Smoking Meat

[hollywood]

Smokin' a pork rib roast, should it be ribs side up or down?

[phaelon56]

I'm a lazy guy at heart when it comes to cooking - I just want something that's easy and does the job. I know the purists insist that cooking with charcoal or better yet with wood is more authentic but I LOVE my Charbroil h2o electric bullet smoker. Cost me ab0ut 70 smackers and it's truly set it and forget it. I do check the temp gauge periodically to see if it needs to be turned up or down (a function of ambient temperature. The downside is that it doesn't cook hot enough when ambient temp drops to the low 60's and/or there's a cold breeze. Otherwise it's fantastic.

I don't use hot tap water - I use water that's just off the boil from a stockpot and it really makes a difference in the results - the moisture kicks in quicker. Having tried alder, mesquite and hickory, I rank them in that order in terms of desirability. With my setup the hickory was just too heavy a flavor.

I use my trusty $10 digital thermometer to check temps and the ribs usually take about four hours. I think that for smoking larger items like whole chickens or large pork butts, the charcoal deals may have an advantage but the ribs I turn out with the charbroil consistently beat any ribs I've ever tried elsewhere. I'm often delusional on matter related to my own accomplishments (a legend in my own mind), but all the friends and coworkers I've given ribs to agree with me on this one.

I do "pamper" my ribs by carefull trimming of tips and excess exterior fat as well as removing the caul. Has anyone heard the theory that dry rub is best applied by blanching the ribs for 30 seconds and then applying the rub? The idea is NOT to parboil the ribs (yuck!) but to open the pores of the meat so the rub will be absorbed. The method entails wrapping tight in plastic wrap after rub application and sticking in the fridge for one hour. the guy who turned me on to this method insists that anythign beyond an hour is a waste when the rub is applied in this manner.

The shocker? I've tried every kind of specialty rub mix imaginable and the best thing I've yet found for a dry rub is "Montreal Steak Seasoning", straight off the shelf at my local grocery store.

Edited July 2, 2003 by phaelon56 (log)

[MatthewB]

Smokin' a pork rib roast, should it be ribs side up or down?

hollywood,

Does this help?

[col klink]

Smokin' a pork rib roast, should it be ribs side up or down?

Neither, rotate them every half hour to an hour. Mop after the first hour with a sauce without sugar and too much flavor, you don't want obscure the smokiness. I'm a big fan of mustard based vinaigrettes. I've found that tomato based sauces dramatically reduce the amount of smoke flavor present in the meat and this of course means that your ribs (or other meat for that matter) won't taste as good as they should.

[MatthewB]

Smokin' a pork rib roast, should it be ribs side up or down?

Neither, rotate them every half hour to an hour. Mop after the first hour with a sauce without sugar and too much flavor, you don't want obscure the smokiness. I'm a big fan of mustard based vinaigrettes. I've found that tomato based sauces dramatically reduce the amount of smoke flavor present in the meat and this of course means that your ribs (or other meat for that matter) won't taste as good as they should.

klink, is there any way that JP can change your eGullet name to "Meat Moses"?

It's more fitting.

Plus, bigbear could make you a cool avatar based on Chef's . . .

clickity

Edited July 2, 2003 by MatthewB (log)

[hollywood]

Smokin' a pork rib roast, should it be ribs side up or down?

hollywood,

Does this help?

Majorly helpful. As far as I'm concerned you are entitled to keep your ears.

[hollywood]

Smokin' a pork rib roast, should it be ribs side up or down?

Neither, rotate them every half hour to an hour. Mop after the first hour with a sauce without sugar and too much flavor, you don't want obscure the smokiness. I'm a big fan of mustard based vinaigrettes. I've found that tomato based sauces dramatically reduce the amount of smoke flavor present in the meat and this of course means that your ribs (or other meat for that matter) won't taste as good as they should.

Thanks, Colonel. And this vinaigrette? Any recs there?

[col klink]

MatthewB, LOL!

