Smoking Meat

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

Thank you for the fast answer!

 

We have apple, mulberry, hackberry and plum--all green.   Gonna try it then--well, really, Ronnie used to use that years and years ago.  Will report back  

When I prune the fruit trees I throw the suitable trimmings in a bucket to dry. Always there when I need smoke. 

 

Of course somebody always asks why we have a bucket of sticks...

Edited October 24, 2019 by gfweb (log)

[Shelby]

51 minutes ago, Shelby said:

Probably are. 

 

I can't go with him due to all the damn poison ivy around there.

These trees are "wild" out at the perimeters of our farm ground.  Poison ivy etc. is every where around there and I am super allergic.  It sucks, but the older I get, the worse it is.

[Bernie]

I think if you use green timber (as apposed to wet timber) you are likely to get a lot of evaporation of the sap, which is likely to have a lot of sugars or resins that will burn with a acrid or "oily" smoke. The meat will get covered in it, and have an off taste.

Its the same reason you have to dry pine when using it in a fireplace or slow combustion heater, the chimney will get coated in pine resin and eventually catch fir.

I use wood chips and either rinse them in plain water or add a couple of cups of water to the wood box. The initial heating of the chips produces steam and it slows down the burning process so there is more smoke for longer. My smoker is gas powered (propane not petrol).

[rotuts]

I think you want dried wood , either wood you dried yourself , or ground dried wood

 

food grade , in pellets.

 

I have no idea why there is much mythology of soaking dried wood chips first to get smoke.

 

it been perpetuated for a long time.  ATK has perpetuated it.

 

Chris Schlesinger   , a Boston local chef , has a wonderful series of BBQ books , and a restaurant or two

 

way back before BBQ , the real deal BBQ became popular in BOS ;

 

License to Grill: Achieve Greatness At The Grill With 200 Sizzling Recipes

 

he analysed smoke.  good reading here.  he only used hardwood charcoal for BBQ flavor

 

but back to " green "  I believe the green part of wood , just under the bark where the tree grows from

 

is not flavorful.   

 

the water issue probably started because wet wood is harder to ignite to a full flame.

 

the issues is to control the amount of oxygen the wood gets.

 

nothing less , and nothing more.

 

a tinfoil pouch works fine w a bunch of tiny holes in it , to control the air flow :  too many holes

 

ignition.  too few , the wood goes out.

 

food grade wood pellets are not expensive .   and the smoking tube is well worth the cost

 

but tin foil works fine.

 

random sample :

 

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wood+pellets&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wood+pellet+tube&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

 

I have this one :

 

A-MAZE-N AMNTS6 Round Pellet Tube Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking, 6 Inch

 

this version is newer :

 

LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12 inches - 5 Hours of Billowing Smoke - for Any Grill or Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking - Easy, Safety and Tasty Smoking - Free eBook Grilling Ideas and Recipes

 

and as long as its heavy duty , might be worth it as it looks like it wont roll around.  but my reound one never did.

 

very helpful to have a torch to start off the wood pellets to get them really glowing so they wont go out.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2019 by Smithy
Adjusted Amazon links to be eG-friendly (log)

[gfweb]

I second @rotuts about the torch for the pellets. Makes it easy.

 

Tin foil wrapped dry twigs cooked on a $10 hotplate will smoke for  about 30 min. I usually do it for 30 to 60 min of cold smoke.

 

Then cook, often sous vide

[Shelby]

Thanks so much, everyone!

 

Going to cold smoke some beef ribs today and sous vide them sometime soon.  

 

I know that Pa and Ma in The Little House On The Prairie books built a smokehouse and used green wood chips so why can't I lol.

[rotuts]

@Shelby

 

you are welcome to use green wood chips.

 

no law against it.

 

not that Laws matter these days.

 

it will just taste " green "

 

and BTW , only use hard wood , not ' soft wood '  i.e. wood w resin

 

i.e.₂ pine.

 

unless you like that Turpentine flavor in your meat.

 

Greeks add that flavor to their wine !   they must like massive hang overs

 

 

to me , fruitwood has the best flavored smoke.

[Shelby]

29 minutes ago, rotuts said:

to me , fruitwood has the best flavored smoke

Us too!

[chileheadmike]

I've never used hackberry, but I have seen it referred to as stinkberry on smoking forums. 

 

As to soaking, someone did a test and soaked chunks overnight and then cut into it. There was no significant water penetration. I've never used chips, seems like they burn up too fast. 

 

I'd let the wood sit for 6 months or so before using. 

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, chileheadmike said:

I've never used hackberry, but I have seen it referred to as stinkberry on smoking forums. 

 

As to soaking, someone did a test and soaked chunks overnight and then cut into it. There was no significant water penetration. I've never used chips, seems like they burn up too fast. 

