Any Time is Grillin Time

ocnbrze · Apr 7, 2019

On so last year I bought a Char-broil Kamander. It's kind of like those ceramic green egg bbq, except it's much cheaper and is not ceramic. It works great for everything but slow cooking and smoking. It's has a drip pan that you fill with liquid. Problem is that it is in the middle and you have to remove it off you each to add more fuel to the fire. Which means you have to remove the food, remove the grill, remove the pan (try not to spill the liquid if there is any), and then add the wood or charcoal, add the drip pan, add the grill, and final pot the food back on to cook. Pain in my ass!!!!!!!!

It's great for grilling things like steak, vegetable, chicken and seafood. But things like pork butt, ribs, or even pork shoulder.

So I've been thinking on getting a separate smoker. Costco had a nice electric one for $349. You just plug it on add your wood and smoke away. I'm still shopping around though. Hopefully I can find one that's cheaper.

olbriar · Apr 7, 2019

I'm a huge proponent of the pellet grills. Traeger and Green Mountain make great smokers for not a huge investment. They use natural wood species pressed into pellets for fuel and electricity to feed the burn pot at whatever rate it need to maintain your desired cooking temp.
I doubt you can find one in your target price range but if I were buying again, I'd save up the difference and enjoy the benefit. The ease of smoking meats without trying to maintain your desired cooking temp is just so easy. Even I can achieve quality cooks from one.

I'm unfamiliar with the smoker you are interested in. I'm not at all trying to dog your choice.
If you purchase that smoker or something similar, please share your opinion and success stories.

ocnbrze · Apr 7, 2019

olbriar said:
I'm a huge proponent of the pellet grills. Traeger and Green Mountain make great smokers for not a huge investment. They use natural wood species pressed into pellets for fuel and electricity to feed the burn pot at whatever rate it need to maintain your desired cooking temp.
I doubt you can find one in your target price range but if I were buying again, I'd save up the difference and enjoy the benefit. The ease of smoking meats without trying to maintain your desired cooking temp is just so easy. Even I can achieve quality cooks from one.

I'm unfamiliar with the smoker you are interested in. I'm not at all trying to dog your choice.
If you purchase that smoker or something similar, please share your opinion and success stories.

Yeah I also have been eyeing Treager as well. They're just so damn expensive. Maybe I will save up and wait to get one cuz they do look nice.

olbriar · Apr 7, 2019

ocnbrze said:
Yeah I also have been eyeing Treager as well. They're just so damn expensive. Maybe I will save up and wait to get one cuz they do look nice.

I started with a Traeger and then Green Mountain. My Traeger now smokes goodies at my cabin. It's as old as this thread. I replaced the burn pot and the motherboard through the years but it's proved to be a great smoker. The Green Mountain is into it's second year here at the house. It is better at holding a given temp and is more conservative on pellet usage. I can't yet speak of it's longevity. And, I'm comparing a ten year old product to a two year old product. I have no idea the improvements Traeger has implemented through the years. You would absolutely love either I'm certain. Smoked meats are wonderful! The ease of smoking with a pellet grill is wonderful as well. No matter what you ultimately purchase, a grill is not a smoker.
Good luck in landing one of your choice. And do share how much you enjoy it.

Unforgiven · Apr 7, 2019

@ocnbrze, for $350 you are real close to a good pellet grill. As the technology has matured there are many brands that are nearly as good as Traeger (some probably as good or better, but it is always hard to argue with the first, plus they just came out with a whole updated line) for much less money.

The new Traegers do more, but at over $1500 what's the point. If it is made of good thick steel, and the auger, pellet bin, and burn box are solid you will probably do fine. I started with an electric for about 1/3 of the price you are looking at, and it was OK, but the pellet smokers are the way to go.

Unforgiven · Apr 7, 2019

Oh, and this isn't grilling, but cooking related. I'm making pot roast in a dutch oven, and I'm learning how much we have screwed up cooking with things like crock pots and (thread tie in coming) gas grills to make things quick and easy.

I must have tried a dozen different methods to make pot roast that wasn't dried out and tough. Cooking it in a dutch oven it comes out perfect. Going back to cooking methods my grandparents used (dutch ovens, pressure cookers, wood fired grills, etc.) my food recipes are easier and taste way better. You just have to give it the time to cook, which is the antithesis of our society nowadays.

ocnbrze · Apr 7, 2019

yeah well talking about giving time to cook. We just bought a Ninja Foodi its like all in one unit. it is a pressure cooker and an air fryer. it can bake and broil things as well. Some of the features i rather do it conventionally, but the pressure cooker and air fyer functions work well. i can make a roast in under 30mins that is moist and very tender. when i make ribs, i first pressure cook it for 15min then i can either throw it on the grill and glaze it or in the oven. since we got the ninja, i have not touched our crockpot.

i have a le creuset dutch oven that is well over 10yrs, but it just recently cracked. i want a new one, but they are soooooo damn expensive.

of course if i get a smoker then i will most likely cook it low and slow rather then using the ninja.

olbriar · Apr 7, 2019

A dutch oven is a boy scout's best friend.

Oh how I remember many a fine meal from one. Just drag out a few coals from the fire, sit the oven on them, a few coals on top an viola!

Before I put a range in my cabin, a dutch oven was pressed into service often. They even make a disposable liner insert for them these days making kp a breeze.

