Actually, first try at smoking anything...
I got a bone-in piece that was represented as butt, and a package of "country style" ribs. I dry rubbed with granulated garlic, ground ancho, salt and pepper, and let sit overnight.
I smoked them at 200º for 11 hours today. Went through a dozen Hickory and half a dozen Blend, at which point (about 6 or so hours) I figured they'd had enough smoke.
The ribs were a bit overdone, I think. They came out at 185º and were a little dry. The butt was 175º and started to ooze when I pulled the thermometer probe out, so I guess it's still pretty moist inside. I'm letting them rest, covered. The taste was very smoky. Maybe too smoky on the thinner rib pieces. I can't wait to taste the butt tomorrow!
Here are some pics:
(http://www.rallystuff.com/images/smokin01.jpg)
(http://www.rallystuff.com/images/smokin02.jpg)
(http://www.rallystuff.com/images/smokin03.jpg)
The next day, I reheated the butt in the oven. Took about 2 hours to come up to temperature, and by that point it practically fell apart under the fork. Unlike the "country" ribs, it is very moist and still beautifully pink inside.
(http://www.rallystuff.com/images/smokin05.jpg)
Dammit, stop making me so hungry! It's after the holidays & I need to shed a few pounds. Ain't gonna happen now. Looks very yum!
http://www.chezbubba.com
I Tried smoking a pork butt for the first time.Applied a dry rub the nite before. I smoked it for 4 and a half hours at 200F with mesquite and hickory.I was concerned that it was going to dry out so I covered it with foil and put it in the oven to finish cooking it. It took another 5 hrs. to cook it to the pull apart stage. Can anybody tell me if 9-10 hrs is normal cooking time.And if I would have let it in the smoker for the whole time would it turn into leather?I just thought it took a long time.It didn't have a very smokey taste to it so after I pulled it apart I cold smoked it for an hour.The end result came out absolutly delicious.
Jon, did you cook your pork butt for 11 straight hours uncovered at 200F, and it still came out moist?[:0]
<i><font color="blue"><b>Jack</i></font id="blue"></b>
I smoke p.b's all the time and they usually take abot 8-10 hrs depending on size. They always come out great.
Mando,
Do you apply smoke the whole time? And at what temp?
<i><font color="blue"><b>Jack</i></font id="blue"></b>
Man, your smoker is way to clean! Are you sure that you are using it correctly? Mines all brown inside[:D]
They look great!
"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!
Bassman, don't worry about drying out a pork butt. That is the beauty of the butt. Not only is it a cheap cut of pork, but the fat in it will keep it tender during a 8-10hr smoking. I only smoke mine for the 1st couple hours. I think the crust on the outside is what keeps all the moisture in it while it cooks. I like it best right out of the smoker when its almost too hot to shred. I find the meat starts to dry out after it is in the fridge overnight.[8D]
Let your trout go and smoke a salmon instead.
I tried my first pork butt yesterday. About a 4 pounder- applied a rub from the Smoke and Spice book the night before and tossed into the smoker @225 with 2 hrs of hickory around noon. I pulled it once it reached the 160 degree mark- about 6 hrs later-as the book suggests. It was tasty BUT it wasn't at the pull-apart stage -(shredding)[:(]and now I kinda wished I had read this thread prior to trying the butt. I didn't have the time to leave it in longer- the wife and kids belly buttons were making suction noises with their backbones by this time. It sounds like the magical transformation happens at the 8-11 hour mark. Should I be concerned about the internal temperature [?] or maybe reduce the heat to say 200 once internal temp reaches the 160 mark and let the transformation complete itself for the next few hours?[?]
I haven't had this much fun with something- the Bradley Smoker- since I bought my first fishing rod. Even despite the not so successful attempts. It's all about trial and error right?
Cold Smoke
Cold,
I found this liitle blurp about smoking a boston butt at the Arizona BBQ Association web site from a guy named JIARBY.
http://www.azbbqa.com/
His quote:
<font color="blue">There is really no secret recipe...
I get my #7 Kamado chugging at about 220 degrees. Then I slather a couple boston butts with yellow mustard (so rub sticks... not for any flavor) and generously coat with rub. Ant rub will do, it is a personal preference. If you are attending the Paul Kirk class he covers spices & rubs. Store bought or home-made doesn;t matter....just what you like!
Put on the smoker, use lots of smoke for 1st two or three hours, then settle back and wait. I use a remote thermometer (Maverick) and monitor the dome temp of the Kamado, and the meat temp of the butt. The meat will hang at 165 FOREVER. be patient... it takes hours the "break through" the 165 plateau. After the temp gets to 175, you can crank it up to 250-275, or just leave it on at 220. I prefer to leave it on a long as possible, because the Kamado will not allow it to dry out. The target temp (internal meat) is between 197-205. At about 193-195 I pull them off, and wrap in foil twice, wrap that in a thick towel, and place them in a cooler for about 1-2 hours to rest. It will really fall apart, but still have alot of bark.
