I have just recently aquired a BBQ with a smoker attachment and am looking to start a fabulous new hobby in the eating field.
What texts, both virtual and physical, or other such learning resources can you wise consumers direct me to? This meat and corn does not sear itself!
Make sure you have a really good thermometer, thet way you can closely monitor your temp, this is a vital thing. I learned a massive amount through trial and error, my grill sweet spot seems to be about 225-235 degrees F. Also, try soaking your wood ships in cheap whiskey, it really adds a nice subtle flavor. I’l try and scare up some links for you when I get home tonight. :)
Let’s start with some definitions:
Grilling: Quick cooking over direct heat. This is what you do to to steak and burgers.
Barbecue: Slow cooking over indirect heat.
Can you give me an idea of what kind of setup you’ve got? What do you mean by “smoker attachment”?
Alton Brown’s book has a very interesting barbecue fact.
The word itself comes from the native Caribbean word “barbacoa” which referred to roasting meat over a fire pit on sticks. A wooden frame used to hold the meat was called a “buccan.” And, no shit, the infamous pirates of the Caribbean were known to seek refuge and provisions from the islands, killing and roasting pigs and turtles and earning themselves the name “buccaneers.”
So a buccaneer actually just refers to someone who barbecues. Ahoy matey!
Awesome. I was recently discussing with my wife about about having a go at making our own cured meats just for the hell of it (I’m currently making cheese). Thanks for the link.
I thought you needed help with what to smoke while barbeque-ing.
A fat cigar, is the only way to go in this case.
Don’t put it down while stone drunk, pick it up, then try to take a drag off the lit end. Ash in mouth and pain results. This message brought to you by Djarum Blacks, which are all black and easily confused when drunk.
This guy has a PBS show and I have his ‘Barbecue Bible’ which I would recommend reading: http://www.barbecuebible.com/
I’m an avid smoker/bbq-er but by no means expert. Keep in mind that if you cook indirectly on a low and slow heat, it is hard to screw up a good pork butt. What sauces and rubs you use is completely up to you and is a matter of taste, but if you use a rub, apply it the night before. I actually use a modification of Alton Brown’s rub recipe and then make up my own sauce or two.
With a beef brisket, temperature is a lot more important because if you overcook it, it will get tough and while the flavor will still be good, it won’t be melt-in-your-mouth tender. Also, make sure they don’t trim your beef brisket when you buy it, you will want a thick layer of fat (placed in the smoker face up) to melt into your meat. 170 degrees inside of the beef is the perfect time to take it off.
And of course if you have the room, there is no reason not to make a bunch of different meats all at once and have a party. Hell, it is pretty much expected on the smoker’s second use.
Yeah, just read the quoted reviews for that book. Beyond being written by Ruhlman himself (Thomas Keller’s cookbook author), he got quotes from Eric Ripert, Batali, and Bourdain. Plus, the recipes work. It’s not about american BBQ, though.
Jeffd: I effectively have one of these: http://www.smokertips.com/meat-smokers/new-braunfels-smoker.html however there are minor differences like the chimney placement.
I barely even know what I’m supposed to DO with it, and my search for manuals online are not turning up anything.
That’s perfect for barbecuing.
Oh man, this is a huge subject. I could go on for hours. I’ll start with some basics:
As far as what to smoke - pork shoulder is an easy one to start on; even if you overcook it it’s still good. Whole chickens are tasty as well. So are chicken wings if you want something that can be done in a couple of hours. Ribs are fun but have some preparation tricks you’ll want to be aware of; and you want to probably cook them in a rib rack. Whatever you do don’t try a brisket right away; it’s a hard cut of meat to cook (there’s a reason lots of bbq championships are decided with brisket).
The general technique: Prepare the meat. Sprinkle a rub on the meat and let it set for a half hour or forty five minutes. Prepare the fire. Get the smoke chamber up to 250-270 degrees and put the meat on (you’ll lose lots of heat when you put the meat on). Let it cook for a while, then start mopping it with something to keep it moist (apple juice is easy). Add fuel as necessary; be sure to start the fuel in your charcoal chimney so it’s already hot when you put it in the firebox.
There’s some good advice in this recent thread as well.
Ah, smoked meat, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
1 thousand 1
1 thousan…
i’ve got a weber smokey mountain cooker and it works like a champ. This is a great forum that has good general advice and recipes (and links) even if you do not have that particular smoker… you didn’t give specifics so don’t know what equipment you have.
RE: smoke wood, I have developed a real affinity for cherry and apple woods - they are very smooth tasting and go with just about everything… i do salmon, brisket, pork butts, ribs, all with those woods, and they turn out great… give it a try and see what you think…
I agree with the earlier post as well, it is CRITICAL that you are aware of both the lid temperature and the meat temperature you are cooking. I always keep a log every 30-60 minutes…
If you want to see how the pros do it, there is a BBQ rib cook-off in Reno over Labor Day weekend that brings in the top BBQers nationwide every year…
Second the recommendation on the Barbecue Bible. It’s a really good way to learn basic recipes for all kinds of meats.
My wife got me one of these last month, and I love it. Virtual Weber Bullet is also a great site – way more useful than the crappy manual that came with the smoker.
Also, yeah, keeping an eye on the temperature is key, especially if you’re using hardwood charcoal or something else that doesn’t burn super-evenly. If you keep a probe thermometer in the smoker monitoring the temperature at the cooking grate, you’ll be a lot happier. I tend to use two, one resting on the grate next to the meat, and one stuck in the deepest part of the meat I’m cooking with a temperature alarm on it.
I meant to show this off. For some reason there are exactly zero photos of this on the net. I picked it up at BBQ Galore last year and is a combination smoker/pizza oven. They didn’t sell so I got this for $400 on clearance, which is a steal:
The top chamber is for smoking the meat. The only downside to this is there is not enough room for it for entertaining for parties, so I have a green egg knockoff that I use as well. The 2nd chamber is the pizza oven with brick bottom. Below that is the actual cooking chamber for your wood and smoke. This results in some direct heat on the meat, but the brick dissipates a lot of it, resulting in it relying mostly on the smoke. The bottom chamber is your wood storage for your mesquite or cherry.
That is one sweet looking piece of equipment. Do you have a model# or anything? Is there not a water pan in it to help diffuse the heat? Or just the brick…
Just a brick and then the fairly long distance between the two chambers. There is no model number that I could find, although even if I could, BBQ Galore had discontinued the item so finding one would be challenging at best (it was an exclusive to that chain if I recall correctly).