 

I'd let the wood sit for 6 months or so before using. 

 If you wrap chips in foil to exclude air, they'll smoke nicely without burning.

[rotuts]

Of course , you will need some air.

 

just not too much

[gfweb]

21 minutes ago, rotuts said:

Of course , you will need some air.

 

just not too much

I wrap tight in foil and punch a single 2mm hole

[Okanagancook]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

Thanks so much, everyone!

 

Going to cold smoke some beef ribs today and sous vide them sometime soon.  

 

I know that Pa and Ma in The Little House On The Prairie books built a smokehouse and used green wood chips so why can't I lol.

I have some beef ribs cut off prime rib roasts...is that what you are cooking?....not a heck of a lot of meat on them.  I would be interested in learning about your method.

[Shelby]

47 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

I have some beef ribs cut off prime rib roasts...is that what you are cooking?....not a heck of a lot of meat on them.  I would be interested in learning about your method.

Here is a link with a picture of ours and how we did them....not a ton of meat, but for sure enough for a meal.....

Edited October 24, 2019 by Shelby (log)

[Okanagancook]

That seems pretty easy and they look nice and moist.  Thank you.

[Bernie]

The reason I soak my wood chips is quite simple.

I am using hot smoking and I want the meat with some temperature (to soften the fat) so I want some initial heat before the smoke.

As it is the temperature only gets to 80~90C (I can ventilate to allow more air in the and keep the temperature down but then I need to smoke for much longer to get the flavor.

I have used cold smoking in the past particularly for fish. Then the firebox was quite separate from the smoke enclosure so I didn't soak the wood.

 

I am after the smoke flavor rather than the curing process, the meat ends up cooked, rather than cured

[Kim Shook]

As I mentioned awhile back somewhere, Mr. Kim has been smoking some pork to make pulled pork/BBQ for a fundraiser at our church.  It was handed out on Saturday at our Fall Festival.  Friday, I spent half the day weighing and packaging meat:

 

 

That is 42 one-pound cups of BBQ.  I also put together the sauce:

 

This is half Sweet Baby Ray copycat sauce and half the Short Sugar’s sauce from Reidsville NC that I grew up with and love so much.  Virginia is an odd BBQ place.  Far southwest and they are used to sweet Tennessee sauce or western NC tomato-based sauce.  Far southeast and they want the spicy eastern NC vinegar-based sauce.  Central VA (where we are) tends to like a mix – not too thick, not too sweet, not too vinegary, not too spicy.  It is almost always pork, though.  So this sauce covers all the bases.  Everyone loved it last time.  They get four ounces per pound. 

[gfweb]

3 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

As I mentioned awhile back somewhere, Mr. Kim has been smoking some pork to make pulled pork/BBQ for a fundraiser at our church.  It was handed out on Saturday at our Fall Festival.  Friday, I spent half the day weighing and packaging meat:

 

 

That is 42 one-pound cups of BBQ.  I also put together the sauce:

 

This is half Sweet Baby Ray copycat sauce and half the Short Sugar’s sauce from Reidsville NC that I grew up with and love so much.  Virginia is an odd BBQ place.  Far southwest and they are used to sweet Tennessee sauce or western NC tomato-based sauce.  Far southeast and they want the spicy eastern NC vinegar-based sauce.  Central VA (where we are) tends to like a mix – not too thick, not too sweet, not too vinegary, not too spicy.  It is almost always pork, though.  So this sauce covers all the bases.  Everyone loved it last time.  They get four ounces per pound. 

Tremendous effort!

[Okanagancook]

Wow, that is a lot of work.  Very commendable indeed.  People appreciate that kind of effort these days.  Good on you!

 

[CantCookStillTry]

Husband went to a couple of BBQs during lockdown with his lad mates. Both of whom had invested in pellet smokers and were dabbling. Now we have never been BBQ aficionados I think I tried Brisket once maybe? But nevertheless when he mentioned he was considering trying it out I agreed, hobbies are good, I like meat, how hard can pellet smoking be 🤷‍♀️? And if he dosen't take to it, no harm. 

 

Came home from work today. 

What. The. F...

 

I hate BBQ sauce. 😂

[liuzhou]

The trouble with smoking meat is that the cigarette papers get covered in blood and fall apart!

 

[gfweb]

Go big or go home

 

[chileheadmike]

That's a nice rig.

[Captain]

14 hours ago, CantCookStillTry said:

Came home from work today. 

What. The. F...

Awesome bit of kit.  😀

Here is a great place to share & learn.

[CantCookStillTry]

So I came home to his first crack. Not too shabby (but as I mentioned - we don't BBQ so who knows if its any good 😂). Delish & Juicy he did pork belly and chicken legs - got bored of lollipops after 4! Cherry & Sheoak - apparently thats important. 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by CantCookStillTry
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