If you pull it off too soon, (around 180's, it will still be very edible, and tender...it just won't pull. You will have to slice it.
Pork butt is a VERY forgiving cut of meat...
I serve mine with some honey chipolte BBQ sauce...my next door neighbor likes it N. Carolina style, with a red pepper & vinegar sauce and cole slaw. </font id="blue">
Though we may not use those big green honkin Komado smoker/grill contraptions. I think you can get the drift on what to do. These directions seem to be fairly logical and very adaptible to the BS.
Hope this helps...
(http://www.desertscapeit.com/Images/smilincow.gif)
SmokeOn,
mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie
If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...
Mmmmmmmmm...now I gotta try that one out![8D]
"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!
Thanks MallardWacker!! That's EXACTLY the info I was hoping someone here could provide me with. [:D][:D] Great forum! I have bought a few barbecue books lately but none give me this important piece of information. Next time around I'll preheat the smoker and be prepared to ignore the temperature and leave it do it's own thing for 10 hrs or so. In the meantime I'll do as Jon did and reheat it in the oven for a couple of hours or so. I'm sure it'll be just as tasty!
Cold Smoke
Cold,
This might explain about the temp a little bit better. This another quote I found.
Quote:
<font color="blue">Boiling/steaming gets all the fat out.
WRONG!!!!!
Yes, it will get rid of SOME of the fat. But very rarely will it get rid of ALL the fat. This is the single biggest problem that folks still have with ribs.....even after boiling, there are still pockets of fat.
A quick technical lesson
(Fat can only be rendered in a dry cooking environment over a long period of time and at low temperatures. Here is what happens....the meat must attain a temperature of 160 to 170 degrees F to start the fat rendering process. At these temps, the meat temperature will "plateau"......that is, it will stay at these temps for up to 2 hours on ribs and 4 and 5 hours on butts and briskets. What is happening is, the collagen (connective tissue) starts to break down......this process releases water, which in turn causes a cooling of the meat. So the temps stay steady. This collagen breakdown is what makes meat so tender.
Once this collagen completely breaks down, the temps will start to rise. It is this process that allows ALL of the fat to be rendered from a rib.</font id="blue">
SmokeOn,
mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie
If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...
Wow, great info[:D][:D] Makes sense. My first couple butts weren't tender enough yet either. Once I figured out to just leave it alone all day (10hours or so). I found much better results. Just didn't know the technical reasons why.[:D]
Let your trout go and smoke a salmon instead.
Thought I'd use the recipe that I posted. Ever since I saw that I wanted to try it. Last night, I did.
Wash and dried the butts, shmeeeered them with yellow mustard, put on my favorite rub. Pre heated for a couple hours @ 250. Loaded 14 maple pucks. Put in the butts, top and third rack and let her go. Stabilized at 220. Got up at 4 am and the temp of the BS was little over 250, lowered it to 220, the meat temp was at 179. A total of 13 hrs later, meat temp hit 190. Removed from smoker, wrapped them in foil then an old towl. Left them for 2 and half hrs. Simply BEAUTIFUL. It's been a long time since I got a large peice of meat to come out.
I have never used maple before, my hickory pucks will probly go to waiste now. Great flavor.
(http://www.azbbqa.com/Images/pigsmile.jpg)
SmokeOn,
mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie
If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...
MW,
Have you tried pecan?[;)][:p]
http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by MallardWacker</i>
<br />Cold,
A quick technical lesson
(Fat can only be rendered in a dry cooking environment over a long period of time and at low temperatures. Here is what happens....the meat must attain a temperature of 160 to 170 degrees F to start the fat rendering process. At these temps, the meat temperature will "plateau"......that is, it will stay at these temps for up to 2 hours on ribs and 4 and 5 hours on butts and briskets. What is happening is, the collagen (connective tissue) starts to break down......this process releases water, which in turn causes a cooling of the meat. So the temps stay steady. This collagen breakdown is what makes meat so tender.
Once this collagen completely breaks down, the temps will start to rise. It is this process that allows ALL of the fat to be rendered from a rib.[/blue]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
So at what temp should ribs be cooked to? (And at what temp for how long?)
I did a rack of babybacks and the flavor was great but they weren't "falling off the bone". More like had to be torn off the bone, yet still moist. I smoked em for 3 1/2 hours and the internal temp got to 165 or so.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by psdubl07</i>
[br
So at what temp should ribs be cooked to? (And at what temp for how long?)
