Bon apetit. Spatchcocked chicken and sweet tater for dinner tonight. Very lightly smoked so I can use the leftover for green chile chicken enchiladas tomorrow
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Someone snatched one of your racks of ribs!
Porch pirates around here are bold.
Smoked a pork loin and butt yesterday. Pretty happy with the results. I was able to load up the pellets and head out, monitoring it on my phone. Had a nice smoke ring, better than what I had with the electric Masterbuilt.
I have a family member with a health issue and severe salt restriction. Does anyone have a no/low salt rub they like for smoked brisket ?
Have considered potassium salt?
As a HBP patient myself, salt substitutes such as potassium chloride can cause other issues. In my case, excessive potassium interferes with kidney function. Since a salt rub won't have time to penetrate much more than maybe 1/4 inch anyway, I'd rub it with Mrs. Dash steak seasoning and lots of extra black pepper. To help develop the bark, spritz it with 50/50 apple juice and apple cider vinegar, which also adds savory acidity and flavor. Since a little salt is okay, better than bouillon makes a low-sodium beef paste, that can be added as a binder with yellow mustard. Maybe make a loose, Carolina-style bbq sauce to serve it with.
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ThermoWorks is having an open box 40% off sale on the ThermaPen One.
If you're in the market for one, it's a good time.
If you're in the market for one, it's a good time.
Well I started smoking a brisket last night. First beef smoke with mesquite on the new smoker so I opened up a bag of mesquite pellets.
It finally seems to be breaking through the stall and I just opened up the second bag of mesquite pellets.
It finally seems to be breaking through the stall and I just opened up the second bag of mesquite pellets.
Any updates? What kinda smoker did you get?
That took over 24 hours to smoke. I finally caved around 17ish hours and bumped it from 225° to 245°. I didn't enjoy processing the finished product at 3am. I think everyone who tells me that a brisket can be smoked at 225° in a reasonable amount of time is lying to me.
I seriously want to try smoking a brisket entirely at 225° on a weekend where I have nothing else going on, starting at 3pm on Friday, wrapping it when it hits 160°, and just see how long it takes. Am I going to have to open a third bag of pellets to get it done? Will it finish before Monday? Idk.
Camp Chef's vertical pellet smoker with what I think they call their 'solid fuel drawer'.
but do you wonder... how can it resist coming to the temperature you've set? what sort of force can it possess that allows it to keep cooler than your set temp?
As the temperature of the meat rises, the temp differential decreases and the rate of thermal transfer slows. Since the finished internal temp for brisket is ~203-205, the last ~40 degrees can take 2 times as long as it took to go from 40-160. At 160, the meat is shedding moisture rapidly which has a cooling effect, the internal temp stays around 160 for an hour or more until the water content fall below a certain point. This is referred to as the stall. To overcome the stall, typically the meat is wrapped in butcher paper or foil to trap the escaping juices, dramatically speeding up the cooking and keeps the meat juicy, this technique is known as the Texas Crutch.
Since the meat is no longer taking on smoke at this point, it's common to bump the smoker to 275 or more, which also helps speed it along.
Brisket is great, but a massive PITA to smoke. My preferred method is to start a day ahead, smoke it at 225 to the stall, then pull it to cool off a bit before vacuum bagging it and into the sous vide at 145; 24 hours later it's ready to serve.
Another route is to sous vide it first, chill overnight, then throw it on the smoker the next morning. It loses enough juices in the bag that it will cruise through the stall, this also develops a nicer bark. Either way, the result is tender enough to cut with a plastic spoon.
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Oh I'm well aware of the stall. I've smoked brisket before. I learned about it from that hippie on the Project Smoke PBS show before I ever tried smoking a brisket. With my old smoker I usually started my brisket right away in the morning, and I'd bump the temperature after wrapping. But with this pellet smoker I figured that I can fill the hopper, let it smoke overnight, and wrap it around the time I used to start it, keep it at 225° like I keep hearing/reading is ideal, and have a finished brisket by supper. That's just not the case.
It isn't? If it isn't taking on smoke any more at that point, why am I not just wrapping it in foil and finishing it in the oven? Am I getting a return on the investment of pellets for continuing to cook on my pellet smoker after the brisket has smoked for 5-6 hours?
Kind of like the above. The smoker is one of my least efficient means of cooking. I get the law of diminishing returns applies to imbuing meat with more smoke, but I assumed there was some benefit that merited continuing to use one of my least efficient cooking devices. Do I need to re-evaluate that assumption?
It isn't? If it isn't taking on smoke any more at that point, why am I not just wrapping it in foil and finishing it in the oven? Am I getting a return on the investment of pellets for continuing to cook on my pellet smoker after the brisket has smoked for 5-6 hours?
