MUScoop
MUScoop => The Superbar => Topic started by: real chili 83 on August 23, 2020, 12:43:49 PM
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Settle down.
Pellets smokers are becoming “mainstream” with Weber coming on line with their version. Seems like odd timing, as Weber appeared to really promote them this summer versus a spring push.
Anyways, any pellet snobs out there....meaning, is a pellet a pellet, or what are some of the more premium products, and what makes them premium?
I’ve heard for example Traeger pellets are not very dense, and burn much quicker than “premium” pellets.
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Subscribed.
I get these and really like them - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00819OICI/
Use them in my AMNPS - https://www.amazon.com/MAZE-N-Pellet-Smoker-Smoking-Works/dp/B007ROPJ1M
Nice, even LBS without too much hassle. It was a good reason to get a butane torch to make sure I get a good cherry going. The built in smoke box on my smoker (meant for chips) sucks... but I'm HOA-limited to electric-only since I live in a Chicago high rise.
This is the best resource for smoking questions, IMO. Been lurking there for years - https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/who-makes-the-best-pellet.241265/
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Subscribed.
I get these and really like them - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00819OICI/
Use them in my AMNPS - https://www.amazon.com/MAZE-N-Pellet-Smoker-Smoking-Works/dp/B007ROPJ1M
Nice, even LBS without too much hassle. It was a good reason to get a butane torch to make sure I get a good cherry going. The built in smoke box on my smoker (meant for chips) sucks... but I'm HOA-limited to electric-only since I live in a Chicago high rise.
This is the best resource for smoking questions, IMO. Been lurking there for years - https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/who-makes-the-best-pellet.241265/
Thank you.
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Happy to see this thread since points of view tend to be a little all over the place online. I just made the leap into the pellet grill world last week, picking up a Pit Boss Navigator 850. I grabbed a 40 lb bag of Pit Boss competition blend from Lowe's for about $15 and didn't think much about the impact of the pellet brand. Now that I've done some cooking and more research, I'm curious to test out some different options.
Over the weekend I made some skirt steak and some burgers on high heat and noticed the temps tended to run a little higher than expected. I noticed that on both the internal thermometer probe and my own thermometer. The difference wasn't too bad, something I can live with for shorter cook times. I also cooked a pork butt for about 12 hours, and that was when I noticed bigger temp swings, about +- 20 degrees from my selected temp of 250.
I've seen plenty of comments online saying that's pretty standard and others saying temps should be more consistent. The meat turned out great, so maybe this isn't even a problem, but something tells me more consistency will always be better. Has anyone found pellets making a big difference in temp control?
On a related note, I found Bear Mountain BBQ last night via Instagram, and they're offering a buy one get one free deal with free shipping right now with promo code BOGO - https://bearmountainbbq.com/ (https://bearmountainbbq.com/)
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Happy to see this thread since points of view tend to be a little all over the place online. I just made the leap into the pellet grill world last week, picking up a Pit Boss Navigator 850. I grabbed a 40 lb bag of Pit Boss competition blend from Lowe's for about $15 and didn't think much about the impact of the pellet brand. Now that I've done some cooking and more research, I'm curious to test out some different options.
Over the weekend I made some skirt steak and some burgers on high heat and noticed the temps tended to run a little higher than expected. I noticed that on both the internal thermometer probe and my own thermometer. The difference wasn't too bad, something I can live with for shorter cook times. I also cooked a pork butt for about 12 hours, and that was when I noticed bigger temp swings, about +- 20 degrees from my selected temp of 250.
I've seen plenty of comments online saying that's pretty standard and others saying temps should be more consistent. The meat turned out great, so maybe this isn't even a problem, but something tells me more consistency will always be better. Has anyone found pellets making a big difference in temp control?
On a related note, I found Bear Mountain BBQ last night via Instagram, and they're offering a buy one get one free deal with free shipping right now with promo code BOGO - https://bearmountainbbq.com/ (https://bearmountainbbq.com/)
I've only used Bear Mountain so far in my new GMG. I'm about done with them, and am buying Cooking Pellets mixed blend. In the little big of "research" I've done, they seem to be in the top three. It's also got a good price point compared to some of the highly rated.
