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Brisket prices have finally come back to almost normal. I was able to pick one up at Costco for $3.49/lb which puts it in the range of acceptable. This one was 16lbs which I trimmed 1lbs 7oz of fat off of that.
Trimmed
Rubbed
The thing barely fit in the fridge while waiting for the smoker to come to temp and the white smoke to burn off the fresh charcoal.
Lets get cooking
17hrs later we are finished
It finished around 12:30 so I FTC it so we could eat at 5:30. Here it is after resting for 5hrs.
Have read a lot of reviews of people saying you shouldn't use an electric knife to cut brisket that it just shreds it. I don't know but my brand new one I got as a gift for Christmas last year worked just fine when I tried it.
So loved the rub I used this weekend. Sadly I don't know if I can ever recreate it as I realized I didn't have a full single bottle of anything when the time came to rub it down. So it was a mixture of a bunch of seasonings.
It was a combination of these 4 bottles at a minimum but some of those I have already mixed up other rubs in too. Something I had mixed in one of them had some whole red pepper flakes in it and I can't seem to recall what that might have been though. It is a bummer cause it is by far the best rub I have done on a brisket to date although it is only my 4th brisket so that might not be saying much. I do prefer a rather hot rub though so that the bark is like spicey beef jerky.
McCormick Garlic, Herb, Black Pepper, and Sea Salt -
The mixture was primarily the last two. I know I had mixed stuff in the spicey garlic container before and I think I might even have done so in the Badia bottle as well. I will have to buy another bottle of it to see if it has red pepper flakes in it.
If prices stay the same I will definitely do another one in 2-3 weeks. I have some friends coming to stay with us and we won't be going out at all so I will do a lot of cooking on the egg while they are here. Probably a brisket, a butt, chicken, and maybe some shrimp.
Has anyone done a brisket with a wet rub down? I have thought of doing a light coating of GatorHammock hot sauce before my rub. I love that stuff and used it to marinade some shrimp the other day and they were fantastic. I was thinking putting it with all its spices on before my rub next time.
Never done an injection either. Just straight rub and then back in the fridge to drop temp again after handling so it starts as cold as possible to grab as much smoke as it can.
The first batch of wings using Kosmos Hot Dirty Bird. Will definitely continue using this. Much more flavor than the regular dirty bird. It isn't really very spicey though at least to me. Tossed some corn on the cob on with about 20min to go. Might be time to start learning other methods of cook wings, particularly a low temp smoke start with a high temp crisp finish. I can pretty much replicate the current cook method every time but I feel there might be more flavor to be gained changing it up.
The first batch of wings using Kosmos Hot Dirty Bird. Will definitely continue using this. Much more flavor than the regular dirty bird. It isn't really very spicey though at least to me. Tossed some corn on the cob on with about 20min to go. Might be time to start learning other methods of cook wings, particularly a low temp smoke start with a high temp crisp finish. I can pretty much replicate the current cook method every time but I feel there might be more flavor to be gained changing it up.
This is what I do. Chicken absorbs smoke super fast so it doesn't take much. I do ~180F-200F for 30 mins followed by 35-40mins at max temp (450F-500F) with a flip halfway through and it turns out awesome.
Ok good to know. That is about what I was thinking. Been on a chicken wing crave lately so maybe I will pick up more tonight and make them tomorrow and try that out. I feel like I could eat wings all week right now At least on the smoker they are a lot more healthy for you.
Hopefully I'll have some stuff to share in this thread this weekend I snagged a large Big Green Egg from a neighbor last Thursday. It came with the rolling cart, indirect plate, a rib rack, two electric starters, some lump coal, and two bags of mesquite for a whopping $350 I thought they were crazy when they listed it for sale. I probably looked funny as hell rolling it .75 miles back to my house though
It needs a good burn to clear out some of the grease, but otherwise it's in great condition. I ended up ordering the Flame Boss 500, which should be here Wednesday (thanks to @CCColtsicehockey for the recommendation ).
Thanks. They are one of my favorite things to make. So easy to cook really. Hard to screw up. Most of the work is in the prep and not the cook with wings like that.
