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

[RoyGBiv]

Oh, and I went to GFS, a restaurant supply company, and bought a proper dredge shaker for my dry rubs. This is one of those things that will pay for itself pretty quickly as the amount of waste reduction was pretty dramatic.

What were you using before? I've always used an empty spice shaker....
I have a few with various size holes, in case I decide to use something flaky (red pepper flakes) instead of cayenne.

[BehindBlueI's]

What were you using before? I've always used an empty spice shaker....
I have a few with various size holes, in case I decide to use something flaky (red pepper flakes) instead of cayenne.

I bought some cheese shakers as well for the bigger things.

I wasn't using a shaker at all, I was just using a spoon and tapping the handle with the other hand then rubbing with a gloved hand.

[JM Campbell]

Today is my first attempt at smoking in freezing temperatures and inconsistent wind gusts. With the thin walled smoker I have I already see a difference in temperature management. I have to leave the air inlets more open and it's using coals faster, plus the smoke is less consistent as the wind gusts over the chimney. I've got a whole chicken and 10 lbs of chicken breasts going over coals and apple wood.

Oh, and I went to GFS, a restaurant supply company, and bought a proper dredge shaker for my dry rubs. This is one of those things that will pay for itself pretty quickly as the amount of waste reduction was pretty dramatic.

Cheap welding blanket wrapped around the cook chamber can help with insulation/temp swings.


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[RoyGBiv]

Finally had a chance to swing by the newest butcher shop in the area (now we have 2). When I walked in I was the only one inside other than the two young guys behind the counter, but a minute later 3 other cars had pulled up and the small shop got crowded, so, I grabbed the first interesting thing I saw, paid and beat feet. I would have liked the chance to chat up the workers (owner?) a bit. Maybe next time.

The good news is that what I grabbed was excellent.

They took a tri-tip, sliced it in thick slabs through the wide side (think meat slicer), seasoned it Carne Asada style and vac-packed it. I made fajitas out of it that were a big hit. I need to figure out how to get a better char on it next time, maybe cook it on the flat top or lay in a few slices of bacon to get some flames, but 2 minutes each side and they were done. Another great way to enjoy tri-tip.

[BehindBlueI's]

Cheap welding blanket wrapped around the cook chamber can help with insulation/temp swings.


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I think the gusty wind blowing over the chimney was a big part of the issue as well. The blanket would probably help, but building a little shelter for it would probably be the best answer. I'm kind of kicking around the idea of building something (not nearly as fancy as @rob_s) when the weather is less shit.

[rob_s]

I spent a couple of hours on Saturday cleaning out the smoker. Used a combination of a steam cleaner, some citrus cleaner, and a lot of time.

I’ve heard for years about old, well seasoned smokers, and I started to question that theory after some reading and a few cooks that had some aftertaste I wasn’t super happy about. Interestingly when using the seamer to blast/brush off the old soot, it had the exact same smell as the aftertaste I mentioned, leading me to be liege that the old soot was definitely part of the problem.

Should have taken some before/after pics but got busy getting after it and forgot.

Hope to get a chance to do some cooking on Boxing Day to test and re-season.

Products I used are linked below

Steamfast SF-370 Canister Cleaner with 15 Accessories-All-Natural, Chemical-Free Pressurized Steam Cleaning for Most Floors, Counters, Appliances, Windows, Autos, and More, 64 inches, White

Citrusafe Grill Cleaning Spray - BBQ Grid and Grill Grate Cleanser (23oz)

OXO Good Grips Deep Clean Brush Set

[rd62]

I think the gusty wind blowing over the chimney was a big part of the issue as well. The blanket would probably help, but building a little shelter for it would probably be the best answer. I'm kind of kicking around the idea of building something (not nearly as fancy as @rob_s) when the weather is less shit.

I've seen and am about to build a folding plywood screen, lined with reflectix, to shield my Weber Smokey Mountain from wind and radiate back some of the lost heat in the winter cooler temps. I was given a Tom turkey as part of an employee holiday gift and am going to brine, spatchcock, and smoke/grill it for Christmas.

[JM Campbell]

3:45am brisket inspection




7:00am at the wrap




20lbs Snake River Farms wagyu brisket for the family. I’ll try to get pics later before serving it’s taking a little nap in the cooler after such a long night.


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[RoyGBiv]

Santa brought me a heavy gauge steel flat top griddle for my gas grill. I've been using a small cast iron flat top for years to cook burgers, etc. My cast iron is big enough for a few slices of bacon, or 3 good sized burgers, but this flat top is big enough for a pound of bacon or more burgers than I've needed to cook at once since my kids were small.

Seasoning a new surface has it's plusses and minuses. On the minus side, it's a bit of work and there are some thing's you don't want to cook on it for a while (potatoes!), but on the plus side, one of the best ways to season new steel is...... BACON!

The eggs got a bit sticky, but I managed to do a few over easy without breaking them. Metal spatula required. Silicone was not up to the task.



Pancake was left over from Christmas morning.

[rob_s]

Since we let our Costco membership lapse, I'm not going to be doing my usual pork butts for NYE this year. Planning on doing St Louis Ribs instead. Feeding 6 grown ups, but at least one of them probably won't eat any.

Anywho, my question for the hive is, do you think it matters where you buy something like ribs? I've only ever gotten whatever they had available at the local grocery store when I went. Pretty sure I'll be doing that again. Just curious is anyone thinks it's actually worthwhile to (possibly over-)spend more at an actual butcher or higher end market.