Kind of like the above. The smoker is one of my least efficient means of cooking. I get the law of diminishing returns applies to imbuing meat with more smoke, but I assumed there was some benefit that merited continuing to use one of my least efficient cooking devices. Do I need to re-evaluate that assumption?
Cold meat takes on smoke the fastest. It condenses on the surface like water, actually this is part of the reason some people swear by using a water pan. Once the surface heats up, it stops accumulating. For those of us burning pellets, it helps to have the meat ice cold when it goes in the smoker, which extends the window for building smoke flavor. Once the meat starts getting hot, it's mostly about bark development; I spritz it every half hour with 50/50 apple juice and apple cider vinegar. A lot of people finish their brisket in the oven, because it's just wasting pellets. You can also place it in a foil pan on the smoker, so long as you cover it tightly. BBQ purists running stick burners don't care about that, those are the guys who smoke their brisket at 225 the whole way without wrapping. To them, maintaining the fire is the hobby, the succulent meat is just the reward for a long day spent in the yard.
So question on the sous vide process after hitting the stall: if you running it at 145 for 24 is it chewy at all? I thought the point of getting it over 204 internal was that was the point that that convective tissue and fat would break down releasing more juices and flavor into the meat.
I do like the pre-smoke sous vide concept though. Do you cool in the bag and then rub down with more pepper/salt before throwing it on the smoke or pull it out of the bag and rub down before cooling?
hilljack13
That's what she said!
I plan on smoking a deer neck next weekend. The neck meat shreds similar to pork/beef roast. Usually reserved for oven roasting but I want to give it a shot.
I've never smoked deer meat but this cut sounds similar to beef chuck. Smoke it til about 160 or so then place in a foil pan covered with a bed of onions and some braising liquid (beer of broth) til it hits 200 and shreds like a butt.
btw- if you were my neighbor, I'd show up unexpectedly around dinnertime. Sounds delicious.
Once wrapped in foil it's not taking on smoke. You could easily finish in the oven at that point.
BTW a lot of [most?] competition BBQ guys do brisket at 275. I believe that's what Aaron Franklin runs his smokers at too.
I suspect 225 is probably old school thinking from people who didn't have good temp control, reliable thermometers, etc, to avoid burning. 275 is pretty mainstream now.
The breaking down of collagen into gelatin (i.e. tenderness) doesn't happen at a specific temp. It's a combination of temp and time. It still happens at lower temps, but takes MUCH longer.
Interesting statement. If you go to 10 different BBQ pages on the collagen topic, they'll all tell you that collagen doesn't break down until 160ºF. But if you research a little further on collagen science pages, they agree with what you are saying, that collagen can break down at lower temps, just takes much longer.
I wrap with butcher paper. I figured that if I'm smoking something it would be a complete waste of wood to wrap with foil.
Me too.
A lot of BBQ folks out there don't know what's going on (science); they only know what works (method). And since nobody pulls those tough BBQ meats off the smoker at those temps, they never really NEED to know what happens at the lower temps. BTW that's not a criticism--there's a world full of BBQ cooks who make AMAZING Q without knowing those things.
I can say I've got empirical evidence that you can get tender results well below 160*. In fact, my wife's favorite way for me to do ribs is 149* for 24 hours sous vide, and only put on the grill to sauce them. Tri tip at 130* for 24 hours then seared on a grill will be INCREDIBLY tender. I actually once did beef short rib at about 135* for 48 hours (don't recall as it was a decade ago) and seared in cast iron and it was more tender than filet mignon while cooked medium rare.
Note: I don't recommend all those things. Ribs are the only ones I still do that way. I prefer tri tip traditionally cooked even if it has a little more chew, but it's still quite good that way. On the other hand, those short ribs, while insanely tender, maybe still weren't the most appetizing texture lol.
I view it like brewing. Learn as much science and as many techniques as you can. But then the craft is knowing when to apply certain techniques, and when NOT to apply others, in order to get the desired final product.
I do my beef plate ribs that way, amazing flavor and texture. We also do carnitas in a sous vide bath for 72 hours @165, they come out amazingly tender. We then sear them with the searzall to add some fire roasted flavor and a crispy texture. The bag juices are reduced and poured over the meat before serving. Juniper berries are the secret ingredient to make them irresistible. I've also done pork shoulder this way with breakfast sausage seasoning blend, or with Italian sausage seasonings to use on pizza. Sous vide is a rabbit hole but totally worth it, and pork shoulder will become your favorite protein.
short ribs in a pressure cooker with cola is the bomb. Sorta the opposite of sous vide.
BTW, I also used to sous vide my ribs, and they were much meatier that way. HOWEVER, i sorta like the process of hanging around the smoker all day, so I don't do that anymore.