Nothing wrong with Bear Mountain.....just wanting to try a different brand.
https://outdoormancave.com/best-smoker-pellets/
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Without running an experiment, I'd argue that scientifically it seems that is would be important to vary temperature a bit while smoking meat. As temps rise, the meat will expand a bit . As temps cool, the meat will contract a bit, drawing in the smoky flavors from the exterior of the meat. .
At least that's my hypothesis.
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Without running an experiment, I'd argue that scientifically it seems that is would be important to vary temperature a bit while smoking meat. As temps rise, the meat will expand a bit . As temps cool, the meat will contract a bit, drawing in the smoky flavors from the exterior of the meat. .
At least that's my hypothesis.
Bless your heart.
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What if I’m a non-smoker?
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What if I’m a non-smoker?
😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱
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Happy to see this thread since points of view tend to be a little all over the place online. I just made the leap into the pellet grill world last week, picking up a Pit Boss Navigator 850. I grabbed a 40 lb bag of Pit Boss competition blend from Lowe's for about $15 and didn't think much about the impact of the pellet brand. Now that I've done some cooking and more research, I'm curious to test out some different options.
Over the weekend I made some skirt steak and some burgers on high heat and noticed the temps tended to run a little higher than expected. I noticed that on both the internal thermometer probe and my own thermometer. The difference wasn't too bad, something I can live with for shorter cook times. I also cooked a pork butt for about 12 hours, and that was when I noticed bigger temp swings, about +- 20 degrees from my selected temp of 250.
I've seen plenty of comments online saying that's pretty standard and others saying temps should be more consistent. The meat turned out great, so maybe this isn't even a problem, but something tells me more consistency will always be better. Has anyone found pellets making a big difference in temp control?
On a related note, I found Bear Mountain BBQ last night via Instagram, and they're offering a buy one get one free deal with free shipping right now with promo code BOGO - https://bearmountainbbq.com/ (https://bearmountainbbq.com/)
If your pit boss is WiFi enabled, try running a firmware update.. those are big temp swings.
My GMG runs real consistent with temps, if I am to believe the manufacturer, it takes 10 temp readings per second, and adjusts.
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If your pit boss is WiFi enabled, try running a firmware update.. those are big temp swings.
My GMG runs real consistent with temps, if I am to believe the manufacturer, it takes 10 temp readings per second, and adjusts.
I don't have a wifi connected grill, so a firmware update is out of the question, unfortunately.
I'm going to try some full chickens and maybe some ribs this weekend. I'm thinking that if the chicken doesn't dry out from the temp swings and still cooks in the usual 3-4 hours like it does on my charcoal smoker, then I won't be too concerned about the temperature swings.
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I'm actually thinking about getting a smoker. Why are the pellet burning ones so much more expensive than the charcoal ones?
What if I tried to burn pellets in this? What would happen: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-18-in-Smokey-Mountain-Cooker-Smoker-in-Black-with-Cover-and-Built-In-Thermometer-721001/100657680?mtc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_22_BBQ_GRILL-MULTI-NA-Feed-LIA-NA-NA-BASE_SHP&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_22_BBQ_GRILL-MULTI-NA-Feed-LIA-NA-NA-BASE_SHP-71700000041074672-58700005017609607-92700048724469239&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0Pek_pLL6wIVEfDACh2BCw8NEAQYASABEgLc9PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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I'm actually thinking about getting a smoker. Why are the pellet burning ones so much more expensive than the charcoal ones?
What if I tried to burn pellets in this? What would happen: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-18-in-Smokey-Mountain-Cooker-Smoker-in-Black-with-Cover-and-Built-In-Thermometer-721001/100657680?mtc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_22_BBQ_GRILL-MULTI-NA-Feed-LIA-NA-NA-BASE_SHP&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_22_BBQ_GRILL-MULTI-NA-Feed-LIA-NA-NA-BASE_SHP-71700000041074672-58700005017609607-92700048724469239&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0Pek_pLL6wIVEfDACh2BCw8NEAQYASABEgLc9PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I'm sure someone else can answer this in a more technical way, but the main reason pellet smokers are more expensive is because they're more complex. A standard charcoal smoker (aka water smoker) like the one you linked is basically a metal tube with some holes that allow you to control airflow; airflow controls the temperature. Pellet smokers control temperature by feeding pellets into a fire pot at varying rates using an electric auger system. Most of them have thermometers that read the internal temperature and adjust the rate at which the pellets are released to maintain the temperature you've selected. In short - the temperature controls are manual in a charcoal smoker and are more automated in a pellet smoker.
