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BBQ GAF - Smokin' Your Meat, USA Style

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
I read that too...

Depending on what I'm smoking, I'll go water or no water.

When I want higher temps (275+) I'll go waterless...mostly for ribs/chicken

When I do a 12+ hour smoke on something like pork butt I'll put water in there to hold the temps steady at 225-245.

The Virtual Weber Bullet has a PDF on their forum in the form of a Q&A with Harry Soo on what he does for ribs in his WSM and I generally follow that.

275 (no water in pan) for 3 hours to set the bark, then foil wrap the ribs with juice, brown sugar, agave nector until tender.

The last step is remove from foil so that it kind of all pulls back together again. Not too long, just enough to reset the bark and dry out the outside a little.

It's the basic 3-2-1.. 3 hours to get a good smoke flavor, 2 hours to get super tender, 1 hour to bring it all back together.. but I never do the full last hour.. or usually even the 2hours.. depends on ribs.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
The last step is remove from foil so that it kind of all pulls back together again. Not too long, just enough to reset the bark and dry out the outside a little.

It's the basic 3-2-1.. 3 hours to get a good smoke flavor, 2 hours to get super tender, 1 hour to bring it all back together.. but I never do the full last hour.. or usually even the 2hours.. depends on ribs.

Yeah I don't quite understand 3-2-1...I did ribs last week and it was more like 3-1 ... the ribs were cleanly coming off the bone but weren't falling apart into a mess, and left good bite marks...and were really juicy too.

The bark didn't even need to reset to be honest...it was on there...so the steaming in the foil didn't even loosen it up or anything.
 

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Yeah I don't quite understand 3-2-1...I did ribs last week and it was more like 3-1 ... the ribs were cleanly coming off the bone but weren't falling apart into a mess, and left good bite marks...and were really juicy too.

The bark didn't even need to reset to be honest...it was on there...so the steaming in the foil didn't even loosen it up or anything.

All meat is different and what temp you're on. It's not a hard fast rule. My wife and parents (who I usually cook a rack for, they live nearby) like them sauced.. so I usually sauce them after the foil and they taste better when the sauce is then cooked onto the ribs as they come back together.

The 3-2-1 isn't a hard rule, but a guideline. 2 really is too long to foil IMHO.

Anyhow.. this thread made me stop at Cash & Carry and grab some ribs.. and a brisket.. but brisket will be over the weekend.. ribs.. now:

ribssbq4x.jpg


More pics in like 5 or 6 hours.. ha!
 

andycapps

Member
If you are looking for an even cheaper option and/or are just looking to cook for yourself, you can do like I did and build a Smokey Joe Mini WSM. It costs about $80-100 to build (less if you already have some of the components) and works great. With it being only 14" wide, it is not big enough for the larger cuts of meat (whole packer brisket, full uncut racks of ribs, whole pork shoulder, etc.), but it does chicken, pork butts, and several half racks of ribs very nicely. I smoked a 8lb pork butt on it Christmas day out in the snow when it was 20 degrees out and it held temps wonderfully.

This is a pretty cool option! I like this.
 

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
..and done. Yes I sauced them. I like them dry or sauced, but family prefers sauced.. they win.

ribsdoneh6pp7.jpg
 

verbum

Member
Got the following: http://www.basspro.com/Brinkmann-Gourmet-Electric-Smoker/Grill/product/16264/

for X-Mas this year from my Father in law. Going to give it a try this spring I hope. I've only ever done ribs before, and I've done them on the Grill using stuff I've mainly read about/seen on TV. But for the most part just winging it.

I have used one of these for about 5 years now. I smoke whole turkeys, salmon, sausages, vegetables, and fresh bacon on it. Get it started and throw in a handful of wet apple or hickory chips once in a while. Too much smoke can make food taste weird, so watch your smoke level. Just a few faint streams of smoke coming out are all you need.
Try some Pineapple Habanero jelly on some ribs. Fantastic sweet hot flavor.

http://texaspepperjelly.com/pepper-jelly/

And try some Armadillo Eggs, good stuff. I smoke them for 2-3 hours depending on the temperature outside.

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2011/02/armadillo-eggs-recipe-jalapeno.html
 

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Brisket been on all night, it's still hovering around 180.. so still more to go.. been cooking @ 225.. and it's held all night.

About 12lbs of USDA Choice angus brisket:

briksetcookingjootk.jpg
 
I plan I buying a grill in a few weeks(or, when is the best time?).

As much as I LOVE charcoal grills, I'm leaning towards gas for it's ease of throwing something on quickly. If I had a higher budget I'd get 2-in-1 or just two, but I guess we will see.
 

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
I plan I buying a grill in a few weeks(or, when is the best time?).

As much as I LOVE charcoal grills, I'm leaning towards gas for it's ease of throwing something on quickly. If I had a higher budget I'd get 2-in-1 or just two, but I guess we will see.

