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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 524165 times)

Offline ADG

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1480 on: February 21, 2018, 04:47:13 PM »
After I smoke it

How long after the smoking do you plan on eating it? How do you know it will still be good?

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1481 on: February 21, 2018, 07:06:13 PM »
Just a little update on the PBC, and anyone thinking about getting a one. Before my big cook I was worried the pbc would not be able to handle 3 large packers, so I called them someone answered the phone and had a regular human being conversation about the cook she understood what a brisket was and told me she didn’t think the pbc would hold up. Her main concern was not as I had thought  that it was simply too much meat, but rather 3 briskets is a lot of fat dripping and will smother the coals. She suggested going with just 2, I had already trimmed and dry brined 3 and needed to do them. She said I can call on the weekend if I have a “cooking emergency” and needed help even thought the office is closed. She explained that Noah will get back to me if I leave a message. And that’s what I did I called partly for the fun of calling a company’s owner cell phone number (it’s on the recording to call his cell if u need something) and have him deal with your problem. He called me back the next morning I missed his call he apologized for taking so long to get back to me and explained that he had was traveling and had spotty service (to back up what he was saying as he was talking it was very choppy). Anyway he answer my question about the temps, basically told me to crack the lid open for a half hour to get the coals burning. This is something I figured out on my own to get the bbq going and finish my cook. But my point here is the level of costumer service is something I have never seen in my life. I am very impressed and I just wanted to give that over to you guys.
I once called and Noah Glanville answered! (He's the founder/owner of PBC)

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1482 on: February 21, 2018, 07:10:06 PM »
How long after the smoking do you plan on eating it? How do you know it will still be good?
I want to freeze for about 1 to 2 weeks. I would like to reheat it in the bag in water, like Sous Vide (minus the Sous vide gadget)

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1483 on: February 22, 2018, 11:29:51 AM »
@henche I’m think of doing a over night brisket for Purim meal, I know u did this in the past and I have some questions. Normally my brisket needs 4-5 hours in the smoker before needs to be wrapped, leaving it 6-7 hours will it get soft enough to fall off the hooks?
I’m thinking to not light the full 40 briquettes maybe say 20 from what u see online that will run the pbc at lower temp, ever try that?
At that point of wrapping the coals will have been lit for 7 hours not really enough juice to finish in the pbc, ever try adding coals mid cook?

Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1484 on: February 22, 2018, 11:39:27 AM »
@henche I’m think of doing a over night brisket for Purim meal, I know u did this in the past and I have some questions. Normally my brisket needs 4-5 hours in the smoker before needs to be wrapped, leaving it 6-7 hours will it get soft enough to fall off the hooks?
I’m thinking to not light the full 40 briquettes maybe say 20 from what u see online that will run the pbc at lower temp, ever try that?
At that point of wrapping the coals will have been lit for 7 hours not really enough juice to finish in the pbc, ever try adding coals mid cook?

I mean, that's exactly what I did. If you start with a large brisket, I don't think it'll fall.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1485 on: February 22, 2018, 12:02:58 PM »
you can also start late the 1 am.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1486 on: February 22, 2018, 12:38:53 PM »
you can also start late the 1 am.

Nope, we only smoke sober.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1487 on: February 22, 2018, 01:29:20 PM »
Nope, we only smoke sober.

sucks for you...

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1488 on: February 22, 2018, 04:12:06 PM »
Any recs for an electric smoker that I can just leave meat and not have to check it often? 

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1489 on: February 22, 2018, 04:55:36 PM »
Any recs for an electric smoker that I can just leave meat and not have to check it often?

I looked into electronic smokers wound up getting a pellet smoker that doesnt need to be checked so often. Are you stuck on an electric smoker?

The down side to it is the smoke will be minimal and just add a little flavor... rather than the entire cook be generated from the heat of a wood fire (smoke)


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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1490 on: February 25, 2018, 06:10:49 PM »

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1491 on: February 25, 2018, 07:56:10 PM »

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Smoking Meats
« Reply #1492 on: February 25, 2018, 08:36:28 PM »
niiiiiice

that's lamb intestine?
Wow u made that so unappetizing. It’s lamb “casing” and there u go my first sausage.

