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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 422969 times)

Offline Sport

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #320 on: May 20, 2016, 12:42:09 AM »
Wow how did u get such a fat cap? ( assuming it's a brisket). With kosher meat it all comes from the plants pre cut with very little fat in top
I only buy it if it has the fat cap. I always ask the butcher, seasons in queens usually hooks me up, this week he couldnt get for me so I went to arons.

Offline rs242

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #321 on: May 20, 2016, 12:44:41 AM »
I only buy it if it has the fat cap. I always ask the butcher, seasons in queens usually hooks me up, this week he couldnt get for me so I went to arons.
Now that seasons in Lakewood opened I started using them (what a pleasure) I ask them to leave as much fat on as possible some times they even give me a discount because I'm taking the fat they would we cutting off. But still as far as fat cap nothing like that picture

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #322 on: May 20, 2016, 12:53:24 AM »
Now that seasons in Lakewood opened I started using them (what a pleasure) I ask them to leave as much fat on as possible some times they even give me a discount because I'm taking the fat they would we cutting off. But still as far as fat cap nothing like that picture
I actually trimmed some of the meat that wasnt covered with the fat and used it for my chulent

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #323 on: May 20, 2016, 01:00:27 AM »
I actually trimmed some of the meat that wasnt covered with the fat and used it for my chulent
Nice. I would love to do that just to see my wife's face.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #324 on: May 20, 2016, 08:05:40 AM »
Wow how did u get such a fat cap? ( assuming it's a brisket). With kosher meat it all comes from the plants pre cut with very little fat in top

pomegranate did it for me. but to be honest, you don't need such a fat cap to get great smoked brisket.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #325 on: May 20, 2016, 09:28:45 AM »
pomegranate did it for me. but to be honest, you don't need such a fat cap to get great smoked brisket.
I've never tried without the fat cap and I've never had issues with the brisket drying out even though I don't inject. If I was home the entire time it was on the smoker I'd try it without that much fat cap so that I could inject, because although the fat cap keeps it moist and adds some nice flavor it can be too much.

Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #326 on: May 20, 2016, 10:00:11 AM »
No fat cap! I want to eat the crust! That big ol' fat cap ain't gonna render.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #327 on: May 20, 2016, 10:05:15 AM »
No fat cap! I want to eat the crust! That big ol' fat cap ain't gonna render.

B"H I'm not the only crazy one who thinks meat > fat
I'm an optimist; but only because life isn't going to give me any other good choices.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #328 on: May 20, 2016, 11:10:07 AM »
No fat cap! I want to eat the crust! That big ol' fat cap ain't gonna render.
If its not too thick (<1/4 inch) you can eat the crust.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #329 on: May 20, 2016, 12:05:28 PM »
If its not too thick (<1/4 inch) you can eat the crust.

Yah, and if thin enough then will render also.  In video instructions for my PBC, they cut off most of it. See http://www.pitbarrelcooker.com/videos/beef-brisket

really, watch the video. they're fun.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #330 on: May 20, 2016, 12:45:21 PM »
B"H I'm not the only crazy one who thinks meat > fat

agreed. often people leave the fat to act as a barrier from firect heat. if the heat and meat are arrange properly you shouldn't have an issue.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #331 on: May 22, 2016, 12:23:23 AM »
I only buy it if it has the fat cap. I always ask the butcher, seasons in queens usually hooks me up, this week he couldnt get for me so I went to arons.
How much was it per pound at Seasons and Arons?

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #332 on: May 22, 2016, 08:14:10 AM »
How much was it per pound at Seasons and Arons?
They usually charge me 9.99-10.99.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #333 on: May 22, 2016, 08:25:58 AM »
They usually charge me 9.99-10.99.

Considering seasons routinely has sales for 6 a lb, and arons I've seen for 7, that seems like quite a premium for the fat, no?

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #334 on: May 22, 2016, 08:32:14 AM »
Considering seasons routinely has sales for 6 a lb, and arons I've seen for 7, that seems like quite a premium for the fat, no?
Yeah, they usually wont give me the sale price for "special orders".

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #335 on: May 22, 2016, 09:36:27 AM »
Yeah, they usually wont give me the sale price for "special orders".

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #336 on: May 23, 2016, 12:14:36 AM »
Yeah, they usually wont give me the sale price for "special orders".
I once bought the entire uncut brisket, still in the vacuum packed bag, from Aaron's for 8.99 pound.  They didn't have 2nd cut with fat on it and offered me the whole thing... impulse buy. My kids got a kick out of seeing it, they thought I bought an entire cow.

They trimmed it for me AFTER pricing it with the fat. It was a bit too big to smoke, I had to cut it (basically 1st cut and 2nd).

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #337 on: May 23, 2016, 11:38:24 AM »
I once bought the entire uncut brisket, still in the vacuum packed bag, from Aaron's for 8.99 pound.  They didn't have 2nd cut with fat on it and offered me the whole thing... impulse buy. My kids got a kick out of seeing it, they thought I bought an entire cow.

They trimmed it for me AFTER pricing it with the fat. It was a bit too big to smoke, I had to cut it (basically 1st cut and 2nd).
Every store does that. Kinda a jerky move. My wife buys chicken quarters and there is always tons of garbage hidden under the chicken pieces

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #338 on: May 23, 2016, 11:52:11 AM »
I once bought the entire uncut brisket, still in the vacuum packed bag, from Aaron's for 8.99 pound.  They didn't have 2nd cut with fat on it and offered me the whole thing... impulse buy. My kids got a kick out of seeing it, they thought I bought an entire cow.

They trimmed it for me AFTER pricing it with the fat. It was a bit too big to smoke, I had to cut it (basically 1st cut and 2nd).

I bought a whole brisket from Arons for the same price. It's still in the vacuum pack, in my freezer.  I'll get around to smoking it sometime.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #339 on: May 23, 2016, 12:02:58 PM »
I bought a whole brisket from Arons for the same price. It's still in the vacuum pack, in my freezer.  I'll get around to smoking it sometime.
If you bring it back defrosted still in the pack, they will probably trim it for you for free.