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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 507400 times)

Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #240 on: March 19, 2016, 10:03:50 PM »
what rub did u use how long did it take to smoke?  Is it so much better then bear can chicken?

Yes what rub did you use?

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #241 on: March 19, 2016, 10:05:49 PM »

Yes what rub did you use?
u quoted me

Offline Sport

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #242 on: March 19, 2016, 10:27:46 PM »
what rub did u use how long did it take to smoke?  Is it so much better then bear can chicken?
I think its called Memphis magic dust. Smoked it for about 2 hours, for some reason I couldn't get the temp of the smoker up to 325 but waited until the chicken was 165. Never had beer can chicken, but it was better , first time I've ever seen chicken go over a roast.
Eta: Mephis dusthttp://amazingribs.com/recipes/rubs_pastes_marinades_and_brines/meatheads_memphis_dust.html
« Last Edit: March 19, 2016, 10:33:08 PM by Sport »

Offline grodnoking

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #243 on: March 20, 2016, 12:54:32 AM »
Were there also diffs also? Was it organic, free range, hippie?
No clue. It was from Farmer Franklin's shlachtos upstate NY.
Wait until you try it before it's killed
I'm not who you think I am.

Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #244 on: March 20, 2016, 01:19:24 AM »
No clue. It was from Farmer Franklin's shlachtos upstate NY.

I've been there for shabbos. Was in yeshiva with one of his sons.

His chickens are special in other ways also. Free range, etc.

I like the franklins.


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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #245 on: March 20, 2016, 09:27:45 AM »
Any advise on a thermometer something wireless. It looks like either 35 and reviews says it's junk or 60 but I feel like that's alot

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #246 on: March 20, 2016, 12:14:17 PM »
Any advise on a thermometer something wireless. It looks like either 35 and reviews says it's junk or 60 but I feel like that's alot

I feel like I don't need wireless. So I'll go outside and check every half hour after its been a few hours. Its not like I'm grilling a steak and there's a 30 second window.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #247 on: March 20, 2016, 12:16:39 PM »

I think its called Memphis magic dust. Smoked it for about 2 hours, for some reason I couldn't get the temp of the smoker up to 325 but waited until the chicken was 165. Never had beer can chicken, but it was better , first time I've ever seen chicken go over a roast.
Eta: Mephis dusthttp://amazingribs.com/recipes/rubs_pastes_marinades_and_brines/meatheads_memphis_dust.html
im about to smoke a chicken did u do it whole? Butterflied? Or split it?  Any advice before I start? I plan on doing butterflied with meathead Memphis dust 

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #248 on: March 20, 2016, 12:17:11 PM »

I feel like I don't need wireless. So I'll go outside and check every half hour after its been a few hours. Its not like I'm grilling a steak and there's a 30 second window.
true but I feel like it's a convince I would enjoy

Offline Sport

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #249 on: March 20, 2016, 12:44:41 PM »
im about to smoke a chicken did u do it whole? Butterflied? Or split it?  Any advice before I start? I plan on doing butterflied with meathead Memphis dust
I did it whole. Just follow Henches advice and itll be delicious.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #250 on: March 20, 2016, 12:46:56 PM »

I did it whole. Just follow Henches advice and itll be delicious.
my smoker highest temp is 275 should I do it in the grill

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #251 on: March 20, 2016, 12:48:46 PM »
I feel like I don't need wireless. So I'll go outside and check every half hour after its been a few hours. Its not like I'm grilling a steak and there's a 30 second window.
In the winter the only way to get a brisket smoking for the necessary 12+ hrs is I put my brisket up a bit before  12 thursday night and go to sleep after a few hours and I'm confident the temp is stable. I need a wireless for that, I also set an alert for when the temp dips too low or spikes too high.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #252 on: March 20, 2016, 12:49:29 PM »
my smoker highest temp is 275 should I do it in the grill
No itll prob still be fine. I hardly got my temp over 300

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #253 on: March 20, 2016, 12:52:57 PM »

No itll prob still be fine. I hardly got my temp over 300
and it only took 2 hours?

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #254 on: March 20, 2016, 12:55:06 PM »
and it only took 2 hours?
Yeah, my food temp was 16t I was a little nervous that it wasnt accurate bc whole chicken can be challenging to get an accurate read but it was perfect.

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #255 on: March 20, 2016, 12:58:31 PM »
I did it whole. Just follow Henches advice and itll be delicious.
Did you prop it up at all? Seems like it would be a good idea. Easy way to do that is with a bunt pan

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #256 on: March 20, 2016, 12:59:58 PM »
Did you prop it up at all? Seems like it would be a good idea. Easy way to do that is with a bunt pan
What do you mean by prop it up, keep it off the grates ?

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #257 on: March 20, 2016, 01:05:44 PM »
What do you mean by prop it up, keep it off the grates ?
Meaning, expose all the skin to smoke and heat so everything stays crispy

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #258 on: March 20, 2016, 01:12:01 PM »
Meaning, expose all the skin to smoke and heat so everything stays crispy
Oh yeah the skin wasnt so crispy but I thought that was bc I didntget the temp up high enough.Why wouldnt that happen straight on the grill ?

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #259 on: March 20, 2016, 01:50:30 PM »
Oh yeah the skin wasnt so crispy but I thought that was bc I didntget the temp up high enough.Why wouldnt that happen straight on the grill ?

oh maybe. I would think though that if all the juices flowed down, the skin would get crispier