Using a smoker… plus grilling and cooking

[GAME05]

Random question, but I've been using what is basically a cheap-o Brinkmann for years now with good results. However the cheaper construction means I have to use a lot of charcoal to keep the heat up, and I really can't get it past about 240 degrees. Ultimately that means using a lot of charcoal and I can't do poultry because it won't get hot enough. I've been ok with that since I prefer grilled poultry, anyway.

 

But I've been debating a new smoker since I use it fairly often. I've looked into electric and propane because they're both much easier, but I've heard they don't have anywhere near as good a flavor. Plus I also just don't want to mess with propane tanks. Pellet smokers seem great, but they just get to be too expensive for how much I grill/smoke, and since I'm only feeding myself.

 

Is there a big advantage to getting a good-quality WSM or other charcoal smoker, as opposed to continuing to use my cheap-o one? In your opinion, would it be worth the $300-ish I would spend on a new one?

[FVBrewerFan]

Random question, but I've been using what is basically a cheap-o Brinkmann for years now with good results. However the cheaper construction means I have to use a lot of charcoal to keep the heat up, and I really can't get it past about 240 degrees. Ultimately that means using a lot of charcoal and I can't do poultry because it won't get hot enough. I've been ok with that since I prefer grilled poultry, anyway.

 

But I've been debating a new smoker since I use it fairly often. I've looked into electric and propane because they're both much easier, but I've heard they don't have anywhere near as good a flavor. Plus I also just don't want to mess with propane tanks. Pellet smokers seem great, but they just get to be too expensive for how much I grill/smoke, and since I'm only feeding myself.

 

Is there a big advantage to getting a good-quality WSM or other charcoal smoker, as opposed to continuing to use my cheap-o one? In your opinion, would it be worth the $300-ish I would spend on a new one?

 

Yes. Only because you seem to smoke and grill a lot, I think you would definitely get the use out of it. I have a Primo ceramic (similar to Green Egg) and am so glad I "invested" in it. Definitely a huge advantage in a lot of ways to be able to grill and smoke on the same device. Plus I still have my old Weber charcoal grill for the "overflow" when I have a lot to cook, which is rare.

[Thurston Fluff]

I tired a Balinese grilled duck recipe called bebek betutu. Here's how to make it. You take a bunch of ingredients that smells like vomit. Mix them together in a blender until it looks like vomit. Then add half the vomit mix with blanched spinach so it looks like dog vomit after it eats grass. Then take the other half of the vomit mix and cover a duck inside and out. Next take the dog vomit mixture and shove it inside the duck. Cover in banana leaves and grill it for four hours. When done, take the juices of the vomit mixture and reduce it to a slightly thicker vomit consistency and spoon it over the duck. All in all it was quite delicious and easy to make. I would highly recommend trying it but try to get someone else to prepare it.

P.S. When cooked it didn't smell like vomit. Here's the recipe for the brave or olfactory impaired. https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/bebek-betutu

[AKCheesehead]

I wouldn’t mind giving that a try. My problem is the time, money and effort required just to procure all of the vomit ingredients. Many of them I’m not certain I’ve heard of, let alone seen or tasted. Often I am lax to try making a new dish for that very reason. I hate cluttering up the fridge and cupboard with one-off-use ingredients and having them go bad.

[Thurston Fluff]

Most of it I found at a Hmong grocery store in Appleton on East Wisconsin ave. For anyone close enough to go there I highly recommend it. You can find just about anything there. I think if there is a Vietnamese grocer, or any number of Asian grocers around your area you'd be able to find what you need. If you have an asian grocer near you I would recommend taking a picture of the ingredients and bring it along. Some of the stuff may be called something else depending on the nationality of the grocer. Most of the ingredients come in small quantities so there isn't going to be much waste.

[AKCheesehead]

Thanks for the info. I’ll see if I can find the ingredients in Anchorage next time I make the trip. I always work on bringing home a few ducks in the fall, this sounds like it would make for a pretty unique feast. We usually get pintails, shovelers and scaup around here alongwith the occasional mallard. What kind of duck(s) did you use?

