Lighting Charcoal

One of my biggest concerns after moving from a propane fired smoker to a wood/charcoal fired pit was the lighting of charcoal. After all I had not used charcoal for grilling or smoking for over 25 years. I knew I did not want to use lighter fluid as my past experience with both lighting and eating food cooked on a grill/pit that was started with lighter fluid had shown my that you could tasted the lighter fluid in the food. I do not care what some of you say this is an indisputable fact and if you say you cannot taste the fluid in the meat, then you have no taste buds left.

I started doing research in advance of my new pit purchase and decided to use a charcoal chimney. Needless to say I was very nervous the day I first fired up my pit, however as you will see here I had absolutely no reason to be concerned.

I choose a large chimney (Weber Brand) and was not sure I really needed one this large, but later I was glad I did.

To light the charcoal in the chimney I followed these steps

Placed three paper towels (you can also use newspaper) in the bottom of the chimney and added a few drops of olive oil. Note: I am doing this in my firebox, however you can also do this in a gravel area, which I typically do for my second batch.

Turn the chimney up right and fill with charcoal. I try to only fill about 75 percent of the chimney.

Then ignite the paper towels in the bottom of the chimney

In a matter of seconds you will have smoke coming out of the top of your chimney

and in no time you will have glowing charcoals. (about 15 minutes average depending on ventilation and draft)

You can then pour the coals in to your fire box and let your pit begin to heat up.

Notice I am using a pit glove for safety and also have both a water hose and fire extinguisher at my disposal.

I can normally get a 250 degree smoker box for around 4 hours out of one chimney full.

As you can see this process is not that difficult and I now really enjoy both grilling and smoking with charcoal.

Cheers
Randy

A New Pit

Thus far I have been smoking on a Master Forge propane smoker and have spent many hours researching a charcoal and wood smoker. I finally decided to go with a the Open Range from the folks at The Good One.

As you can see this is not the biggest pit in the world, however for my first charcoal/wood smoker it is perfect. My biggest concern was lighting charcoal and as you will see in a future blog, this was not an issue at all. My other concern was maintaining a constant temperature, however with the solid construction and one chimney of charcoal I can maintain 255 + for over four hours. Using this pit when you have a smoker box temp of 250 you can hold your hand over both the smoker and fire boxes and you have to be 2 inches or closer to feel any heat leaving.An excellent purchase and I am having great luck with this pit.

The one caution is that given the tight seal and the ability to use wood chunks you have to be very careful not to over smoke.

I smoked some chicken wings and legs and they were a little bitter than I would have liked

Randy

Something Different

As of now  I have really been concentrating on the competition types of meat. (Brisket, Pork Shoulder, Ribs and Chicken) I have my rub, sauce and marinade recipes down. My timing is another story as while I can cook some great BBQ, I know that I have to be able to turn in at a specific time in order to compete.

That being said I decided to take a break and try something different. I was in my local butcher shop (yea, shop local and support the small business man when  you can.) and he was telling be about his Duroc Pork Bone-In Loin Chops. Well he had my attention at Pork, however I was intrigued about the rest. You can do a Google search on Duroc Pork and here is a couple of links to get you started:

Lobel's of New York
Compart

Basically Duroc Pork is the prime cut of pork.

So I said I would love to give it a try. The cut I chose had both the Chop and the Loin in one cut of meat.

I injected with simply Apple Juice and let rest about four hours.

I used this rub recipe:

1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Dry Mustard
2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Cayenne Pepper
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons Coarse Ground Black Pepper

You can adjust quantities as needed. I did not rub as I would with other types of meat, but simple sprinkled a generous portion on the Pork.

I smoked at 225 - 250 for 2 hours and then wrapped for three hours. I then let set in the smoker for an additional hour wrapped turning off the heat (you can also use your oven) essentially adding no more smoke or heat. I then let rest for about 30 minutes and sliced into Loin/Chops. As you can see the result looked great, but this is one of the best tasting cuts of meat I have every smoked and will probably smoke another one for Thanksgiving.