Hollywood, those pork rib roasts are very easy to overcook and end up with dry, chalky pork. The most important thing you can do in brine, brine and oh yeah, brine. The standard brine of a cup of brown sugar and a cup of Kosher salt to a gallon of water is just fine. Overnight it if you can. The Next important thing to do is to not trim off any of the fat, fat is your friend! If you can, bard it with bacon. If you do, don't flip the roast, just rotate. These days pigs are so damn lean they've taken most of the flavor out so the marketing folks can say it's as lean as chicken so you have to go the extra mile.

Oh yeah, pull it off medium rare, there's not much worse than overcooked pork loin. The key is to smoke it really low and watch the internal temp like a hawk. In times like these having the ribs on protects the loin from the heat of the fire and retards the heating process, allowing it to be in the smoke for a longer period of time and thus, get more flavor.

Good luck!

Just to let you know, it probably won't end up as smokey as you'd hope. If the roast is cut into thick chops and there's plenty of fat, then you can get 'em really smokey. The loin roast with ribs has far less exposure to the smoke and hence less smokiness in the end. Not that I'm not suggesting you smoke up the loin roast, I'm just giving you an idea of what to expect.

[hollywood]

The most important thing you can do in brine, brine and oh yeah, brine.

Words of wisdom, Colonel, words of wisdom. And thanks.

[col klink]

Thanks, Colonel.  And this vinaigrette?  Any recs there?

I like spicey mustards (about a tbsp or two) with 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar, half of a minced shallot, salt and pepper to taste, minced garlic, 1/4 of favorite hot sauce and olive oil to taste. You can also add any citrus juice you'd like or any herb like cilantro, basil or parsley. With this recipe the mustard just acts as a emulsifier, for more of the mustard flavor use about a cup of mustard.

This is one of those things that you can let your inspiration go wild. Looking for a pan-Asian theme? Add soy, wasabi powder, lime leaves, lemongrass, etc. Or you could go with curries as well, a tbsp of any of the Mae Ploy Thai curries packs quite a delicious punch. Of course Indian curries also work.

[beans]

The Next important thing to do is to not trim off any of the fat, fat is your friend!

Thanks Colonel. Those were some words to live by too!

[hollywood]

Thank you for the continuing education, Colonel. So, you're saying the brine has sugar but the mop sauce doesn't?

[hollywood]

This Smoking Meat thread is not to be confused with the Smokin' Meat thread under Cooking topics.

[col klink]

Thank you for the continuing education, Colonel.  So, you're saying the brine has sugar but the mop sauce doesn't?

Yup. Brining brings sugar and salt inside the meat, seasoning it before it's even cooked. Sugar in the mop is just on the surface and will just burn, adding flavors that conflict with the smokiness.

Maybe I should merge this thread with the one in cooking . . .

[hollywood]

I am in your debt, Colonel.

[fifi]

Ok... reading these smoking threads is KILLING ME! My smoker thingy (a New Braunfels number with a side firebox) is still in prison (storage) while I am in an apartment. I have noted that we can grill etc. on our balconeys since they are masonery. I am seriously thinking of heading down to the local Home Depot and getting something relatively cheap to smoke some stuff even if I have to scale back on what I smoke. I see several "Old Smokeys" sitting around but I am dubious. They look so cheap and small. That Weber looks great but may be a bit pricey for short term use. But then, it will be a few more months before I get into my house so how short term is that and maybe I could just get the Weber and then keep it for smaller scale smoking later. But then, how many smokers does a person really need and I am already drooling over those Kamodo things. But how can I go for several more months without smoking something?

Do you sense a bit of indecision here???? What would you do?

HELP!

Edited July 3, 2003 by fifi (log)

[hollywood]

Compromises are tuff. The apartment balcony also raises some issues. Are the neighbors gonna be OK with the smoke? (Better invite em over) Will the smoke set off smoke detectors in the building? Putting these issues aside, given that you've got a smoker, wouldn't it make sense to get a cheap kettle and do some indirect cooking/smoking? Or you could go for a Weber kettle and for $99 get the rotisserie attachment thingie.

