoning! An I bought a pork butt for Sunday!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I did a whole chicken and some apples. I cut the chicken down the breastplate and cracked the back to open it up. I smoked them for about 2 hours then it got windy and temp outside is dropping so I am finishing in the oven. I know I could finished with the smoker but I am to lazy to watch that and my 3 year old at the same time so into the oven they go.
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Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Sounds like it's going to be a great weekend! Take some pics!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Apples you say? hmmm...do you prep them in any special way?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

The apples I cut them in half and cored them. I basted them with a mixture of some brown sugar, some apple juice (just enough to make it pastey) and some cinnamon. I had enough to baste them before they went into the smoker with enough to put it on again when I moved them to the oven.
The only reason I got the apples was cuz my daughter saw them at the store and wanted them for cooking them on the fire as she calls it. I have to say I never done it before so I am looking forward to them. I am more of a make it up as you go along instead of a measurer.

For me cooking should be fun and less about exact amounts of things.
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Re: What's in your smoker?
 

In the past, I have cored the apples and stuffed them with Carmel or chocolate and lightly oiled the outside and covered with Cinnamon. Tasty.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Sounds good. Did you post a pic here of them? It was probably your post that fueled my thought. I remember seeing one somewhere.
Ask Knip23 if the apples were good he just ate one.
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Re: What's in your smoker?
 

This looks outstanding!!!


Chris.....

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Ribs with Home made Honey BBQ sauce, with just a hint of Jack :dr

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Now I'm starving!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

My first attempt at smoking meat. It didnt get finished in time for dinner so I put it in the oven for 20 minutes to cook it to a safe temp.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1269055366

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Looks good. :tu

No crime or shame about putting it in an oven to finish. A large number of restaurants do that all the time.

How did it taste?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I do it with chicken and beef roasts to crank up the temps for a crispy outside.

20 degrees before serving temp I'll move it into the oven around 400.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

One of the great things to me about smoking meat is practice, practice, practice. I mean, really, however bad it comes out, it will always be better than the commerical stuff. Just learn from the mistakes and move on.

:tu:tu

[quote=kgoings;799940]My first attempt at smoking meat. It didnt get finished in time for dinner so I put it in the oven for 20 minutes to cook it to a safe temp.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

5 lb brisket put on at 7:00 AM this morning. Kingsford Comp and a cup of soaked pecan shells.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

that pastrami looks awesome !!! I cant wait to fire up my smoker

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

:np

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Put in an 8.5lb butt in this morning at 5AM...Sorry I didnt take a pic ahead of time. I will get one later

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Just pulled it off the smoker and wrapped it in aluminum. I put too much rub on it and the outside looks (and tastes) charred...but the inside is fantastic!!! I guess I will just trim off all the outside

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

The Pork ribs have been on the smoker since 11:30. Sorry no before pics. I will try to remember to get pics before the come off. 195*, I ran the smoke for 3 hours (Apple, Alder, Hickory), just heat the rest of the time.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Here is my sad pork butt, it was pretty easy to scrape off the stuff on the outside...the meat is awesome! Super moist and tastes great!

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1269217642

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/attach...1&d=1269217642

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Was this a rub with a lot of sugar in it? Or were you just making a lot of smoke during the cook?

BTW, despite the looks, the fact that your end result is edibile and tastes as good as it does means that you're doing most things right. It's a constant learning, BBQing.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

That pork butt doesn't look sad IMO!!! And I would pull that bark and mix it in the rest of the butt for flavor. Good job brother!!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

My thoughts exactly! :banger

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Yes it was a rub with a lot of sugar, but I put it on at 4 am when I was asleep and it was like 1/4 inch thick...my bad.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Honestly, on a pork butt, the rub only does so much and is not that important. Looks totally fine once pulled apart and I bet your friends and guests were digging it! I have had debates whether a rub does really anything on pork butt's. I know some N. Caroliners who think rubs on whole pigs or a butts is a waste due to the amount of bark and the little absorption.

I’ve played around with a meat injector and it worked good to get spices into the butt, but it broke and the verdict is still out. The injector did a good job getting some red pepper flake infused vinegar into the meat and that did for sure made a positive difference.

Tying the butt is the only thing I would recommend to you that looks like was not done.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

:tpd: Looks great!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thanks for the info, how do you tie the butt?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

:tu :tu :tpd: It looks fine from here too! Once pulled, it'll mix and blend for flavor.


I don't and won't tie mine anymore. It gives me more surface area for spice contact and smoke absorbtion.

[rhetorical] Why does it need to be a tny ball with a small surface area, which limits where the smoke can get in and panetrate??? [/rhetorical]

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Do you cut the bone out? I used to, but nw I leave it in for extra flavor.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

It should be spiced before it's tied. Do you have issues with smoke absorbtion on a piece of meat that is on the smoker for 10+ hours? I worry about too much smoke if anything.

The reason for tying is even doneness. Not trying to argue, it was just an intriging response.

