FWIW, this is not how one is to assemble this smoker. It’s a favorite talking point of fellow WSM owners. Classic! This would have been filmed right before Gert and I saw Flay at a restaurant show outside Philly.

Good barbecue is not found around here . . . at least not that I have tasted. Once I began cooking, I could taste flavor in the meat (yeah, big pat on the back). It’s no magic; the online fora have been a blessing. Our stomachs have been the beneficiaries.

One thing I have learned in my journey is that barbecue is different depending with whom you speak. In Texas, barbecue is brisket. In Tennessee, whole hog. Others consider pulled pork barbecue. Some call the cooker a barbecue.

Some have tried to define barbecue as the temperature the food is cooked. Smoking is below 250°. Grilling is at high temperatures . . . perhaps 450° and up. Barbecue then is inbetween.

I don’t know what barbecue is. I live in South Jersey, hardly a mecca of barbecue, whatever it is. Of course, step onto our back deck and we’re rather certain you’ll be pleased with the fixin’s.

We have dined on lots of pulled pork over the last year and a half. We love it. But my reading kept bringing me to chuck roasts. Chuck is the beef equivalent to the butt of the pig, whence pulled pork comes from. I was intrigued. This was yet another cut of meat I never dabbled with previously.

During the summer and into fall lots of folks were cooking chuckies. Boy, did they look good. I kept wanting to cook one, but didn’t. I eventually went shopping, but was confused by what I found. Naming meat is not the science it should be. In an effort to sell off “inferior cuts” for more money, markets name meats with non-standard names. Doing so confuses the customer. After getting some help, what I decided I wanted was chuck roll. At BJ’s (Costco, Sam’s Club, etc.) this is sold cryo, two pieces, and runs about $50. I would like to begin a little more cheaply than that, so I went to Shop Rite and found a nice roast (underblade).

My research found that chuck roasts take up to three hours per pound of meat. With more than four pounds, that was a 12-hour cook I had in front of me. That is more than a recreational cook. As such, with Thanksgiving looming, this roast went into the freezer. I pulled it the other day in anticipation of a weekend cook. My original hope was to get this into the smoker last evening, but things didn’t work out that way.

Up this morning I got things going. I made a rub that Chris made for brisket. I substituted seasoned salt for Accent. I was certain I had MSG in the cabinet but I’ll be damned if I can find it. Anyhow, I rubbed the roast and got the WSM fired up. The roast went in just a tad before 10 this morning. I am near out of hickory and I thought apple would not do the roast justice. I pulled out alder, which I had picked up about a year ago. I need to replenish my wood supply. The smoker went along at about 300° for most of the cook. Normally, I would have adjusted that, but I got into watching the Eagles game and just let things go.

At 2:30, four and a half hours in, the roast hit 165° internally. I foiled the roast at that point and put it back in. At that point the family loaded up the truckster and headed down the road to the Christmas tree farm. Gert fancied beginning a new tradition of going out as a family to select a tree, cut it down, and bring it home together. We didn’t know what to expect when we got there. The lady came right over with a tree dolly and a hand saw. We were turned loose to find a tree and cut it down. We allowed Beetle to select the tree. She picked one; it is fine, but not the one Mommy wanted. Nevertheless, we began cutting down the tree.

I am not much for manual labor like this. I sawed, and sawed, and sawed. It wasn’t that big of a tree, but the branches went to the ground and it was difficult to get in there and get work done. I expressed I was not too into the new family tradition. Gert had declared today a “do nothing” day and I had looked forward to it. We had cleared our chores and I was enjoying smoking and watching football. All of a sudden I was sweating my butt off doing physical work all the while the family frolic in the warmth of the Indian Summer. Grrr . . . After a bit we went back to the Jeep, pulled out the chainsaw I had loaded (remember, we didn’t know what to expect), and felled that tree in three seconds. Screw manual labor for tradition; bring out the power tools!

Back at home I checked on the roast. It was about 190° and feeling pretty tender. I left it in for another hour just to get it fork-tender. And it was!

