Smoked prime rib

[cfrazier77]

This may be one of the best things on earth. The outside bites are smoky and the center bites are normal beefy. Smoked 3 hours at 300 degrees, wood fired with cherry. Unfortunately the dog got 2 lb of leftovers when no one was looking.

 

[Broothru]

This may be one of the best things on earth. The outside bites are smoky and the center bites are normal beefy. Smoked 3 hours at 300 degrees, wood fired with cherry. Unfortunately the dog got 2 lb of leftovers when no one was looking.

I've done standing rib on the smoker several times, though lower and slower, on a water smoker, and agree it's nothing short of amazing. What kind of smoker do you use? I've been looking at Traeger systems lately as a means of doing ultra slow and low (like brisket and a couple racks of ribs), since I could do automated 20+ hour "smokes" without having to stay up all night tending the fire. I'm neither lazy nor a purist, but at this point in my life I don't have to do all the scut work to reach self-actualization.

 

[cfrazier77]

I have three smokers. Most used is a weber 22 charcoal grill, family sized right. Next is a Humphreys insulated verticle smoker. It is powered by charcoal with wood chunks for flavor, but controlled by a fan. It is a tank and truly set and forget. I ran out of room and needed something bigger, my church likes to eat. I now also have a shirley fabrication stick burner. It has the best flavor by far, but you add wood every 30 minutes. On it I cook hot and fast, 275 to 325, and on pulled pork and similar I wrap at 150ish. 6 hours on pork butt.

 

[Broothru]

I have three smokers. Most used is a weber 22 charcoal grill, family sized right. Next is a Humphreys insulated verticle smoker. It is powered by charcoal with wood chunks for flavor, but controlled by a fan. It is a tank and truly set and forget. I ran out of room and needed something bigger, my church likes to eat. I now also have a shirley fabrication stick burner. It has the best flavor by far, but you add wood every 30 minutes. On it I cook hot and fast, 275 to 325, and on pulled pork and similar I wrap at 150ish. 6 hours on pork butt.

Off-topic, but I love the Boxer. We've had several. My son has one (first lived to be 11) and my daughter, who works with a Boxer rescue, and has two of her own. We're pretty much sold on the breed.

 

[cfrazier77]

I agree. Great dogs.

 

[cfrazier77]

This guy was our first.

 

[Broothru]

Yeah, fawns with white boots and black masks. They're the best. Our first (family patriarch) was a fawn. He lived to be 15.

My son's first and my daughter's first were reverse brindles. Both died before age ten, but were well loved. My son now has a fawn, as does my daughter who also has a black female (10 years) who has defied the odds for longevity for black Boxers. All of them are beloved pets for the 5 grandkids.

Loyal, loving, smart, playful. Boxers are the best!

 

[Brewin’&Qin’]

My favorite cook on my smoker is prime rib, either as a rib roast with or without bones. Flavor is outstanding.
Brooo if you are looking for a pellet cooker, take a look at Rec Teq. I have had mine for about 6 years now, and if prime ribs, pork ribs, beef ribs, pork butts, chicken wings etc are your thing, you will love these cookers.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Reading through a number of threads... you've got my mouth watering and my interest piqued.

For someone entirely new to smoking... any advice re what smoker to get? I have a typical propane grill and it is rusted out/ready to be replaced. Is there such a thing as a combo grill and smoker?

 

[gmtech825]

You all just rubbing these hunks down or are you doing anything else fancy like injections or brines?
I mostly do pork and chicken on my smoker

 

[garzlok]

For someone entirely new to smoking... any advice re what smoker to get? I have a typical propane grill and it is rusted out/ready to be replaced. Is there such a thing as a combo grill and smoker?

Oh boy….you may get inundated with options.

As far as advice, get something high quality.

Yes, there are combo grills but most “seasoned” individuals that smoke meat will tell you that most grills can be used as a smoker. I have a Big Green Egg and a Weber Kettle and I can grill or smoke meat on either one. I tend to smoke in the Egg and grill on the Weber.

The two grill/smoker combos mentioned in this thread are very nice. Traeger‘s are easy to find with lots of different options. Recteq is not as well known, but they make a hell of a pellet grill. My buddy has one and he can get that thing to cold smoke or get it so hot, you can do some blacksmithing.

https://www.recteq.com/

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

So smoking = wood pellets?

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Reading through a number of threads... you've got my mouth watering and my interest piqued.