I did a rack of babybacks and the flavor was great but they weren't "falling off the bone". More like had to be torn off the bone, yet still moist. I smoked em for 3 1/2 hours and the internal temp got to 165 or so.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
07,
I usually do my ribs until they reach about 190f. At this point they will be almost falling off the bone. You can usually tell they are done when the meat has pulled away from the bones about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. I now use the twist method to see if they are done. Twist and see if the bone starts to twist off or not. If the bone won't twist off its not done for falling of the bone. I also use St. Louis style instead of babybacks. I prefer them and they are cheaper where I buy ribs. Time wise any where from 4-6 hrs @ 225f. I don't open the door unless I need to rotate racks. You can use a flashlight to shine through the top vent(credit Fuzzybear)and check on them as long as your smoke portion is finished. I have also heard but not yet tried if you will hang them from hooks inside the cabinet they will cook more evenly than laying flat on the racks. Good luck and Happy Smokin'.
Jeff
www.bbqshopping.com
Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.
Jeff, you mentioned a "smoke portion". I take this to mean you are only smoking them for part of the 4-6 hour total time and just cooking the rest til you get them to 190?
Thanks, Paul
Edit: Without opening to mop, that amount of time doesn't dry them out?
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by psdubl07</i>
<br />Jeff, you mentioned a "smoke portion". I take this to mean you are only smoking them for part of the 4-6 hour total time and just cooking the rest til you get them to 190?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Paul,
I usually only put the smoke to them for about 4 hrs. with my top vent about 1/4-1/2 open. Even though there has been debate about it in the Q world I don't seem to gain a whole lot more smoke flavor after that[:D].
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Edit: Without opening to mop, that amount of time doesn't dry them out?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
So far I have not done any mop with my ribs but will sometimes spritz 1/2 apple juice 1/2 apple cider vinegar during the last hour or so of the cook if the ribs appear to start looking to dry. My ribs will have a "bark" from the rub on the outside but will be juicy and tender on the inside. Thats also why I use St. Louis style ribs, they have more fat than babybacks.
The Bradley seems to hold in plenty of moisture to suit my needs. I have found ribs start to dry out on the inside once they pass the 200f mark. I haven't actually measured the temp of ribs in a long time but have never finished any ribs in less than 4 hrs. You can also slather ribs with yellow mustard to retain moisture as well as layer your top rack with cheap bacon and let the fat drip on the ribs. Twice smoked bacon is also a nice treat. Have fun and Happy Smokin'.
Jeff
www.bbqshopping.com
Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.
Typically we talk about smoke time (the amount of time the smoke generator is actually producing smoke) and total cook time (the amount of time the food is being cooked). Sometimes these times are the same, and sometimes the smoke time is shorter than the total cook time.
For most items that are left for long smoking durations, it seems to be the consensus here that 4 hours of smoke is about as much as is needed. Personal preference and the type of wood used dictates the use of a little more or less smoke.
From the "science" side of things, there have been discussions that after the food reaches about 140 degrees, the pores effectively close off, preventing further absorbtion of the smoke into the meat. As an aside, the 140 degrees level also is about the onset of the "plateau" where the food temperature will rise very slowly while the fat renders out of the meat (temperature of the food rises quickly until it hits this plateau, and then it seems to sit at that temperature for a long time before rising again).
In any case, if after four hours your food has still not reached 140 degrees, it could theroetically continue to absorb more smoke flavor. Conversely, if you heat it quickly to 140 degrees (and who would ever want to do that [:D]), it would be possible that the additional smoking time would not result in additional smoke flavor.
Great feedback, thanks guys. I will be doing some ribs again soon as they are my favorite and will let y'all know how they turn out.
Also, I got a couple of pork tenderloins this weekend and will be smoking those. Any recipe suggestions I just HAVE to try? [8D]
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by psdubl07</i>
Also, I got a couple of pork tenderloins this weekend and will be smoking those. Any recipe suggestions I just HAVE to try? [8D]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
The following suggestions work a little better with just a loin but I have done 2 of these with tenderloins.
1. Tapenade(SP?, black olive spread)rolled loin.(same as #2 just with the spread and maybe some feta cheese)
2. Walnut pesto rolled loin.(one thing extra is to add several slices of bacon before you tie it up)
3. Sausage stuffed loin. This one was suggested by somebody in the Bradley forum but can't remember who, sorry.(Very Good)
4. Smoked garlic infused tenderloin.(smoke some garlic and make deep slices into tenderloin and fill with the smoked garlic)
Pics of #2 and 1 pic of #3:
2.(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/Karen100/porkloin004.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/Karen100/porkloin005.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/Karen100/porkloin.jpg)
3.(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/Karen100/porkloin003.jpg)
Jeff
www.bbqshopping.com
Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.
