Smokers (BBQ - not grilling)

[eflyguy]

Mine all live outdoors, I have nowhere to store them. I'm building a sturdy cart for the Joe so it can be repositioned, and it will get a cover. Ultimately I plan to have an "outdoor kitchen" arrangement, but for now I've got a large gas grill on one side of my "deck" (ground level, 40x10) and my Akorn and a smaller gas grill on the other.

Bounce, I hear you on the cost. I have been and remain very happy with my Akorn and would recommend it to anyone as long as they accepted the fact that it needs some work to deal with design issues. I've looked at BGE and KJ many times and thought to myself, there's nothing they can do that my Akorn can't. Over the years, there's been just one thing I wish were different, that it was larger, despite the fact that it's already a BIG kamado.

I don't think I can share what I paid but despite not "needing" it right now, it was the deal of a lifetime. The Big Joe is 24", and should last for that lifetime.

 

[Bounce]

Cover it and leave it out? Thats what I do in the summer months which is what you have all year long!

I did that with my last lower-cost Akorn smoker. The cover was toast in 1 season and the hardware was in 2.

BTW: Home made Chocolate Lava Cake!

And we have winter. It's been 19 this year and today won't get above 60º with rain.

 

[Knifemaker]

Mine sits out all year. I do cover it with an old tarp now and then. I did pour a concrete pad for it to sit on. Here's a photo I just took before I start my smoke later today:

Perhaps you can just build a portable shed you can roll to grill rather than the other way around Bounce?

Edit. Ribs rubbed, racked, and ready...

 

[Knifemaker]

OK. The results. 4-1/2 hours at 220-235, mix of apple and mesquite.

Awesome. The ribs were smaller than the Smithfield racks, but the meat was way more tender. Not "mushy" but soft like a good fillet. Smoke was perfect, great nose, no bitterness, but still "in your face". Wife said the flavor was exceptional, and my granddaughter is in fact still sucking them down as I write this.

So, pretty happy with how they turned out. We put away two slabs, which leaves 4 for the freezer.

 

[Fred W]

Mmmm, those look great. Im surprised they passed the bend test in only 4 1/2 hours. Must have been the quality of the meat. Also notice youre conforming to the cook with dry rub, serve with sauce on the side crowd. Im always a fan of that.

PS - Bounce - a high of 60 F *is* like summer up here. I was up at my sons in VT today, working on his Jeep Liberty (outside) replacing a blown steering rack. I think the high was in the upper 20s, but it was actually pretty comfortable, and since the ice in the unpaved driveway stayed frozen it was neater working than when it all melts. The first hour or so your fingers go numb in the nitrile gloves, but then your body pumps blood to the extremities and you warm back up.

 

[Knifemaker]

Only time I would sauce the ribs was when I was doing them on the grill. Quick high heat just long enough to carmelize the sugers in the sauce. I do put a light smear of sauce ( Sweet Baby Rays Original) on the plate to drag a rib through before eating it. Wife likes an actual bowl to dip in.

 

[Fred W]

You are lucky that you and wifey agree on sauces (if not quantity). When our family sits down there is generally a half dozen different ones on the table and they all get used by someone.

 

[eflyguy]

Only time I would sauce the ribs was when I was doing them on the grill. Quick high heat just long enough to carmelize the sugers in the sauce. I do put a light smear of sauce ( Sweet Baby Rays Original) on the plate to drag a rib through before eating it. Wife likes an actual bowl to dip in.

I'm sure you've covered your rub above, but just a quick comment on that - I make my own, and a large portion is brown sugar. It naturally gives a nice crisp surface without tainting the flavor. If I want sauce, I do the same - just a little to dab them in.

 

[Knifemaker]

"I'm sure you covered your rub above".

Yes, ribs were covered with a dry rub (mostly brown sugar I make myself loosely following Meatheads recipe) I did post it somewhere back in this thread. I can send it to you if you're interested.

Sweet Baby Ray has several flavors of BBQ sauce, we have tried them all, the wife prefers the Original, so I buy up as much as I can when it goes on sale. (Like 77 cents a bottle ) Their "raspberry and chipotle" is pretty good too. When we have larger gatherings

I serve the Original and a doctored up bowl using one of the other flavors as a base, usually making it spicy and sweeter by adding brown sugar or honey and cayenne or chipotle or even habinaro, or some combination of them all.

