Hey there,
Long time eater, first time Bradley owner down here in Boynton Beach, FLA. Just got the 4-rack digital smoker delivered yesterday and finished seasoning it about 1/2 hour ago. Should be receieving 3 bubba pucks and a remote Maverick thermometer tomorrow and then its time to get down to some serious smoking. I've been monitoring this forum since I ordered my Bradley (and even before) and it seems like a great source of information/smokin' camaraderie.
Any ideas for my first smoke (nothing too complicated)? I was thinking of something like a turket breast but I'm open to suggestions!
Mike
Quote from: gatormike on January 17, 2008, 03:41:49 PM
Any ideas for my first smoke (nothing too complicated)? I was thinking of something like a turket breast but I'm open to suggestions!
Mike
Would that be one from a female turkey? ;) Just kidding, welcome aboard. I'd go with the breast after a simple swim (4-12 hours) in a brine/marinade of Morton's Tenderquick and water.
Oops, noticed that typo just as I hit "enter" but I guess that's always the way. The wife is pressuring me hard for some pulled pork (her favorite) but that seems a but trickier than a simple turkey (there, I did it) breast. Thanks for the input.
Hi Mike & welcome to the forum!
Here is a great thread on turkey breasts by StickBowCrafter.
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=6151.0
Mike
Mike
I wouldn't be scared of doing a butt right off the bat. They are very forgiving and oh so tasty! ;)
Mike
Wecome, Mike. I agree the turkey breast would be a great place to start. Search for a post done 3 or 4 months by Stickbowcrafter. It is a no brine, simple rub recipe that is delicious, and as juicy and moist as any turkey I've ever eaten. That's the only way I do them now, only with a minor variance on the rub. I have one thawing in the refrigerator now for this weekend.
Oops, I should have read before I posted. There's the recipe link, up there! :)
I did a pork butt for my first smoke. it was easy and very tastey.
Welcome Mike!
Pork butt is not all that complicated, nor is the turkey breast. Another choice might be the rolled chicken breasts totally encased in bacon. Look for Oldman's recipe for those. The most important thing is to have fun. You have just met lots of really good friends who are here for you.
Let us hear from you!
KyNola
I recommend trying to please the wife. Butts are easy.
Quote from: Wildcat on January 17, 2008, 05:59:59 PM
I recommend trying to please the wife. Butts are easy.
Yeah, that's sort of my rule of thumb. Things generally fall into place if I follow that simple rule...
Just got back from the store and this what I got: a 3-pound "young" turkey breast and a 5-pound pork loin (no shoulder roasts, unfortunately). Which should I do? Seems like you can use loin to make pulled pork but because it has less fat than a butt it might not be as juicy. Let me know what you (all) think.'
This site is great and I can't wait to eat my first meal from the Bradley -- the aroma just from "seasoning" the smoker was giving me hunger pangs...
Hey Gator mike, im down in coral springs, not too far away. Good luck with those breasts.
Mike,
This is 100% totally my opinion and the guys who really know will certainly come in behind me but I would not try pulled pork with a 5 pound pork loin. I just don't see that working. Short of making canadian bacon with it, I would simply season it up, throw some smoke on it, continue cooking it to an IT of about 145-150 and enjoy some nice smoked pork loin. As for the turkey breast, I would brine it for 12 hours or so then season it up and put it in the smoker. A suggestion for the turkey breast, open the vent all the way. Poultry has a ton of moisture in it. That moisture needs to escape from the smoker.
Most importantly, have lots of fun, have a great time and don't worry. The Bradley will take care of it. Let us know how it goes.
KyNola
Quote from: KyNola on January 17, 2008, 06:33:27 PM
Mike,
This is 100% totally my opinion and the guys who really know will certainly come in behind me but I would not try pulled pork with a 5 pound pork loin. I just don't see that working. Short of making canadian bacon with it, I would simply season it up, throw some smoke on it, continue cooking it to an IT of about 145-150 and enjoy some nice smoked pork loin. As for the turkey breast, I would brine it for 12 hours or so then season it up and put it in the smoker. A suggestion for the turkey breast, open the vent all the way. Poultry has a ton of moisture in it. That moisture needs to escape from the smoker.
