Recommendation for Electric Smoker

[audreyh1]

Thanks much!

Good tip about the wet paper. I have a big roll of uncoated butcher paper.

[Red Badger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormy Kromer Take a piece of brown paper like the kind grocery bags are made of and cut it to fit the trout fillet. Wet it until it is soaked and place the trout fillet on it skin side down. I don't brine the fish at all, just take out a freshly cleaned fillet. Put a light coating of olive oil on the meat side of the fillet then apply a light sprinkle of lemon pepper and an even lighter sprinkle of garlic powder. I'm sure your favorite sea food seasoning would be good, I like to keep it simple. Have your smoker preheated to 250 and put it on there (with the paper under the skin) and close the lid. Grab a beverage and pretend your busy while attending it. Keep the lid closed. How long it takes really depends on the size of your trout fillet. An average fillet from a 5 lb trout takes about an hour, maybe longer. I don't use a thermometer, just take it off the grill when the meat starts to flake and its warm to the touch. Keep it on the wet newspaper and the meat comes off nicely. Eat it while its hot. Leftovers are good appetizers cold. I got this method from an old charter boat captain in Duluth. Works on any kind of trout. I'm going to try it on a bass & pike sometime. (walleyes get fried in a cast iron skillet...that's another thread)

+1.

I use similar process for trout, but also for bluefish, salmon (I find no need to develop a pellicle), perch, etc. The fresh smoked salmon makes a great rillette.

The underlined points are critical.

[mijoy]

Another vote for Traeger. Only had a few months but love it.

[MuirWannabe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormy Kromer Take a piece of brown paper like the kind grocery bags are made of and cut it to fit the trout fillet. Wet it until it is soaked and place the trout fillet on it skin side down. I don't brine the fish at all, just take out a freshly cleaned fillet. Put a light coating of olive oil on the meat side of the fillet then apply a light sprinkle of lemon pepper and an even lighter sprinkle of garlic powder. I'm sure your favorite sea food seasoning would be good, I like to keep it simple. Have your smoker preheated to 250 and put it on there (with the paper under the skin) and close the lid. Grab a beverage and pretend your busy while attending it. Keep the lid closed. How long it takes really depends on the size of your trout fillet. An average fillet from a 5 lb trout takes about an hour, maybe longer. I don't use a thermometer, just take it off the grill when the meat starts to flake and its warm to the touch. Keep it on the wet newspaper and the meat comes off nicely. Eat it while its hot. Leftovers are good appetizers cold. I got this method from an old charter boat captain in Duluth. Works on any kind of trout. I'm going to try it on a bass & pike sometime. (walleyes get fried in a cast iron skillet...that's another thread)

I’m curious. The wet brown paper doesn’t catch fire and flame out during the grilling process? I guess it doesn’t, but it seems like it still would, even though it’s wet. Are you cooking with direct or indirect flame?
Thanks.

[Rambler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister Thanks for the thought. I hadn't decided what to make in the Egg for Independence Day, and I think I'll join you in that endeavour. There's not much better than beef ribs.

I’ve already picked up my beef ribs for Independence Day. It’s just me and DW this year, due to COVID (I think my daughter has it, so she’s persona non grata for the celebration this year).

I’m going to try something different this time around. I’m planning to toss them on the smoker for about 1-1.5 hrs Thursday afternoon, then give them a quick sear, and toss them in the Sous Vide tank for 48 hours. I’ll make a quick sauce from the jus right before serving. I’m thinking they’ll go very well with some mashed potatoes and rocquette salad.

[CardsFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuirWannabe I’m curious. The wet brown paper doesn’t catch fire and flame out during the grilling process? I guess it doesn’t, but it seems like it still would, even though it’s wet. Are you cooking with direct or indirect flame? Thanks.

When smoking it is indirect, and at low temps (225-250). Paper would be fine.

A lot of folks wrap their meat in butcher paper after it gets enough smoke, and then finish that way (this would be beef or pork, not the fish)

[MuirWannabe]

IMG_8085.JPG
Here are some of my beef ribs. Smoked today and eaten tonight. They were so yummy. Happy 4th everyone.

[CardsFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuirWannabe Attachment 35539 Here are some of my beef ribs. Smoked today and eaten tonight. They were so yummy. Happy 4th everyone.

Just catching up on the beef ribs. Bought a 15# pack at Sam's. Cooked 1/2 about 3 weeks ago. We are finishing the last one tonight (one rib feeds both of us).

Used apple wood. That is my go to, and works with just about everything. First time doing the beef ribs, but not the last. Taste and texture about the same as really tender brisket, but a LOT easier to get right.

I will do more, for sure.

Next up is a brisket and pork butt for labor day.

[audreyh1]

I recently smoked some duck breasts and some sausage. I occasionally order duck from Maple Leaf Farms. I had some duck breasts with and without skin on hand, plus some duck bratwurst that I decided was too boring and thought I’d throw it on the smoker too.

I brined the duck breasts overnight in my usual poultry brine and smoked at 225 with my usual applewood and gourmet pellet blend. It was quite quick, maybe just a bit over an hour. They came out fantastic - tasted like French Magret fumé which is a family fave and almost impossible to find in the US.

The sausage was much improved. The smoking enhanced the herbs in the sausage as well as adding the smoke flavor, and miraculously they didn’t dry out.

