I enjoy making pulled pork, ribs, and chicken. I just thought it may be nice to have a thread we can share advice, maybe a secret sauce or two as well.
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I enjoy making pulled pork, ribs, and chicken. I just thought it may be nice to have a thread we can share advice, maybe a secret sauce or two as well.
If you live in the Wake County area, I highly recommend the Lucky 3 farm CSA.
I may not have any secret sauces or recipes to share.
Starting with the best meat you can get would be my tip.
Eggs, bacon, chicken, sausage- everything from Lucky 3 farm has been amazing.
Venison inner loins (sweet meat)
Marinate in Worcestershire sauce 6-8 hours.
Remove and pat dry, then coat with a light coating of olive oil.
Sprinkle with Montreal steak seasoning and black pepper.
Place on charcoal grill as heat begins to decline a bit.
Cook 15 minutes, turn, and cook for ten minutes more.
Slice and serve, best if pink in the middle.
1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon texas pete
2 tablespoons sugar brown or white
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Thats what i made and put on half.i used cattlemans on the other lol
I do like that venison recipe.
Jr is ready to hunt.hes shooting 1 to 2.5 inch groups at 75 yds or so.
Maybe he can bring one in.
That venison was so tender, you really didn't need a knife to cut it up. Was really great tasting too.:cool:
Just so you know, an older thread entitled Duke vs. Kentucky has been a traditional place for discussing BBQ around here. It's not just one thread, and I am not sure how many there have been. They have all have been posted traditionally in the EK Board. The moderators might, no, should move this thread's posts to one of the existing Duke vs. Kentucky threads. Better yet, just rename this thread, and move it over.
... and continue the tradition.
Here's the Big Green Egg thread:
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ighlight=green
And (I think) is the most recent Duke vs. Kentucky thread (last post in July):
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ke-vs-Kentucky
Maybe------but this seems a little "saucey" in my opinion.
Best BBQ (as y'all already know from the Duke vs Kentucky thread) is still beef brisket with just a salt and pepper rub smoked over Post Oak with NO sauce to alter it's natural incredible flavor. The rub just enables the juices to come out and gives it a little "edge". Tabasco or some other similar Louisiana style hot sauce is allowed for added "heat", if so desired. Otherwise, you are just flavoring fairly tasteless pork.
Let the war begin (again). Ha!
And, as Jarhead has correctly mentioned, move it to its rightful place in the appropriate thread-----for discussion at the appropriate time-----which is usually not during bball season, unless one is only asking for good BBQ locations.
ricks
Why don't we have a thread about finding existing threads!! Wait, I am sure there is one. There has to be. Why, even this reply belongs in another thread. Am I nuts you ask? Don't ya know you are suppose to do research on this entire forum before you post a thread!! Wait, maybe a thread on "How to research forum Threads?" Oh nuts! There is one already, ya say. Oh well! Guess I will just have to find time to research. Hey, maybe there is a thread on "finding time for searching forum threads". Whew, by the time I finish all of this fact finding, I will have forgotten what I wanted to post anyway!! Which is what I should have done to begin with, starting with this post!! Ha! Ha! Had to get this one in before someone else did!!
I scanned .i usually dont open threads with kentucky in them.i had seen that thread a while back.i didn't figure it was really about bbq.
So, you've been a member of DBR for almost 6 years now and have posted over 400 times and didn't know what the famous Duke vs Kentucky thread is all about? Shame,. shame.:o
Your penalty for that oversight is for you to go back and read all previous posts on the Duke vs Kentucky thread before you will be allowed to mention BBQ on DBR again. In addition, you will be required to contact devildeac for advice on the proper beer pairings for each of the different styles of BBQ that you will be reviewing because you will be tested by representatives from each BBQ region that have posted on the thread after your task is complete. Failure to do so satisfactorily will result in you having to endure a constant slathering of a myriad of BBQ sauces while being told "no BBQ for you!" by the representatives of each region. (The exception being the Texas region, as Texas BBQ don't need no stinkin' sauce!:eek:)
(By the way, had some wonderful BBQ this evening over at Buxton Hall. Yummmmmm.)
ricks
If you ask me*, this thread is properly in the Off-Topic forum and probably does not need to folded into a previous thread.
Duke vs. Kentucky is about restaurant dining preferences and the geography of barbecued meat (and maybe side dishes). It is closely tied to game-related travel and is therefore appropriate in the Main forum.
Methods of home cooking of barbecued meat (and anything else) have in the past been discussed in the Off-Topic forum.
*I have no interest in being a moderator, but if DBR created a position for Ombudsman...
I would like to be the Burgermeister. That just sounds cool.
Plus I grow weary of my current role as wartime consigliere. No justice, no peace.
If anyone is South African, or has ever been to South Africa, you may be familiar with the South African sausage Boerwors. Its name derives from the Dutch word "Boer" (farmer) and "worst" (sausage). The stuff is outstanding, and what we refer to as a "cookout" (not the restaurant) they call a "Brai" in South Africa. As for many of us, a Brai is no joking matter, and this short video properly explains the etiquette and hierarchy that comes with a proper Brai:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq2SOmwzjUU
I did some consulting for a friend's business, and convinced them to make me a business card with my title as "consigliere."
Highlight of my brief professional career.
I have had good success home smoking meats - mostly pork butt. I have even done well with them on a gas grill with a LOT of attention and experimentation. Would love to get an egg.
That would be best discussed here:
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ight=ycch+beer
I'm thinking about getting an egg soon, or a Kamodo Joe's. Haven't decided yet. Co-worker has the K Joe and swears by it, but so do egg owners.
I currently have an off-set barrel smoker, but it's a cheap one and very easy to screw up the cook. My only fear of getting a good smoker is that it'll actually become easy and I can spend my time applying DevilDeacs beer pairing suggestions rather than cussing the thermometer on the smoker. I'm also worried that my wife will catch on that my new smoker doesn't require half the attention my old one did. She tends to find chores for idle hands and minds.:cool:
Guilty as charged.
I actually went and started looking through that thread.
Page 9.a lot of locations so far.
Didnt see speedys listed.i did see my friends familys bbq place mccabes.he doesnt do q.he does however sell the best deal on fireworks in charleston s.c.350 dollars you have to bring a truck or large suv to haul them.
Here's Speedy's.
http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LEV...a0vW6t.90OVtA-
Of course, you can't beat DBR for the level of discourse, but there's a whole lot of discussion on this over at the smoking meat forums. I haven't done too much over there for a while, but here's an old post that should get you salivating...
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/7...tty-tries-8-17
Great site.
I have often and Tuffy Stone, one of the usual 3 judges, has 4 restaurants open here in Richmond. Absolutely delicious BBQ and beef brisket. Good sides as well.
Next time y'all visit plan to visit one of his establishments.
Surprised CBB&B hasn't chimed in-they're excellent as well!!
Went to the World Food Championships in November in Alabama but didn't do that great. We were the only guys with day jobs there though. The rest of the competition were professional chefs, including a number of lesser known TV chefs.
Annual chowder fest is next month. Expanded to a two day event, we like to think partly because of the crowd we have been drawing. We'll be on the first day. We have won the people's choice 4 years in a row. Going for #5. Planning on making 60 gallons of chowder. 2 hours to cook it, then 2 hours to serve it with 2 oz. ladles. Have to serve more than 1500 people to empty the pot. There are never any leftovers. http://beachboardwalk.com/Clam-Chowder-Cook-Off https://www.facebook.com/4.Men.and.a.Clam/
Not sure the BGE folks mind I crashed the BGE thread.
Found the other thread.
Second pork butt on the smoker today. Hoping for similar results to the first one, which received raves.
I "upgraded" my smoker from a charcoal to a propane unit. Yeah, I know, the charcoal is supposed to be the best, but I'm just not good at keeping charcoal at a reasonably constant temperature. Propane is substantially easier for me, so it means I'll use it more. And I have used it A LOT.
I've cured and smoked a couple of beef briskets into pastrami -- OUTSTANDING. I tried brining chicken thighs in a lemon and rosemary brine -- DELICIOUS. I've smoked some almonds -- mmmmm. And a I've turned a large pork belly into two flavors of bacon. The simple bacon recipe redefined bacon for me. The maple bacon elevated it to even another level. There's *nothing* like homemade pastrami and bacon. Absolute heaven. (And yes, I have DevilDeac's number, as I may need his services soon.)
Recipes are for pastrami and bacon are prevalent on the Interwebs, so I won't repeat here. However, a number of them note that pink salt (the curing salt that is colored a neon pink, not the popular Himalayan table salt) is optional. It's not. First, you won't get the right color for the pastrami/bacon. Second, it won't taste right, tasting more like beef/pork instead of pastrami/bacon. Third, and perhaps most importantly, there's a huge risk of botulism. Just get the pink salt (available at Whole Foods or Amazon, among other places). And the nitrates/nitrites in a serving of cured meat are less than that of a single celery stick, so don't worry about it. If you're going to the effort of spending a week curing these meats then smoking them, you want it to look and taste right, and you don't want it to make you and your friends and family really sick.
I strongly encourage anyone who likes to smoke meats to try pastrami and/or bacon. You won't regret it.
And fuse has me wanting to try a butt soon. Sounds delicious.
I have developed a proprietary (but often shared) technique for smoking stuff on my standard three burner Weber Grill (Silver B model, 18 years old and going strong)...I find it much easier to
use than the smoker I purchased some years ago...Most typical use is smoking three chickens at a time (roughly 5 lbs apiece)...marvelous to tend that while sipping various beverages, it essentially requires
zero work which happens to be something I excel at.
That's actually what I started with. However, it was difficult to hang sausage in it, and I couldn't quite keep it cool enough for knockwurst. That's when I got the charcoal smoker and found out I really can't control a charcoal fire.
Does your method involve removing a grate? That's another detail that I had issues with, mostly in wanting to use the grate to hold food, but then needing to move it while hot to add more wood chips.
ah yes, hanging would be an issue. I don't have to remove a grate, but I only smoke for about 3-3.5 hrs or so...maybe 4. I could remove a grate if i had to. I must say, some of the nice electric smokers seem pretty easy to use, but I
just don't need one at this point...
I use a goodly amount of wood chips so they don't need replenishing...
You could try finding a grate with a hinged gate; I've seen it used on various shows for adding wood chips. Hope to see you at a tailgate before too long.
With my BGE, when I smoke at low temp (250-275) it will easily burn for 6 hours or more with real wood charcoal and no need to add any extra along the way to maintain temp. After 2-3 hours, your meat is not going to absorb any more smoke. But it is important of course to maintain the steady low temp for actual cooking purposes. That's what's so nice about the BGE. It's pretty easy to control. And there is even an electric fan gizmo with a thermostat you can buy (I don't use it) that automatically regulate airflow to maintain a steady temp over long time periods.
Recently got a fancy new 8" curved boning knife and 12" brisket carving knife. You would not believe the difference it made in trimming and serving brisket. Best money I have spent in some time.
Now trying to weigh whether wagyu brisket worth the cost over a CAB (Certified Angus Brisket). Finding it hard to say yes. I know competition folks who do it, but for my purposes I cannot believe it would be worth the extra cost.
A good chef can make a average cut wonderful. Just saying.
I smoked a pork belly the otherday.then i put a sheepshead (fish) between it and the drip pan.
Wasnt to bad .it needed a better rub on the fish.i will retry it.
Im on a diet .so im trying to find new ways to enjoy fish.
Salmon that I've made recently:, nice big piece of salmon, sprinkle with salt, pepper, old bay, and a few drops of lime juice, skin side down on foil. Baked in oven. Covered loosely with foil on top, 400 for 15-20 minutes, then took it out and basted with sweet-and-sour sauce, put it back in and broiled on high for 1 minute.
Worth a try, even if you adjust the method for the grill.
Anybody here made their own country ham? Can't get it here in California.
and bought a pellet smoker. Used a Kamado Kooker for a few years and got tired of fighting with the temperature. I wasn't sure I'd like it but it's pretty convenient. It's up to smoking heat in about 5-6 minutes which really gets me using it more. I tend to use it to smoke at low temps, then finish up at high to crisp (chicken, rack of lamb, pork tenderloin) almost like a reverse sear. Plus the more traditional l&s fare. Smoked olive oil which I've used to make a bunch of stuff, particularly hummus.
Anticipating a very tasty almost four and a half pound pork butt that just came off the grill after about 7 hours of low and slow.
Getting may gas grill around 225 is a challenge when windy, fought to keep it under 250 and still going.
Tried a new rub tonight. Still store bought- Rib rack dry rub.
Anyone have thoughts on the bear claw shredders?
Don't want to overthink a <$15 purchase, just wondering if anyone had a favored brand that works well.
Happy Labor Day all!
The process is similar to prosciutto. A friend of mine sent me this when I asked about how he does his own from a pork shoulder, probably the picnic cut, not the boston butt. He lives not too far from you in Pittsburg.
Make sure leg vein thouroghly bled and bone is exposed. 6 cloves garlic and 1/4 cup gr black pepper blend with tablespoon olive oil. Rub over shoulder. Then put in box layer kosher salt, the leg, and cover with salt. Store in fridge for 32 days turning occasionally. Press with two bricks. At end of days, clean off salt and press at room temp for two days. Then wash off in water/vinegar blend. Wrap in cheesecloth and hang for six to 24 months.
ordinarily I would cook beef back ribs on the egg, and was planning on doing so yesterday. However, we got an invitation Sunday for dinner Monday evening, so never actually applied heat. As we these were bought, frozen, and defrosted, I don't want to refreeze them. Since my wife has no interest in using the egg, I was going to try cooking these guys in the slow cooker. Anyone ever done bbq in a crockpot? I was thinking of rubbing them, searing them off in a hot pan, then letting them go for 8 hours on the low setting in a mixture of Italian dressing, bbq sauce, and a beef stock cube. Right before we are ready to eat I was going to crank the gas grill and sear them off again (mainly to get a little char on the bbq sauce).
took me a few years, but I came up with a great crockpot recipe for pulled pork. We also do crockpot ribs. I would caution you that it sounds like you're possibly going to be using WAY too much liquid...generally these meats have quite a bit of liquid in them, and if you add more than a few ounces of liquid you're apt to be dealing with boiled ribs...I'd suggest a very tasty rub, and minimal liquid of your choice...anywhere from none to 4 oz tops. (I'd choose two ounces tops).
Let 'em cook all day on low...
I looked up the bear claws on youtube and laughed. My bbq is falling apart as I lift it from the ...
... crockpot. Boston butt ... dry rub all over ... 3.5 hours on high; 3.5 hours on low in crockpot ... falls apart and waaaay better than any restaurant Q (often billed as "Carolina" - hah!) I can get where I live (not Carolina) ... liven it up just a bit with some sauce (lil' ketchup, mostly vinegar, black pepper, salt, brown sugar). It gets rave reviews. People usually make (good) noises as they eat it. Usually make it for the first CFB game of the year (didn't this year).
I used just plain dinner forks, and it worked ok.
The pork was pretty tender and easy to shred, it was just a bit awkward.
I bought the meat claws (can't recall which brand) - not sure when I will put another butt on the grill to test drive them. If they work, great. If not, not a huge investment.
I've wondered about the purpose of those bear claw things. A properly cooked butt will separate itself pretty easily. I'm like fuse and just use dinner forks.
And yes, I've done butts in a slow cooker. It's delicious, but it doesn't have the smokey flavor like real 'cue. I've tried liquid smoke, but it's not the same as a smoker. To me, 'cue is done with real smoke outdoors. Pulled pork, which is similar to 'cue, is NOT 'cue, but it IS delicious and is close enough when it's too inclement or inconvenient to be outside tending the smoker/cooker. My next step is to try it in the electronic pressure cooker (Instant Pot). I'm guessing that it's similar to crock pot pulled pork, but still different enough to be a different taste/texture, but delicious all the same.
We've seen over the years that discussing bbq can be difficult due to how passionately folks feel -- but if we've moved to the realm of creating our own personal definitions, discussions may become darn near impossible!
Think this thread will lead me to make some 'cue in the crockpot this weekend.
You should try Bo Ssam. Sort of Korean 'cue of a sort, with Kimchi, Sriracha, Bread and Butter pickles, Ssam sauce, and Ginger-Scallion Sauce.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/...ofukus-bo-ssam
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Wait...this isn't my personal definition. It's one I've heard A LOT, and I've been sternly corrected too many times. Let me quote from Holy Smoke, page 8:
Ergo, "'cue" is the stuff from a pig cooker, grill, or smoker, cooked outside over wood or wood products. The stuff from the crockpot is "pulled pork." They are similar and both are delicious. Pulled pork is a much easier delicacy to make, since one doesn't have to tend to wood fires. But purists have pounded it into me that barbecue needs combusting wood to cook.Quote:
So what is North Carolina barbecue? It's not just whatever is served in North Carolina and called barbecue. Let's start with a definition, keeping in mind that there is perhaps a little room for argument here and there and that there are exceptions to any rule. (This is the South, after all.) The definition comes in three parts. We are talking about meat
- that has been barbecued -- that is, cooked for a long time at a low temperature with heat and smoke from a fire of hardwood and/or hardwood coals;
- that meat being pork -- whole hog, shoulder, or (occasionally) ham ---
- sometimes basted and always served with a thin sauce or "dip" that is at most only a slight variation on a traditional recipe including vinegar, red pepper, and maybe (or maybe not) tomato.
Yes, there's more to be said about each of these, but let's not start arguing just yet. Got it? Pork, wood-cooked in a leisurely way, served with a traditional, vinegar-based sauce.
Semantics aside, low and slow cooked pork is absolutely wonderful and should be eaten often. If you want to call it 'cue, g'head. But I've lost that argument too many times!
This is long, but fairly interesting, on battles over the word over time: http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_articles/...e_defined.html
And here's the definition of "barbecued meats" from the Code of Federal Regulations (with a post-cooking weight requirement): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/9/319.80
As the first link quotes at the beginning, dictionaries keep track of usages over time. You see the same thing with Bryan Garner ("Garner's Modern English Usage") and his language change index. To me, "barbecue" is pork cooked low and slow (even in a crockpot) served with a vinegar-based sauce. To a Texan, "barbecue" may mean something else entirely. And if pig were cooked over a fire (note, the first link above notes that some contend that if it's only smoked, then *that* is not barbecue) but dressed up differently than with vinegar-based sauce, I may not consider that "barbecue." I'll go ahead and call the crockpot version 'cue -- adding my usage to the language-change tides.
It is also true that MANY Q places (I would say most) no longer cook outside over wood...Many of them have big kitchen machines that don't even smoke...i always try to peek at what they're doing in the back of the store...I personally don't quibble with the distinction you're making, but quite a few places revered for their Q don't do the wood thing any more. More evidence of robots taking over!
A number of municipalities forbid cooking with wood or charcoal as a primary fuel, so yeah, it's tough to do. But, the definition I quoted would also include gas or electricity augmented with wood smoke. Commercial pellet smokers meet that definition, which are just giant 'cue making robots!
The butts I've done in my smokers (one charcoal, the other gas with wood chips or chunks) are definitely a different product than what I've done in my oven or crock pot. I certainly won't turn down pulled pork from the oven or crock pot! But the stuff from the smoker is another level of awesome.
But it seems that on this list, I'm outvoted that smoke isn't required for barbecue. In real life, I've been thoroughly chastised and soundly corrected by a number of friends and neighbors for allowing a definition of barbecue that doesn't include smoke. So, I think I'll just bow out now admitting that I don't have a clue what constitutes 'cue anymore.
I'm not at all saying you're wrong...it's just that as with a lot of things, the definition of stuff tends to change over time...in which case you get good points for being a purist...when I first got into Q at Duke many decades ago, almost all the
Q joints included "pit cooked" in their nomenclature...I see very little of that these days.
First time trying pulled pork in the crock pot. Came out as many of you described, tender and tasty without smoke. Very easy and tasty. Paired with he arrogant bastard southern charred provided some oak background. Thanks...
i have not read through the posts in this thread as yet (probably do it tonight). But having missed dinner last night, the subject line was a major distraction and as is my custom, i clicked on the last post first. Cooking with wood triggered a memory long forgotten. On another forum (The Gilder Technology Forum), i had written about an experience my spouse and i had had while young and adventurous and wandering around parts of Alaska on a shoestring. While only tangential to this thread, i thought some may enjoy a read. Here it is as originally written, circa 1980:
Quote:
madscavenger » Fri Sep 07, 2012 5:28 pm
In 1980 (might have been 81), my wife and i were in Alaska traveling the Richardson Highway, in the rain at night. We were looking for a campground and some place where we could grab a sandwich or something. Not much on the Richardson, except dead porcupines. Uh uh. We finally found one, pitched a tent in the rain (always fun) and drove back a couple miles in the Rent-a-Wreck (Alaska was one of the few states they did business in, but those beatup gas guzzlers were quite the bargain for this couple of vagabonds), to a set back roadside tavern we had passed whose single porch light was the only sign of its presence. The door was unlocked and it was dimly lit, but when i poked my head in i heard a voice welcoming us. They were actually closed, but the owner, a retired Chicago cop (hey, a homeboy), was standing behind the bar, a couple of friends having downed who knows how many shot-and-a-beers, adorning a couple of stools. He reached up and rang a bell. "Round on the house", he called out, our shot-and-a-beer appearing almost instantly. The second arrived almost as fast. When he rang the bell again, i told him we had to slow down a bit, cause we hadn't eaten all day. "Well hang on buddy", he said as he went in the back and fetched a couple of strips of salmon. He had a small smokehouse out back, where he smoked the salmon he caught over alder. He fillets them, cuts em into thin strips, does some other tricks (soaks in brine?, etc), and hangs them in the smokehouse for several days (at least). They need considerable drying. They're cold smoked, IIRC (course, i was a little gone by then). Squaw Sticks he called them. They come out kind of like jerky, only more fleshy; chewy, but not so tough. And its the best smoked anything we've ever had. But, the festivities were not yet complete. A couple more rounds (all on the house) and accompanying tall tales filled the time until the rain fell off some. We weren't exactly champing at the bit to head back and climb into not exactly high grade sleeping bags. The two friends, were mostly silent during all of this, here and there chipping in with a short story or two. i was really gone. If i leaned over, i swear i would have fallen off the stool. Then it happened. One of the owner's side kicks threw a Bowie knife at my left foot. Well it looked just like one and was about the same size; and sharp, it might as well have been one. It stuck in the wood floor, about two inches from the shoe. i was so drunk i wasn't even startled, just slowly turned my head a little, when the blade hit the floor, and immediately slowly back as if someone had dropped a dime or something. Never gave it a thought. Didn't even look up at him. The bell rang. My wife stood up, sort of, and tried to give them something for the Squaw Sticks. They refused. We had to get up just before dawn, 3-4 hours from now, she told them, to watch the fauna venture out. And it was raining, and we had to find the tent. We left, peed on the Rent-a-Wreck (same color ya know), and drove the car, if you call 5-10 mph driving, to the nearly deserted campground (deserted, except for the zillion or so mosquitos, two hard sided vehicles, and no other tents) and collapsed on the sleeping bags. On them, not in them. Did we beat the wildlife to the punch? Yes we did. Hell, we drank the punch, and thumbed our noses at them.
This is the story of the Squaw Sticks. We still had another three weeks to go, however we only drank that much one other time that trip. Does that answer your question?
Have any inmates here tried Chap's Pit Beef in Bmore?
Holy moly, it's the authentic deal. Delicious smoked brisket and a bunch of assorted meats, sides. No fried okra, alas, but the banana pudding was nearly as good as my own.
Interesting neighborhood, too. Right between the Gentlemen's Club, a video establishment specializing in "exotic" films, and, two used tire stores. It's nice to know that men of grace and strength are close by. Plus there were several cab drivers enjoying the sunny Sunday afternoon. Just in case someone should have an emergency, or something.
It's legit!
Smoking a wagyu brisket for the first time this weekend. Any advice for those who have done so? Have heard that final temp will likely be higher than the CABs I usually use.
Also, always have smoked fat cap down (I have a BGE so indirect heat still is below meat and not offset). Thoughts?
Only my seventh or eighth brisket. Still working on it. Less forgiving a smoke than a pork butt, but damn it’s incredible when it works.
I’ve tried a bunch of approaches but settled on Aaron Franklin’s way. 275, wrapped in paper after about 6 hours. Pulled when it feels right. Around 203, but more to feel. Sits until back down to 140. My last waygu was just a tad underdone in places, so maybe a little longer is right, although I didn’t let it sit long enough for poor planning reasons. I think the fat cap decision is right, keep it toward the heat. Oh, water pan and spritzing after 3 hours. But it’s clearly more art than science.
I kind of of like coming up with my own way of doing things but my results with Franklin’s have been perfect. A prime 15lb from Costco was as good as I’ve ever had and I don’t really know what I’m doing. Best of luck however you go about it!
Ordered online for a special occasion from Snake River Farms in Idaho. There Re a handful of sources that ship. It is often Wagyu bred with something else and not pure wagyu. Marbling looks great.
I sort of follow Franklin’s method as well —a proven winner. But always experimenting. Burnt ends are the best part, too!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Attachment 7831
Nice ?has it got a trailer hitch?no im not going to pilfer it lol.
That grill was actually a total dump score. We were making a trash run and an older couple had that on their trailer.
Girlfriend "They are throwing that out."
Me "Um, no, that's a Grill Man Grill, they ain't tossing that."
GF "I think they are."
Guy drives up with a forklift and begins to pick it up.
Me very quickly "Are y'all throwing that away?"
Older gentleman "Yeah, we don't use it anymore and the gas doesn't work."
Me to forklift driver "Park it right here on my trailer!"
A trip to Lowes the next morning for a new regulator equaled bbq for dinner. Grill Man (based in New Bern but has a stall inside the flea market at the Raleigh grounds) still makes that same model, sells for about $1,500. I made sure to give it an appropriate Duke toned paint job. I am converting it to charcoal, but until I do, I use a metal basket to hold my briquettes and wood to ensure plenty of smoke. I'm not doing away with the propane entirely since it is way convenient to have as an option. I did our entire Thanksgiving dinner on it today. I'm stuffed.
Attachment 7832
not smoked, but . . . Mrs. OPK outdid herself today.
Now, some really good wine and a basketball game coming up. I’m in charge of the turkey stock soup, which is simmering low and slow.
Love Thanksgiving!
And CBAndB, that looks wonderful. You are an artist on the canvas, and on the smoker too!
We are doing family thanks giving sunday.i will attempt to smoke a turkey.We doing one in oven for back up.used my torch and made a honey baked ham today.wasnt exact but was close.
Ok I’m gonna brag a little. Smoked our turkey on the BGE after 18 hours of brining. Have done three years in a row and this was by far the best. The brining is the key.
Flubbed my turkey .temp timer died.totally died.that about sums it up.
Took my first shot at beef brisket over the weekend.
Kept the gas grill under 250, generally ranging around 240.
Ballpark 8 pound brisket, dry rub, no mopping and no pre cook marinade.
Not much fat to it and following the temps on the igrill, it took almost 22 hours to get to 185. Stalled for a few hours at 145 and 170.
Not surprisingly was super, super dry.
A good, if expensive, learning experience.
Had high hopes it would have turned out much better.
Barbeque sauce to the rescue.
Likely stick to pork for a while before trying again.
A few thoughts, FWIW:
1. Was it just a flat, or a packer cut (flat and point)? I have always done a packer cut, trimmed it up but left about 1/4 to 1/8 inch fat on the flat to help protect the meat. I think that most flats you get in the store are trimmed too closely so there is not enough fat.
2. May be counterintuitive, but I think you want an internal temp of about 200-205 before pulling. It is tough if you pull at 185. (This surprised me, used to butts where 185 is slicing and 195 is pulled. But it works)
3. Wrap at the stall in foil (“Texas Crutch”) if you want to speed up timing, or Pink butcher paper a-la Allen’s. Best advice I have gotten on when to foil: worry more about wrapping when the brisket is the color you want, as opposed to a magic time or temp. If wrapping in foil, put in a little water, apple juice, or apple vinegar with water for moisture.
Butts take me about 75 minutes a pound at 250; brisket slightly less than an hour a pound.
Brisket is somewhat less forgiving to cook than a butt, but when it works it is absurdly good.
Probably more than you want, but I went to a brisket class last spring. One presenter was an accomplished back-yard guy, the other a competition cooker. Here are my notes, which I check as I cook (did five packer cuts last year, all came out well) and add to after a smoke if I learn something:
Selection of packer's cut:
* State the obvious : get highest quality possible. Prime, choice, select are descending grades. Note CAB not a grade but supposedly is top 1% of choice or else prime, and selected by ten criteria (marbling, size, uniformity, etc.). https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/brand/specs.php
* compact cut > longer one
Trimming:
* Excellent Fireside video on trimming: https://youtu.be/g_P7tiFtwkk
* Small slices, take your time
* Burnt ends -- take more fat out between flat and point. Want rub and bark on as much of point as possible. Video says to trim all fat off top of point too; I guess we treat it like a Boston Butt. ("Top" being the long fat cap side).
* Between point and flat: Much more separation on trim between flat and point than I have been doing. Like a big tongue. Will want fat layer on flat to be about same thickness as you trim the exposed flat.
* Lose about 3.5 lbs on a 12 lb brisket from trimming
* Trim off grey cryo freeze
Rub and set up:
* One presenter cooks fat up, one down. Depends on whether smoker has higher top or bottom heat.
* Rubs with lots of sugar -- gonna turn black
* Binder not needed if only 1 or 2 rubs. Used spray-on canola oil as binder. Water-based binder is best because rubs are fat-soluble, not water soluble.
* Chips -- only good for short bursts. Soaking just makes steam. Use chunks.
* Wood: whatever you like. Pecan is versatile. 2 chunks light, 8 heavy. Experiment.
The cook:
* Pit temp-- no right answer. Two types of competition cooks: low and slow, and hot and fast. Both work. Base it on when you want to be done.
* 225 minimum; 250-275 "normal;" higher if need quicker.
* Key is to try and keep temp consistent.
* When temp at 160-170, next action item. Really depends on color. When it looks good, wrap it.
* Why wrap? Don't want hard crusty bark -- that's just meat loss. Wrap protects.
* Usually add some liquid on the foil wrap to steam. This will also help through stall.
* Once through stall, goes quick.
* Water or watered-down beef broth (watch for salt -- use low sodium!!!) are good liquids to add in wrap. Avoid sugar because blackens. Apple cider vinegar mentioned. Pour around outside of meat, not on top.
* Both presenters use heavy duty foil (double-wrap). Using butcher paper for first time tonight. No liquid added to butcher paper.
Out of the smoker:
* Target internal temp: at least 195, at most 207. Competition guy likes 202-205.
* Carry-over cooking: more of an issue when cooking at 350 than at 225. Depends in part on your cooking temp. If hot n' fast cook you may need to pull on lower end because of carry-over cooking.
* Put in pans after pulling to help catch au jus.
* Rest method: depends on when you want to eat.
* When ready to carve, pull off point from flat.
* Carve against grain. Pencil thickness. If it crumbles, make slices a bit thicker. When flat gets wide, divide in two (cut on grain) then carve the two halves against the grain.
* Burnt ends: bisect point then cube. Sauce, no rub because grainy. Cook another hour.
* Au jus on top -- taken from foil. Put foiled brisket in pan to catch au jus.
Tool thought:
* Good filet knife and carving knife Important.
1- not sure, from Publix. Not much fat on the bottom, would have guessed less than a quarter inch.
2- I got a bit anxious expecting an 8+ lb brisket thinking it might take 8-12 hours. At 22 hours when it hit 185 I figured it was done enough.
3- I wasn’t worried about the stall, was hoping the end result would have been tender and moist instead of desert dry.
Thanks for the insight and advice!
I added some notes since that first post that might help. Sounds like a normal flat which is good for grilling or corned beef but not ideal for a long smoke.
3 hours per pound does not sound right. Do you have a thermometer at grill level, or dome thermometer? Something very odd there.
I did a 15 lb brisket Xmas eve that took about 11.5 hours at 275 just for comparison (that was the pre-trimming weight).
It does seem counterintuitive that undercooking brisket would make it dry, but it’s true. Everything I read says 203 is the magic temp but at the same time it’s such a big piece of meat that you really have to go by feel.
My experence is that a higher temp like 275 works better. And I prefer wrapping in butcher paper because I feel like foil can sometimes make it too crumbly for my taste.
I know exactly how disheartening it is to pull off a ‘misket’ but I would urge you to keep trying. Like learning to ride a bike, you never get the feel if you only do it a couple times a year. My worst one was a $90 waygu so that kind of added insult to injury. Good luck!
I use my Weber grill and definitely go with 100% indirect heat, i.e. meat towards the back of the three burner grill, only the front burner on, steady temp of 225. Agree with OPK that cooking time should be WAY less*...can also use some moistening agent above the burner that's on, liquid to keep the moisture...lots of rub on the meat also protects the meat from drying out...
*also depends upon the shape of the meat, obviously, less thick and longer requires less cooking time...
I applaud all efforts at cold weather grilling and smoking, did a quick swordfish grill at -4 a few weeks ago, the record thus far for winter 2018
Only $90? Must have been < 1 pound. LOL
We got ads from Costco for Christmas advertising a 12 pound waygu on sale for about $1000 (no typo) with regular price being $1200 (again, no typo) :eek:. Our younger daughter and her husband visiting from Chicago after Christmas were expecting us to order two of them :rolleyes:.
I did Wagyu once, not sure I could tell the difference between that and a CAB for about $3.99 a pound. But I imagine it is my novice smoking that fails to draw out the difference.
Wagyu steak medium rare, on the other hand — I can tell the difference.
First smoke of the year, smoked whole chicken. Nice on a warmish mistyish sorta day.
Apple today. Smoke at whatever temp the BGE settles at between 230 and 245. Internal 170 in the thigh. That low, there is not a lot of continuation cooking.
This is six pounds, should be about 2:45 from lighting the grill to pulling. Let rest 15-20 minutes after pulling.
I insist that my chickens be vegans, so there's that. As a friend reminded me, vegetables are what food eats.
(had tofu chili last night...)
It adds a significant additional step but I swear by brining my chickens and turkeys overnight before I cook them on my BGE. There is a truly noticeable difference in the retained moisture (and flavor). I also like to stuff the cavity with veggies to increase flavor and maintain moisture level inside the egg. The combo is hard to beat. I serve one heck of a brined/smoked turkey on the fourth Thursday of November.
My neighbor (who is an immaculate cook) brines pretty much all his meats before cooking. Well, everything but beef. That's everything from pork ribs to whole turkeys to chicken wings. From watching him, I wouldn't call it a "significant" step - you just have to plan a bit more ahead. And yes, it definitely makes a significant difference in the moisture retention, and if you rinse after the brine, it doesn't really change the flavor much as far as sodium.
I have neither brined nor injected. Will have to give brining a whirl.
Agree with veggies in the cavity, and I usually put a few aromatics in the drip pan as well.
Pulled the chicken at 165 in the thigh because I was hungry -- really good. USDA says at least 165, some suggest that the dark meat tastes better if you wait until 170 or so (have even seen 180 -- that seems crazy to me because the breast will be dry). Did not want to overcook the white meat. Everything was juicy.
I know brining works very well for meats like turkey where you don't want to have a large, dry breast...but I've found that most modest sized chickens (up to five or six pounds) don't need it,
there seems to be enough fat in the beast (and cooking time is short enough) to keep the breast moist ....2.5 hours of smoking never seems to dry them out (using indirect heat).
