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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 423140 times)

Offline noturbizniss

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1840 on: March 06, 2019, 07:54:51 PM »
I'm considering buying a Pellet smoker, the main reason I want a pellet is because of temperature control and easy set and forget.
I'm thinking of going with a vertical, I'm only going to be using it as a smoker is there any reason not to go with the vertical?
You can get a bbq guru or flame boss to Control temp on a smokey mountain.
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Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1841 on: March 06, 2019, 08:44:13 PM »
I'm considering buying a Pellet smoker, the main reason I want a pellet is because of temperature control and easy set and forget.
I'm thinking of going with a vertical, I'm only going to be using it as a smoker is there any reason not to go with the vertical?
I got a pellet for the same reason. Temperature still fluctuates. I actually had more consistency with regular kettle grill and snake method

Offline Tzadik Nistar

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1842 on: March 06, 2019, 08:56:55 PM »
I got a pellet for the same reason. Temperature still fluctuates. I actually had more consistency with regular kettle grill and snake method
I currently have a PBC and what bothers me is that I'm out of control and can't just smoke for a hour or so, I  need to wait till the coal basket is finished. And when I want to cook multiple things it's hard to add new charcoal
Cleaning out the coals gets me all dirty and when something is hanging I can't put in something else that needs a grate
From my understanding WSM is even more work than PBC

Offline noturbizniss

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1843 on: March 06, 2019, 09:01:48 PM »
I currently have a PBC and what bothers me is that I'm out of control and can't just smoke for a hour or so, I  need to wait till the coal basket is finished. And when I want to cook multiple things it's hard to add new charcoal
Cleaning out the coals gets me all dirty and when something is hanging I can't put in something else that needs a grate
From my understanding WSM is even more work than PBC
I just close the vents and let it go out.
If u want quick smoke get a kettle unless it’s huge
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Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1844 on: March 06, 2019, 09:09:43 PM »
I currently have a PBC and what bothers me is that I'm out of control and can't just smoke for a hour or so, I  need to wait till the coal basket is finished. And when I want to cook multiple things it's hard to add new charcoal
Cleaning out the coals gets me all dirty and when something is hanging I can't put in something else that needs a grate
From my understanding WSM is even more work than PBC

I can solve a couple of these issues.

1. Smoking for an hour or so.  Just take off the food when you're done, and let it burn out.

2. Adding charcoal.  What are you smoking that takes more than 8 hours? (I always transfer to oven when I wrap, since no smoke gets in anyway.)

3. Cleaning out coal. Buy a pizza pan, and put under the coal basket. Then, you just pick up the pan and dump it.

4. Hanging and using grate at same time. PBC sells a half grate for that purpose.


Offline Tzadik Nistar

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1845 on: March 06, 2019, 09:18:28 PM »
I can solve a couple of these issues.

1. Smoking for an hour or so.  Just take off the food when you're done, and let it burn out.

2. Adding charcoal.  What are you smoking that takes more than 8 hours? (I always transfer to oven when I wrap, since no smoke gets in anyway.)

3. Cleaning out coal. Buy a pizza pan, and put under the coal basket. Then, you just pick up the pan and dump it.

4. Hanging and using grate at same time. PBC sells a half grate for that purpose.
Thanks for the tips.

1. That means that you use half a bag of charcoal even for a small cook

2. Was doing 2 shifts on a cold day

Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1846 on: March 07, 2019, 11:37:10 AM »
1. Yes.

2. Yah.

Offline Tzadik Nistar

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1847 on: March 08, 2019, 12:56:27 PM »
I think I've posted my go to PBC recipes a while back, but here they are:

1. Brisket with Big Bad Beef Rub.  Full packer only, hang for about 6 hours, then wrap, put in oven at 225 for another 6.
2. Whole chickens with memphis dust. Hang for about 3 hours (I use 4-5 pound chickens).
3. Salmon. Brine in salt and brown sugar overnight. Then put on plank, cover in thick layer of brown sugar, and put in PBC for about an hour.
4. Wings.  Toss with seasoned salt and random herbs. Or with Memphis dust.  Smoke for 45 mins on the rack, then remove poles to boost heat and baste and flip often with mix of hot sauce and brown sugar or honey until crispy.
5. Ribs. I don't make often, but if I do, it's with BBB rub, and bbq sauce, and usually hang them.
Do you do fish on the same smoker you use for meat?
How do you clean it beforehand?

