Who's smoking meat this weekend?

[bailey mountain brewer]

Question... Is that the netting that's on the lamb from the store or do you add your own?

When I buy leg of lamb from Costco it always has the netting, but I take the netting off and truss it up myself. I've never tried cooking it in the original netting.

See, I was debating this myself when I got it, it was the netting that came on it. I went back and forth for a while before deciding to try it with their netting on as it says you can do either. I experienced no ill effects, it came off easy after smoking and did the job just fine.

 

[cfrazier77]

Half rack of pork spare ribs while camping.

 

[McHop]

I did 5lbs of pulled pork. Then took it to a friend's who made 2 racks of St. Louis stlye ribs, 2 racks of baby back ribs, chicken wings and a brisket. Not a vegetable in sight at this feast.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

 

[OleBrewing]

First cured ham and made amateur mistake. Trying to shorten brine time with injecting and missed a spot this was four day brine with injection. Otherwise fantastic. Bacon next.

 

[day_trippr]

Youngest Son smoked a Tri-Tip last weekend, super tasty. The lad has some mad BBQ skillz that never disappoint. Wish I could say he learned it all from me

Cheers!

 

[GrogNerd]

t-bone may be a tad overdone

oh... you wanted "smoking meat"

didn't know if you were ok with "boiled meat"

 

[Rodent]

Beef ribs and freshly picked corn on the BGE Friday evening

Ribs in their final state prior to slicing up and digging in

 

[YeastFeast]

A sixteen-pack of wings for myself!
Big green egg, indirect heat, 400°F, cherry wood for a little smoke, one hour.
Crispy skin & tossed in a bit of BBQ sauce after pulling them off.

 

[Kent88]

Well I think my masterbuilt smoker is finally done. I already replaced the controller on it and have no desire to mess with it further. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for what new smoker to buy.

I really liked that I could throw a brisket in, set the temperature and mostly just leave it alone, and I have a cold smoker attachment that I used to make a lot of smokey cheese. I'd like to keep those features. I didn't like how the display on it was hard to read, the app is pretty much garbage, and that the high temperature was only about 300°F.

 

[Rodent]

@Kent88 - what are you looking for - propane/gas, lump charcoal, pellets, electric, or ??? for this replacement smoker?

 

[Kent88]

Pellets or chips.

 

[Rodent]

I won't be of much hands-on help then, as I've only used propane, lump charcoal, and wood (i.e. Texas side style) and have owned a small electric that I forgot unused in the shop at my previous place

seems a lot of places have pellet smokers on sale right now, closing out what they can before winter sets in. good time to buy if you're ok with limited inventory options to choose from

 

[Brooothru]

Love my Traeger. Son loves his upright water smoker (pellet auto-feed). Can’t remember his brand, maybe SmokeMaster? Both do a really good job of smoking, but in honest confession I use my Weber gas grill a lot more often than the smoker. Two to three times per week for the grill, as long as it’s not raining or snowing; couple of times a month for the smoker, assuming we’re not traveling.

 

[YeastFeast]

I was wondering if anyone had any advice for what new smoker to buy.

I know you said pellets or chips but I would seriously consider a big green egg. Lifetime warranty on all parts can't be beat. I've had my XL for almost 15 years and have only replaced the grid that the charcoal sits on (free of charge). I use it to grill, smoke, bake, anything you can think of. Mine sits out year round without a cover in Wisconsin winters with no issues. Just throwing it out there, good luck on your search!

 

[OleBrewing]

bacon this weekend. if they turn out as good as the homemade hams last weekend i will be happy.

 

[Rodent]

I know you said pellets or chips but I would seriously consider a big green egg. Lifetime warranty on all parts can't be beat. I've had my XL for almost 15 years and have only replaced the grid that the charcoal sits on (free of charge). I use it to grill, smoke, bake, anything you can think of. Mine sits out year round without a cover in Wisconsin winters with no issues. Just throwing it out there, good luck on your search!

I also am an avid Big Green Egg (or similar Komodo type ceramic dome cooker) fan, but refrained from recommending because of the pellets/chips preference restriction. I regularly use mine to

- smoke meats
- slow cook meats, casseroles, whatever
- grill
- bake
- sear
- roast veggies
- pizza
- etc

still works when the power's out

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

@Kent88 what's the intended budget? That'll have a big impact on a recommendation. Also, what are you asking it to do and what other cookers do you have? I.e. if you're replacing a Masterbuilt, and this is a dedicated smoker and you never ask it to grill, then it changes what I'd recommend.

