Finally got some weather to be able to get back on smoke. Basically above freezing (40F) with a NE wind. Sprinkles and snow but nothing serious (last night was the measurable rain.)
Today is a pork shoulder I bought from Meijer. Rubbed it last night with the Memphis Dust and hooked it on the BHC at 8:20 this morning.
Just got home from lunch (12:20) and we hit 160F. So 4 hours in the BHC.
Now it's wrapped, mopped in apple juice, and in the convection oven to finish at 225F until it hits 203F.
Big miss though! I forgot to add the apple wood chunks to the charcoal. Bummer dude!
Not sure that's going to make a huge diff, but still kicking myself.
If it's anything short of awesome I'll make note. Hoping done in time for dinner.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Merry Tenderloin Christmas!
Getting back on the BHC today with a 3 1/3 lb tenderloin. Going to season an hour before with McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning. Remote thermometer will tell the tale to 140F.
Thinking it will take under an hour for the cook. Got the barrel ready to be lit and will start around 3. Planning to get it hooked over the coals about 4.
Will update results when done. This is a first so I'm hoping for the best.
Results:
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Uneven at best. Cook time was approx 90 minutes. The roast tapered from one end to the other - about 4" thick on one end and less than an inch on the other.
I hung the roast from the thick end, and that end was less than medium. The thermometer was stuck in that end and registered 135F when I took it off the grill. I let it rest for 10 minutes.
The bottom end was very well done. This makes it hard to diagnose. Is it well done because of the tapering of the cut? Or was it because of the tapered end being closer to the coals.
I don't have similar results from ribs, so I have to believe it's the cut that resulted in the uneven cook.
Also I probably overdid the rub, although I believe I stayed within the 1T/lb ratio recommended. Parts of the roast were salty. But overall the result was delicious.
Next time I would perhaps try to just cook it horizontal on the rack instead of hanging, if the piece was as tapered as this was.
Otherwise another great grill on the BarrelHouse Cooker!
----------
Uneven at best. Cook time was approx 90 minutes. The roast tapered from one end to the other - about 4" thick on one end and less than an inch on the other.
I hung the roast from the thick end, and that end was less than medium. The thermometer was stuck in that end and registered 135F when I took it off the grill. I let it rest for 10 minutes.
The bottom end was very well done. This makes it hard to diagnose. Is it well done because of the tapering of the cut? Or was it because of the tapered end being closer to the coals.
I don't have similar results from ribs, so I have to believe it's the cut that resulted in the uneven cook.
Also I probably overdid the rub, although I believe I stayed within the 1T/lb ratio recommended. Parts of the roast were salty. But overall the result was delicious.
Next time I would perhaps try to just cook it horizontal on the rack instead of hanging, if the piece was as tapered as this was.
Otherwise another great grill on the BarrelHouse Cooker!
Monday, June 25, 2018
More barrel smoke results
Ribs:
Did three slabs last weekend. Used the double hook method of hanging and boy am I glad I did! One slab was dangling literally by a thread of meat on the bottom hook. It had already curled off the top hook. I will have to make sure the hooks are close to the fat side of the ribs.
I cooked for 3 hours exactly and that was too much time. The ribs were definitely done but they were a bit dry. Somewhat on par with the overcooked ribs I made in the electric smoker. Next time I shoot for 3 hours.
Anecdotally the fellow I gave the electric smoker to used the 3-2-1 method by smoking the ribs for 3 hours then wrapping them in foil after basting with beer then cooking 2 more hours. He skipped the last hour in sauce. His ribs were better than anything I've ever made! More power to him.
Chicken:
Cooked a whole chicken. After fighting with the hooks through the breast bone and out the neck I was reminded of the turkey holder I had and forgot about. With that the chicken sat nicely and safely above the fire. Just over 2 hours the thermometer hit 165F and it came off for carving. This was the best chicken I've ever made! Next time I will make more than one.
I used a grill paste my late father gave me, but that was the last of it. Next time I'll try a different rub.
Did three slabs last weekend. Used the double hook method of hanging and boy am I glad I did! One slab was dangling literally by a thread of meat on the bottom hook. It had already curled off the top hook. I will have to make sure the hooks are close to the fat side of the ribs.
I cooked for 3 hours exactly and that was too much time. The ribs were definitely done but they were a bit dry. Somewhat on par with the overcooked ribs I made in the electric smoker. Next time I shoot for 3 hours.