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1493 on: February 25, 2018, 09:15:41 PM »
Wow u made that so unappetizing. It’s lamb “casing” and there u go my first sausage.

I'm super impressed. Are you smoking that?

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Smoking Meats
« Reply #1494 on: February 25, 2018, 10:50:42 PM »
Making it? Tell us how. And post pics.
Started with the plan to do 60% 15% lamb 25% fat, after 2 butchers didn’t have any lamb this morning I went with 75% beef.
https://meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes/secrets after reading this post 4-5 times I was ready to make some sausages, the challenge as u might have noticed was getting some casings. I lost patience waiting for the collagen casing I used the lamb casing the down side of lamb casing is they are very thin as u can tell for the picture.
The recipe: I used the above website as a guide and picked the spices. A quote from that website (who is quoting some sausage pro) “it’s not about what u put in the sausage more about what u don’t” so I picked the simplest spices (with help from Aaron Franklin).  I love garlic so went for a more garlicky blend.
Salt, black pepper, fresh crushed garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard seed powder, and a little sugar....
Will get to the grind shortly.

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Smoking Meats
« Reply #1495 on: February 25, 2018, 11:32:31 PM »
Started with the plan to do 60% 15% lamb 25% fat, after 2 butchers didn’t have any lamb this morning I went with 75% beef.
https://meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes/secrets after reading this post 4-5 times I was ready to make some sausages, the challenge as u might have noticed was getting some casings. I lost patience waiting for the collagen casing I used the lamb casing the down side of lamb casing is they are very thin as u can tell for the picture.
The recipe: I used the above website as a guide and picked the spices. A quote from that website (who is quoting some sausage pro) “it’s not about what u put in the sausage more about what u don’t” so I picked the simplest spices (with help from Aaron Franklin).  I love garlic so went for a more garlicky blend.
Salt, black pepper, fresh crushed garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard seed powder, and a little sugar....
Will get to the grind shortly.
I did a alot of reading online and watched a bunch of YouTube videos, there are different ways of grinding and stuffing. What I noticed the most was step 1) grind through think grinder 2) mix the spices in 3) grind through a finer grind 4) stuffing, I went with this method. I kind of hit a brick wall because the meat after the second grind got a little paste and I was having a very hard time getting it in there without air (I later realized that All the ppl using this method had special sausage stuffers I was using my kitchen aid). I came up with the idea to almost freeze the meat to get it to go through the grinder to casings (a major thing when making sausage is everything most be cold between every step the meat goes into the freezer).
The spices weighed
Tasting before stuffing
And on the pit barrel and almost done
Soaking the casings
End result was delicious, loved the simplicity and flavor. The only issue it was way to salty when I did the math for the salt I didn’t take into account kosher meat is salted so I followed the measurements from the above website. Overall great experience was a lot of fun my kids got involved and enjoyed it.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2018, 11:35:40 PM by rs242 »

Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1496 on: February 28, 2018, 12:58:24 AM »
Put up my purim brisket to smoke.  I hung it at 1215, and I'll check it when my kid wakes me up at 6.

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Smoking Meats
« Reply #1497 on: February 28, 2018, 08:02:13 AM »
Put up my purim brisket to smoke.  I hung it at 1215, and I'll check it when my kid wakes me up at 6.
A day early no?

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1498 on: February 28, 2018, 08:14:04 AM »
A day early no?

Was annoying last year when I was cutting it piping hot. I'll just slice tonight and maybe rewarm and maybe just pour hot gravy or sauce over

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1499 on: February 28, 2018, 08:14:52 AM »
Was annoying last year when I was cutting it piping hot. I'll just slice tonight and maybe rewarm and maybe just pour hot gravy or sauce over
I’m going to put it up tonight. Still a little nervous