What We’re Smoking (or Grilling, or Curing)!

[HFWR]

Megaconglomocorp was so happy to get rid of me that they gave me a Weber Genesis SS grill just to go away…

 

[audreyh1]

From the archive, an early salmon smoking. These were Costco frozen wild caught of some sort. I did a brine, then dabbed with a paper towel, and then further dried in the fridge. Attempted temp was 225F, though that’s almost below the minimum of my decidedly analog smoker. Smoked with applewood chips to 140F. Pretty darn good on a bagel with cream cheese.

The pieces were placed skin side down, on pieces of paper grocery bag cut to size. After smoking, the meat comes right off, leaving the skin stuck to the paper.

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I like to smoke salmon. Fortunately my pellet smoker will operate at 180 degrees and I get a lot of smoke at that temperature. Plenty of time for the salmon to absorb the smoke.

 

[audreyh1]

Nothing yet, but our neighbor called us up and asked if we wanted the grill. Her husband passed away about a year ago and she said she will never use it again. Went over and looked at it and it was an older model Weber Genesis all stainless with three burners and side controls and the side stove to type burner. Did a Quick Look and other than extremely greasy said oh yes. Got it home ordered a new regulator and hose catch pan and drip tray. Did a pretty good cleaning the last two days. No rust through anywhere. Burners gave good blue flames. So, just over a hundred dollars in parts and some elbow grease and I’m ready for the Summer. It’s a 2009 and I used to have almost identical grill and had hesitated to buy a new one as they are now over $1000. Wife is happy not spending much and I’m thrilled to have a grill again.

I have that grill since 2011, and in 21 I replaced the grates, flavorizer bars, knobs, etc. and it was like having a new grill.

 

[djsander]

I have that grill since 2011, and in 21 I replaced the grates, flavorizer bars, knobs, etc. and it was like having a new grill.

Ours in Louisiana did well but the high humidity and excessive rain had rusted the flavorizer pretty well, and it was the version with cast iron grates and they were going as well. It’s a heavy beast so we gave it to our neighbor who I knew would fix it up. The one we received here I just replaced the gas hose/regulator as I wasn’t sure its condition. The drip pans could have been heavily cleaned but they were heavily greased to the extent the small catch pan was about 3/4 full and I didn’t want to fool with that. After trashing them and the amount of cleaning I did I’m thinking I could have saved a few bucks on those items. I’m firing it up Saturday and starting easy with burgers.

 

[GravitySucks]

Finally tried beef ribs. Six hours and still a little chewy but taste great.
Think I’ll wrap them and put them in the oven another hour or so.

 

[aja8888]

Finally tried beef ribs. Six hours and still a little chewy but taste great.
Think I’ll wrap them and put them in the oven another hour or so.

Internal temperature is what counts with beef ribs. Shoot for 203 F.

 

[Winemaker]

Made some liverwurst sausage for the first time ever; first time eating it, too. We had some pork liver that came with the annual hog, so I decided to make some wurst. The butcher had made a mistake with the cut list and gave me some pork belly sliced into fresh bacon- not cured. (I make my own bacon.) Anyhoo, I used about 1# of pork liver and 1/2# of fresh bacon using a German butchers recipe on Y-tube. I was pleasantly surprised, will make again.

 

[Trooper]

Internal temperature is what counts with beef ribs.

Or anything that's cooked low and slow. As they say the meat will tell you when it's done.

 

[aja8888]

Or anything that's cooked low and slow. As they say the meat will tell you when it's done.

A temperature probe verifies it!

 

[OldShooter]

A temperature probe verifies it!

A temperature probe is a great tool for checking tenderness/confirming that the collagen has sufficiently broken down. I use the temp probe with briskets just because it is handy. I don't bother to read the number though. The pressure necessary to insert the probe tells me everything I need to know.

 

[aja8888]

A temperature probe is a great tool for checking tenderness/confirming that the collagen has sufficiently broken down. I use the temp probe with briskets just because it is handy. I don't bother to read the number though. The pressure necessary to insert the probe tells me everything I need to know.

Agree, feel is a good method. I do the same for brisket, and monitor temps.

 

[Trooper]

A temperature probe is a great tool for checking tenderness/confirming that the collagen has sufficiently broken down. I use the temp probe with briskets just because it is handy. I don't bother to read the number though. The pressure necessary to insert the probe tells me everything I need to know.

I'll read the number on my Thermapen, but like you I give equal weight to the ease at which it goes into the meat.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I like to smoke salmon. Fortunately my pellet smoker will operate at 180 degrees and I get a lot of smoke at that temperature. Plenty of time for the salmon to absorb the smoke.

Try A smoke tube. You'll get plenty of smoke at any temperature. Plus you can use the pellets of your choice.

I live in a northern climate. When it cool (about 8 months of the year) I will put meat in my pellet stove and light a smoke tube and not even turn on the grill. You get about 4 hours of good smoke. Then I cook it.