This is the easiest way I’ve ever done duck breasts, and the duck breasts with skin rendered little fat, so you got the nice smoked fat as well. The skinless breasts, which were much larger for some reason, came out wonderful too.

[WestUniversity]

I have a Pit Boss pellet smoker. Love it!

[street]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 I recently smoked some duck breasts and some sausage. I occasionally order duck from Maple Leaf Farms. I had some duck breasts with and without skin on hand, plus some duck bratwurst that I decided was too boring and thought I’d throw it on the smoker too. I brined the duck breasts overnight in my usual poultry brine and smoked at 225 with my usual applewood and gourmet pellet blend. It was quite quick, maybe just a bit over an hour. They came out fantastic - tasted like French Magret fumé which is a family fave and almost impossible to find in the US. The sausage was much improved. The smoking enhanced the herbs in the sausage as well as adding the smoke flavor, and miraculously they didn’t dry out. This is the easiest way I’ve ever done duck breasts, and the duck breasts with skin rendered little fat, so you got the nice smoked fat as well. The skinless breasts, which were much larger for some reason, came out wonderful too.

Does that look good! I been considering getting a smoker for wild game smoking. I bet pheasant would be absolutely wonderful.

[986racer]

The Cookshack is fabulous for electric smokers and you can’t go wrong with it. I had one for about ten years and just gave it to my BIL

I moved to a Weber Grill with a slow n sear, a bbq fan, and a FireBoard for temperature control. I get even more temp control than the Cookshack can provide and get real smoke flavor.

Don’t get me wrong, if you want true set and forget, the Cookshack can’t be beat. For a little more effort (mainly adding water to a reservoir and adding coals) the Weber setup is very close in terms of convenience. I prefer the true wood burning flavor tho

[skipro33]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 986racer The Cookshack is fabulous for electric smokers and you can’t go wrong with it. I had one for about ten years and just gave it to my BIL I moved to a Weber Grill with a slow n sear, a bbq fan, and a FireBoard for temperature control. I get even more temp control than the Cookshack can provide and get real smoke flavor. Don’t get me wrong, if you want true set and forget, the Cookshack can’t be beat. For a little more effort (mainly adding water to a reservoir and adding coals) the Weber setup is very close in terms of convenience. I prefer the true wood burning flavor tho

I have a Cookshack and it's been great! It's the SM025.
https://cookshack.com/collections/re...ic-smoker-oven

[WestUniversity]

Pit Boss pellet smoker here. Absolutely love it!

[audreyh1]

Smoked a couple of chickens in my pellet smoker today. Sooo good!

[Bamaman]

I finally took my Mastercraft smoker outside today and cleaned it well.

Next up: Really meaty, small boned baby back ribs. I'll smoke'em a couple of hours and finish them off on a charcoal grill.

In the Deep South, we live on slow cooked barbeque. That's different from smoked meats. The smoke is preferable when meat renders it's fat directly on hardwood coals.

We prefer to cook pork for the most part because it's so tender, flavorful and it's affordable. I'm not about to smoke beef that costs $9.99-$12.99 a pound when I can get pork shoulder for $1.50 a pound and it's so easy to deal with.

[ospreyjp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rambler I’ve got a CampChef pellet grill. They work just like the Traeger. I’ve had it for about a year and a half, and use it all the time. I don’t grill on it, only smoke. For super hot searing, I use my TruInfrared propane grill. The Traegers and CampChefs have their limits in terms of high temp work, but you can’t beat the pellet grill for smoking.

+1 on Camp Chef. I have mine for a few months now and really enjoy the results for smoking briskets pork butts, and ribs. With kids, we are also enjoying store-bought pizzas and smoking them at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or so. By doing this and adding a few "gourmet" toppings you get a wood-fired pizza experience.

[OldShooter]

+2 on Camp Chef vs Traeger, primarily because I can empty the ashes from the burn pot without waiting for the thing to cool and then half-dissasembling it.

For people who are not familiar, pellet grills are basically smoke-filled ovens. Not really grills. For searing, CC has a couple of options that fasten to the side of the smoker. I have the "sear station" and it is great. We use it for cooking hamburgers as well as for searing steaks.

Some brands have sort of makeshift attempts to provide grilling, but I am skeptical. Not hampered by any experience however.

[ospreyjp]

The ash clean out is definitely a big plus on the CC. I have had pretty good success with the internal slide that allows some grilling for burgers, although I am sure the propane grill attachment gets a better sear. The one thing that has been a challenge is chicken. Even if I try to hit with a high temp near the end of the smoke, it still never achieves a crispy skin.

Any tips on how to smoke and get some crispiness on chicken in a pellet smoker?

[OldShooter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ospreyjp ... Any tips on how to smoke and get some crispiness on chicken in a pellet smoker?

Propane torch? (https://www.bernzomatic.com/) or overpriced torch? (https://foodal.com/kitchen/general-k...tchen-torches/)

I am not much of a chicken fan though I eat a fair amount as a KCBS BBQ judge. The comp cooks are usually working with some variety of smoky oven, so little if any of the comp chicken is crispy. Usually it is gooped up with sauce, which costs one point on my judging slip.

I have slightly modified a Weber Performer with a raised charcoal grate and a Vortex-wannabe made from a stainless bowl used to contain the charcoal. A half hour screwing around to get a good hot coal bed and a few minutes of skin-down chicken will crispen the skin. If there is any sugary sauce on the skin, though, it is game over. Charred black.