Smokin'! : A Tale of Pure Porcine Pleasure

[JAB]

Okay, since some of you Nashville sonsaguns saw fit to throw my tastebuds into a fit of jealous rage with the hot chicken thread (never heard of hot chicken before that thread - now want to try it) I decided I might just try and fling a cravin' of a different epicurean nature on some of my fellow TGOers.

 

This past weekend, I fired up my smoker for the first time of the season.  I always mix up my own dry rub(s) and make my own sauce(s).  This time, I did one rack of ribs, a small pork roast and a boatload of bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts.  The ribs will be lunch later in the week.  The chicken got pulled and might end up as barbecue sandwiches or maybe as chicken salad.  Today, though, the star of the lunchtime show was the pork roast.  I actually prefer sliced pork to pulled so that is the direction I went.  My mom had made some coleslaw (there are advantages to mom being my next door neighbor) so I went 'full on Southern' with one of the sandwiches.  At the risk of patting myself on the back, I have to say that it was a heck of a lot better than any of the fast food junk I could have had.  Heck, for that matter (and this is just my opinion, of course) it was at least as good as - and, honestly, better than - the majority of barbecue joints at which I have eaten.  I guess that is the advantage to being able to make it to suit my tastes.

 

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Edited April 22, 2013 by JAB

[UncleJak]

That looks delicious!

[Fourtyfive]

Yum !

[DaveS]

AWESOME!! I'm glad to see someone else putting slaw on their sandwiches! Good stuff indeed.

 

Dave S

Edited April 22, 2013 by DaveS

[npgunner]

nom nom 

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

Ohmnom is right.. that looks really good..

[DaveS]

That pork looks to be about perfectly smoked with a good smoke ring! I bet it taste good!

 

Dave S

[BrasilNuts]

I just ate a steak, smashed taters, corn on the cob, rice and pintos... My mouth still watered when I saw that.

[Guest sL1k]

That's one of the things I love about warmer weather coming. Firing up the smoker!
I believe I am going to deploy the bacon weave more this year than last :D
I'm pretty sure I see a Boston butt, brisket and pork loin happening the next couple weeks.

[JAB]

That's one of the things I love about warmer weather coming. Firing up the smoker!
I believe I am going to deploy the bacon weave more this year than last :D
I'm pretty sure I see a Boston butt, brisket and pork loin happening the next couple weeks.

 

Yum!  If you marinade that pork loin over night in a double-strength tea brine (yep, brew tea to double strength by using twice the normal amount of tea bags then use that as the base for a brine) and smoke it over some kind of fruit wood it will be extra special good.  I got the idea from an article in the newspaper several years ago where the then chef at Blackberry Farms in Walland talked about doing that.  As the old saying goes, just don't put any on top of your head because your tongue will slap your brains out trying to get to it.

 

I really like smoking beef brisket.  Once I finally built up to doing one of them correctly I felt like I had gotten pretty good on the whole smoking thing.  It kind of ticks me off that the price of them has gone up so much in recent years (much beyond what could be explained by inflation.)  I used to buy a good sized brisket for twelve or fifteen bucks because they weren't considered good cuts of meat and no one wanted them.  Now, they have apparently gained some popularity and the same size brisket I could get for $15 just six or seven years ago will run $30 or more, now.  Kind of like chicken wings - they used to be cheap but could be really good if you cooked them right.  The other day at the store I saw some chicken wings that had a higher 'per pound' price than some bone-in, skin on chicken breasts in the same counter!

Edited April 23, 2013 by JAB

[JAB]

I decided to go with a 'pork plate' today.  Had some of the pork roast left over so I sliced it and also heated up a few of the ribs.  I love having a toaster oven at work.  Heck, if we didn't have one I'd probably have to bring one in.  I threw a little of the slaw on the plate and was good to go.

 

[E4 No More]

I threw a few pounds of country ribs in the smoker this afternoon myself. :yum:

[peejman]

AWESOME!! I'm glad to see someone else putting slaw on their sandwiches! Good stuff indeed.

 

Dave S

 

There's another way to eat a pork bbq sandwich???

 

 

I've been hoping to fire my smoker up in the near term.  Maybe this weekend, though the weather forecast isn't real good at the moment.  My plans include a pork loin, a whole chicken, a turkey breast, and either a beef shoulder roast, a bologna, or some ribs.

 

I was hungry before I read this, now I'm freakin' starving.  Thanks for that.

[DaveS]

I decided to go with a 'pork plate' today.  Had some of the pork roast left over so I sliced it and also heated up a few of the ribs.  I love having a toaster oven at work.  Heck, if we didn't have one I'd probably have to bring one in.  I threw a little of the slaw on the plate and was good to go.

