Barbecuing & Grilling

Smoked some sweet potatoes to make a smoked sweet potato casserole with pecan topping to bring to the family dinner. Was a big hit; aunt even asked for the recipe!

 

Had them on at around 350 for about an hour. They were split lengthwise, so cooking time wasn't as long as if they had been whole and they took on a bit more smoke also. The cut surface was a bit leathery, but once they were pureed, you didn't notice it.

 

Also, we had some of them with dinner immediately after smoking (how we found out that the cut surface was leathery). The flesh hadn't taken on that much smoke, but the skin was super smokey. Once I had allowed the rest to sit overnight in the fridge in the skins, the flesh absorbed more smoke.

 

Has anyone tried smoking some salt for later use in rubs? I bought some rub with a large component being "hickory-smoked salt". It is very coarse, smells awesome, and works great as a rub. I put a small cookie sheet with a thin layer of coarse sea salt on the top rack the last time I smoked some chicken thighs (on the lower rack) and it did pick up some smoke, but not a lot. The color was much lighter that what I purchased, but it was only smoked for 2 hrs. Maybe more time is the key. Not sure of temperature effects.

 

Smoking a pork butt just cause I have the day off and want to run the smoker. Going to freeze most of the meat for future meals. Smoking some black-eyed peas for New Year's Day, as well.

 

I had the lucky fortune to try something out that worked great and will become my habit in the future. For Christmas I had to smoke 16 lbs of ribeye roast. The butcher gave it to me in three pieces, all of different sizes. It was an excellent way to get 6 end pieces instead of 2 (everyone loves the ends) plus it gave me a really nice range of internal temperatures when I pulled them off at the same time. Something for everyone! Total cooking time was 3 hr 15 minutes, but I did start the smallest piece 30 minutes after the first two in order to avoid overcooking it.

 

The spices you're talking about for your sweet potatoes are what I typically do for roast pumpkin/winter squash used in Mexican recipes. Anyone tried smoking winter squash?

 

I've smoked butternut before and used them as the base for a pureed soup. Good stuff.

 

The best set up for barbecuing and grilling depends on personal preference, the type of food being cooked, and the available equipment.

For traditional barbecue, using a charcoal grill is often preferred as it can add a smoky flavor to the food. However, gas grills are also popular as they are convenient and easy to use.

For grilling, gas grills are often preferred as they can heat up quickly and maintain a consistent temperature. They also have the advantage of being able to control the heat more precisely. Charcoal grills, on the other hand, can take longer to heat up and are less precise in terms of temperature control, but they can provide a smoky flavor to the food.

In terms of equipment, many people like to use a thermometer to monitor the temperature, tongs for handling the food, and a basting brush for applying sauces. Some people also like to use a smoker box for adding wood chips to the grill for added flavor.

Ultimately, the best set up for barbecuing and grilling is one that you feel comfortable using and that can produce the desired results. It may take some experimentation to find the perfect set up for you.

 

I read this forum for learning purposes, and have discovered that many people have more elaborate equipment when compared to my 2-burner LP gas grill and cheap charcoal-fired smoker (I get double use from it by using it as a charcoal grill too). It's taken a long time for me to learn the processes to "find the perfect set-up" for me, so I think a point needs to be added that the length of the learning curve has a lot to do with the quality of the equipment too.

 

Personally, I think the length of the learning curve has to do with willingness to experiment with different techniques, foods, and food prep methods(rubs, marinates, etc.). Our son has been grilling for years but all he ever cooks are chicken breasts the same way, time after time. He knows nothing more about grilling thannhe did after the first couple times.

 

I totally agree with what you say, but you're talking about the entire process. What I was getting at was the learning curve on your equipment to get it to do what you intend if it doesn't have automatic controls, etc. I put meat in my smoker thinking/hoping that it will be done in a few hours only to discover via a manual temp probe that the center of the roast isn't even close to target when the recipe said 3 hours would do it. Primitive temp control and size/shape of the roast are the variables that have to be learned and matched to each other.

 

ohhhh.....then nevermind :-) I agree with your post

 

No offense, but is this that ChatGPT thing everyone is talking about?

 

Threw a corned beef brisket and some baby backs on the smoker and left them unattended while I went fishing on Monday. Got a bit burnt, but both turned out well. Then I threw the trout I caught in there and made a smoked trout dip.

 

I also smoked s corned beef ( tip cut, bought dirt cheap after St Paddy Day). It was much better than oven cooked. I turn left over smoked salmon into dip and it is awesome. The smoked trout dip is a killer idea.

 

11 hours in on this prime brisket. Just hit the stall, about to wrap in butcher paper for the rest of the cook with a bit of beef tallow.

Made some fresh cole slaw and will be grilling up some corn on the cob.

 

Finished around 16 hours, plus additional rest time. Probably one of my best brisket, to be honest. This was insanely good.

 

https://imgur.com/a/VzRQoqU

Some smoked ribs on the WSM

 

so, I did some chicken thighs on the smoker with Montreal Steak seasoning reinforced with a bunch of Trader Joe’s Siracha Sprinkle seasoning blend. The end result had zero heat at all. Looking at the label the first reference to any kind of pepper is number 6 on the ingredient list. Huge disappointment. Learn from my mistake.

 

Buddy from growing up came to visit yesterday, so we smoked some ribs and chicken thighs. Still trying to nail down temp control, but getting better every time with the process. Have switched to using hickory or oak chunks as the main wood and adding apple or cherry chips for the first couple of hours since the meat isn't really taking on too much smoke flavor after the first 2 hours.

 

My main smoking/grilling setup is a 22 inch Weber kettle premium with the original slow n sear attachment, and a maverick remote temp probe with grill and meat temp. It does a diesel job making authentic smoked meat with wood and charcoal and the slow n sear makes it really easy. I can get it to the desired temp and it in ideal weather conditions will hold it for about five or six hours before I have to fool with the dampers or adding more fuel. Colder temps and wind can affect that, though and it definitely eats through charcoal a lot quicker in the winter time.

I have a pit boss vertical electric smoker (not pellet powered, has a chip tray) I recently got free and fixed up. It works well when I’m feeling lazy or if I have to be away from the house for awhile. For ribs and chicken I’ll just roll with the smoke from the wood chips but for pork butt I got a Kingsford pellet tube to add some extra smoke. The picture below came off the electric, not as good as off the kettle but still pretty tasty

 

Anyone grilling this weekend? I have pork shoulder and chuck roast going on the Kamado (gonna do Asian-flavored burnt ends with the chuck)

 

what is the rub on the chuck roast to give the Asian twist? I like the idea, but need some more details.

 

I just did salt/pepper/garlic for the beginning, but then when I cubed it up I used Bachan’s Japanese bbq sauce, brown sugar and togarashi seasoning. Topped with sesame seeds at the end. Forgot to take pics but they were tasty.

 

3 lb.Tri-tip yesterday: marinated in Italian salad dressing fortified with more Italian seasoning, basalmic vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and garlic salt. Then smoked for 1 hr 45 minutes to internal temp of 120 F over mesquite and some cherry wood. Then finished on the grill for about 10-13 minutes to wife's preferred internal temp of 137 F to give it some external char and grill marks. While on the grill (Weber kettle) I used some sauce made from cooked-down marinade mixed with some generic BBQ sauce. Super flavorful and juicy