|
So I am about to pull the trigger on my first smoker and have chosen a WSM 18". That part is easy for me as I own 4 more Webber grills of various types and am pleased with them all. I am having a hard time deciding on what to do for a thermometer though. My Thermapen gets daily use, so the ThermaQ seems like an obvious choice, but it's rather pricey and I'm not sure if I want to invest quite that much when I am just getting started. Also it lacks any kind of wifi/bluetooth alarm/logging abilities - although with the extension cables for the probes I could easily keep the base station in my house while smoking something outside. I would definitely trust its accuracy though... Are the other options out there as accurate? How about accurate with more features for less cost (yeah yeah I know). Back before I got my Thermapen I had some bad experiences with cheap digital thermometers so accuracy is huge for me.
|
#
¿
Mar 4, 2017 01:47
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 6, 2024 11:36 |
|
|
Blinkz0rz posted:
Honestly it looks like the brisket you did was really lacking in fat - I destroyed the first one I made and then did a bunch of reading here and bought Aaron Franklin's book, which mentions needing about a 1/4 inch fat cap turned to the hot side of your smoker (so in my case, as in his, cook it fat side up) until the brisket it all the way through the stall, at which point he wraps it in pink butcher paper (not foil) and brings it up to around 210-ish, or until it feels jiggly in your hands. Been doing it this way for awhile and all subsequent briskets have turned out amazing. In regards to the fat cap thing, always look for prime grade or equivalent brisket - Aaron's book has a ton of stuff about meat quality and the choice poo poo you get at the grocery stores just doesn't cut it. I get mine either from my local butcher (wayyy out of the city and out where they actually raise the cattle) and tell them how I want it cut and have also had a lot of good luck with the Prime whole packers (not the more expensive Choice grade Flats) from Costco (at only $2.99 a lb - PBUC).
|
|
#
¿
Dec 30, 2017 02:35
|
|
|
Hasselblad posted:I've found that local meat does not equate to better, at least as far as beef is concerned. Was all excited when an actual butcher set up shop here, and they advertised local beef (haven't tried their pork yet). The beef I got from them was short ribs and a brisket and neither were remotely as good as the (lower cost) stuff I could get at Cosco on any given day. In my experience it depends on a few things when it comes to beef. First, was the beef you were using grass fed? A couple of the more uppity butchers in the city near where I live claim to only sell grass fed (since it sells well with the Whole Foods type crowd), and they charge an arm and a leg for it. To me grass fed is too dry and gamey for most any cooking, not just BBQ. Far, far, far better tasting is grass fed and grain finished. Much better marbling (crucial for most BBQ) and without the gamey taste. Second, the butcher itself makes a big difference. Many of the above mentioned yuppy butchers are getting big primal cuts of cows from big meat distributors and then just cutting them into various steaks, roasts, ground beef, etc. I've found those sort of places to be hit and miss quality wise. Where I have found consistent quality is by driving about 45 minutes out of town to a butcher in a small town surrounded by farms with cattle. At this place the live animals come in the back and the meat counter is up front. They know all the farmers that they are getting their beef from and, since they don't have a Whole Foods crowd to pander to, they don't grass fed but rather the above mentioned grain finished beef. It's loving amazing and I head up there once ever month or two to stock up. Also insanely cheaper than the grocery store or city butchers. We spent about a year of trying out tons of butchers, rural and city, before finally finding a place like this.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 4, 2022 02:38
|
|
|
So I'm going to be smoking some brisket for an event that we are having at work (small company - basically 5 people). Normally this would be really straight forward as I've been smoking briskets for years on my WSM - pretty straight forward stuff (basically Aaron Franklin's way) with standard Costco Prime briskets (PBUC!) and controlled with my Heater Meter. I'm going to grab a full brisket from Costco per usual but at the same time my (very well meaning, and actually a very good cook, just doesn't have any experience with smoking things) boss also got a (pricy) grass fed flat. This flat has unfortunately had most of the fat trimmed off of it. How do I cook this without loving it up? I'm definitely worried about it drying out due to the lack of fat and the fact that it's already a flat that would be drier anyway. I do have Butcher BBQ Beef Injection that I sometimes use so that could be an option. Is there anything else I can do? Should I use foil instead of the brown butcher paper that I normally use? Some other sort of rub rather than the standard salt and pepper? I'm also not normally a user of grass fed beef as I find it to often be gamey so I'm worried that even if I get the cook right that the flavor isn't going to be any good. Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 15, 2023 17:44
|
|
|
ROJO posted:Alright, since I think this is also the defacto grilling thread (apologies if not) - I need a new gas grill. I'd honestly stick with Weber as once you are used to the quality of their products everything else seems flimsy. I've got a 10 year old Genesis SE that I actually converted from propane to NG when we bought a house with an NG hookup and not having to dick with propane has been the greatest thing ever. One thing I'd recommend though in your search is to find a Weber "Premiere" dealer - in my case it's a local Ace Hardware, as they will have some additional options that you won't find a Home Depot and the like. The Genesis SE that I have has a painted exterior but fully stainless steal interior and it came with the extra sear burner. If you haven't seen them check out the new Summit line as those look really sweet. I guess the one you will actually be able to set a temperature and then it'll keep itself right at that.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 13, 2024 14:34
|
|