|
Smoke Quality Question: I have an MES30 that I have taken to using a pellet tube in, both for cold and hot smoking. My first go at cold smoking cheese seemed to be too smoky, so I changed things up a bit (more mild pellets, shorter smoke time) for my second attempt (which is currently in the fridge, mellowing). That being said, I see all kinds of references to "thin blue smoke" on the internet, but the pellet tube seems to put out a larger volume of whiter smoke. Is this the "acrid white smoke" they talk about, or is "thin blue smoke" really only applicable to offset smokers, and the pellet tube is fine the way it is? Just curious if I'm somehow managing to gently caress up a pellet tube, or if I'm simply reading info for one smoker type and mistakenly thinking it applies to mine, or something else!
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2022 18:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 07:30 |
|
|
Random Hero posted:This and brisket fried rice is another one of my favorites for leftovers. I make sure all proteins turn into fried rice
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 02:12
|
|
|
Speaking of sous vide. Anyone have a recommended brand/model. Should i get a vacuum sealer too or just roll with ziplocks?
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 09:24
|
|
|
ZombieCrew posted:Speaking of sous vide. Anyone have a recommended brand/model. Should i get a vacuum sealer too or just roll with ziplocks? I'm partial to Anova myself, although I don't know what model I have anymore. Larger/higher wattage units will heat the water faster, though, so I'd say go for as large as makes (fiscal) sense. As for the vac sealer, that depends on you (and how much use you think you'd get out of it). For me, the vac sealer has been invaluable for both smoking and sous vide. Examples: • Buying big flats of BSCB; I'll ziplock some for current use, and vac-seal the rest (in meal-sized bags for the family) to freeze for later • Cold-smoking cheese, for when it needs to rest in the fridge for weeks/months • "Leftovers": when I run the smoker for pork butt, I do at least 2 butts at a time to make it worth the effort of running the smoker. Keep half or one out for current use, freeze the rest for later. • Risk tolerance: I usually insist on vac-sealing steaks for sous vide; they're expensive enough that I don't want to risk a ziploc bag failure • Bulk-buy steak: If there's a good price on a big Strip or Ribeye roast, I'll get one, portion it into steaks, vac-seal and freeze You get the idea. For me, I get enough use out of it that it was worth it. You can certainly made do without, though! It really comes down to how useful you think the thing is. For me, it's incredible. If you do decide to get one, I cannot recommend enough that you find a model that has a "seal now" button that interrupts the vacuum process and seals. This is useful if your meat happens to be juicier than expected; if I see juices starting to creep up on the unit, I just start the seal immediately. At that point, the unit has already gotten more air out of the bag than I ever could have hoped to achieve manually, so good enough.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 15:12
|
|
|
I just get the largest stock pot I can, put the meat in, fill until covered, then slowly bring it up to 200 and then turn off the heat and let the thermal mass of the extra water maintain the temp until the meat is reheated.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 15:57
|
|
|
I feel like I asked this here before, but have any of y'all ever tried making French dip sandwiches with brisket? I'm thinking about smoking a brisket flat KC style (pull at 185° so it's firm enough to slice thin on a meat slicer) and turning that into sandwiches. I've been on a weird French dip kick lately.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2022 20:00
|
|
|
I'm finally going to take this second turkey I got on sale before Thanksgiving out of my freezer soon so I can smoke it. I should probably figure out how to do that.....
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2022 20:10
|
|
|
I. M. Gei posted:I feel like I asked this here before, but have any of y'all ever tried making French dip sandwiches with brisket? Sounds amazing. I'd suggest using a cheaper cut like a chuck roast instead, but maybe I'm just cheap 
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2022 22:14
|
|
|
I. M. Gei posted:I feel like I asked this here before, but have any of y'all ever tried making French dip sandwiches with brisket? Kinda feel like you should just use an eye round?
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2022 23:36
|
|
|
I'm open to other cuts if y'all think there are better options out there. I do want to try it with brisket one of these days, but doing a practice run or two on something else wouldn't be a bad idea.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2022 00:13
|
|
|
I. M. Gei posted:I'm open to other cuts if y'all think there are better options out there. Chuck roast is pretty standard these days
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2022 06:21
|
|
|
VulgarandStupid posted:Chuck roast is pretty standard these days Chuck roast it is, then! Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2022 04:43
|
|
|
What temp should I smoke a chuck roast to so it's firm enough to slice on a meat slicer after?
