All Things Smoking (Food)

[TankAbbott4Eva]

So do you smoke it overnight or just wake up before the sun? Because if I let it rest that long I miss dinnertime by a lot, not I'm nervous to run a smoker overnight while I sleep.

Me too, so if I do a big brisket i have to do it the day before and warm up on the day which isn't ideal. This is mainly why i'd like a pellet smoker, also because I could fit a full brisket in it which i can't in my Webers. I usually split the flat and the point and do them in separate Webers which they will fit then.

 

[Prime LeVan]

Me too, so if I do a big brisket i have to do it the day before and warm up on the day which isn't ideal. This is mainly why i'd like a pellet smoker, also because I could fit a full brisket in it which i can't in my Webers. I usually split the flat and the point and do them in separate Webers which they will fit then.

Cutting the mohawk and a good trim can get the point and flat to a close thickness. Just accept the flat will be more tender

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

Cutting the mohawk and a good trim can get the point and flat to a close thickness. Just accept the flat will be more tender

And don't throw the trimmings away of course, I slow cook them and save the tallow, amazing for roast potatoes among other things.

 

[Prime LeVan]

And don't throw the trimmings away of course, I slow cook them and save the tallow, amazing for roast potatoes among other things.

I use the render tallow for the wrap and the meat trimmings for ground beef.

 

[DragRacer]

No it didn’t come with a manual, just the grill, a laser thermometer and a big rolling Tupperware bin of extra pellets.
I’m sure there’s tons of info on YouTube or wherever, I was just putting it out there in this thread since the topic came up.

A good friend of mine owns the #1 rated bbq joint in the area very close to my house, and gives us whatever doesn’t sell at the end of any day I drop by, so I’m not super motivated to try it out at home. But some different flavors of ribs, brisket, pork would sure be nice.

Thank you for the tip on warming it up with the top open, I’ll look into that!

Did it come with a manual?

With mine, I have to fill with pellets and leave the lid open for 15 minutes while I set it to "smoke" which is the lowest temperature setting. This is to get a good fire going that won't die out. After 15 minutes I can close the lid and set the temp for whatever I want.

Maybe yours stays at 275 during this warm up period?

Once you have the fire going, keep in mind it's not an oven. The temp will fluctuate maybe 15 degrees in either direction. The only way this thing controls temp is by pushing pellets into the firepot.

Higher temp = pushing more pellets into the firepot.

Lower temp = pushing fewer pellets into the firepot.

You could smoke some sausages or even a pizza just to practice until you're comfortable putting an expensive piece of meat on there.

 

[Prime LeVan]

Figured I would give my method for turkeys that has become a crowd pleaser.

Wet brine for at least 24 hours (ice, seasoned salt, oranges/lemons/lime)
I spatch-cock to make the cook faster and the skin crispier
I then use bacon grease as a binder/baste (makes a good glue and also helps with the skin)
Liberally apply your rub/seasoning of choice
225-250 for about 4 hours (or until 165 internal temp at the breast)
Spritz with a 50/50 beer/apple cider vinegar mix every hour or so
Last 15-30 min crank the heat up to crisp the skin
Let rest for about 30 min to an hour with a foil wrap in a pan

 

[Otto!]

Nice smoke rings.

Do you prefer fall off the bone or competition when you do ribs? I'm a fall off the bone guy, screw trophies.

I competed once last year and have a few more scheduled this summer. For those I make sure that they have a bit of a pull on them, but if I am cooking for family and friends it’s definitely fall-off the bone!