Who else is smoking meat?

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

I just bought a Traeger Ironwood 885. Im shocked by how easy it is to use and how effective it is. I made pulled pork with an 8 pound bone in pork shoulder. I had never smoked anything in my life, yet that pulled pork was as good or better than anything ive ever eaten at any legit BBQ joint. The next day i made babyback ribs which turned out absolutely perfect. They may have been the best ribs ive ever had.

Who else is smoking around here? What smoker do you have? Do you have any good recipes?

Here is a pic of my brand new smoker...

The real test is doing a Texas Brisket.

Brisket is the most challenging cut to properly smoke, because one wrong move will make it tougher than a leather motorcycle jacket or sandpaper dry.

If that smoker will hold a steady temp or 225º to 250º and keep the meat moist with a good 1/4 to 3/8 inch smoke ring, it passes.


But, I am not a fan of pellet smokers. It has a slightly different taste, in my opinion.

Just this week, I smoked a 12lb brisket on this cheap-ass Masterbuilt charcoal smoker.

Lowe's--$62

The key is time and temp. I achieved accurate, steady temp using this:

Amazon - $40

I keep the smoker temp in the 225º-250º range, use large wood chunks at the bottom of the charcoal pan (don't throw them on top--bad flavoring--scientifically proven), and use the Minion Method (Minion Method), low and slow internal temp increase to between 195º and 203º, and post-smoke slow resting in foil until the internal reaches 140º before cutting and serving. Skipping one of those steps will cause the meat fibers to remain "hard" (not relaxed and soft) or will cause the moisture to evaporate or leak out, making the meat nearly worthless.

Cheap charcoal smokers take a little more tuning to keep steady (vent adjustments and charcoal placement/ignition), but once you have them dialed in, they hold steady and the flavor cannot be duplicated/imitated.


All who have tasted my brisket have confirmed that it is better than most local and national BBQ vendors (Sonny Brian's Smokehouse being the lone exception, likely because most bbq joints can't afford to pay people to babysit a brisket for 12 hours).

My question is what about that pellet smoker makes it superior to other methods, particularly given the price point? I don't understand the benefits.

.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Maybe smoke a whole chicken next.

If you're looking for moist white meat I dont recommend whole chickens,though brining does help.
I always cut the thin area just below the ribs all way to the end of the chicken and crack it apart you end up with the whole breast and all the dark meat in two seperate pieces.
Pull the breast at 155 and the dark at 175. Once you get it figured out you can get both to come off the pitt at the same time and they're both cooked perfectly.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I just bought a Traeger Ironwood 885. Im shocked by how easy it is to use and how effective it is. I made pulled pork with an 8 pound bone in pork shoulder. I had never smoked anything in my life, yet that pulled pork was as good or better than anything ive ever eaten at any legit BBQ joint. The next day i made babyback ribs which turned out absolutely perfect. They may have been the best ribs ive ever had.

Who else is smoking around here? What smoker do you have? Do you have any good recipes?

Here is a pic of my brand new smoker...

The real test is doing a Texas Brisket.

Brisket is the most challenging cut to properly smoke, because one wrong move will make it tougher than a leather motorcycle jacket or sandpaper dry.

If that smoker will hold a steady temp or 225º to 250º and keep the meat moist with a good 1/4 to 3/8 inch smoke ring, it passes.


But, I am not a fan of pellet smokers. It has a slightly different taste, in my opinion.

Just this week, I smoked a 12lb brisket on this cheap-ass Masterbuilt charcoal smoker.

Lowe's--$62

The key is time and temp. I achieved accurate, steady temp using this:

Amazon - $40

I keep the smoker temp in the 225º-250º range, use large wood chunks at the bottom of the charcoal pan (don't throw them on top--bad flavoring--scientifically proven), and use the Minion Method (Minion Method), low and slow internal temp increase to between 195º and 203º, and post-smoke slow resting in foil until the internal reaches 140º before cutting and serving. Skipping one of those steps will cause the meat fibers to remain "hard" (not relaxed and soft) or will cause the moisture to evaporate or leak out, making the meat nearly worthless.

Cheap charcoal smokers take a little more tuning to keep steady (vent adjustments and charcoal placement/ignition), but once you have them dialed in, they hold steady and the flavor cannot be duplicated/imitated.


All who have tasted my brisket have confirmed that it is better than most local and national BBQ vendors (Sonny Brian's Smokehouse being the lone exception, likely because most bbq joints can't afford to pay people to babysit a brisket for 12 hours).