Anecdotally the fellow I gave the electric smoker to used the 3-2-1 method by smoking the ribs for 3 hours then wrapping them in foil after basting with beer then cooking 2 more hours. He skipped the last hour in sauce. His ribs were better than anything I've ever made! More power to him.
Chicken:
Cooked a whole chicken. After fighting with the hooks through the breast bone and out the neck I was reminded of the turkey holder I had and forgot about. With that the chicken sat nicely and safely above the fire. Just over 2 hours the thermometer hit 165F and it came off for carving. This was the best chicken I've ever made! Next time I will make more than one.
I used a grill paste my late father gave me, but that was the last of it. Next time I'll try a different rub.
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Barrel smokers
UDS: Ugly Drum Smoker
This was the original barrel smoker. Made in the backyards of dedicated smokers for - who knows how long?
Apparently The Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) company liked the concept and commercialized the UDC into their own version. Easy to find on the web, they have the horseshoe handles and rebar to hang from, along with a (now) porcelain finish.
A few years back they went out to find a company to help with sourcing and production and, according to a lawsuit, the fellow that assisted them started his own company called Barrel House Cooker (BHC) company.
I looked and compared both cookers. I appreciate what both offer but found the features of the BHC 18C to be more appealing to what I was looking for. I'll skip the details but it really boiled down to just that.
I do not care to get into the specifics of the lawsuit, and feel the courts will sort out what happened and right the wrongs, if needed. But in my view both companies have a place in the market, and competition is a good thing!
I actually considered rolling my own UDS - I have a source of drums close by my office. But I would not have saved much money and would not have gotten the features the BHC product offered, so I went that way.
I have unboxed and prepared the barrel for cooking but have yet to get it rolling. I did my first smoke on a PBC with the help of my neighbor (see my previous post) and am happy with the result. I don't think the result from my cooker will be that much different, but I am standing by my choice and looking forward to my first smoke.
This was the original barrel smoker. Made in the backyards of dedicated smokers for - who knows how long?
Apparently The Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) company liked the concept and commercialized the UDC into their own version. Easy to find on the web, they have the horseshoe handles and rebar to hang from, along with a (now) porcelain finish.
A few years back they went out to find a company to help with sourcing and production and, according to a lawsuit, the fellow that assisted them started his own company called Barrel House Cooker (BHC) company.
I looked and compared both cookers. I appreciate what both offer but found the features of the BHC 18C to be more appealing to what I was looking for. I'll skip the details but it really boiled down to just that.
I do not care to get into the specifics of the lawsuit, and feel the courts will sort out what happened and right the wrongs, if needed. But in my view both companies have a place in the market, and competition is a good thing!
I actually considered rolling my own UDS - I have a source of drums close by my office. But I would not have saved much money and would not have gotten the features the BHC product offered, so I went that way.
I have unboxed and prepared the barrel for cooking but have yet to get it rolling. I did my first smoke on a PBC with the help of my neighbor (see my previous post) and am happy with the result. I don't think the result from my cooker will be that much different, but I am standing by my choice and looking forward to my first smoke.
My first barrel smoke
I have taken the plunge and am immersing myself in the world of barrel smokers.
I recall these were mentioned by my neighbor, Ernie, whom I consulted again. Come to find he has a Pit Barrel smoker and was speaking with some authority on it.
Ready to head in that direction myself I've cast off the Masterbuilt analog smoker and acquired a Barrel House model. More on that later.
As an introduction Ernie agreed to allow me to cook with his smoker and his assistance. So a pork shoulder was acquired and prepared for today's smoke.
First I grabbed a shoulder from Sam's. Previous purchases have always yielded dual shoulders but I supposed things change. This was a 10lb chunk o shoulder that was all one piece. So much for one shoulder each.
Rubbed it with the Memphis Dust Thursday night and into a giant ziploc bag in the fridge. I watched as Ernie fired up the smoker this morning and we hooked the shoulder up with dual hooks across the rebar and closed the top.
Ernie's son Nate, an accomplished BBQ competitor advised 4 hours then remove and wrap, then take to 203F to finish. Shoulder went on at almost 10AM and came off just shy of 2PM. I stuck the thermometer in and it registered a perfect 163F. Wrapped it and put it back on the grate and monitored until finished.
In 30 minutes the temp barely budged to 168F, but 45 minutes later it was at 194F. 10 minutes after that it was off the grill and resting. It's now back to 203F (so the thermo beeps) and I'll unwrap and pull it.
Regrettably Ernie was called away for an urgent family matter, so the beer, bourbon and bbq concept will have to wait for another day.
