Smoking Barbrcue Thread

mb227 said:
Concur on thickness...which was part of what drew me to the one I got. When it took four employees to lift that damned box into the bed of the truck, you know it had some heft to it LOL!

Lacking those four people at the house, it was very much a controlled drop from the bed of the truck...had an area that was about a foot higher than the driveway, and so I just used leverage and physics. It was pretty well packaged, so no damage- to me, the truck or the smoker.
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The beast I am getting will be 5/16" thick, I think. Close to 750 pounds.

I remember bolting together my Char Broil. Good times.
 
Late to the fight on this thread but here's my two cents...There are only two of us at home. I don't cook large amounts of meat. I use a Komodo Joe. I've cooked brisket, ribs, and the best pork butt I've ever eaten. Temperature control is good enough that you can set it and go to bed and wake up the next morning to the same temperature. I do use a thermometer to monitor just in case! I've also cooked some of the best pizza I've ever eaten. And if you like to slow and sear a steak, nothing works better unless you use gas. You can change the temperature pretty quickly. One of the best porterhouse steaks I've eaten was cooked on my back porch. I don't order steaks in restaurants anymore because I can cook them more to my liking on the Komodo. I've tried different woods for flavor but everything is good.
 
I use a green egg and it works perfect on Sausage, Brisket and Ribs. It’s still hard feeling exactly when to pull the brisket or ribs off. Timing has to be perfect.
 
For brisket, use a meat thermometer, and cook to 203 F or so, then let rest for 2-3 hours wrapped in foil.

Ribs are based on time and looks. I cook mine 3 hours open, 2 hours in foil meat side down, then 1 hour open, saucing the meat the last 15 minutes. All this with the grill at about 250 F.

When you lift the rack up on one side, and the other starts to droop and the bark cracks, that's when they are done.

Last set:
May ribs.jpg
 
upload_2021-6-20_16-48-33.png

Father's Day Brisket I smoked for 13 hours last night. It was probably my best brisket. Aaron Franklin master class helped a lot.
 
Does slicing with / against the grain make any difference on something that people are going to cut up with a knife?

I can see it on say fajita meat, as you want people to be able to bite off sections of the rolled up tortilla. But with brisket, people cut it into smaller pieces anyway, so does it matter?
 
Also cooked a leg of lamb. I never liked it as a kid - it was gamey, dry, and terrible. But if you don't get mutton dressed as lamb as the saying goes, and cook it on the grill, it's very good. Similar to beef, but slightly different and good in its own right.



IMG_0001_1.jpg
 
Duck Dodgers said:
Also cooked a leg of lamb. I never liked it as a kid - it was gamey, dry, and terrible. But if you don't get mutton dressed as lamb as the saying goes, and cook it on the grill, it's very good. Similar to beef, but slightly different and good in its own right.



IMG_0001_1.jpg
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That's fine and dandy, but whatcha drinkin'?
 
But such as on those strips of brisket in the photo above, won't someone just cut with the short side of those slices, thereby cutting with the grain?

I agree it's important on things people don't cut again, but if they are going to, then do you need to factor that in?

And the drink is just a glass of ice tea - I was cooking for lunch at work during a hitch, as the place my company rented for me was 2 blocks away. So team lunches twice a week. In Perth, WA no less. Good times.
 
I can tell you that in years past, when I was new to smoking brisket, I mistakenly sliced with the grain, and it dried out quickly. They will only need the knife if you slice it with the grain.
 
True, I suppose if you slice against the grain, the brisket could be cut with a fork and eaten sans knife.

Hard to figure out sometimes on a brisket which way the grain runs, especially after you cook it. I've heard to put a toothpick in before you rub, with the long axis in the direction of the grain as a guide for when you slice it up.
 
I would say I am intermediate but was a recent novice. I have a long way to go with Brisket. I am not rendering the fat enough. We ordered some butcher paper. I have been smoking them all naked so far. Think I will get a smaller one and cook to 200 F internal. I was stopping short of that before. I only slice what we eat. It is whole in the fridge and I just slice off what I am eating then. Thanks for the advice. Brisket is pretty difficult.
 
Not difficult, just takes a while to understand how to properly do it. I’d say internal temp of 203-210 tops. The longer you can let it rest before slicing, 4-12 hours, the more tender it will be.

And for gawd’s sake, slice against the grain lol.
 
horninchicago said:
The longer you can let it rest before slicing, 4-12 hours, the more tender it will be.
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The first time I did this I was not confident because I thought I let it stay in the cooler too long (and I had never done this before). It was wrapped in foil, wrapped in a bath towel and in my Kodi cooler sealed up for 8 hours. When I took it out to cut it was practically too hot to hold with my hand and had to get insulated gloves. One of the best danged briskets I've ever had.
 