 

OK  that's it! BAN this THREAD!!!  LOL

 

Dave S

[JAB]

There's another way to eat a pork bbq sandwich???

 

 

I've been hoping to fire my smoker up in the near term.  Maybe this weekend, though the weather forecast isn't real good at the moment.  My plans include a pork loin, a whole chicken, a turkey breast, and either a beef shoulder roast, a bologna, or some ribs.

 

I was hungry before I read this, now I'm freakin' starving.  Thanks for that.

 

Ha - you're welcome.

 

Bologna?  Now there is an idea - maybe one of those small, whole chubs of bologna or just a good sized (unsliced) chunk of it from the deli.  Pull the wrapper off of it, smoke the heck out of it then cut off a slice or two, here and there, and fry it up for a sandwich with mustard.  Mmmmm.  Come to think of it, I've made a mustard based barbecue sauce that should be great on something like that.

Edited April 23, 2013 by JAB

[Guest sL1k]

Beer and buttermilk, or buttermilk and apple cider is good for pork to be left in overnight.


My beef brisket recipe.
Buy the large brisket do not trim fat!

Take 2 garbage bags (double bag) insert brisket.
Rub with yellow mustard/wine to get a good coating for the rub to stick too then apply a good spicy dry rub of your choice. Leave it in the fridge for 24 hours.
Pull it out and refresh the rub

Get smoker temp to 240-250.
If you are not using lump charcoal you need to be !

Throw it on the smoker fat side up (I do around 4 rounds of smoke) and get it up to around 165 internal temp (will take 5-7 hours depending on size) then pull it off wrap it in foil completely then put it back on till it gets to 175 it will jump to that temp pretty quickly because of the foil pull it off wrap with a towel. Put it in a cooler and do not touch it for 2 hours!

Remove from cooler, trim fat (not sure why I say trim you could use a butter knife to remove it). Slice shred however and enjoy. Edited April 23, 2013 by sL1k

[JAB]

Beer and buttermilk, or buttermilk and apple cider is good for pork to be left in overnight.


My beef brisket recipe.
Buy the large brisket do not trim fat!

Take 2 garbage bags (double bag) insert brisket.
Rub with yellow mustard/wine to get a good coating for the rub to stick too then apply a good spicy dry rub of your choice. Leave it in the fridge for 24 hours.
Pull it out and refresh the rub

Get smoker temp to 240-250.
If you are not using lump charcoal you need to be !

Throw it on the smoker fat side up (I do around 4 rounds of smoke) and get it up to around 165 internal temp (will take 5-7 hours depending on size) then pull it off wrap it in foil completely then put it back on till it gets to 175 it will jump to that temp pretty quickly because of the foil pull it off wrap with a towel. Put it in a cooler and do not touch it for 2 hours!

Remove from cooler, trim fat (not sure why I say trim you could use a butter knife to remove it). Slice shred however and enjoy.

 

 

Sounds good.  My method for brisket is different, though.  I usually inject with a blend of red wine vinegar, water and some spices.  I then do a dry rub on the outside.  Something that works well with any meat is to wrap it in cheesecloth before putting it on the smoker.  Keep the cheesecloth damp with your basting liquid (which, for me, is usually just vinegar and water but if I am doing a jerk type rub on pork I might introduce a little fruit juice into the mix.)  This allows the meat to be kept moist without washing off the rub.  Personally, I don't use any charcoal for smoking.  For me, charcoal is for grilling - whole wood is for smoking (I use an offset smoker that has a cooking chamber and a separate, attached firebox.)  As a bonus by-product of using whole wood, I often have what basically amounts to pieces of lump charcoal left among the ashes in my smoker box and those end up getting used when I fire up the charcoal grill.

 

I know that a lot of folks like to smoke for a certain amount of time then wrap the meat in aluminum foil and put it back on.  Generally speaking, I do not.  To me, if I am going to wrap in aluminum foil, meaning the smoke can't really get to the meat, then I had as well take it off the smoker and put it in the oven.  For my tastes, I really like the smoky taste so I like the smoke to be able to get to the meat for the entire time that it is on the smoker.  That is another reason I like the cheesecloth trick - it allows the smoke to get to the meat but, like the aluminum foil, keeps it from drying out.  On my offset smoker, I will usually smoke a large brisket for at least twelve hours, probably more (a whole pork shoulder generally takes sixteen hours, for me.)  Heck, the ribs pictured above spent fourteen hours on the smoker although I have done ribs in as little as eight hours and ten to twelve is the average, for me.  For some, however, that might be 'too smoky' (which, to me, is like saying I have too many guns.)  You are certainly correct about letting it rest, though.  I wait until the brisket is cool before removing the cheesecloth (which, after hours on the smoker, always makes me feel like an archaeologist unwrapping a mummy - a tasty, tasty mummy.)