My question is what about that pellet smoker makes it superior to other methods, particularly given the price point? I don't understand the benefits.

.

It's the ease of use for beginners.......and it helps those of us who cant stay up all night tending the fire anymore.
They'll turn out a perfectly cooked brisket pretty much every time.
But alas the smoke profile is lacking compared to a stick burner.
If I get a huge packer brisket,say a 20 pounder I'll put it on the offset for at least six hours,sometimes all day,and then toss it in the pellet pooper to finish while I get some shuteye. That way you get the best of all worlds. A true smoke taste,perfectly cooked...and some sleep.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Me! I did some beef ribs today.

They don't work like pork ribs.

The taste is great! A lot tougher, though.

My thermometer is my fingers on the smoker top.

Balderdash!!!
You can get beef ribs every bit as tender as baby backs.
Just think of em as brisket on a bone and cook the same way.
These babies tasted like a very rich brisket....and you only need one bone per person.
View attachment 342057

I loathe brisket. Mainly it's probably my hiatal hernia. We got some when we went down south at some Golden Corral..eh..no thx. It was brisket vs. Prime Rib, we like the Prime Rib mo bettah!
My ribs were good, Something tells me I'd have to find a whole standing rib roast with ribs for it to be right.

Nah...just get beef short ribs. They usually come with three ribs and they have enough meat on em to feed four easily.
View attachment 342062

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

You can see the thin lines of fat running through it!!!
Heaven!!

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Now this is the place for the true Texas BBQ experience.....if you dont know someone in Texas that cooks their own.
Arguably the best BBQ on the planet all cooked with Oak,no electricity,no gas.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Now this is the place for the true Texas BBQ experience.....if you dont know someone in Texas that cooks their own.
Arguably the best BBQ on the planet all cooked with Oak,no electricity,no gas.

Did that pork tenderloin today, first attempt at smoking. Came out pretty good but I think the rub actually detracted from the flavor, tender and moist but really peppery with only one teaspoon of pepper. Don't think I'll use a rub any more or I'll omit any pepper, chili powder, etc and maybe just do a sweet rub.

Rubs are hillbilly shit best left at the county fair. Marinate your meat for 16-24 hours with the flavors you desire and select a good wood that you, or others, think is right for the cut

That would depend on where you live.
In Texas we usually just rub on some S&P and toss it in the smoker. Some will put some garlic or onion powder along with that.
We dont marinate beef here,we let the beef S&P and wood do all the work.

 

[Godboy]

I smoked THE best beef brisket flat this weekend. It was 7.7 pounds of heaven. Right now im eating a smoked meatloaf that is also divine. If you have an Ace Hardware near you, i suggest picking up the ingredients for this meatloaf.

 

[Shawnee_b]

I smoked THE best beef brisket flat this weekend. It was 7.7 pounds of heaven. Right now im eating a smoked meatloaf that is also divine. If you have an Ace Hardware near you, i suggest picking up the ingredients for this meatloaf.

Tried "faties"? Awesome, made many. There is a barbecue forum (bbq brethern) has over 10 pages of pics.

FATTY Appreciation thread, please post your creations here.

I thought it would be nice to start a thread to give praise to the Fatty...Whether it be stuffed or nekkid, please share your creations here.

www.bbq-brethren.com

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty - Learn to Smoke Meat with Jeff Phillips

In this recipe, I show you how to make one of my most favorite smoked delicacies.. the bacon wrapped stuffed sausage fatty also called a Bacon Explosion.

www.smoking-meat.com

 

[Godboy]

I smoked THE best beef brisket flat this weekend. It was 7.7 pounds of heaven. Right now im eating a smoked meatloaf that is also divine. If you have an Ace Hardware near you, i suggest picking up the ingredients for this meatloaf.

Tried "faties"? Awesome, made many. There is a barbecue forum (bbq brethern) has over 10 pages of pics.

FATTY Appreciation thread, please post your creations here.

I thought it would be nice to start a thread to give praise to the Fatty...Whether it be stuffed or nekkid, please share your creations here.

www.bbq-brethren.com

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty - Learn to Smoke Meat with Jeff Phillips

In this recipe, I show you how to make one of my most favorite smoked delicacies.. the bacon wrapped stuffed sausage fatty also called a Bacon Explosion.

www.smoking-meat.com

Ive done a couple things similar to that. This one was sooo good.

