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.

Blackhawk6515

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jul 21, 2008
526
490
63
63
Looking for a good set of knives. What do you all recommend? Use them for mostly trimming fat from briskets and other meats. Thanks,
 

CYdTracked

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2006
16,948
7,649
113
Grimes, IA
Did some St Louis cut ribs on the Camp Chef Woodwind today. Turned out really well. Just under 5 hours total. Finished with a honey bbq glaze. Juicy and not quite fall off the bone which is how I like them.
I don't like them fall off the bone either. IMO if they fall right off the bone then they are overdone. I don't want to have to pull or chew hard on them but I do want my ribs to have just a tad bit of pull off the bone when I bite into them.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: trevn

tm3308

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2010
8,135
1,530
113
Looking for a good set of knives. What do you all recommend? Use them for mostly trimming fat from briskets and other meats. Thanks,
I bought a couple sets of Dalstrong knives with my stimulus money last year. I've got an 18-piece Gladiator series block for my kitchen, and a 5-piece Shogun X series block in my garage setup (plus a Shogun brisket knife and a Gladiator cleaver). Both are great, but if you do your prep work in the kitchen, I'd recommend the Gladiator block. You just get more bang for your buck. It includes chef knife, santoku knife, carving knife, bread knife, vegetable cleaver, boning knife, paring and utility knives and 6 steak knives; it's got a few others that I don't use a lot. And it's less expensive than the Shogun block. It just didn't make sense for me to use the Gladiator block in the garage because it takes up too much space and too many of the knives are needed in the apartment.

Edit: as far as maintenance goes, the Gladiator blades hold their edges well enough, but they're German steel (softer steel), compared to the Shogun knives, which are Japanese steel (very hard steel, so holds its edge exceptionally well, but more prone to chips and tougher to sharpen those out). Just use the honing steel to help the Gladiators keep their edges straight, then sharpen them with whetstones maybe a couple times a year.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Blackhawk6515

JustAnotherTimeline

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2021
2,077
211
63
41
Need some help. I see my local hy vee is selling frozen tyson chicken wings for 1.99/lb today. I have always smoked using wings from the cooler from fareway.

Will I be disappointed if I buy these and let them thaw and then smoke em? THX!
 

Gonzo

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2009
23,176
25,251
113
Behind you
Need some help. I see my local hy vee is selling frozen tyson chicken wings for 1.99/lb today. I have always smoked using wings from the cooler from fareway.

Will I be disappointed if I buy these and let them thaw and then smoke em? THX!
I've smoked wings using frozen wings a few times, once they turned out ok, once they turned out not so great. The skin was kind of weird, thick and a little rubbery. With Tyson I think you'd be ok. I always get them freshly trimmed and wrapped from my HV meat department.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: JustAnotherTimeline

JM4CY

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 23, 2012
33,359
64,231
113
America
Need some help. I see my local hy vee is selling frozen tyson chicken wings for 1.99/lb today. I have always smoked using wings from the cooler from fareway.

Will I be disappointed if I buy these and let them thaw and then smoke em? THX!
I don't think you will be. How are you smoking them? I bring them up to about 150 then finish on the grill to firm up the skin.

Also, damn glad you posted this. I need to get some to make for the game saturday.
 

ScottyP

Special Teams Coordinator
Jan 24, 2007
3,920
5,438
113
Urbandale, IA
Need some help. I see my local hy vee is selling frozen tyson chicken wings for 1.99/lb today. I have always smoked using wings from the cooler from fareway.

Will I be disappointed if I buy these and let them thaw and then smoke em? THX!
I just grilled some chicken drumsticks last night (cheaper than wings). I've never had much luck getting smoke flavor with chicken and I don't want rubbery skin so I cranked up the temp about 30 minutes into cooking.
 
Last edited:

JustAnotherTimeline

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2021
2,077
211
63
41
I don't think you will be. How are you smoking them? I bring them up to about 150 then finish on the grill to firm up the skin.

Also, damn glad you posted this. I need to get some to make for the game saturday.

I will use my pit barrel. Either dry rub, or maybe soaking in Franks overnight. I tend to "overcook" wings to around 180 or so....I personally like the texture better.

Yup, gameday! And wings have been really expensive lately. This is a good sale.
 

JustAnotherTimeline

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2021
2,077
211
63
41
I just grilled some chicken drumsticks last night (cheaper than wings). I've never had much luck getting smoke flavor with chicken and I don't want rubbery skin so I cranked up the temp about 30 minutes into cooking.

Yeah, the pit barrel runs hotter then a traditional smoker. I can get smoke flavor with it. Takes about an hour to cook wings.
 

AgronAlum

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2014
5,392
7,028
113
Need some help. I see my local hy vee is selling frozen tyson chicken wings for 1.99/lb today. I have always smoked using wings from the cooler from fareway.