Chips/Similar: Honestly the cheapest and easiest thing here is to just replace the Masterbuilt with... Another Masterbuilt. They make great food. Another option would be Bradley which use the hardwood "bisquettes". One of the issues I had with my propane Masterbuilt is the chips/chunks flaring up, so I had to watch it closely. I haven't heard of that with Bradley. Grate space is massive on most of them as well, especially if you go for the 40" rather than 30" models. Only downside is that it is ONLY a smoker, and useless for anything else. But if that's all you need......

Pellets: For pellets I've seen that Green Mountain Grills seem to be very good, and the last time I looked at them they were priced better than what you'll get from Traeger. Although I haven't priced it against a Traeger Costco Roadshow if you have that as an option. If you want to go higher-end, I like Rec Tec a lot. And if you want something that can REALLY do it all, the prices and options go up (Yoder, MAK, etc).

Other: If you want something that has more grill / outdoor oven capability, I'm a huge Kamado fan. They make great smokers (I have a Kamado Joe Big Joe and a Traeger, and I use the Joe for smoking, not the Traeger) and give you the versatility to do almost anything. Budget-wise, you can get that style of grill with the Char-Griller Akorn much cheaper by avoiding ceramic--but it won't last as long. Only downside is that your grate space can be a little more limited. I'm also intrigued by the newer Masterbuilt electric charcoal grill/smoker concept. It gives you the automatic nature of a pellet grill but is actual charcoal and can use wood chunks for smoke. I've never used one of these though.

 

[Mr. Vern]

I'm also intrigued by the newer Masterbuilt electric charcoal grill/smoker concept. It gives you the automatic nature of a pellet grill but is actual charcoal and can use wood chunks for smoke. I've never used one of these though.

I am on board of their gravity series, my buddy scored one this last summer and I am impressed. He loves it.

Being a guy who strictly uses UDS or stick burners, I might have to keep an eye out for a good sale price on the Masterbuilt.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I am on board of their gravity series, my buddy scored one this last summer and I am impressed. He loves it.

Being a guy who strictly uses UDS or stick burners, I might have to keep an eye out for a good sale price on the Masterbuilt.

Good to hear. My Traeger is a hand-me-down and is quite old, so I'm always wondering how long it will stay alive. Having both a big kamado and small kamado beside it, I use the Traeger as my general "day to day / after work" grill when it's a cook that doesn't justify the effort to prepare the kamado.

When the Traeger dies, I'll need to decide between a gasser and something like the Masterbuilt as I don't like the sear capability of the Traeger..

How does your buddy use his? Does it make a functional grill as well as a smoker?

 

[Mr. Vern]

How does your buddy use his? Does it make a functional grill as well as a smoker?

It is all indirect heat so while you can still get high temperature for grilling you run through a little more fuel. He uses his flattop on gas for burgers and the wife doesn't eat steak. The temp switch maxes out at 700 degrees F. he does finish ribs on it.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

It is all indirect heat so while you can still get high temperature for grilling you run through a little more fuel. He uses his flattop on gas for burgers and the wife doesn't eat steak. The temp switch maxes out at 700 degrees F. he does finish ribs on it.

Got it. Thanks!

 

[Kent88]

@Kent88 what's the intended budget? That'll have a big impact on a recommendation. Also, what are you asking it to do and what other cookers do you have? I.e. if you're replacing a Masterbuilt, and this is a dedicated smoker and you never ask it to grill, then it changes what I'd recommend.

...

Budget... I haven't figured that out yet. My wife doesn't seem opposed to me buying a traeger, but they aren't cheap and I get nervous spending that kind of money. I'll probably talk myself into getting something that pricey, though, but I'm not there yet.

I make a little bit of everything. Beef and pork roasts, whole chicken, the occasional half turkey, and cold smoked cheddar. I have also cold smoked steaks and chops before throwing them on my gas grill. Briskets, ham, belly and back bacon, that's when it's handy to have a set-and-forget kind of system because I don't want to babysit a smoker for hours and hours. I wouldn't mind trying out smoked sides, but the electric units just don't seem to get hot enough. I almost wish I could get a 240v, bigger version of the smoker I'm replacing that could get up to 500° and still make use of the cold smoker attachment.

