What's in your smoker?

[OLS]

Originally Posted by cricky101

I picked up two, whole, boneless pork loins on a good sale this week. I cut the ends into large roasts and the centers into thick chops.

I've got one of the roasts in a brine now and plan to smoke it up a little later today. The plan is to go with a light coating of rub and smoke with some apple wood until it hits about 140 degrees so hopefully it'll stay moist. It's pretty lean, so I'm worried about it getting dry.

I've got a buddy who smokes loins all the time, and they're awesome and juicy, so I know it CAN be done. Just don't know if I can do it.

I never brine anything, I guess because I never smoke any of the meat that
could use it. But I do agree that SOMEONE SOMEWHERE knows how to keep
that cut from drying out, I just never met em. I love the cut, but NO MATTER
how cheap they go on sale, I never buy it because of the dry factor. But
I would love to think it could be done. Too little fat for me to ever really
enjoy it as well. I like nice, fatty cuts on the smoker. But you know what,
I think I am gonna try one later this month. This weekend however, its back
to the grind....I have my last rack of beef ribs out of the freezer and ready
for tonight. I am not going to be buying any more of these. HOT OFF THE
SMOKER they are great. After that, ehh, not worth the money. Too much
bone and fat for too little pop. But I never paid too much, I could never pay
full price for em. Always reduced. I also have some stew meat thawing that
was way marked down, gonna brown that in oil, then make a little roux,
throw in some minced onions and empty a large jar of spaghetti sauce in there and
simmer for a few hours. That crap is GOOOOOoood....kind of like grillades
without the work. I have something else thawing, guess I have to get home
before I will remember what.

[Smokin Gator]

We all enjoy when others enjoy our cooking, but today was one of those ones that just kind of hit me...

My son and two of his friends were passing through town for a day in Tampa. They stopped by and I filled up a cooler with one cooked rack of BBs, one cooked rack of spares, a five pound or so bag of pulled pork, two packages of smoked pork chops, plus five pounds of frozen white shrimp, and 7.5 pounds of hamburger meat. His two friends were bragging about the get togethers that my son has featuring my BBQ and how people rave about it. You could see how proud my son was. Dang college kids have it made these days.

Made my day too!!

[OLS]

me likey some swimps....growing up near the bayou was always a good thing.
I was telling my mother juse the other day about how much fun I remember
having when my daddy would trawl a little bit in the summertime. Shrimp, softshell crabs,
crabs, flounder, you never knew. I miss it.

[Scottw]

Baby backs are ready for the smoker....gonna be a good day

[Scottw]

Originally Posted by Smokin Gator

We all enjoy when others enjoy our cooking, but today was one of those ones that just kind of hit me...

My son and two of his friends were passing through town for a day in Tampa. They stopped by and I filled up a cooler with one cooked rack of BBs, one cooked rack of spares, a five pound or so bag of pulled pork, two packages of smoked pork chops, plus five pounds of frozen white shrimp, and 7.5 pounds of hamburger meat. His two friends were bragging about the get togethers that my son has featuring my BBQ and how people rave about it. You could see how proud my son was. Dang college kids have it made these days.

Made my day too!!

Reading this made my day.....I hope when my little one gets older he is as proud of me as I am of him..awesome buddy

[Scottw]

Half way there...looking good

[Chainsaw13]

Originally Posted by Scottw

Half way there...looking good

[Scottw]

And they are done

[MarkinAZ]

Originally Posted by Scottw

Half way there...looking good

Originally Posted by Scottw

And they are done

...very nice Scott

[pnoon]

No pics.
But I did a pulled pork pizza. Homemade crust, pork, snkbyt BBQ sauce, mozzarella, and grated Parmesan Reggiano.

[Scottw]

Originally Posted by MarkinCA

...very nice Scott

Thanks Mark

[cricky101]

Originally Posted by Scottw

And they are done

MMmm. Look great!
I was moving some stuff in a closet today and saw my rib rack and thought, "damn, I want some ribs!"

[Steve]

Originally Posted by pnoon

No pics.
But I did a pulled pork pizza. Homemade crust, pork, snkbyt BBQ sauce, mozzarella, and grated Parmesan Reggiano.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by steve

It was.

[MarkinAZ]

Looking for recommendations on a good digital temperature single or dual meat probe...

Originally Posted by pnoon

No pics.
But I did a pulled pork pizza. Homemade crust, pork, snkbyt BBQ sauce, mozzarella, and grated Parmesan Reggiano.

...betcha that didn't last too long on the table (if it even made it to the table)

[jjirons69]

Originally Posted by MarkinCA

Looking for recommendations on a good digital temperature single or dual meat probe...

Maverick ET732, Mark. High temps, dual probes, wireless, great company reliability. Amazon has them for $58.

Amazon link

If you have an IKEA around, this little baby has gotten great reviews and it's $6.99. Buy at least two and use one for meat, one for grill temp. Hell, buy a handfull for $7 each.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80100406/

Also, a little reading:

http://www.smokingpit.com/Info/Maver...732-Review.htm

[jjirons69]

I thought this would fit here as well as anywhere, no reason to start a new thread, as we did do some massive grilling. Many pictures to follow. This is for you, Brad!

My dad and I have been cooking in a BBQ contests for nearly 25 years. We've placed all over and won back-to-back in Kingstree a few years ago. This weekend we entered the contest with 3 entries. There were a total of 61 teams - all whole hog. $2000 to first place. We managed a 4th place, 10th place, and tie for 23rd place. With the 4th place entry we got $500 and had to give them our pork to sell (all teams in the top 5 do). We were able to sell our other 2 hogs at $10 a pound. We sold about half our remaining and went home with our $1100. It paid for the weekend, plus a little. Lots of good friends, cigars, and cooking. Plus I have about 8 pounds of BBQ in the freezer (just don't want it right now - I've smelled enough to last me a while).

We put the hogs on at 630 pm Friday and served them to the judges at 945 am Sat morning. Cooked two on gas and one on hickory and oak coals. Seven gallons of homemade sauce - all three had the same base - one had honey added, one had extra cayenne pepper, and the last had lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Up all night with a snooze session for each of us. We were beat by the time we made it home around 3 pm Sat. Got half way through the Fl St/Miami game and went down for the count. Open for questions!

Two gas cookers:


Coal cooker:


We were near the beginning - looking back down the field. Half gas, half wood:


02 LCG #1 before we started rolling:


Our front table with a few Kingstree trophies:

[jjirons69]

Packing plant truck delivering 61 hogs:


Hog #1 - 158 lbs:


Hog #2 - 149 lbs:


Hog #3 - 170 lbs:


Night shot looking back at the crowd. Lots of smoke and smells:

[Scottw]

Looks like an amazing time Jamie!

[jjirons69]

Night at our sight:


After the 6 am flip, debone, shred, and 1st sauce - weary crowd:


Me with a morning PLPC and a cup of Joe:


Saucing the eventual 4th place hog - this one had the honey additive:


Getting ready to sample for judging: