OT - Barking Carnival comes through on the ol' barbeque
A couple of years ago, Beloved Leader linked the Brisket Pictorial from Barking Carnival on mgo.licio.us. I'm a smoke barbeque fanatic, and the genus Texagasmic is my favorite. Not that I'm opposed to any other in the Barbacoa family, but something about the use of prodigious amounts of black pepper and chiles in the rub sends me to my happy place. Kinda like that time in Amsterdam at the coffee house, only legal.
But I digress. This weekend I had a party and decided to give the Burnt Orange species of smoking meat a whirl. I'd saved that link on my computer for the past two years and finally got up the guts to give brisket a try on the smoker I've had and used for years. Enouragement from my daughter*, for whom the party was thrown, helped summon up my courage. For those of you unfamiliar with the ways of a flat, you can quickly end up with a final product akin to a bullet proof vest if you don't know what you're doing. I've ruined enough of them to start my own major league franchise, or at least become a very successful sports equipment provider.
I can now say from experience that them boyz deepinaharta really know their business when it comes to brisket. For those of you with a similar yen, I encourage you to check their page and give it a try. It was easily the best flat I've ever made.
*She's 14. More like, "DAAaaaaaAAAD! You've just got to make brisket for my party! Puh-leeeze!"
I just bought my first smoker this weekend. Any tips for a newbee? I've read so many conflicting things.
1) Don't be afraid to f-ck up your first few racks of ribs, your first pork shoulder or butt, your first several briskets and turkeys. Smoking meat takes a lot of practice to get it right.
2) Don't worry about the brand of charcoal (if it's a charcoal smoker). Plain old Kingsford will do just fine.
3) If you've got a charcoal smoker, managing the heat will be your biggest challenge while you learn its idiosyncrasies. The amount of heat can be controlled by the amount of air you give to the fire. More air = more heat.
4) Whatever you do, DON'T go above 250 F. Try to stay as close as possible to 225. A little less is fine (210-225 F). The higher you get above that, you will start to over cook the outside of the meat and dry it out before the collagen inside breaks down, and you won't get the pull-apart texture that makes smoke bbq fanatics like me misty eyed.
5) For pork ribs, a n00b should start with the "3-2-1 Method": 3 hours on the smoker, 2 hours wrapped in foil with about 1 cup of braising liquid (apple cider works well) at 225 F, followed by one final hour (unwrapped) in the smoker. 3 hours is a good rule of thumb for time on the smoker, regardless of the cut of meat. Some large pork shoulders/butts can go longer, but there isn't much to be gained by leaving it on longer than that. In 3 hours, most meat has absorbed as much smoke as it can.
Good luck. Smoking meat is a lot of work,and takes a lot of practice, but you will be rewarded for persistence and patience.
EDIT: Just thought of #6: DON'T use mequite for smoking wood, whether chips or chunks (with few exceptions, you should always use chunks in a smoker). Mesquite, while it is a hardwood, is much too harsh for smoke barbeque. Hickory is about as strong a flavor as you want. Normally, I use apple, cherry, and a bit of hickory for spice. If you can get oak, use it.
EDIT-EDIT: Just thought of #7: One of the biggest lessons I've learned is something that is frequently overlooked in many smoking guides and how-to's: target temp of the meat. You've probably heard that grilling and smoking (i.e. barbeque) are not the same. Beyond just "low-and-slow", the trick to getting the meat to "fall off the bone" (actually, for ribs, you want a point just short of that) is to cook the meat to a higher internal temperature than you do when grilling. For pork, (including ribs and shoulder) it's about 185-190. For beef (i.e. brisket) it depends on the thickness of the cut. A thin flat (about 5-6 lbs) should be pulled from the oven at about 185-190. A thicker/larger cut (about 8-9 lbs) should be pulled at 190-195. Chicken and turkey should be cooked to 165, but you'll have to be careful because above 170, parts of the bird will dry out quickly. DO use a meat thermometer while you smoke the meat! Except for ribs (which aren't really practical to gauge with a thermometer) focus on temperature, not time.
Thanks for the tips. You illustrated many of the conflicting opinions I've seen. For example to soak the chips or leave them dry....to use foil, or not use foil....Everyone seems to do it different.
I've been working with a cheapo propane grill for years. I have it dialed in, but it's just propane. I've watched a lot of Man vs. Food lately and briskets and smoking meat was just calling me. I need to learn how to do it.
