FAO Monkey (or anyone wanting to do some smoking)

[_Stretchie_]

Here you go fella, quick guide on using your BBQ to do some smoking.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/30vj2opxx9hr7cv/Smoking%20with%20your%20BBQ.pdf

And this is just for you too:

- Cooked for two hours
- Removed from smoker, wrapped in foil and returned to smoker to cook for two more hours
- Remove from smoker, unwrap (this is the stage I took this pic), then smother in BBQ sauce and bit more rub then back on the smoker for another hour to firm up

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/Stretchie_/Stuff%20for%20posting/IMG_20130720_162001.jpg

[Pete7]

Some good tips in the article because its always a disaster when we try a BBQ.

Pete

[Tom_the_great]

I cant cook and dont have a bbq but I want them !!!

[_Stretchie_]

They were good, taken off the grill after 5 hours cooking at 17:30, wrapped in foil, put in a cool box at and taken down to Vipers house for a little get together. They were not Taken out of cool box until about 19:30, still hot got chopped up and they were polished off within minutes.

I'm a happy bunny

[chris8886]

Here you go fella, quick guide on using your BBQ to do some smoking.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/30vj2opxx9hr7cv/Smoking%20with%20your%20BBQ.pdf

And this is just for you too:

- Cooked for two hours
- Removed from smoker, wrapped in foil and returned to smoker to cook for two more hours
- Remove from smoker, unwrap (this is the stage I took this pic), then smother in BBQ sauce and bit more rub then back on the smoker for another hour to firm up

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/Stretchie_/Stuff%20for%20posting/IMG_20130720_162001.jpg

I'm not quite sure how much monkey gets on the forum atm, so you might have to FB him a link to show him this.

does look good too, might I add!

[jambo]

I just don't think I spend enough time with Stretchie, I should visit him for a week or 3.

Jambo

[_Stretchie_]

Jambo I agree :X


You are all welcome (for a nominal 'voluntary' donation)

[Nobbylad]

Thanks for the pdf Stretchie....I'm deffo gonna give this a go. What other joints do you tend to cook in there? I seem to remember brisket being on the menu, also, do you have any good rub recipes?

[flymo]

can also use for Mackerel. I came back from Anglesey on Thursday after catching 150 fish!

[_Stretchie_]

You could use multi layered cake drying racks on top of each other to do several fishes BUT it depends what you want to do with them. The approach in the doc will cook them (a rainbow trout for instance with two slices of lemon in the middle and laid on top of a piece of foil {NOT WRAPPED IN IT} on the grill takes about 45 mins if hot smoked and tastes GREAT), if you want to smoke to preserve and/or add flavour then you want to cold smoke it and for that you don't want the temp very high, probably not past 10c (awaits someone more knowledgeable).

To cold smoke just replace the coals with your cold smoke generator (or whatever you use) but you can then put the smoke in the middle of the BBQ base not on one side like in the doc and you can then use all of the food grill for whatever you are cold smoking, cheese, garlic, raw bacon, kippers.

The only thing I would say for cold smoking this way is to do it in a shed or something sheltered and out of direct sunlight as the direct sunlight (especially at the moment) can get the inside of your BBQ hot, currently during the day my smoker can be about 50c just sat there with no fuel in it thanks to the sun and this would ruin your cold smoking efforts as it would start to cook the food and the higher temperature could then make it a breeding ground for bacteria that will make you unwell and we don't want that do we kids.

[gruntygiggles]

Check you out Stretch...being all responsible and stuff.

Have to say, the fish we have done on the smoker has been amazing!!!

[Nobbylad]

Bit delayed in posting this, however I'd like to extend both my immense gratitude, but also scold Stretchie and GruntyGiggles for ruining and enhancing my life at the same time.

I've taken on board the immense instructions in the pdf that teach you how to smoke (they're really easy to follow and work well), as well as getting some personal hints & tips via pm from them both.

I have to say, they're both really kind and helpful, but unfortunately, any spare time I did have is now severely limited by my new smoking habit.

I had a knee op recently and was off work for a couple of weeks. I decided to put my mind to good use and got the missus to collect one of these for me.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130902_130650_zps024ba3c7.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130902_130650_zps024ba3c7.jpg.html)

It was around £30 of Fleabay and comes well engineered (German) and with a thermometer built in. Bonus!

I then got some beef skirt, made my own rub and got this puppy ready to be smoked...

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130903_094123_zps8db4f4dd.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130903_094123_zps8db4f4dd.jpg.html)
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130903_094310_zps8020b084.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130903_094310_zps8020b084.jpg.html)

Some hours later

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130903_194329_zps2bd2202d.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130903_194329_zps2bd2202d.jpg.html)

It was well received by les famile

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130903_200221_zps0b7f1746.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130903_200221_zps0b7f1746.jpg.html)

So...with the virgin smoking out of the way, I then moved onto my first pork shoulder. £22 for around 5kg of finest pork shoulder (bone in).
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130909_154921_zpsca5cf360.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130909_154921_zpsca5cf360.jpg.html)
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130909_154924_zpsff2127aa.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130909_154924_zpsff2127aa.jpg.html)

I cut the skin back and applied my rub (probably wouldn't do this next time) and then got it ready to go.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130921_125731_zps0f48dbed.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130921_125731_zps0f48dbed.jpg.html)
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130921_125737_zps15825d65.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130921_125737_zps15825d65.jpg.html)

Now the scary bit.....to smoke something this big, you need to give it around 15-18hrs. Considering I was looking to have this for a BBQ on a Sunday afternoon, I had to get it on around 11pm the night before.

So on it went on the Saturday night (no pics sorry, I'd had a few beers and it was dark!) and this was it the following morning at around 11am.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/20130922_103603_zps3dc2ac92.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/20130922_103603_zps3dc2ac92.jpg.html)

I took it off the smoker (temp was dropping anyway), wrapped it in foil and bunged it in the oven for the remaining 5hrs.

Et Voila!

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/nobbylad/IMG_3723_zpsc65060a4.jpg (http://s11.photobucket.com/user/nobbylad/media/IMG_3723_zpsc65060a4.jpg.html)

This was THE most succulent pork I have ever tasted. There were a few learning points, but these mostly related to the preparation, such as needing to add a little more salt to the rub (I thought the meat would be quite salty anyway, although it wasn't) and also, when I put it in the smoker and the oven, I'd laid it down on the skin, when I think I should probably have had it skin side up to get some decent crackling.

Anyways, it was amazing, so thanks again to Stretchie and Grunty!

[gruntygiggles]

Wow, that looks fab Nobby :-)

Hahaha, welcome to the club. Personally, I'd just take the skin off. It just stops the smoke getting into the meat and the low temp means you won't get crispy crackling anyway. Just save the skin and make crackling in the oven ;-)

Fab job, say goodbye to your waist! :-)

[_Stretchie_]

Ha haa, my pleasure and I'm sorry.
:)

Looking good pal, as I mentioned on PM just forget the skin, maybe make crackling in the oven with it but take it off for smoking but leave a nice layer of fat on there a couple of mm thick and have it fat side up to self baste.

Next up... ribs :)