BBQ & Smoker Enthusiast Thread..

[Tex]

damn tex, mad skills bro. i love me some fine smoked meats. my pops and i used to do a lot of it, but i don't see him too often now......living out west sure has stifled my 'meat-a-tude'.

Thanx brotha.. Me too.. My pops taught me how to smoke meats at a very early age on the Farm. I enjoy just being outside, getting blasted and smellin' the smoke in the air.. I think ya need to go home and visit the ol man again, maybe throw half a cow on the grill, and catch up w him.. :) Thanx for stopping by brotha..

 

[Tex]

Fuck I just got up smoked a bowl and now you all are making me hungry!

Cort.. Looks bomb!:

Tex.. Nice looking Brisket.
Out here in Cali we do Tri Tip instead, not sure why I love a good Brisket.
It seems unless you can find a Smart & Final close Brisket is not around very much. Wow thats almost like some of the old 80's & 90's stains.

Haha.. Right on bro.. Thanks.. For sure bro, we do Tri here as well but it's just expensive compared to brisket, and brisket can feed a small army. The brisket breaks down to butter when done and that's why ya love it. Nothing taste like it due to it being marbled and thick w fat and when done right, it's just heaven.. :)

 

[bigherb]

Love this thread an im lookin forward to all the receipes to come.I love good BBQ n Ive got damn good on the grill

Post #19 was greatly appreciated,Amazing TIPS.I had to save it to my email.Fat side down N untrimmed cuts ,im lovin it keeep it cominnn

I love BBQ but i dont have a yard nor a smoker ,I have always had a lil patio n a grill set up which makes me dream of that big yard picket fence with some grass let me stop LOL


I know there is deifference between BBQing n grilling one is direct heat the other is low n slow .I cook my ribs to the corner right of my gas grill wit no heat n keep the others lit low to try to imitate the BBQ method.

Any suggestions if i have a gas grill,Or is the pit/smoker somthing that is nescessary ?

I always wanted a smoker n ive always wanted to cook a butt or brisket on my grill but i kno ill need a 2 gas tanks to try that lol


Thanks again i look forward to more of your master tips n possibly a thc gathering to sample som of that BBQ


1luvbigherb

 

[Cort]

Hell yeah bro.. THank you sooo much for posting.. I too am a food enthusiast and enjoy gettin' blasted and cookin' it up.. Can you post that recipe for that strawberry cream puffs? My gal is dying to try that bro.. GReat job..

I use this for the puffs

I add a hair more sugar than it calls for. It took me a few shots to get the pastry down where I wanted it.

I cheat and dont use a pastry bag. I use a zip lock bag with an open pastry bag tip. no clean up :D


I make my whipped cream as follows.

2 large bowls both should be much larger than you think you need.
Smoke one, fill other with ice water to chill the bowl dry it before adding cream.
Very cold heavy whipping cream (the pint size is more than enough for a normal size batch)
3-4 tbs sugar, to flavor
few drops of vanilla extract, other flavor extracts can be used.
1 good whisk, an electric mixer could be used. I find I get a better result by hand and oddly its faster.

beat it

Pastry cream could also be used. (think cream filled doughnut) its more traditional for an eclair but still tasty.


Fresh strawberries, other fruits as available. Did a blueberry reduction once and almost died.

 

[Cort]

Tex, why didnt you post this thread a day or two ago. I have a porkbutt sitting in the freezer yelling at me now and its too late to do anything about it.

 

[ganja_guy52]

i got the best sauce for tri-tip and bbq foil-wrap chicken, it's the beez kneez!! lol, naw but it is hella bomb, makes the tri-tip taste like a piece of meat candy!!
do u inject at all??

 

[Tex]

Brisket pulled..

Hey fellas.. So the brisket was pulled from the smoker when internal temps reached 170F, really it's more about the color & and the bark level you want. I then put fat side down once again, in a cheap aluminum pan and cover with alum foil. I put back on pit and it will turn now to butter, especially once the int temp gets over 190F. At 190 I'm pullin from pit and allowing to cool til we eat. You can also put in oven at 200F after you wrap in foil if your fuel dies or mother nature prevails.

