The OFFICIAL meat smoking thread

[Freed Roger]

I usually smoke pork steaks low and slow around 220 until they look "right" and then finish them on direct heat and caramelize bbq sauce on them.

Now that is what I am talking about

[lukethedrifter]

I usually smoke pork steaks low and slow around 220 until they look "right" and then finish them on direct heat and caramelize bbq sauce on them.

Now that is what I am talking about

That’s how you get the fat just right and the meat so tender. Hell yea.

[Fat Strat]

So, my weekend smokathon went extremely well. I settled on a boneless pork butt, which was on the small side, and a pre-cut brisket flat. Here are the procedures I followed for both in my electric smoker, in case anyone cares.

Boneless pork butt - Saturday
Rub - Head Country Original (Olive oil was the base)
Injection - beef broth w/ a little A1 sauce mixed in
Starting Temp: 230
Wood - Apple
Start time - 9 am
2 pm - At 175 degrees or so, I put butter pats and brown sugar onto foil and then double wrapped the butt. Back onto smoker.
Final temp - 200, let it rest for an hour or so
End time - pulled it at around 8 pm
Reheat - added maybe 1/2 - 1 cup of beef broth and BBQ sauce mixed with rub and then 45 minutes at 300.

Brisket flat - Sunday overnight
Brine - water, salt, brown sugar. (Not measured).
No injection
Rub - Bone Suckin' Seasoning (used BBQ as the base.)
Starting Temp: 235
Wood - Hickory
Start time - 9 pm
Midnight - cut temp down to 220 and added chunks of hickory for overnight smoke
6 am - temp was 165, in the middle of the stall. Temp up to 245.
Noon - temp was 175, wrapped brisket in foil.
3 pm - brisket out at 201 degrees in thickets part and into cooler to rest.
5:30 pm - cut brisket; slices and burnt ends.
Service - covered in beef broth + rub + BBQ sauces to help maintain some juiciness.

Burnt ends: I cut 1" portions of the back of the flat into cubes. Sauteed in a cast iron skillet using the broth + rub + BBQ sauce mixture plus a little butter. Served when hot. I felt like the pre-trimmed brisket flat didn't quite have enough fat in it, which is why I added some butter -- maybe 1 TBSP for 2 lbs of burnt ends. The burnt ends were maybe done a little non-traditionally, but they were delicious and were a great way to revive some of the small outside ends of the brisket that were probably a bit overdone.

In total, I served 11 people and there was maybe enough left overs for 1-2 sandwiches. Even with all of that, we almost didn't have enough food! Both the pork and brisket slices and ends were amazing. Best I have served. I really stand by the overnight method with brisket.

Rubs used:


Sauce used: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com ... SY679_.jpg

Results:

[G. Keenan]

God that looks good.

[Freed Roger]

Now I am hungry.

I ended up doing a pork butt(bone in) and a small brisket in the same smoke.

I don't take the temps. I use the same smoker, so it seems right/controlled. Keep it in the ideal range (smoker gauge) charcoal and apple wood mix. I soak the wood, but they were pretty good size chunks so the fire got a bit hot at beginning and had to throw some water on fire to cool it pown.

Brisket - I didnt do a full flat and the Cut was kind of lean. So i marinated in Italian dressing with some bbq seasoning (winged it). dry rub Bbq with some brown sugar on the pork butt

After a couple hours, I wrapped the brisket in oven bag. After about 6 hours I put the butt in covered foil pan(fell asleep, planned on doing this sooner)

It was great. And it all got eaten or taken home. And now my stomach is growling.

This was an overnight smoke (Sunday pm to Monday am) weather outside was so darn nice. I slept outside to be one with the meat

[Fat Strat]

Nice!

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Looks like you all killed it!

I did the typical chicken wing meal last night with a couple brats and chorizo links which was pretty good. Smoked for 45ish minutes at about 300 degrees with apple and cherry wood.

Sunday my wife marinaded some wild caught salmon in honey/siracha/spices for about 4 hours then we smoked it at about 250 for 30-40 minutes. She also cooked some asparagus and rice mash thing. I don't know how she cooked it but it was rice blended real fine. Anyway, the combination of those three things, rice mash thing, asparagus, and smoked salmon I'll say was possibly the best meal I can remember eating in quite some time at home or at a restaurant. Out of this world.

Fitmencook posted a picture of something similar. My wife asked for the recipe on instagram, lol, and unsurprisingly he didn't get back to her. So, this was basically her creation, credit to her, of a meal someone else posted, credit to them. Regardless, it was incredible.

[Fat_Bulldog]

Looks good Fat Strat.

But, I have to question your lack of smoke ring. What happened there?

[Fat Strat]

Looks good Fat Strat.

But, I have to question your lack of smoke ring. What happened there?

Great question! You can't get a smoke ring in an electric smoker, at least not the kind that I use (typical Masterbuilt smoker). True story. I have never heard a definitive answer as to why it is true, but it is definitely true. Those smokers can pump out the smoke and you can get as much smoke flavor as you want, but you'll never get even a hint of pink/red. I've tried chips, chunks, vents wide open, vents mostly closed, wet, dry, tons of smoke, small amounts of smoke... no pink! Great results (most of the time), but no ring. (interesting conversation about it here).

You can cheat by throwing your meat into a gas grill with some wood chips in a foil bag and cooking it for a little while before transferring it over to the smoker for the rest of the cook. I have done this with something like pork tenderloin, which likes a higher temp anyway. But, since I just cook for myself, my family and friends, it doesn't really matter.

I would love to upgrade to a pellet smoker at some point, but the cost is prohibitive and the electric is so dang convenient. Plug it in. Set the remote. Add meat and wood. Walk away.

[Freed Roger]

Obligatory:
I wish I would have taken a pic of my meat for you guys.