there ya go, this country was built on ingenuity!
Meanwhile, I've suspended grilling and smoking operations as it's snowing with 50 mph wind gusts...but tomorrow it's supposed to be 65 and sunny, so activities will resume! Typical "Spring" here...
Printable View
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“Grill packs”
This reminds me of a joke:
So, a guy I'd going through the check out line. The cashier is pretty cute and is scanning his items. One steak, one potato, two beers.
She finishes ringing him up and say "so, I bet you're single..."
He smiles and replies "oh, because of what I'm buying? I bet you can tell a lot from what a person brings to the register."
She hands him his receipt and says "nah, you're just really ugly."
/Ba-dum-tisssss
Grill update. I took this to TNTdevil's yesterday. Before I started making permanent mistakes, I wanted to see how the grill we use for tailgating was put together. (Same size, very different design.)
Made lots of progress, and even though I've never used a welder before, I managed to keep all my hippie hair.
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I could actually cook on it now if I wanted, but I've still got lots more to do, but functionally and aesthetically.
Awesome work CBB. Can’t wait to see some pics of meat cooking on the new rig.
I purchased a FireBoard for my BGE several weeks ago and have done 2 long smokes with it. One was an overnight brisket for Easter lunch. Turned out well but I had a little more temperature fluctuation than I expected (-2 to +7). Only got to +7 on one occasion but hit +5 a couple of other times. Figured out how to dial it in before the second brisket 10 days later. The result was exceptional. Bark and smoke ring were spot on and even the flat was as moist as you could want.
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Grill update.
I gave the smoker it's first seasoning yesterday, and was really pleased with how it performed. Today I started working on the paint job. On Facebook, someone had suggested that I tie-dye it, and I loved that idea, so I gave it a shot with high heat paint that I picked up at the car parts store.
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I think it's Bill Walton.
I'll politely quell my thoughts on Phish.
For now, I'm done painting! I gave it a clear coat finish this morning. It is getting its first true use this coming weekend. I am having friends bring me whatever meats they'd like me to cook, since that makes more sense in rushing out and buying a pig. Expecting to spend Friday night with a brisket or two, some butts, and of course a few rib racks.
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Does anyone know if weber kettles can be reconditioned? If someonr does this ?I have one my father gave me 20 years ago .id love to keep her .
But she is starting to show her age ?
gotta bump this...the 2021 Smoked Chicken Season kicks off with grill prep at 4pm today, there will be books to be read and beers to be sipped, glorious weather for the three hour process.
Okay, what's everyone cooking up this weekend?
I've got family coming for weekend. Tomorrow is our planned full day, including an outdoor party before the fireworks. Knowing I'm going to be running around with them most of Sunday, and since I have the time today, I've got a 9lb butt on the grill as of 8am this morning, so all I have to do is pull and sauce it tonight, and reheat it tomorrow. Tomorrow the big smoker will also be decorated with chicken, shrimp, a hot dog or two, and a few appetizers.
Dino ribs from Porter Road tomorrow. Will do them on the big green egg. Salt and pepper. Then 275 for about 8 hours until they hit 200-205 internal temp. Will serve with a peach and arugula salad.
Hmmm, I guess I'll crash this thread with my burger question. Preferred protein to fat ratio in your burger meat? I typically lean to 85/15 or 93/7, which I know isn't ideal but makes me feel better. Going all in on 80/20 tonight.
80/20.
Hmmm, should I mention this here? My dilemma, thick (1 1/2") Prime ribeyes, how should I cook them? I had a discussion earlier this week. Charcoal - least control, gas grill - a bit more, oven then sear, or sous vide then sear (greatest control). Am I right in thinking about the heat control? And how should I cook the steaks?
Honestly, if you want the greatest control over cooking, use the Alton Brown cooking method. It combines a quick sear and quick short, hot oven. It has never failed me.
Hmm, I do have 3 steaks and only need to cook one at a time. The strike against the oven in my mind is the time involved and the heat it puts into the kitchen. It is still in the high 90s here outside. Yeah it isn't like I'm baking something for an hour and 15 minutes but 500F definitely takes time to get to temperature as well as to cool down. This is also what makes outside grilling a little less attractive. I know, first world problems.