Offline Naftuli19

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1848 on: March 08, 2019, 12:59:41 PM »
Do you do fish on the same smoker you use for meat?
How do you clean it beforehand?
I do, do u need to clean it?
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Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1849 on: March 19, 2019, 09:59:54 AM »
Do you do fish on the same smoker you use for meat?
How do you clean it beforehand?

I do. I don't clean it. 

Caution: Don't do fish too often, or you will have a fishy smelling smoker.

Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1850 on: March 19, 2019, 10:04:10 AM »
I put a brisket to cure on Sunday, probs smoke it this Sunday.  I'm calling it Montreal Style Smoked Meat, but you can call it whatever you want.

Recipe:
1 Brisket (Whole. Smoking half a brisket is like driving half a car.)
Prague Powder #1, in the proportion calculated on Amazing Ribs . com.
1.5% salt by weight.
Lots of black pepper.  (Needs to "look" like a lot).
Lots of ground coriander. (Same)
Whatever else you feel like and have handy. I think I poured in like a half bottle of garlic powder, some cayenne, probably a tablespoon of ground mustard.

Cover, in fridge, for a week or until you get around to smoking.

Smoke as you would a brisket.  Wrap when you would a brisket.  If you don't wrap your briskets, or if you wrap but not in foil, that's like the ppl who use a hand coffee grinder because electricity isn't authentic.

Throw in fridge until you get around to slicing.  Then slice.  Eat what you eat, and freeze the rest in ziploc bags or else you're like the people who won't use a freezer because it's not authentic.

Update: I made smoked meat sammiches like you can get in Montreal.

Toasted baguettes
chipotle mayonnaise
pickles
banana pepper rings
crispy onions from container
the meat in the quoted text above
more of the meat in the quoted text above, that I diced small and fried until crispy
tried a couple of add'l sauces, but it wasn't necessary





Offline Naftuli19

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1851 on: March 19, 2019, 10:29:26 AM »
I do. I don't clean it. 

Caution: Don't do fish too often, or you will have a fishy smelling smoker.

I usually do my fish in a separate Weber kettle grill, but u can always burn out the grates to get rid of the something fishy smell! and i do fish prob 2 times a week in the summer.
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Offline ushdadude

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1852 on: March 19, 2019, 10:33:04 AM »
I usually do my fish in a separate Weber kettle grill, but u can always burn out the grates to get rid of the @Something Fishy  smell! and i do fish prob 2 times a week in the summer.


Would you need to if you use a plank?

Offline Naftuli19

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1853 on: March 19, 2019, 10:35:35 AM »

Would you need to if you use a plank?
never used a plank before but im assuming it drips over, CMIIW
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Offline henche

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1854 on: March 19, 2019, 12:01:31 PM »
never used a plank before but im assuming it drips over, CMIIW

get a bigger plank

Offline aygart

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1855 on: March 19, 2019, 03:34:46 PM »
never used a plank before but im assuming it drips over, CMIIW
I've placed it into a shallow foil pan to catch anything which drips.
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Offline Tzadik Nistar

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1856 on: March 27, 2019, 07:07:44 PM »
I want to do Dino ribs on my PBC
Until what temperature do I leave them and do I wrap them in the middle?

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1857 on: April 01, 2019, 09:36:20 AM »
I think 203 is the ideal but you determine if they are ready not by temp alone... they must jiggle- meaning you need to probe the meat to make sure it is ready, either with tooth pick or fork. The jiggle indicades that they are truly ready.

As far as rapping, either way should produce a good product. I suggest to be dynamic and judge based on how the cook is going. If your cooking hot then you might want to rap to retain moisture and not to dry them out. Usually ribs are moist and dont need a rap.

It is a very easy item to cook (meaning hard to mess it up). Just don't take it off too early.

Send pics...

 

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1858 on: April 01, 2019, 09:39:35 AM »
here are some pics from my last cook...

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Re: Smoking Meats
« Reply #1859 on: April 01, 2019, 09:39:55 AM »
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