Food smoking question... (Page 2)

switch - 2013-05-11 8:37 PM

jmk-brooklyn - 2013-05-11 7:22 PM She's not southern. She's Texan. I have a friend who raises pigs in Delaware. We're headed there in July and I'm going to see if she's got any bacon I can experiment with. That sounds amazing. I've had good luck with chicken, brisket, oysters, and trout in our backyard smoker.

Show's you how much I know--I thought "Cajun Country" was strictly Louisiana.  Or is she from Texas but lives in Louisiana?

Whatever. Comet has it goin on.

Born & raised in TX, family from LA--live there now. I call myself 1/2 Texan (probably more like 80-90%), 1/2 coonass. I take the best of both worlds, really  

I know my meats, BBQ and mexican food. Live off hunted and caught wild game/seafood here. It's quite a fabulous and delicious life.

That's some good looking meat, Vegas.  I'd expect nothing less from you;)
I want to try LB's recipe, but I'm open to trying others, if you really don't mind sharing.

I've got Fort Minor stuck in my head at the moment--don't ask.

Comet, do I need a broody hen for the BGE?  I'm not a good babysitter.

Vegas and I have a little history. We also have the same deal with Mother Nature (I adopted his deal, actually). 

I have to just acknowledge and apologize for the gross grammatical errors I've been making throughout this thread.  No single person should have that many errant apostrophes.  I have lots of excuses.  None of them are good ones. The 30 minute edit limit is so unforgiving!

jmk-brooklyn - 2013-05-11 6:45 PM

crusevegas - 2013-05-11 8:19 PM

ChineseDemocracy - 2013-05-11 4:07 PM

switch - 2013-05-11 7:02 PM

ChineseDemocracy - 2013-05-11 5:59 PM

I'm thinking there needs to be a warning on threads like this. I'm trying to lose weight and all this talk of pizza, smoked meats, breads...I'm salivating all over my keyboard!  Sounds soooo good!

I could post a pic of one if that would help We've got some funky ingredients here...any requests?

If you post a pic I may try to reach right through my monitor to eat it.  Then, I'll need a new monitor in addition to the saliva-covered short-circuited keyboard.

 

 

Just trying to do my part to help out CD.

 

Switch, I think JMK pretty much covered my thoughts. I'd just reinforce the thought it could leave your outdoor oven a little too smokey/BBQ'y for a while. After I smoke meats on our small offset smoker just warming up the ribs or whatever in the microwave leave the kitchen smelling like BBQ restaurant.

I've never used a Big Green Egg but have heard nothing but good things about them.

You can get an offset smoker from Home Depot for about a buck and a half. The drawback imo is that it takes constant supervision to make sure the temp stays where you want it.

I can't recall the name but there is a decent electric smoker that takes the baby sitting equation out of it. How does that commercial go,,,,, Set it and Forget it...... Just don't let that song VooDo get stuck in your head again.

Oh, I think you said you had a rub recipe, if not let me know and I'll ship you my secret one.

You never offered to send me your secret rub recipe. Are we in a snit?

You're not a smokin hot tri chic

But I'll share it with just you two,,,, so you have to promise not to share it.

BBQ Rub

Las Vegas Lucky 7 11 Rub

Updated March /2013

Pam and I came up with this from several other rub recipes that we looked at. We’ve used it on poultry, pork and beef and it’s got a great flavor and is very easy to make.

Use this on any meat before grilling, BBQ, baking, broiling or smoking. Sprinkle a light to medium coating or dusting on the meat on both sides let it set from an hour to overnight before cooking.

½  -cup light brown sugar; tightly packed
3 - tablespoons kosher salt
1 - tablespoon chili powder

1 - tablespoon garlic powder

1 - tablespoon Chipotles seasoning

1 - tablespoon onion powder

1 - tablespoon paprika

1 - teaspoon ground black pepper
½ - teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ - teaspoon cumin
¼  - teaspoon rubbed thyme Cinnamon

Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until thoroughly mixed.

Or you can use a strainer and mix them up by hand

Here is the recipe for a bigger batch

3  - Cups light brown sugar; tightly packed
1 ½ - Cups kosher salt
½  - Cup chili powder

½ -  Cup garlic powder

½ - Cup Chipotles seasoning

½ - Cup onion powder

½ - Cup paprika

2 - Tablespoons ground black pepper
1 - Tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 - Tablespoon cumin
1  - teaspoon rubbed thyme Cinnamon

Remember, you and Switch are sworn to sexcrecy

Is it wrong to wake up craving meat?

