snowangel

Whew. What a long day. I've smoked in colder weather, but it wasn't windy. Learn something new every day. I had untold trouble keeping the temp up on the Kettle, which is normally opposite of what happens. I'm very good at getting the temp down, and today, I perfected my skills in getting the temp up (open it up and stir things around). Marlene, it got late here, too, and I was checking the temp like you No, there were no flames. Peter set the camera to the fireworks setting. First, the disappointment. This is kind of a crumby photo, and I apoligize, and will plead the "I just got a new camera): This was a very fatty hunk of venison with lots of collegen. But, venison collegen is different, apparently, because it doesn't melt. Must be all of that leaping and bounding in front of cars. And, although it was a fatty chunk, the fat stays tallow like. Were I to smoke venison again, I would do a very short smoke followed by a braise. Paul and I both agreed on that. But, to the successes! Especially in the upper left corner, you'll see evidence of the smoke ring, which was not as visible in mine as it was in yours. The ring has been elusive to me, but on one of the smoking topics, we decided that while it is good, it doesn't mean that stuff without a deep smoke ring is any less smoky. Bunned and sauced. Wow. Just wonderful. Beyond belief. Smoked butt rules. I just might like it more than bacon. (and when I get things right with this camera, it is wow, too!). For my second sandwich, I piled on the pork, a smattering of sauce and the slaw. This is indeed a worthy slaw, and I will post the recipe soon. I smell like smoke. I've had fun smoking. And, I survived smoking without smoking. Dave, so how slow are things going down your way? Edited to add the Cole Slaw recipe.

Aw, Marlene, I feel like a parent who has seen a child succeed! Smoking meat is fun and it is easy. Now, as to why it wasn't pull apart. I think you perhaps pulled it too early, but it appears that cold weather played havoc with the plans you, Dave and I laid. It was windy here today, which I think was my problem. If you haven't cut up the whole thing, but rather just wrapped what you didn't eat in foil and figured you'd deal with it later, you can do what I did once. FOiled, in the fridge, and in a warm (225 oven) the next day for a few hours. Then I pulled it and all was right with the world. I'm gettin ready to post.

Just wait until I can take photos. The pork is off and resting. It's going to a late dinner on a school night. The kids might be eating in their jammies. I should have started this much earlier than 10:00 am. I've never had a the pork take this long on the trusty Kettle. And, I've smoked in the cold before. I think the wind was a big factor. But, the butt is off, and as a last thing, I opened all of the vents so that everything would burn off. If I don't, the juices that drip down and don't hit the drip pan get pretty solid and I have to work them off to get the vents to open. Apps, Dave? How about bacon? BTW, Marlene, good on you for doffing the coat to keep checking on the butt. When I wore a coat to do that, I had to have it, it smelled like butt for weeks. I loved it, but caught odd glances from others. Maggie, are your potstickers homemade like the ones I have in my freezer? (7 pleats per side, thank you very much.) My pillow is going to smell like smoke tomorrow.

How do I make grenadine?

It's never taken so long for me to smoke a butt. I'm about to have to resort to a flashlight to check the temp. We're hungry too. It might be smoked venison as an amuse.

Will the return of taste make it any easier? I'm waiting for my taste to return. Today has been hard. Smoking while smoking is one of the hardest habits I've had to ignore.

This little piece of venison is at 160, and stalled. I'm wondering if I should pull it, foil it and stick in a low oven to finish off? It's little and might need to be of the smoke, I'm thinking.

My house has been very popular with the neighborhood boys. This 9-10 year old age range of boys is hugely into toilet talk. Farts, poop, etc., etc. "Wow! Your mom is smoking butts! How cool is that." Boys dissolve into peals of laughter. Peter says "Just wait 'til her butt stalls." More laughter. They are having almost as much fun as I am.

Time to take it off! ← I thought it didn't come off until 190? \ ← Others may disagree, but I say it comes off when the temperature starts to rise. All that's going to happen from this point on is that the gelatin will start to leak out. ← Anyone else? Susan, fifi,? ← What does the wiggle test tell you? (Wiggle the bone) Edited to add: Are you sure the stall is done? The temp should shoot up, not creep, IMHO.

