First time smokin' on the bar-bee

[Dreizehn]

Speaking of the sauce, I picked-up a jar for vdubjb. I think he's tried it already so he can chime in.

[20thAna3282]

This may be a sin to some but has anyone ever tried one of these "Lazy-Q's"? I have never smoked meat before (or used charcoal for that matter) and was interested in beginning to in the spring.

one i have been looking at, http://www.bradleysmoker.com/b...r.asp.

[vr6Cop]

Quote, originally posted by 20thAna3282 »

This may be a sin to some but has anyone ever tried one of these "Lazy-Q's"? I have never smoked meat before (or used charcoal for that matter) and was interested in beginning to in the spring. one i have been looking at, http://www.bradleysmoker.com/b...r.asp.

Bradley smokers are pretty good units. You might also want to look at pellet poopers. Traegers are the most well-known, but Country Smokers are very good units that are more reasonably priced.

As far as being a sin to some, you'll find people who think that you have to burn logs and tend your fire all night long in a Lang- or Klose-style smoker, then you have the old school pitmasters who think those guys are doing it wrong because they aren't cooking on a brick pit. I'll admit that my Big Green Egg is pretty good for lazy-q, especially when I have my BBQ Guru computer-controlled fan hooked up to it. Stump's gravity feed smokers are pretty easy and hold temps, and could be considered lazy. So are my dream smokers, Spicewine Smokers. There will always be purists, but there is nothing wrong IMHO with the way we BBQ evolving, as long as we still use real smoke

[Dreizehn]

Oh yeah! First smoke of 2009 starts tomorrow morning on my icy deck!!!

Had to shovel about a foot of snow off of my deck this morning. Took me 30 min. Still icy, though.

[Dreizehn]

Just cut up some oak and hickory for tomorrow:

[Dreizehn]

Devoured it.

This was a "high-heat" cook...mainly due to my temps getting out of control early, even with the outside temp at 24F and some wind. I cooked this brisket (4lb) for three hours at an average temp of 310F. Took it off of the smoker at 154F internal temp and finished it off in my oven at 300F for one hour, foiled.

This thing came out awesome. Easily my tastiest brisket. I marinade it in rum, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. I put together my own rub which consisted of cumin, onion powder, minced garlic, paprika, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes.

I've also had a butt cooking for almost six hours now. Another six hours to go and I'll pull it. That's going to be tomorrow's meal for the Super Bowl. I have the vinegar-based sauce all ready to go!!!

Pic after 3.5hrs of cooking:

This was the first time I've used chunked wood. Chunked it myself with the sawzall, as the wood was cheaper to purchase as logs. I picked up some hickory and oak. For the brisket cook, I used what is seen in the picture below. About 3/2 ratio of oak to hickory. Some of the oak is buried under the coals. The smoke flavor was AWESOME. I dipped a piece of the brisket into the sauce I set aside for dinner once or twice, but it tasted so good, I neglected the rest of the sauce.

I'll throw up some pictures tomorrow when the pork butt is all finished. Setting the alarm clock for 1-2am so I can take this thing off of the smoker.

6hrs 15min into the cook - internal temp of 163F

Modified by Dreizehn at 8:26 PM 1-31-2009

[Dreizehn]

Oh man this tastes so ****ing good!

12 hours later:

[vdubjb]

I dont swine and dine, but the pork looks brilliant, ha ha.

[spkn^GRMN]

Quote, originally posted by Dreizehn »

holy moly!!!!
I'm in luv!!

[Dreizehn]

Pulled pork nachos for the Super Bowl.

[flygliii]

Quote, originally posted by Dreizehn »

Pulled pork nachos for the Super Bowl.

Oh my, that looks sooo goood...is it Kosher though?

[Matt@EuroJerks]

Good looking Bri

[Dreizehn]

Just wait 'til you come back up this summer.