A little tip for those that make their own rub - The brown sugar tends to clump up, especially if made way in advance. Mixing it in a food processor helps, but I found that adding a bit of corn starch to the rub works well keeping the clumping down, about a 1/2 teaspoon per cup of rub. It also seems to help it stick to the ribs better. (It's tasteless in the rub)

Fred, as the ribs are pinned to the rack, I don't use the "bend test"...I've just found that in my smoker that 4-1/2 hours at 220-235F cooks baby backs just the way I like them (am sure they'd break apart and not "bend" at all) I do try and put the thicker part of the rib towards the firebox, and I don't open the door until I'm actually taking them out. I used to give them a spray of water and apple juice after a few hours, but don't anymore. Just a quick spray before wrapping them up.

I do however use the spray bottle on St. Louis style ribs, and pork butts.

 

[Bounce]

Next: Beef Ribs

Discuss

 

[Knifemaker]

For those that Facebook, the makers of my smoker now feature a photo of it on their Facebook page under "Our Story"

https://www.facebook.com/ManofSteelFabrication/

I've not done beef ribs. I looked around at stores here for beef short ribs but only found tiny packages. The larger back ribs seem to be a lot of bone and little meat. However the introduction to Williams Brothers Meats, the supplier of the pork ribs I just did, will have me taking a look at what they offer. I think I'm going to take another shot at a brisket first though.

A bit of info on short ribs:

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/barbecue-beef-ribs-texas-style

 

[eflyguy]

Next: Beef Ribs
Discuss

Yeah.. had for the first time at Jack Stacks in Kansas City about 10 years ago. Oh my god. Had to know their secret but couldn't find anything, so one day I threw a few into the smoker with some baby backs, I honestly don't remember what I used for a rub but I expect it was just what I used on the pork, which is dried mustard, brown sugar, paprika, a little chili powder or cayenne pepper, salt, pepper.

They were as good, if not better.

I wish I could find "fattier" ones, same with pork. They cut them all so lean, I'd like to have a little fat to self-baste while smoking. When I do a butt or brisket, I usually buy fat back/salt pork and slice it up to make a cover for the meat. No, it doesn't soak in, but it *does* make a difference in taste.

My girl and I just picked up Kamado Joes, I will absolutely be cooking beef ribs to christen mine - but it's still in the box until I decide on a fixed base or a cart. We put hers together yesterday, and we're going to christen it tonite. She wants to use the rotisserie she got with it, so no smoking tonite..

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Next: Beef Ribs
Discuss

Can't find them around here. They are much harder to get right than pork ribs.

 

[BikerGeek99]

I went through a couple of rounds of smoking wings yesterday. I didn't take any pictures, but they were goooood.... The one thing I want to get more betterer at is getting 'em crispy. I know it's a temperature thing at the end of cooking, so I'll get there. I'm close.

Also, I applied some gasket material to the doors. Holy shart what a difference - the cabinet is much less prone to temperature swings due to wind, and the temperature differential between the upper and lower cabinet is much lower.

 

[eflyguy]

Christened my girls KJC with a leg of lamb. The drip pan was later used to roast potatoes and brussels sprouts, and the remain frond used to enhance the sauteed mushrooms and onions...

 

[Bounce]

Clearly the ceramic kamados are above my pay grade. That Joetisserie is not much less than I paid for my Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Kooker

 

[eflyguy]

Clearly the ceramic kamados are above my pay grade. That Joetisserie is not much less than I paid for my Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Kooker

They are typically above mine as well. The Akorn was my first Kamado smoker (but my 5th overall), and it's enough to tell me I will always want one. Although I am happy with my it, I know it won't last forever. The KJ will. I've also done enough research to know that if I ever needed another, the KJ is the way I would go. So I keep an eye out for a deal.

Then her store started carrying the KJ brand, and they want employees to use them and sell them. She's moving into a different position, however, so the opportunity to buy these was short. I question my girls decision, because she doesn't like smoked food, but she won a smaller BGE in a raffle last year, which I sold on Craigslist for her, and what I got for that pretty much paid for her KJC. Mine was, well, substantially lower than even costco road show pricing. Substantially.

Is everyone here a member on KamadoGuru? Tons of really great info over there.

 

[Knifemaker]

Well, picked up an 8-1/2 pound pork shoulder today. As my freind Bob would say "I'm Jonesing for some pulled pork."

Not sure if I'll do it Saturday or Sunday. Stay tuned.

 

[Knifemaker]

4am. Full moon and smoke.

 

[Fred W]

A full day of smoking ahead... tougher to do with these short days of winter. But they are getting longer. Better days ahead!