[Thurston Fluff]

When it comes to wild duck it's pretty much mallards. I usually cut the breasts out and use the rest for stock. I never have whole wild duck on tap to do this sort of thing with. Fortunately, my dad thought raising ducks and chickens was a great hobby in retirement. So, farm raise duck. Don't honestly know what it is...was. (Should get my tenses right since I ate it.) The stinky part of it is the shrimp paste. It's also something I think can be shipped anywhere. If you can't find that I would try to use fish sauce instead. It's wetter than the shrimp paste so I'd cut the water in half. Same goes for the palm sugar. If you can't find it try brown sugar. The lemon grass can be bought canned if you can't get fresh or google a substitute. Most of the other stuff I think you could fake well enough with dried or powdered. There is a lot of flavor going on so if you miss something I think you'd be ok. Just need a combo of the stinky, sweet and hot.

[Baldkin]

Bought a Sous Vide cooker and used it for the first time, kept it really simple and did 1/2 a pork loin, then cut it into chops and seared those for sammies.

 

Came out absolutely amazing. Can't wait to try more of this.

[NeedMoreFans]

Bought a Sous Vide cooker and used it for the first time, kept it really simple and did 1/2 a pork loin, then cut it into chops and seared those for sammies.

 

I did too; it was my one Prime Day purchase. I made Iowa Chops, then seared them in butter when they were done. They may have been the best chops I have ever made.

 

A couple weeks ago, I attempted the snake method of smoking on my Weber kettle and I ran into a problem of it not getting hot enough. I topped out around 180 degrees (was smoking ribs) and I wanted 225-240. I may not have started with enough coals or may not have had enough coals in the snake. I'm willing to try it again but was a bit disappointed.

[Baldkin]

Bought a Sous Vide cooker and used it for the first time, kept it really simple and did 1/2 a pork loin, then cut it into chops and seared those for sammies.

 

I did too; it was my one Prime Day purchase. I made Iowa Chops, then seared them in butter when they were done. They may have been the best chops I have ever made.

 

A couple weeks ago, I attempted the snake method of smoking on my Weber kettle and I ran into a problem of it not getting hot enough. I topped out around 180 degrees (was smoking ribs) and I wanted 225-240. I may not have started with enough coals or may not have had enough coals in the snake. I'm willing to try it again but was a bit disappointed.

 

Interesting. I haven't had that problem... did you try adjusting your vents -- adjust a tiny amount, then wait awhile. Usually a lower temperature is from not enough oxygen flowing through the kettle. Did you have 3 rows of coals on your snake? Two on the bottom, one stacked across the top of those? Was it really windy?

[GAME05]

I only just now discovered temperature controllers exist. Does anyone use one? I was probably going to upgrade to a better charcoal smoker, but now I'm thinking of instead spending that money on a temperature controller. It shouldn't be too hard to drill an appropriate size hole in my smoker near the pan and then screw it on.

[AKCheesehead]

Last weekend I pulled a new one with my weber kettle. We'd been out drift netting silvers (coho salmon) and as we cleaned the fish I saved the heads from several to take home for the grill. Removed and discarded the gills from the heads and then split them down the middle. Drizzled all the half-heads in a bowl with olive oil, seasoned with garlic herb salt and fish seasoning. Grilled both sides of the heads on low heat, covered, over a mixture of kingsford and some wood lump coal.

 

The result: The meat from the base of the head was just your typical, delicious grilled salmon. The meat from the cheeks and jaws, though, very much resembled chicken thighs both in taste and texture. I'll definitely be making that one again. If I knew how to post my own pics on here I would. A grill full of heads is a sight to behold!

[GAME05]

That's interesting, and definitely different. Especially since they've been smoked, are you using the remainder of the heads for fish stock? The stock would be good in a risotto or any kind of fish soup.

[Baldkin]

If I knew how to post my own pics on here I would. A grill full of heads is a sight to behold!

