New smoker

[91Eunozs]

Don’t really know where else to put this, so here we go!

Sent our old grill off to college with our son, so we finally picked up a smoker/grill... Was eyeing a Big Green Egg, but then saw this on sale at the base; then found it even cheaper online at Lowe’s. Arrived today.



Pretty easy to put together..and I like how it’s pre-heated even before I finished assembly!



Gotta love that Tejas late summer afternoon heat... Forgot to grab some lump charcoal on the way home from work, and too beat to go back out, so we’ll do the burn in tomorrow morning, and likely some chicken and ribs mañana.



Can hardly wait!

[Halfapint]

Very nice! Nothing better than a new grill/smoker!

[Stercutus]

I swapped out my big grill for a much smaller one earlier this summer. It gets hotter, faster and uses less gas. It is also tri-fuel so I can run gas, wood and charcoal. I still have the old grill for big events but I love the new grill for it's speed and efficiency.

Those insulated grills are wonders.

[JeeperCreeper]

Looks good! Plus doggo in the pic!

I know it's not a smoker, but my parents always rave about their propane infrared grill. I must say when I try their cooking, it doesn't taste like a propane grill cooked it... It's top notch.

Then again, I know nothing about grills.

[flybynight]

Looks good! Plus doggo in the pic!

I know it's not a smoker, but my parents always rave about their propane infrared grill. I must say when I try their cooking, it doesn't taste like a propane grill cooked it... It's top notch.

Then again, I know nothing about grills.

WTF turn in your man card

I use a propane grill in the winter so I don't have to wait for the charcoal to be ready when it's twenty degrees outside. Summer is for the big barrel charcoal grill ( that forces me to bbq more at a time. You know so I don't waste charcoal . Got all the bases covered this weekend. Steaks, chicken, burgers ,polish sausage brats)

[moab]

I swapped out my big grill for a much smaller one earlier this summer. It gets hotter, faster and uses less gas. It is also tri-fuel so I can run gas, wood and charcoal. I still have the old grill for big events but I love the new grill for it's speed and efficiency.

Those insulated grills are wonders.

SMaller grills are the best. I had one ten years ago. One of the first from China. Was forged aluminum. The heating elements got bad and I threw it out. What a mistake. Should have kept it. I cooked for 32 people one night on a 2 or 3 burner grill. It worked fine. I have the same small model now. But in sheet metal.

I also had a real Hibatchi back in the day. Threw it out too. Thinking I'd just buy another one. They don't make them anymore. That was the best briquette grill I've ever used.

[91Eunozs]

Good dialogue...We had an original Hibachi for camping back in the day. Remember huddling around it one time to keep warm on Pikes Peak when we were there for a hillclimb. Middle of summer and snowing at 12K feet! I think it’s still at my brother-in-law’s house in Colorado Springs...heading back there for my 30th (!) College reunion at the end of the month; maybe I’ll look for it and refurbish it if he still has it!

We do have a propane grill for regular cooking, picked up the egg for smoking! Grabbed some ribs, chicken quarters and a sausage ring at one of the local meat markets here in town...looking forward to tasting how they turn out!

Regardless, did the burn in earlier today...used a bit more charcoal than the directions called for, but not as much as some folks on ceramic cooker forums recommend.



Cranked open both top and bottom vents to get it good and hot...



...then closed them to where they were barely open to let it burn through the charcoal. Got a good even heat going earlier today:





Going to let it cool down naturally...still 200 degrees as I type this at 21:00 local. Coals are almost burnt through so I just now shut the vents completely and will clean out the ash in the morning after I put the rub on the ribs...store bought for this round unfortunately. My professional grill meister friend is out of town, and though he shares his rub with friends, he refuses to give us his secret recipe! Will also make up a marinade for the chicken, and the sausage will just get wrapped in foil after getting it started. Here’s a teaser:



More to follow mañana!

