Smokers (BBQ - not grilling)

[Blind Squirrel]

I recently saw (but did not buy) a whole brisket at Walmart of all places! I like their ribs (they stock Smithfield) but did not take the time to seriously look over the brisket.

I have done a few briskets, with mixed results. Part of the problem is that I can normally only find brisket points around here. Another issue (for me) is that a brisket takes so darn long! I have to set the alarm and get up early to make sure the brisket is done at a reasonable time for dinner.

 

[Fred W]

They have whole briskets at our local Walmart too. They look OK, but like any whole packer there is a lot of trimming of fat required. The price was attractive at around $2 / lb. But there is so much waste, and its so hard to get the point cooked well enough without killing the flat. They also had some very small flats, around 2lbs each, at much higher cost of over $5 /lb but there was almost nothing to trim and not nearly the amount of fat that needs to be rendered out. They were pretty good and they cook up faster since they are smaller hunks of beef.

I should also mention that I quit using the V shaped grate. As it turns out it wasnt really accomplishing anything important. Getting lots of air to charcoal is important. Getting lots of air to a wood fire just makes it burn too fast, which means metering the size and number of wood pieces so the pit doesnt get too hot. Because you cant choke off the air to control a wood fire or it will belch gross smoke.

Im still burning the wood in an expanded metal box that I originally made for charcoal, but I intend to try burning on the stone lined floor of my firebox to see if that helps control the rate of burn, and therefore allow me to add more wood at once.

Great fun for pyromaniacs!

 

[Knifemaker]

Yep, I've seen whole briskets at our Walmart too. Huge chunk O'meat for sure. I'd have to invest in another freezer if I decided to tackle one. The ones I cooked were point cuts too, not very big. I know that butcher shop I got the locally raised ribs from could get me whatever cut I wanted, but at a premium price. I don't mind the time one would take to do one, especially if I get around to fitting my UDS with a stoker, it's just the size and the cost that's my issue.

I have thought about doing a corned beef brisket, as they are as plentiful as green beer around Saint Patrick's day and fairly cheap. I'd actually like to try doing a whole chicken sometime, or even a whole turkey.

The smoked turkey breast did come out so good last time, I'm pretty sure I'll do a pair of them for this thanksgiving.

As the wife likes pot roast, which I do in the crockpot (along with potatoes) I'd also like to try doing one in the smoker.

 

[Fred W]

If you get a corned beef brisket and smoke it, what you are making is pastrami. Id like to make the whole thing from scratch, but I think what your talking about would be easier and more economical.

Ive made some smoked beef chuck that I pulled which was very much like pot roast but with smoke flavor. Well worth doing. And cheap, on a beef scale.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I've made some smoked beef chuck that I pulled which was very much like pot roast but with smoke flavor. Well worth doing. And cheap, on a beef scale.

Ooooo! I had never considered doing a chuck (until now!). Thanks!

 

[Bounce]

The whole brisket in a vacuum seal is what I've been doing. The last time, during the trim, I split the flat from the point and the results were much-improved since I could pull each at different times.

 

[08FJR4ME]

I picked up a boneless center cut chuck roast along with two slabs of ribs for tomorrows smoke. Dam if that roast doesn't look like brisket. I just cleaned and prepared the OK Joe.

Dave

 

[El Toro]

An easy approach is to use an open pan to hold the meat. Let it sit in the smoker for the first 2 to four hours. Then wrap the pan with Aluminum foil, and move it to the oven indoors. I set the oven on 210 F and walk away. 5 hours? 10 hours? Who cares? The brisket does not.

I check it when its convenient. I pull back the foil and use two forks ... if they dont pull easily, I close the foil and put it back.

If its ready at 4 am when I get up in the middle of the night, I keep it covered and turn it down to 180 F until I am ready to deal with it when I get up for the day (not 4 am).

 

[Knifemaker]

Ive made some smoked beef chuck that I pulled which was very much like pot roast but with smoke flavor. Well worth doing. And cheap, on a beef scale.

So what's your target temperature to pull it? 203F?

 

[Fred W]

Yes, exactly.

I havent tried smoking in a pan yet. I see some of the pitmasters doing that on TV, but I thought it might interfere with absorption of smoke. Its easy enough to toss it in the foil pan, or just foil wrap after XX amount of time. And tossing it into a temp controlled oven while wrapped is a no brainer. Why not do that?

 

[Bounce]

Pans give me the same worries about less smokiness. I hold Q competitions in great suspect once a top competitor and now judge pointed out that he'd never serve competition meats to guests. The competitions was all-the-flavor-in-one-bite which doesn't work as well for a meal.

 

[Knifemaker]

At most BBQ competitions they do cook specific meats to be judged, but also cook up stuff for the crowds. Usually what you buy at their booth is not what the judges get.

I've cooked a butt in using a pan, however I found a wire basket that fit in it, so smoke could still circulate completely around the meat.

Came out fine, and no worries about it falling apart in my hands pulling from the smoker.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I will hate to see the information from this thread go away if this site does indeed end come the end of September.

If that does happen, I will start a thread with the same title over at fjriders.com in the "Completely Off Topic" section. I hope to see you all there so we can continue this discussion.

 

[Fred W]

I guess I missed that announcement. I thought there was someone that was stepping up to take over?

Never mind, I found what you are talking about. Guess end of September is when Travis retires. Cant fault him for doing that. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Well, after getting married and buying my first FJR. Oh, and the kids. Have to think of the chillins.

It seems they have a way to capture everything for posterity, but it will be a shame to lose the interactive part of the forum. I would step up but I know diddly squat about forum software.

 

[08FJR4ME]

I thought they had someone. It would be sad to loose all this. Anyway my ribs came out pretty good. The chuck roast,not so much.

 

[Fred W]

Sorry to hear the chuck sucked. Did you cook it like brisket to over 200?

Im trying something off the wall today. Went to my favored meat market to score some brisket but their cupboard was bare! Saw a full sirloin strip in clearance at an attractive price, so what the heck! It was less than I was prepared to pay for brisket.

Smoked it for about 2 1/2 hours this afternoon and the pulled it at 120F. Ill cut it in half and sear it tonight just before dinner, and save the rest for later. Its a lean cut so would be shoe leather if cooked to 200+. Times it right because we are getting some (rare) rain right now, but the gas searing grille is under cover. Photo evidence to follow.

 

[Knifemaker]

Yep, by far this has been my favorite thread in all of the 3 online forums I frequent. All 2,254 posts I have read here. If indeed this forum vanishes I will be going over to fjriders to hopefully carry on.

On a more topical front, many remember back when I built my UDS I ended up buying a cheap Weber clone kettle grill to use the cover on the UDS. This left me with a perfectly good grill that has no lid. Due to the much appreciated hinged lid that this gave me for the drum, it made sharing the lid with the grill a unwanted chore due to the complex nature of removing it.

Well this weekend we were walking through a flea market in a small town south of us, and I found a genuine Weber lid in great condition for just $5.

(am guessing the lower kettle rusted out and they put the lid up to sell)

My plan, as I do have a Weber hinged food grate, is to build a separator wall for the grill to use for smoking smaller chunks of meat like pork tenderloins.

 

[Fred W]

Nice find!

 

[Knifemaker]

Putting a 5 pound pork loin on this afternoon:

 

[Knifemaker]

At 145, ready to be pulled. Into the heavy wall styrofoam cooler until dinner..