meat smoker

[gene]

I worked long and hard today. Well, not so hard. It's difficult to say "hard" when I enjoyed what I was doing. Anyhow, I took a break  to pick up my new Masterbuilt smoker. My first one. I'm looking forward to my first smoking this weekend.

I saw a recipe for onions, tomatoes, and peppers. I'm not a vegan, but that did look very appetizing.

I'm going to start out with beef ribs.

Anyone use a smoker for meat, veggies, small cats?

gene

[Darren Henry]

I had a friend who was a German trained master sausage maker and a mutual friend who loved to cook who played around with smoking things. I had a "L'ill Chief" electric smoker for a while but stuck to the basics like fish and hams.

What I have learned is that heat and moisture and your brine are the key elements. there are lots of good sites on the web that will tell you if something should be cold smoked or hot smoked or a combination of the two. I forget what the ex.act "dividing line" is but 165 F comes to mind. Those same recipes should tell you if should inject liquids like making a ham or add steam like making bacon and some sausages. Some things, like fish, do not want extra moisture. I had to give up my smoker years ago so don't remember many recipes. The one thing I will never forget is that your brine will make or break your entree. Brine is to smoking as stock is to soup, it is where the flavour comes from. Don't use salt water and say "there". Don't over do it either---If your mix of herbs and spices doesn't taste well on it's on, it will ruin the meat. It should be strong, but not overpowering. Better to leave it marinade longer in something that tastes good than to rush it in something you wouldn't want to eat (well technically drink).

My brine for light fish (whitefish,walleye,perch etc...) consists of water, course salt,white wine, brown sugar, white pepper,& lemon pepper . For dark flesh like lake trout or salmon I use a drier wine and add a kick of cayenne or tobasca etc... and let it marinate a little longer. Be creative.

[gene]

I put your fish brine recipes on my list, Darren. I'll give them a try. Thanks.

I have been reading a lot about smoking. There are folks who are really into it.

It is amazing how much stuff is on the internet about any topic!

What I'm going to do is to keep records of everything I cook, ingredients, temperature, amount of wood chips, time, etc., so I can know what works best with my smoker.

165 degrees F is the internal temperature for chicken parts. 180 F for a whole chicken.

I just heard someone say that the best way we can deal with global warming here in the USA is to change from the Fahrenheit to the Celsius scale. 100 degrees would become 40 degrees. Now this is funny!

gene

[byhammerandhand]

I generally smoke a turkey or two every year, generally at least at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

I tried smoking Boston Butt (a hog's front shoulder, so why is it a butt?)    Came out too dry for my taste.

[Darren Henry]

the USA is to change from the Fahrenheit to the Celsius scale. 100 degrees would become 40 degrees. Now this is funny!

When it gets bitter cold up here we adopt the absolute scale where 0= minus 273 C. Forty below becomes a balmy 233 *absolute.

I tried smoking Boston Butt (a hog's front shoulder, so why is it a butt?)    Came out too dry for my taste.

Next time try injecting it with some of your brine before you smoke it.

[kodydog]

When I was a young man a buddy and me built a smoker out of plywood. That night we went to the backside of a neighborhood that was still under construction. We want down a road that was a finger that stuck out into the bay. We cast netted off the sea wall for several hours for mullet. They were plentiful and we caught about 30.  We brought them home, cleaned them and smoked them all night using wood from an old orange tree the neighbors had cut down. The following day his mom had a party and we served the mullet as an appetizer. Boy was that good.

[brmax]

Gene your in for some good eats and busy times, I totally agree there are some great internet sites for the fun and serious parts about it.

Regularly use my small homemade bbq smoker all in one for a time now, that Masterbuilt model you mention you just got is too cool! 
From some good experienced sources I finally picked up a maverick cordless temp and alarm setup a couple years ago and is the ticket, with the thin blue smoke.

Some choices I am partial to working up are pork loins into Canadian style bacon and that's a long but fun process. ( ya best get an extra fridge ) or move the beer way over for brine  buckets.

The pork butts I found worked up real nice when they achieved a 160f internal temp, then I wrap in foil and put right back on until 205f internal was achieved. ( my basting and water pan has stuff n stuff and mango juice from the real juice section, then with some apple j added.
Look out then boys!, though very difficult "pullin pork when hot" and smackin all your buds hands : )

I still need to find some nice old school plastic ketchup kinda? bottles for dressing/Jamaican junk juice on the pork samich!
Just thought a machinist oiler? made of plastic

I was whining? I was told earlier,  though committed I was wondering how much charcoal it was gonna take for some KC strips today @14.