 

[buttercup]

 

[Godboy]

I just bought a Traeger Ironwood 885. Im shocked by how easy it is to use and how effective it is. I made pulled pork with an 8 pound bone in pork shoulder. I had never smoked anything in my life, yet that pulled pork was as good or better than anything ive ever eaten at any legit BBQ joint. The next day i made babyback ribs which turned out absolutely perfect. They may have been the best ribs ive ever had.

Who else is smoking around here? What smoker do you have? Do you have any good recipes?

Here is a pic of my brand new smoker...

The real test is doing a Texas Brisket.

Brisket is the most challenging cut to properly smoke, because one wrong move will make it tougher than a leather motorcycle jacket or sandpaper dry.

If that smoker will hold a steady temp or 225º to 250º and keep the meat moist with a good 1/4 to 3/8 inch smoke ring, it passes.


But, I am not a fan of pellet smokers. It has a slightly different taste, in my opinion.

Just this week, I smoked a 12lb brisket on this cheap-ass Masterbuilt charcoal smoker.

Lowe's--$62

The key is time and temp. I achieved accurate, steady temp using this:

Amazon - $40

I keep the smoker temp in the 225º-250º range, use large wood chunks at the bottom of the charcoal pan (don't throw them on top--bad flavoring--scientifically proven), and use the Minion Method (Minion Method), low and slow internal temp increase to between 195º and 203º, and post-smoke slow resting in foil until the internal reaches 140º before cutting and serving. Skipping one of those steps will cause the meat fibers to remain "hard" (not relaxed and soft) or will cause the moisture to evaporate or leak out, making the meat nearly worthless.

Cheap charcoal smokers take a little more tuning to keep steady (vent adjustments and charcoal placement/ignition), but once you have them dialed in, they hold steady and the flavor cannot be duplicated/imitated.


All who have tasted my brisket have confirmed that it is better than most local and national BBQ vendors (Sonny Brian's Smokehouse being the lone exception, likely because most bbq joints can't afford to pay people to babysit a brisket for 12 hours).

My question is what about that pellet smoker makes it superior to other methods, particularly given the price point? I don't understand the benefits.

.

I smoked a brisket this weekend. It was perfection.

The benefit to pellet grills, especially Traegers, is they feed themselves. I dont have to do any guess work about how much wood to feed it. I dont have to feed it at all. When the temp drops, the machine will drop another pellet into the burner. Once it gets to the right temp, mine tends to stay within 3 degrees of the set temp. Opening the lid can cause it to compensate for the drop in temp, so it will feed more pellets than necessary during those occasions, but it evens out within a couple minutes.

As for thermometers, i have the Igrill 2, which is freaking awesome! Those probes are super accurate. I know this because i have a $100 portable probe and they are spot on, temp wise. It can support up to 4 different probes and connect to your phone to give you an alert once youve hit the desired temp.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MG2CNDL/?tag=usmb-20

 

[Godboy]

I will be smoking a turkey this weekend. It will take 3 days to thaw in the fridge, then i will brine it for 12 hours or so, then smoke it. Ive never had smoked turkey before. Im hoping this turns out as perfect as everything else ive cooked on the Traeger.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Tried "faties"? Awesome, made many. There is a barbecue forum (bbq brethern) has over 10 pages of pics.

FATTY Appreciation thread, please post your creations here.

I thought it would be nice to start a thread to give praise to the Fatty...Whether it be stuffed or nekkid, please share your creations here.

www.bbq-brethren.com

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty - Learn to Smoke Meat with Jeff Phillips

In this recipe, I show you how to make one of my most favorite smoked delicacies.. the bacon wrapped stuffed sausage fatty also called a Bacon Explosion.

www.smoking-meat.com

Ive done a couple things similar to that. This one was sooo good.


[/QUOTE]

That looks good!

Fatties are a class in their own for sure. You owe it to yourself to look at all 10 pages. Pics and recopies. Stuff with anything. One stuffed with a pecan pie took 1st place. Breakfast fatties. Awesome stuff. When the bacon is crisp, it's done. Roll a pound sausage in a ziplock, cut it away, stuff with your choice, roll and weave bacon. So good you gotta lay down to eat them.

 

[Ringel05]

I just grilled a couple of thick, juicy ribeyes........ Friggin' melt in your mouth heaven!!

 

[Godboy]

I just smoked this turkey. Its resting as we speak. I brined it overnight and took it off the smoker at about 161 degrees. It should be super juicy!