Anyone for Smoked Meats?

[L3650]

I have been thinking about building a smoker made from steel drums. Something like this. Last year I did a whole pig on a rented rig for a neighborhood party and my family still talks about it. This is the one I plan on building come warmer weather...

Big Smokey

 

[LMTC]

Bird, we have been smoking meat for years. Done right, it's as close as we get to heaven while alive. Done wrong it's still better than just about anything else. I will look up a couple recipes....we use a #3 rub (it came to us named that way) on pork shoulders from which we make pulled pork and on ribs. It is numero uno with us. Also have another we use on loins and ribs sometimes. In commercial preparations we are fond of Head Country's dry rub, and their sauce. Refresh me on your email and I'll send a word doc along in the next couple days.

Also try "smoked fatties"....a roll of breakfast sausage smoked app 3 hours...it loses most of it's fat, becomes fairly firm and dense, and tastes unbelievably good. We smoke 8-12 rolls at a time and freeze them. Make great snacks sliced and warmed on crackers, and a darn good sandwich fixin' too. Had brisket for dinner last night....and it was good.

Using charcoal on a Chargriller w/ side fire box--a whopping $125 investment at Lowe's a few years back

 

[Wesdor]

I can't claim to be in the same world you guys. I bought a wood fired smoker 3 years ago. Paid about $30 for it and have to put in charcoal and whatever wood I have.

The taste is FANTASTIC!!! A friend of mine instructed me to use brown sugar as a glaze on the meat. i've tried other things, but the brown sugar seems to do a very nice job. We've done chicken, beef, and pork. I usally have some hickory or apple that I throw in on top of the charcoal once it gets going.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Rule 1) SMOKE IS the flavor. Everything else is either a detriment or, if you're lucky, a bonus ... but not needed. Remember, MEAT is a flavor too.

Rule 2) Salt, smoke, sugar, compliment each other. The "wrong" ratio of any defeats the others. One can, marginally, do without sugar, but not salt. As reference, contemplate the perfect smoked meat ... HAM.

Hey, a quick question, do those gas smokers have a thermocouple (thermostat) to REALLY control the temp?

Final thought: smoked lamb leg.

 

[Soundguy]

You know Bird.. If ya lived a wee bit closer to my part of Fl.. I might come visit ya after ya get that smoker. .. Pulle dpork.. yum!
Soundguy

I've barbecued lots of briskets by first cooking them in the oven, and then on the gas grill with mesquite chips in a smoker box. They're good, we like them, but they just don't get "smoked" enough; at least not like I used to smoke briskets, fish, even oysters on a Cookin' Cajun charcoal smoker years ago. I've read where some purists say you simply cannot properly smoke barbecue with gas or electric; must use wood. Well, our next door neighbors have fixed pulled pork and pork ribs on a gas smoker that I think just can't be beat.

So I decided to buy a gas smoker. Homedepot.com has the one I wanted for $189 and since I have a Home Depot gift card, I decided to order it. That is, until I found out that they want $59.23 shipping and handling added onto that, and they say it is not and will not be available in the stores so that's the only way you can get it from them. So I checked walmart.com and they have the identical smoker for $128.88 and their shipping and handling charge is $19.97. Now I don't mind paying a little more for a product, but that big a difference for the identical product is just a little too steep to suit me, so Walmart shipped mine today; should be here sometime next week.

Now I've smoked briskets, fish, oysters, chicken, and rabbits, but there are some things I haven't tried. I think pork loins should be good, but wonder who has a good recipe for a barbecue rub to use on them. My wife and I have, a couple of times, bought 3 pound boneless turkey "roasts" and it seems to me that they should be good smoked, but I don't know what seasonings or recipe would be best.

Any suggestions or recipes?

 

[jeffinsgf]

New Orleans School of Cooking has a great catalog of cooking supplies, including my all time favorite rub called, "Joe's Stuff". There's lots of spice blends out there, but this one is my favorite. It's great on everything, particularly ribs.

I use a Big Green Egg. It was expensive, but I have had it almost 10 years now, and it works as good as the day I brought it home -- maybe better. I can't say that about any grill, gas or charcoal that I had owned before. Heck, I felt lucky to get more than 3 or 4 years out of any of them. I can smoke, slow cook, or grill all with the same Egg.

With all the talk about graduation parties, I did a whole salmon for my nephew's graduation party a few years ago. That was a hit!

I'll second the recommendation for the book, "Smoke and Spice". It is one of two or three that I go back to time and time again, compared to the 20 or 30 that sit on the shelf.

 

[Bird]

I did a whole salmon for my nephew's graduation party

Smoked or just barbecued? I do like smoked salmon, but quite a few years ago, I barbecued a whole one with barbecue sauce, wrapped in foil, on the grill. We had several neighbors over for a little party and it seemed to go over well. In fact, a few months later one of the neighbors called to say they'd bought a whole salmon and wanted to know how I fixed it because they wanted to do the same thing. Personally, I didn't think it was good enough to ever do again. I had a recipe that came from friends in Alaska for a brine to smoke salmon and I've lost the recipe. I know it included water, salt, brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worchestershire sauce, but can't remember the ratios. I'll have to experiment I guess. I used that same recipe to do shark steaks and sheepshead fillets, with the shark being my favorite.

 

[Bird]

He has recieved an appointment to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London CT.

Congratulations to him, and to you, too, John. That's great.

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Bird,
Thats really strange that I tuned into this thread this morning and just yesterday I was contemplating buying a smoker this coming spring, My first thought was I was gonna start with a small turkey, but obviously the options on what to smoke are endless I will be following what others are using and methodoligy for rubs and such closely ! Thanks for starting what proves to be a very interesting thread !

Bird, BTW, how long would you think it would take to smoke a good sized salmon?

 

[jeffinsgf]

Smoked or just barbecued? .....

Smoked. 8 or 9 hours as I remember. The recipe was from the aforementioned "Smoke & Spice". The marinade had the usual vinegars, salts, and sugars, but the unique flavor came from a couple shots of gin.