I may not be the only one but i prefer ribs not falling off the bone. The melted collagen in and meat texture in ribs is not my favorite for ribs. there is enough fat in the meat alone for tenderness. I will smoke em wrap for a little bit then flame sear them and baste with the juices from the wrap. Oh and barbecue sauce is a no for me also, gets in the way of pork flavor.
otherwise hopefully within the next couple weeks will be doing canadian bacon and some ham roasts. with cottage bacon in the near future with pork shoulder.
otherwise hopefully within the next couple weeks will be doing canadian bacon and some ham roasts. with cottage bacon in the near future with pork shoulder.
No, I prefer to have a little chew as well. But everyone else out there (i.e. my wife and kids) just LOVE when they're falling off the bone, so sometimes you have to play to your audience
Ribs just aren't my favorite. There are very few times where I'm ok with just biting into a mouthful of fat. The seasoning and the smoke mostly just go into the fat, so the meat itself is difficult to season. The silver skin can be a pain to remove. Beef spare ribs are just difficult for me.
I'll still make and eat them, though. Sometimes they just sound like a terrific idea, and I've had some really good ones, but that's just not how it usually works out.
I'll still make and eat them, though. Sometimes they just sound like a terrific idea, and I've had some really good ones, but that's just not how it usually works out.
Any of you guys ever make pastrami ribs?
Pretty awesome. I just used the exact same procedure I use to make pastrami. Cure meat (pork babybacks) in a solution of salts (incl pink salt) and mulling spices, soak in water for a day or two to remove some of the salt, rub with pepper and coriander, smoke as usual. Pretty incredible and unexpected, for sure. It's pastrami off the bone. Try it
Pretty awesome. I just used the exact same procedure I use to make pastrami. Cure meat (pork babybacks) in a solution of salts (incl pink salt) and mulling spices, soak in water for a day or two to remove some of the salt, rub with pepper and coriander, smoke as usual. Pretty incredible and unexpected, for sure. It's pastrami off the bone. Try it
It sounds amazing!Any of you guys ever make pastrami ribs?
Pretty awesome. I just used the exact same procedure I use to make pastrami. Cure meat (pork babybacks) in a solution of salts (incl pink salt) and mulling spices, soak in water for a day or two to remove some of the salt, rub with pepper and coriander, smoke as usual. Pretty incredible and unexpected, for sure. It's pastrami off the bone. Try it
View attachment 843971
I will be trying this soon.
Note that when curing the ribs, you only need 2 or 3 days in the cure. When i do a brisket flat for pastrami, it's much longer.
Don't forget to remove the membrane. I find that membrane tears right off if the ribs are partially frozen. I remove the ribs from freezer, thaw on countertop for an hour, then the soft membrane tears right off the frozen meat.
You are right, I have noticed that the membrane typically does come off easier from frozen ribs.
I get alot of my ribs from Costco and found the membrane removed most of the time. At least that was the case multiple times last summer. There were a few times last year that I spent 5-10 minutes trying to get under the membrane to pull it off only to figure out it was gone already.
There is also a chance that I had beverage or 2 at that point and my not have been the most astute observer at the time as well.
I get alot of my ribs from Costco and found the membrane removed most of the time. At least that was the case multiple times last summer. There were a few times last year that I spent 5-10 minutes trying to get under the membrane to pull it off only to figure out it was gone already.
There is also a chance that I had beverage or 2 at that point and my not have been the most astute observer at the time as well.
Yeah, that sounds delicious. Gonna have to do it.Any of you guys ever make pastrami ribs?
Pretty awesome. I just used the exact same procedure I use to make pastrami. Cure meat (pork babybacks) in a solution of salts (incl pink salt) and mulling spices, soak in water for a day or two to remove some of the salt, rub with pepper and coriander, smoke as usual. Pretty incredible and unexpected, for sure. It's pastrami off the bone. Try it
No, you're right. Costco baby back ribs have the membrane removed already.
FloppyKnockers
Well-Known Member
Anything's better if you 'strami it. I've got to try ribs!
Any of you guys ever make pastrami ribs?
Pretty awesome. I just used the exact same procedure I use to make pastrami. Cure meat (pork babybacks) in a solution of salts (incl pink salt) and mulling spices, soak in water for a day or two to remove some of the salt, rub with pepper and coriander, smoke as usual. Pretty incredible and unexpected, for sure. It's pastrami off the bone. Try it
View attachment 843971
Tried doing some cured ribs. Must have done something wrong because they were so salty tasting as to be inedible, and I like salt. Ended up tossing both racks.
FloppyKnockers
Well-Known Member
Oh, no! Desalinating meat is pretty easy. Just a soak in water for some hours pulls the salt right out of it. I had to do this on a corned beef when I accidentally doubled-up the pink and kosher salt. Complete salt bomb.
I followed a recipe and that's normally pretty straight forward.
I think this is the one I tried. Maybe there's a problem in the recipe I didn't catch. In hindsight it seems like a lot of salt in there (which makes sense in the result).
https://barbecuebible.com/recipe/honey-ham-ribs/
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