I only do this when the temperature is safe to have meat out, under 35-40 degrees or so.

During warmer months I use the smoke tube when slow cooking things like pork shoulder or a whole chicken.

Try one if you like the extra smoke without cooking things longer.

 

[OldShooter]

Try A smoke tube.

Smoke tubes are handy to amp up the smoke in pretty much any situation. I think I have three.

I also have a couple of the mazes (5x8 Smoker Maze) Each, carefully loaded, is good for about 11-12 hours of smoke. I use these for bacon, getting close to 24 hours of cold smoking with very little fuss or attention. These would be good for a longer salmon smokes than the tubes can do.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Smoke tubes are handy to amp up the smoke in pretty much any situation. I think I have three.

I also have a couple of the mazes (5x8 Smoker Maze) Each, carefully loaded, is good for about 11-12 hours of smoke. I use these for bacon, getting close to 24 hours of cold smoking with very little fuss or attention. These would be good for a longer salmon smokes than the tubes can do.

I need a couple.

 

[imjustawarrior]

I have a brisket and two racks of baby backs on the smoker. The ribs will be ready in time for dinner. I'll throw the ribs on a really hot grill for a few minutes to char them up. The brisket will be for tomorrow.

My girls (DW and DDs) made me a Mississippi mud pie. They will be great after binging on meat.

The ribs were $2/lb. I couldn't pass that up.

 

[imjustawarrior]

Here are the ribs. They turned out really well. I included a picture of my supervisor. He was making sure I did everything properly.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Beautiful dog. We'll cook ribs for him anytime.

 

[Kings over Queens]

Or anything that's cooked low and slow. As they say the meat will tell you when it's done.

A temperature probe is a great tool for checking tenderness/confirming that the collagen has sufficiently broken down. I use the temp probe with briskets just because it is handy. I don't bother to read the number though. The pressure necessary to insert the probe tells me everything I need to know.

Agree, feel is a good method. I do the same for brisket, and monitor temps.

I'll read the number on my Thermapen, but like you I give equal weight to the ease at which it goes into the meat.

Quoted all of these posts to make a point about the meat telling you when its done by feel. I attempted pastrami again and trusted my instruments (temperature) and not my instinct (meat still feels tough) and blew it. I knew the second I cut into the first slab, it was tough.

I put what I didn't slice back with the 2nd slab in the steam for 2 more hours and hope its salvageable. The original stuff that was sliced was inedible.

 

[imjustawarrior]

Quoted all of these posts to make a point about the meat telling you when its done by feel. I attempted pastrami again and trusted my instruments (temperature) and not my instinct (meat still feels tough) and blew it. I knew the second I cut into the first slab, it was tough.

I put what I didn't slice back with the 2nd slab in the steam for 2 more hours and hope its salvageable. The original stuff that was sliced was inedible.

When I was learning to smoke meat (aka BBQ), I did a brisket or ribs every weekend one summer. I probably made every mistake known to mankind. I eventually figured it out, and now I can do it without even thinking. Keep at it. You'll master it. Practice makes perfect.

 

[pacergal]

Made some liverwurst sausage for the first time ever; first time eating it, too. We had some pork liver that came with the annual hog, so I decided to make some wurst. The butcher had made a mistake with the cut list and gave me some pork belly sliced into fresh bacon- not cured. (I make my own bacon.) Anyhoo, I used about 1# of pork liver and 1/2# of fresh bacon using a German butchers recipe on Y-tube. I was pleasantly surprised, will make again.

I bet it was good.
I like a liverwurst sandwich about once or twice a year. Mayo, pickle(preferably bread and butter, but dill is ok), liverwurst. Simple. My German grandparents ate it a lot.

 

[Winemaker]

I did 2 full briskets this week for a family event yesterday. Both on the smoker for 6 hours at 225 degrees , meat temp was 170 degrees. Pulled, wrapped in aluminum foil. then 3 hours at 275 degrees, no smoke. Wow, did they ever shrink down, but had incredible meat yesterday and have leftovers for Tuesday when the grandkids are here. And there will be leftovers from that for next week!

 

[ransil]

I picked up a Recteq smoker form marketplace last week, put it to work over the weekend , Butt, chops , chicken legs and thighs. Froze most of it to eat over the next month.

 

[audreyh1]

I picked up a Recteq smoker form marketplace last week, put it to work over the weekend , Butt, chops , chicken legs and thighs. Froze most of it to eat over the next month.

Wow, that was a lot of smoking over the weekend!

Smoked foods freeze so well. It’s nice coming back after a long trip and pulling some yummy smoked chicken out of the freezer.

 

[Winemaker]

I got 2 Boston Butts in the sous vide at 166 degrees. I'm trying this method for the first time; cook for 24 hours, pull 'em out and smoke for 3 hours, let rest for an hour, then pull. we'll see!