Slow Smoking Meat: I'm a Microbiologist, Dumbass.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > Slow Smoking Meat: I'm a Microbiologist, Dumbass.

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

My oh my do I love tri-tip roasts...stupid grocery store near me cuts them up as "steaks".

But they are more of a hot and fast cook to me.

OBAMNA PHONE fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Apr 26, 2012

# ¿ Apr 26, 2012 02:29

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 06:29

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Senior Funkenstien posted:

How do you guys recommend I prep a pork butt. I didn't see anything posted earlier about the particulars.

I have already rubbed it with my favorite spices but from what I've read elsewhere on the net a lot of people inject and then baste throughout cooking. I didn't see anything about foiling. Any ideas?

Coat with plain yellow mustard (I do this for ribs too), apply rub and smoke that poo poo up!

# ¿ May 1, 2012 01:55

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Rutger_Haas posted:

Reading this post has helped me decide to get an XL Egg. Thank you!

Glad I joined these forums. I hope to be able to add more after I have purchased the egg.

R

You will love it! They are a real pleasure to use, and the versatility is fantastic.

# ¿ May 8, 2012 18:48

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Astronaut Jones posted:

So I smoked a nearly 11lb butt this weekend, my first attempt. Two days prior, I applied yellow mustard and a liberal application of rub and wrapped it up in plastic wrap.

It turned out great, but it didn't have any bark on it, nor was it black when I foiled it (at like 150F, it stalled for a long time and I was worried). It just looked like a big brown chunk of pork.

I smoked it at 225F, and it took 11 hours to get to 200F. I sprayed rum and apple juice on it every hour or two for the first 3-4 hours until I foiled it.

What am I doing wrong? Should I have applied more rub prior to cooking? I'm thinking the lack of rub (which did have sugar in it) is the reason why I didn't end up with much in the way of bark.

In my experience there is little to be gained from applying rub to a shoulder in advance. Besides the moisture loss salt causes, I felt it added an extra "hammy" flavor to the meat.

Wrapping in foil accelerates cooking time but will kill your bark. I never bother with it.

If you want to make sure you have extra juice and flavor, you would be better off injecting rather than mopping (another bark killer).

# ¿ Jun 8, 2012 22:20

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Stringent posted:

I gotta disagree with this. The moisture from the mop will burn off after an hour or so and I've found it keeps the meat on the outside from drying excessively.

Ok, ill give it another try next time I make some shoulder.

Ill do one unmopped and one mopped...any suggestions for mop liquid and procedure?

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 19:44

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

TECHNICAL Thug posted:

We got my dad a bge for fathers day and now I'm all kinds of jealous.

They are amazing! Set up a Craigslist auto search and you can find a used one at a great price.

# ¿ Jun 17, 2012 20:34

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Babybacks are way faster to cook, I never foil them and they usually take 3-4 hrs on my big green egg.

# ¿ Jun 25, 2012 18:16

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

It definitely has a learning curve; you will learn quickly its always better to undershoot on temps because it takes so long to normalize if you go way over. The bottom is the main temp control, Daisy wheel on top is your fine adjustment.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2012 07:00

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Try Googling "serious eats smoked duck" for some good info and a recipe, the author mentions that he will try crisping the skin further with baking powder in the fridge.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2012 22:42

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Large bge with those extras is a fuckin deal for 500

# ¿ Sep 21, 2012 07:52

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Choadmaster posted:

So a couple nights ago I smoked a rack of beef back ribs, beef short ribs, and one rack of babybacks.

I think I got the babybacks right this time. I cooked them longer and they seemed a lot more tender - with the exception of the last five or so ribs at the thicker end. Is it worth cutting the rack into thirds and leaving that last third on longer?

It was my first attempt at beef ribs and I think I hit it pretty well spot-on for once. The only downside is I think I used a bit too much rub. Also, I wasn't sure what kind of sauce I should use on the beef back ribs. Any recommendations/recipes? (Yes, they were good with just the rub but it seemed like they were missing something anyway.)

Tonight I'm trying another batch of short ribs; this time I want to cook half of them just to 155 degrees and the other half to 185 like I did last time, just for comparison sake. I see some recipes call for 155 though most say 180-190.

I also tossed in a tri-tip that I'll cook to 135 degrees or so. I'm hoping this will be the most loving delicious tri-tip ever. I marinated it overnight in my usual marinade and then rubbed it with my usual rub with a little bit of sugar added. If it works out I'll post the recipe.

I had some space left so I tossed on some bell peppers, pasilla peppers stuffed with cheese (I hope that works), bratwurst, and other random poo poo. What other small things are good to throw in there?

Tritip really is a hot and fast kind of cook but tell us how it turns out.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2012 23:13

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Choadmaster posted:

I'd generally agree with you. But one weekend about nine years ago I was camping on the beach and, lacking a grill, buried my tritips in a pit with a bunch of hot coals for four hours or so. I had no idea if it would work out and still have no idea what I managed to do, but it was the most loving delicious and tender meat I've ever managed to produce. I've tried the same trick at my house a few times and have never managed to reproduce it properly. I was hoping maybe a really slow cook in the smoker would get me something similar.