Randy

Chicken

Ok so I have been learning a lot and have to say that Chicken, especially competition Chicken is very challenging. I have learned much through reading books, internet, TV and trial and error and I can say that the combination of good rub, prep, and sauces makes for some excellent chicken thighs that to me have great texture, taste and tenderness.

I am not going to share all of my Chicken recipes as most are right out of a book, "Smoking, with Myron Mixon." However I will share some of my lessons learned and my rub recipe that I have used.

First I have been shigging Myron's muffin pan chicken method and it works great. The key is to trim your chicken thighs so you can form them into a cupcake mold. Have holes in each slots of the mold and put in another pan adding chicken broth to the bottom pan. This keeps the thighs moist and the skin bite through.

You can get the entire recipe by purchasing Myron's book.

I have had great success as well smoking chicken breasts the using this same process.

And using this same method, Bacon wrapped Chicken Breasts

All turned out very moist with an excellent taste.

The last chicken item I will show here is the lollipop chicken legs. I used the same process and these turned out excellent and ever so tender.

In the past week I have just smoked what I consider the best Chicken Wings of all time and I will discuss that in a future blog.

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy

Chicken Rub Recipe

2/3 Cup Chili Powder
1/2 Cup Sugar
4 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
4 Tablespoons Onion Powder
4 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
4 Tablespoons Paprika
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

This combined with a sweet sauce/glaze provides an excellent combination of sweet and heat and a flavor profile that will will really enjoy

A Turning Point

Up until now I have been learning by comparing notes with the two Steve's and doing internet research on smoking different types of meat. However, I was browsing TV channels one day and came across a show that would change my BBQ live and philosophy.

BBQ Pitmasters  was the show and there just happened to be a marathon on the day I discovered it.

Watching the different competitors from all over the country (and now the world) really gave me some great tips and ideas on how I wanted to progress on my journey to be a pit master.

One particular individual proved to be more inspirational than the rest. Yes I am writing about the Loud and Proud Myron Mixon. Mr Mixon is considered the winningest man in BBQ and despite his large ego (hey he can get away with it) he is more of a wealth of knowledge than I believe even he realizes.

See Jacks Old South for more information on Myron.

After watching several dozen episodes I decided to purchase Myron's book "Smokin with Myron Mixon, Recipes Made Simple, from the Winningest Man in Barbecue" This book is everything I hoped it would be and more. From recipes for rubs and sauces to how to prepare Smoked Deviled Eggs this is one great book for the beginning pit master. And yes it is simple!

This book is worth whatever it costs and while the recipes are simple and even gives you times and temperatures for a smoke, make no mistake about it I am still a long way from competition.

Cheers
Randy

Brisket

Brisket, where to start? Well I did as I had been doing using a basic commercial rub (Oklahoma Joe's All purpose rub). I followed the directions that came with my smoker and, in a word was crap. The smoke flavor was there, but the final product was so tough it was almost inedible.

So I went back to the drawing board and tied again a few weeks later. Almost the exact same result. Needless to say I was very discouraged and decided to go back to pork.

Now the turning point in my brisket story was that a friend and one of the Usual Suspects of Baypoint (S.M.) had been smoking brisket for events at the condo and it was the best brisket I had ever tasted. Great smoke, flavor and tender beyond belief all while not falling apart.

I presented S.M. with a proposition, if he would teach me his secret I would provide the meat and do most of the work. Happily S.M. obliged and even picked up the meat. S.M. also had a recipe for a rub that I believe he found on the internet. So on a Friday night around 10:00 we set up the smoker and he brought the brisket over. Now at this time I did not realize how much work was involved in trimming the brisket. Silly me just assumed it came that way (which it does if you want)

Me Manning the Smoker in the A.M.