My wife gave me part of a fathers day present already: two books full of BBQ rubs, sauces, etc. And I got the smoker in my truck ready to assemble. We also ordered some pre-made rubs while I get the grill dialed in so I dont have to worry about making rubs and learning how to work the grill.
I am excited, though I've got picky kids so I hope I don't turn the meals into shoe leather. Maybe I'll get a pack of hot dogs just in case.
I'm looking to buy a combo charcoal grill/smoker and don't really know what to look for. Does anyone have any recommendations as to brands and/or models worth looking into?
You can spend a king's ransom on professional or competition quality set ups. Myself, I've got a charcoal grill (Weber kettle) and a Brinkmann vertical smoker (electric, but I've often used just charcoal in it).
Personally, I like the Texas design for a combo unit: An offset firebox on one side, and a vertical exhaust stack on the other. They are typically all-black and look like two connected cylinders on their sides. There are many on the market with this style.
Your biggest concerns will be related to the quality of construction:
1) Is it powder coated inside and out or painted? If it's painted, (even with high-temp paint) the paint will peel inside and out eventually. That will lead to rust.
2) Stainless steel or cast iron grates are preferred over aluminum due to their durability and ability to take high temps. If you get cast iron (which tend to hold heat better) know that you'll have to season them with vegetable oil after each use, just like a cast iron skillet.
3) If you get a unit with the off-set firebox, that will be great for smoking, but make sure you can put charcoal into the main part of the unit under the food grates when you're grilling. If the "grill" part is intended to be the firebox itself, that will limit the amount of food you can cook at one time.
4) Thickness of the metal matters. Thicker metal will be less susceptible to temperature fluxuation inside the smoker and grill and be more durable over all.
5) A nice to have is the ability to raise and lower the height of the grill surface. Not important for smoking, but if you're grilling, you'll need it for temperature control over the hot coals.
I hope this helps!
I'm converting a former heating oil tank into a very large smoker capable of holding an entire pig. It's a work-in-progress, but so far it's going good. Toughest part is going to be finding a grate to hold the meat.
Just built a huge backyard fireplace into which he can put a whole pig if he wants (he even left holes for a rotisserie). He had his first pig roast this weekend. I'm jealous. I may have to "one-up" him by building an emu (Hawaiian luau earthen oven) in my backyard. My wife will be thrilled - really!
A buddy of mine built an "Ugly Drum Smoker" out of an old, 55-gallon oil drum. He's worked for a few months on ribs and has dialed them in really well. Best ribs made at home I've ever eaten.
Thanks, I really appreciate the info.
I had planned on doing a pork shoulder this weekend, but there was none at the store to be had. I have apple trees in the backyard, so when they get pruned the wood goes to the smoker pile.
I haven't done a brisket yet, sticking mainly with varieties of pork done "Carolina" style. I do want to try a brisket.
For beginners here's a secret trick I used until I got good enough to do it all on the smoker. Leave the meat on the smoker as long as possible, but keep the heat around 225. After a couple of hours it's aborbed about as much smoke as it's going to. That's when you can cheat and move it to a slowcooker.
I've used that as a two day meal prep trick and it's worked great every time. 8 hours of smoke, then overnight at 225 in the slow cooker. It's ready for lunch the next day and nobody knows any different.
To Rudy's BBQ. The original location on I-10 north of downtown SA is just amazing. Lots of places in Texas like it, (gas station outside, market and smokehouse inside). But they ship sauces, rubs and (now) meat anywhere in the country. I used their rubs and sauces for my party today.
I also like The Salt Lick. They use pecan shells as their smoking "wood" along with Texas live oak (Rudy's also uses live oak). Love the flavor that the pecan gives the meat. It's just different.
I'll be in the Big D this week. Can't wait to get down there!
It's the best of the chains, and in central Texas, one is always nearby. When I feel like venturing out from Austin, though, I head to Lockhart for Kreuz Market or Black's. Cooper's out in Llano is awesome, but that's a serious haul, and I don't find myself out that way very often.
You have to use clean burning propane so you can taste the meat not the heat, I tell you what.
AKA "the Bullet". It's the best I've ever used, although I've never sprung for the Big Green Egg. If you're new to the world of smoking, I recommend this book:
It's a really good place to start. The Mr. Brown is the best pork butt I've ever had, and a huge hit whenever I make it. Another good resource, even if you don't have a bullet is the virtual weber bullet website. Lots of good information on prepping meat, smoking methods, and recipes.
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/