Pulled Pork?

[speakerman39]

BBQ?!?! Now you're fully in my wheelhouse.
View attachment 18213
Pork, ribs, chicken, turkey, and one of my favorite crowd pleasers... whole beef ribeye, (ie. "prime rib"). Key to all of them is smoke, (that means wood fire), and low & slow.

Somebody say Prime Rib? That is my absolute favorite! I could eat it every single day and never tire of it. Texas Roadhouse has very good Prime Rib! Nice smoker btw.

Cheers,

Phil

 

[speakerman39]

I know someone who nibbles Habanero peppers- they don't kill, but they may make someone wish they were dead.

I haven't had them, but Ghost Chili peppers are usually the hottest- roughly 400 times hotter than Jalapeño.

I will stay away from either kind of peppers. I do eat banana peppers though. Of course, they must be mild.....LOL!!!!!

Cheers,

Phil

 

[speakerman39]

Pork, ribs, chicken, turkey, and one of my favorite crowd pleasers... whole beef ribeye, (ie. "prime rib"). Key to all of them is smoke, (that means wood fire), and low & slow.

You got that right. I just ordered a 4 bone "Prime Rib" for Mother's day for my wife. Local grocery store has 28 day dry aged real USDA Prime beef. Will probably run me $175 but we will eat very well for a couple of days. I don't have an off-set stick burner yet, but I have a Big Joe running on lump charcoal and will use chunks of Cherry wood for flavor for my Prime Rib. Getting hungry just thinking about it.

Don, where do you live my friend? I love me some Prime Rib. This is making me sooooo hungry....LOL!!!1

Cheers,

Phil

 

[speakerman39]

Also a fan of spicy food. Ghost peppers are't number one anymore but they are more than hot enough for me. I'll add one to a whole batch of whatever and it's still a lot of heat. I prefer the milder habaneros for most of my cooking.

Jim

Hey, you can have all of the very hot peppers you want. As for me, I will stay away from them. Too hot to handle and too cold to hold.....LOL!!!!!

Cheers,

Phil

 

[speakerman39]

LOL no matter how many times I prepare peppers once in a while I'll do that automatic wiping of the eyes, brow, nose, etc....and realize the mistake quickly!

To be honest, I avoid peppers like the plague. Every once in a while, I will get brave and eat a few. However, I also have regretted doing so a few times....LOL!!!!

Cheers,

Phil

 

[herbu]

I've been attracted to a an off-set barrel smoker, but what brand?

The key elements of offset smokers are size and mass. The objective is to get your meat chamber to 200-225 deg and hold it there for a long time. The smaller offset smokers require A LOT of attention to do it.

You need smaller pieces of wood because the firebox is small, and so the temp doesn't spike when you add it. The low mass of these smokers make them more susceptible to temp changes. And smaller pieces of wood mean more frequent adding. You can figure they'll need attention at least every 30 minutes. It is quite a commitment when doing a 12-hour butt or brisket.

The remedy is a bigger and heavier smoker. Mine is 1/4" steel and weighs 1500 lbs. I had the deck especially built to hold it. But it has a big firebox, (and a big meat chamber). That means bigger pieces of wood. The high mass means less change in temp when I add a piece or 2. I still have to tend to the fire every 45-60 minutes.

You CAN use charcoal for heat and wood for smoke in the smaller smokers, but the result is not the same as all wood.

These are the top 2 makers of real smokers: Klose and Gator.
http://www.bbqpits.com/
http://www.gatorpit.net/

Unless you're prepared to tackle BBQ w/ a commitment and enthusiasm that matches what you have to Audio, I'd suggest you stick w/ the Weber. They're a lot less work, you're already familiar, and they do a good job. I went through 3 Brinkmans before stepping up. I was happy and family/friends were pleased. You can think of the Weber/Brinkman as an AVR, and an offset as separates.

 

[herbu]

Somebody say Prime Rib? That is my absolute favorite!

It is my favorite thing to smoke because it is so EASY!
You reach an internal temp of ~120deg, (medium rare), take it off the smoker, throw it on the grill for a few minutes to crisp the bark, wrap it in foil and let it rest. Will stay warm/hot in a cooler for ~2 hours. (Plenty long enough to take to the event... which means it doesn't have to be at YOUR house.) All the cooking can be done in ~4 hours, as opposed to 10-12 for butts/brisket.

Stuff like butts/brisket needs to hit a higher temp, ~200deg, and hold there for a long time without ever hitting 212deg. That's what makes them tender. Prime Rib doesn't have to "hold". Hit the temp and pull it off. Easy Peazy. And there is nothing more impressive than cutting somebody a 1-2" thick slab of prime rib.

 

[highfigh]

It's a nice change of pace from ribs, brisket and sausage for me. Remember to use gloves when handling hot peppers and don't go pee without washing your hands.

Been there, done that- same incident with the Serrano. Took three hours for the burning to stop and I had already stopped drinking. Living hell. I almost lost the will to live.

 

[herbu]

I strongly prefer cherry or apple wood. Maple and pecan are alright too. Oak and hickory (unless pre-burned) make for a creosote-like taste.