I suppose I don't make fish, lamb, mutton, or chevon.

I'm not interested in charcoal. Pellets, chips, or chunk seem best to me. I think Bradley makes a smoker that uses sawdust pucks, which doesn't interest me because I didn't see anyone else making them the last time I checked and I don't want to be vendor locked into fuel.

 

[Brooothru]

Budget... I haven't figured that out yet. My wife doesn't seem opposed to me buying a traeger, but they aren't cheap and I get nervous spending that kind of money. I'll probably talk myself into getting something that pricey, though, but I'm not there yet.

I make a little bit of everything. Beef and pork roasts, whole chicken, the occasional half turkey, and cold smoked cheddar. I have also cold smoked steaks and chops before throwing them on my gas grill. Briskets, ham, belly and back bacon, that's when it's handy to have a set-and-forget kind of system because I don't want to babysit a smoker for hours and hours. I wouldn't mind trying out smoked sides, but the electric units just don't seem to get hot enough. I almost wish I could get a 240v, bigger version of the smoker I'm replacing that could get up to 500° and still make use of the cold smoker attachment.

I suppose I don't make fish, lamb, mutton, or chevon.

I'm not interested in charcoal. Pellets, chips, or chunk seem best to me. I think Bradley makes a smoker that uses sawdust pucks, which doesn't interest me because I didn't see anyone else making them the last time I checked and I don't want to be vendor locked into fuel.

I was a reluctant adopter of pellets. I got shamed into it because I'd finally grown weary of fooling with charcoal and having to tend to every whim of the smoker. After years of smoking meat, I realized that I had basically given it up, and instead simply grilling (with gas). The old charcoal setup was getting used maybe just once or twice per year.

Enter the Treager. Messy? No. Fill up the pellets and hit the igniter. Fifteen minutes later you're in business. Tempermental tending? Negative, Good Buddy. Set your temperature and walk away. The machine will "phone" you when it wants more pellets after a few hours. Clean up? If you really want to. Otherwise, just vacuum out what little ash is left behind before the next usage.

The downsides: pellets are more expensive than briquettes or charcoal chunks, but not a deal-breaker. You can store a wide variety of wood types without making a mess. It does require electricity to operate properly, however. And the initial price tag is greater than a Texas side-draw smoker.

But the results are just as good, and overall convenience (without the constant babysitting) is a big plus. I'm also back to spending more time smoking meat, and not just on the weekends. It's easy enough to use on short notice that it's fine for doing some wings for Monday Night Football, or mozzarella sticks for a Friday night movie. I'm glad I finally took the plunge and ignored all the purists who turn their noses up at automated pellet fired smokers. In the end it's a lot like three vessel brewers vs. the All-in-One crowd. At the end of the process you'll have really great barbecue, and beer!

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Budget... I haven't figured that out yet. My wife doesn't seem opposed to me buying a traeger, but they aren't cheap and I get nervous spending that kind of money. I'll probably talk myself into getting something that pricey, though, but I'm not there yet.

I make a little bit of everything. Beef and pork roasts, whole chicken, the occasional half turkey, and cold smoked cheddar. I have also cold smoked steaks and chops before throwing them on my gas grill. Briskets, ham, belly and back bacon, that's when it's handy to have a set-and-forget kind of system because I don't want to babysit a smoker for hours and hours. I wouldn't mind trying out smoked sides, but the electric units just don't seem to get hot enough. I almost wish I could get a 240v, bigger version of the smoker I'm replacing that could get up to 500° and still make use of the cold smoker attachment.

Got it. I'd say that if you don't want to touch charcoal, and you have a gasser, a pellet grill can make a ton of sense in your usage.

The biggest issue with pellets as far as I can tell from my Traeger is the lack of high, direct, heat. There are some tricks (i.e. placing things at the very front and back where the heat comes around the heat spreader), but it's just not built for high heat and searing. However, you've got a gasser for that. So that won't limit you.

The other point I would make is that if you're looking for higher-temp smoked sides is that as the temp goes up in a pellet grill, the smoke flavor goes down. The firebox is hotter and better able to fully combust the pellets. So you may want/need to have an extra smoking tube like from A-MAZE-N to get there. Other pellet owners can probably tell you more about it though. But when I do cooks at higher temp in the Traeger, it gets slight flavor addition from being a wood-burning grill, but very rarely would I describe it as a "smoked" flavor.