So how'd it turn out? Okay. Not spectacular though. The meat got up to 130° in just over an hour so it actually wasn't in there for very long. It was wonderfully evenly-cooked, but the outside surface was just too soggy and unimpressive (not that my pit-cooked tritips had any kind of bark either, but they were awesome enough that this was irrelevant). In hindsight I probably should have cooked it a tiny bit less in the smoker and then seared it really quick on the grill.

My veggies - bell pepper, onion, and cheese-stuffed pasilla pepper (okay, peppers are fruits but whatever) - came out good, though the cheese I stuffed the pasillas with was too mild. The smoked onion came out remarkably sweet, and the bell pepper really had a lot of smoke flavor.

But the best thing came the next day at lunch when I chopped up all the leftovers, sautéed them just a little bit, and made some tacos. Sweet onion; smoky peppers; juicy meat. It was perfect! (If not pretty )

I'm going to try another experiment tomorrow, with two more tritips. These are a lot bigger so they should take longer; hopefully they'll at least absorb more smoky flavor. I'm going to try cooking one to 150° and the other to 205° (like a brisket, I guess, though I haven't tried brisket yet). And I'll sear both.

Now, one thing I still have big questions about. I did an experiment with short ribs and decided I prefer cooking them to 200° (150° was definitely juicier but way more stringy). However, compared with short ribs I've gotten at BBQ joints mine seem to come out relatively dry and not as tender. I tried a second batch over the weekend that I mopped every 45 minutes or so, and that didn't seem to affect the dryness (or even the flavor much that I could tell).

What am I doing wrong? Should I cook them to more than 200°? (I've seen 210° mentioned some places.) Less? Lots of water in the water pan?

Not bad but looks like it needs some sear on it.

Here's the recipe I use for tri tip:

http://eggsbythebay.com/Recipes.html

Someone's pics of this recipe:

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1117388/morro-bay-richs-santa-maria-style-tri-tip

# ¿ Oct 18, 2012 15:29

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Choadmaster posted:

Everyone seems to have a different temperature they like! I've tried cooking them to 150ish and I don't like how that turned out. I'll try 175 next time. Or better yet, I could get six or so short ribs and pull each one out in increments of 5 degrees and see which works best. I think I'll do that.

FWIW, to get to 200, I had the ribs in there for about 6 hours.

At 400 degrees? I have no trouble grilling myself a delicious tritip in the usual way; I was just hoping to recapture that unique ultra-tenderness I got when I pit-cooked them once by slow-cooking some at a lower temp in the smoker. Maybe it isn't going to work, but I still intend to give it a good try!

Gotcha... Maybe you could smoke it for a while and sear it at the end? It's always been tender for me as long as I monitor the internal temperature

# ¿ Oct 18, 2012 23:08

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

OBAMNA PHONE fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Oct 29, 2012

# ¿ Oct 29, 2012 01:38

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

vulturesrow posted:

Dude that seriously sucks. How did that happen?

I was moving it out of the garage and should have pulled instead of pushed as I moved it.

Sigh...my BGE was the best 500 bucks I ever spent.

# ¿ Oct 29, 2012 02:09

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

No, it definitely crumbled at the corner too much to fix it... Plus I doubt any glues can handle the 1000-1500* F temps that the egg reaches.

# ¿ Oct 29, 2012 15:20

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Trust me guys; I like fixing stuff but I know when to just let things go.

It was in the dumpster within 30 minutes

# ¿ Oct 29, 2012 22:54

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Already found a new (used) large big green egg to replace Humpty Dumpty. 500 bucks! Picked it up from a dealer who was selling his store's demo unit. Totally made my week!

# ¿ Nov 18, 2012 18:21

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Definitely too high for a smoke. That's closer to grilling or roasting temp.

# ¿ Feb 23, 2013 21:10

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Hold out for a used BGE. They are fantastic (I'm on my third one) but not worth 1500.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2013 18:16

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Asking dealers if they will sell their demo units works pretty well. I scored a large BGE with a few gadgets for 500.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2013 21:29

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

The Stoker https://www.rocksbarbque.com and BbqGuru https://www.thebbqguru.com are the only two I know of and they are 300 and up for wifi enabled units.

I have a older bbq guru which I use on my bge. No complaints with it.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2013 00:32

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

His Divine Shadow posted:

I smoked a pork shoulder once in my smoker and it turned out really bad, like I did not eat it and threw it out. The smoke taste was overpowering with a metallic taste to it. I used sticks of applewood from some random young apple tree my parents are growing in their yard.

Did I smoke it too much perhaps (I had smoke going the whole cooking time), I am wondering if I should have stopped the smoking at 2hrs or so, and maybe wrapped it in foil for the remainder? Or maybe the wood was no good, I don't got any big chunks from aged applewood which I believe would be best, only scrawny sticks.

Did you use green (not dried) wood? That would be my first guess based on your story

# ¿ Apr 16, 2013 16:04

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

I'm a big fan of wicked good charcoal, made from Brazillian hardwoods

# ¿ Jun 4, 2013 03:29

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

If you want to buy new, I'd recommend emailing the 10 closest dealers and see what you can find.

As for used, Eggfests are better than new prices but I have had the best luck buying used ones on Craigslist. I have bought 3 for under 500 so far (in Seattle where few are available).

# ¿ Jun 5, 2013 18:11

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

I attended eggs by the bay in 2011, had a great time. Free beer included with admission too.

Martello posted:

What are you doing with three BGEs?

First one was a medium, sold it to a friend when I found a smoking deal on a large. Broke that one about 6 months ago and then found a replacement a couple months later.

# ¿ Jun 6, 2013 18:26

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Rurutia posted:

Is $400 for a medium BGE OK?

Good price but you will regret not having more cooking surface and the springs loaded lid.

# ¿ Jun 6, 2013 21:08

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Ugh, I'm not having any luck keeping my Amaz-n-smoker going :arghfist:

I was so excited to finally make my own smoked salmon but it looks like this poo poo just isn't going to work out

OBAMNA PHONE fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Jun 26, 2013

# ¿ Jun 26, 2013 03:19

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

VERTiG0 posted:

Are you lighting it with a lighter or a propane torch?

I was using a MAPP torch in my BGE. Maybe it was airflow?

# ¿ Jun 27, 2013 00:07

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

It's hard to cook enough ribs at once on a large BGE... I can do 3 racks of baby backs without using a two-tier SETUP. Smaller eggs are even harder to find because large eggs are most common.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2013 16:08

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Fortunately BGEs don't really have any wear parts, just the occasional cracking of the internal ceramic parts, which are still useable but can help you negotiate a better price. I've found two large BGEs for 500 in Seattle where they are much less common than in the south.

FYI eggs older than 2000 are rare but they don't allow for high temp cooking

# ¿ Jun 29, 2013 21:45

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

PainBreak posted:

I've never used a Big Green Egg, but it almost seems like a solution for a problem that doesn't yet exist. Does it get up to brick oven temps for pizza? That could potentially make it worth buying a used one, if it were a viable substitute, but it seems a lot of people recommend them as a smoker.

For low heat smoking, you still need to have ample and adequate airflow in order for the smoke itself not to stagnate and become acrid. So, in properly smoking, I don't see how the investment pays dividends over, say, a Weber Bullet, if you're dedicated to charcoal.

What are its other benefits that justify its price (and ridiculous weight)?

The BGE is just the American version of a kamodo grill which has been used for thousands of years in Asia.

The ceramic body retains heat very, very well which allows for very stable temperature control and extremely moist food.

I love it because it's a great all in one tool which allows for smoking, grilling and high temp baking or pizza making.

Who cares how heavy it is? What a dumb thing to complain about.

# ¿ Jun 30, 2013 09:24

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Smoking poultry does require restraint when it comes to how much smoking wood you add to your charcoal.

How long did the turkey leg take to cook?

# ¿ Jul 24, 2013 03:15

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Start your shoulder earlier and skip the foil while cooking.

If you are timing it for guests, I prefer to wrap with foil and then an old towel after they hit 200° and then throw them into a cooler for 2-3 hours before shredding them.

# ¿ Jul 29, 2013 20:18

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

I find misting for babybacks is a good idea, but i dont bother doing misting for mopping for pork shoulders

# ¿ Aug 2, 2013 17:24

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

I don't think it would work particularly well, especially when you can make an ugly drum smoker for about 100 bucks.

File cabinets are generally cheaply made--you will have many potential air leak sources.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2013 21:11

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

coronaball posted:

Apparently after I made my last pork butt last weekend, the water in the water pan in my WSM evaporated to nothing, leaving about 2 inches of a thick, gluey black sludge at the bottom of the bowl. Anybody have any idea on how to clean this?

And yes, I'll be foiling the bowl from now on.

Sometimes it's just easier to buy those disposable aluminum pans at cash & carry and toss them when you're done.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2013 16:13

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Crazyeyes posted:

My hot smoking method is pretty top notch, but I am working on replicating the kind of lox found on a bagel (which the internet tells me is from cold smoking).

Lox is unsmoked, just cured.

Cold smoked salmon has a more delicate texture than hot smoked.

# ¿ Oct 17, 2013 15:44

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

Some rear end in a top hat stole my big green egg last night. gently caress thieves forever and ever.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2013 03:33

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 06:29

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

I love Dizzy Pig rubs. I usually buy bulk packages of dizzy dust coarse for bbq ribs and pulled pork. almost all of the blends are great but I really like Swamp Venom, Shakin the Tree and Cow Lick.

# ¿ Nov 5, 2013 18:29

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