[hotle]

fifi,

i'm almost afraid to post this, 'cause i ain't all that sophisticated when it comes to smoking. never done a shoulder or brisket, but i'm gonna try after my son's baseball season is over. with that in mind, i (gasp) went out an bought a cheap char-grill, (gasp again) electric smoker. i wanted to get some experience with smoking, and really wanted the brinkmann with the box, but when i thought about it, i realized that i could get some experience first with the electric, then move up later.

60 bucks at home depot, some assembly required (if i can do it, anyone can), made DAMN good ribs sunday. i'd think it'd be perfect for an apartment. you'll need an inside-oven thermo, though, 'cause the top thermo only has 'warm', 'ideal', and 'hot' settings.....while i ain't all that sophisticated, i'm smart enough to know i should be pretty close to accurate on the temp.

(please don't laugh at my ignorance too much!)

matt

[fifi]

There are Old Smokeys and grills of all description on most balconeys so I don't see any issues. maybe I shouldn't be so cheap and go for the Weber. It sure won't break me and I hate to compromise results. Life is too short to badly smoke good meat!

hotle... If I laughed at ignorance, especially my own, I would never get anything done! You bring up some good points. Whatever I decide you have brought me back to the basics, temperature monitoring and control.

Edited July 3, 2003 by fifi (log)

[hollywood]

Just to drive you a little crazier, here's a thread that's ostensibly NOT about grilling.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...+about+grilling

[fifi]

Well... THAT was helpful. Actually the thread was right up my alley. I am not into grilling that much. I usually cook low and slow. Come to think of it, my kids say that fits me perfectly. (I am short.)

edit to add: For less than $200 what would you do? If settled on that figure 'cause if I use it 20 times in the next few months, that is $10 per. Seems reasonable to me for food that you can't buy at any price. (How many smoked corned beef briskets have you seen in the local grocery lately.)

Edited July 3, 2003 by fifi (log)

[guajolote]

How about smoking sausage? I have some Swedish Potao sausage I was going to smoke tomorrow. It's a raw sausage and about 1 1/2 inches thick (the same casing size as a knackworst). I was thinking about 1.5 - 2 hours?

[col klink]

How about smoking sausage? I have some Swedish Potao sausage I was going to smoke tomorrow. It's a raw sausage and about 1 1/2 inches thick (the same casing size as a knackworst). I was thinking about 1.5 - 2 hours?

Use a thermometer or go by feeling. It should be responsive. Make sure to bring the temp up slowly or the fat will render out too quickly. Start out at around 150 F for the first hour then turn the heat up to 225 for the last half hour or so to make sure it's cooked.

Of course, that's for all meat sausages, not sure how the taters would affect it. Sounds like a fun experiment!

[guajolote]

How about smoking sausage? I have some Swedish Potao sausage I was going to smoke tomorrow. It's a raw sausage and about 1 1/2 inches thick (the same casing size as a knackworst). I was thinking about 1.5 - 2 hours?

Use a thermometer or go by feeling. It should be responsive. Make sure to bring the temp up slowly or the fat will render out too quickly. Start out at around 150 F for the first hour then turn the heat up to 225 for the last half hour or so to make sure it's cooked.

Of course, that's for all meat sausages, not sure how the taters would affect it. Sounds like a fun experiment!

I'm doing a pork butt too tomorrow. I was just wondering when to throw it on so that both will be done at approximately the same time. Yhe potato sausage is really good. It's seasoned with caraway and mace I think. I've grilled it before, but never smoked it. Does 2 hours at 200 seem about right?

[theakston]

Baby Back Ribs:

Ask the colonel:

Brine overnight or just a dry rub?

Do you have a dry rub recipe? ideas?

should take 4-5 hours to smoke right?

Thanks.