Smoking Meat?

AMEN! We smoke fish about 4 - 6 times during the summer. Chinook (King) Salmon is the absolute best, Halibut is nice as well. We use cherry most of the time, and our buddy like the Alder Wood, I am not much of a fan of Alder. We serve with a vodka & dill sauce or if you don't like vodka; try a horseradish and dill or whole grain and dill.


HORSERADISH & DILL

8 oz. plain nonfat yogurt
4 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. onion, very finely chopped
2 tsp. dill
2 tsp. fresh horseradish

In small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Blend well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 45min.

VODKA & DILL

¼c Butter
1 ½c Whipping cream
2tb Vodka
½ts Salt or to taste
½ts Fresh ground black pepper (fine)
2tb Chopped fresh dill
½c Grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter gently or med-low in a large deep skillet (do not use non-stick). Add cream. Bring to a boil. Add vodka. Reduce heat and cook on low 3 to 4 min until slightly thickened. Add salt, pepper and dill. Remove from heat. Sprinkle on the cheese OFF the heat.

WHOLE GRAIN & DILL

1c Your Favorite Whole Grain Mustard
1c Sour cream
1/2c Chopped fresh dill

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate at least 45mins until ready to use. The sauce will only keep for up to 3 days if well covered & refrigerated.
 
1/3 of the payoff...the bottom brisket with my Uncle Henry...
 

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Personally my favorite smoking wood is fresh sugar maple, harvested when the sap is running. You can taste the maple syrup flavor, works great for lamb/beef/chicken and pork. I have an electric smoker, but usually we use our webber grill, very few briquets with lots of wet wood. Shut it all the way down and let it smoke. Add briquets as needed, usually takes about 3 hours for a beer can chicken. YUMMY
 
dI put the Brisket and shoulder on at about 9:35 this am pulled the Brisket at 3:40 (175) and moved the shoulder down to the bottom (where the brisket was) pulled it (180) at 5:10 pm... I had problems during the day keeping the heat up as it was breezy...
 
What type of fuel do you use? Wood, electric, gas? For an 8 hour smoke, i think i am going to look at buying a real smoker and get away from the gas grill.

yea, yea, i don't want to hear the gas vs charcoal debate. i know charcoal/wood is king, but i am lazy and my gas grill is convienent. But for something new to try, i am seriously considering either a wood or electric smoker. Wood worries me a bit because of having to babysit more to maintain temp.
 
Yea, i think i am going to have to give it a try. I thought a smoker would cost more than $30. For that price, it's worth a shot!
thanks!
 
charper1 said:
Try to find you one with a side mounted fire box; especially if you get a vertical smoker. 110% do not get gas fired.

Vertical without side mounted firebox: http://www.shopping.com/xPO-Vertical_Smoker_810_5501_0

Small hoizontal with side mounted firebox: http://www.shopping.com/xPO-Char_Broil_American_Gourmet_Grill

I was gonna get the top one. Do you all think the bottom one would be better because of the fire box off to the side?? Do you guys not wrap your meat in foil? When I do a pork loin on the grill, I sear it both sides, wrap in foil, and enjoy!
 
timmy1376 said:
I was gonna get the top one. Do you all think the bottom one would be better because of the fire box off to the side?? Do you guys not wrap your meat in foil? When I do a pork loin on the grill, I sear it both sides, wrap in foil, and enjoy!

Yes - a side mounted firebox will yield better control and end results and absolutely ZERO chance of flame up / direct contact with food

NEVER - wrap food while smoking, only after it is removed and in the "resting" phase; the 20 minutes after removal.

From time to time Big Lots will have some smokers.


http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1972388

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3342509
 
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Good information guys. I am digging this idea more and more.

Couple more questions...

I am liking the Char-Broil Charcoal Water Smoker at home depot for $40
What part does the water play?

what type of charcoal do you use? I don't imagine one load of charcoal will burn 8 hrs. How can you add charcoal without getting that patroleum taste? I have started cooking over charcoal to early and the food was horrible. It would seem if I put new briquettes on a fire below cooking meet, it would put off that nasty smoke before it burned off wouldn't it?

Thanks!
 
mkatts said:
What part does the water play?

I use a small tray of apple juice as opposed to water. I also use a spray bottle of apple cider every 20 minutes directly on the meat.


what type of charcoal do you use? Thanks!


DO NOT use coal with any fluids or starter in it I recommend Kingsford plain coal just to get started and then real wood chunks that have been soaked in water or juice for a few hours. Such as: http://www.barbecuewood.com/-strse-Barbecue-Chunks/Categories.bok

I like pecan, hickory and alder.

How can you add charcoal without getting that patroleum taste? I have started cooking over charcoal to early and the food was horrible. It would seem if I put new briquettes on a fire below cooking meet, it would put off that nasty smoke before it burned off wouldn't it?

AH HA! thus the side mount and non-fluid coal to start, from that point forward ONLY ADD soaked real wood. The heat of the remaining cinders will start the added wood.

Don't get the water smoker thing; really; or anything gas or electric fired, I swear you will be much more satisfied with a real wood horizontal smoker; anything else really isn't smoking and you will be able to tell by the taste of the meat.
 
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Just made a double batch of pizza dough.

Whats for breakfast?