If you used pellets in a charcoal smoker, you would burn through them too quickly and wouldn't get a long, sustained smoke like you do with charcoal.
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Coleman: There are pellet conversion kits for WSM's. There is an unlimited number of upgrades you can do to your WSM, actually. They have a following like honda civics. Put a wing on it for extra downforce.
Skianth: Regarding temp variation while smoking- The biggest temp contributor in my experience has been wind and sun. A black box sitting in the sun/shad can easily vary 20 degrees in temp. Same with the wicked winds I get across my highrise balcony in Chicago. I wanted to bring that up so that you don't go to far down the pellet investigation path before just moving your cabinet into the shade.
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I'm sure someone else can answer this in a more technical way, but the main reason pellet smokers are more expensive is because they're more complex. A standard charcoal smoker (aka water smoker) like the one you linked is basically a metal tube with some holes that allow you to control airflow; airflow controls the temperature. Pellet smokers control temperature by feeding pellets into a fire pot at varying rates using an electric auger system. Most of them have thermometers that read the internal temperature and adjust the rate at which the pellets are released to maintain the temperature you've selected. In short - the temperature controls are manual in a charcoal smoker and are more automated in a pellet smoker.
If you used pellets in a charcoal smoker, you would burn through them too quickly and wouldn't get a long, sustained smoke like you do with charcoal.
Agreed. It’s about control of combustion. Prices go up wth WiFi and phone aps. And, the cook process is super easy to control...almost “fire and forget”
I had an electric smoker previously, which was nice. Nothing wrong with it. Good pellet smokers can easily act as a grill too. Electric is not designed for that.
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Also, for cold temps, good manufacturers have an insulated coveR for cold temp operations.
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smoke em if ya gottem-yo chili! do you soak your chips before throwing them into the fire? sometimes i do, but...
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smoke em if ya gottem-yo chili! do you soak your chips before throwing them into the fire? sometimes i do, but...
Gotta soak em, you lazy bum!
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Skianth: Regarding temp variation while smoking- The biggest temp contributor in my experience has been wind and sun. A black box sitting in the sun/shad can easily vary 20 degrees in temp. Same with the wicked winds I get across my highrise balcony in Chicago. I wanted to bring that up so that you don't go to far down the pellet investigation path before just moving your cabinet into the shade.
That's a pretty easy solve, so I'll give that a shot. Can't hurt. Thanks for the tip.
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smoke em if ya gottem-yo chili! do you soak your chips before throwing them into the fire? sometimes i do, but...
Soaking pellets would not produce a good outcome.
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Bought a smoke tube yesterday. Goes on the grill tonight with pork chops.
Curious for tricks to light one when a propane torch isn’t available.
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I'm going to try some full chickens and maybe some ribs this weekend. I'm thinking that if the chicken doesn't dry out from the temp swings and still cooks in the usual 3-4 hours like it does on my charcoal smoker, then I won't be too concerned about the temperature swings.
I tried my new Bear Mountain pellets this weekend and also used the smoke setting instead of setting the dial at 250, and my temps are way more stable this time. I'm guessing it has more to do with the smoke setting than the pellets, but wow, what a difference!
I played with the p settings a little, and settled on 3, which is giving me about a 240 temperature. The temps are pretty consistently with a 5 degree range now.
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Thank you all for the explanations. Very helpful
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Going to do my first brisket this Saturday and couldn't find the larger smoked meats thread.
Seasoning with Lawry's seasoned salt and pepper, injecting with homemade beef stock, smoking at 225.
Do I need to wrap it? Do I need to trim the fat? Should I brine it at all? Do I need a binder like mustard with ribs?
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For every new cut I'm smoking, I start with Jeff Phillips' website and go from there
https://www.smoking-meat.com/october-3-2019-the-wooster-brisket
He's selling his own rub, which you don't need, but he's never steered me wrong.
Get it? Steer? Ha
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Going to do my first brisket this Saturday and couldn't find the larger smoked meats thread.
Seasoning with Laurie's seasoned salt and pepper, injecting with homemade beef stock, smoking at 225.
Do I need to wrap it? Do I need to trim the fat? Should I brine it at all? Do I need a binder like mustard with ribs?