Will I be disappointed if I buy these and let them thaw and then smoke em? THX!

Ive used the Tysons plenty of times because the Fareway by me only puts wings in their case during stuff like super bowl weekend. They work great.

I’m a little nervous because I ended up with the Target brand frozen wings for Saturday.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JustAnotherTimeline

AgronAlum

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2014
5,392
7,028
113
Doing some Armadillo Eggs for a work thing tomorrow sans bacon. I think the bacon will get too soggy (and it’s expensive). Planning on following the Meat Church recipe.


I’m not sure how to heat them back up after smoking tonight. My options are probably either a crock pot or a roaster. Maybe hold off on the bbq sauce until reheating them?
 

Sousaclone

Well-Known Member
Apr 29, 2006
1,795
1,110
113
North of Seattle
Looking for a good set of knives. What do you all recommend? Use them for mostly trimming fat from briskets and other meats. Thanks,

What other knives do you have? What's your budget? Huge range of knives.

I've got a global boning knife that I really like since it's narrow and flexible. My go to is an 8" Henckls chefs knife.

I've got a couple others (paring knife, bread knife, serrated utility, santoku) but I probably do 95% of my work with my chef's knife.
 

JM4CY

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 23, 2012
33,359
64,231
113
America
Ive used the Tysons plenty of times because the Fareway by me only puts wings in their case during stuff like super bowl weekend. They work great.

I’m a little nervous because I ended up with the Target brand frozen wings for Saturday.
Could be worse. I got in a major bind last season and had to use frozen aldi wings. Those things were hot garbage.
 

AgronAlum

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2014
5,392
7,028
113
Could be worse. I got in a major bind last season and had to use frozen aldi wings. Those things were hot garbage.

We bought one pork loin from Aldi, one time. That was the end of the Aldi meat for us. Wasn’t even edible.
 

JustAnotherTimeline

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2021
2,077
211
63
41
Honestly, the price isn't even great on meat from Aldi. I can find it cheaper at Fareway (and sometimes HyVee).

I do all of our family grocery shopping and cooking. I hate Aldi. I went there once. My kids hated every discount product I bought. You have to carry a quarter to get a cart. And they don't provide bags.

Anyone else get Aldi shamed by their friends/family? You know, those who take pride in one upping you in the frugal department.

Bonus lifehack: Hy Vee will price match aldi produce prices.
 

tm3308

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2010
8,135
1,530
113
I just grilled some chicken drumsticks last night (cheaper than wings). I've never had much luck getting smoke flavor with chicken and I don't want rubbery skin so I cranked up the temp about 30 minutes into cooking.
I need to get a vortex so I can get that smoke flavor but still be able to cook 50+ wings in like 30 minutes or so.
I will use my pit barrel. Either dry rub, or maybe soaking in Franks overnight. I tend to "overcook" wings to around 180 or so....I personally like the texture better.

Yup, gameday! And wings have been really expensive lately. This is a good sale.
You're on the right track. 165 is the minimum *safe* temp, but wings do turn out better if you cook them to 175-185 because of all the extra fat and connective tissues.
 

tm3308

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2010
8,135
1,530
113
Today was my day off, so I finally got around to smoking some spare ribs that I've had in my garage fridge for a little over a week. Decided I'd experiment with these racks. I don't typically wrap my ribs, just spritz them throughout the cook as necessary. But tonight I decided I'd wrap one in butcher paper and one in foil to see how much of a difference it made.

Unfortunately, the results were inconclusive. I got a little lazy and didn't keep as close of an eye on them as I should have, and they got overcooked. The butcher paper rack still had okay, but not ideal bite-through, and the foil rack was just short of fall off the bone. The flavor was pretty good, though. I used Meat Church honey hog and Heath Riles sweet bbq rubs, smoked at 250 with hickory and apple chunks, wrapped once the bark was set around 165 internal (with some brown sugar, butter and honey in the wraps), then glazed with a mixture of Meat Mitch Whomp Sauce, honey and rib candy, and put them back on for 10 minutes or so to tack up the glaze.

All told, this combination turned out maybe a touch too sweet for my taste; I might use a little less honey/rib candy next time or switch from sweet bbq rub to a rub with more heat to balance it out a bit. I'll still happily eat every bite of it over the next few days, though.

IMG_4196.jpg IMG_4197.jpg IMG_4198.jpg
 

Gonzo

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2009
23,176
25,251
113
Behind you
The safe word with BF and I is ….. Punt.

Anyone ever grilled a chuck roast? Looking for something that'll feed a group of 15+, don't have the time to devote to a full smoke, was thinking of throwing a few or three onto the grill, sear on both sides, and move to indirect heat to cook through. If anyone has done this would appreciate advice, TIA.