[Zed Hunter]

At first I thought Mary Jane got tobacco. Glad to see it's charcoal. Every thing tastes better with smoke. Even though it contains 97 carcinogens. I DONT CARE.

[Zxc]

Father in law made the same choice, went with the pit boss over the green egg.

You may need to look into a dispersion plate (I think that is what it is called?). He was having some heat issue somewhere back and the dispersion plate fixed it.

Edit to add: check the alignment on the lid. Pit boss was having an issue where the lid was not closing all the way. Easy fix by adjusting the hinges.

[91Eunozs]

Thanks Zxc... I’d read the same, and was one of the first things I checked upon assembly. And re-checked after burn in.

Got the ribs trimmed and rubbed this morning, and fired up the grill while it was absorbing the spice:



And of course immediately got distracted watching the Italian F1 grand prix, so it got up to over 650 degrees before I remembered to run out and close the vents...10 minutes...over an hour...ehh, whatever it takes!

Almost two hours later it’s still over 300 degrees, but I need to get these started, so I’m cheating a bit and have the ribs on a pan with some foil under the meat until the temp drops to 250 or so:



Doing the traditional 3-2-1 method... Three hours uncovered, two wrapped tight, then one (maybe less) uncovered/unwrapped, but slathered in my wife’s unbelievable homemade sauce.

We’ll throw the chicken on there sometime in there too...and the sausages during that last hour (I “cheat” and boil the sausage for a few minutes first).

Update in a few hours!

[91Eunozs]

Interim update... almost have the temp where I want it, so I pulled the ribs off the pan and put them directly on the lower rack (upper rack not on yet, will add when I throw the chicken on):



Bark is starting to form and it smells delicious!

Using oak lump for this round, so I went ahead and threw some soaked apple chips on as I was transferring the meat. Can’t really see it in this pic, but have some good smoke going now. Gonna start driving the neighbors nuts...especially the guy who’s gone vegan for health reasons!



Edit: It must be good...the dogs won’t come back in the house; just standing by the grill staring at the ground as they wait for something to magically fall out!

[91Eunozs]

Almost there... Certainly looks (and smells) the business!





Meat already wanting to pull away from the bone...like I like! About 1/2 hour or so to go...good smoke going for this final bit!



My wife was asking if this was going to become an obsession like bikes, cars, motorcycles, guns...back to cars, etc. I told her “maybe” and without missing a beat she said “Finally, one of your OCD hobbies I can get behind!”

[91Eunozs]

Man, I’m stuffed... ate a light breakfast, and an even lighter lunch in anticipation of tonight’s dinner. Glad I waited!



Bark was perfect texture...a little salty and a little too heavy on the cayenne pepper for my taste, but my wife loved it. Meat was perfect...not quite falling off the bone, but not “competition” style where you can see teeth marks either. I actually prefer it a bit more done and literally falling off the bone if it’s for a meal, so I’ll drop the temps and extend the cook time for the next round. Chicken was just about perfect too...I prefer more “smokey” flavor and a bit more tenderness, so again lower temps for a bit longer cook time and we’ll do the marinade the night before. Maybe add some citrus juice to break down the meat a little too.

Regardless, plated up nice:



We’ll call this one a success!

[91Eunozs]

Tonight’s experiment: Beer can smoked chicken. We’ll take some of that and put it on some pizzas we’re making tonight.



Edit: mmmmmmm.... bread!

[91Eunozs]

An hour and a half or so later (internal temp between 160-165F), success...



And it definitely passes the taste test!




Dough is ready...even though we later learned how to get it rolled out more evenly





Almost ready to come off the grill...



...had to use the gas cooker for the crust since the stone has to come up to temp slowly. Couldn’t do that with the chicken going this time, but we’ll get a heat deflector for next time or we could have covered it with foil I suppose. Regardless, it tasted great!



No pics after plating...it was consumed too fast! Really happy that short of slaughtering the chicken and making the cheese, we learned how to make this meal entirely from scratch. Sauce, dough, etc...though we did buy most of the spices I suppose.