Have you looked into a propane-fueled cabinet smoker similar in design to the electric Masterbuilt but purely propane? It's what I started on and with propane as a heat source I think you can get a better ability to get those temps up higher where you want them. The biggest issue I ever had with it was making sure that the wood chunks didn't ignite, because then you would get the nasty white creosote-fueled smoke. So there was a learning curve. But once the temp and smoke were dialed in, and I could get it well over 300, it was pretty solid.

 

[Kent88]

The biggest issue with pellets as far as I can tell from my Traeger is the lack of high, direct, heat. There are some tricks (i.e. placing things at the very front and back where the heat comes around the heat spreader), but it's just not built for high heat and searing. However, you've got a gasser for that. So that won't limit you.

I hadn't thought about that. It makes sense that a gas grill would be faster to come up to temp and then recover. My gas grill will definitely be sticking around for things I want to sear or generally just cook quickly.

The other point I would make is that if you're looking for higher-temp smoked sides is that as the temp goes up in a pellet grill, the smoke flavor goes down. The firebox is hotter and better able to fully combust the pellets. So you may want/need to have an extra smoking tube like from A-MAZE-N to get there. Other pellet owners can probably tell you more about it though. But when I do cooks at higher temp in the Traeger, it gets slight flavor addition from being a wood-burning grill, but very rarely would I describe it as a "smoked" flavor.

I don't usually bother firing up the smoker for anything that takes less than a few hours, unless it's cold smoking. I suppose some smoked sides that I will want to try might take less time. I have my cold smoker attachment with my masterbuilt, I wish there was a way I could rig that up to a regular offset without taking the pellet box / fire box off or some other tedious process.

Have you looked into a propane-fueled cabinet smoker similar in design to the electric Masterbuilt but purely propane? It's what I started on and with propane as a heat source I think you can get a better ability to get those temps up higher where you want them. The biggest issue I ever had with it was making sure that the wood chunks didn't ignite, because then you would get the nasty white creosote-fueled smoke. So there was a learning curve. But once the temp and smoke were dialed in, and I could get it well over 300, it was pretty solid.

I don't want to go with propane. I don't really know why I got it in my head that charcoal and propane were bad options, but they just don't appeal to me.

 

[OleBrewing]

i purchased a pellet outdoor oven after my kenmore 4 burner gasser finally rusted out. I really like the pellet oven for almost everything.
that being said i made way better smoked dishes on my gas grill after modification for a cast iron pot and wood chips. pellets add some flavor but i can tell it is not the same.

last few hams i have done on pellet oven i included liquid smoke in the brine sacrilege but the smokiness pops.

the convenience factor and versatility of pellet ovens and ability to control a wide range of temps is the selling point for me. and i can sear on it as it has a moveable shield which is over the fire box one steak at a time though.

i use a homemade electric cabinet smoker for sausage jerky pepper sticks.

 

[YeastFeast]

Beef Jerky.
2.5 lbs of top round cut 1/4” thick. Marinated 36 hours. Three racks stacked with 1”x1” wood blocks in between to separate. 4-4.5 hours @ held the whole time at 180°F. Fuel of charcoal with chunks of apple wood.
Tasty!

 

[AzOr]

Well I think my masterbuilt smoker is finally done. I already replaced the controller on it and have no desire to mess with it further. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for what new smoker to buy.

I really liked that I could throw a brisket in, set the temperature and mostly just leave it alone, and I have a cold smoker attachment that I used to make a lot of smokey cheese. I'd like to keep those features. I didn't like how the display on it was hard to read, the app is pretty much garbage, and that the high temperature was only about 300°F.

I have zero complaints with my GMG Daniel Boone. It’s the older one w/o Wi-Fi. They are built like tanks compared to similar Tragers. It’s been about ten years since I’ve bought mine so things may have changed. If I ever replace it, it’ll be another GMG.
When I purchased mine it was about 450. A similar Trager was about 600 at the time.

 

[AZ Maverick]

Didn't smoke meat - but I just smoked a rack of ATB's (Atomic Buffalo Turds).

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Smoked a beef knuckle earlier today, now it will simmer overnight and become a chili stew.