Most importantly, have lots of fun, have a great time and don't worry. The Bradley will take care of it. Let us know how it goes.
KyNola
Roger that KyLola. They had a 12 (or so) pound picnic roast at the store but it almost seemed too big for my 4-rack smoker. Would that have been better??
Brotheryyy, I have some good friends in Coral Springs. Nice for us it's January but still 80 degrees out right?
Mike,
Again I will yield to the guys on this forum who have been around a long time but in my opinion, yep that 12 pound picnic roast would have been a good choice. Too big? If it won't fit nicely on one rack, cut it in half. Just my opinion and there is tons of info on this forum from guys more qualified than me but I would take that picnic roast, slather it in regular old mustard, put your favorite rub on it, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit in the frig for a day before you are going to smoke it. Day of smoking, preheat your smoker, put the pork in it and roll 4 hours of your favorite smoke at about 200-225 degrees. For me it's hickory. After the smoke period, there are lots of variables. You can continue in the Bradley or wrap in foil and transfer to your oven in your house at the same temp. Either way it is going to take several hours. If you continue in the Bradley, don't forget to replenish the water bowl and reset your oven cook time to the max. For pulled pork I want the internal temp of the pork to be at least 190.
Mike, knock yourself out and most importantly, have fun. The guys on this forum are there for you and me.
KyNola
Hey Mike...Welcome...uh...I'd go with what KyNola said. And ya know what...if you're nervous about doing a "big hunk o meat" like that...As Ky said cut it in half...try the pulled pork...and save the other half for...uh...sausage...or Cuban sandwiches...the list is endless...:)
LQ,
Heck, I meant cut the bad boy in half and do both halves! It would cut down on the total cook time. Mike, I forgot one thing. Don't fret when the pork gets to about 160-165 and hangs there for a long time. It's called the plateau. What is happening is the fat and connective tissues are beginning to melt. That's exactly what you want to see happening. The IT will take off again.
Larry
Hi Gatormike;
Welcome to the forum.
Picnic shoulder is leaner, has less connective tissue, and has a different texture then the butt end. I have smoke a few picnics, and they don't pull that well, and you may need to chop the meat. Although I love the taste of the picnic, for me it tastes different then the butt. A 12 pounder should just fit on the rack. If the picnic still has the skin on it, I generally cut the skin off, and trim the fat to about 1/4". I place the skin on a separate rack and through that in the smoker also. After taking the skin out of the smoker and blotting off any fat, I use kitchen shears to cut it up, and freeze it. You can used the smoked skin for seasoning beans and soups.
I agree with Habs, especially the butt being better for pulled pork. My last one was a 16 pounder I picked up at Sam's. Already separated into two hunks. I coat with olive oil, apply rub and smoke with apple wood for 4 hours at a cabinet temp of 210 or less. Then I continue to cook at same temp until done. I shoot for a 185 - 190 internal temp but it can be taken out much earlier when cooking slow like this and it stays in the stall stage for a long time (probably around 170). I then FTC until I am ready to pull and serve if I have a lot of time left to wait - if not I just foil and let it rest for an hour or so and then pull. This method will take about 18 to 24 hours of cooking. You can down a lot of adult beverages during this type of smoke.
The absolute perfect rub for this comes from Iceman.
Gatormike, I totally agree with everyone, especially about not using the loin to pull. I did one awhile back, and wasn't real happy with the results. Nowhere near as good tasting as a butt, harder to pull, and not as moist. But mainly the taste, because that's our ultimate goal here. :)
There is just something about the extra fat that just makes the butts melt in your mouth....
Thanks all for the excellent (and evidently unanimous) advice. In the end I dry-rubbed the loin and tossed it in the smoker earlier today for some nice low 'n slow lovin. Per the advice of the group I'll just slice and eat and not even bother trying to cook it to the point of attempting to pull it. It's been in for almost 6 hours now and it smells amazing.