I wrapped it up in the cooler and let it sit for an hour as I prepared the turkey. Yes, as I type this, a 20-lb. bird is in the smoker. At 6:00 I pulled the meat. Awesome! The bark was nice. I wasn’t terribly pleased with the rub I made; it needed heat. Next time I will add some cayenne to the mix and back off the seasoned salt. Gert was nearby. She is apprehensive any time I change things up. She eventually gave it a try and liked it. I plated some on our seeded rolls and sat down.

At that point Gert summoned Beetle by asking her if she wanted some barbecue. So, I guess barbecue can also be pulled beef. Later Gert said she thought she may like this even more than the pulled pork. It’s nice to please the audience. It was pretty tasty.

I like that I had less meat to deal with. I did not need to break out the FoodSaver. I did not look at having four days of food in front of me. There’s plenty of meat to eat, but it will be gone in a day. This was so flavorful, the thought of sauce was non-existent. We’ll defintiely have chuckies again . . . it’s child’s play.

more photographs

Last year I made some excellent turkeys on the kettle. I wanted to try something different this time around. My research unearthed the seemingly neverending debate of whether one can brine an enhanced bird or not. Well, obviously one can, the issue is whether or not it is effective and whether it will produce a bird that is too salty. In my reading I read of an apple honey brine. Bryan has turned me onto many a good recipe and he stood behind this method using enhanced birds. I figured, “Why not?” It wasn’t until later that I recalled the birds I had done last year were enhanced too.

Anyhow, I picked up the turkey at Wally World on Monday. I defrosted it in the evening. First thing yesterday morning I made the brine and put the turkey in breast side down. Being off today permitted me to remain awake (kind of) until 1:00 a.m. I pulled it from the brine, rinsed it, patted it dry, and then placed in the refrigerator to air dry. The chickens I have done this too have been particularly crispy. Turkey cooked low and slow tends to have rubbery skin, so air drying helps . . . as does pumping up the heat.

After a stellar steak and eggs breakfast with a big old Porterhouse, the rain came. As turkey time approached, I decided to forgo the rotisserie, which needs electricity, and opt for the smoker. I pulled the bird when I lighted the fire. Then I painted the turkey with melted butter. I wasn’t thinking about this at the time, but it is how I have done my other turkeys. I am not certain, but the butter probably would counteract air drying the skin. I have to think this through more.

Anyhow, I soon recognized a blazing fire out on the deck. Oh shit! It turns out the wind blew the smoker’s cover into the chimney, catching the cover on fire. Grrrr . . . the cover is toast. Oh well . . .

Soon enough I put the turkey on with a drip pan beneath. filled with the neck, giblets, chicken stock, and some vegetables. I used three chunks of apple wood for the smoke.

Four hours later the breast was 162°. I took everything out of the smoker and began working on the gravy. The turkey looked great.

I used a foil drip pan since my roasting pan doesn’t fit into the smoker. I decided to make the gravy in the same foil pan. Because the volume of this thing is much less than the roasting pan, I cut back on the butter and flour. Apparently, I did not cut back enough on the wine. Gert and I both could taste the wine in the gravy. Also, because the bird had not cooked in the pan, while there were drippings, there was not the typical “bits”. That affected the gravy. It was fine, just not quite as good as it could have been. Gert made the sides.

The turkey was scrumptious! The breast was moist. It really was like eating a different piece of meat altogether. There was a hint of sweetness from the apple brine. Not overpowering, but pleasant.

Thanksgiving is likely to be “lively” this year. Gert and I agreed to a signal should things flare up with the in-laws. That will remind us both of this fine Thanksgiving meal that was pleasant and without 15 others bickering.

more photographs

I followed lesson four of Wiviott’s tutorial (although, really, this is pretty much how I have been doing spares of late anyhow). For some reason the WSM had some trouble getting up to temp. It hovered around 170 for a bit, which is unusual. We had the Performer going as well and after some burgers came off, I shoveled a big spatula’s worth of coals into the WSM. Within no time temps got up to 225 and a bit higher.

Anyhow, the slowness of the rising temps I think contributed to a bit of dryness. Not really bad, but enough that my wife asked if something changed this time. I have been going dry of late and love it. I have concocted a nice sugarless rub that has some kick. Love it!

Anyhow, I also put a handful of ABTs on. I took the trimmings from the spares that I had smoked a bit too and added it to the beans. The ABTs and beans came off a little after the ribs. So there we were after 9:00 having a nice dinner.