 

[YeastFeast]

Smoked a beef knuckle earlier today, now it will simmer overnight and become a chili stew.

That sure looks good but what the hell is a beef knuckle?

 

[OleBrewing]

Bacon. Will see how it turns out. It was the amazing ribs recipe. Might need more smoke I don't have the cabinet smoker dialed in and is very easy to over smoke. Once cooled and cooked Will get an idea.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

That sure looks good but what the hell is a beef knuckle?

It's a sub piece of the round.
Turned out decent but a little chewy after I pulled the meat, chuck roll is a better detail for stuff like this but you don't know if you don't try...

 

[Brooothru]

Roasted schweinhaxe is the best way to have a “knuckle sandwich”. Preferably mit kraut und kartoffel. Also ein Pils.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Didn't smoke meat - but I just smoked a rack of ATB's (Atomic Buffalo Turds).

There's meat in an ABT... At least I'm fairly sure there's meat in a l'il smokie...

Bacon. Will see how it turns out. It was the amazing ribs recipe. Might need more smoke I don't have the cabinet smoker dialed in and is very easy to over smoke. Once cooled and cooked Will get an idea.

Nice! I've done the amazing ribs recipe several times. I personally think they get hung up on the "dry curing" bit saying you need to add liquid, which IMHO is BS so I use one of those other online calculators they denigrate. As long as you have the bacon curing in a sealed bag (whether ziplock or vacuum), the natural moisture in the bacon makes it a wet cure even if you don't add liquid.

Only difficult thing is getting it evenly sliced if you don't have a meat slicer.

But I think you'll be very pleased with it. And it's so much nicer to buy a nice big pork belly from Costco and do this than to pay for storebought bacon that is simultaneously more expensive and not as delicious.

 

[Rodent]

smoked BBQ Bourbon beans accompanied a smoked pork butt and smoked scalloped taters this weekend, and topped off with a pair of homemade BBQ sauces (the AR 'KC style' and a closely guarded 4-generation old North Alabama vinegar style sauce)

I saved most of the bark to be utilized in the next batch of beans I make, using bark in addition to a generous quantity of bacon

 

[OleBrewing]

Nice! I've done the amazing ribs recipe several times. I personally think they get hung up on the "dry curing" bit saying you need to add liquid, which IMHO is BS so I use one of those other online calculators they denigrate. As long as you have the bacon curing in a sealed bag (whether ziplock or vacuum), the natural moisture in the bacon makes it a wet cure even if you don't add liquid.

Only difficult thing is getting it evenly sliced if you don't have a meat slicer.

But I think you'll be very pleased with it. And it's so much nicer to buy a nice big pork belly from Costco and do this than to pay for storebought bacon that is simultaneously more expensive and not as delicious.

better yet. I get whole hog 20 miles down the road where it is raised and gets cut up in front of me while i wait.

I think the amazing ribs recipes are a solid base. the bacon recipe i think could use a little less sugar and a touch more salt (more smoke on my part). I did use a little water for ease of spreading the cure out.

as for slicing i have a long knife and this bacon is not meant for wrapping so up to 1/4" slabs for me.

 

[Kent88]

Been reading good things about these smokers. This model looks appealing, as apparently it can cold smoke, is based on pellets, and can get a little extra from chips or chunks. I don't like that it apparently isn't well insulated, as I live in a place with cold winters. It also tops out at 350°, which only gets me 50° more than my old one. I think that should give me some more options, but I would like it to get even hotter.

XXL Pro Vertical Smoker and More | Camp Chef

I'm not sold on it yet. I'm really not thrilled that the reviews list heat retention as an issue.

 

[Oldskewl]

I really like my RecTec 590. I think they are on sale since they are bringing out a new version. Temps are rock solid and the app works well. I have had a Brinkman charcoal/wood smoker(with weber mods), a Bradley Digital Smoker(similar to your Masterbuilt but used pucks) and now the RecTec pellet. I love it! The app is nice. You can monitor or change the temp for anywhere that has cell service or wifi. That can come in handy sometimes. It goes down to about 180F and as high as 550F if you want to bake a pizza. My only complaint is that the legs are flimsy if you are going to move it around frequently. Many people upgrade to the competition cart but I couldnt justify the price. The new version of the 590 has a more robust lower section. They make smaller and larger versions also.