Smoking Meat Questions and Discussion

[Tailg8er]

can you link the model? I’ve been looking for something a little more time economical since my master built took a crap on me and I don’t have all day with three kids and activities almost every weekend.

I got the "pro series" one from Lowes about a month ago & love it. I also looked at whatever version Bomgaars has and didn't think it was quite as nice.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Pit-Boss-Pro-Series-820-sq-in-Black-and-Chestnut-Pellet-Grill/1000601261

Did some ribs last week & a butt for the weekend (with some Mac n cheese) I was very happy with my first time results!

 

[enisthemenace]

I got the "pro series" one from Lowes about a month ago & love it. I also looked at whatever version Bomgaars has and didn't think it was quite as nice.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Pit-Boss-Pro-Series-820-sq-in-Black-and-Chestnut-Pellet-Grill/1000601261

Did some ribs last week & a butt for the weekend (with some Mac n cheese) I was very happy with my first time results!

To my amateur eyes, those ribs look leeeegit! Butt looks great as well. Well done!

 

[cycloner29]

Anyone else hit Rendezvous bbq during the liberty bowl ? That was some good brisket.

I’ve been there a few times, but my favorite place is the Commisary.

 

[cycloner29]

I have a Green Mountain Daniel Boone pellet smoker. You think the moisture pan is needed? All the recipes I've ever followed haven't mentioned it, so curious how much difference it makes.

I will on brisket and pork shoulder. I spritz my ribs with apple juice every 30 minutes. A lot of it is personal preference. I think on long 6+ hour cooks, it does help prevent meat from drying out.

 

[mkadl]

they add apricot nectar to the barbecue sauce for he baste.

I like melted frozen apple juice concentrate for spritz and inject. Doesnt take as much and lasts for a long time in the freezer.

 

[Brandon]

I got the "pro series" one from Lowes about a month ago & love it. I also looked at whatever version Bomgaars has and didn't think it was quite as nice.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Pit-Boss-Pro-Series-820-sq-in-Black-and-Chestnut-Pellet-Grill/1000601261

Did some ribs last week & a butt for the weekend (with some Mac n cheese) I was very happy with my first time results!

Looks good my only suggestion on the mac and cheese is add a bottle of liquid cheddar cheese sauce

 

[Tailg8er]

Looks good my only suggestion on the mac and cheese is add a bottle of liquid cheddar cheese sauce

The recipe I used is a box of noodles, 2 cans of cheddar cheese soup, 2 bags of shredded cheese, and a small half & half. I liked the consistency, that pic wasn't fresh off the smoker though. I'll probably add a breadcrumb crumble on top next time.

 

[Dopey]

I didn’t like how the beef broth made my chuck roast taste. Like a Smokey crock pot meal.

I see lots of apple juice suggestions. Any other suggestions for spritzing, etc?

 

[SECyclone]

I didn’t like how the beef broth made my chuck roast taste. Like a Smokey crock pot meal.

I see lots of apple juice suggestions. Any other suggestions for spritzing, etc?

Apple juice is a big one. Some people will use pop and swear by it.

 

[JP4CY]

I didn’t like how the beef broth made my chuck roast taste. Like a Smokey crock pot meal.

I see lots of apple juice suggestions. Any other suggestions for spritzing, etc?

Apple cider vinegar

 

[cycloner29]

I did St. Louis style ribs yesterday. Just a tad over 6 hours. Started with a pepper, salt, paprika, along with onion and garlic powder. I cut the salt back since ribs are not as thick as brisket, which I will usually use a 50/50 salt/pepper. The apple juice spritz every 30 minutes was the kicker. Ribs had a sweet taste without adding any sauce to them! Sorry no pics this time.

 

[CYdTracked]

Anyone here make their own BBQ sauce and have some good recipes to share? That is 1 thing I would like to start doing more of is making my own sauce that compliments my meat better than a store bought sauce. I have a few bottled brands I like but I think sauces you make yourself usually taste better.

My church is doing a smoke off contest in a couple weeks so I am trying to come up with a game plan of what I want to do. Pork butt and ribs are what I do best so will probably stick with what I do the most. Tempted to do some smoked turkey breast for the first time as something that probably no one else would think of. Friend of mine says inject it with a bunch of butter and it should turn out nice.

 

[Gonzo]

Anyone here make their own BBQ sauce and have some good recipes to share? That is 1 thing I would like to start doing more of is making my own sauce that compliments my meat better than a store bought sauce. I have a few bottled brands I like but I think sauces you make yourself usually taste better.

My church is doing a smoke off contest in a couple weeks so I am trying to come up with a game plan of what I want to do. Pork butt and ribs are what I do best so will probably stick with what I do the most. Tempted to do some smoked turkey breast for the first time as something that probably no one else would think of. Friend of mine says inject it with a bunch of butter and it should turn out nice.

Maybe consider doing chicken thighs along with either pork back ribs or pork shoulder. Smoked chicken thighs can be pretty amazing. Just be sure to brine. They only go 3ish hours, so you can focus on your pork early and then worry about the thighs while those are smoking.

With BBQ sauce, I've never made my own. But I have put some into a bowl and smoked that along with my ribs before. Sweet Baby Ray's Classic with a 7-hour smoke to it. Turned out nice.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Anyone here make their own BBQ sauce and have some good recipes to share? That is 1 thing I would like to start doing more of is making my own sauce that compliments my meat better than a store bought sauce. I have a few bottled brands I like but I think sauces you make yourself usually taste better.

My church is doing a smoke off contest in a couple weeks so I am trying to come up with a game plan of what I want to do. Pork butt and ribs are what I do best so will probably stick with what I do the most. Tempted to do some smoked turkey breast for the first time as something that probably no one else would think of. Friend of mine says inject it with a bunch of butter and it should turn out nice.

This is the basic sauce recipe I use except I do 1 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup vinegar as it was too vinegary for me. But it gives you a starting point.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys-bbq-sauce-recipe-1937392

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I might as well post Weber "KFC" thighs

 

[cycloner29]

I've seen where you take the liquid off of foiled brisket, or pork belly.I will take the liquid, put it in small container and stick it in the freezer for 5 minutes or so. Very easy to get the fat out and it has solidified at the top. I usually save this for making gravy.

I did see where people will take a commercial bottle of sauce and then add it to the liquid and let it reduce on the stove. I will have to try this as I do have a couple of cups of liquid off the chuck roast I did last week.

 

[RealisticCy]

Checking temp on ribs can be tricky. I go by how much pullback is happening and how it's bending. Here's a good resource for checking doneness of ribs. I only ever smoke pork back ribs, so I'm not sure about spare ribs.

I always use a pan filled with apple juice when smoking pork. I'll use water or beef broth when smoking beef.

Agree on the bend test, should crack easily. I use www.amazingribs.com quite a bit...good recipes and tips for smoking.

Their Meathead's Memphis Dust on ribs is incredible, and you can spice it up with some cayenne if needed. That recipe has no salt in it, so I use Kosher salt ahead of time. Most of the store bought rubs have an ass-load of salt.

I cant figure out how to post pics, but I believe my brisket (1st timer) was a bit overdone. It was decent, but it could have been so much better. I don’t think i will wrap next time. I had it (8 pounder) consistently between 225-250 from 6:15 AM until 4:00 PM. Pulled once to wrap, and a 3rd time to baste the last 35 minutes or so. Sat wrapped in a cooler for about 2 hours before we ate. Like i said...it was decent and those who ate said they thought it was great, but I think they were just trying to be nice. In my opinion, it was overdone, and the bark was a little soggy, which is why I’m not foil wrapping next time.

It's very hard to over cook brisket at those temps unless it gets super dried out; if it was tough, it was likely underdone. Just short of 10 hours is pretty quick for an 8 pound brisket, in my experience. I like 8-10 pound flats, and they generally take 12-13 hours to get internal temp to 205 degrees. But I don't wrap it either (to keep the bark from getting soggy) so that might explain some of the delay.

The first brisket I did I got impatient and pulled it off at 185....it was good but a little bit tougher than I thought it would be. Let the next one go to 205 and it was perfect. Won't ever get impatient again.

I didn’t like how the beef broth made my chuck roast taste. Like a Smokey crock pot meal.

I see lots of apple juice suggestions. Any other suggestions for spritzing, etc?

For brisket I put 2 cups of RC Cola, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce in a spray bottle.....use it on the hour for the first 7 hours.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I've seen where you take the liquid off of foiled brisket, or pork belly.I will take the liquid, put it in small container and stick it in the freezer for 5 minutes or so. Very easy to get the fat out and it has solidified at the top. I usually save this for making gravy.

I did see where people will take a commercial bottle of sauce and then add it to the liquid and let it reduce on the stove. I will have to try this as I do have a couple of cups of liquid off the chuck roast I did last week.

I've made the sauce in the recipe I posted above using the aus jus from smoked flat iron steaks. It adds a nice smoky flavor.

 

[enisthemenace]

Agree on the bend test, should crack easily. I use www.amazingribs.com quite a bit...good recipes and tips for smoking.

Their Meathead's Memphis Dust on ribs is incredible, and you can spice it up with some cayenne if needed. That recipe has no salt in it, so I use Kosher salt ahead of time. Most of the store bought rubs have an ass-load of salt.



It's very hard to over cook brisket at those temps unless it gets super dried out; if it was tough, it was likely underdone. Just short of 10 hours is pretty quick for an 8 pound brisket, in my experience. I like 8-10 pound flats, and they generally take 12-13 hours to get internal temp to 205 degrees. But I don't wrap it either (to keep the bark from getting soggy) so that might explain some of the delay.

The first brisket I did I got impatient and pulled it off at 185....it was good but a little bit tougher than I thought it would be. Let the next one go to 205 and it was perfect. Won't ever get impatient again.



For brisket I put 2 cups of RC Cola, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce in a spray bottle.....use it on the hour for the first 7 hours.

Thanks. I would appreciate any advice for future brisket smokes. When I tired to cut mine, it fell apart. I was hoping for nice, thin slices, but that didn’t happen. It wasn’t tough at all when we ate it. I honestly think I went wrong with the foil wrap, but I really don’t know. I could have done the last, towel wrap too soon as well. I towel wrapped immediately after I pulled it for the last time. Maybe I should have let it rest, tented for a little while before the towel wrap. First time, so I know I have a LOT to learn.

 

[mkadl]

Thanks. I would appreciate any advice for future brisket smokes. When I tired to cut mine, it fell apart. I was hoping for nice, thin slices, but that didn’t happen. It wasn’t tough at all when we ate it. I honestly think I went wrong with the foil wrap, but I really don’t know. I could have done the last, towel wrap too soon as well. I towel wrapped immediately after I pulled it for the last time. Maybe I should have let it rest, tented for a little while before the towel wrap. First time, so I know I have a LOT to learn.

It was just overdone. Every time you make it it will be a bit different. Every brisket will not cook the same. Pork loin and chicken breast will always cook the same under the same conditions. I have had perfect briskets at 200° and fall apart ones at 200°.