If you got the cash, invest in a kamado style.. got this one at Costco for $550. 40lb bag of lump is $12 at Cash & Carry.. I had the fire bin filled last night just before 6pm.. it's still holding 225 without adding any more lump. I've tossed some wood chunks on at various times, not since I woke up though. I wanted this for lunch, it'll be ready.

Did do you end up leaving the point on when you smoke your brisket? That looks great.

I just mustard the whole damn thing then rub it.. and toss it on. I don't marinade, inject, any of that shit.. just mustard, rub, smoke.

I'll cut the point off when it's done though.

I'm not foiling until it hits 200 this time and then into a cooler until eating time.
 

ShinAmano

Member
jVpFx5gibw0Rm.jpg

One of the best things I've ever purchased. Holds temps like nothing else and is stupid easy to use. Well worth the $$$. Had 2 friends each buy one after they saw mine.

Hey brother EggGAF! I love my egg so much. :)

I will share some recipies in the near future when my head recovers from the games yesterday...but I smoked 60 wings on it last night. MMMM.
 

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Just took it out, hit 196 and was showed butter like resistance to probing it. Separated the point and flat and cut the point up for burnt ends, so they are in the smoker again with some pan juice and more rub. Flat's in the cooler.

Should be ready in a few hours to slice and eat.

Whole Brisket:


Point cut into chunks for burnt ends:

 

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
BTW, anyone new to smoking I suggest tackling the big 3 in this order:

1 - Pork Butt/Shoulder (pulled pork)

2 - Ribs

3 - Brisket


Honestly speaking, I think brisket is easier to cook but because I only ever do whole packers, not just the flat or point it's a very very intimidating piece of beef. Also, depending on where you can get them they can be expensive, just because of how freaking big they are. Cash & Carry is where I get mine, but if you have a Costco or Sam's Club you can usually find whole packers for less than $3/lb... the one I just did was $2.55/lb at C&C for USDA Choice angus. Still, you are looking at $25 to $40 for a whole packer. Compared to $20 for 3 racks of ribs, or $15 for a shoulder.

Shoulder/Butt is the easiest, seriously you can just do a quick rub and toss it on at 250 until it hits temps of around 200. Skip all the injections, marinades, overnight rubs, etc.. start simple. Just a decent rub and smoke and time.

Ribs are pretty easy as well if you just pretty much follow the 3-2-1 rule.. set temp @ 250-ish and 3hrs smoking, 2hrs in foil (with a little liquid) then an hour more smoke. You'll get good results from that alone before you attempt to tweak things. Again, just a decent rub straight out of the fridge and onto the smoker.

I do the same for brisket, it just takes like 12-16hrs to get done, and if you pull too early it's crap. Shoulder/Butt is forgiving as hell because of all the fat.. it's almost impossible to fuck up if you let it cook slow to 200.
 

ChanHuk

Banned
Weber kettle is pretty much the most versatile BBQ/grill you can get for relatively cheap. Takes more effort but its cost effective. I would love a Big Green Egg but I can't fork over $800 for one.
 

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Weber kettle is pretty much the most versatile BBQ/grill you can get for relatively cheap. Takes more effort but its cost effective. I would love a Big Green Egg but I can't fork over $800 for one.

I started with a knockoff Weber Smokey Mountain, went to a Traeger, and now a vision kamado.

I hated the WSM, liked the Traeger a lot, but the results from the kamado are just fantastic. Seriously, this one load of lump has been burning at 250 since 6pm last night.. it's almost 11am. It's was below freezing all night as well.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
Eventually I'll get a ceramic smoker...but for now the WSM suits me just fine.

I think the pork butt is the best thing to start smoking with since the fat content makes it very forgiving. I pull mine around 190-195 and usually rest them in a cooler for 2-4 hours. I usually get 8lb butts for around $10.

I've done brisket a few times but I haven't done a whole packer yet...usually just buy a flat. The whole packers at my wholesale club run $30-45 for choice...occasionally they have a select cut which cuts that price in half basically.

I have reservations about fucking up a $35-40 cut of meat, but a perfectly cooked brisket is worth its weight in gold.
 

dskillzhtown

keep your strippers out of my American football
Weber kettle is pretty much the most versatile BBQ/grill you can get for relatively cheap. Takes more effort but its cost effective. I would love a Big Green Egg but I can't fork over $800 for one.

Another point about the Weber kettle is that you learn all of the basics of BBQ/grilling with it. You can learn all the prinicples that you will need to be successful with any set-up for a cheaper price.
 
No Pics here are some of my favorite sides to smoke. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.


Appetizer:

White Cheddar Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños

Prep Bacon by marinating in a 50/50 Mix of Soy & Teriyaki sauce - Put in ziplock bag and chill

Cut white cheddar in small chunks.

Cut open Jalapeños just enough to stuff later & remove the innards to taste.
**Hint remove all the white to reduce heat.

Stuff Jalapeños with white cheddar and drizzle a little soy and teriyaki over cheese.