Today's grub:

Made my brine for two 4lb whole chickens I currently have soaking. All ready for tomorrow's dinner. Smells so damn good. My brine consists of salt, sugar, rosemary, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, and water. Just threw it together myself - didn't really follow any recipes. Gonna be smoked using hickory and apple. I wish it was dinnertime already.

[flygliii]

Friggin' food porn, man...

[1.8Tquattro]

I was gonna do ribs today. Then decided last night I didn't feel like it and never picked any up. Now I want ribs.

[Dreizehn]

Ribs are on sale for $1.29/lb. I should stack-up but I already have a few racks in the fridge along with tons of other meats.

Chicken just went on and damn, it smells good.

I'm making smoked potato skins. The potatoes are currently on the smoker and I'll be taking them off in about an hour to scrape out some of the potato, add herbs, and use as a filling. I'll finish them off just before the chicken is done and top them with some cheese. 15-20 minutes is all it should take for them to crisp-up with the cheese on top.

[Dreizehn]

Best chicken I've ever made. Tasty as ****! Never cooking another bird without brining.

I also made the twice-baked potatoes on the smoker. Cooked them in foil, first. Then followed by mixing together some of my ingredients (I used chopped onions, garlic powder, salt, pepper, tarragon, paprika, and parsley). Dumped them back into the smoker once stuffed and let them cook for another 45 min at around from 300-325.

Cooked this using hickory chunks (2) and some apple chips (seen in picture). The hickory is buried underneath.

Modified by Dreizehn at 4:48 PM 2-8-2009

[vdubjb]

Nice. Salt is a cook's best friend. It even puts out fires.. i went the other way w/ my sweet potatoes. Brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, hababerño. Ribs are entering hour 2 of wrapping.

[vr6Cop]

Nice birds & potatoes.

I just grilled a flat iron with a simple rub and did a few baked taters (without foil) on the egg. Nothing too fancy to get back in the spring swing.

[!millertime]

you are a ****ing maniac.

[FBMphil]

I just read this thread while baked and I want to ****ing CRY

[Matt@EuroJerks]

Quote, originally posted by FBMphil »

I just read this thread while baked and I want to ****ing CRY

I can vouch for how good the food tastes. nom nom nom

Chicken looks great!! Heather would appreciate that you don't only cook beef and pork!!

[Dreizehn]

I'll hook her up next time.

Ribs are for us.

[rlsib16]

damn.

[.:Heather:.]

Quote, originally posted by Dreizehn »

I'll hook her up next time.

When's the next bbq at your house?

[veedub11]

I don't have the patience to BBQ that. I just want to eat!

[Dreizehn]

I eat while I BBQ.

[JayDiv]

That chicken looks amazing... droooooooooooooool

[TurboZen]

this thread rules. keep it coming!

[danny_16v]

damn D, this shiz be lookin' delicious... I wish I could smoke (I live in an apartment) I got a co-worker that does some siiiick pulled pork, I think I get to try some this weekend as he's having a Nascar party

[Dreizehn]

[NoH2o]

What kinda smoker are you using. I check this thread weekly, so inspirational.

[dub-ghord]

i hate you

[Dreizehn]

What's up, people?

Tomorrow's cook should be a good one.

I have a new brine that I will be trying with some awesome beer I got a hold of last night. I have a growler full of Vanilla Cream Ale that will be used to brine my 8lb chicken. I'll be incorporating this into the mixture with the following ingredients:

1.5 quarts of beer (I'm drinking the remainder)
1.5 quarts of water
3 garlic cloves
1 orange
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of salt
1 teaspoon of rosemary
1 teaspoon of black pepper

I just put together some flavors I thought would go well. The last brine I made up consisted of apple cider vinegar, water, salt, sugar, rosemary, and some minced garlic. That one was awesome, but I figured I'd use the beer this time since it's quite unique.

I'll post an update of how it looks and tastes after I'm done devouring it and UConn whoops USF's ass.

[Captain Spongeworthy]

Awsome stuff! You've got skills I bet you could make a killer shoulder too.....