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.
Monday, June 25, 2018
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.
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