IMO, don't inject it. Be patient with the temperature plateau, don't brine, don't over trim the fat, but get the huge junk off. Spray with AC vinegar and Worcester every 30 min or so. I just season with kosher salt and corse ground pepper. No binder. When it's done, Wrap and let sit in a cooler for an hour.
Everyone will have their own methods, YMMV.
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For every new cut I'm smoking, I start with Jeff Phillips' website and go from there
https://www.smoking-meat.com/october-3-2019-the-wooster-brisket
He's selling his own rub, which you don't need, but he's never steered me wrong.
Get it? Steer? Ha
Yeah, but you shouldn't let him cow you into a hasty purchase.
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For every new cut I'm smoking, I start with Jeff Phillips' website and go from there
https://www.smoking-meat.com/october-3-2019-the-wooster-brisket
He's selling his own rub, which you don't need, but he's never steered me wrong.
Get it? Steer? Ha
Classic
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Going to do my first brisket this Saturday and couldn't find the larger smoked meats thread.
Seasoning with Laurie's seasoned salt and pepper, injecting with homemade beef stock, smoking at 225.
Do I need to wrap it? Do I need to trim the fat? Should I brine it at all? Do I need a binder like mustard with ribs?
Wrapping helps you push through the stall, which starts at about 160.
If your are using foil, go with the big @ss foodservice roll from Costco.
Butcher paper works great too. Here’s a 16 hour cook recipe from Malcom Reed.
https://howtobbqright.com/2020/05/22/pellet-grill-brisket/
Yes to trim down to 1/4 inch fat thickness. I also like to separate the flat from the point for more even cooking.
If I inject, I use jonny’s French dip concentrate. Mop with plain ole apple juice. Another good mop is Carolina Kiss marinade (google it).
Try some commercial rubs. Have fun and experiment. Give Killer Hogs rubs a whirl. Or make your own.
Pro tip, Laurie may not appreciate you rubbing her on a hunk of raw brisket. If she likes it, then she’s a keeper, though
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Sweet, thanks everyone!
I'll let y'all know how it went.
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Can we get pics of Laurie????
For JB, of course.
LOL ;D ;D ;D
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Can we get pics of Laurie????
For JB, of course.
LOL ;D ;D ;D
Haha meant Lawry's 🤦🏻♂️
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Wrapping helps you push through the stall, which starts at about 160.
If your are using foil, go with the big @ss foodservice roll from Costco.
Butcher paper works great too. Here’s a 16 hour cook recipe from Malcom Reed.
https://howtobbqright.com/2020/05/22/pellet-grill-brisket/
Yes to trim down to 1/4 inch fat thickness. I also like to separate the flat from the point for more even cooking.
If I inject, I use jonny’s French dip concentrate. Mop with plain ole apple juice. Another good mop is Carolina Kiss marinade (google it).
Try some commercial rubs. Have fun and experiment. Give Killer Hogs rubs a whirl. Or make your own.
Pro tip, Laurie may not appreciate you rubbing her on a hunk of raw brisket. If she likes it, then she’s a keeper, though
You need a YouTube channel.
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Can we get pics of Laurie????
For JB, of course.
LOL ;D ;D ;D
the professor of smoke knows what the best rubs for his meats are...carolina kiss is the bomb though. use it as a mop and a marinade for pork shoulder on a pretzel bun with cole slaw, pickles and onions on top, served with a side of hush puppies and you'll be in hog heaven
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5hrs in, not seeing any real bark, is there a trick to get some forming at this point?
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5hrs in, not seeing any real bark, is there a trick to get some forming at this point?
chili might correct me, but i don't usually see a good bark on brisket. the key to brisket is that layer of "done'ness" when you cut it and it's tendency to want to fall apart-needs to rest to firm up to cut across the grain. sometimes i will throw it on the grill to crisp it up. then it re-achieves that firmness you need to cut it into nice slices for the sammys. pretzel bun provolone and a good giardiniera or raw onion
for pork shoulder, you will get a good bark after 3-5 hours of good smoke at 225. then increase the temperature-once you've hit the stall (at about 150-165 internal) to 240-250 and bring on home to 195-200+ you'll have a great bark to pull into the stuff that melts off the bone. i don't typically like to open the doors at all during the smoke to mop or whatever. i let a good thick rub do all the talking. then when it's done. i will pull it apart, add rub and carolina kiss or the juices from the drip pan
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When you hit the stall, how you wrap can make a difference on the bark.
