Smokers (BBQ - not grilling)

[Fred W]

Sounds really good. We’re going to be guests at my son’s just down the hill, but tomorrow we will be cooking a small turkey for Thanksgiving round 2. Only problem is my wife doesn’t let me smoke the Thanksgiving turkey. She likes to cook it in the kitchen oven and make the house smell delicious.

Smoked meatloaf is on my short to-do list. I’ll look forward to your report on that recipe.

edit - just went through the recipe. One question I had was: After forming the loaf, what do you smoke it on? I was thinking of a finer mesh grate (like you smoke cheese on) to support the cooking ground meat but allow the grease to drop out.

 

[harper]

Smokin' a 12-pound turkey in a Weber. Started it at 9:00AM. I'm about ready to check the temp after 4 hours. It's hard to keep the temperature down in a Weber. My wife claims that I've never made a dried out turkey. We're old enough that our memories aren't what they used to be. Fortunately it seems like she's forgetting bad experiences. Here it is at 125 degrees. A couple more hours to go.

 

[Knifemaker]

Meatloaf came out great. I bumped the temp near the end to help cook the glaze on.

Fred, I put the both of the “loafs” Directly on my smokers grates, had no issues with it “falling through” as the egg and breadcrumbs held it into a fairly solid chunk.
I did form them the night before, wrapping them both in plastic wrap and putting them in the refrigerator.
I used ground sirloin which was 90/10 lean.

 

[Bounce]

Youngest and her husband did the turkey(s). Very well btw. I did the smoked chicken breast and loaded hash browns. Banana bread, lots of casseroles, etc. No one went home hungry or without leftovers.

Even better was a day with family and grandkids.

 

[Fred W]

From Thanksgiving to Christmas already!

I have a choice grade, 8 1/2 lb, bone-in Beef Rib Roast (aka ”Prime Rib”) to cook for the clan today. Convinced Mama that she should let me cook outside it on one of the smokers.

Dry brined (spicy mustard binder, kosher salt, course black pepper) starting on Saturday AM, so it has had two full days in the fridge. Looks like dry aged beef without the mold.




Plan is to smoke it in the Pit Boss vertical at 225 for a few hours and bring it up to ~112-113 degrees, then wrap it and stick it in an empty cooler for about 45 minutes to an hour. Last step will be a quick, hot sear on my Weber gas grille set to max.

Goal is a perfect edge to edge medium rare when sliced. I’ll carve away the three ribs to be eaten another day, unless my grandson wants to chew on one.

 

[Slow Harley]

Cooked up some grub for the Batterer womens shelter, 60 elderly without family and residentially challenged. Had 30 pounds of wings, 70 pounds of thighs and 12 pounds of Tri tip. Plus about 4 gallons of beans. And 3 full pans of salad. Delivered it all yesterday. They were some mighty grateful people. Wife decorated some cookies for the kids at the shelter too. I ran out of room in the big smoker had to use the little one also Smoked some cream cheese to eat at home wow it’s good

 

[Fred W]

Took right about 3 hours to reach 110 degrees. Rested a bit longer than planned while we opened gifts. Seared the outside lightly. I think I hit the target pretty well. Everyone was happy with flavor and texture. Ate too much for sure today.

 

[Bounce]

Cooked up some grub for the Batterer womens shelter, 60 elderly without family and residentially challenged. Had 30 pounds of wings, 70 pounds of thighs and 12 pounds of Tri tip. Plus about 4 gallons of beans. And 3 full pans of salad. Delivered it all yesterday. They were some mighty grateful people. Wife decorated some cookies for the kids at the shelter too. I ran out of room in the big smoker had to use the little one also Smoked some cream cheese to eat at home wow it’s good View attachment 6082View attachment 6084

That's some commercial scale stuff going on right there. I tells ya!

