Smoking Meat Questions and Discussion

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

Gonzo

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2009
23,176
25,250
113
Behind you
This my non smoking recipe for country ribs (it take a while but is pretty easy):

Use coarse salt and pepper to season the meat. Cut and dice a few stalks of celery, carrots, shallots, and garlic. In a Dutch oven, heat a some olive oil. When oil is heated, hard sear each side of the rib for about 2-3 minutes or until desired color like a dark brown.

When the sides are done on the meat, pull off the heat in order to cook vegetables. Do not clean the bottom! Throw all the veggies minus the garlic in Dutch oven for about 2-4 minutes. Add garlic for a minute or until fragrant. Add 1-2 T. of tomato paste, cook for about 2 minutes or until paste softens and spread across veggies.

Next add 2 cups of a dry red wine and 2 cups beef or just enough liquid to submerge the ribs. Place covered Dutch oven in 325 degree oven and braise for about 2 hours. Test tenderness with fork, and if it’s still not fork tender, keep cooking.
This isn't far off from how I make short ribs, do it every year on Oscar's night when we have some fam over. One difference is that once I'm done braising I'll set the short ribs aside and reduce some of the braising liquid down to a sauce and serve it with mashed potatoes. Always a winner.
 

Cycloneracer

Member
Mar 17, 2014
31
75
18
SW Iowa
My wife bought me an Oklahoma Joe's offset smoker this summer. Smoked a whole brisket (18#) this weekend, followed a recipe that smoked to 203 rested for 30 minutes and the cut the point off and cubed with bbq sauce and smoked for 2 hours. The point did not cut in cubes so I ended up with shredded beef (it was very popular). Looked at burnt end recipes this morning one cut the point off before starting and cubed at 190 and the other did whole brisket to 190 before removing point and making burnt ends. What do others find work best for burnt ends?
I always remove the point before smoking. Cut away all that hard fat between the flat and the point.

I like Blues Hog competition blend or original to make burnt ends. Stuff is thick and sticks well. I leave mine on the smoker in the sauce a little longer than most. I use a big pan and keep them spread out.
 

cycloner29

Well-Known Member
Dec 17, 2008
11,415
10,434
113
Ames
You better clean up after that or I will step in it!!! (I help a friend run his carwash when he is out of town) Stock cars and hunters are the worst followed by grease and then yard waste. Clean up when your done! Yes I wash all my vehicles for free. :)
I put them right over the drain so it doesn’t make a mess. Chill out!
 
  • Friendly
  • Funny
Reactions: cstrunk and mkadl

clone4life82

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 17, 2008
3,266
2,928
113
Ankeny
I always remove the point before smoking. Cut away all that hard fat between the flat and the point.

I like Blues Hog competition blend or original to make burnt ends. Stuff is thick and sticks well. I leave mine on the smoker in the sauce a little longer than most. I use a big pan and keep them spread out.

Do you cube the point and then smoke the cubes or how do you do that then? Also, any good video recommendations on how to remove the point?
 

Cycloneracer

Member
Mar 17, 2014
31
75
18
SW Iowa
Do you cube the point and then smoke the cubes or how do you do that then? Also, any good video recommendations on how to remove the point?
I smoke the point whole. It really speeds up cooking brisket by separating it. So I always separate them.

I don’t have any video recommendations but there are several out there. It can be hard to follow the fat depending on the brisket. Some are simple, some take a little time. Don’t panic if you go a little far and cut off some meat.

I recently bought an injector. Have only used it once but it is a game changer. Sped up the brisket and turned out amazing. Actually was cooking in a friendly competition and our burnt ends won the beef category.
 
  • Like
Reactions: clone4life82

cyclonewino

Active Member
Apr 11, 2006
334
133
43
I smoke the point whole. It really speeds up cooking brisket by separating it. So I always separate them.

I don’t have any video recommendations but there are several out there. It can be hard to follow the fat depending on the brisket. Some are simple, some take a little time. Don’t panic if you go a little far and cut off some meat.

I recently bought an injector. Have only used it once but it is a game changer. Sped up the brisket and turned out amazing. Actually was cooking in a friendly competition and our burnt ends won the beef category.
How much does it speed up?
 

tm3308

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2010
8,135
1,530
113
My cousin used his drum smoker. Usually 5 hours. It was done in 3.5-4 hours. So it got a good long rest in the cooler!!! There is something about that drum that cooks it fast. My pellet grill or stick burner takes much longer.
The heat in a drum is more direct, even with a baffle of some kind.
 

cycloner29

Well-Known Member
Dec 17, 2008
11,415
10,434
113
Ames
My cousin used his drum smoker. Usually 5 hours. It was done in 3.5-4 hours. So it got a good long rest in the cooler!!! There is something about that drum that cooks it fast. My pellet grill or stick burner takes much longer.

Was watching BBQ USA on the Food Network where they were doing whole hogs last night. Lots of $$ wrapped in their cookers. Especially the team that had this huge drum cooker. I was amazed at all the presentations and the work that goes into preparing a whole hog for presentation.
 

RealisticCy

Well-Known Member
Nov 2, 2014
1,593
2,510
113
Ames, IA
My wife bought me an Oklahoma Joe's offset smoker this summer. Smoked a whole brisket (18#) this weekend, followed a recipe that smoked to 203 rested for 30 minutes and the cut the point off and cubed with bbq sauce and smoked for 2 hours. The point did not cut in cubes so I ended up with shredded beef (it was very popular). Looked at burnt end recipes this morning one cut the point off before starting and cubed at 190 and the other did whole brisket to 190 before removing point and making burnt ends. What do others find work best for burnt ends?
The best burnt ends I've done, I separated the point and flat and smoked them both whole. Took the point off when it hit 185 and chunked it up, put it in a pan all spread out, seasoned/mopped it and put it back on. left the flat on until ~205 (until the thermometer went in like a dart into warm butter) then rested 2 hours, but left the burnt ends on until it was time to slice brisket; they got up to temp in that time so they were tender and had 2 more hours of smoke.
 

tm3308

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2010
8,135
1,530
113
Does anyone use post oak in their smokers? I'm gonna be smoking a prime rib in a couple weeks, and I'd like to use post oak for it (I've used hickory in the past), but I'm wondering if anyone has any brand recommendations. I'm using a Weber Smokey Mountain, so I'm ideally looking for chunks, not logs for a stick burner.
 

MLawrence

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2010
11,775
4,471
113
34
Was watching BBQ USA on the Food Network where they were doing whole hogs last night. Lots of $$ wrapped in their cookers. Especially the team that had this huge drum cooker. I was amazed at all the presentations and the work that goes into preparing a whole hog for presentation.

It’s crazy that team was able to cook a whole hog in 9 hours.
 

Jer

Opinionated
Feb 28, 2006
22,290
19,810
10,030
Ever smoked a chuck roast? It's a nice cost-effective option to brisket. Not saying it's as good, but it's still very good and much less pricey.

It is also a great meat to try new seasonings and things out on. I still cook it at 225 but don’t use it for “poor guy burnt ends” like some do as it just doesn’t compare well enough for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cstrunk

JP4CY

I'm Mike Jones
Staff member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 19, 2008
63,939
76,994
113
Testifying
Does anyone use post oak in their smokers? I'm gonna be smoking a prime rib in a couple weeks, and I'd like to use post oak for it (I've used hickory in the past), but I'm wondering if anyone has any brand recommendations. I'm using a Weber Smokey Mountain, so I'm ideally looking for chunks, not logs for a stick burner.
I use post oak frequently but I buy it when in KC.