I’m smoking two baby back rib slabs today with the following rub: salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. My Brinkmann charcoal grill/smoker has seen better days but I am going to get a few more sessions out of it before it goes to the dump and is replaced.
Jewish style brisket (braised in a sweet and sour sauce) going today. Bbq and smoking has really upped my rosh hashanah game. I cook the brisket to temp now (203 at thickest part of the flat) and let it rest at least an hour before slicing. Big improvement. Happy new year for anyone who celebrates.
I did invest in a new thermometer, but haven't used it a whole lot.
https://www.thermoworks.com/shop/products/Thermapens
My go-to method is sous vide then sear. Perfection every time.
Added benefits are that you don't have to heat up the house or stand over a hot grill, you can do anything else while the meat bathes in the hot tub without tending to thermometers or fires, and the timing is not terribly precise so if there's something that causes a delay in the plans, it's no big deal. The active time spent cooking the meat is minimal. I'll usually do something stupid and spend any time savings on elaborate side dishes instead of just enjoying the day, but at least it freed up my time to do that!
I’m a big fan of reverse searing for thick ribeyes or strips. Slow cook to temp using your preferred method. I use a BGE with plate at 250 and pull them at an internal temp of 118. Let rest for 10 minutes while you turn the grill up to 500 and then sear to your liking (takes me about 60-90 seconds per side). I like the taste of the meat over charcoal but it also works well with a gas grill or even an oven and pan with butter.
I went the sous vide route today. Heavy rains and lots of lightning kept me in the house for the last few hours. Cooked for two hours at 130, lightly seasoned with salt and a little pepper. Seared in a cast iron pan for 90 seconds each side. Like most sous-vide items I've cooked before, tender and juicy. And consistent through the thickness of the cut of steak. Pet gave it two paws up. Tomorrow will be charcoal on a small kamado grill.
Something like this for the plate?
https://smokeware.com/products/plate-setter
Lavatools Javelin is the best one I've found for the price.
Had some cheap no name ones before and the probe wanted to pull loose from the housing.
For the smoker, a remote thermometer that gives you meat and chamber temps is very valuable.
I have been using this one for three years now after my maverick one died. Works with bluetooth on your phone instead of having a remote unit.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07MVVK5JK
For some reason, this link will give you a better price with a 35% discount.
So, I made the mistake yesterday of eating a 24 oz boneless Ribeye in one sitting. Woke up in the middle of the night, felt flushed and overall not well. First thought, did I finally catch Covid? Temp came out on the high side for me at 98.8F. Pulse was high at 82. Since I now have a pulse oximeter, that read low 90s. I usually show in the mid to upper 90s, 95 and up. I sat up for an hour like that(elevated heart rate and lower blood oxygen) and then it sunk in, oh no, maybe the "meat sweats"? At 6 am this morning, I checked again, everything back to normal, resting pulse of 60, pulse ox at 95 and 98.2 on the Kinsa thermometer. I'm rethinking portion sizes going forward.
Quick-smoked a salmon yesterday evening for anniversary dinner (had the restaurant celebration last Friday - this was with family). Cured overnight, washed and dried for two hours on the countertop, then smoked over apple wood for an hour at ~225. I made a shallot cream sauce to go with it, and my wife made wild rice and vaggies. Perfect. Sorry, no pics. Didn't think of it during the occasion.
I do have this but honestly haven't taken it out of the box yet:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GE77QT0...ogi&th=1&psc=1
Just an FYI to anyone that has a Harris Teeter close by, right now they have pork butts and rib roasts on sale. The ribeye (both sliced and bone-in roasts) are $7.99/lb. I bought our Christmas roast today since that deal is too good to pass up. (I also got two butts for a BBQ comp that I'm entering on Saturday.)
Forgot to prep the steaks all day until about 30 minutes before dinner. Took them out for 15 minutes to let the temperatures moderate, then EVOO / S / P and into the air fryer for 9 minutes. Finished in a screaming hot cast iron - incredible outcome.
I had a fun day at work smoking the two butts I bought yesterday for the fundraiser cookoff this weekend.
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Irony...the store had two 12lb butts that I had to dig for, and then put back. Instead I chose two smaller 9 pounders. Only because I knew the smoker I was using would be better allocated.
The fun thing about owning a number of grills (which irritates my lady to no end) is matching the meat to the opportunity. Bigger is not always better, and smaller can be a hinderance, so I went with Goldilocks this time, and chose the meat to match.
Thanks for mentioning this! My daughter was just talking about how she and her husband wanted me to smoke some more 'cue. She brought me four of them, so we had a delicious dinner last night and the rest are vac-packed and in the freezer. I didn't think to take a pic, though.
I'm really exhausted after the impromptu pork smoking on Sunday, which followed the chicken processing on Friday. House of Raeford has been doing bulk chicken sales during the pandemic in various locations of the state. They had a sale out at the fairgrounds, so I picked up 40 lbs of boneless, skinless thighs for $75. I spent Friday turning some of that into cooked, shredded chicken, the rest was raw cubed, sliced, or whole, vac-packed in recipe ready portions for fast meals. I didn't do it this time, but previously I've made a ton of marinades so that I can freeze them ready for sous-viding on days where cooking or deciding is too much of an effort. House of Raeford has many sites for pre-order online and pickup at various cities across NC (they have links for SC and VA, but they don't have any sales listed -- keep checking). Next fairgrounds pickup in Raleigh is 2/10. There's a pickup for Wilmington on Saturday, 11/20 (orders close two days prior to pickup).
Thank you, CB&B. I've got plenty of pulled pork to last us the winter, thanks to you!
Today was a very good day. :D
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I needed to precook a couple butts for the Spring Game tailgate Saturday, and of course wanted to use my barrel smoker, but it's way too much grill for just two hunks of meat. So I sent the local word out that I was cooking, and folks brought me what they bought. Win win for everyone, with full bellies and greasy smiles to prove it!
very excited about my new grill cover! Lamb burgers on the grill tonight!
I got so hungry reading this thread at around 12:30 last night.
I know this is wierd. But i made manicotti and smoked it with apple wood for a hour. Thr light smokey taste actually was good.
Smoked two 8 lb beef briskets. Tried smoking the point and the flat this time. This is the flat.
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Got some really nice corned beef flats marked down because my local store had apparently over supplied for St Paddy's day.
Turned them into pastrami on the smoker.
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Adventurous weekend with almost 100 lbs of meat total on the grill this weekend. Kicked things off Friday at 11:30PM with a 15lb brisket, then followed it up at 8am with the butts. Everything came off at 5.
Then I took a long nap. :p
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Day in the life of the #1 BBQ in Texas
https://youtu.be/1hvPTqswJn4
Head’s up for anyone looking for a Traeger. Walmart has the Pro 575 on sale for $497.00. I’ve been interested in adding one to supplement my XL BGE so I can smoke a brisket and several butts in a single cook. This price was too good to pass up.
Excellent. I was in WM just a few days ago in need of a smoker, so I was pricing them out and noticed that LOTS are on clearance right now, with savings of over $100 and up depending on the model. I wasn't looking for a big one, though, I've got enough of them as it is.
With our tailgate this weekend for the Carolina game, I am expecting a big crowd under our tents, so I ramped up the menu, with brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and turkey. Everything is being done ahead of time, but I wanted to do the turkeys on-site on game day. My game day grill is my mid-sized propane grill, which is perfect for reheating everything as well as cooking our hotdogs (and now our new appetizer, pizza). But the turkeys will need their own, so I shopped around and found a promising vertical smoker. It cost me around $150 from Amazon, and was pretty easy to put together. I LOVE the size. The grates are 20", which adds up to almost 650 square inches of cooking space. What I really like is how easy it will be to fully refresh the fire, not just add to them, since I can lift the whole unit off the bottom. Plus, the smoker is multi-functional. I can use it as a smoker, or a grill, or even two separate grills, as well as a firepit. It's going to be coming camping with us.
Later this afternoon, I'll be smoking 5 racks of ribs for tailgate on it. Here's a pic for comparison with my previous "droid". That old one got set by the road, and was happily picked up and off to a new home within an hour.
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It definitely worked, but it's hard to work with, if that makes sense. It didn't "suck", especially not for an entry level smoker, but it took dedication. That's why Traegers and the like are very popular, and also very expensive. Click the ignition and wake up to a nice smelling backyard.
