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Best first time smoked ribs/brisket recipe: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/spice-rubs-and-pastes/big-bad-beef-rub-recipe

Chickens taste better when cooked whole. Pickles taste better cut. Sandwiches taste better cut and bitten from inside. Meat tastes better sliced against grain.


Definitely a smoker is a personal choice, and what is better depends on what you are looking for.  I say it's a balance of goals, between: (i) making good food, (ii) making authentic BBQ, (iii) having fun with the maaseh of smoking, and (iv) convenience.  Items (iii) and (iv) don't only conflict, they directly oppose each other.

I opted for items (i) and (iv) so went PBC.  I would say WSM is also mostly a (i) and (iv) choice, but it brings in extra elements of (ii) and (iii), at a slight cost to (iv).  Maybe WSM also better at (i)--I have no idea either way.

Further to the above:

If all you want is good food, get a sous vide.

If all you want is authentic BBQ, get a huge offset smoker that you feed with split logs.

If all you want is having fun with the maaseh of smoking, again, get a huge offset smoker.

If all you want is convenience, use your oven.


Henche's PBC review
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=43018.msg1439199#msg1439199
« Last edited by jj1000 on June 04, 2020, 10:13:19 AM »

Author Topic: Smoking Meats  (Read 422830 times)

Offline Sport

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #40 on: August 18, 2014, 05:53:39 PM »

:)
Be forewarned though, it can become addicting, time consuming, and expensive...but still totally worth it.
hence  I haven't tried it yet, but this thread....

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #41 on: August 18, 2014, 06:23:47 PM »
I smoked a 5-pound brisket yesterday and it was phenomenal!

I trimmed a lot of the fat, leaving only a thin layer. I applied the Big Bad Beef Rub. Because the meat was kashured with salt, I didn’t add any to the rub. I applied it right before putting the meat on the grill. The main reason to season beforehand is to allow the salt to penetrate the meat (almost all other spices used are too big to penetrate) so I didn’t think it would be necessary to marinate overnight.
I set the grill up in the “snake method” and added hickory chips to the first half of it. I then placed a large water pan in the bare area and placed the meat on top of that. This configuration helped deflect some of the direct heat from the coals. I placed it fat cap down because I wanted a good bark to form. The temperature was stable at 225 for several hours without any intervention.
As soon as the meat hit 143F, I wrapped it tightly with two layers of heavy-duty foil. I poured a little beer into the foil before sealing it. This method helped me avoid the dreaded stall altogether.
It was getting late so I cheated a little and put the wrapped brisket into my gas grill set at 300F (still indirect heat though). This helped me get the temperate up to 204 within a couple of hours. As soon as I got to temp, I pulled the meat from the grill and let it rest for about 30 minutes still wrapped tightly. I unwrapped it and sliced it perpendicular to the grain and it came out butter soft. The rub I used is a little peppery so it might not be for everyone but the texture of the meat was amazing. You could eat it without a knife.

If you haven’t tried smoking meat yet, I highly recommend it.
I see you've discovered amazingribs.com ;)
Incredible site no?
I have a big container of that rub on my counter. I 10x the recipe everytime I make it.
Did you try any of the BBQ sauces he has?

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #42 on: August 18, 2014, 08:39:57 PM »
I see you've discovered amazingribs.com ;)
Incredible site no?
I have a big container of that rub on my counter. I 10x the recipe everytime I make it.
Did you try any of the BBQ sauces he has?

I did. It's awesome!
I would probably cut down on the pepper a little next time I make it and maybe add a little brown sugar. I haven't gotten to the sauces yet. Which do you recommend?

Offline efflpetzel

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #43 on: August 18, 2014, 11:45:40 PM »

I smoked a 5-pound brisket yesterday and it was phenomenal!