For someone entirely new to smoking... any advice re what smoker to get? I have a typical propane grill and it is rusted out/ready to be replaced. Is there such a thing as a combo grill and smoker?

The best all around grill / smoker is a Weber. I would suggest the 26" Kettle.
These are so easy to smoke on, truly set & forget. I have done Prime Rib and Brisket, and they were better than anything in any BBQ restaurant.
And, the Weber will not use up a lot of fuel. You can get 12 to 14 hour smoking times easily using the snake method.

The Weber is also great for grilling...steaks, chicken, fish.

If you like to manage fire, constantly every 15 to 30 minutes, then a Texas offset smoker is what you want. While these are more labor intensive, you cannot beat them for the quality of the smoke you can get.

We had this smoker custom built for us:

And you absolutely cannot beat a Weber!

Did I mention steaks?

How about pork shoulder?

And a Prime Rib, spinning on the Weber!

 

[DarrellQ]

Oh boy….you may get inundated with options.

As far as advice, get something high quality.

Yes, there are combo grills but most “seasoned” individuals that smoke meat will tell you that most grills can be used as a smoker. I have a Big Green Egg and a Weber Kettle and I can grill or smoke meat on either one. I tend to smoke in the Egg and grill on the Weber.

The two grill/smoker combos mentioned in this thread are very nice. Traeger‘s are easy to find with lots of different options. Recteq is not as well known, but they make a hell of a pellet grill. My buddy has one and he can get that thing to cold smoke or get it so hot, you can do some blacksmithing.

https://www.recteq.com/

IMHO, you can't beat the Yoder Pellet Smoker, which is a tank of a grill made right here in the USA with 1/8" steel. After years with a Big Green Egg, and a short stint with a Traeger that I quickly returned to Costco when I saw how cheaply made it was, how thin the metal was, and consequently, how many pellets it used to maintain heat, I bought the Yoder in 2012. When the Traeger first came out, they were decent and made right here in the USA, but they moved manufacturing to China, and the quality went downhill. The Yoder folks seem like a mom & pop outfit that definitely takes care of heir customers.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

IMHO, you can't beat the Yoder Pellet Smoker, which is a tank of a grill made right here in the USA with 1/8" steel. After years with a Big Green Egg, and a short stint with a Traeger that I quickly returned to Costco when I saw how cheaply made it was, how thin the metal was, and consequently, how many pellets it used to maintain heat, I bought the Yoder in 2012. When the Traeger first came out, they were decent and made right here in the USA, but they moved manufacturing to China, and the quality went downhill. The Yoder folks seem like a mom & pop outfit that definitely takes care of heir customers.

Yoder has 9 pellet smokers.... that start at $2000. Too rich for me...
https://www.yodersmokers.com/pellet/

 

[DarrellQ]

Yoder has 9 pellet smokers.... that start at $2000. Too rich for me...
https://www.yodersmokers.com/pellet/

Certainly understand what you are saying! Yes, like everything else, they have indeed gone up. When I bought mine in 2012, I paid around $1200. I truly believe it will last a lifetime. We use it for everything from 12 hour smoking, to a 600 degree pizza oven, to direct grilling of steaks. The only thing we have replaced are two ignitors which are around $40 each. With one of them, I broke it installing it, called Yoder and told them what an idiot I was, and they sent me another for free. That is the type of company I like to do business with! I guess one could buy a cheaper one every 5 years or so, and use enormously more pellets (which aren't cheap!) or spend more initially. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.

 

[davidabcd]

Unfortunately the dog got 2 lb of leftovers when no one was looking.

My family was at my mom's some years ago and there was a plate of bacon in the middle of the not-too-small dinner table. Her Golden Retriever took it all. I was expecting him to get sick from the rich food but luckily not.

 

[cfrazier77]

Reading through a number of threads... you've got my mouth watering and my interest piqued.

For someone entirely new to smoking... any advice re what smoker to get? I have a typical propane grill and it is rusted out/ready to be replaced. Is there such a thing as a combo grill and smoker?

I think the first thing you need to start with is determining how much you want to cook at one time. If it is just for 4 people then a 22' weber kettle grill is perfect. If it is for 10 to 12 people, you need something bigger.