Except that you can approach brining with added flavor in mind... so “cooking” the brine with spices, stock base, etc., and then cooling it before throwing in your poultry can take some time. Plus I use one of those gatorade style water coolers with the spout at the bottom to brine the meat. So there’s some clean up. It’s just added planning and time. Not hard though. And totally worth the effort, especially for big meals.
A close friend of mine used to have about 20 restaurants (three different concepts), one concept was a steakhouse in which he did rotisserie chicken which he would have in his cooler brining for days, lots of coarse salt, lemons, oranges and many spices. Absolutely delicious; his training was from the CIA.
I also brine my turkey each year before cooking, usually 48 hours using a turkey brine solution from World Market and I buy two oranges and two lemons, halve them and squeeze their juices in and throw them in as well.
From World Market:
"sea salt, raw sugar, cranberries, sage, juniper, rosemary, orange peel and more, your bird is sure to taste delicious."
Website:
https://www.worldmarket.com/product/...urkey-brine.do
I rinse it, pat it dry, then just before frying or smoking, inject it, in the deepest part of the breast with: 1 melted stick of butter with one cup of maple syrup, one cup of brown sugar and one cup of drambuie. This adds interior moisture and flavor while cooking.
Worth a try!!
I learned a lot from watching Alton Brown for years. His technical explanations made sense to me. And I have rarely found his recipes and guidance to be off. The brining concept that I picked up was from him and my chicken and turkey smoking efforts have turned out far better since I adopted the approach.
I love Alton Brown!
I also love Kenji Lopez-Alt, of SeriousEats.com and his book, The Food Lab. He has an interesting scientific study on turkey brining. Basically, the salt does do wonderful things to the meat, but brining can dilute the flavor. He says to dry brine with salt. Any flavors that you put in, though, won't penetrate the meat as the molecules are too large (salt is much smaller). It's a fascinating read.
I haven't had a chance to dry brine a bird since reading this, but it's on my to-do list.
I did, however, sous vide a turkey breast "tenderloin" liberally covered with a sodium-free rub (usually I make my own, but I had been gifted Penzey's Galena Street rub, and it's delicious). Four hours later, I served up an incredibly moist, tender, and delicious turkey breast to my daughter and son-in-law. It was unanimous that we're doing a sous-vide turkey breast for the next major holiday. (That is, until I break out the smoker and figure out something there!). Seriously, though, a sous vide turkey breast is outstanding.
Also note that brining can add from 250-400mg more sodium for a 4oz portion (who eats only 4oz?!). If you're on a low sodium diet (as many are in my particular age group), brining has some negative consequences. :(:( It means eating really clean for sides and the other meals of the day!
Has anyone here tried a turbo pork butt? I'm going to attempt one today on my BGE. The suggestions I've seen include:
- Temp. Have seen suggestions between 300-375
- Wrap in foil at 160 or not
- Avoid sugar in rub so the bark doesn't get too dark
- Wrap and rest in cooler or oven for 1-2 hours after cooking
- Avoid butts larger than 8-9 lb (or don't)
- Use wood chunks or not (I have some apple and some pecan)
Need to decide exactly how I'm going to do this!
I do not have BGE experience, but I would agree with the foil wrapping at 160, no sugar, and cooler recommendations.
Meat size is just going to be related to time it takes. Depending on how you plan to fuel it, that would affect what you want to do.
I like hickory and/or oak for pork butts.
I like the Apple. I use a mix on ribs.my smoker is shut down till I get a handle on my diet.
Thanks -- here's how we did it:
- 350 for about 5.5 hours. Took it off at 203 internal temp
- Did not wrap
- Fogo lump
- Didn't add any wood chunks this time
- No sugar rub (onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, dry mustard)
It was really very good for a first effort. Next time, I would check the temp in more spots before taking it off. I feel like there were a couple of sections near the middle that weren't quite as melty/pullable as I'd like. May try wrapping next time as well. If I can get results this good with a turbo, not likely i'm going to do a low and slow!
BTW - For anyone that is located in the SF bay area, chowder fest is this Saturday. We did win the People's Choice and Most Tasted categories last year. Going for 6 in a row on the People's Choice this week.
In case you are interested to see what this event is about, check out this video someone just sent me last night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FclJ-P4RK_I
You can see us at 4:46, 7:06, and 8:20. Guys in the orange fishing gear.
Just grilled a flank steak that Mrs.PK put into a marinade mid-morning. One mesquite chunk, and whatever remnants were still in there from last (pecan or apple).
Damn, we make a good pair. Especially her.
just did some chicken wings .soaked in Frank's red hot and Montreal steak seasoning.very good 😁perfect flavor.
If anyone is around Wake Forest next weekend, we'll be cooking in a competition hosted by White Street Brewing. (Thankfully we'll have out TV dish set up to catch the games.)
https://www.whitestreetbrewing.com/b...e#contest-info
We will definitely look at our schedule and come bother you and TNTDevil if we're in town. (Free samples, correct? :o)
Hey, wait a minute. Does TNTDevil get home court advantage with this contest, meaning he'll get "all the calls" from the judges? :rolleyes:
Well bummer. While we met the contest deadline, the health department had imposed a deadline of their own, which was last week, so we won't be in Wake Forest. However, there is another in Youngsville the same weekend that we may see if we can still enter.
First beef smoke of the year. Gorgeous day here, sitting on back porch with some killer Cab. Damn, the roast smells good.
I love this time of year!
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Did smoked skinless boneless chicken breast.with Apple wood .then topped it with a mango salsa .with grilled squash and peppers .tasted good.
Going to smoke something on my off-set barrel smoker this weekend for the first time in months. Debating on doing something classic like ribs, or something a little zany like jalepeno mozzarella stuffed meat balls. The audience that will be around will probably determine what I cook more so than what I actually want.
Anyone ever use Bradford pear chunks? I know that it is not a fruiting tree, but have been told it is similar to apple.
Asking, ‘cause I suddenly have some.