I trimmed a lot of the fat, leaving only a thin layer. I applied the Big Bad Beef Rub. Because the meat was kashured with salt, I didn’t add any to the rub. I applied it right before putting the meat on the grill. The main reason to season beforehand is to allow the salt to penetrate the meat (almost all other spices used are too big to penetrate) so I didn’t think it would be necessary to marinate overnight.
I set the grill up in the “snake method” and added hickory chips to the first half of it. I then placed a large water pan in the bare area and placed the meat on top of that. This configuration helped deflect some of the direct heat from the coals. I placed it fat cap down because I wanted a good bark to form. The temperature was stable at 225 for several hours without any intervention.
As soon as the meat hit 143F, I wrapped it tightly with two layers of heavy-duty foil. I poured a little beer into the foil before sealing it. This method helped me avoid the dreaded stall altogether.
It was getting late so I cheated a little and put the wrapped brisket into my gas grill set at 300F (still indirect heat though). This helped me get the temperate up to 204 within a couple of hours. As soon as I got to temp, I pulled the meat from the grill and let it rest for about 30 minutes still wrapped tightly. I unwrapped it and sliced it perpendicular to the grain and it came out butter soft. The rub I used is a little peppery so it might not be for everyone but the texture of the meat was amazing. You could eat it without a knife.

If you haven’t tried smoking meat yet, I highly recommend it.
please post some pics, hope it looks as good as it sounds

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #44 on: August 19, 2014, 10:52:52 AM »
I did. It's awesome!
I would probably cut down on the pepper a little next time I make it and maybe add a little brown sugar. I haven't gotten to the sauces yet. Which do you recommend?
This. I make a 5x batch every time I make it.
The pepper of rub goes very well with the sweetness in this sauce. It's mindblowingly good.

Offline shnoz

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #45 on: August 19, 2014, 10:58:14 AM »
This. I make a 5x batch every time I make it.
The pepper of rub goes very well with the sweetness in this sauce. It's mindblowingly good.
which steak sauce do you use in it?

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #46 on: August 19, 2014, 11:01:07 AM »
which steak sauce do you use in it?
A1

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #47 on: August 19, 2014, 04:00:53 PM »
please post some pics, hope it looks as good as it sounds
Pre-cooked


Midway through (added mustard powder because I didn't have when I started)


Finished product (sorry for the blurriness)

Offline efflpetzel

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #48 on: August 19, 2014, 04:03:41 PM »
Ohhh, I'm inviting myself for the next smoking session

Offline shnoz

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #49 on: August 19, 2014, 04:09:01 PM »
Ohhh, I'm inviting myself for the next smoking session
Smoking DO ;)

Offline MarkS

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Offline jaywhy

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #51 on: August 19, 2014, 04:35:46 PM »
Pre-cooked


Midway through (added mustard powder because I didn't have when I started)


Finished product (sorry for the blurriness)
Looks great. Gotta get yourself a thermapen ;)

Offline Sport

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #52 on: August 19, 2014, 04:37:11 PM »
Looks awesome, I gotta give this a try.

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #53 on: August 19, 2014, 07:19:08 PM »
This. I make a 5x batch every time I make it.
The pepper of rub goes very well with the sweetness in this sauce. It's mindblowingly good.

That looks really good, better than the texas sauce he has up there. I'm gonna have to try it out next time.


Ohhh, I'm inviting myself for the next smoking session
lol..looks like I'll have to up it to a full 16 pounder :)
Looks great. Gotta get yourself a thermapen ;)
Thanks. It's on my shopping list. I wanted to see if this is something I'd get into before investing on more equipment.
Looks awesome, I gotta give this a try.
It is awesome...definitely give it a whirl.

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #54 on: August 27, 2014, 10:41:31 PM »
This. I make a 5x batch every time I make it.
The pepper of rub goes very well with the sweetness in this sauce. It's mindblowingly good.
When and how do you apply sauce? Do you just serve them together or actually apply it some time during cooking?

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #55 on: August 27, 2014, 11:10:02 PM »
When and how do you apply sauce? Do you just serve them together or actually apply it some time during cooking?
I just serve them together.

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #56 on: August 27, 2014, 11:13:45 PM »
I just serve them together.
Interesting.
So wrapping really helped keep the meat tender but the bark was soft as well. Any tips on how to crisp it up without drying out the meat itself?

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #57 on: August 28, 2014, 12:28:34 AM »
Interesting.
So wrapping really helped keep the meat tender but the bark was soft as well. Any tips on how to crisp it up without drying out the meat itself?
Unwrap it and put it over direct heat for a bit.

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #58 on: August 28, 2014, 12:50:40 AM »
Right before serving I guess because I still want to keep it wrapped right off the heat so it absorbs some of the juices back.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #59 on: November 07, 2014, 11:01:39 AM »
I just moved to a second floor apartment but have negotiated the right to keep my BBQs 8) Can I use a infrared thermometer to check the temp of the grill from a window? How reliable would that be? Should I just splurge for a bluetooth thermometer instead?