Is there anything better than smoked meat?

[BigDog]

IMHO, no. However, I don't have a freaking clue as to how outside of using charcoal, which is essentially grilling.

For the smokers here (meat that is) what methods do you use? Build your own? Fabricate your own? Use a pre-fab store bought? Or maybe for the big time smokers, a commercial grade smoker?

I know a guy that smokes meat using charcoal. That was my intro to smoking. He made his own smoker using an old Weber, a couple of steel wheels, and the drum from a semi truck. Rather ingenious I though. Smoked a rack of prime rib for some 8 to 10 hours. A beautiful medium rare to rare. Hubba hubba!

< - - - - - Big Dog on the day we had that prime rib! YUM!

 

[QSis]

BigDog,

I use a Weber Smoky Mountain, which is a bullet-shaped smoker that uses charcoal at the bottom for fuel. Adding chunks of wood such as hickory adds to the smoky flavor.

This is a very easy smoker to cook with and produces barbecue that anyone would be proud to serve and delighted to eat.

Lee

 

[AllenOK]

Just a little ways down the page for this forum you will see a post I made about my new grill, back in the early summer. There are a couple pictures of my grill. I do the "off-set" method, building a small fire on the right-hand side (where the air intake is), and placing a drip pan under the grates on the left side. Meat goes on the grates. I use charcoal to start the fire, but feed the fire with a mix of red oak and hickory chunks. In my original post, I mentioned using hickory chips, soaked, and wrapped in foil. I quit doing that and moved up to the hickory chunks. If I can find a source of local hickory logs, I'll use that.

I want to purchase the side-mounted firebox for my grill, to make it a true smoker, and more than double my available cooking area.

Just in case you can't find it, here's a link:
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f36/finally-got-some-pictures-my-new-grill-10998.html

 

[ronjohn55]

I've got a Great Outdoors propane smoker that I'm really happy with.

Yep, Propane. I know, I know.. I cheat!

But the thing is super easy to use and is bigger than a dorm fridge on the inside! Lots of room. Works great.

John

 

[tains90@yahoo.com]

Smoking a Pork Tenderloin

BigDog,

I use a Weber Smoky Mountain, which is a bullet-shaped smoker that uses charcoal at the bottom for fuel. Adding chunks of wood such as hickory adds to the smoky flavor.

This is a very easy smoker to cook with and produces barbecue that anyone would be proud to serve and delighted to eat.

Lee

I also own Weber Smoker. Please help me. I would like to smoke a pork tenderloin this weekend; no BBQ this time around. What could I use as a rub?

 

[QSis]

I also own Weber Smoker. Please help me. I would like to smoke a pork tenderloin this weekend; no BBQ this time around. What could I use as a rub?

Well, tains, if you do a Google search on "basic barbecue rub" you will get all kinds of hits. Generally, bbq rub is 1:1 salt to sugar, some paprika, pepper, cumin, and a few other spices. If you are using something like that, with a high sugar content, you don't want to use it to grill over high heat, since the sugar will burn. You can do it "low and slow" on the WSM and be fine. Alternately, just use salt, pepper and garlic powder and it will be wonderful with just that.

However, a pork tenderloin is so small, lean and tender, it does not benefit from low and slow cooking as much as a big tough fatty chunk of pork butt, for example. You do NOT want to overcook this delicious cut, or it will be tough and dry. You can smoke it if you really want, but only take it to maybe 145 internal temperature, then take it off and let it rest.

There are several great bbq forums where you can learn all about the WSM. One is called the Virtual Weber Bullet and is all about that smoker. Another is the BBQ Forum, and is about all things bbq http://www.rbjb.com/rbjb/rbjbboard/

Have fun!

Lee

 

[jminion]

I use WSMs, Primo and BGE ceramic grills, an offset and a pellet cooker. I enjoy cooking on all of them. Each cooker has it's strenghs and weaknesses, so you pick the right cooker for the job and volume of meat to be cooked.
Qsis is right about the pork tenderloin, smoked meat is great but low and slow is not for every cut. I cook tenderloin and Prime rib at higher pit temps and to lower finish temps than you'd use for brisket or butt.
Jim

 

[Poppinfresh]

I have 2 smokers. The one I use most often is actually a 7 in one contraption. It's basically just a tall, thin cylinder with a heating element underneath the cylinder that is fed to a propane tank. The cylinder is airtight if you want it to be so it does gas grilling and smoking, charcoal grilling and smoking, camp cooking, boiling/steaming, and even deep frying if you want (I deep fried a turkey in it last year). It's really handy.

The other one I have is an electric smoker that I use for things like ribs, as I can hang the ribs off the ceiling of it and let them basically float in air.

I prefer the 7 in one.

 

[Banana Brain]

I've never had smoked meat that hasn't been storebought. I'll have to try it sometime.

 

[TATTRAT]

there is NOTHING more satisfying then a slow cooked, supple, smoked piece of meat...except hitting the million dollar jackpot.

 

[Paymaster]

I love outdoor cooking and love smoking meat the most. Pork,beef or chicken. It don't matter, I love smoking and eating it all.