Using foil allows you to seal the meat and really tenderizes it, but makes the bark a bit soft.
I started using butcher paper after reading Malcom Reed’s article on brisket. I think the bark is better with butcher paper.
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Eventually got a decent bark. But man was that dry. I either over trimmed it, or (my theory) I should have put it back in fat side up so it'd baste itself during the end of the cook.
Clearly have a lot to learn.
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What temp did you cook it to?
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What temp did you cook it to?
200, wrapped at about 175
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Going to do my first brisket this Saturday and couldn't find the larger smoked meats thread.
Seasoning with Lawry's seasoned salt and pepper, injecting with homemade beef stock, smoking at 225.
Do I need to wrap it? Do I need to trim the fat? Should I brine it at all? Do I need a binder like mustard with ribs?
wrap around 165 (pink butcher paper vs foil) - i'd run it to 204
you need to trim the fat - the hard pieces wont render during the cook
don't brine it
you don't need a binder
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This is my favorite thread in a long long time.
Has stayed on course with helpful and sincere responses.
Kudos to you all.
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wrap around 165 (pink butcher paper vs foil) - i'd run it to 204
you need to trim the fat - the hard pieces wont render during the cook
don't brine it
you don't need a binder
those are the magic temps jf
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wrap around 165 (pink butcher paper vs foil) - i'd run it to 204
you need to trim the fat - the hard pieces wont render during the cook
don't brine it
you don't need a binder
I find at 204, if you are not careful, the meat can start to shred. What’s your “secret”?
Legs, eff off. Quit with the fairy dust, sea shells and balloons hyperbole. We are talking MEAT here.
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I find at 204, if you are not careful, the meat can start to shred. What’s your “secret”?
Legs, eff off. Quit with the fairy dust, sea shells and balloons hyperbole. We are talking MEAT here.
I haven't had the "shredding" issue (maybe luck). I've just found 204 to be the better hit for me.
What temp are you running the overall cook at?
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I start at 190 for 8 hours, wrap, and 234 for another 8. Looking for 196 -200.
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I start at 190 for 8 hours, wrap, and 234 for another 8. Looking for 196 -200.
nothing personal. but what kind of wood? i've actually moved away from the traditional to the fruit woods, apple, cherry and pecan. produce a nice consistent, but not over powering. maybe mix in a little hickory or mesquite
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I have a pellet smoker, so I use Cooking Pellets.com's Perfect Mix blend.
Cherry, apple, maple and hickory blend.
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Hey All, would anyone like to weigh in on smoking a Turkey Breast? Brine, no brine etc? Thanks.
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Hey All, would anyone like to weigh in on smoking a Turkey Breast? Brine, no brine etc? Thanks.
I'm always pro-brine when it comes to turkey breast. I can't imagine adding a brine to anything you were planning to do would be a negative.
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Definitely +1 on brining. Really helps retain moisture.
I also learned from experience that less wood/smoke is more. I have added too much wood or added wood too late in the cooking process, and ended up with a way-too-smokey bird. Especially becuase turkey is a relatively delicate flavor, its easy to have the smoke overpower everything. So go lighter on the smoke/wood chips than you think you should.
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Definitely +1 on brining. Really helps retain moisture.
I also learned from experience that less wood/smoke is more. I have added too much wood or added wood too late in the cooking process, and ended up with a way-too-smokey bird. Especially becuase turkey is a relatively delicate flavor, its easy to have the smoke overpower everything. So go lighter on the smoke/wood chips than you think you should.
Good point on the smoke. Thanks.
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Also fwiw, I prefer wet brines to dry brines, but that could just be because I haven't given dry brines a fair shake.
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I've used this brine recipe for 10+ years. Works like magic. Plus it makes the house smell like heaven:
3 cups Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
2 gallons Cold Water
4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1-1/2 cup Kosher Salt
2 cups Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Peppercorns
5 whole Bay Leaves
Peel Of Three Large Oranges
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover.
Allow to cool completely, (easy to take outside this time of year to cool down) then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. No more than 24.
When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.
Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.
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Anyone have thoughts re herb butter or olive oil on or under the skin?
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Anyone have thoughts re herb butter or olive oil on or under the skin?
IMO, butter pads. Because butter > olive oil for a meal like this.
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After the brine I was going to put some herbs under the skin. I was also thinking about laying some bacon on top as a self-basting mechanism. Any thoughts on that? And..thanks for all the in put I appreciate it.