I'll post all my recipes in a few days.. including ribs.. I haven't even gotten to ribs now.. We kill ribs around here.. Baby backs or St louis style..Don't matter. I figure brisket and pork butt are the harder of the smoked meats being brisket the hardest imo. Once ya master pulling meats at 190f+, it'll all just be butter and fall apart. Pro quality. :)

 

[Tex]

Love this thread an im lookin forward to all the receipes to come.I love good BBQ n Ive got damn good on the grill

Post #19 was greatly appreciated,Amazing TIPS.I had to save it to my email.Fat side down N untrimmed cuts ,im lovin it keeep it cominnn

I love BBQ but i dont have a yard nor a smoker ,I have always had a lil patio n a grill set up which makes me dream of that big yard picket fence with some grass let me stop LOL


I know there is deifference between BBQing n grilling one is direct heat the other is low n slow .I cook my ribs to the corner right of my gas grill wit no heat n keep the others lit low to try to imitate the BBQ method.

Any suggestions if i have a gas grill,Or is the pit/smoker somthing that is nescessary ?

I always wanted a smoker n ive always wanted to cook a butt or brisket on my grill but i kno ill need a 2 gas tanks to try that lol


Thanks again i look forward to more of your master tips n possibly a thc gathering to sample som of that BBQ


1luvbigherb

I'm so glad ya like bro.. I have all kinds of good info to help everyone out to have a good bbq season.

It's all good what ya use, as long as your out there. That's the way to do 'em on gas grills, indirect with one burner on.. :) Do you foil up any wood chips and put them on the burner? If not, just add 1:1 ratio of wet chips to dry chips and put in heavy duty foil package. Poke several holes w fork all thru top and place on active burner. That should give ya some serious smoke, keep adding til your desired color and flavor.

Have you thought about getting a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker or something similar that has the water pan and that dome look? They are very compact and kick ass bro. Smokey mountains rock!! Use the minion method with lump coals and add oak chunks mixed throughout.. You can hold a pretty steady heat for 8+ hours and cook anything you want from brisket-pork butts. Check this out.. It's nuts, SurfinSapo is wild, but this is a decent vid to show you a good compact smoker that actually works and wins competitions..Something like this is all ya need really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMBRanH7nuQ

 

[the rrock]

I'm so glad ya like bro.. I have all kinds of good info to help everyone out to have a good bbq season.

It's all good what ya use, as long as your out there. That's the way to do 'em on gas grills, indirect with one burner on.. :) Do you foil up any wood chips and put them on the burner? If not, just add 1:1 ratio of wet chips to dry chips and put in heavy duty foil package. Poke several holes w fork all thru top and place on active burner. That should give ya some serious smoke, keep adding til your desired color and flavor.

Have you thought about getting a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker or something similar that has the water pan and that dome look? They are very compact and kick ass bro. Smokey mountains rock!! Use the minion method with lump coals and add oak chunks mixed throughout.. You can hold a pretty steady heat for 8+ hours and cook anything you want from brisket-pork butts. Check this out.. It's nuts, SurfinSapo is wild, but this is a decent vid to show you a good compact smoker that actually works and wins competitions..Something like this is all ya need really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMBRanH7nuQ

THAT IS COOL TEX gonna have to get me one
on another note any pole smokers on here

 

[Tex]

Minion method.. Plain and simple

The minion method is a really great way to smoke and hold a pretty steady temp for many many hours.. Plain in simple it's just unlit coals with a few lit colas on top of them. The lit slowly light the unlit coals and spread for hours and hold very heat very well. Few pics..

 

[bigherb]

TEX

Thanks for the links

Im curious in the texas brisket link he cooked it unfoiled then in another video of his he did 2 brisket n a pork butt n foiled the brisket toward the end.What is the reason for the foiling ?

That weber smokey moutain looks great,i think im gonna treat myself for this summer.

