leek wrote:Can I put the whole thing under the underhang, and not worry too much about melting the plastic with the starter? It would be on the bottom of the grill itself then, and well beyond 5 feet from the overhang, but I know flames and heat shoots up. If I need to leave the starter beyond the overhang, do I have to put it on cinderblocks, or can it sit right on the 1/4 inch cement board?

I'd leave it right under the underhang. If you want to make yourself feel better get the chimney really going with a full load and hold your thermometer right under the underhang. Or just feel the overhang with your hand; if it's very hot then you know you have a potential problem. But I doubt you will. I think you'll be surprised at how much heat dissipates.

JMO,
Dave

BadgerDave wrote:

leek wrote:Can I put the whole thing under the underhang, and not worry too much about melting the plastic with the starter? It would be on the bottom of the grill itself then, and well beyond 5 feet from the overhang, but I know flames and heat shoots up. If I need to leave the starter beyond the overhang, do I have to put it on cinderblocks, or can it sit right on the 1/4 inch cement board?

I'd leave it right under the underhang. If you want to make yourself feel better get the chimney really going with a full load and hold your thermometer right under the underhang. Or just feel the overhang with your hand; if it's very hot then you know you have a potential problem. But I doubt you will. I think you'll be surprised at how much heat dissipates.

JMO,
Dave

Thanks, Dave. That's some really good advice.

=R=

JoelF wrote:New favorite chef's bite: after slicing up a nice fatty brisket, scrape all the fat, burnt crust bits and meat shreds into a pile of brisket butter. Spread on a Trisket with a bit of picked red onion.

Think of it as Texas Nduja

Wasn't sure I'd posted this before, was even less sure I'd called it Texas Nduja.
But it's my favorite part of the brisket prep, where in cleaning up the pulverized spicy fat and meat shreds you get a fantastic snack.

I wasn't permitted to smoke a brisket for Passover, as it was at the Kosher Kids' house this year, so I smoked one yesterday for Easter. Low & Slow 2 recipe; Costco prime packer ($3.69 isn't the cheapest it's been, but still half the price of the choice flats); simple rub of 1 part Chimayo sun-dried chile to 2 parts salt and 2 parts cracked black pepper; sour cherry tart wash; pecan wood for smoke. The cooker got over 300F after the second batch of charcoal, but those prime briskets are so fatty, it's a challenge to dry them out.

.

I just did my first ever smoke, in a WSM I bought at a rummage sale. Super stoked to make pork shoulder, which we enjoyed on brioche buns from West Town Bakery and a simple slaw.

Welcome to LTH and congrats on your first smoke. In my opinion an absolute must read, if you have not already done so, is LTH contributor Gary Wiviott's book 'Low and Slow' : https://www.amazon.com/Low-Slow-Master- ... way&sr=8-2 .

pinkpajamas wrote:I just did my first ever smoke, in a WSM I bought at a rummage sale. Super stoked to make pork shoulder, which we enjoyed on brioche buns from West Town Bakery and a simple slaw.

Welcome aboard. The sandwich looks great. Not bad at all for first effort. What kind of fuel did you use?

=R=

Thanks! I used Trader Joe briquettes and hickory chunks. It's what I had!
I will check out low and slow.

ronnie_suburban wrote: What kind of fuel did you use?

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I think it has been a long time since we discussed where to get lump hardwood. The Cowboy hardwood I have been getting is very small pieces. I don't know if that is from poor handling or just the way Cowboy is doing it. Any suggestions on where to get good lump charcoal?

lougord99 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote: What kind of fuel did you use?

=R=

I think it has been a long time since we discussed where to get lump hardwood. The Cowboy hardwood I have been getting is very small pieces. I don't know if that is from poor handling or just the way Cowboy is doing it. Any suggestions on where to get good lump charcoal?

Probably a bit out of the way for most of you, but I found this at my local (Valpo) Ace Hardware:

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/outdoor-living/grills-and-smokers/charcoal/8684151

The pieces are huge and solid, so very little unusable. Haven’t smoked with it but worked well on the grill. I think I paid a couple bucks less than the price listed, but it wasn’t cheap.

Hi,

40 pound bags of lump charcoal are available at Berger Brothers...surely someone posted about this within this thread.

1176 N Cherry Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
Berger Brothers Inc
312-642-4238

They open early and close early, so call ahead to ensure stock and being open.

Memorial Day Special: BBQ Bologna

This beauty from Romanian weighed in at just around 8 pounds, before cooking. I scored it, rubbed it down with a light coating of olive oil, dusted it with rub and cooked it indirect over lump charcoal for about 2 hours.

After it "blossomed," I sliced it into quarter-inch slabs and created a little DIY Sandwich Bar for it, with white bread, Plochman's mustard, griddled onions and -- for those who were so inclined -- cole slaw.

=R=

Romanian Kosher Sausage Co
7200 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 761-4141

ronnie_suburban wrote:After it "blossomed," I sliced it into quarter-inch slabs and created a little DIY Sandwich Bar

Resisting the 42 double entendres that immediately cum to mind. Simply said, your BBQ Bologna is a beaut.

Saw these and thought of you guys straightaway.