Not quite ready to live on an island and make our own meals, but at least we’re moving in the right direction.

Well, except for the weight loss! I’ve stagnated at ~17# down since my heart attack in June, but then again BBQ and pizza (combined this time) has never been on any diet plan I’m aware of! The newness will wear off soon...and portion controls are easier than I thought. Will keep that moving in the right direction in that regard as well...

[woodsghost]

Ah....so this is not about cigarettes....my mistake....


My wife and her family LOVE their Big Green Egg(s)! I say plural, for they have several. That stuff looks great! I love eating with my wife's family! And when we are no longer living in an apartment, we are getting our own. I have been converted to the qualities and advantages to such a unit.

[91Eunozs]

Ah....so this is not about cigarettes....my mistake....


My wife and her family LOVE their Big Green Egg(s)! I say plural, for they have several. That stuff looks great! I love eating with my wife's family! And when we are no longer living in an apartment, we are getting our own. I have been converted to the qualities and advantages to such a unit.

They make small versions for apartment balconies...and one of my friends actually made one out of a large terra-cotta pot with a metal grate inside. He uses landscaping bricks to raise it to working height and fire bricks to set the pot on. He uses a large terr-cotta bowl with holes (rigged a handle to lift it) as the lid.

Edit: looks a lot like this one, but he uses charcoal instead of an electric heating element:



His home-brew version may not be as efficient,and it’s a bit of a pain to clean up after every session, but I think he’s into that thing for under $50...and the smoked meat comes out of there pretty damn tasty!

[woodsghost]

Ah....so this is not about cigarettes....my mistake....


My wife and her family LOVE their Big Green Egg(s)! I say plural, for they have several. That stuff looks great! I love eating with my wife's family! And when we are no longer living in an apartment, we are getting our own. I have been converted to the qualities and advantages to such a unit.

They make small versions for apartment balconies...and one of my friends actually made one out of a large terra-cotta pot with a metal grate inside. He uses landscaping bricks to raise it to working height and fire bricks to set the pot on. He uses a large terr-cotta bowl with holes (rigged a handle to lift it) as the lid.

Edit: looks a lot like this one, but he uses charcoal instead of an electric heating element:



His home-brew version may not be as efficient,and it’s a bit of a pain to clean up after every session, but I think he’s into that thing for under $50...and the smoked meat comes out of there pretty damn tasty!

Excellent idea!

We have apartment rules against any balcony grills. Or we would be all over one of those smaller units. but I love the terra-cotta pots idea!

Dang it I love the pics of the chicken and pizzas though. And talk about an excellent PAW cooker!

[MPMalloy]

Seared flesh of cloven-hoof beast! P.S. We all live at your place now!

[91Eunozs]

Seared flesh of cloven-hoof beast! P.S. We all live at your place now!

Ok, but you have to share the guest room!

[MPMalloy]

Seared flesh of cloven-hoof beast! P.S. We all live at your place now!

Ok, but you have to share the guest room!

I call the bed!

[91Eunozs]

Oh man... The diet’s really in trouble now. Did up a pork shoulder for pulled pork tonight and all I can say is

Basic rub with a few types of pepper, some spices and only 4 teaspoons of salt total, but plenty for a good bark:



Put it on fat side up just before noon at ~250-275F, with a pan of water-soaked apple and hickory wood chips to get some good initial smoke going. Ready to come off the smoker (internal temp 205F) right at 6 hours later:



Shredded up real nice... This is after we gave almost a pound away to a neighbor.



Still have some of her “Memphis” style ketchup-based sauce (my favorite), but also did up a North Carolina style (basically spiced up vinegar), and what I comsider a true “Carolina” golden bbq sauce with mustard. Also used honey instead of brown sugar before we cooked it up. Perfect for pulled pork... All I can say is



Soooooo good! Can’t get the pups to stop following me..and they keep migrating to the kitchen!

[MPMalloy]

Your killing me 91.