Can you suggest some brands or types of natural coals or wood in that pic you use ?
Im only familair with the old matchlight charocoal from way back LOL

I have used woodchips in the foil n poked holes ,i wasnt very impressed it didnt add the flavor i exspected but i dont recall which kind or type of chips it was it was gift i believe,Any suugestion for wood chips on my gas grill? i hear mosquite an applewood r some favorites


i enjoy the beer can in the chicken technique ,i used cedar planks once or twice n thought it added a subtle flavor to fish but was also a easy cook method.i have a fish basket i use on my grill somtimes which is helpful.I love grilled salmon its a fatty fish n it becomes buttery goodness n swordfish is great aswell more meaty but is similar to a steak amazing .just plain clams cook quick n amazing on the grill .shit everything is better on the grill .

i dont got that year round warm weather but you bet i BBQ rain belowing freezing light snow ,when i get the urge for some BBQ.


I look forward to some more tips

always appreciated

1luvbigherb
1luvbigherb

 

[Cort]

IMHO matchlight is flavor death. No mater what, when lighter fluid is used I can taste it.

Get yourself one of these or something similar.

I use rubbing alcohol to start small amounts of wood chips when just doing burgers or something on the gas grill. It burns clean.

Instead of foil, find yourself a small cast iron frying pan or even an unused cast iron ash tray to add smoke flavor to gas grill cooks.

 

[Tex]

Tex, why didnt you post this thread a day or two ago. I have a porkbutt sitting in the freezer yelling at me now and its too late to do anything about it.

:giggle My bad bro.. just thought 'bout it last night..

 

[Tex]

i got the best sauce for tri-tip and bbq foil-wrap chicken, it's the beez kneez!! lol, naw but it is hella bomb, makes the tri-tip taste like a piece of meat candy!!
do u inject at all??

NIce bro.. share it please. Love to try it and maybe be a winner a comp.. We do inject chicken, pork butts & brisket sometimes at the house but always in comps for sure..

 

[Tex]

I use this for the puffs

I add a hair more sugar than it calls for. It took me a few shots to get the pastry down where I wanted it.

I cheat and dont use a pastry bag. I use a zip lock bag with an open pastry bag tip. no clean up :D


I make my whipped cream as follows.

2 large bowls both should be much larger than you think you need.
Smoke one, fill other with ice water to chill the bowl dry it before adding cream.
Very cold heavy whipping cream (the pint size is more than enough for a normal size batch)
3-4 tbs sugar, to flavor
few drops of vanilla extract, other flavor extracts can be used.
1 good whisk, an electric mixer could be used. I find I get a better result by hand and oddly its faster.

beat it

Pastry cream could also be used. (think cream filled doughnut) its more traditional for an eclair but still tasty.


Fresh strawberries, other fruits as available. Did a blueberry reduction once and almost died.

Awesome bro, thank ya mucho!!! My gal thanks ya, too!!!! :cake

 

[Tex]

IMHO matchlight is flavor death. No mater what, when lighter fluid is used I can taste it.

Get yourself one of these or something similar.

I use rubbing alcohol to start small amounts of wood chips when just doing burgers or something on the gas grill. It burns clean.

Instead of foil, find yourself a small cast iron frying pan or even an unused cast iron ash tray to add smoke flavor to gas grill cooks.

I agree cast iron would be the best way to go.. Charcoal chimes work great, but we got tired of using paper long time ago. This is what ya'll need to get for small house smoke bbqs.. Made by BernzoMatic, it's a self igniting torch. Get 'em from any hardware sto.. Hook up a 1lb propane tank and hit the switch you light coals in minutes.. :rock

 

[Tex]

TEX

Thanks for the links

Im curious in the texas brisket link he cooked it unfoiled then in another video of his he did 2 brisket n a pork butt n foiled the brisket toward the end.What is the reason for the foiling ?

That weber smokey moutain looks great,i think im gonna treat myself for this summer.

