Summertime...Barbeques, Grills & Smokers!

It can be kept about 225 by adjusting the air vents. The way I have been measuring is by placing a meat thermoter in the top vent from time to time. I should just leave it in the whole time. I've read that measuring heat at the top is not as accurate as measuring at the cooking grate level. I should probably consider adding a good thermoter closer to the lip of the lid.

The snake method will easily give you 8 to 12 hours depending on how long you build the snake, and how you regulate the temp, and I've read that some have achieved a 14 hour cook time. I've tried some variations for smoking a turkey breast. I built two shorter snakes on each side, and placed lit coals on opposite ends to raise the temp. Very easy to hit 325 to 350 range this way. I over cooked the last turkey breast, letting it get to internal temp of 170 before I realized it. I have an external digital thermoter with probes, I just wasn't watching as carefully as I should once it started getting close.

 

Thanks. Gonna hafta try it.

 

I use a mustard slather with Worcestershire sauce, dill pickle juice, and hot sauce. Strawberry's rub for seasoning.

275 degrees plus or minus a few degrees will get baby backs weighing 3lbs or less done in about 3 hours. You know you're getting close when you see the meat start to shrink away from the tips of the bones. You'll know when they are done when you can pick them up on one end with tongs and they bend at almost 90 degrees and the meat cracks really well on top. You can also use the tooth pick method. Just like when baking, if you can insert a tooth pick into the ribs and pull it out with no resistance..... they are done. If you want fall off the bone, cook longer.

I personally only cook with hardwood charcoal chunks, it burns cleaner IMO. I also only smoke my ribs with pecan wood, I just love the flavor and color it puts on ribs. After an hour to hour and a half the meat has taken in all the smoke flavoring it can and any longer with smoking wood only blackens and adds a bitter soot to the ribs.

I've cooked lots of ribs and this is what I do and they always come out great.

The pic is a practice rack I was doing for competition and trying a new recipe. It gives an idea of the color.

 

Happy Independence Day everyone!




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I primarily smoke with my kettle grill. It seems to like sitting about 275 which is perfectly fine. When I do larger smokes I use an offset which runs cooler. As long as you stay anywhere from 225 to under 300 it will come out perfectly fine. I've had meats sit at 300 with the air intake closed for a while and they still came out fine. After being obsessed with BBQ shows and reading several books on smoking meats over the years the recommended temps are often all over the place. I don't stress about temp too much anymore. I just try to keep it under 300.


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Here's some jerked pork and grilled plantains from last night. Marinated in walkers wood paste for the last couple of days and then grilled about 400F. Served with some rice and yellow squash.

 

I agree with what the others have said. I remove the membrane, apply a generous amount of rub and let them sit for a couple of hours in the fridge. I smoke them for about 3 hours at 250 or so with hickory or pecan. Then I pull them and wrap in a double layer of heavy duty foil adding some squeeze butter and apple juice in the packet. Another hour or so and they're ready to go. If you're doing wet ribs you can remove from the foil and apply sauce and put the back on for a few minutes per side to glaze them.

 

That looks awesome! I've never done jerked pork before. Gonna have to look into that, thanks for a new idea!

 

This, I forgot to mention removing the membrane!

 

I am really lazy when it comes to ribs. Most of the time I don't remove the membrane. I add oil to my rub, make a paste and apply to the ribs. It normally gets to sit about 45 mins while the smoker comes to temp. Apple is probably my favorite wood with Peach not far behind. I think the best part about making ribs is getting to relax by the smoker, I mean keep an eye on it, while enjoying a nice cold one..

Thanks. It was super tasty.

 

Looks like smokers, grills, wood, technique, etc are analogous to our shaving gear (razor, blades, AS, technique). Lots of choices and we can pick what works best for us.

 

Grilled Atlantic Salmon with roasted red potatoes, yellow squash from the garden, and grilled lemon that I squeezed over the fish when it finished. I normally spritz with a little oil and then season, but tried a skim coat of mayo before seasoning the fish and it came out really well tonight, no sticking or burning. Thanks for looking.

 

I'm grilling some corn and smokin a rack of ribs for tomorrow . Tonight I'm eating some skirt steak on kabobs which I'll be grilling in about 15-20 mins

 

A man who knows how to grill corn husk on!

 

I agree with you, I don't stress too much about temps, but prefer to keep it under 275, and the closer to 225 the better. Internal temp of the meat is worth stressing over.

 

As usual, that looks great!

 

Got a new Grill today. After using a tiny Weber Q with only one burner for years, I decided it was time for an upgrade

It is basically this one, sold under a different label here in Germany:




as you can see, the old one fits almost completely into the new one:



Here it is fully assembled:

 

Hi Marverel, that looks great! You can cook up a lot of steaks on that baby! I have never owned a gas grill, but I have used one a couple of times. I prefer the flavor from the old school charcoal myself. Although in the kitchen I prefer gas over electric. It is easier for me to control the temperature with natural gas. What will be your first meal on your new grill? Steaks? Bratwurst? Whatever it is, enjoy! Have a great day!

 

A few weeks ago it was my birthday and my coworker gifted me a 2.5 lb Cowboy Rib Steak. Unfortunately, I had to put it in the freezer for a bit, but got to it tonight. I did a reverse sear with pecan smoke bringing it up to 105F internal temp before ramping up to 600F and going 90 seconds per side. Served with grilled squash from the garden and red potatoes. After a rest, it was just on the rare side of mid rare and really tasty. Thanks for looking.

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You made me hungry! That looks delicious!