Never, that is one tough piece of meat to de-bone! My dog would be pissed off at me as well.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I don't. Comes out easy enough when the meat is done.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

10-4. That is my though as well. and I also think it adds to the flavor.

If you leave the bone in, why are you tying it?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

By tying it, Moses turns an unevely shaped or lopsided piece of meat into an piece of meat of almost uniform thickness/proportions so that the cooking is more even. Same reason certain roasts are tied or netted, when cooked in the oven.

Me, I don't, because I'm lazy and I don't mind a bit of different textures in the end result.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Hummm...

Ok. At one time I cut the bone out and would truss the butt up. Now that I leave the bone in I don't tie it. I don't really notice any uneven cooking. I put the butt into my smoker fatback side up, 230 degrees plus or minus for 10 hours plus or minus and out comes yummy goodness. Maybe next time I cook a case or two I may truss half up and leave the other half the way I normally do, see what difference I find.

Interesting, thanks.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Tying makes a big differene. Instead of removing the bone you could slice in a "flap" and put your herbs and spices into the flap and tie it up. On bone-in roasts, I like to cut around the bone as much as possible and stuff it with seasoning. Especially on lamb where if pulls up the bone, by serving time there's a nice handle to carve.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thank you for my explaination and you are correct. ;)

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thats how it supposed to look IMO.

My rubs are 90% Brown sugar too.
Peel of that nice bark, scrape the fat off the backside of it, chop it up and toss it in w/ the meat.
Thats where so much of your flavor comes from.

Doesnt look bad from here.

Here is a pic of my last one that came out great!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0...D720/ry%3D480/

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Yeah, I should have phrased part of my response a bit better. Sorry.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

That looks good, its a bit redish mine was charred black. I tasted it and it was not good. I know what I did wrong, I put WAY too much on. There were spots that were not thick and that part tasted great!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Interesting. I might have to try that.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Here's 3 ideas to consider the next time:

1. Try using molasses thinned with white vinegar and rub down the meat with it. Let is sit a few hours then apply a non-sugar based rub. You'll get the sweetness in the meat without the char.

2. You can also mop the sweeter stuff when getting to the last couple of hours.

3. Wrapping the butt in foil is another solution once you're at 75% done mark.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

:tu







http://www.kilosweg.de/images/smilies/35.gif http://www.kilosweg.de/images/smilies/neu/emot89.gif

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

so much awesome info in this thread! thanks to everyone for the wealth of knowledge. it has inspired me to try my hand at making my own smoker, may take my slacker ass awhile though. picked up a few drums from craigslist today, for 12$ each, i grabbed extra in case i messed up. lol

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/s...zMjItMTcxM.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

What I do also is, after I put on the rub, I put it on a "tall garbage bag" and put it in the fridge overnight. The rub gets time to soak in and any of those "thick areas" will melt down into almost a maranade.
Make sure you put it out on the counter at least an hour before smoking to acclimate a bit.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I used to use a good bit of brown sugar in my rubs and I did have to really watch the temps. For my butt rub I have totally cut out the brown sugar and now use turbinado sugar. I pretty much put the rub on and then coat the butt with the turbinado. It has a much higher burn point and I have been really happy with the results. It gives a killer bark without any off taste.

If it was black and bitter though there is a good chance it was creosote which is simply from too much white smoke. I rarely have ever gotten "burn" from sugar, but I sure have put too much dirty smoke on meat and gotten some bitter results!!!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I use about 70-30 to 60-40 turbinado sugar to brown sugar in my rub. I also agree with Brent about the creosote. Usually the sugar isn't going to burn unless you are cooking over direct heat or you are really, really hot. It just takes practice and getting to know your smoker. When I got my Lang, it took several cooks before I found the "sweet spot" for the dampers and where the cooker liked to ride. Fortunately, my wife, family and friends were VERY supportive of my learning curve. I always had people willing to sample my wares :D

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

My smoker did inch up a bit over 300 once, but it was very short lived.

I might have used too much wood?? I guess I will have to figure out how much to put in. I currently have Mesquite chunks, Cherry chunks, and apple chips. I used some cherry chunks and apple chips this last time. But I can't remember how much.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I pretty much have gotten to where I use only cherry on pork, apple or pecan on chicken, and mesquite on beef. You have to realize though that I am using a cabinet style smoker that uses very little flavoring wood. I only use 4-5 one half fist sized chunks for an entire cook. If I were using Steve's Lang I would use 100 times or more than that as I would be using a bunch of oak or hickory for heat and flavor. It really just depends on your cooker.

For your UDS, IMO, you don't need any more than what I use in my smoker. I kind of spread them out in the fire ring so I will get smoke for 5-6 hour and then I don't worry about it any more.

I do want to say though... I know I have posted in this thread quite a bit and I don't want to come off as a know it all. There are lots of ways to cook great Q and I by no means have the market cornered:tu