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Also fwiw, I prefer wet brines to dry brines, but that could just be because I haven't given dry brines a fair shake.
Both wet brines and dry brines make for a juicy turkey. I dry-brined and spatchcocked my turkey last year and it was delicious, and a little easier for living in a high-rise than an immersion brine.
Dry Brine - https://www.seriouseats.com/quick-and-dirty-guide-to-brining-turkey-chicken-thanksgiving
Spatchcocked, herb-butter'd turkey - https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-how-to-make-herb-butter-roasted-turkey-thanksgiving-recipe
Edit - It helped tremendously getting a heritage bird. They are slimmer so they're easier to cook. Probably a little late to hunt one down for this year, but for anyone in Chicago - Publican takes preorders
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After the brine I was going to put some herbs under the skin. I was also thinking about laying some bacon on top as a self-basting mechanism. Any thoughts on that? And..thanks for all the in put I appreciate it.
Yes to bacon. I personally have never brined any turkey i have cooked and have never one come out dry. Unnecessary IMO.
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Yes to wet brine. And yet to butter under the skin. I’m going to add Green Mountain’s poultry seasoning, plus black pepper to the butter this year. GMG’s poultry seasoning was a nice find for me.
Sir Lawrence, thanks for sharing your brine recipe.
Just picked up a new pellet smoker with a rotisserie. Want to try Ina Garten’s Tuscan turkey recipe on it. Might need to play with the stuffing ingredients. I will have to practice butcher knots for this one. Looks like a great recipe for a rotisserie.
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Yes to bacon. I personally have never brined any turkey i have cooked and have never one come out dry. Unnecessary IMO.
Totally up to you, but I'll argue for brineing for a sec here: Brining is partially for juiciness, but also the only way to season the meat of the bird beyond the surface.
1. Jucieness - Salt breaks down certain muscle proteins, which prevents those muscle fibers from contracting so much during cooking, which means less moisture is squeezed out
2. Seasoning - Salt (and literally none of the aromatics that people put in their brine for fun) is drawn into the bird while it's breaking down the muscle protein. This action takes a while, so a 24-48 hour brine is recommended to get some seasoning into that bird
You can crutch with an overly-salty gravy, but I prefer to have each of my ingredients on a plate seasoned well enough that they can stand alone.
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Hey SirLawrence, I did (mostly) your brine and the turkey turned out great. Thanks.
FWIW I suppe 1/2 cup of maple syrup for 1/2 cup of brown sugar because I ran out of brown sugar. That was the main deviation.
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Hey SirLawrence, I did (mostly) your brine and the turkey turned out great. Thanks.
FWIW I suppe 1/2 cup of maple syrup for 1/2 cup of brown sugar because I ran out of brown sugar. That was the main deviation.
I like your modification! Glad it worked out.
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I've used this brine recipe for 10+ years. Works like magic. Plus it makes the house smell like heaven:
3 cups Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
2 gallons Cold Water
4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1-1/2 cup Kosher Salt
2 cups Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Peppercorns
5 whole Bay Leaves
Peel Of Three Large Oranges
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover.
Allow to cool completely, (easy to take outside this time of year to cool down) then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. No more than 24.
When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.
Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.
Going with your brine recipe for a turkey on the smoker for Christmas.
Speaking of smoked meats, wet brining two pork bellies for smoked bacon and smoked candied bacon. Candied bacon is great in a bloody.
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How do you cook bacon? Oven, fry pan, microwave, grill. Messes the grill up.
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How do you cook bacon? Oven, fry pan, microwave, grill. Messes the grill up.
Oven, convect mode. Let the bacon get to room temperature.
Throw the pan in and set the oven to 380. No pre-heat.
I usually have to rotate the pan for even cooking towards the end.
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Oven, convect mode. Let the bacon get to room temperature.
Throw the pan in and set the oven to 380. No pre-heat.
I usually have to rotate the pan for even cooking towards the end.
Just add that I use a mesh/grate for grease to naturally collect in the pan, then you can save (I like to use a chili starter when browning the meat).
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Just add that I use a mesh/grate for grease to naturally collect in the pan, then you can save (I like to use a chili starter when browning the meat).
An added value of the grate is that the bacon stays stretched on it, so it cooks nice and flat. Great for sandwiches.