No experience with that, but would doubt it will do very well. It's a fast growing tree, which is partly why they were so pervasive in the 90's in suburban areas. If it does work well for you, then you should be able to get an ample supply of it if you can convince your neighbors to follow this guys advice. The Curse of the Bradford Pear
too bad I can't use pine to smoke, i had to cut down 2.5 acres of 70 foot white pines after a wind storm...generational level of wood, great if you covet pine tar.
We had one that split after a minor storm and fell across the driveway. Thank god no one hurt and nothing major damaged. They are awful, awful trees and deserve no hugs at all. So rather than pay hundreds of dollars to have it chained and braced, we ripped that sucker out. But it was a nuisance for years after because the stump was not ground down far enough and kept sprouting incessantly. The comparison to kudzu seems appropriate.
Now that we are into May, smoking season is kicking into high gear. I'll just leave this right here. Click for more detail/preparation.
http://www.fullspeedfishing.com/gall...m/finished.jpg
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Couple of spatchcock chickens on the BGE tonight...fam wanted healthy ;)
Hawaiian burgers on the Davy Crockett smoker tonight. First time trying to do burgers on a pellet smoker so I'm somewhat skeptical. Will add pics and results later tonight.
Also making a homemade smoked ketchup recipe off the Traeger website. Sounds delicious. I must be hungry, I've looked at nothing but recipes for the last 20 minutes at work. :)
For the first time in my life, I cooked something medium well. It was odd, usually my plate is soaked in juice because I end up being on the light side of medium rare. Plate was mostly dry.
Naw, you just forgot to account for Global Warming.
ricks
I second and third this. I'll also add in that one of your probes should be leading to an oven temp with stand so you can keep an eye on the temperature away from your grill's thermometer. Those things are not accurate and can mean 20-50 degrees difference sometimes, making it even less accurate to go by time alone.
Agreed. I use a Weber iGrill that pairs with an app on my phone. It has room for up to four probes. I always put one at the grill surface, and at least one in the meat.
Dome thermometers are very inaccurate. If I have a big piece of meat in the egg, I will sometimes drop another thermometer probe into the daisy wheel hole up top to see if there is a marked difference between the heat at the grill surface and the upper part of the chamber. But ultimately, the meat temperature guides most of my decisions.
This is all good advice/info. I too use the iGrill. Can't go wrong with cooking by temp with a probe in the right place. I also use more than one oven probe on large pieces of meat like pork shoulders or brisket. This doesn't affect how long you cook, you still pull it at your desired temp. The extra oven probes just help you know whether or not your cooking at the desired internal temperature if you're trying to cook something low and slow at 220* for example.
Ok, which one of you knuckleheads is responsible for this one:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/roasted-p...tlanta-airport
Where'd you expect me to put this post, in the Duke vs Kentucky thread?
:o:rolleyes:
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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Shelter in place plan: I ordered two American Wagyu packer cuts and they should be delivered today. Not because I am good enough to do them justice — I am not — but I figured if I’m stuck at the house I might as well go big. And trying to find any meat besides ground turkey is kinda tough last time I ventured to the store. Plus, I smoked two Boston butts a few weeks ago and SonPK has pulled all of it out of the freezer and eaten it.
I used to turn my nose up at brisket because “barbecue is pork.” And that is true. BBQ is always pork. But brisket is it’s own magical thing too. I’ve become a big fan.
I'm an Eastern NC bbq fanatic, but have been wanting to drum up enough courage to try a brisket. I'm scared of it because my family has only had brisket from Adam's roadside bbq in Goldsboro which is really hard to compete with. I'll probably give it a go during this shelter in place.
I am a convert.
You want a whole packer cut and not just the brisket flat they sell in the grocery stores if your smoker will hold it (about 12-20 pounds before trimming). I can send you some smoking notes but there are some good videos on YouTube too about trimming, temps, wrapping, etc.
I feel compelled to note that we have tested out Katz's Delicatessen pastrami delivery, and it works great, despite current circumstances...not cheap, but world class pastrami delivered to your door...get three pounds and delivery is free...(also get a half loaf of their rye bread, it's basically full loaf size)...this is taking the place of going out to eat, gotta spend $$$ on good food somehow...
Exactly, and if you are lucky, the beef comes right to you...
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Hate to be the bearer of bad news but pork may be getting scarce soon.
I know a lot of hunters that are sitting pretty right now and feeling pretty good about their future since hunting is inherently a social distancing activity.
I'm interested in what the hunting season numbers look like in my state. Lot of folks off work, maybe don't want to spend on a license but it's even more of a food-bearing activity than normal...
I'm assuming the game wardens are considered essential personnel but here in PA, there are 120 or so full wardens and another 350 conservation officers so I'm sure even in good times plenty of guys get away with it, particularly on private lands. I haven't checked but I'm assuming most of the state's game lands are open; not like the state's parks which are mostly closed, I believe.
I don't know about other states, but the major hunting seasons here are in the Fall, e.g. deer, moose, bear...about the only highly popular season in the Spring is wild turkey hunting...
Just spring turkey seasons here, too. I took Left Hook's comment to mean some guys might just go ahead and get out, seasons be damned.
They opened up trout season early and unexpectedly here in PA, too, to discourage some of the big stream side crowds that accompany certain streams on opening day.
Yeah that's what I meant. If things get too bad, all seasons start now.
And to a comment up thread, you are correct. There are plenty of people near where I grew up that hunt 1,000's of acres of land that game wardens cant even get to. Those guys rarely if ever buy meat from a store. They hunt for the meat only, and they don't give a rat's behind about tags or a season. I once asked a guy who had taken a deer the week after the season ended, why he took it. He said, "If it's brown it's down. The government doesnt tell me what to eat or when I can eat it."
Trying something new. Ground Chuck burger bowls. 100% ground Chuck, stuffed with grilled onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Topped with Jack cheese and a few drops of Worcestershire, wrapped in pork belly bacon. 100% fat free. Not really smoked, but indirect for about an hour.
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SonPK’s first brisket, a 15-pound wagyu. Been smoking since about 11 pm last night,
About to decide between burnt ends or just carving up that end as fat slices.