Backyard smokers

[CainA]

And ya just have to make a fatty.

[NordicTexan]

This is a recipe I got from Teamless's wife, while I usually do it in a crock pot for convience, it works on the smoker as well. Just wrap in foil after a couple of hours and be sure to save the juices. The BBQ sauce is a real hit, and was the result of a mistake. The first recipe for the BBQ sauce called for you to "rend a piece of bacon down in a pan with rosemary and tyme" which was miss read as "rend a package of bacon" and resulted in bacon BBQ sauce with extra bacon.

Ok here is what I did this year. Several people asked for the recipe so here it is.

Pork Loin
3 Cups white wine (I use Pinot Grigo this last time – Barefoot $8 at Kroger)
6 Cloves of garlic
½ large onion, diced fine
1 pound of bacon
4 stalks of rosemary ( the spice not Tillman)
2 cups of Ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika

• Pork Loin
o Take one large skillet and heat 3 tables spoons of olive oil very hot.
o Sear the pork loin on all sides till a golden or light brown crust
o Reduce heat and transfer pork loin to crock pot
o Add wine and garlic to crock pot and put on high until wine and juice comes to a rolling boil at which you can reduce to low.

• BBQ Sauce
o In skillet, render bacon down fairly slowly with rosemary
o One bacon is rendered, remove rosemary and discard
o Put bacon away to cool, and then chop finely and save
o In the bacon grease, add onion over low to medium heat to sweat / caramelize the onion
o Once done strain away bacon grease and return onion to pan
o Add
 Ketchup
 Molasses
 Brown sugar
 Red wine vigar
 Cumin
 Dry mustard and paprika
o Simmer for one hour,
o Put away for addition to the pork later.

• Pulled Pork
o After 6+ hours, remove pork from crock pot to cutting board
 Pork should pull apart easily with a pair of forks.
o Remove half of the remaining liquid in the crock pot.
o Add pulled pork back to the half the liquid remaining in the crock pot.
o Add BBQ sauce to crock pot and mix with tongs
o Add additional liquid from the rock pot in necessary to get proper moisture
o Put crock pot on low or warm till desired heat is achieved.
• Serve on rolls…

[Moby]

For folks that are considering a new smoker for this summer’s season I highly recommend
OLD SMOKEY Electric Water Smoker.

I owned many types of smokers. Wood, Gas, Barrel, you name it. (except the Green Egg)

I love two things about this smoker I feel makes it better tan others.
1. it seals tight and the meats baste in their own juices. I sometimes add juices to the water bowl but never water.
2. It's electric. I know that does not sound purist but by being electric the temperature is easy to control. It's like a cross between a crock pot and a BBQ.

Absolutly the best smoker I've ever had. Incredibly consistent cooking.
No smoke leaks from this smoker. Super flavor.


http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/137 ... nQod7yUA8w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Redneck_Buddha]

I have to echo alder wood for the salmon. All the great salmon in the Northwest is smoked with it.

[clarionite]

So much to research now...

Thanks for the links, the pictures, and the recipes.

I'm going to try a few.

I'm also a pork over beef person.
I prefer Memphis style ribs with more meat and a dry rub over sauce slathered baby backs.
But I really haven't eaten enough NC style BBQ to get used to the vinegar flavor they use.
I also prefer a little mayo with my slaw. But I can appreciate other types of slaw.

My salmon was a big hit at the office this morning.
And it was pointed out that the "crust" I was talking about was a bit of carmalization and was appreciated.
I've got a lot to learn about small smokers.

[The Annoyed Man]

If you don't have one already get a good thermometer(or 2) and make sure it's accurate. I have one of these for remote monitoring of temps. so I don't have to be babysitting the smoker at its location:

http://www.maverickhousewares.com/et732.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Big Green Egg comes with one, and it is pretty accurate. Even so, if I'm cooking something big like a Thanksgiving turkey, I use an internal thermometer that connects by wire to an external digital controller. I set it to make an alarm when the internal temperature of the deepest part of the meat reaches 170º. That guarantees a fully cooked, but still juicy and tender turkey. That usually takes around 4-5 hours depending on the size of the bird. We also brine the bird overnight in ice water, brown sugar, apple juice, and salt before it goes into the smoker. But it is notable that it takes a large bird that long to reach an internal temperature that is half of the temperature inside the smoker, and it was the same way in my Texas Pitcrafters smoker and every other smoker I've used before I bought the BGE. That internal temperature is real important for health reasons with certain meats because that is what kills any possible disease that the animal might carry according to the type of meat it is (unpleasant subject, but that's the reason that restaurants have regulations they are required to follow). Smoking a juicy turkey is easy. Smoking a juicy turkey that won't put your in-laws in the hospital takes skill.

