Anyone for Smoked Meats?

[Bird]

Bob the foil lined tray is just the water pan. Lining it with foil before putting water in it isn't necessary but makes it easier to clean up later. The little square box with the wood chips is under that water pan.

Wayne, I'm inclined to agree with you on the timing, but I've heard and read several places about doing briskets in 5 or 6 hours. And I'm not at all sure how they can do that. What I've been doing is cooking them in a roaster pan with lid with just a little bit of water 7 or 8 hours in the oven at 200 degrees. In other words, I turn the oven on when I go to bed. Then the next morning, take the brisket out of the pan and put it on one end of the grill with a pan of water under it and turn the burner at the other end on low with a "smoker box" of mesquite chips over the flame for another 6 to 8 hours. Of course that doesn't actually do much "smoking" of the meat. The guy who taught me to do them that way used a teaspoonful of onion juice and a teaspoonful of garlic juice in the water in the roaster pan before they went into the oven. In more recent times, I've used a little red pepper and lemon pepper.

Next time I'm going to smoke the brisket first, as you said, and then I'll either wrap it in foil and contnue cooking it in the smoker, or I'll put it in the roaster pan and finish it in the oven. I also intend to add one part chili powder to my dry rub.

But now today our youngest daughter (and grandson) are coming out to celebrate her birthday which was actually yesterday, so I've got to make up a big pot of her (and my) favorite; Cajun Shrimp Stew.

 

[MarkV]

Bird, try a little cider vinegar mixed with the water in your water pan. Vinegar is a natural tenderizer and does not leave any vinegar taste to the finished meat. Whether it is our imagination or fact we felt this helped when we started doing it years ago.

Looks like you got yourself a nice smoker there.

MarkV

 

[LMTC]

Bird, try a little cider vinegar mixed with the water in your water pan. Vinegar is a natural tenderizer and does not leave any vinegar taste to the finished meat. Whether it is our imagination or fact we felt this helped when we started doing it years ago.

Looks like you got yourself a nice smoker there.

MarkV

Cider vinegar should be in every pantry. I guess I forgot to say we mist our meats while smoking too....some more, some less. Brisket about every 2 hours. Almost always a mix of cider vinegar and olive oil (sometimes apple juice) as it imparts very little flavor, and what little it does seems very positive. Very important to keep the meat from drying out....that alone will make it tough.

The water pan in a "water smoker" will go a long way toward preventing the meat from drying, but I like misting, especially with oil in the mix, to prevent the meat's surface from drying. Misting does not prevent the formation of bark on a pork shoulder when a good rub is generously applied...I mention this as many folks value that bark as a delicacy.

 

[Bird]

Cider vinegar, huh? Maybe I need to try it. I've also read that some people put beer and/or wine in the water pan. We just almost don't use vinegar except the white distilled vinegar for cleaning some things.

Maybe we still have an aversion to vinegar for a reason. When we were still newly weds (over 40 years ago) my wife prepared a dinner that was inedible one night. It turned out that the recipe she used called for "white wine" and in those days in Texas the only place you could buy wine was the liquor stores; however, she saw "white wine vinegar" at the grocery store and substituted that. We can assure you that is NOT a good substitute.

 

[Egon]

Cajun Shrimp Stew

Any chances of a recipe Bird?

Thanks

 

[Bird]

Cajun Shrimp Stew recipe came from a good friend who is a Cajun in Baton Rouge 35 years ago:

Make a Roux - for those who don't know what that is, you brown flour in oil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching or burning, but I prefer mine browned to a very dark brown color. I use 1/4 cup each of flour and olive oil (any vegetable oil can be used).

Then add:

3 cups of water
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 large chopped bell pepper
1 large chopped onion
6 finely diced garlic cloves
1 large bundle of little green onions chopped, tops and all
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 pounds of shrimp (her recipe called for 2 pounds, but I like lots of meat)
salt, red & black pepper, worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice to taste (I don't actually measure, but think it's about:
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper
2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
(some wait until it's nearly done to add the green onion and lemon juice)

Simmer 45 to an hour.

Then cook up some rice and you put a scoop of rice in your bowl followed by a dipper of the stew; you can make it more or less soupy to taste. I like to eat crackers with it, and don't care whether it's saltines or club crackers.

I just mix the leftover rice and stew to put it in the refrigerator and I think it's even better reheated the next day.

Now the originator of this recipe used both shrimp and oysters and I think that's very good, but my wife and daughters won't touch oysters. I've also made this recipe with both shrimp and flaked fish fillets and like that, too.

If you use the identical recipe, but substitute chicken and sausage for the shrimp, it's a whole different flavor, but also delicious, in my opinion.

 

[Egon]

Thanks Bird.

 

[johnk]

Just make sure you do it low and slow and keep the water in there so it doesn't dry out. I don't think you can overcook the meat as long as the temp is around 250 and the water stays full.

 

[Bird]

John, I think you're probably right, but sometimes the bottom side of a brisket can sure get a tough crust on it. And of course, I don't want to stay up at night to add water to that pan. It does need some water added about every hour and a half to two hours. Your first two pictures do look good, but that's sure not brisket. Just what kind of roast is that? I've been thinking about trying an eye of round roast and see how it does.

 

[Bird]

The water pan in a "water smoker" will go a long way toward preventing the meat from drying, but I like misting, especially with oil in the mix, to prevent the meat's surface from drying. Misting does not prevent the formation of bark on a pork shoulder when a good rub is generously applied...I mention this as many folks value that bark as a delicacy.

Wayne, I'm going to do a little more experimenting. I just applied my dry rub to one rack of baby back ribs, one rack of spareribs, and one rack of beef ribs. Your idea of misting sounds like a good idea to me. I think I'll try it tomorrow with a mixture of red wine, water, and 7-UP and see how it comes out.