Vol Horn 4 Life said:
The first time I did this I was not confident because I thought I let it stay in the cooler too long (and I had never done this before). It was wrapped in foil, wrapped in a bath towel and in my Kodi cooler sealed up for 8 hours. When I took it out to cut it was practically too hot to hold with my hand and had to get insulated gloves. One of the best danged briskets I've ever had.
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Yep, the fat just slowly renders.

Droooooool.........
 
Vol Horn 4 Life said:
The first time I did this I was not confident because I thought I let it stay in the cooler too long (and I had never done this before). It was wrapped in foil, wrapped in a bath towel and in my Kodi cooler sealed up for 8 hours. When I took it out to cut it was practically too hot to hold with my hand and had to get insulated gloves. One of the best danged briskets I've ever had.
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A big piece of meat (that's what she said!) has a lot of heat energy, and insulated from heat loss via foil, towel, and cooler, they will stay hot for a long time.

For a brisket, 3 hours is probably a minimum amount of time to rest, to fully break down all the fats and connective tissues, and all without the risk of drying it out as there's no additional heat being applied to the meat via the grill.

Going to cook salmon tomorrow. I use a cedar plank on the grill to get indirect heat, and some good smoke flavor into the fish.

Season up the fish, put a couple of pats on butter on it.

Grill to 400 F, no heat deflector.

Soak plank in water for 15 minutes, then onto grill until it's lightly smoking.

Fish on, for 45 minutes. If the fish is thick enough to use a meat thermometer that's the way to go, otherwise check after 30 and keep cooking till it's tasty. With the indirect heat, there's more of a window from bait to dry as dust, than with an open fire.

Previous grouper work:


Grouper.jpg
 
AC said:
I am not rendering the fat enough.
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JMO

Most people will talk about temp, but this is about touch for me. People will talk about the heat plateau,etc.

I don't wrap in paper (or foil if I'm using the oven) until my finger (I use gloves) pokes easily into the fat layer like butter.

Don't trust the temp with fat. Trust your finger.
 
X Misn Tx said:
JMO

Most people will talk about temp, but this is about touch for me. People will talk about the heat plateau,etc.

I don't wrap in paper (or foil if I'm using the oven) until my finger (I use gloves) pokes easily into the fat layer like butter.

Don't trust the temp with fat. Trust your finger.
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That can certainly work with a lot of experience, but why not use a temperature probe and cook to 203-210 internal temp?
 
I've tried it without temp and probing with temp. I just screwed up the last two briskets because I watched Aaron Franklin videos and did not see a temp. He just uses feel. I used to cook to 200-205 F. Lately I tried feel, and pulled them at 185F (temp only at the end). I think I will stick to temp and pull them around 205 F internal. Maybe I'll try a small one for 4th of July.
 
AC said:
I've tried it without temp and probing with temp. I just screwed up the last two briskets because I watched Aaron Franklin videos and did not see a temp. He just uses feel. I used to cook to 200-205 F. Lately I tried feel, and pulled them at 185F (temp only at the end). I think I will stick to temp and pull them around 205 F internal. Maybe I'll try a small one for 4th of July.
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Yeah, he may do more than the average dude. His fingers are to the point where doesn't feel the heat anymore.
 
horninchicago said:
That can certainly work with a lot of experience, but why not use a temperature probe and cook to 203-210 internal temp?
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I always use a probe. But sometimes the fat just doesn't render when the prove says it should.

I balance the doneness of the meat with ensuring the fast renders how I want it to.

I definitely use temp. It's just one thing I use though
 
X Misn Tx said:
I always use a probe. But sometimes the fat just doesn't render when the prove says it should.

I balance the doneness of the meat with ensuring the fast renders how I want it to.

I definitely use temp. It's just one thing I use though
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Makes sense.

About to head to Costco for some St. Louis ribs to smoke tomorrow.
 
For me it's all about time and temp. I typically smoke for 6-7 hours, wrap and continue cooking until 210ish then wrap in cooler for as long as I can wait. I never have a bad one with that process. I've heard people say they smoke for 15-16 hours but I don't see how they do that without it being totally dried out leather. Dry brisket is just about the worst thing ever.
 
Thought I read on HF way back 2hrs/lb at 250, or as close as you can keep it. Then the wrap up part for 2-3 hours. Mine have always been delicious but my experience is only three, hahaha.
 
Vol Horn 4 Life said:
For me it's all about time and temp. I typically smoke for 6-7 hours, wrap and continue cooking until 210ish then wrap in cooler for as long as I can wait. I never have a bad one with that process. I've heard people say they smoke for 15-16 hours but I don't see how they do that without it being totally dried out leather. Dry brisket is just about the worst thing ever.
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You could do 15-16 hours if cooking at 225 instead of 250.

They keys are getting past the stall to 203-210 and resting 4-12 hours before slicing against the grain.
 
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