The brisket has two parts: the flat and the point. The flat is what must people think of, I suspect, when they think of brisket. The point sits atop the flat and is thicker and fattier. It can be removed. Yet, all the boards I read seem to suggest that making burnt ends is a treat. I’ve seen them on menus, but have never heard them. Last night I polished off the brisket. Today I decided to make the burnt ends from the point.

I cubed the meat. I had a cajun rub from a sampler pack. It was the perfect amount. I mixed in the balance of the No. 5 sauce I made the other day. I placed the meat in a foil pan and placed in the smoker for a couple hours.

Life is good. Burnt ends are like beef candies. Awesome!

What to smoke? That was the $64,000 question. After much deliberation, I came to wanting to do a brisket, a fatty, and some ABTs. I wanted to go shopping Thursday evening so all was set to prepare things last evening. But Gert was out Thursday and the shopping did not get completed until Friday. I could not find a packer and did not want just to smoke a flat. Frustrated, I picked up a couple pork butts. I decided to go to my Go To pulled pork. The Renowned Mr. Brown is a crowd pleaser, so no problem.

Except I did not prep last evening. I crashed in my chair. When I awoke at 3:30, I should have prepped things for a late dinner. But I just went to bed. Because of that, there was no waking up early and having a fatty for breakfast. Rather, I rubbed the butts at 1:00. They need to sit eight hours.

So, the butts didn’t go on until 9:00 p.m. It’s still Smoke Day, so I am good there. We are going to have plenty of food tomorrow. The fatty for breakfast, the pork and ABTs for lunch, and Greek food from the festival in the evening. I suspect I will be bloated.

Nevertheless, it was good to be among the may good men and women today smoking. What a great way to spend a day an evening.

NPR even published an article about our day.

The cryo pack was bigger than normal at 19.21#. One of the butts was decidedly larger than the other. Given the jerk recipe was for 4-6# of meat, it went on the smaller of the two.

I prepped the butts and placed them in the fridge while I finished making my chili (also a request). After the children went to bed, I began assembling the WSM. I needed more charcoal. I decided to grab a bag of RO lump. This will be my first smoke with lump.

It seems my Maverick transmitter’s switch is broken. Grrr . . .

Anyhow, I got the meat on. I love the smell of the smoker going on a cool evening.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Jerk Rub

Recipe By :Helen Willinsky
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:10
Categories : BBQ Rub

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 onion — finely chopped
1/2 cup scallions — finely chopped; including green parts
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground Jamaican allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 Scotch bonnet chiles — habaneros can be substituted; 4-6 each; minced fine
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until a paste.

Cuisine:
“Jamaican”
Source:
“Jerk From Jamaica: Barbecue Caribbean Style”
S(Formatted by):
“”
Copyright:
“© 1990 by Helen Willinsky”
Yield:
“1 cup”

I thought I could do it. I thought what I made fit, but in the end I failed.

Cate offered a challenge the other day to make a dinner for four for $7.00 or less. The idea is that in these times of financial ruin (okay, perhaps an overstatement), families need to be more frugal.  Dinner includes an entree, vegetable, and either an appetizer or a dessert. Frozen meals are prohibited.

Gert suggested hot dogs and fries, but I wanted to actually cook something. It seemed like combining the vegetable into the entree was a way to get more bang for the buck. Stir fry was the first thought, but I have been hankering for risotto of late and thought that would work well. Of course, all risottos I make seem to be full of meat (shrimp, scallops, sausage, etc.) so I had to create something a little less stressful on the wallet.

Bouncing around the ‘Net I stumbled across this You Tube video.

Hmmm . . . ’tis fall. I had an entree. As I tossed this around I got to thinking butternut squash would probably taste pretty good smoked. I asked on one of smoking boards and indeed it is.

It seems silly to run the smoker and not fill it so I thought some Atomic Buffalo Turds (ABTs) would be a good way to start the meal. I made a batch the other day for a party and only had the one cook’s taste. My mouth has been drooling ever since.

So with that as a plan, I headed out this morning to pick up what I needed.

This is how the ingredient list breaks down.