Our ancestors had a lot of things figured out that we haven't improved on.

olbriar · Apr 7, 2019

ocnbrze said:
yeah well talking about giving time to cook. We just bought a Ninja Foodi its like all in one unit. it is a pressure cooker and an air fryer. it can bake and broil things as well. Some of the features i rather do it conventionally, but the pressure cooker and air fyer functions work well. i can make a roast in under 30mins that is moist and very tender. when i make ribs, i first pressure cook it for 15min then i can either throw it on the grill and glaze it or in the oven. since we got the ninja, i have not touched our crockpot.

i have a le creuset dutch oven that is well over 10yrs, but it just recently cracked. i want a new one, but they are soooooo damn expensive.

of course if i get a smoker then i will most likely cook it low and slow rather then using the ninja.

My buddy just bought one of those. I've yet to see him since the purchase. I bet he's enjoying it as well. I love pressure cooking. I've never tried air frying but I'm game.

ocnbrze · Apr 13, 2019

i was looking to get this at Costco:

edit: uggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i don't feeling photo editing. not sure how it rotated the photo like that.

it is a lousiana pellet smoker. it looks pretty sweet.....and not a bad price.

olbriar · Apr 19, 2019

I was just at Costco this morning and was going to give that smoker a close look. I completely spaced it off. You could certainly smoke a lot of goodies on there at once. I wonder how consistent the temp is at the different rack levels? I would also question how efficient it is smoking that much space? It does look like a nice smoker but I'd sure want to know more about it.

My trip to Costco finally paid off @Unforgiven. I scored two racks of prime beef short ribs today. They came wrapped two racks per package and I chose the best looking package of the three available. I know what I'll be smoking Sunday.

Unforgiven · Apr 19, 2019

It's about time. I still have a rack of four in my freezer, but I'm committed to a couple of Easter hams this weekend.

olbriar · Apr 19, 2019

Unforgiven said:
It's about time. I still have a rack of four in my freezer, but I'm committed to a couple of Easter hams this weekend.

My son has been working 7 days a week and will continue doing so for at least another month. My youngest might come for dinner but the last I heard she is doing dinner with her boyfriend's family. That leaves me and the wife to do whatever we want.

I'll miss seeing my family but I'll enjoy my ribs.

olbriar · Apr 21, 2019

I was expecting my beef ribs to take longer to cook. I smoked the rack at 225° and wrapped them when they reached 160°. I put them in the hot box once they reached 205° after only seven and a half hours of smoke. I'm not upset, just surprised. I was expecting 9+ hours cook time. It's not going to hurt the rack to rest longer than planned. Man they look and smell great.

olbriar · Apr 21, 2019

These ribs were worth waiting six months to find! Melt in your mouth beef candy on a stick!!

Unforgiven · Apr 21, 2019

olbriar said:
I was expecting my beef ribs to take longer to cook. I smoked the rack at 225° and wrapped them when they reached 160°. I put them in the hot box once they reached 205° after only seven and a half hours of smoke. I'm not upset, just surprised. I was expecting 9+ hours cook time. It's not going to hurt the rack to rest longer than planned. Man they look and smell great.

I don't wrap them. I just leave them at 225 for ten hours.

olbriar · Apr 21, 2019

Unforgiven said:
I don't wrap them. I just leave them at 225 for ten hours.

I traditionally wrap my ribs around the 160 mark so these got the same treatment. I've never tried not wrapping them. There is likely little difference between the two beyond the wrap bringing them to temp faster. Do they remain super moist unwrapped?

Unforgiven · Apr 22, 2019

They stay moist. You are probably right about the speed of the cook.

dontpanicbobby · Apr 23, 2019

Sauces? Sweet or tangy or HOT!
Are y'all from dry rub states?

ocnbrze · Apr 23, 2019

dontpanicbobby said:
Sauces? Sweet or tangy or HOT!
Are y'all from dry rub states?

I like to do both on my ribs. I marinate then in the rub, slow cook them and then add the glaze near the end.

dontpanicbobby · Apr 23, 2019

Then the rub?
To much patience.
How many days are we talking?

olbriar · Apr 23, 2019

I've spiced the meat to smoke the night before and just prior to smoking. I honestly couldn't tell there was a difference in the end product. To me the perfect rub delivers multiple levels.
Sweet at first and then turning hot as you eat. I sometimes glaze the end product and sometimes I like it dry. Lately, I've been using just coarse salt and lots of coarse ground pepper. I'm okay with the taste and it's by far my wife's preference. The fun of rubs and mops is that you are only limited by your imagination.

dontpanicbobby · Apr 23, 2019

I've been eating ribs from a sub shop in Dudley Square. The sauce would make rancid ribs taste good.
You'd have to drench them though.

olbriar · Apr 23, 2019

Years ago, I frequented a corner vendor who's meats were always tender and juicy. However, everything that came from his smoker tasted the same. Whatever his magic rub consisted of, it completely masked the natural flavor of the meat it was on. If you liked his rub.. you were good to go.

ocnbrze · Apr 23, 2019

dontpanicbobby said:
Then the rub?
To much patience.
How many days are we talking?

well patience is a virtue.......lol
yeah i like to plan ahead if i'm going to make ribs, brisket, or pork butt. I marinate them in the rub over night if i could and then glaze them later. it is only over night.

olbriar said:
I've spiced the meat to smoke the night before and just prior to smoking. I honestly couldn't tell there was a difference in the end product. To me the perfect rub delivers multiple levels.
Sweet at first and then turning hot as you eat. I sometimes glaze the end product and sometimes I like it dry. Lately, I've been using just coarse salt and lots of coarse ground pepper. I'm okay with the taste and it's by far my wife's preference. The fun of rubs and mops is that you are only limited by your imagination.

i most of my rubs to not have any sweetness as that is what the glaze is for. i mostly use some different spices a only add salt and pepper right before i cook them. adding salt and pepper early will only draw moisture out.

Any Time is Grillin Time

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