Next is how hands on do you want to be. Do you want to set it and forget it? Get a pellet smoker, good food that can be hands off. The next would be charcoal smokers, those can be hands off or hands on depending on the model and how you want to cook. You can cook for 24 people on a Weber 22 Smokey mountain smoker. As stated by others, the ultimate for hands on is a stick burner. You put wood in every 30 minutes. But, the flavor is the best. If you get one of these don't go cheap. They need to be built out of 1/4" thick steel at least or there will be big temp swings.

Lastly, is there climate issues, i.e. cold. I cook year round in PA, so it gets cold. On my weber kettle grill I have to run it differently in the winter to make enough heat. The stick burner does not care, the fire makes enough heat. My favorite for hands off, and hands on, and winter is this.
The DownEast Beast This makes great food.

 

[garzlok]

So smoking = wood pellets?

smoking = the need for wood

Pellet grills use wood pellets for fuel and smoking. An Egg or a Weber uses charcoal as the fuel, but you augment with wood/wood chips to smoke. Usually the smoking occurs during the fist hour of the cook, the other hours of the cook are about cooking with indirect heat. (It’s an over simplification, but the basic gist)

$2000 is a lot of money. I get it. My Weber kettle is 27 years old (it’s time to replace ) and it will do everything I need a grill and smoker to do. For under $700, you could put a system like this together and if properly protected, it will last a long time.

https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/...ettle-premium-charcoal-grill-26/16401001.html
https://www.smokenator.com/
https://bbqguru.com/storenav/gurucookerguide?DeviceModelId=178&kitId=370

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Holy Tomoly the prices of these things!

 

[garzlok]

Holy Tomoly the prices of these things!

… this is why I never say a damned thing when my wife comes home from shopping.

 

[cfrazier77]

Holy Tomoly the prices of these things!

yes and no, you can start at less than $150 with a weber kettle grill. It depends on what you want to do, how much you want to make, and how you want to make it.
It is cheaper to go out an buy BBQ, but it is cheaper to go out and buy beer to if we factor in equipment and time. But we make beer because it is fun to do so, its a hobby. For me it is the same with smoking, it is fun and a hobby. It is not cheap, but I reminded my wife that it is cheaper than a bass boat. Also, when I do it we have dinner that she did not have to cook. So she is happy there too.

 

[PCABrewing]

My family was at my mom's some years ago and there was a plate of bacon in the middle of the not-too-small dinner table. Her Golden Retriever took it all. I was expecting him to get sick from the rich food but luckily not.

Our German Shepard got into a new bundle of Bully Sticks and finished of all (~30-35) of them.
We had to give her Ipecac but she was fine. We were not happy about cleaning up that pile of regurgitated bullys, but it was better than a dead dog.

I know there are great grills and smokers made today but one of the best I remember was my Grandfathers old "Cook'n Kettle".
Not a Weber, it was a all cast iron (~100 lbs) with a removable center section for rotisserie. Once it was hot it stayed hot.
I think it pre-dated Weber by a few years, it definitely lasted longer.
I wish I had it today. I though my brother ended up with it but alas it is nowhere to be found. It must have gone with the sale of the house.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Reading through a number of threads... you've got my mouth watering and my interest piqued.

For someone entirely new to smoking... any advice re what smoker to get? I have a typical propane grill and it is rusted out/ready to be replaced. Is there such a thing as a combo grill and smoker?

If you're not entirely sure on the smoking angle, a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is a GREAT entry point. Amazon currently has the 30" version for $199. It's a great smoker, and it's something that you don't ever really need to "move up" from, although many people do. It's dead simple, just plug it in, set the temp, and add your smoking wood. And it makes great food.

It's just a smoker though--can't really operate as a grill.

Other options for a dedicated smoker at lower price point would be the Weber Smokey Mountain, which is charcoal. They're great devices, and they use charcoal, so you get more likelihood of a real smoke ring--which electric won't provide.

For combo smoker/grill, the lowest price option is the weber kettle. IMHO it may be a little more work-intensive than the kamado options I recommend below, but it's insanely versatile and the price point can't be beat.

I think the best option for a combo is any sort of Kamado. If you want a Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe, you're spending >1000, but there are lower cost options like the Akorn (steel) or Louisiana or Vision grills (ceramic). A kamado can handle everything. Smoking, roasting, grilling, baking... If you want one grill to rule them all, I believe it's the best combo device.