ABTs

• 8 jalapenos = $1.03
• Shop Rite cream cheese = $1.29/8oz. I figured I used 2 ounces. That prorates to = $.3225
• one shake of onion salt and garlic salt = I consider that a freebie
• mozzarella cheese = $3.99/16 oz. I always use cheddar but apparently we have none. For these calculations I used 2 ounces. I don’t think I used that much. It was probably only an ounce. Nevertheless, 2 ounces = $0.49875
• bacon = $2.50/lb. There were 15 slices in the package. I used 8. That = $1.33
• 8 mini hot dogs = $9.99/126 I don’t think I paid that much. I purchased a package last week at BJ’s. It definitely was not more than $10, but I do not recall what it was. I suspect $7-something. Anyhow, based on $9.99, 8 hot dogs = $0.634

Total cost of the appetizers = $3.82

Risotto

• Arborio rice = $6.29. There are 5.5 cups in this container. One cup prorates to $1.14.
• cilantro = $.99 a bunch. I used about eight leaves. I figure this about a nickle’s worth.
• shallot = $.37
• butternut squash = $1.50. This is a guess. We picked up the squash at a farm market on Saturday. I do not recall what we paid for it, but how much could a fresh squash actually cost?
• olive oil = $.50 This is another guess. I drizzled a little on the squash and used a little to sweat the shallot and garlic. I estimated $.50. Thinking this through some more, that is probably too much.
• salt and freshly ground pepper = free
• nutmeg = free I purchased an industrial size of this many years ago for pomanders. I only need a little each year. The $5.00 or whatever I spent then more than paid for the few shakes I applied to the squash.
• a sprinkle of turmeric = free. I cannot even recall when I purchased this. It probably isn’t even good. I should get credit for using it.
• bouillion = $.50 This one is troubling for me. I often have homemade stock to use. I had none although I have lots of vegetable scraps in the freezer to make some. I consider stock free. I save the leftovers from vegetables and roast them. I then put them in the pot with a chicken carcass and water. This is all free. Alas, I opted for some bouillion. Lord knows when that was purchased too. That I lived through this meal to write about it should count for something. Anyhow, $.50 seemed reasonable.
• garlic clove = $.10 That’s probably high, but how much is one clove?

Risotto cost = $4.16

Total cost of the meal = $7.98

It may have been a little less than that, but I probably can’t shave $.98 from this.

Of course, there was the cost of the charcoal and smoke wood (I used mesquite) and whatever the fuel cost to heat the stock and rice.

The ABTs were good but not as good as other batches. Cheddar is needed. Furthermore, the jalapenos I got at the market aren’t as good as the ones I buy at the farm stand. They were less expensive, however. I figured two peppers per person as an appetizer. Of course, the children do not eat these, although Fritz made an attempt. Too spicy for him.

The risotto was very tasty. I am not certain I have ever cooked butternut squash before. I really enjoy making and eating risotto. This was no exception. This is the first time I used Arborio rice. I always use Carnaroli. Since I was out, I opted for the more price-favorable Arborio for this. It tasted just fine and I am not sure there is a noticeable difference. I’ll have to run a taste test some time.

Gert also enjoyed this. We both agreed, however, that unlike the other risottos I make, this did not hold up as well as an entree. We felt this would have made a nice side for a more traditional entree. Also, one cup of rice, even with two small children left our bowls a bit empty.

I had an inexpensive dessert I toyed with making tonight, but I’ll save that for another day. I would have been able to do that for about a quarter less than the ABTs.

This was fun. I failed though. I don’t usually cook on a stringent budget. We definitely can eat for $7, but it isn’t anything fancy. Grill a couple dogs, open a can of peas, and some fries and we’re there. I tried to do something a little more adventurous. I’ll have to keep tweaking this.

Millville is not a booming metropolis and this event is not huge. Buck Street between Main and Pine is shut off as is the entry from High at Sassafras. This creates a solid couple blocks that includes Buck Park at the waterfront.

Those participating in the chili contest set up their tents in one of the parking lots. Those selling foods and other things are across the street in the park. One purchases a tasting kit, which includes a spoon, and gets to sample the chili from 15-20 places.

Last year neighboring town Vineland added a chilifest event. I had heard some decent things about it. The eCache family decided to go to the second annual event yesterday. The event was to go from 3-8. We were hopeful to arrive early but things were such that we didn’t get to Landis Avenue until about 5:30.