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2022 18:55
|
|
|
I. M. Gei posted:What temp should I smoke a chuck roast to so it's firm enough to slice on a meat slicer after? The problem is that to get it really tender you need to cook it until all the connective tissue has broken down and turned into gelatin. This starts at around 180F and goes until like 203F, which is why thats when people pull around then. If you go the full way the whole thing is going to fall apart. Where is the magic spot where it will be tender but workable? Who knows. When people do this with brisket it's a whole different process which is why the smoked brisket you buy at the deli counter is called pastrami.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2022 19:17
|
|
|
I. M. Gei posted:What temp should I smoke a chuck roast to so it's firm enough to slice on a meat slicer after? Maybe take it to the stall and pull it then? I've done a chili recipe with chuck where you take it to 150F-ish and then cube it (it finishes rendering connective tissue in the stew). Consistency was still pretty firm when I did that IIRC.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2022 19:25
|
|
|
Murgos posted:Where is the magic spot where it will be tender but workable? Who knows. When people do this with brisket it's a whole different process which is why the smoked brisket you buy at the deli counter is called pastrami. When people do it with a brisket it's called "KC style" and it's pulled at around 185° or 190°. Kansas City brisket is typically sliced thin on meat slicers to put on sandwiches, which is why I considered doing this with a brisket first.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2022 20:27
|
|
|
I. M. Gei posted:When people do it with a brisket it's called "KC style" and it's pulled at around 185° or 190°. Kansas City brisket is typically sliced thin on meat slicers to put on sandwiches, which is why I considered doing this with a brisket first. Never heard of it. But there you go, same principle. So, I would do that then.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2022 21:52
|
|
|
I just got a Weber kettle. I haven’t gotten to put it together yet, but I’m pretty excited to start really grilling with charcoal and doing long indirect smokes. What are those temp controllers y’all are always talking about? I’ve got about $100 extra cash to burn I got for Christmas, so may wanna use it on one of those.
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 17:01
|
|
|
Fireboard and Thermoworks are the two big guys for controllers. I personally run the Thermoworks and have been happy with it. Both solutions run well north of $100, though.
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 17:19
|
|
|
um excuse me posted:Fireboard and Thermoworks are the two big guys for controllers. I personally run the Thermoworks and have been happy with it. Both solutions run well north of $100, though. Ah, poo poo. I can afford, but maybe not practical right now. Lid vent it is, for now. I’m really excited to get going with this thing so maybe it’s also best if I get a good feel for what vent opening is about what temperature.
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 17:23
|
|
|
I've been running a Pitmaster IQ130 since Christmas and I really like it. It does cost $300 though. The IQ110 runs around $140, but it's pretty barebones -- no digital display, alarms, bluetooth or food probe. But it'll hold a temp like a champ.
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 17:24
|
|
|
life is killing me posted:Ah, poo poo. I can afford, but maybe not practical right now. Lid vent it is, for now. I’m really excited to get going with this thing so maybe it’s also best if I get a good feel for what vent opening is about what temperature. I have done plenty of smokes using the vents on the kettle that turned out fine. I don't have a smoking insert like a lot of folks here do, but I'm able to make an offset pretty easy with a brick, foil, and a disposable pan.
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 17:26
|
|
|
life is killing me posted:I just got a Weber kettle. I haven’t gotten to put it together yet, but I’m pretty excited to start really grilling with charcoal and doing long indirect smokes. What are those temp controllers y’all are always talking about? I’ve got about $100 extra cash to burn I got for Christmas, so may wanna use it on one of those. I started doing all of my smoking on a kettle using just the charcoal baskets and a water pan. Just dial back the vents to just barely cracked. You'll get a feel for it after a few smoking sessions. To use a controller/fan you have to drill a hole in the kettle.