 

There are probably as many different methods for smoking meat as there are people who enjoy doing it.  The important thing is that you and the people with whom you share enjoy it.  Honestly, to me that is the attraction and the reason if I am in a new place I will often stop at two or three barbecue joints in a row and just get a small sandwich at each - because I want to try all of them.  Some people do bar crawls.  I do barbecue crawls.

Edited April 23, 2013 by JAB

[Guest sL1k]

What I have found with using the foil is more moist brisket its like the fat starts to super saturate the meat.

I like a lot of smoke too and I have not noticed a difference from foil/no foil just a difference from the texture of the meat its generally the last 30 minutes or hour wrapped.

The one thing I have found with lump charcoal/vs wood chunks is I can control the temps better I use a small offset smoker, wood burns too hot in it. I'm going to attempt to build my own larger offset smoker and use wood in it.

I use jack Daniels barrel chips for my smoke, using a holiday cookie tin with 3-4 holes drilled into it and put it right on the coals.



You should substitute the bacon weave for the cheese cloth once!

You are right so many methods just keep it low and slow !

I like visiting different BBQ places, the most rewarding thing is going with friends or family and having them tell you that "your BBQ is better" its hard to fit through the door after that with a big head lol.

[Troutburger]

The meat only absorbs smoke till the internal temp reaches 160 ish.
I use cheese cloth too. Does a good job keeping the moisture in.

For smoke I like chunk apple wood

[JAB]

What I have found with using the foil is more moist brisket its like the fat starts to super saturate the meat.

I like a lot of smoke too and I have not noticed a difference from foil/no foil just a difference from the texture of the meat its generally the last 30 minutes or hour wrapped.

The one thing I have found with lump charcoal/vs wood chunks is I can control the temps better I use a small offset smoker, wood burns too hot in it. I'm going to attempt to build my own larger offset smoker and use wood in it.

I use jack Daniels barrel chips for my smoke, using a holiday cookie tin with 3-4 holes drilled into it and put it right on the coals.



You should substitute the bacon weave for the cheese cloth once!

You are right so many methods just keep it low and slow !

I like visiting different BBQ places, the most rewarding thing is going with friends or family and having them tell you that "your BBQ is better" its hard to fit through the door after that with a big head lol.

 

The bacon weave sounds good - I imagine it would be pretty awesome on something like a turkey breast.

 

I have finally gotten to the point that I can pretty well control the heat in my smoker via knowing how much to close the vent on the firebox and on the 'exhaust pipe'.  In fact, generally speaking I can get my coal bed going, fill the firebox with wood, set my vents and go to bed for eight hours and the smoker will still be going when I get up.  I find that using larger (unsplit, when possible) pieces of wood will help the wood to smolder rather than burn hot.  I like using smaller pieces of wood to get the firebox temperature up and establish a good coal bed - which I do before putting the meat on - and then putting larger pieces of wood on top of the coal bed, allow them to begin smoldering and then put the meat on and close the vents most of the way.

 

My smoker isn't all that big.  It is just a Brinkmann from Walmart - about the size of this one, maybe with a slightly larger cooking area.  Mine doesn't have a built in thermometer, though, and is made just a little different (I've had mine a few years so it is an older model):

 

http://bbq-smokers-reviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Brinkmann_40in_Smoke-N_Pit_Pitmaster.jpg

 

You might want/need to use a baffle in your smoker if the temps are getting too hot.  To my knowledge, very few smokers come with a baffle but I think a lot of folks mod their smoker to add a baffle.  For some folks, this might be as complicated as a sheet of metal that angles down from the top to the bottom of the opening between their firebox and cooking area then runs the length of the cooking area with holes drilled in it to allow the smoke to pass through.  For me, adding a baffle to mine was as simple as propping an old iron skillet - one that was big enough to pretty well cover the hole - against the surface where the opening is inside the cooking area.  That allows the smoke through and allows the air to draw but helps block some of the heat.  You would be surprised how much even something as simple as my iron skillet 'mod' helps with allowing the smoke through while blocking some of the direct heat.

 

I first got the idea for using a baffle from reading posts on the following forum and they explain it better than I can:

 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/

 

I haven't really posted over there but have done some 'lurking' from time to time.  Those guys are serious about it!

Edited April 23, 2013 by JAB

[Guest sL1k]

Mine is a bit smaller than that model. I have used foil as a baffle. I also have a piece of pipe to extend my vent pipe down to grate level.

[peejman]

Ha - you're welcome.