You can fix that. Oak & hickory are stronger woods than the fruit woods, yet they are what almost all competition smokers use regularly.

1) Make sure the wood is dry. Very dry. I usually let my smoker wood dry, already split, at least a year before using.
2) Cut your "sticks" smaller. Smoke should be white and thin, not dark and thick.
3) Make sure your coals are HOT when/where you add the wood.
4) Remove the bark. Bark makes a harsh smoke, especially on a small woodbox fire. It's not as much of a problem with a bigger, hotter fire.

That said, the fruit tree woods are quite pleasant. I love to use them when available, especially on fowl. Pork and beef can handle heavy smoke much better than turkey or chicken.

The next time you smoke something try this. Get a cheap aluminum pie pan, or make one w/ foil. Put in some Coarse Kosher Salt. ("Kosher" has to do with the jagged grind/shape of the salt.) Put it in your smoker beside or over the meat, so no juices drip in it. Stir occasionally. You'll get smoked salt. Great for adding a bit of smoke flavor to stuff in the kitchen.

 

[speakerman39]

It is my favorite thing to smoke because it is so EASY!
You reach an internal temp of ~120deg, (medium rare), take it off the smoker, throw it on the grill for a few minutes to crisp the bark, wrap it in foil and let it rest. Will stay warm/hot in a cooler for ~2 hours. (Plenty long enough to take to the event... which means it doesn't have to be at YOUR house.) All the cooking can be done in ~4 hours, as opposed to 10-12 for butts/brisket.

Stuff like butts/brisket needs to hit a higher temp, ~200deg, and hold there for a long time without ever hitting 212deg. That's what makes them tender. Prime Rib doesn't have to "hold". Hit the temp and pull it off. Easy Peazy. And there is nothing more impressive than cutting somebody a 1-2" thick slab of prime rib.

I see. Glad to hear that Prime Rib is an easier fix. So, what time will you have it ready? I mean, don't rush on my account. Just want to make sure that I am there on time. Having a 2-hour buffer just adds to the mix......LOL!!!! No really, it really does sound good. Thanks for the info though. BTW, have to have mine well-done!

Cheers,

Phil

 

[Swerd]

@herbu – I'd like to continue this as time permits by PM or by email, as I want to pick your brains about smoking, as you had once picked mine about Philharmonic Audio and Dennis Murphy.

I do have some experience with smoking (all with a Weber), but I find the webpages, forums, and reviews too much to read and absorb.

 

[speakerman39]

Been there, done that- same incident with the Serrano. Took three hours for the burning to stop and I had already stopped drinking. Living hell. I almost lost the will to live.

Hey, next time you are drinking be sure to drink one for me. Being diabetic my drinking days are over. Never been a BIG drinker, but have been known to drink a few beers here and there.

Cheers,

Phil

 

[jliedeka]

I learned to use gloves when handling hot peppers. I don't worry so much about Serranos but if I'm dealing with Habaneros or Scotch Bonnets, I use those disposable vinyl gloves you can get by the box at the hardware store. They are also handy for putting rub on a cut of meat - keeps spices out from under your fingernails.

Jim

 

[jliedeka]

@Swerd, A Weber is still a good way to go. It's cheap and you already know what you are doing.

Last year I bought a PBC, it was between that and a Weber kettle. The Weber is really flexible and might have been the better choice, especially if you want to sear at the end. The PBC has a few advantages, you can hang eight racks of ribs and it can go almost 8 hours on a basket of charcoal. I have a 5-burner gas grill that I use for searing, fast cooks, and with a smoker box for smaller stuff.

I don't need anything more right now but I do like the computer controlled pellet smokers. I could totally see getting one of those some day.

Jim

 

[lsiberian]

One thing you can do with a smoker that's more precise IMO. Is flavor smoke the meat for a while and then finish it in the oven or in a propane grill. It saves a lot of time and it tastes amazing.

 

[speakerman39]

One thing you can do with a smoker that's more precise IMO. Is flavor smoke the meat for a while and then finish it in the oven or in a propane grill. It saves a lot of time and it tastes amazing.

But, does it tastes like CHICKEN......LOL!!!!!!

Cheers,

Phil

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Put in some Coarse Kosher Salt. ("Kosher" has to do with the jagged grind/shape of the salt.)

"Kosher" salt is simply same salt, but without additives, mostly notably is lacking Iodine which is required in tiny doses for us humans.
It's essentially salt using in process of making meat kosher to help remove surface blood.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_salt
Sometimes salt sold in larger pieces which could be beneficial for cooking

 

[lsiberian]

One thing you must do if you have a smoker is flavor smoke steaks. We did this with prime steak for Christmas this year instead of turkey and it was definitely amazing.

 

[highfigh]

Hey, next time you are drinking be sure to drink one for me. Being diabetic my drinking days are over. Never been a BIG drinker, but have been known to drink a few beers here and there.

Cheers,

Phil

I didn't mean I had quit for the night, I mean I had completely quit. Might have been a decent reason to start again, though.

 

[highfigh]

All of this talk about smoking meat and nobody has mentioned the type of wood they use.

I don't have a smoker, but when I want to add smokey goodness, I have lots of cherry, Maple and Oak (white and red, but I haven't used the red).