GRILLING OVER GAS IS OBJECTIVELY, SCIENTIFICALLY BETTER THAN GRILLING OVER CHARCOAL.

https://www.wired.com/2013/07/gas-grill ... 52619%20(1)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl

Counterpoint

GRILLING OVER CHARCOAL IS OBJECTIVELY, SCIENTIFICALLY BETTER THAN GRILLING OVER GAS.

https://www.wired.com/2013/07/charcoal- ... 52619%20(1)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl

Got ahold of some prime beef ribs and decided to take advantage of this absolutely gorgeous day . . .


Horizon Offset, burning apple and oak


Prime Beef Ribs, 60/40 Salt & Coarse Black Pepper Rub + dash of my BBQ rub

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ronnie_suburban wrote:Got ahold of some prime beef ribs and decided to take advantage of this absolutely gorgeous day . . .

Last week a big bronze glorious BBQ Bologna, today thick, meaty perfection bronto beef ribs. What's next on the Ronnie_S outdoor cooking agenda, spinning fire kissed goats and dancing angels?

G Wiv wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Got ahold of some prime beef ribs and decided to take advantage of this absolutely gorgeous day . . .

Last week a big bronze glorious BBQ Bologna, today thick, meaty perfection bronto beef ribs. What's next on the Ronnie_S outdoor cooking agenda, spinning fire kissed goats and dancing angels?

Haha, maybe goat angels? Gary, since you've always been my #1 BBQ Inspiration, I appreciate the kind comments. The smoke finished up pretty well. Here are a couple more shots . . .


Done cooking


Sliced for service

They were nicely smokey and not FOB mushy-tender. Just a pleasant, easy chew on the unctuous meat and a bit more chew on the tendon.

=R=

Scientific American article on the science of barbecue. Nothing really new there if you've watched Alton Brown or read McGee, but it's a nice summary of how it all works.

Beautiful weather, so I fired up the Horizon offset today and smoked some tip-on spares over apple and oak . . .


Dig my new welding gloves!


Coming along nicely after about 3.5 hours


Ribs, bonus sausage (a la smokestack), arugula salad with farmers market tomato, corn on the cob, Topo Chico

In the interest of full disclosure, I did give myself Foodie-VIP treatment and serve myself from the best looking of the three slabs.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Ribs, bonus sausage (a la smokestack), arugula salad with farmers market tomato, corn on the cob, Topo Chico

Speaking of bonus sausage, I'd be lying if I said those spare ribs didn't make me more than slightly tumescent. Corn looks terrific as well. Nice all around, very nice!

G Wiv wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Ribs, bonus sausage (a la smokestack), arugula salad with farmers market tomato, corn on the cob, Topo Chico

Speaking of bonus sausage, I'd be lying if I said those spare ribs didn't make me more than slightly tumescent. Corn looks terrific as well. Nice all around, very nice!

Lol, thanks, Gary. Ribs were good (as good as starting stock from Restaurant Depot can allow), sausage was, too. As much as I loved grilled corn, this batch put our Instantpot to, perhaps, its most useful purpose. 2 minutes on high pressure and those kernels were perfectly taut and plump. It was an elemental meal but a satisfying one.

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It is such wonderful phrasemaking as "perfectly taut and plump" that makes me rue the demise of the banner....

Gypsy Boy wrote:It is such wonderful phrasemaking as "perfectly taut and plump" that makes me rue the demise of the banner....

The banner's still there, currently with a quote from Cathy2. It's only viewable from desktop, though . . .


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Well, then. I nominate the aforementioned phrase which, in and of itself, might be accurately described as perfectly taut and plump.

Gypsy Boy wrote:Well, then. I nominate the aforementioned phrase which, in and of itself, might be accurately described as perfectly taut and plump.

I'm honored

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Has anyone bought a smoked ham and then smoked it a second time? Saw this on AmazingRibs.com and I'm intrigued.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:Has anyone bought a smoked ham and then smoked it a second time? Saw this on AmazingRibs.com and I'm intrigued.

I've smoked plenty of items that were already smoked and for the most part, I was pleased with the results. Sausages were my favorites but I also did it with a large piece of smoked pork loin and that turned out great, too. Never tried a whole ham, though.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:Has anyone bought a smoked ham and then smoked it a second time? Saw this on AmazingRibs.com and I'm intrigued.

I've smoked plenty of items that were already smoked and for the most part, I was pleased with the results. Sausages were my favorites but I also did it with a large piece of smoked pork loin and that turned out great, too. Never tried a whole ham, though.

=R=

Can confirm resmoking a smoked ham works very well. And the apricot glaze linked to in the recipe is one I'm definitely going to make again.

Found some forgotten St Louis spare ribs in the back of the freezer and got the Weber out of winter storage to smoke them up. One rack got some homemade BBQ rub and the other one got an herb and shallot rub from the Spice House. Five hours at 270F over lump charcoal and hickory:


While those were smoking I stewed up some greens. Kale, collards, garlic, onion, ham. Really nice pot liquor came out of the greens. I always forget how good these are. This is a dish I need to make more of:


Never seen a smoke ring go all the way through a rib but it tasted great so that's OK

eating while walking wrote:Never seen a smoke ring go all the way through a rib but it tasted great so that's OK

Were the ribs extra cold or even slightly frozen in the center when you put them in the smoker? The longer meat stays under approximately 140° the deeper the smoke ring penetrates.

Nice looking ribs!