Summertime...Barbeques, Grills & Smokers!

We grilled brats and corn on the cob today on the gas grill outside. Great food, with only one issue: wasps attracted to the grill. . . and I'm apiphobic.

 

I bought a large basket of garlic and red habanero peppers at the farmers market and decided to smoke then dry them.

 

Nice, Dale! This IS prime pepper season, and grilling/smoking/drying all kinds of peppers is a great way to preserve 'em for the long winter ahead!
Last weekend, I bought several large bags of red bells, sweet italian red & yellows, and some hefty poblanos.
All were charred on the grill, bagged & then peeled.
The bells were sliced in large pieces & frozen.
The sweet italians were sliced & put up in jars with pickling liquid.
The poblanos were put to good use immediately in some wonderful Chile Relleños my wife made!

 

Very nice.

I've been roasting poblanos and anaheims and having them on my burgers with some cheddar. Green chili cheeseburgers are one of my favorite summer time meals...

 

Is that a propane smoker? How do you like it?

I used to have an electric smoker but I didn't care for it very much.

 

It's a propane smoker. I debated going with either a prop or electric. Settled on the gasser.
Either will work well, depending on what they'll be used for. Since I use it a good deal of time for cold or cool smoking sausages & other meats, in hindsight the electric might have been a better choice as I tend to try and keep the temps between 170-190° for long smokes. This can be a challenge with the propane & regulating the proper flow.

Pros & cons of Propane vs electric
Pro:
Propane vs Electric
• cheaper to buy and maintain (feed!)
• hotter
• better sear marks & smoke ring

Con:
• Temp regulation (especially LOW temps) easier with electric (practically 'set & forget')
• Need to babysit the unit more to ensure consistent temps
• Keeping tanks full so you don't run out at inopportune time!

 

Thanks. I don't do any cold smoking and just didn't like the brisket that came out of the electric smoker. I also didn't like having the electric smoker in my garage (I don't have a covered porch). I'm glad to see a propane smoker produces a smoke ring, that was one of the things I didn't like about the electric.

 

I see you have a WSM also, what do you see as the advantages/disadvantages to WSM vs the propane? I haven't used either, but have been considering the WSM for awhile, I just don't know if I'd use it enough to justify the $$. I've got a Weber gas grill and a weber kettle and used to use a ceramic kamado (Primo) for slow cooking but got tired of having to patch the firebox all the time. They always broke on me.

 

Biggest advantage of gas vs WSM is convenience. More work (& time) required for charcoal cookers for prep, temps control & clean up. For gas, just flick a switch, ignite & you're ready to roll.
Plus side of charcoal is the unmistakeable flavor & char it provides. WSM is best for looooong overnight (12-18 hour) smokes for briskets & pork butts (pulledpork). I'ver done it both ways (gas & charcoal) & prefer both the bark/crust & flavor the WSM provides. I do enjoy my weber gas grill for doing steaks, hot dogs, fish & the like.
For some outdoor cookers, its HARDWOOD charcoal or nothing! I'm a bit more flexible.

 

Speaking of smoking, I haven't had much opportunity to smoke many meats, but FALL is just around the corner—a traditional time of year when many sausage-makers go into overdrive (the fall dressing of hogs & such). So I'm hoping to get back in the saddle soon enough.
My family is clamoring for more homemade smoked kielbasa!

 

I am not a huge fan of the bullet smokers. Since you have the Weber Kettle, just use that. It's what I used above to smoke the garlic and habaneros today.

I have an imperial kamado and the fire box has disintegrated. It is beyond patching and needs to be replaced. Overall, it needs about $200 worth of parts to get it back up and running. I think that will be a late fall project so I can use it all winter when the Weber Kettle is more difficult to maintain a constant temp.

 

Stayed up all night and did this brisket on my Brinkmann pellet grill for a family get together. Came out exceptionally tender.

 

I grilled some corn on the cob yesterday for the first time. It turned out really good. Everyone liked it. Also, I cooked some medium rare New York Strips yesterday. I prefer rare, but nobody else in the house does.

 

A rare ny strip is a thing of beauty,

 

I can get by with medium rare, but rare is way better. I also don't like putting steak sauce on my steak. I like to taste the steak and the seasoning. My dad douses his steak in steak sauce and likes his more done. That's why we cook our own steaks so we get what we want.

 

I used to hate it as a kid, but now I regularly use horseradish sauce on my beef.

 

Everyone likes what they like. I used to eat well done steak when I was a kid, because that's what my parents made.

I think I'm going to grill pork chops tonight.

 

You guys are kill'n me with all these great pics and talks of food!!

 

I bought a Weber (1996) last week and have been using it quite a bit! Here are my main feasts in order!

Last Saturday: Chicken, smoked with pecan which gave it an excellent fire taste.


Midweek burgers (no pics...but juicy nonetheless)

Yesterday: Vermont Maple Glazed Pig Candy Ribs, smoked with hickory and a bit of pecan for a good smokey undertone. The outside of these baby's was candied and was it ever good!


Tonight: burgers, hot dogs, and brats.

And my favorite sight to see when I look out back, a nice smokey grill!

 

Well Done... That stuff looks awesome. ***Edit to add... You got the hinged grate. How do you like it. I really should pick one of them up so not to disturb the rest of the meal while adding a little more charcoal or wood during the process.

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On a related note, I did a good grilling deed tonight. My next door neighbor knocked on my door and asked if I had any lighter fluid. I said "ewww" I haven't used that crap in years, but I will be right over and help you get it going. I ran out back, grabbed my chimney and headed next door. I had him get a few sheets of newspaper and got it going while showing him how it worked. He was really impressed and realized that it would pay for itself rather quickly and provide much better flavor without any lighter fluid. His birthday is next week and I think I am going to surprise him with one of his own.