Wrap Jalapeños with marinated bacon, secure with wet toothpick put on smoker around 10-20 min.

Profit.

**It may also help if you pre cook the bacon in a pan for about 5-10 min.

these also taste great in the oven or the grill.

Appetizer:

White Cheddar & Bacon Stuffed Smoked Onion

Hollow out a big as you can find White Onion, not completely hollow, just around a tall shot glass worth.

Chop up white cheddar in small cubes

cook 2 piecies of bacon and crumble for bacon bits.

stuff onion with mixture of bacon and white cheddar cubes, drizzle bacon grease over the WC & bacon.

smoke for about 2 hours.

sogood.gif

Get the sharpest White Cheddar that you can find, i typically use Tillmook brand.
 

dskillzhtown

keep your strippers out of my American football
Anyone firing up the grill/smoker for the Super Bowl? I have a party every year and doing 3 slabs of ribs, 2 pork shoulders and a brisket. I usually have about 30 people every year, supposed to be even more this year.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
Anyone firing up the grill/smoker for the Super Bowl? I have a party every year and doing 3 slabs of ribs, 2 pork shoulders and a brisket. I usually have about 30 people every year, supposed to be even more this year.

I will be if it's not too windy here in Buffalo. I really need to just go to home depot and buy some plywood and hinges to build a wind wall.
 
Ok you will be thankful for this:

  • 1 dl light soy sauce
  • 2 dl mild vegetable stock
  • 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons muscovado sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fried onions
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon red paprika powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon each: dried thyme, dried oregano, crushed red chili
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Whisk everything together but the olive oil and the liquid smoke and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. After that you blend the oil and the smoke with everything until smooth. et voila, you have an incredibly delicious (but very salty) barbecue sauce, that can be used as a marinade or as a regular sauce. Its really delicious and does not take that much time, try it.
 
Smoked Turkey: Yesterday for Christmas I smoked a turkey with Apple & Pear Wood from a tree on the property we're on, which turned out crispy, smokey and delicious. I had trouble getting the kettle up to 325f, so I had to run it a bit longer to get the internal to 165f, but it still worked.

I just made this on Friday for a dinner party and it was the best turkey I have ever had.

Any of you guys feel like you have to strike a good balance between smoking and grilling the meat? Its so easy if I am not careful to just make everything(Brisket, Chicken, Sirloin) taste universally the same which is 'smokey' and more 'smokey'. Getting good at using the smoker to accent the meat instead of define it took some time. Now I start everything in the smoker but I finish it on the bbq.

How about you guys.
 

dskillzhtown

keep your strippers out of my American football
I just made this on Friday for a dinner party and it was the best turkey I have ever had.

Any of you guys feel like you have to strike a good balance between smoking and grilling the meat? Its so easy if I am not careful to just make everything(Brisket, Chicken, Sirloin) taste universally the same which is 'smokey' and more 'smokey'. Getting good at using the smoker to accent the meat instead of define it took some time. Now I start everything in the smoker but I finish it on the bbq.

How about you guys.

It really depends on your taste. I like a ton of smoke, my wife doesn't care for it really. But I have found that the type of wood that you use makes a huge difference. I have found that using something like apple or cherry seems to get plenty of smoke, but a softer flavor.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
It really depends on your taste. I like a ton of smoke, my wife doesn't care for it really. But I have found that the type of wood that you use makes a huge difference. I have found that using something like apple or cherry seems to get plenty of smoke, but a softer flavor.

A co-worker of mine goes heavy on the smoke. He uses white hickory and oak...his BBQ is fantastic. He has a trailer though so he's pro.

Still working on my WSM.
 

Tom Penny

Member
I wish I had a smoker. I lazy it. Ribs in the oven in foil for 2 1/2 to 3 hours then grill them. Nothing like that bark though.
 

666

Banned
I finally got around to buying myself a good curved boning knife and a thermapen to make my cooks more enjoyable and accurate. I'm also researching getting an Offset Smoker. Exciting stuff.

I cooked a bunch of ribs last week, and i'm definitely getting better at heat control and timing, and knowing what is happening with the meat with my trusty little weber kettle. So much delicious fun.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
I finally got around to buying myself a good curved boning knife and a thermapen to make my cooks more enjoyable and accurate. I'm also researching getting an Offset Smoker. Exciting stuff.

I cooked a bunch of ribs last week, and i'm definitely getting better at heat control and timing, and knowing what is happening with the meat with my trusty little weber kettle. So much delicious fun.

Got a link to that pen?
 

CrankyJay

Banned
I am going to do some ribs for the superbowl. Anyone have a good rub recipe for ribs?

From the book Smoke and Spice:

Wild Willy's Wonderful Rub

3/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne
 

666

Banned
Just bought my first offset smoker! Pretty excited, i've just finished seasoning it and i'm now thinking of what to cook on it. A Pork Shoulder will be first port of call I think, then perhaps a Brisket if I can find a good one, and some Spare Ribs, and maybe some beetroot. Yessss.
 
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