Nice glad to hear you went with the Flameboss I don't think you will be disappointed.
Right @SamDoe1? When he asked me what I thought about the deal if it was worthwhile I told him if he didn't buy it I was going to drive up and by it. People sometimes even sell the smalls for more than that and that is just the grill and not all the extras he got with it.
The first batch of wings using Kosmos Hot Dirty Bird. Will definitely continue using this. Much more flavor than the regular dirty bird. It isn't really very spicey though at least to me. Tossed some corn on the cob on with about 20min to go. Might be time to start learning other methods of cook wings, particularly a low temp smoke start with a high temp crisp finish. I can pretty much replicate the current cook method every time but I feel there might be more flavor to be gained changing it up.
J still rants and raves about your cock and cobb, bro.
That was a stupendous meal. Thanks again.
J still rants and raves about your cock and cobb, bro.
That was a stupendous meal. Thanks again.
Well there is always more cock and cobb available for her at any time. And you too for that matter.
Anytime man. Feel free to stop by again when you buy another car in 6 months
So the big move to the new house is complete. One of the last things to move was the smoker. I cleaned it and rinsed it out before I moved it.
Here is where it will sit when it's not in use on the big deck
For Labor Day I had to do a smoke, since the kitchen is still being unpacked I kept it simple.
I had this bigger River Country thermometer sitting around for over a year and figured it was a good time to throw it on
I brined the chickens overnight, and then smoked them. It poured down rain the whole smoke (The main downfall of the new place is having no roof over the deck like my last place)
But they came out perfect
That night we did pulled chicken sandwiches. The next night we had my parents over for dinner and I made smoked chicken enchiladas, and they were excellent.
Had them 2 nights in a row, they were absolutely amazing
Today I made smoked chicken salad sandwiches. I don't think I'll ever eat regular chicken salad again lol
did a lot of smokes over the last 10 days. Made tri-tip, ribs, and chicken. Chicken still one of my absolute favorites and so easy.
Reverse sear tri-tip with some roasted red skin potatoes and corn on the cob.
3-1.5-1 ribs. DId these with Kosmos Cherry Habanero bbq sauce follow by their Apple Cherry Habanero rib glaze. They were pretty spicy. The glaze is rather hot. I will have to leave it off the girlfriends next ime.
Another Kosmos hot dirty bird seasoned chicken came out perfect.
For you smoking masters, what do you own? I've casually looked into buying a smoker and Traeger seems to be a solid brand...? Maybe next spring I'll purchase one.
For you smoking masters, what do you own? I've casually looked into buying a smoker and Traeger seems to be a solid brand...? Maybe next spring I'll purchase one.
I have a Traeger and a masterbuilt electric (which can cook more things at once). Do NOT buy a Traeger. I'd recommend Rec Teq or Pit Boss if you want a pellet grill. I've had a bunch of issues with my Traeger though the results, when it works well, are exceptional.
I have a Traeger and a masterbuilt electric (which can cook more things at once). Do NOT buy a Traeger. I'd recommend Rec Teq or Pit Boss if you want a pellet grill. I've had a bunch of issues with my Traeger though the results, when it works well, are exceptional.
Thanks, Sam.
I would ideally like one that can electronically manage the temperature. I'll check out both brands you've recommended.
They can and do all manage temp electronically. There are just a lot of design flaws in the Traeger that were easy, low hanging fruit issues that should never have hit the market.
Other thing to consider is that you HAVE to clean the grill often. If you don't, it ends in failed cooks, fire going out, inconsistent temps, etc. That's generally a thing with pellet cookers in general though, not a brand specific issue. One thing to look into is how easy/hard it is to clean the grill as that differs from brand to brand.
They can and do all manage temp electronically. There are just a lot of design flaws in the Traeger that were easy, low hanging fruit issues that should never have hit the market.
Other thing to consider is that you HAVE to clean the grill often. If you don't, it ends in failed cooks, fire going out, inconsistent temps, etc. That's generally a thing with pellet cookers in general though, not a brand specific issue. One thing to look into is how easy/hard it is to clean the grill as that differs from brand to brand.