That's just not my style, though. I totally enjoy being camped out next to what I've got cooking, and tending to the fire all night as it goes.
Thankfully, today's cook isn't an all nighter, but I do love how these ribs are looking! Two tiers, 6 half racks each.
Edit..I've never owned an electric smoker. But I know what y'all are talking about.
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Looks awesome, CBB! I wish I had the time to build and cook with an offset smoker. Definitely the purest expression of the art. It’s just not in the cards for me until my wife and I are in an empty nest. In the meantime, I’m experimenting on the margins. A few weeks ago, I borrowed a friend’s sausage stuffer and made some Texas links. They turned out great so I bought my own stuffer. I’m going to try some cheddar jalapeńo links sometime over the next 2 weeks.
Report from gameday/tailgate.
Everything went great! There were a few concerns on my mind going in, and thankfully none materialized into issues. Number one was how the turkey breasts would do on the new smoker. When I did the ribs earlier in the week, it seemed to perform great, except that I could not get it up to temp to save my life. Well, that turned out to not be true, and my life was never in danger. On game day, it once again seemed to be running low, so I dropped a couple extra probes in, hanging free. Where the smoker therm said under 200, the probes showed what made more sense, running at essentially 250-275.
I pulled both birds off when they each hit 260, and the crowd cheered at the results.
The other concern was how would the brisket and ribs do, being pre-cooked and reheated. Again, the crowd cheered, especially over the ribs. I took a tip from the chef next to me, who had also done the same with his own ribs. Mike cooks for the Omega Psi Phis, and just like me he had precooked the ribs, ever slightly under to what we'd normally pull them. But in addition to the sauce that I was adding as well, he also added water. Smart plan, in that it provided some extra moisture on the grill.
Two pics, one is of the turkeys after I pulled them from the smoker to finish them for a few minutes on the higher heat propane grill, and the other is the ribs right after they got pulled off.
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Made a new to me recipe .
Take a dozen blue crab put them on ice.so they won't pinch you.
Pop the shell off rinse guts out with water hose with some pressure behind it.
Remove the lungs /Deadman.
Stuff with salmon patty mixture .
Top with cheese .smoke for 4 hrs give or take at around 250.
I top with horse radish sauce .
Fairly tasty .
I used Applewood. But I'm thinking hickory may be better.
Smoked tri-tip for the chili contest yesterday.
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Tasty...
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Got third place out of 31 teams.
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Spent 8 hours today letting these two 9lb chickens soak up the smoke. Tomorrow the shredded results will become Brunswick stew. Since it's a stew base, I skipped any brining or rub and let the apple wood be the only added flavor.
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Whenever I smoke a butt, I’ll freeze about a pound for the next Brunswick Stew. One of my favorites, and this reminds me to pull some Brunswick stew out of the freezer now that the weather is turning!
You smoke the bird first? I’ve never tried that (usually boil it) but will have to give it a shot.
Anyone here smoke and cure bacon? I have three 3-lb pork belly slabs ready to rub/cure tomorrow before I head to Durham and hope to smoke them next weekend. All tips welcome.
I've done it a couple of times. Don't short the time needed to cure. Don't short the time needed to smoke. Decide how much you want to eat for the first several days and immediately freeze the rest before starting to cook the reserved portion. Freeze in portions that you usually use. If you don't freeze the rest before you start to cook, you'll hurt yourself by cooking up way more than is healthy because it's so delicious. Enjoy!
My understanding is basically:
1. Cure for 7 days, flipping the bag once a day.
2. Rinse, then dry on a rack in the fridge 24-48 hrs.
3. Smoke low temp to internal of 145-150 or so.
4. Rest until cool (an hour or so), then wrap and let sit in fridge for 24 hrs.
5. Slice, cook, enjoy!
Is that about right?
My smoker has hornets .to get rid of them
I have to spray them. I'll never use it again mentally just cant. Sad day .
Anyone use a pellet grill to smoke meat?
I'm not to good with hornets or needles.
My neighbors comming to get it .I'm going to lowes .as soon as he's done .I didn't really want to spray them . Now I don't have to mess with them at all.
He's got a bee suit .
I had a hornet bop me in the corner of my eye lid years ago . Never again.
To be honest I didn't even want to let the dog out.
