hndapwrman

That's a great article. I'll have to dig up the whole one. It looks like it is going to be a fantastic weekend to go down there!

Just to update..... Thanks for all the suggestions. I brined it overnight. I rinsed it, patted it dry, and put a paste of garlic, onion, kosher salt, cracked pepper, fresh parsley, and bacon. I then cheated a bit and injected it with a mix of beer, butter and honey. I smoked it with seasoned cherry wood in the offset box. It really ended up great. Thanks again for the tips, I kind of used a mix of all of them.

Beans, it is easy to get lost in Pittsburgh - all the tunnels, bridges, one-way streets and CONSTRUCTION!! A late night sandwich at Primanti's is something everyone should taste! I always get the corned beef and cheese: grilled corned beef, cheese, tomato, vinaigrette cole slaw and fries sandwiched between 2 slices of Italian bread. Always better with beer! And mjd - Enrico Biscotti is very good. That is what is so great about the Strip - there are so many places to choose from that a group can go down and everyone can be happy! The selection and ability to buy a little or a lot of something is one of the things I have always enjoyed about the strip. I will have to hit the farmers markets down there. I have a nice local farm close to where I live and the "our own" products are no comparison to the stuff you get in stores. Gotta take advantage of it now.....in a few months it will be back to so-so produce.

I have the Char-Griller unit and have enjoyed great results (thanks for everyone’s tips!). The offset box is great for smoking, and I have used it for a small grill and also used the main chamber for grilling up a number of steaks. Very versatile!

Corned beef and cheese from Primanti's in Pittsburgh. Grilled corned beef, cheese, tomato, vinagrette coleslaw and french fries sandwiched between 2 slices of thick italian bread. A 'Burgh tradition that tastes even better after and with a few cold brews.

The Pierogi races.....a great rip off from the Brewers. We take our version less seriously though. Pierogis are a Pittsburgh staple. So what else should we do other than race them? We have Cheese Chester, Oliver Onion, Sauerkraut Saul and Jalapeno Hannah running a race every day. Unlike Milwaukee, there is usually some tripping and hitting going on down the stretch. Hannah has been known to use her purse to hit the guys in order to win. They keep a running tally on the scoreboard of the winners. It's pretty funny. Something has to keep us smiling, the play of the Pirates sure doesn't! Here is a quick clip of the end of a race: Pierogi Race

Thanks for the kind welcome. I really have been enjoying eGullet. Ahhh...the Strip. One of my very favorite places! It started as a depot for food way back in the early 1900s. Produce, meat, eggs, etc would come from all around and restaurants would come and pick up their food. My Grandfather used to own a general store about 40 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, and he would travel down in his huckster wagon with eggs and dairy from "up north" and trade his way down and back to end up with the goods that he needed for the store. Now it houses the some of the best stores for fresh food around. Nothing trendy, just down in the city with not nearly enough parking. Pennsylvania Macaroni has the greatest selection of cheeses, cured meats, olives, pastas, everything that is Italian. Breadworks, which makes awesome crusty bread. Parma Sausage Company sells homemade sausages; Presto George roasts their own peanuts and makes the best ham salad. Pittsburgh is a very ethnic town with large Italian, Polish, German, Slovak etc populations. They are all well represented in the Strip. Very fresh and very good selection down there. My favorite place to go for breakfast in the Strip is DeLuca's. Great diner with fantastic food. Pretty greasy, but just what the doctor ordered. FYI - order the sausage omlet with Italian toast! What they are starting to do now is put more and more restaurants, bars and nightclubs in. They aren't moving the stores out (thankfully) because they have them on a parallel street. It works well, because the stores are busy in the AM and obviously the bars and clubs are busy during the PM. That area is a little young for me in the evening though.

I'd put a little dijon mustard on them then add a little kosher salt and black pepper. Sear them off with a little butter, pull them out, deglaze with a little brandy a quick squeeze of lemon. Toss them back in to coat them. Or make a nice brandy cream sauce for them.

Thanks for the info guys. I just ordered a 16oz Boneless Rib Steak. That's a real nice way for a Pittsburgh guy to get a taste of that NYC action. Now the only thing to decide is cook it over a hardwood fire or do the stand-by cast iron skillet method. FG-just noticed your last post. Your final comment about the strip being the best thing going there has me with buyers remorse. Oh well...next time...

I am fairly new to this site and have been enjoying it greatly. Are there any Pittsburghers that frequesnt this site? Have a great weekend!!

Thanks for the tips!! Here is the website for the smoker: http://www.chargriller.com I bought the "Super Pro" model at Lowes, and then bought the offset smoker box from the company to make it the "Smokin' Pro". My first couple smokes, I was putting my "fuel" on one side of the grill and then the meat on the other. Now I will be putting the wood/charcol in the firebox, and the meat in the main compartment. Thanks again for the tips, I am looking forward to trying them out.

I received my offset smoker from Char-Griller, so after I put it on the rest of the grill and burn it for a couple hours, I will be able to smoke without having the coals pushed to one side. My dad asked me to do a smoked turkey breast for his birthday, so I am bumping around the internet looking for ideas. You all were very helpful with my pork butts, so I figured I'd throw it out there. Obviously I will want to brine it. Maybe a rub? Over or under the skin? I figure to smoke it at 220 or so until the meat is 165. Does smoking just the breast take less time than smoking a whole turkey (I would think so)? Any guesses on a time frame? Any words of wisdom? Also, what will I notice the most going from coals on the side of the Char-Griller, to using the offset firebox on it? Any pearls for that too? Sorry to be so greedy! Thanks!

alanz, You pull it before sealing, correct? Thanks for the tip. Might as well cook multiples. I guess it is kind of a waste of wood and lump doing just one. Especially when I can vac it into bags, reheat it easily and it still tastes good.

Funny you said that. I was wondering what happened.....it was going fine and then slowed to a crawl. It turned out real good!! A real nice smoke ring and tender as can be (except for those nice dark bits on the outside....yum!!). I like that idea of cooking multiple butts and vac sealing them. Foodsavers really are great. Do you put anything on the pork before you seal it or do you add something when you re-heat it (if you put anything on at all)? It ended up taking about 12 hours for the butt. A little longer than what I thought, but certainly worth the wait. I took a couple digital pics, but I have no idea how to post them. Can anyone give me a little help? Thanks!

Wow Col. Klink......now that is a bbq!!! Being my first smoke, I am being a little more timid. One Butt. I brined it in Kosher Salt, Brown Sugar and Water for about 18 hours. Since I am waiting on the firebox from Char Griller, I had to build a fire off to the side. Seemed to work pretty well, obviously some temp fluctuations, especially when I put more lump and wood on. I was patient and didn't try to over correct or anything, just worked with the damper. I put a quick rub of Kosher, pepper, dried mustard, paprica, garlic salt and dried parsley. I let it go for an hour and a half and mopped with a little brown mustard, red wine vin, salt, pepper, cillantro, hot sauce and some fresh lime juice. I mopped about every hour or so. I had to add fuel every hour or so also. Is that normal? I was trying to keep the "fire" small so it didn't get too hot. I have a probe stuck through a potato to check the temp of the grill along with an oven thermometer on the grate and the thermometer on the char-griller. She has been on for about 7 hours now, and she looks pretty good! If figure a little while longer and I'll be styling. BTW......Grey Goose and lemonade to strat with then followed up with a couple Hacker-Pschorr Weisse beers as the afternoon slipped by. This looks like it will be an addictive hobby. Thanks for everyones input. I'll put a couple pics up when she is done! Thanks for the inspiration on the rub and mop Kilk. I liked yours and followed you sugestion of adding things that I like.