We purchased our tasting kit and sought chili and ribs, as this event added barbecue to it. That was the draw to me. Our tasting kit included a spoon but also a punch card. There were 12 stations to get chili and ribs . . . or so we thought.

Things are much more spread out in Vineland. That is good for less crowding, but poor for trying to figure out what was going on. It was difficult to determine who was in the contest and who was merely selling food. To further confuse us, most of those in the contest were also selling their food. Gert was better at determining those we needed to visit than I was.

At each station we received a small cup with barely a spoonful of chili. We also received a small bite of ribs. It was an odd serving. We quickly learned that not all participants were serving ribs. Then we found out one participant wasn’t there and a few others had run out of food. WTF? We were only halfway through this event.

Furthermore, there was little barbecuing going on. The first joint served us a bite of rib, but where they cooked it is unknown to me. I did see two smokers and one grill at the event. Seems like a stretch for ribs. And the couple bites we actually were served were mediocre at best.

The chili was definitely standard chili, although nothing that thrilled me. Scott Musterel (last year’s winner) had decent chili. It had a nice bite to it, but was too soupy for my taste. Another chili was okay. The rest I could have done without. The thing is we expected to be filled after this, but with the number of absences from the menu punch card, we left hungry . . . and disappointed.

Not to worry.  Today, after studying some videos, I cut down two racks of spare ribs to St. Louis cuts and placed them in the smoker.  I placed in the trimmings too.  I just pulled the trimmings off.  Yummy!  The ribs still have a couple hours left.  I have a nice rub with a good bite on it.

Yes, these cost more and require my time, but I will enjoy them far more than anything I tasted yesterday.  I wonder if when the new WSMs come out I should relegate my smaller WSM to competitions and enter next year.  Nah, I’d rather kick back in the Adirondack with a Yuengling and the football game than to worry about competing.

Time for the second half . . .

The non-plan began last summer. I began reading some sites and was intrigued by smoking meats. Learning during my many years, I did not rush right out and purchase a smoker. I decided to wait and learn some more. I did and still didn’t purchase one. This summer was in full swing when I got the bug again and went out purchased my WSM. I have been having a blast smoking meats. I am getting better at it too. There are two butts waiting for their time in the smoker.

As much as I like smoked meat, there is a time for just plain ol’ grilling too. As I read all the boards I have, I was amazed at how many grills these folks have. While building and outdoor patio with built-in equipment would be nice, it is not something I’ll be doing anytime soon nor will I have three WSMs, and one of each kind of grill Weber makes. That just isn’t in the cards.

Nevertheless, the POC Char-Broil wasn’t holding its own. I got almost six seasons out it, so in a way I feel fortunate. Many folks get two. I was prepared to re-build it and not upgrade, but the expense of doing that was not prudent. I bit the bullet and purchased a Weber kettle.

While I am very happy with my new toy, I still have a lot to learn. Cooking with charcoal is different than gas. And I allowed myself over the years to turn into one of those gas and burn grillers without putting a whole lot of care into the craft. As I read about charcoal grilling, I am learning my old habits have to change. That will be a benefit to our palates.

Not wanting to go with the frozen patties, when I saw some nice ground chuck at BJ’s today, I picked up a package. I separated this monster package and kept out some for lunch. Much like the fillets I cooked recently, the “experts” generally call for a plain preparation for burgers. Who am I to argue? I figure I need to get back into the habit of checking temps, so this would be good practice. I read somewhere (Steven Raichlen, I believe) about putting a pat of butter in the middle of the burger to help keep the meat moist as it grills. I did so. I know my mother and sister are cringing at that.

Otherwise, all I did was season the patties once they were on the grill and on the turn. I would like a nice digital kitchen scale. Absent that, I eyeball most stuff. I figure these were about one-third pounders.

I still need to be a bit better on toasting of the rolls. Other than that, I believe these were the best burgers I have ever cooked. Awesome! Five to seven minutes per side. The center was medium/medium-well and juicy. They were also perfectly seasoned, ifisaysomyself.

There will be plenty of mistakes as I re-learn charcoal grilling, but I am looking forward to each outing. It is wonderful sitting on the deck, taking in the birds in the woods, grilling a meal, and resting. In the words of John Barlow, this must be heaven.