Anyways I got me a pit boss pro series and the hornets are gone.
https://i.ibb.co/5cTGhSy/20221112-123939.jpg
upload image
Time to season it and cook some pork belly.
Yeah there were . My neighbor took the smoker . Evidently they were worse than I thought . He didn't even try to clean the nest .he killed them off . Took it to the dump .
He told me if I would have lifted that cover to spray them .
I would have had a come to Jesus meeting
With them.
He said my lab is lucky he didn't mess with them.
Said he bagged them and gassed them .
So I'm going to get Him a bottle of crown since I got free work and he got the short end so to speak.
He was expecting to have a smoker.
When I got back to the tailgate after the game, I found one or two enjoying the remnants of the meal. Better them in the food than between my toes.
Tangent subject, I ordered a dehydrator last week and made some delicious jerky. Can't wait to play with some recipes and different meats in it. (I had an older vertical cylinder style one, but this one is horizontal and temp controlled.)
I say this wrt to smoked meat:
"You skin that smoke wagon and we'll see what happens! (...) I'm gettin' tired of all your gas, now jerk that pistol and go to work! (...) I said throw down, boy!"
I've got a spatchcock chicken on and a few pounds of pork belly .3 hrs in .
Pellet consumption is not bad . Holds temperature nice .using a garlic onion paprika mix .
In a few hrs I'll have a verdict.
I could see doing a brisket on this easily.
https://i.ibb.co/4YFk7rH/20221113-130259.jpg
Yep! That's about it. Except the few slices you need to cook up and sample before the 24 hours in the fridge. :cool:
I found that the 2.5 gallon zipper bags are perfect for this, then I put them in a pan that can hold lots of the all of the cure in the event that something happens and punctures the bag. Putting it on one of the lowest levels in the fridge is also helpful in the event of spills. Sugary, salty, raw pork based liquid is awful to clean up!
Thanks, I am using 2.5 gallon bags.
Ended up doing three, 3.5 lb slabs. One with a traditional rub, one with a maple bourbon rub, and one a Cajun hot rub. I started them Friday before heading to Durham, so will rinse and rack them this Friday to smoke Saturday and really test on Sunday.
I am irrationally happy about this.
I’ve also heard that racking for 48 hours is better for smoke absorption than just 24; any thoughts? Not that I can wait that extra day….
I had a big hornet nest hidden inside a big hedge in front of my porch back when I lived near Atlanta.
I discovered it was there when I was using my electric hedge trimmer to trim said hedge.
One of them came right out of it and got me between my mouth and nose.
This was on the morning of July 4th before I was set to attend a big party. I was quite the sight with a swollen lip.
They aren't a joke. I missed 3 days of work . It was purplish for a week.
The running joke was that they can see my wife had already told me to do something
Once .so she better not have to ask twice .
According to my neighbor thr smoker was probably unsaveable . After scraping it off they were in the wiring of the control board so he thinks.its gone I'm happy . I'm 2 for 3 on thr new pellet.
Burgers and smoked pork belly was great.
Chicken was flavored leather .
WaPo has this fun report out of Raleigh's Clyde Cooper’s Barbeque.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/15/pink-barbecue-911-call/
Looks like the restaurant is turning lemons into lemonade (figuratively speaking, of course).
Really dont know my cooker yet.
I made a bomb brisket 1st try.
https://i.ibb.co/hZHWMXG/20221119-180737.jpg
Bacon came out great, but really salty. I’ve read of folks soaking the slab in cold water for an hour or two after curing and before racking, to draw out some of the salt. May need to do that next time.
Obligatory Happy Thanksgiving pics. 21lb brined bird been smoking over apple for 5 hours now, 2 more to go. (Currently sitting just below 150)
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https://www.facebook.com/chriswagnerart/videos/1279237429311177
Only 13 pounds here, and if I'm honest, just a hair overdone. It was close though, and I was trying a faster cook than usual. I'll get it right next year.
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I like to give myself lots of extra time, so if it's needed, I don't have to stress. If the turkey finishes early (I pull it at 160), no biggie; I just wrap it in foil and place it in a cooler that will hold it. It will lose barely any heat by the time you carve and serve.
Yours looks like you did a fine job.
Almost time for you turkey smokers to get into action again.
I've been using mine to smoke beef for making chili.