[RX8er]

I don't have a BGE but would like one and I have a gas grill for the grilling portion. I have an electric automatic/digital smoker and it makes life easy. It is also one that takes the preformed pucks and this allows me to create a custom flavor profile with wood. I love the fact that I can turn the smoker on, head to the lake for the day and come back and have dinner ready to go.

I bought a tool to make my own pucks as well so I can customize the wood if I want.

[KC5AV]

I don't have a BGE but would like one and I have a gas grill for the grilling portion. I have an electric automatic/digital smoker and it makes life easy. It is also one that takes the preformed pucks and this allows me to create a custom flavor profile with wood. I love the fact that I can turn the smoker on, head to the lake for the day and come back and have dinner ready to go.

I bought a tool to make my own pucks as well so I can customize the wood if I want.

I've looked at these before, but a couple of reviews said they tended to insert the puck too soon, so you end up wasting a lot. Has that been an issue, or is the timer adjustable?
Also, what do you use to make your own pucks?

[RX8er]

I don't have a BGE but would like one and I have a gas grill for the grilling portion. I have an electric automatic/digital smoker and it makes life easy. It is also one that takes the preformed pucks and this allows me to create a custom flavor profile with wood. I love the fact that I can turn the smoker on, head to the lake for the day and come back and have dinner ready to go.

I bought a tool to make my own pucks as well so I can customize the wood if I want.

I've looked at these before, but a couple of reviews said they tended to insert the puck too soon, so you end up wasting a lot. Has that been an issue, or is the timer adjustable?
Also, what do you use to make your own pucks?

Yes, I know that some folks had issues with the bisquettes advancing too soon. I think Bradley made a change to the timer. As far as I know, it is a set time and you cannot adjust it. You can manually advance a new bisquette but I never do. I do not have an issue and mine tend to advance when it is all, to almost all black but not turning to ash. This is the perfect advance for me.

I had a friend that made me a mold out of aluminum tube and a piece of steel at each end. It has a screw rod running through the middle that allows you to tighten down a wing nut to compress the wood. I then put it in the freezer for the night and in the morning, you can use a hand saw to cut them up. It is 18" long so I get a few bisquettes each run. Then, I leave them out for several days and they dry out. I know some put them in an oven at 200 for a couple hours. It cuts down the bisquette cost to almost nothing. Kind of like Ammo reloading.

I use saw dust, wood chips and a food grade gelatin as a binder. I only made one "log" but plan to make more this spring and experiment some. Bradley has a pretty good forum you can check out too.

I used to have a water heater style smoker a long time ago and then tried a couple electric (HD and Lowes models). The old steel drum type smokers I got tired of fussing with them. The other electric smokers I promptly returned them before I the Bradley.

I'll dig it out of the garage and take a picture of it. I know some use cat food cans or soup cans that are the right size.

[Syntyr]

Oh man I am getting fatter just reading this thread!

[03Lightningrocks]

The title had me expecting a thread with a bunch of cigarette smokers complaining about the weather.

[knotquiteawake]

I got a smoker for Christmas and have been smoking everything in sight. Pork shoulders are definitly the favorite though. Brats are really good smoked. I have yet to tackle a brisket or fattie yet. I am using an SmokeHollow Propane Smoker. Aside from a kind of leaky door its been doing a fantastic job with temp control. I have a wireless smoker thermometer to verify it with too.

My question for all you smokers there is regarding the fish. Do you guys smoke your Salmon hot? I doubt I could "cold smoke" my salmon in this thing. The reason I ask is that while the Catholics have already started their Lent the Eastern Church is only just about to start theirs (old calenders vs. new calenders, its complicated) and so soon there will be a 40 day break from meat and dairy in the house here. I am wondering what veggies or fish I can smoke.

[JeffT72]

Lots of great advice presented.
I want to try a fatty. I have seen pictures and recipes, but have not taken the plunge yet.

I am ready to get the smoker going for the new season. I have done briskets, pork shoulder, chickens, and a turkey before. I need to stock pile some wood for smoking.....I am always keeping my eyes open while driving around for anyone that has trimmed trees.

All of this talk has made me hungry. My son has requested BBQ for his 6th birthday this summer. I asked him what specifically and he clarified burgers and dogs. Oh well, I can cook those too.

[JeffT72]

I need to add a wireless thermometer to my tool kit. That needs to be purchased soon.

[CainA]

Spatchcock chicken.