Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I think lamb shanks would be ok. There's a lot of connective tissue in there. I braise them for 3 hours or so when I make them. Takes that long to break everything down. But I would agree that a leg of lamb would be better.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Never been a big fan of lamb-had a bit of a gamey taste when i've made it a couple of times.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Duanne, I think your totally hooked now. That brisket looked fantastic. I found a local butcher who sells 15+lb whole packers and the point and flat are very distinctive once you see it. Your cook is making me want to do one this weekend. Congrats! Steve

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thanks...

BTW, I decided to take my smoking to the next level and get on the Atkins kick for awhile. I just started it on Tuesday, but I figure I can fire up the WSM once every week and make enough meat for me to eat the entire week.

Downside is that I can't make use of the Plowboys yardbird rub and the 4 different bbq sauces I got from bbq addicts, but I'll survive for awhile. I can make do with some rubs that don't have sugar and eat the stuff without the sauce and it's still better than anything else I've ever made myself.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Bob,

I don't cook lamb shanks that often, I'll trust your judgment



About 2 hours in

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/5...s201104222.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

All done and lambielicious.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3...s201104223.jpg
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/8...s201104224.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Adam, that lamb looks delicious. I've never seen lamb ribs in any butcher shop; were they hard to find. I've got to try those soon.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thanks Steve. Yes, they took some asking around to find, they just aren't a real popular cut out here, so only one place had them, and they had to go get a case out of the freezer. They seem to go by at least three different names, possibly more, depending on where you are in the country, you can try asking for them as "lamb breasts" or "denver ribs" or "lamb spare ribs", it's the lower section of the ribs and it seemed that only two of the older butchers at that one location were familiar with the cut, the other people behind the meat counter who really weren't butchers they just kind of hand out stuff, had no idea what the heck I was asking for.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Dinner time (yesterday-didn't get around posting this until today ;s)

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e/IMG_0033.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e/IMG_0036.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

That looks great from here Peter. Way better than my first brisket ever did.

How was it?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Very tasty. Although a bit drier than I expected. After the first 2 hours, I misted it with an apple juice and olive oil mix about every 45 minutes. Took it off at 180 (5 1/2 hours total) and let it rest for 20 minutes. Everyone loved it. I just am way too critical when it comes to my cooking. Always looking to improve it. I was anticipating that moist and succulent texture. Minor problem. Will continue to experiment.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Well done Peter! I have a hankering for brisket now:dr

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Man, those meats look great guys. I had a very successful first of this year 2 bacon explosions smoked last weekend. I had the pleasure of introducing bacon explosion to a whole bunch of people who all went gaga over it.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

The last one I did I bought a whole one and cut it in half. Cooked one half to 155 degrees, let it rest for 45 min and it sliced great and was very moist. The other half I let go until it started falling apart to make pulled beef sandwiches, it was a lot drier but was fine after I chopped it up and mixed my sauce in it.
IMO 180 degrees may be a touch to much for me?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

That's a pretty respectable smoke ring for BEEF, Pietro....Your machine must work.
Looks plenty merst to me.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I may give that a try.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Got about a 12lb wild turkey that was killed a few weeks ago sitting in a brine of salt, sugar (per Brent), black pepper, rosemary and tyhme. I'll be smoking it tomorrow morning for a dinner tomorrow evening.

What do you guys think i should baste it with while smoking? Was thinking of throwing a few oranges or apples in the cavity while it smokes for some flavor, figured maybe baste with apple juice (no sugar added) but seeing pnoon saying something above about a apple juice/olive oil mix has me interested.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Bacon grease. Mmmmmm bacon.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Peter's idea of the apple juice and olive oil should work well. It is definitely a good idea to stuff the cavity. I usually do oranges and onions.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I've smoked several turkeys but never wild ones, just drink it....LOL...I know, I know that sucked!!!

My fav, is just injecting a little melted butter into the breast and coating the outside with a good dry rub. Smoke it at 200-220 degrees until it reaches 150, take it out cover it in foil and let it set for 30-45 mins. I use a gas smoker.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

My understanding with brisket is that a low and slow method up to temps in the 195-205 range for optimum tenderness. They'll be "done", but not dry. I think mine last weekend was at the 195-200 range when I pulled it off and was excellent. Pulling it off <180 I've heard will make it very tough.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

x2. I usually take mine up to about 200 and then foil it and let it sit in a cooler wrapped in a towel for a couple of hours to let carry over finish it up.

just my :2:2

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Stupid question-

If you had WSM, would you not use it in your garage or maybe a screened in patio under any circumstances? I was wanting to smoke some spare ribs and a couple of butts tonight, but it's raining now and a lot more is on the radar over the next couple of days.

If I did it in the garage, I would have a garage door open and leave a back door open to permit airflow through to keep it from lingering obviously. I also have a bit of a mancave in the garage where I smoke when it's cold. Aside from keeping it far away from any combustibles and the fact that it's not hitting high temps (well under 300 degrees), do you see it posing a huge risk?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Hey brent, check your pm's sir.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Gonna have to start calling you Brad Delp, Dauane...


Screened in patio could possibly be ok depending on the airflow. Garage, could be a bit dangerous...

The problem isn't the combustibles, it's the carbon monoxide output from the burning briquettes.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

:tpd:

Unless, of course, you are bucking for a Darwin Award. ;)

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Same here but when I tried it I liked the way it turned out? Taking it off at 155 and letting it rest for at least 30 min in foil will bring the internal temp up to at least 165+. For me it wasn't tough but not falling apart either, more like a nice steak. I think it also depends how much you trim it too. I'll take the big back flap of fat off but leave everything else.

