Summertime...Barbeques, Grills & Smokers!

That is a really neat table, I'm assuming that came with the Egg.

 

Sort of, I originally bought the egg with the intention of building my own table, however, the company I bought it from closed their location and moved closer to Atlanta and had the table on sale for less than I could buy lumber for so I bought it and saved myself the trouble.

 

I was a little worried I used to little paper at first but then I watched it for the next 5-10 minutes and saw the heat coming from the top And some smoke. I really had no idea it was gonna work so well.

I did watch some videos and I knew it worked. I just thought it was gonna be a trial and error type thing.

 

I have always used lighter fluids so I don't know how the food tastes with/without. I can't really compare.

Maybe when I grill some meat or something like that I will taste it more obvious.

I wanted to buy a weber grillstarter. But it was 200SEK, then another brand the stores brand was 130SEK, but both was very big. A little do big for me. Then I found the one I bought and it cost 70SEK. And was the perfect size. Very portable.

I usually use a smaller grill for me and my girlfriend, yesterday I grilled for 3 people and there was food for a fourth person. Even with this "bigger" grill, when I lit coals to the top of the chimney it was a little to much, the grill was to hot.

So this size is perfect for me.


About the charcoal. We have very very many different kinds. But it's mostly the swedish stores "own" brands or something like that. It's probably the same manufacturer and they just stick their name to it. They always do a great job? I have never not been happy with the charcoal I buy.

It's usually 30-40SEK per 2,5-3 kg . And that's about 4-5$. And I always buy briquettes. I'm not a fan of the charcoal.

Do you use a specific type of brand?

 

I know my grill is not a weber. But it was cheap and it has gotten enough uses to be worth what I payed for it =P

I do get great food and have fun with my girlfriend.

A part of me wants a big grill and a good quality, but that's for later. Now I just want a grill that weighs very little and is small to I can take it to parks =)

 

@HolyRollah this is one of the reasons I wanna learn how to smoke meat!

 

Yummmm.....meat sticks! MUCH cheaper (and better tasting!) making them yourself!

Ingredients for Spicy Meat Sticks with Cheese...
AC Leggs is a maker of pre-made spice mixes that can provide a start for many variations. The encapsulated citric acid provides a nice 'tang' to the taste. The BBQ sauce is spicy and so is the Sriracha sauce.
Because these cook/smoke at low temps, the cure#1 (sodium nitrite) is added for safety reasons. Nonfat dry milk is a natural binder, helping hold everything together.


Lean beef & fresh pork....



Cheese added to the meat and spices:


Natural collagen casings:


10mm Stuffing attachment on grinder:



Stuffed and ready for the smoker:


4-6 hours of hickory smoke gives the sticks a vibrant red color that will increase as they cool...


Cooling on the rack:



Trimmed to final size:


Into containers:



Smokey, meaty & cheesy with a hot kick!

 

Omg.. That looks so damn good! I don't know what a cure is and what encapsulated citric acid is =P

I would love to learn doing stuff like that some day. And I love eating them haha! How long do those last?

 

Cure#1 = One of the most common curing salts. It is also called Insta Cure #1 or Pink curing salt #1.
It contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% table salt. It is recommended for meats that require short cures and will be cooked and eaten relatively quickly. Sodium nitrite provides the characteristic flavor and red color associated with curing meats.
Encapsulated citric acid: The main ingredient used when a person wants a fermented sausage flavor. Give the meat a slightly tangy, piquant taste. Add too much = sour!

Those meat sticks will last 3 months or more if refrigerated.
They tend to disappear much sooner than that!

 

This all is so interesting. Thank you for the info.

I have tried to find these things in Sweden. Either they are not used here or I'm searching very wrong. I believe they just don't exist

I love meat sticks. I could snack on them every day

 

CURE#1 (Prague Powder) in the UK. Encapsulated Citric acid isn't nearly as essential or important for smoking.

http://www.homecuring.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=82

EU Countries are based on weight:
£18 up to 2KG
£28 up to 10KG
£35 up to 25KG
We currently despatch to the UK and EU only.

 

When you start shipping those to Alabama let me know! They look great!

 

Thanks. I wasnt searching correctly. Now I know I can find it and it's not to expensive =)

Can't one use ordinary citric acid? I bet this question is used often

 

Prague Powder " cure #1" will work great but must be used very carefully for health reasons

 

The ECA is added near the end of the mixing just prior to stuffing. Unlike regular CA, which quickly dissolves and is absorbed during the cooking, the ECA dissolves very slowly and thus, the 'tanginess' remains after the cooking/smoking.

I use an accurate scale to weigh amounts when using the stuff.

 

I look forward to be able to do some of the stuff you can do. Everything looks so good!

 

Going to make a beer can chicken tonight if I can get it to thaw in time. I've been debating if I should inject it or not but I think I'm just going to go for it and see what happens.

 

This thread is cruel and inhuman punishment.

 

Kevin
Your down right mean, and nasty, to your down right crude rude and socially unacceptable!

You are a great student.

 

Got everything prepped and ready to go so I can enjoy some football before throwing it on the grill. I left out the injection for now, not sure if it be a good idea to let the butter start to solidify once injected.