 

Bologna?  Now there is an idea - maybe one of those small, whole chubs of bologna or just a good sized (unsliced) chunk of it from the deli.  Pull the wrapper off of it, smoke the heck out of it then cut off a slice or two, here and there, and fry it up for a sandwich with mustard.  Mmmmm.  Come to think of it, I've made a mustard based barbecue sauce that should be great on something like that.

 

 

Smoked bologna is delicious and super easy.  Here's what I normally do...

 

 

Get a whole bologna.  The local Food City has them in two sizes... 3lb & 5lb (I think).  I've only done the smaller one simply because its easier to fit on my smoker. 

 

Core it.  I made a coring tool out of a 16" long piece of 1.5" dia stainless pipe I pulled out of the scrap bin at work.  A few minutes with a dremel to sharpen one end and it works like a charm. 

1. Push the pipe length wise through the bologna. 

2. Use a long spoon to push the core out of the center of the pipe.

3. Cut about 2" off both ends of the core and set aside.

4. Chop up the rest of the core and mix it with your seasoning of choice.  I've done dry rubs and wet seasoning and prefer the wet as it seems to help keep a little moisture inside.

5. Put one of the cut ends back in the bologna and use a few toothpicks* to hold it in place.

6. Stuff the seasoned mix back in. Expect some mashing to make it all fit.

7. Seal it up with the other cut end retain with toothpicks*.

8. Throw it on the smoker for about 4 hours.  I just leave it there until everything else is done (which with pork loins, turkey breasts, and chickens, is about 4 hrs on my smoker). 

 

edit... If you want the outside to look all pretty, rotate it once or twice while it's cooking.  It doesn't seem to affect the taste or "smoke ring" but the outside will be dark on one side and not so dark on the other if you don't rotate it.  I've seen pictures where people put some shallow cuts in the outside.  It looks neat, but I'd be afraid of it drying out. 

 

*When its done and you're anxious to try it, don't forget about the toothpicks!!  They hurt when you grab the bologna and jam one into your hand.  AMHIK. 

Edited April 24, 2013 by peejman

[DaveS]

Smoked bologna is delicious and super easy.  Here's what I normally do...

 

 

Get a whole bologna.  The local Food City has them in two sizes... 3lb & 5lb (I think).  I've only done the smaller one simply because its easier to fit on my smoker. 

 

Core it.  I made a coring tool out of a 16" long piece of 1.5" dia stainless pipe I pulled out of the scrap bin at work.  A few minutes with a dremel to sharpen one end and it works like a charm. 

1. Push the pipe length wise through the bologna. 

2. Use a long spoon to push the core out of the center of the pipe.

3. Cut about 2" off both ends of the core and set aside.

4. Chop up the rest of the core and mix it with your seasoning of choice.  I've done dry rubs and wet seasoning and prefer the wet as it seems to help keep a little moisture inside.

5. Put one of the cut ends back in the bologna and use a few toothpicks* to hold it in place.

6. Stuff the seasoned mix back in. Expect some mashing to make it all fit.

7. Seal it up with the other cut end retain with toothpicks*.

8. Throw it on the smoker for about 4 hours.  I just leave it there until everything else is done (which with pork loins, turkey breasts, and chickens, is about 4 hrs on my smoker).

 

*When its done and you're anxious to try it, don't forget about the toothpicks!!  They hurt when you grab the bologna and jam one into your hand.  AMHIK. 

Never heard of this, but sounds worthy of a try since I love bologna!

 

Dave S

Edited April 24, 2013 by DaveS

[JAB]

peejman, that sounds good.  I don't know that I ever would have though of stuffed bologna.  Hmmm...I wonder how it would work to shred up some good cheese (maybe smoked white cheddar) to mix with the 'stuffing' mixture.  Ooh - mix cheese, freshly chopped habaneros and garlic into the stuffing mix and then baste the bologna with a mustard-based sauce a few times during the last half hour or so of smoking.  Yum!

Edited April 24, 2013 by JAB

[JAB]

The meat only absorbs smoke till the internal temp reaches 160 ish.
 

 

Interesting.  I hadn't heard that - learn something new every day.  As low and slow as I usually smoke the internal temp of a thick piece of meat (beef brisket or whole pork shoulder/arm) will usually hover somewhere between 120 and 140 for a long, long time.  As in several hours.  By the time beef brisket gets to somewhere around 155 (about 'medium-well') or pork gets to 160 (yeah, I know the USDA recently lowered the 'safe' temperature but I like pork to be at least medium-well) I am generally ready to take it off the smoker altogether.  Of course, the temperature of the meat will often continue to rise for a little while even after it is removed from the smoker.  For more tender cuts of beef (I sometimes like smoking beef roasts to slice for sandwiches) I will generally stop somewhere around 130 to 135 so that the meat will be medium rare.

Edited April 24, 2013 by JAB