I will be a good girl. I will be a good girl. I will be a good girl...

You're a gem Vegas.  I'll give your rub a try--it sounds (and looks) fabulous.  Thanks for sharing:)

Not in my house.

No you won't.

Was that Left Brains BBQ Rub you are trying?

Enjoy

Awesome thread!!!

I just started smoking in January.  I have gotten to the point where ribs take me about 6-7 hrs and I really like using cherry for the wood.  I think it gives a great flavor for most of the meats I have been smoking.  

I go with apple or hickory on chicken.  One of our favorite things to smoke is a twist on the "beer can chicken."  I use use a soda can and after cleaning it, I fill it with a bbq sauce, water, white wine vinegar mix.  That, combined with the smoke and rub makes a great chicken but I also run the temp at 275 - 300*.  

I have also experimented with mesquite, alder, etc.  Don't forget to match the meat to the rub to the wood.

For the most part I use Mesquite, not because it's my favorite but I have an abundance from trimming our trees. It's a wood you need to be a bit careful with due to the tar it can produce. I start it with some charcoal briquettes and get the wood to where it is just smoldering.

When I smoke fish I've used apple wood and that seems to work pretty good. If the cost was the same I would probably use a fruit or citrus wood most of the time. I think Pecan would be a good one to try as well.

Where do you get wood for smoking?  Does it have to be cut a certain way?  Vegas, when you use your Mesquite do you let it dry for a certain period of time first?  Roughly, how much wood does one need for a smoking?  We have fruit and hickory trees on our land, I'm wondering if I can just use wood from those?

I live in a pecan orchard so that's my go-to preference for smoking,

You can buy wood chips/chunks in several varieties for smoking at Home Depot and Lowe's. You can also buy a small iron smoking box to hold the chunks, which will then answer your question on cutting the wood and how much to use.

I have a propane-fired smoker that I bought five years ago that we use the heck out of. Probably the most "set it and forget it" device out there. You don't need much wood for smoking, I start with three or four chunks of wood (roughly 4" long, 1" in diameter) and add more every hour or two. LB gave the standard 3-2-1 method for smoking ribs, which hasn't failed me yet.

I've looked at the big green egg thing but just couldn't imagine maintaining a charcoal fire for a ten-hour or so brisket smoke,

Someone posted another reference but the Smoking Meats forum really is the BT of the smoking world. Lots of information, reviews, recipes and techniques.

That's been our only challenge, an overnight brisket. Otherwise, amazing. 

We use pecan, apple, and mesquite woods.

 WAIT!!

You have an outdoor pizza oven?  No more recipes for you!!!!   That is cool!!!

As someone said, buy a small smoker grill like a big green egg, or just get a Weber Kettle for around $60.00.  If you start really liking to smoke then move up to something like in the link.  I do all of my smoking on the Yoder.......but it takes a bit of practice to use the off-set smokers.

 http://www.barbecue-smoker-grill.com/yoder-cheyenne-barbecue-smoker-grill.html

I get the Mesquite from our back yard, I've cut down one of our Mesquite trees a few years ago and some major pruning on the other. I let it dry out, generally a year will do it,,,,, out here a week or two in the summer would probably be enough. The other woods like Bear said Home Depot. I cut the pieces just small enough to fit into the firebox of the offset cooker and the bigger pieces I will split in half or quarters. In the offset smoker I use the wood for heat and smoke, I've had the best results when I get the wood to where it's just smoldering. When I use the wood chips in the gas or charcoal grill I generally soak them in water overnight and wrap them in foil and poke some holes in it.

The Fruit and Hickory trees would be great. The amount of wood you'd need would really depend on the method you use. Start out with the chips in a grill with a hood and some meats that don't as long to cook, chicken, fish, ribs.  Have fun.

You're killing me.

I pick up wood chips whenever I see a new one that I have never tried.  I'm pretty sure I have every bag in this picture and yes, I have picked them up at Gander Mountain (not the best prices).

Wood Chips

That's it......I must top this....tomorrow I'm smoking vanilla ice cream with cherry wood.

That's it!!!

I'm making MY home made chocolate chip cookies and using Moose Tracks Ice Cream to make sandwiches with them!!!! So  There!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then I'm going to come up with something good for desert after the sandwich!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

BGE is great if you want to be by your smoker all day.  but do yourself a favor and buy a traeger... pellet smoker is auger driven with a digital temp regulation.  i can smoke a brisket starting tonight and have it perfect without a touch tomorrow at noon.... no better way