 

[sloppy]

Cooked up some grub for the Batterer womens shelter, 60 elderly without family and residentially challenged. Had 30 pounds of wings, 70 pounds of thighs and 12 pounds of Tri tip. Plus about 4 gallons of beans. And 3 full pans of salad. Delivered it all yesterday. They were some mighty grateful people. Wife decorated some cookies for the kids at the shelter too. I ran out of room in the big smoker had to use the little one also Smoked some cream cheese to eat at home wow it’s good View attachment 6082View attachment 6083View attachment 6084View attachment 6086View attachment 6087View attachment 6085

Hats off to you Brother! That is what Christmas is all about!

 

[Fred W]

Unseasonably warm here today in Vermont. Picked up a couple of Corned Beef Brisket flats on sale at the supermarket yesterday, one for traditional boiled dinner on St. Paddy’s Day, and a second one for turning into Pastrami. Yum!

After rinsing the meat thoroughly, I trimmed about a pound of fat off of it, seasoned it up heavily with course black pepper, sugar, garlic and onion powder and smoked paprika. No salt since it is already corned.

Smoked it on my Pit Boss vertical 5 series pellet smoker, burning Lumberjack hickory wood pellets, for 4 1/2 hours and now it’s wrapped up in butchers paper and back on to finish up at around 200F.

I’ll take it off then and rest it for a while, then putting it on my Lem meat slicer to get those nice thin slices I like best for sandwiches. Have some buns for my wife and her mother, but I’ll stack mine on some nice seedy dark rye with lots of spicy mustard. Photos to come (if I remember to take some).

 

[Fred W]

Photos




It came out OK, but not as good as the last time.

 

[Warchild]

Jesus Christ and General Jackson! I have been toying recently about scoring one of the smaller Trager wood pellet smoker's, and I recalled there was a little thread about that subject here that I should review.... shyeah, 11-year-old thread and 149 pages!!

I'm sure there is a ton of good info in these 149 pages, but I think I have made up my mind on the Treager Pro 575. Don't really need or want anything larger since it's mostly just Annie and I. We shall see.

 

[Bounce]

Have you tried the Google search function for the forum with

Traeger” (spelling)

?

 

[Fred W]

Might have better luck with searching on “Traeger” (spelling)

You can’t go wrong with one of those, Dale. They are made in China now, as are most of the budget friendlier pellet grills, but they work pretty well.

 

[Knifemaker]

That Pastrami looks real good Fred. What temp did you cook it at?

Well, had a hankering for some baby backs so bought two racks and put them in my pellet smoker about a half hour ago.
Normally I dry brine them overnight just using kosher salt, and then add a saltless rub about an hour before I smoke them.
This time I used a commercial rub, which contains salt (and the usual rub ingredients) and wrapped them up for an overnight stay in the fridge.
I then used my saltless rub on them before putting them in the smoker.
Will see what the difference is in about 4 hours. Photos to follow

 

[Fred W]

Thanks. Cooked at 225 for about an hour then 250 for 3 more before wrapping in butcher paper and 2 more hours at 250. Could have used longer before wrapping, but was rushed to get it done for dinner (wimmens).

My last few batches of ribs on the Pit Boss have been the way you’re doing these ones. I think the meat quality probably matters more than whatever the overnight brining contributes. Flavor wise there’s not much difference, and texture is more how and how long they are cooked

 

[Knifemaker]

The ribs were just what Walmart is selling now (they were US raised, not imported)
They actually came out quite well. Tender and not an overpowering smoke flavor. Decent smoke ring. So we ate one rack and the other went into the freezer for later.
Also made homemade French Fries, using russets. Cut and soaked in water for 6 hours, baked not fried. Those were really good.
Photos:

 

[Bounce]

I love me sum ribs but the dutch in me always sends me elsewhere as the meat:bone ratio can't be amortized.

 

[Fred W]

I’m guessing that the dutch in you doesn’t condone buying much beef at current prices either. I go to the local discount market and shake my head. $10, $12, $14 a lb for beef. At least pork is relatively cheap still.

When they brought out the corned beef briskets for $3 / lb for the holiday I bought some extras for the freezer.

 

[Bounce]

I do stretch my meat budget farther than I did 4 years ago.