YUM! I will give one of those a shot.
Whatchya drinkin there in the background Jeff? [:o)]
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by psdubl07</i>
<br />YUM! I will give one of those a shot.
Whatchya drinkin there in the background Jeff? [:o)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Thats just a little bourbon with ice. Recently local store started carrying a brand called Bulliet Frontier Whiskey. 94 Proof and smooth as water. Also like Makers Mark but JD's just not the same since they cut the black label back to 80 proof[:(!][:(][V]
Jeff
www.bbqshopping.com
Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.
Nice. Ever heard of Aberlour? I have a cousin who is a HUGE scotch drinker and he went to visit some distilleries. Came back w/ an order for a hogshead(?), essentially 30 cases. Had a bit of trouble taking delivery cuz of the ATF, but eventually got it. It's the best stuff I've ever had. Really smooth w/ a nice honey/vanilla taste. [:p]
Ah! Bourbon drinkers! I am really fond of JD Single Barrel. I drink a bottle of that about every 6 months. (Not a big drinker) I do love a good bourbon occasionally after dinner.
Bill
While we're on the drinking topic, have any of you ever tried any premium tequilas? I was a tequila drinker before I was a scotch drinker. Some of the more expensive stuff like Reserva de la Familia, or El Jimador extra anejo is really dark and yummy. Most people would probably be hard pressed to tell the difference between it and a good single malt. [:o)]
Did the tenderloins the other night and they turned out great!
1st one was butterflied and rubbed inside w/ a fresh pesto-like mixture I threw together. Then rolled, tied, and wrapped w/ bacon.
2nd one was rubbed w/ French's mustard and dry rub leftover from my ribs, then given the same bacon treatment.
Smoked them for 3 hours at about 160F using Maple pucks. Then turned up the heat to about 200F for around 2 more hours which got the internal temp to 155F.
Here are before and after pics:
(C:WINDOWSDesktopeady_to_smoke.jpg)
(C:WINDOWSDesktopFinished.jpg)
(C:WINDOWSDesktopFinished_Cut.jpg)
Let me know if you can't see the pics. I've posted pics before and someone said they couldn't see them. Weird thing is, I could see them from home where I posted, but not at work. Not sure if it's a browser issue or what[?]
Paul,
I can't see the pics but what you did sounds good to me. The maple pucks seem to have a mild flavor that accents pork loin/tenderloin well. I prefer a stronger wood for pork butt though. What did you think of the one done with the mustard?
Thanks also for the tequila tips. My wife enjoys really good tequila(and scotch). I will look for those in the store.[:D]
Jeff
www.bbqshopping.com
Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.
Damn, the pics look so good too! Maybe Kirk can tell us why they only show up for certain viewers.
Actually, The consensus was that the one w/ the basil and garlic was a wee bit better, but they were both good.
You may have a bit of a hard time finding those specific tequilas. The Reserva de la Familia is made by Cuervo and comes in a handpainted box, runs about $100. (The only Cuervo worth buying)
But anything by Don Julio is good, as is El Tesoro and Herradura.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by psdubl07</i>
<br />Maybe Kirk can tell us why they only show up for certain viewers.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"> Well, your first set of pictures show up for me & your second set doesn't. I have kind of the same issue at another forum I frequent. Sometimes if I can't see them the first or second time, I magically can the third.
My official, technical, moderator response is: I dunno![:D]
http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
Kirk, I like the fact that you didn't make up any BS! [:D]
I will send them to work and repost from there tomorrow to see if that makes a diff.
BTW, did some sharp cheddar for an hour w/ hickory about a week ago. Wrapped in saran and into the refrig w/out touching for 5 days. Beautimus![^]
Here's a repost of the pork tenderloin pics, doing it from work instead of home. Not sure if this will make a difference, but here goes...
(C:Documents%20and%20SettingspschmidtDesktopeady_to_smoke.jpg)
(C:Documents%20and%20SettingspschmidtDesktopFinished.jpg)
(C:Documents%20and%20SettingspschmidtDesktopFinished_Cut.jpg)
Chez,
If you right click the broken picture icons, you can select the Properties menu choice and get info about them. You can see that the Address to the files is a local address: file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/pschmidt/Desktop/Finished_Cut.jpg
In order for the picture links to work properly, they need to be hosted somewhere by someone so that they have a http:// Web address. The only one who the pictures should be working for is Paul because his computer can resolve the local path name and find the pictures on his desktop. Since nobody else's machine can resolve the path and find Paul's desktop, no one else can see the pictures.
So the only way to post pictures everyone can see is to link them from a website?
Correct.
http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
try //www.photobucket.com they host pics for free.
Jeff
www.bbqshopping.com
Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.