We put in this mammoth cut of meat and watched the smoker for a few hours to be sure the temp was around 200 - 225 while imbibing on our favorite adult beverages. We smoked overnight and the next morning the temp had climbed to around 240, but that was not an issue. I adjusted the temp and we let the brisket smoke for a few more hours until the internal temp was around 185-190.

Then S.M. let me in on the part of the process I was missing, he double wrapped the brisket with foil and placed it in a cooler (no ice) and let it continue to cook in it's own juices.

Well the result was absolutely phenomenal we all ate until we nearly burst!

The Master on the left (S.M.) and the Student

Gadget Corner:

I had been suspecting for a few months that my smoker thermometer was not as accurate as it once was so I did some research for a new high tech way to keep track of both the internal smoker temp as  well as the food team.

This is what I selected.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ITJT92/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used it for the first time yesterday and I was very pleased with the functionality. It kept a very consistent temperature (I was double checking with another thermometer) of both the smoker and food by using two different leads. It was easy to set up and allowed me to sit on my patio without jumping up and walking back to the smoker anytime i was curious of the temp. As  you can see in the picture the remote unit has both temps displayed.

Now for the bad part, the leads you get with this product are only about 3 feet in length and while that sounds like enough, trust me it is not. Even for the smallest of smokers or grills you need to purchase extra leads. The only ones I found were six feet and they will work for most smokers and grills.

And yest my old smoker thermometer was off by 34 - 50 degrees. Now to see if I can calibrate it

Cheers
Randy

Ribs

My smoking was progressing at least in quantity of smokes. I was getting farily good at chicken, but really was interested in ribs. Why not as it is easy to feed a lot of people and who does not like BBQ Ribs?  I did 5 racks of ribs for a family gathering using 5 different commercial rubs.

Famous Dave's Rib Rub
Author Bryants
Jacks Stacks
Cookies
Oklahoma Joes

Side Note: So far in my young BBQ Career Oklahoma Joe's was the best BBQ I had ever had. In fact even today it is my favoriate BBQ that is not from MySideOfTheSmoker.

I also, for the first time, made my own sauces. I did a search on the web and found several recipes that looked interesting. I had a Sweet, Sweet and Spicy, a Bourbon BBQ Sauce and even a Salsa BBQ sauce that I did not care for, but everyone else loved.

I read somewhere that when  you sauced your ribs you could really improve the coating by heating up a grill as hot as you could get it, turn off the heat, put your ribs on the grill, sauce and close the lid letting them rest. This was a great idea so I started using this method. (Still do)

Look in the back and you can see the salsa sauce. Does not look that great, but received stellar reviews.For my first attempt for the masses it was a good smoke and I did get a lot of compliments. However I knew in my mind there were bigger and better things to come.

Side of the Week

BBQ Deviled Eggs

Yes I thought WTH when I first read this recipe, however they are great! I will reveal in a later post where I got the idea, but for now I will  share the secret.

Start with you favorite deviled egg recipe and mix in finely pulled pork shoulder, chicken or brisket. You may need a little extra of your mayo, relish, or whatever you use to keep your eggs from getting dry. When eggs are assembled, sprinkle your favorite rub on them and serve cold. Again these are awesome!

Cheers
Randy

The Story Continues

I went on smoking for the next couple of months using my gas grill as my pit. I had mixed results, but really no idea what or where I wanted to go from here.

I had been picking S.M.'s brain a lot as he had been smoking the brisket for an annual event we had been attending. His brisket was the best I had ever had so I figured, how could I go wrong.

On Valentines Day 2011, Central Patti Surprised me with this

What a surprise this was! This was approximately the same pit that S.M. had been using so I believed myself to be on the right track. You can find many reviews of this smoker on the internet and I agree with most that this is an excellent, inexpensive starter smoker. The negative side of this smoker is that it does leak a little to much as the seals are not great. This means  you loose not only smoke, but heat and I have had to wrap a  blanket around it on occasion to get my temps to the optimal smoking temps for what I am cooking.