 

Head over to imgur.com and upload your pics there, get the link and post it here!

[AKCheesehead]

Thanks, Baldkin! Now I know

 

I didn't think to use the remainder for stock. The rest was pretty crisp and juicy, so it probably would have had some nice flavor. My girlfriend was making fish soup, too. Although, I probably would have been chased from the stove if I'd tried adding my heads to it.

 

Oh, and here are the heads...

 

[RobDeer 45]

That picture is WILD! I bet that was really good!

[AKCheesehead]

Better than I had even hoped. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who gets their hands on some salmon. Also, it's a great way to do well by the fish that gave you its life, making good use of all the meat.

[chuckiehacks]

I’m in the market for a new thermometer. I usually use two - one I the smoker & one in the meat. One died recently, and I’m smoking meat for the Packers game on Sunday.

 

What’s your favorite thermometer?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GAME05]

I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014DAVHSQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I've been happy with it. I don't stay a big distance away between the smoker and inside the house, so I don't really know what the effective range is on it.

 

But a head's up, ThermaPro makes a model that looks exactly the same but only has one probe with it, so be sure you can see both probes in the picture.

[RobDeer 45]

Anyone have any success smoking a brisket at a higher temp than 225?

[GAME05]

It'll just be tougher, but it wouldn't necessarily be horrible. If it's a matter of not wanting to stay outside all night, you could always steam it to finish like you'd do if it were a corned beef. That'll ruin any crust you got, though.

 

 

Have wanted an upgrade to my cheap-o smoker. Have my eyes on a smaller Rec-Tec pellet grill. But I'm reminded of about $4000 on my credit card that I need to pay off. Despite warm weather lately (at least here), I think I'm gonna have to wait on it.

[CheezWizHed]

If you need to speed it up, seperate the point and the flat. and it will cook much faster with more bark. I also use the Texas crutch after the meat hits 165 degrees. At that point, you can raise the temperature. Then faux cambrio until you are ready to eat. Mine has always been tender. Just don't let it sit in a lot of liquid all that time or you will have pot roast (did that once). It was still good, but not brisket.

[Baldkin]

I've become addicted to Sous Vide cooking.

 

Next step: More meal prep.

[RobDeer 45]

I've become addicted to Sous Vide cooking.

 

Next step: More meal prep.

 

Tell me more! What have you been doing? I've been very interested in that for a long time.

 

On a similar note, I'm now convinced that the best way to prepare a steak is the reverse sear. Bake on a rack at 275 until it reaches the desired temp (I believe medium rare is 130). Then let it sit for 10 to 15 min while getting a pan warmed up pretty hot. Throw some butter in it and sear the steaks for about a minute on each side. You get a great taste and a steak that is the same doneness the whole way through. Glorious. So similar ideas as the Sous Vide.

 

I want to do this same thing with my green egg this summer, indirect heat then take the plate out and sear it. Should be even better.

[Baldkin]

I've become addicted to Sous Vide cooking.

 

Next step: More meal prep.

 

Tell me more! What have you been doing? I've been very interested in that for a long time.

 

On a similar note, I'm now convinced that the best way to prepare a steak is the reverse sear. Bake on a rack at 275 until it reaches the desired temp (I believe medium rare is 130). Then let it sit for 10 to 15 min while getting a pan warmed up pretty hot. Throw some butter in it and sear the steaks for about a minute on each side. You get a great taste and a steak that is the same doneness the whole way through. Glorious. So similar ideas as the Sous Vide.

 

I want to do this same thing with my green egg this summer, indirect heat then take the plate out and sear it. Should be even better.

 

I've done a few smaller things, haven't done steaks yet, but done a lot of pork and chicken and it is so easy and so reliable.

 

Sous Vide Everything on youtube is a place I've gone down the rabbit hole of.

 

I did an entire pork shoulder (and finished in the oven) for Thanksgiving and it was incredible.

 

I recently tried their

recipe and it was awesome.