Smoking a small shoulder tomorrow, just finished the first dry rub, let it set overnight then rub it down again just before it goes in the smoker tomorrow morning........man I love pork.........LOL. If I remember I'll take some pictures of the before and after.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Hence the ventilation of doors open (west to east) and I do have CO monitors. Plus I'd only do it just inside the edge of the garage door so a large portion of the smoke would likely escape outside without even going in the garage.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Not worth the risk IMO.
It will stop raining eventually!
What about under an EZ up Awning in the yard?

Look at what this dummy did.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011...ong-island-mom

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Yeah, probably not the best of ideas, but it wouldn't be done without monitoring CO levels and making sure the venting was successful. It may come to the awning of some sort cuz I don't want to hold off smoking every time it rains.

That said, the lady in the article was no rocket scientist, but I just don't get charging her with reckless endangerment. Just seems over the top I guess.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Easter morning broke beautifully in West Tennessee, and ribs hit the grill. I didn't feel like breaking out a bunch of meat,
but I do like to play with fire. This is the best "LOOKING" rack of ribs I have ever made, but I have not tasted them yet....
wait.....ehh....good, but not great. This rack was funky when it came out of the pack. I have been very upset with Kroger
lately, and these ribs were just another brick in the wall. Proper cooking can take care of a little funk, however the flavor
is only a little changed. Safe to eat, but not a championship effort. I hooked up the BBQ committee with a little reward
today for keeping the property safe.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Dayum Brad, those ribs look really good. :dr

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Great looking ribs Brad!!!! I like the look of the glaze you used!!

The weather here has been bad to say the least but I was still able to get that picnic roast smoked. Had to fight the temp all day but in the end it was pretty nice. The only thing left was the bone...LOL. Now I wish I would have put a few ribs on with it.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

That is the result of the first time I properly applied the Sweet Baby Ray's to the meat and left them for
their last session of hot coals. I usually use a pile of coals and a few chunks of smoke wood on top til
the temp fades a bit, usually about an hour and 15 mins, then I lay in some more coals and more smoke
for another similar time period, then the third time I lay in coals and no smoke wood and let it go til the
heat dies out. It is in that third session that I finally remembered to add the SBR to the meat and let that
heat do it's job. I really liked the look, and as usual, the black parts are actually only black in the pictures,
it's more like a deep purple. They were better semi-cool than they were hot. I harshly judged them at first.

I used to be a firm DRY ONLY kind of cat, but I am beginning to turn a bit from that.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I do a dry rub like you to start then finish with my sauce. My kids like them just falling apart so I'll smoke them for about an hour then wrap a slab in foil and finish them like that with the sauce. Almost like steaming them in their own juice. Not what I like but the kids love them this way.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I failed on my turkey smoke.. i didn't get pics.

Overall though, the bird was wonderful! I was really worried as the breast wasnt getting up to temp so therefore the legs were getting a bit overdone and i was worried the bird was geting dried out (the skin looked that way). Overall though, it was very tender and juicy, the leg meat did get a tad overdone, they were a real dark meat with alot of tendon type fibers in them (wild turkey vs farm raised maybe?)

Everyone was loving the flavor though of the breast meat.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Turkey parts that are not the breast and thigh can be nearly inedible, just by their very nature.
TONS of connective tissue and tough sections (tendon type sections as you said.). It can be
tenderized by the proper heat application, but that's not saying you didn't do it right. Smoking
meat, unless you do it for a long time, can add to the trouble. If you want to smoke turkey,
buy the breast only, they sell em like that. You'll love it. Or buy it whole, smoke the breast and
thighs, and put the legs and wings in the stewpot with some veggies.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

:tpd:

No matter how you prepare a turkey, whether you smoke it, deep fry it, bake it, or use radiant heat, the wings are worthless. The legs can be troublesome as well. For your best bet and getting the entire thing to be edible, it's breast only.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thanks guys.

Yeah the wings were cut off when we cleaned the bird. The left one sort of took some serious damage in the form of a 12ga at about 20yds. I stripped hte meat off of one of the legs, and while hte meat was great tasting, it was definitely tougher, almost like a jerky. I didnt fool with teh other leg because it was just to much work for that small amount of meat.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

We love the legs but always cook them seperate from the rest of the bird. We pull the legs out when they reach 150 degrees, wrap them in foil and set aside until the breast is done.
During football season we'll cook 150 turkey legs for each home football game along with two 120 qt coolers full of pork burgers, brats, hot dogs and chicken breasts. We do that on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays!!!!! Almost all of the food is donated so all the money we raise goes into the football fund.
Those are some long days on the grill!!!!!!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Holy schnikes!!!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

So, my iQue 110 arrived today. Gonna assemble it and then it appears that I have a window tonight and tomorrow where it's not supposed to rain believe it or not.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I have only done spatchcock for a Turkey on the smoker. It turned out great imo. At 300 F, the 11lb bird was done in 3 hours. Probably could have pulled it before that even. I'll post some pics tonight.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Duane, sorry if I missed it, or if I'm plain just ignorant, but what is an "iQue 110"?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Read several good reviews of it on BBQ Bretheren. It'll make me less inclined to feel the need to babysit my WSM, especially on an overnight cook.

http://pitmasteriq.com/iQue-110.html

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thanks. I've never heard of that one before, but have heard of the stokers. Let us know how it works. Been thinking of investing in one, but they have always seemed high for me for how I cook. I've done 3 or 4 overnighters and not needed one, but maybe good insurance.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Doing a pork butt and a brisket on Saturday. I'll post pics when I get them.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

So, do I hook that hose up to the car exhaust or what?;)

Looks interesting Duane and fill us in on the results please...

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

As of about 9:45pm tonight, 2 pork butts and 2 pork spare ribs are on the smoker. :tu