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https://beachboardwalk.com/Chili-Cook-Off/
I can personally attest that CB&B smokes a damn fine turkey.
Awesome! Recipe? I got a green egg this year and am learning the ropes.
Number one part of making a great bird, regardless of how you cook it, is brining it. I let mine take a bath for 24-18 hours prior to cooking. I doubt I've ever made the brine the same way twice, but my general ingredients are rosemary, thyme, garlic, black pepper, sage, and bay leaves. Depending on what I have on hand, other herbs may go in, or be left out. I also add brown sugar, somewhere around 3/4 cup. Go lighter on the herbs than you'd think. A little rosemary goes a long way. I use a tablespoon max of each, probably closer to half a tablespoon.
Regardless of what goes in the brine, the base is always 1 cup kosher salt to one gallon water. You'll want two gallons for your THAWED bird. Top it off with ice. I use a 10 gallon Igloo cooler when I brine my birds. One cooler is the perfect size for a turkey; I put everything into one of those black Hefty trashbags (to keep my cooler clean, lol) and close the lid.
When cooking, I fill the cavity with two or three wedged lemons and a couple wedged onions. Also, instead of basting, I use a can of cooking spray every hour or so to coat the skin.
At 275ish, a 20lb bird will take around 4 hours. Maybe a little less, a temp probe is your friend. Depending on how long it will rest, I pull mine at 160-165.
I like hickory and apple for smoking.
I don't know about other stores, but I saw that Harris Teeter has fresh turkeys for .99/lb today. You can get turkey cheaper, but it's nice not having to thaw them out.
Spoiler alert: I'll wager HUGE amounts of money that your "fresh" turkey has just been thawed out.
Source: spent two holiday seasons in high end grocery. We received pallets upon pallets of "fresh" turkeys that we had to thaw out quickly for anxious customers.
Fair play.
I was disgusted by how our department head encouraged us to tell customers that there was a "frozen crust" from the delivery truck.
We had pallets thawing in fire escapes. OSHA was called. So was fire department. Was a hot mess, but customers never found out, so... win?
You would not believe(well you may) how many frozen turkeys are in cold storage and refrigerated containers.
That's just in my area .
They have to freeze them .I have seen a half a million pounds atleast at one time.
That's also why I don't care for chic fila They claim its fresh I promise you when it's in cold storage itis frozen for a while.95 degrees outside you have to wear cold gear in storage .
We have played steel toe hockey with it
When a box busts open.some are just taped back up.
Fresh is when you throw the bird in hot water then the plucker.
Friday night. Frying turkeys in the rain. Had to bring my ez-up.
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So, what should I use in my brine? And how long?
I put a quart or two of water, mixed with quarter-to-half cup of salt and about the same amount of brown sugar, in a pan on the stove, and infuse that with a few bay leaves, fresh allspice, pepper corns, some cloves, a cinnamon stick, the zest of an orange, and whatever else strikes my fancy at the time and seems to fit in. I bring the temperature up to a boil, then let let it sit with the heat off for up to an hour. I put the turkey in the brine pan, then I pour over the top of the bird a gallon of COLD water mixed with another cup salt. The still-slightly-warm flavored salt water goes in after. I continue to add cold salt water (a cup of salt and a bit less sugar per gallon of water) until the bird is covered. Then I toss in a couple onions and the juice of at least the zested orange and maybe another one or two. The bird will float, so be prepared to turn it periodically, or add some kind of weight directly on top of the bird to keep it submerged. If that's too much work, make sure the bird is breast side down. I add ice to the pan, then leave that out on my porch overnight (since my brine pan won't fit in the fridge). I put a brick or other inedible heavy object on top of the lid to keep out critters.
Here in North Carolina, there's only been one very warm year where I had to check the ice in the middle of the night. Every other year, there's been ice still in the pan in the morning, and the bird is so cold it's hard to work with at first.
I'm usually dressing the bird by mid-morning and get it on the smoker before noon. We eat just during or after sun down. I do not cook the bird past 160 or so. You'll find older sources recommending temps up to 180, but that's way overdone. The bird is safe at much lower temps when slow cooking, and the meat ends up much more moist at those lower temps.
I mean, you can do the whole thing with just cold salt water if you want. That's the main thing. I add the other stuff because it brings it up from really good to excellent, and I only really do it at Thanksgiving and maybe one other time in a year. And if your brine pan fits in your fridge, it's even easier. In theory, it could take just a few minutes the night before.
A simple brining procedure:
https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-brine-turkey/
My guess is that Phredd’s heating method may break down some of the solution. Chemically, I believe that heating sugar solution generally breaks down the sucrose (table sugar) to fructose and glucose. I don’t think the salt breaks down.
Simple syrup saturates the water by heating, but I do not think that the measurements he describes come anywhere close to that (not should it).
tl;dr — a proper ratio of salt and cold water is fine. You can get fancier and more nuanced if you want.
Oh, and if you are frying a turkey — make sure it is well-dried!!!!!!
The main thing it does is extract flavors from the spices. I find if I put the spices in just cold brine, I might as well not bother. Heating them up actually gets the flavors out of the spices and into the bird.
I'm debating eliminating the sugar, honestly. It helps with browning, but the skin comes out tough when you smoke the bird and we don't actually carve at the table, so that's kind of useless. I'm not sure it adds enough flavor-wise to worry about. I might try it without the sugar this year and see how it goes.
Instead of a pan, I brine my birds in a 5 gallon Igloo cooler. I line it with a trash bag, put in the bird, pour in the brine (2 gallons) and top it off with ice. Perfect size for even a 20+ pounder, everything is submerged, and very easy to clean up with the trash bag liner. The heavy duty Hefty ones are perfect.
I always figured that cooking is art, baking is science that can be done artistically. Both are impressive skills.
Thawed all the way also.
Biggest trick that you need someone to show or tell you is how you get the bird into the oil.
As pictured above, you need a broom stick or equivalent and two people so you can drop it in slowly with enough distance to keep splashing hot oil off of you.
Wear the proper gear as well:
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I have been told that it is best to add the turkey to the oil before heating the oil, but I have no idea if that works well.
That's a bad photoshop by someone with no idea how you would really do it.
Only special gear you need is the turkey holder device and the hook to lower it, plus a sturdy broomstick or equivalent.
See picture above.
Most turkey fryer pots also have an oil fill line to make sure you don't put too much oil in. That's another source of failures.
It's best if you have someone show you how to do it so you don't make any of the bad mistakes.
The brining has begun.
Happy smoky Thanksgiving to all!
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I didn't think to take a picture of the bird, so this will have to do:
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Will be brining in the future.
I brined for 48 hours, adding ice once. Didn't smoke it, but air-fried it in the driveway. Was succulent. Used to inject it, but not this year.
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That seemed to be a success. One of the best I've ever done, in fact. No brown sugar is going to be the method every year, I think. I raised up the temperature right at the end to crisp up the skin. It worked perfectly.
Thread back from the dead. Still winterish here, but my wife came home with a pork shoulder yesterday so I just prepped my crockpot NC style pulled pork recipe, with Buddy's Red State BBQ sauce. Rest assured it is vinegar style.
I know it's a bit blasphemous, but when the outdoors aren't that hospitable, this is a truly fabulous meal...took me some years to perfect it, borrow from various recipes, takes about 20 minutes of prep to make your own rub, make the sauce, but then you can sit back for 10 hours and let it work.
I like all 3 sauces .still working on my vinegar sauce. I have my red and yellow sauce down.
My rub is solid .I make a lot of rub at one time usually lasts 6 months or so.
Butts are on sale for 129 a pound .
I don't have the strength right now but
I'd love to dig a pit with rocks for a deer or a hog .very good eating for large crowds or freeze the BBQ after pulling for a quick meal.
Thinking about breaking out the Weber Smokey Mountain soon. I have the 18 inch version. So I have limited experience with it, mostly doing pork butts, country style ribs and chickens on it. Anyone done anything on the Smokey Mountain or a similar smoker that was fun and tasty? My girls mostly like chicken recipes, but open to anything.
Oh yeah my mind got side tracked .but you can use a welding blanket to keep your smoker Temps steady durring winter.
I use one when Temps dip below 50 really conserves wood and coals also.
Nothing wrong with using a crockpot .
I'm fairly sure a restaurant near me uses chuck roasts and pawns them off as brisket. That's blasphemous.