Thanks again. So, when it comes to being able to electronically control the airflow, temp, and cleaning...which brand and model would you recommend?
I have a Big Green Egg. I love it. I only clean it once year other than emptying the ash from the bottom. I have an electric controller for it as well. It takes a little to get it started being that it is charcoal compared to say a Traeger. It is, however, super easy to keep stable temps. Other than if you have to rotate the meat or wrap something you can pretty much set it and forget it till it is done. It also, being ceramic, keeps things extremely moist. It is really hard to dry things out unless you extremely overcook them. I do not use spray bottles or water pans under my smokes.
Thanks again. So, when it comes to being able to electronically control the airflow, temp, and cleaning...which brand and model would you recommend?
The best one is Rec Teq but the price is in line with the "best". Second would be Pit Boss but, honestly, I'd find some place to go check them out in person to see what works best for you.
Traegers are overpriced garbage IMO. I'm personally not a fan of pellet smokers because I like to have more control in the actual act of cooking than pushing a button. I know people who have them and love them and they are less maintenance/work than a traditional charcoal smoker. But I only use charcoal and fruit wood for smoking.
Traegers are overpriced garbage IMO. I'm personally not a fan of pellet smokers because I like to have more control in the actual act of cooking than pushing a button. I know people who have them and love them and they are less maintenance/work than a traditional charcoal smoker. But I only use charcoal and fruit wood for smoking.
Glad I asked in here. Because for a bit, I thought it would be the Honda of smokers -- reliable and good for a non-expert.
Glad I asked in here. Because for a bit, I thought it would be the Honda of smokers -- reliable and good for a non-expert.
Don't get me wrong, if/when my Traeger dies I will for sure get another pellet grill. It just won't be another traeger product. I love the concept and the food it makes is amazing.
Traeger, IMO, is more like the Alfa of grills lol. They are awesome when they work but don't count on not babysitting them throughout the day.
So, just to be clear, BBQ makers like Weber...they are not a good source for a smoker, right? Even if they do sell them?
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend anything from Weber to anyone who wants to be serious about this stuff. I had a Weber kettle for many years, I sold it this past summer because I never used it. I also have a Weber Genesis gas grill that I use all the time and it's built like a tank. However, as with anything, you pay dearly for the quality, build, and badge tax that comes with a Weber product. The downside is that their pellet products, which are recent as Ack mentioned, were hobbled with quality and design issues when they launched and got pretty terrible reviews as a result. Allegedly many of those issues have been resolved already but I'd still give it some time before I got a Weber pellet grill. The great thing with Weber is that their name and reputation is huge to them so I fully expect them to fix the quality and design issues ASAP and provide the proper customer support to those that have flawed units.
RecTeq is similarly high end and comes with a price tag to match, I'd start there if you want to get in now and have a decent budget IMO. If you're willing to wait until next year, go ahead and wait for the Weber products to mature a bit and grab one of those. With either of those options, you're looking at ~$600 just to get your foot in the door. Sky is the limit from there.
Originally Posted by 97BlackAckCL
Weber makes great products and has an awesome warranty. My smoker is a Weber.
They waited to enter the pellet market until doing years of R&D so their products are supposed to be great, but expensive
Expensive, yes, but they've had a lot of issues with the launch of their pellet line. Problems with hopper issues, issues with the feed auger, etc... They are fixing those issues though.
And I have you guys to "thank" for making me spend my money because of your amazing food-pr0n posted in here.
I'll keep an eye out on promos for a smoker over the next few months on the brands you guys have recommended.
At least on the smoker they are a lot more healthy for you.
I snagged a large Big Green Egg from a neighbor last Thursday. It came with the rolling cart, indirect plate, a rib rack, two electric starters, some lump coal, and two bags of mesquite for a whopping $350 
I thought they were crazy when they listed it for sale. I probably looked funny as hell rolling it .75 miles back to my house though 
).
And you too for that matter.
