Outdoor Cooking (smoking, grilling, barbecuing, open spit, etc.)

[JM Campbell]

Smop

What are you cooking on? Maybe a snake method may be a better choice if your set up will allow it.


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[BehindBlueI's]

What are you cooking on? Maybe a snake method may be a better choice if your set up will allow it.


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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQ59VTO/, which I added gaskets and silicone sealant to. I'm still in the early stages of learning smoking.

Using this to monitor temps remotely: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GE77QT0

So far I've learned:

1) There's quite a bit of temperature range depending on where you place the racks. Chicken on the bottom rack will be done while the top rack is about 20 degrees away.

2) "Cowboy Lump" burns real hot real fast, whatever brand Lowe's carries. Regular charcoal is pretty easy to hold at 225-ish.

3) I did try the snake thing and it worked pretty well for a small batch, I don't know how you'd add more to keep it going all day, though.

4) Apple wood is easier then mesquite to manage.

I've done:

Ribs (turned out pretty good)
Turkey legs (tasty but the skin turned leathery, I didn't brine them and probably should have)
Whole chicken (turned out good)
Lemon pepper + jalapeno chicken breasts (good)
"Nashville Hot" chicken breasts (damned good)
Assorted wings. Good and easy to do.

I use a local butcher shop for the meat.

The mix for the hot chicken is:
Seasoned salt
Onion powder
Garlic Powder
Jalapeno chili powder
Cayenne powder
Smoke paprika
Chili powder
Black pepper

I just kind of eyeball it then taste it before using. Paprika, chili powder, and seasoned salt get more, the others get less. Cayenne lets you turn it up or down heat-wise. My son likes it spicier then my wife or I care for.

[JM Campbell]

20lbs Snake River Farms Wagyu Brisket
Right at 12 hour hot and fast cook 300-330F with post oak and pecan splits.
Killer Hogs Texas Brisket rub.








Bacon, Garlic Parmesan butter green beans.




Here’s the brisket hang with a cut off the flat.




Flat turned out very moist with a lot of marbling throughout and the point was just plain crazy good. Bark was on point with no mush even after a butcher paper wrap at 165F and then a 4.5 hour towel/cooler ride until the UFC fight was over.


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[JM Campbell]

BB, I’ve never cooked on that brand/set up smoker so not much help there.

Fuel source matters a ton. Basically the Cowboy lump is trash, always small pieces in the bags I’ve purchased and burn way too hot and fast.

I like Fogo premium and the Big Green Egg branded lump coal. Larger pieces that hold temp and cook longer.

If you want to try a comp charcoal I’d look into the B&B Competition Char Logs. I use it for about 90% of my coal base needs on long smokes. Holds temp and burns for a very long time and I think it’s a better low cost alternative to the lump charcoal at almost half the cost of Fogo Premium and the Egg.


I’d see if you could get a milder wood, mesquite over powers in my opinion even with blue smoke. Pecan is pretty forgiving and has a mild/moderate smoke flavor. Mesquite also burns very hot and fast.

Preheat your wood chunks on top of your firebox before you put them in the smoker. They will catch faster and burn cleaner. Also when you maintain/add/adjust your fire you should shake up your coal box to get the built up ash off of your coals so there is more air flow to them.



Hope this helps you out some.


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[RoyGBiv]

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Hope this helps you out some.

I would sign up for your class. Smokin.

[ccmdfd]

Yeah I don't use Mesquite anymore. Only once.

Nowadays it's either Pecan, Cherry, or a combo of the two.

Very impressive JM!

[JM Campbell]

Yeah I don't use Mesquite anymore. Only once.

Nowadays it's either Pecan, Cherry, or a combo of the two.

Very impressive JM!

A blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

Thank you, only took a few briskets I ruined to rethink what I was doing. Actually found out that beef ribs are a great way to practice for cooking brisket with out the heart ache of the cost or the super dry meat when you F-up. Same concept just a little shorter cook and you learn to manage a fire without the daunting 12-18 hour cook/fire control.


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[JM Campbell]

I would sign up for your class. Smokin.

No classes here, I’m definitely not good enough for that. I’m just a dude that enjoys cooking/smoking/grilling for family and friends.

Your in the Dallas area right? If so look up Meat Church, they throw down some bbq/smoking lessons like Langdon and Givens do for pistol work. They could teach you a lot more then I ever could.


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[BehindBlueI's]

I’d see if you could get a milder wood, mesquite over powers in my opinion even with blue smoke. Pecan is pretty forgiving and has a mild/moderate smoke flavor. Mesquite also burns very hot and fast.

I've got cherry, apple, and hickory at my disposal as well. I'm still in the experimentation phase for sure.

I'll take a look at that brand of coals. I bought the cowboy stuff several years ago not realizing what I was buying (saw it on sale, picked up a couple bags without reading the label very closely). I quickly learned that I didn't know how to use it for grilling. I have more recently learned I don't know how to use it for smoking. What I do know is that it catches real easy in a chimney starter, so it's at least good for starting the coals I actually want to use. A double fist full at a time is going to make the 20-ish lbs I have left last quite awhile, though.

I tried cedar planking salmon and didn't do good. I didn't get the cedar nearly hot enough to smoke. Maybe that's a use for it, indirect high heat in the grill (I have a charcoal grill that I've used for many years, just now getting in to smoking). The fish itself was fine, just the plank didn't add anything.

[UNM1136]

I've got cherry, apple, and hickory at my disposal as well. I'm still in the experimentation phase for sure.

I'll take a look at that brand of coals. I bought the cowboy stuff several years ago not realizing what I was buying (saw it on sale, picked up a couple bags without reading the label very closely). I quickly learned that I didn't know how to use it for grilling. I have more recently learned I don't know how to use it for smoking. What I do know is that it catches real easy in a chimney starter, so it's at least good for starting the coals I actually want to use. A double fist full at a time is going to make the 20-ish lbs I have left last quite awhile, though.

I tried cedar planking salmon and didn't do good. I didn't get the cedar nearly hot enough to smoke. Maybe that's a use for it, indirect high heat in the grill (I have a charcoal grill that I've used for many years, just now getting in to smoking). The fish itself was fine, just the plank didn't add anything.

I think you are right. Cedar planking fish is for the higher heat of a grill. I would even say direct heat, as the plank will insulate the fish as it cooks. Just my thoughts, and worth about what you paid for them...

pat