This weekend I'll pick up a true butt and give the wife the pulled pork she's craving. For the moment, I'm sitting back, enjoying a beautiful (if warmish, 82* or so) South Florida afternoon and knocking back an adult beverage or two. Life is good!
Thanks again for all of the help...
I gotta move further south. I am in the Northwest Panhandle of Florida and the weather guessers are predicting rain with sleet and snow tonight about 40 miles north of me. :P
Quote from: Wildcat on January 18, 2008, 02:14:07 PM
I gotta move further south. I am in the Northwest Panhandle of Florida and the weather guessers are predicting rain with sleet and snow tonight about 40 miles north of me. :P
Hmmmm.... We are at -40 with the wind chill....
Just another nice Saskatchewan day! ;)
Mike
Brrr! I think someone at the border left the door open. Sunday's temp is due to be around 27 Sunday. They do not sell cold weather gear down here.
Ouch -40??? You see, every time I start pining for a change of seasons (I lived in Milwaukee as a kid 25 years ago) I remember that winter can be rough. I think I just need to plan a trip to Rockies for 5-7 days of snow and skiing and that will pretty much get me my winter fix. Then I can settle back into a ho-hum routine of weekend golfing -- and frostbite free smoking...
Just pulled out the loin and snuck a taste and, for a first effort, I am more than satisfied. Most importantly, the machine works as it should -- no partially burned pucks, wild temperature variations or other issues I have seen posted on this board. The meat is delicious although the smokiness has a bit of an acrid "bite" (a bit of creosote flavor for lack of a better description). I used the "special blend" pucks (because of the fact that I suffered a reading comprehension breakdown at order time and thought it meant "variety pack"); anyone know what the predominant wood is in those things? Anyone else experience a sharp flavor when smoking with them? FYI, I cooked for a total of about 8 hours at a box temp of ~220* and used smoke for about the first 2.5 - 3 hours. In any event, I'm expecting a bunch of more "traditional" pucks (oak, mesquite, hickroy, etc.) in the mail tomorrow so I should be good to go.
BTW, the wife just got home and sampled the work product and gave an enthusuastic thumbs up! Might be a good Friday night after all...
Thanks again for all of the help gang!
I seem to remember alder being mentioned as the predominant ingredient in special blend.
I have used them but only on brisket and didn't notice anything bad.
Yours is the second post I have seen that stated they had a "creosote" taste. I find this strange. Make sure there is plenty of water in the bowl and be sure that after the smoke time there is not a wood puck still on the burner plate. Also, after the smoke portion, empty the bowl and put in fresh water. I have tried all of the wood pucks. I love mesquite, oak, and hickory but have decided that apple is my favorite for pork with maple placing a close second.
Quote from: Wildcat on January 18, 2008, 04:28:12 PM
Yours is the second post I have seen that stated they had a "creosote" taste. I find this strange. Make sure there is plenty of water in the bowl and be sure that after the smoke time there is not a wood puck still on the burner plate. Also, after the smoke portion, empty the bowl and put in fresh water. I have tried all of the wood pucks. I love mesquite, oak, and hickory but have decided that apple is my favorite for pork with maple placing a close second.
That's a negative (on removing the last puck once smoke time was finished) and a positive (on changing out the bowl for fresh, puck-free water). The creosote bite isn't too bad and it wouldn't surprise me at all if it came from not removing the last puck.
As for your choice of apple for pork, that is precisely what I had in mind until I realized that "special blend" was not a variety pack. I'll probably use an apple/hickory blend on the butt this weekend.
Cheers!
I have special blend, and do not use it much. The times I have used it, I have never noticed an "acrid" or "creosote" taste. The only wood that I get an after taste from is cherry, but for some reason my body can not digest cooked cherries, so that may have something to do with it. Try cutting down on the amount of smoke.
The special blend is a milder smoke flavor then the hickory, and especially the mesquite, so you should keep that in mind when you use those flavors.
I think Habs nailed it again!
I have learned when doing something different I tend too rule on the side of safety and smoke for a shorter period of time until I get a handle on my own personal taste for it.
Mike