Then again: I was talking to my bacon guy at the farmers market about BLTs. He takes thick-cut bacon, fries it, then mixes it up in a slurry with mayo for his BLTs. I tried it and it's decadent to be sure. As you guessed hee is not a small man, lol.
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How do you cook bacon? Oven, fry pan, microwave, grill. Messes the grill up.
I typically do it in the oven. Less mess, etc. Pan fried on a big ass cast iron griddle on either a pellet grill or a gas grill is great.
Candied bacon, definitely on the pellet grill at about 270.
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Totally up to you, but I'll argue for brineing for a sec here: Brining is partially for juiciness, but also the only way to season the meat of the bird beyond the surface.
1. Jucieness - Salt breaks down certain muscle proteins, which prevents those muscle fibers from contracting so much during cooking, which means less moisture is squeezed out
2. Seasoning - Salt (and literally none of the aromatics that people put in their brine for fun) is drawn into the bird while it's breaking down the muscle protein. This action takes a while, so a 24-48 hour brine is recommended to get some seasoning into that bird
You can crutch with an overly-salty gravy, but I prefer to have each of my ingredients on a plate seasoned well enough that they can stand alone.
partial correction-tumblers or vacuum tumblers will distribute the seasoning to the depths, BUT they will run you $300-$10,000+ so you're essentially right skatman
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partial correction-tumblers or vacuum tumblers will distribute the seasoning to the depths, BUT they will run you $300-$10,000+ so you're essentially right skatman
I'll have to look those up sounds interesting!
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Larry, your brine recipe was awesome. This was a top 5 turkey.
Got some butter with black pepper and a poultry rub under the skin. Cooked on the pellet smoker with an apple, cherry, maple mix. Also had some hickory mixed in. 275 degrees.
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Larry, your brine recipe was awesome. This was a top 5 turkey.
Got some butter with black pepper and a poultry rub under the skin. Cooked on the pellet smoker with an apple, cherry, maple mix. Also had some hickory mixed in. 275 degrees.
Glad to hear that it worked out for you. Sounds delicious.
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Had dinner at Doc’s this weekend for first time.
Damn
Righteous bbq.
Adding to this post, had the brisket, ribs and a hot link, 3 meat platter. All were really, really good. Also tried the Brunswick stew….first time. It won’t be the last.
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I’ll pass that along to my son in law. As you might know, the pandemic has been rough in the hospitality industry. He reopened Milwaukee in October. The Madison location had to close again this weekend due to too many COVID sick servers. But it really is pretty good. Thank you for the shout out.
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real
Way to support the Scoop family. Great seeing you on Thursday and sorry I missed you postgame yesterday.
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Likewise…
Hit Chili Saturday night. Hard.
Public service announcement….open flames near the Pfister or Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet are not advised for a few days.
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Real
Thanks for the warning.
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Pretty sure da exhaust has worked its way north too Da Quon, hey?
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Pretty sure da exhaust has worked its way north too Da Quon, hey?
There were several of us, so entirely possible.
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Dang, this looks good.
https://howtobbqright.com/2021/03/13/pulled-pork-on-a-pellet-grill/
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Been up since 4am doing a 15lb brisket, just tossed 5 slabs of ribs on. Waiting on the wings since those are gonna be fast, Side of camp fire cornbread and finishing up the meal with camp Dutch oven bourbon bread pudding.
On the fun side I got to make coffee over the fire with a percolator at 4:30am and did some pancakes on the side burner. Basically camping
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Pics
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Been up since 4am doing a 15lb brisket, just tossed 5 slabs of ribs on. Waiting on the wings since those are gonna be fast, Side of camp fire cornbread and finishing up the meal with camp Dutch oven bourbon bread pudding.
On the fun side I got to make coffee over the fire with a percolator at 4:30am and did some pancakes on the side burner. Basically camping
That sounds awesome. Great way to spend a day!
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Been up since 4am doing a 15lb brisket, just tossed 5 slabs of ribs on. Waiting on the wings since those are gonna be fast, Side of camp fire cornbread and finishing up the meal with camp Dutch oven bourbon bread pudding.
On the fun side I got to make coffee over the fire with a percolator at 4:30am and did some pancakes on the side burner. Basically camping
Rico and I will be over in an hour! Will bring lots of beer!!
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Pics
Don't have pics of the sides or the wings as they went in a blink of an eye. I put them inside and someone decided to serve them up right away.