Generally if you are looking for a combo device, I wouldn't recommend pellet grills unless you're looking at the high end of the market there. Most of the market (i.e. <$1200) has difficulty getting a good sear due to inability to hit high temp and because they are designed for indirect heat. They make really good smokers and operate very well for roasting, but they're not the best at grilling.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

The best all around grill / smoker is a Weber. I would suggest the 26" Kettle.
These are so easy to smoke on, truly set & forget. I have done Prime Rib and Brisket, and they were better than anything in any BBQ restaurant.
And, the Weber will not use up a lot of fuel. You can get 12 to 14 hour smoking times easily using the snake method.

The Weber is also great for grilling...steaks, chicken, fish.

If you like to manage fire, constantly every 15 to 30 minutes, then a Texas offset smoker is what you want. While these are more labor intensive, you cannot beat them for the quality of the smoke you can get.

We had this smoker custom built for us:
View attachment 764541

And you absolutely cannot beat a Weber!
View attachment 764544

Did I mention steaks?
View attachment 764545

How about pork shoulder?
View attachment 764546

And a Prime Rib, spinning on the Weber!
View attachment 764547

Another hungry moment, you're living a great life with all this meat and pizza too, not to mention the beer! Man I thought my brewing hobby was busy, you guys got me beat with all this smoking! Great job everyone!!!

 

[PCABrewing]

Most of the market (i.e. <$1200) has difficulty getting a good sear due to inability to hit high temp and because they are designed for indirect heat. They make really good smokers and operate very well for roasting, but they're not the best at grilling.

We had one and it was OK at hitting the higher temps (500+) but it took a while to get up there. Once it was hot it worked well.
As you say it was decent at smoking and we had three different pellets plus the generic.
My brother DOES have that one now.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

We had one and it was OK at hitting the higher temps (500+) but it took a while to get up there. Once it was hot it worked well.
As you say it was decent at smoking and we had three different pellets plus the generic.
My brother DOES have that one now.

Yeah, I've got an older Traeger (hand me down from my father-in-law; he was downsizing his grill apparatus due to limited patio space after a move).

Trying to get much above 425 is very hard. Newer models may be better; I don't know.

If I were buying a pellet grill for myself I think Rec Tec would be the minimum entry point for me, but I'd look at Fast Eddy, Yoder, MAK, any of those if I really went that route.

The bigger issue than temp, IMHO, is indirect heat. The Traeger has the indirect heat spreader plate and you're just not going to get a good sear over that thing. I've found that if I have the Traeger at max temp (450 on the dial), and I place the meat at the extreme front of the grate or extreme back--where the heat comes up around the heat spreader plate--I can actually sear. But about the only meat that is the right shape to do that is pork tenderloin lol...

I think a lot of the high end pellet grills have a direct heat zone where you can actually sear. But the lower price points don't have that.

Again, that makes those lower price point pellet grills EXCELLENT for smoking or roasting. And if you have a weber kettle next to them for searing, well, you're in business. But they're not particularly good on their own for searing.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I really want to try this some time. A friend of mine has done a couple using the Thermoworks method, with the freezer and all that.

https://blog.thermoworks.com/beef/science-of-perfect-prime-rib-roast/
I'm curious, but I'm going to wait on beef prices to come down . . .

 

[Jaybird]

The best all around grill / smoker is a Weber. I would suggest the 26" Kettle.
These are so easy to smoke on, truly set & forget. I have done Prime Rib and Brisket, and they were better than anything in any BBQ restaurant.
And, the Weber will not use up a lot of fuel. You can get 12 to 14 hour smoking times easily using the snake method.

The Weber is also great for grilling...steaks, chicken, fish.

If you like to manage fire, constantly every 15 to 30 minutes, then a Texas offset smoker is what you want. While these are more labor intensive, you cannot beat them for the quality of the smoke you can get.

We had this smoker custom built for us:
View attachment 764541

And you absolutely cannot beat a Weber!
View attachment 764544

Did I mention steaks?
View attachment 764545

How about pork shoulder?
View attachment 764546

And a Prime Rib, spinning on the Weber!
View attachment 764547

Uhhhhhh I am moving somewhere CLOSE to you!!! Maybe NEXTDOOR! LOL I see your a tad passionate about your food and your gear! NICELY DONE!

Cheers
Jay

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Let me add that while we have the dedicated offset firebox smoker, the Weber can do the same thing, is much easier to manage, uses 1/10th the fuel, and costs pennies on the dollar.

Honestly, I would put a Weber Kettle (22 or 26") up against anything on the market.

You can grill, bake, smoke, roast, rotisserie, pizzas, etc., etc.