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2022 17:58
|
|
|
For my money the slow n sear is a more worthwhile investment than a controller. It’s really not that hard to hold a consistent temp with the vents.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2022 07:29
|
|
|
dy. posted:For my money the slow n sear is a more worthwhile investment than a controller. It’s really not that hard to hold a consistent temp with the vents. I have the Fireboard and while I like to use it on my 18 WSM for overnight cooks, I have never used it on my 22 Kettle which I use for any smokes in the 3-4 hour range and sometimes longer. I'm actually hoping to get a SNS soon as well for smoking but also just as an upgrade to the standard charcoal baskets. Here's a meatloaf I smoked on the kettle last night:   
Random Hero fucked around with this message at 15:30 on Feb 7, 2022 |
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2022 15:27
|
|
|
drat, that looks great! I've never considered doing meatloaf on a smoker, but now I am definitely going to try this. Took advantage of some rare nice weather on Saturday to smoke a couple of pork butts. Was cold enough that it added a few hours to the cook though, so was nearly midnight before I pulled them. Good thing it was all destined for vac bags and the freezer, but I still managed to scarf down 4-5oz while pulling it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2022 15:40
|
|
|
Enos Cabell posted:drat, that looks great! I've never considered doing meatloaf on a smoker, but now I am definitely going to try this. Smoked meatloaf is amazing and only takes ~2 hours @ 275F. It's tough to say what I like better though... The fresh stuff that night or the sandwich the next day.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2022 18:38
|
|
|
Random Hero posted:Smoked meatloaf is amazing and only takes ~2 hours @ 275F. It's tough to say what I like better though... The fresh stuff that night or the sandwich the next day. We've been doing meatloaf more frequently lately and collecting the drippings for a gravy has been almost life changing for our meatloaf game. I am thinking about using one of those grill boards in the image a few posts up, though. Seems like a nice way to move the meatloaf to and from and I could still fit a pan beneath it to catch drippings.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2022 23:44
|
|
|
Random Hero posted:Smoked meatloaf is amazing and only takes ~2 hours @ 275F. It's tough to say what I like better though... The fresh stuff that night or the sandwich the next day. Fresh is more than ok but man the sandwich is just God tier.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2022 23:59
|
|
|
This one place that was right next to company headquarters in Nashville, where I had to travel far too frequently (barbecue and farm emo get old really fast...), had the most amazing smoked meatloaf I'd get it every single time I had to visit and god drat it now I'm really hungry thinking about it even though I just ate a bunch of wings that came off the smoker an hour ago.
|
|
#
?
Feb 8, 2022 00:10
|
|
|
I've never had smoked meatloaf, but I'll probably make it this week now. I have all that poo poo in the kitchen already.
|
|
#
?
Feb 8, 2022 01:15
|
|
|
When you're making a sandwich the next day try reheating it by browning the slices in a tiny bit of oil on the stove
|
|
#
?
Feb 8, 2022 02:16
|
|
|
SSJ_naruto_2003 posted:When you're making a sandwich the next day try reheating it by browning the slices in a tiny bit of oil on the stove This. You have to get that nice crust on each side. I usually serve on toasted sandwich bread with provolone and a little extra sauce of whatever kind. It's good with pretty much anything.
|
|
#
?
Feb 8, 2022 21:43
|
|
|
SSJ_naruto_2003 posted:When you're making a sandwich the next day try reheating it by browning the slices in a tiny bit of oil on the stove thanks for this, i tried it today and this is definitely a pro tip.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2022 10:35
|
|
|
Stringent posted:thanks for this, i tried it today and this is definitely a pro tip. Like all of my cooking knowledge it was lifted from Kenji
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2022 18:55
|
|
|
I know it has been asked before, but after a 8-9 day brine, how long should I soak a full packer brisket/pastrami in water to desalinate? I have seen anything from 2 hours to 2 days.
Random Hero fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Feb 9, 2022 |
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2022 19:29
|
|
|
Random Hero posted:I know it has been asked before, but after a 8-9 day brine, how long should I soak a full packer brisket/pastrami in water to desalinate? I have seen anything from 2 hours to 2 days. I personally did 24 hours for a separated cap and flat. I followed Meathead's instruction and that poo poo was better than Katz. Curing Meat Safely https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/salting-brining-curing-and-injecting/curing-meats-safely/ Corned Beef: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/home-made-corned-beef-recipe/ Pastrami: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/home-made-pastrami-thats-close-katzs-recipe/ And just to save you some time: Amazing Ribs posted:Desalinate. Put the corned beef in a pot slightly larger than the meat and cover it with cold water in the fridge for at least 8 hours. Change the water at least once. This removes excess salt. Trust me, you need to do this or you will be gulping water all night after your meal.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2022 20:17
|
|
|
What’s the reason for doing this versus an EQ cure that sets your salinity where you want it to begin with?
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2022 20:24
|
|
|
I would guess it's 'safer/harder to gently caress up' for people who are bad with math.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2022 22:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 07:30 |
|
|
um excuse me posted:I personally did 24 hours for a separated cap and flat. I followed Meathead's instruction and that poo poo was better than Katz. Thanks and yeah, I'm following that recipe for the most part. I'm working backwards from this Sunday to figure out my schedule to have some fresh pastrami for the Super Bowl. I have done pastrami with the flat twice now but this is my first try with a full packer.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2022 23:31
|
|