Update: Just over 5 lbs of meat came off the bone. Total cook time was about 5.5 hrs. Pretty amazing considering in my old smoker it would take 10 hours or more.
I recall these were mentioned by my neighbor, Ernie, whom I consulted again. Come to find he has a Pit Barrel smoker and was speaking with some authority on it.
Ready to head in that direction myself I've cast off the Masterbuilt analog smoker and acquired a Barrel House model. More on that later.
As an introduction Ernie agreed to allow me to cook with his smoker and his assistance. So a pork shoulder was acquired and prepared for today's smoke.
First I grabbed a shoulder from Sam's. Previous purchases have always yielded dual shoulders but I supposed things change. This was a 10lb chunk o shoulder that was all one piece. So much for one shoulder each.
Rubbed it with the Memphis Dust Thursday night and into a giant ziploc bag in the fridge. I watched as Ernie fired up the smoker this morning and we hooked the shoulder up with dual hooks across the rebar and closed the top.
Ernie's son Nate, an accomplished BBQ competitor advised 4 hours then remove and wrap, then take to 203F to finish. Shoulder went on at almost 10AM and came off just shy of 2PM. I stuck the thermometer in and it registered a perfect 163F. Wrapped it and put it back on the grate and monitored until finished.
In 30 minutes the temp barely budged to 168F, but 45 minutes later it was at 194F. 10 minutes after that it was off the grill and resting. It's now back to 203F (so the thermo beeps) and I'll unwrap and pull it.
Regrettably Ernie was called away for an urgent family matter, so the beer, bourbon and bbq concept will have to wait for another day.
Update: Just over 5 lbs of meat came off the bone. Total cook time was about 5.5 hrs. Pretty amazing considering in my old smoker it would take 10 hours or more.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Ribs r Done
Had the ribs on at 9AM. Took an hour to get the temp in range, and the rest of the time.
What I mean to say is I fought with the temperature all day. Took the last of the ribs off at 3PM.
I also found that I'm probably doing it wrong. Apparently ribs aren't cooked to temperature.
Shows the amateur I am, for sure.
One awesome find I grabbed off the net was a mop sauce consisting of 50/50 apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Just like the East Carolina sauce I know and love. Great find!
Anyway my current analog Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is done. I'm not going to fight with temperature anymore. After a weekend of studious research I'm going to jump into barrel smoking next. Just have to decide which barrel smoker.
What I mean to say is I fought with the temperature all day. Took the last of the ribs off at 3PM.
I also found that I'm probably doing it wrong. Apparently ribs aren't cooked to temperature.
Shows the amateur I am, for sure.
One awesome find I grabbed off the net was a mop sauce consisting of 50/50 apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Just like the East Carolina sauce I know and love. Great find!
Anyway my current analog Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is done. I'm not going to fight with temperature anymore. After a weekend of studious research I'm going to jump into barrel smoking next. Just have to decide which barrel smoker.
Friday, May 11, 2018
Ribs again
It's Mother's Day weekend so another smoke is on. The trusted and true Sam's Club three-pack of ribs was rubbed last night (Memphis Dust) and packed away for a turn in the smoker tomorrow.
Sadly my brain was addled and I failed to try a new trick my boss just inadvertently reminded me of - rub and rest in a large zip-up bag! This has crossed my mind before, but it never made the leap to realization.
Hopefully next time.
Meantime back at the ranch...
The ribs were packed away as usual in the pan wrapped in plastic and covered in foil then into the fridge. I will do a day-before smoke tomorrow to avoid tying up the big day, and do a grill warming for the Sunday dinner.
My last smoke this winter that I neglected to document was a near-disaster that ended in less than 4 hours. Not that the results turned out bad but I could not get control of the smoke temperature.
With the more temperate weather I'm hoping for more typical results.
Sadly my brain was addled and I failed to try a new trick my boss just inadvertently reminded me of - rub and rest in a large zip-up bag! This has crossed my mind before, but it never made the leap to realization.
Hopefully next time.
Meantime back at the ranch...
The ribs were packed away as usual in the pan wrapped in plastic and covered in foil then into the fridge. I will do a day-before smoke tomorrow to avoid tying up the big day, and do a grill warming for the Sunday dinner.
My last smoke this winter that I neglected to document was a near-disaster that ended in less than 4 hours. Not that the results turned out bad but I could not get control of the smoke temperature.
With the more temperate weather I'm hoping for more typical results.
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