I've been busy. I cheated and bought some Dole pre-cut cabbage, which, like Dave, I salted. I wanted to get a bag of the purple cabbage, but they were out. After about 15 minutes, I dumped it onto a flour sack dish cloth, rolled it up and squeezed. I'm amazed at how much water came out. Miz for the additions to the cole slaw. Scallions, dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Note, Dave, that my knife reappeared. It was in the side pocket of Paul's duffel. Boy, do I love this camera. Dressing ingredients: The finished product: I use more dressing than I would really like, but it makes it much easier for Heidi to eat. Cole Slaw is one of her favorites. I've just done a pork and venison check. The venison is most definitely stalled, and has dropped about 3 degrees in temp. Linda, this piece of venison looked just like a boned pork butt, with lots of connective tissue. The pork is running at about 144 right now. Edited to add:

I moved to vodka, tonic and lime. Very refreshing. Makes me think of drinks on the dock of the cabin.

Cole Slaw This is a riff on a recipe I cut out from the NY Times some time ago by Nigela Lawson. Apologies in advance to those who think I am cheating. If you don't use the bagged stuff, it's about 1 head of green cabbage and 1 small head of purple. I do love fruit in cole slaw and the dried cranberries are fabulous. 2 16 oz. bags of Dole Classic Cole Slaw 1 bag of Dole shredded purple cabbage 1 T kosher salt 1 c mayo 1/4 c buttermilk or sour cream 2 T honey 1-1/2 T white wine vinegar (to taste) 1 bunch scallions, sliced thin (4-5 scallions) 1/2 c dried cranberries, very coarsely chopped 2/3 c chopped pecans (chop them fine) Mix salt with cabbage in a collander. Set aside for about 20 minutes. Pour cabbage onto a kitchen towel, roll up and squeeze excess water out. Put in mixing bowl, add scallions. Whisk together mayo, buttermilk or sour cream, honey and vinegar. Mix with cabbage/scallions. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Keywords: Salad, Vegetables ( RG1621 )

The venison seems to have stalled at about 158. Interesting. I didn't check the temp on the pork. I'm using way more charcoal than normal to try and keep the temp to 225. I did have one spike to 230. Off to make cole slaw. Photos coming soon.

Wusses don't smoke meat. I'm a long way from the stall. The pork is now up to 105. Venison at 145.

I reheat it in a covered pan in the oven, low, moistened with a bit of smoked pork stock. We should probably also talk about what to do with leftover butt. Not only can you reheat it and eat it as you will today, but it makes an excellent filling for enchiladas, tacos, omelettes. I've also taken smoked meat (butt or brisket) and added it to some tomato sauce to be tossed with pasta. It's good room temp on salads. In coleslaw. Or just eaten right out of the fridge, standing there with the door open! Oh, and if you are making a meal out of dressed up baked potatoes, add some butt.

I'm eating leftover curry. The venison is at 130 and the pork at 95. This could be a long afternoon! edited to add: Why is my curry less spicy today?

Have you got a thermometer in it? I've dumped a second load of charcoal into the sidebox and crossed my fingers. ← No thermometer in it. I'd better check the temp on it. Any ideas how high I should take the venison?

BTW, there's a whole mess of butts smoking over here. We've got three kinds of smokers going -- bullet, kettle and off-set.

I'm at the 2 hour point. My wood chunks have been soaking outside, but I think I'll move them inside. Yep, that's ice. I wonder when I should take the venison off. Any ideas?

I'm feeling like a good ol' boy. Smoking meat, drinking, and coveage of the Bud Shootout is on TV.

I'm having the opposite problem. Mine keeps going up ← Shut the bottom vents.

Things here going well, but I'm having trouble maintaining a temp of 225. It keeps wanting to go down to 200, so for the first time I can remember, I've had to crack the bottom vents open a bit on my leaky Kettle.

Marlene, you do know that you are supposed to drink beer while smoking, don't you? Well, maybe not beer. I think I'm going to have a bloody mary. Dave, how long will it take to smoke your butt on the offset smoker? Memory tells me that it takes less time on the kettle than it does on the bullet.

I'm in business. I took the meat outside to sit as I was getting ready to start the chimney. It's quite a dance when the chimney is ready to, without help, get the water pan in, filled, while holding the full chimney, but I've done it many, many times. The meat is on. The butt that really is a mongo shoulder blade as well as that odd piece of venison that I tied up. Temp on the grill is running at 200, so I need to go and goose this thing up a little bit. There is a lot of fiddling when smoking on the kettle, but once I get things right, it's good to go. It's really very, very easy. Edited to add: I took these photos using the nifty "snow" setting on my camera! This camera is great.

Beautiful! I love the "high tech" oven thermometer. That's what I use, too. No big breakfast here. Peter and Heidi had cheereo's. I'm contemplating what to have. Maybe some leftover curry. Marlene, I used the classified ads to start my chimney, too. I'm not taking pictures of the chimney. I've posted countless of those!