Can you suggest some brands or types of natural coals or wood in that pic you use ?
Im only familair with the old matchlight charocoal from way back LOL

I have used woodchips in the foil n poked holes ,i wasnt very impressed it didnt add the flavor i exspected but i dont recall which kind or type of chips it was it was gift i believe,Any suugestion for wood chips on my gas grill? i hear mosquite an applewood r some favorites


i enjoy the beer can in the chicken technique ,i used cedar planks once or twice n thought it added a subtle flavor to fish but was also a easy cook method.i have a fish basket i use on my grill somtimes which is helpful.I love grilled salmon its a fatty fish n it becomes buttery goodness n swordfish is great aswell more meaty but is similar to a steak amazing .just plain clams cook quick n amazing on the grill .shit everything is better on the grill .

i dont got that year round warm weather but you bet i BBQ rain belowing freezing light snow ,when i get the urge for some BBQ.


I look forward to some more tips

always appreciated

1luvbigherb
1luvbigherb

Hey bro, no problemo.. Any wood chips are good. We only use oak, apple, cherry, mesquite, and pecan. Oak is 99.8% of the time.. Apple or cherry is wonderful for pork butt.. Mesquite it good for short term grilling only. Hickory is stronger more bacon-ish, same as pecan, they are in the same family.. Oak is Texas strong and what most people use. Oak is very subtle sweet mild yet smokey. It's considered the "queen" of wood, while hickory is the king. :evilgrin0040:

Royal Oak is a damn good lump coal brand. B&B is awesome too. Might have to get local made or see what's sold out more in stores.. :)

You can cook cuts many different ways with pretty much the same outcome if ya keep a few basic principles in check.

Some will smoke for 6-8 hours and then wrap in foil to finish it off. After 6-8 hours the meat will not absorb anymore smoke and can become bitter if too much smoke is used and not enough heat from coals.. Some will leave on pit the whole time with smoke for 8 hours, and then just heat from coals for the remainder, til it's time to pull the meat.

Wrapping in foil almost steams/braises the meat makes it become very tender, soft and butter like, helps it cook faster and keeps juices in for a bit. Ribs will pull back more from the bone and become amazingly tender.. So you can smoke a brisket til the color you want on the bark, and then wrap in foil or use a foil pan to finish it off til the int temps reach 190F. Or you can not foil it at all and pull it when the int temp reaches 190f.. It's up to you.. Many peeps foil..

It's the same w ribs. Many do the 3-2-1 method or a variant of it. Smoke for 3 hours, 2 hours foiled(w a bit of apple juice poured in the foil pack w rib to steam), and then 1 hour back on the pit to harden them back up. During the last 30 minutes put your glaze/sauce on the ribs. GLAZE IS, 1:1 RATIO OF HONEY TO YOUR FAVORITE BBQ SAUCE.. Mix together and brush on ribs. They'll look like glass.. ;)

The most important part to pulling your brisket or pork butt are internal temps. If ya pull any brisket or pork butt @ 190F, and cooked it the whole time in temp range from 200-325, it'll melt like butter. No issues what so ever.

 

[Tex]

Wood sources:

Here's a list that was compiled from various sources.

ACACIA - these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. A very hot burning wood.

ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.

APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.

ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.

BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some people say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.

COTTONWOOD - It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don't use green cottonwood for smoking.

CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.

GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

HICKORY - Most commonly used wood for smoking--the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.

LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.

MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

MESQUITE - Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning. Can be bitter.

MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.

OAK - The Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.

ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese.

SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.

Don't use any wood from conifer trees, such as PINE, FIR, SPRUCE, REDWOOD, CYPRESS, etc.

_________________

 

[true grit]

Nice post Tex! You know I be getting down on ribs and briskets!

I miss the good ole baby back backyard cookoffs...ill have to see if I can remake my dry rub and dr.pepper honey glaze. what what. lol!

Have to say bro, i most def miss good brisket- can find some decent stuff around here but ready for summer and my own!

 

[bigherb]

Tex

your da man ,I love those details

I cant wait to apply some of this knowledge ,ill let ya know da outcome


1luvbigherb