I have been smoking on this for a couple of years now and have no other complaints except what I have noted above.

One of the fist meats I smoked on my new smoker was chicken (still one of my favorites) I used a commercial rub, Famous Dave's and followed the recommendations in the manual that accompanied my smoker. It was a great smoke!

Side of the Week

I have been asked by my readers why I keep posting sides and not meat recipes. Easy, you can find all the great recipes you wish on how to smoke on the internet or in books and indeed I will post some in other blog posts. However, to me the choice of sides can make or break your feast so to start I will post some ideas of items to make your day a great one.

Grandma Kugel's Scalloped Corn
Grandma would bring this dish to every family gathering while I was growing up and it never lasted long enough for seconds, so I learned to take both first and seconds at the same time.

16 oz can of creamed corn
1 egg (beaten, but leave no bruises ;))
half cup Ritz Crackers
1 TLB Spoon Butter
salt and pepper to taste, but I leave out the salt.  (Sorry Grandma)
Smoke Temp 300 for about two hours or until the top is golden brown

I tripled the recipe and if you do use a whole tube of Ritz, makes  it much eaiser

Cheers
Randy

Second Smoke

So the first smoke really got my attention and I had to try again. After all I had no where to go but up. I had been having many discussions on smoking with S.O. and doing a lot of research.

I decided to stay with baby back ribs and purchased a commercial rub. I found that while I liked the Cookies BBQ Rub I used the first time was good, it proved a little to spicy for me. I lightly rubbed the ribs and let sit for about two hours.

I was still using a grill, however this time the weather was a little cooler and I had an easier time regulating my temperature .

I tried to say between 200 and 225 and for the most part I succeed and I cooked for about 6 hours.

When my temperature of the meat was around 185 I took them off the grill and cranked the grill up as hot as I could get it in 15 minutes. I then turned off the grill and put the ribs back on along with saucing the ribs with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce.

As you can see the results looked a little better this time.

While the ribs were great and fell off the bone I did not realize at this time that even though I and everyone I knew would like these ribs, they were not ready for competition (not by a long haul)

My First Reciepe
I plan on putting many recipes in my blogs and I am not claiming to have invented all of them. Most I have found on the Internet or in books, however most I will have tweaked. With some hints from P.T.I decided to smoke as many of my sides as possible.

Bourbon Baked Beans
77 oz can Campbell's Pork and Beans
1 Medium Sweet Onion
1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
12 oz Ketchup (the original recipe called for chili sauce, but this would be to hot for me)
1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 Cup Four Roses Bourbon
1/2 Cup Four Roses Bourbon to drink while you continue to smoke ;)
8 (or more) Slices of Bacon

Heat Smoker to 350
Combine all ingredients except bacon in a foil pan
Place Bacon on top
Smoke about two hours or until all the bacon on top is crisp and brown

Cheers

The Beginning

So, how did I start this adventure? Well I own a lot of what I know and my desire to start smoking to two individuals (S. O. and S.M.) both of which will be credited for their contributions as this blog progresses. The first, S.O. started smoking before I did and tweaked my interest. He started with a smoker box for a backyard grill.

We had a contest (actually I was just learning about smoking anything See the Rib Cook-Off) to see who could smoke the best Baby Back ribs. The problem we had was it was about 100 degrees that day and it was impossible to keep our grills at the appropriate temp to smoke! We kept turning off the grills and firing them back in an attempt to keep the temp at 200 - 225. As you can see in this picture

The end results while making a decent presentation were a little over done. However I had never tasted anything as good as these ribs (oh yea, S.O. placed first in the contest and I placed second. Those were the only entries)

What this did was to really get my interest going in smoking and as you will see in the coming blogs I have made some good progress with much more to follow.

Cheers
Randy

Coming Attractions

This is a place holder for my upcoming project on BBQ Smoking, chronicling the evolution of a backyardigan BBQ Smokers journeys to competitive contest smoker!