The OFFICIAL meat smoking thread

[Fat_Bulldog]

Really? For stuff like burgers/chicken/brats, I try to get it hot as possible. On the gas side, I'd put all the burners on high and could get it up to about 550-600 during the summer.

For burgers: grill 4 minutes on the first side then 5 minutes on the second side. Put cheese on at the 4 minute mark.
Chicken breasts: 6 minutes on each side depending on the thickness

But, now with charcoal only getting it up to about 400-450, my timing is all off. And, I start to stop paying attention because well I get distracted when not on a strict time line.

You all were tlaking about brats for appetizers. Have you ever tried a smoked salmon with onion chive cream cheese and crackers? I'll throw salmon on with some soy sauce, butter, garlic sauce. Let it smoke for maybe 30 minutes at 225-250 then reapply the sauce and let it go another 15-30 minutes. Freaking good.

I don't time anything. I just go by the way the meat looks and feels. It's always done and always tender and MOIST!!!!!!

[Freed Roger]

My bbq supply store, aka the butcher, only carries the lump charcoal, rather than briquets. I find the lump charcoal erratic and burns too hot.

Agree.....it definitely burns faster and hotter. It works great if you have a firebox, but if you don't then it can be tough to keep the temp regulated sometimes.

The best thing about the natural lump charcoal is the lack of binders and chemicals that can flavor the food if they're not burned off first. With the lump charcoal, you can just stick another couple of pieces on the fire without having to light them first, and they won't make your food taste like plastic. If you get the fire too hot to start with, then you're pretty much just stuck with waiting for it to burn down some, though.

My smoking and grilling has been educated guesses-and I think I am doing that right, I wait until briquets are burned down, and I feed lump coal in later as needed. Sometimes i feed briquets into the fire, but usually have foiled up smoked items by then.

And I will admit, I not sure what a fire box is, but sounds like something that does well with meat..nevermind

[Freed Roger]

How do you smoke brats?

Also, my go to method for brats is to boil them in beer then grill them. Basically, keeps them moist, adds flavor....mmmmmm

Just indirect heat for around 45 minutes to an hour I think (I've never really timed it). You can tell they are done because they turn a nice dark almost reddish/brown color. They are absolutely fantastic.

Like Bulldog, i'll normally do them in the midst of something else and use them as an appetizer.

You won't regret it.....I've done you buddies method but the opposite. I'd grill them first then let them simmer in a aluminum tray containing beer, onions, and green peppers. Bulldog can attest for that method

A version of this is happening here now-minus a Karp and Bulldog, plus a Big Galoot

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Weber really needs to invent/make a porous slab to replace the bowl in their smokey mountains. The bowl just blocks too much air flow. There is about a 20% difference in the temp with the bowl in/out. If you're sitting at 200 with the bowl in, assuming no other things blocking air like a tray, you can jump up to 240 250 with it out. 250 jumps to 300. Sometimes people want to smoke at 300 fwiw and that's almost impossible to do with the bowl in. Fwiw.

[jdk82]

Any big grillers here? Just curious if anyone else loves it as much as I do

[GeddyWrox]

I don't grill every weekend or anything but Ido love meat cooked over a fire of some sort!

[jdk82]

I am going to throw a couple slaps of babyback ribs over charcoal tomorrow.

[GeddyWrox]

Nice! I usually do pork steaks (a STL tradition) or chicken and burgers.

[jdk82]

Nice! I usually do pork steaks (a STL tradition) or chicken and burgers.

I saw some nice pork steaks the other day at a Peoria, Il butcher.

[IMADreamer]

Definitely love smoking and or grilling. Brisket is my personal favorite but it's hard to beat a good burger or steak on the grill.