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Smoking Food Thread

The meat shops are great, and some of the local grocery stores have fresh ribs as well. Its amazing the difference. Those vacuum sealed ribs are great for taking directly out of the package and throwing on the grill, but arent very well suited for smoking and personal seasoning.

Occasionally, when I'm not ordering bulk, I'll get some ribs from Costco. I've had some pretty good success with those. They're also vacuum sealed, but they arent brined. A good rule of thumb, if there is any liquid in the package then chances are they are prebrined.

Noted.

I used the Adam Perry Lang 7-ingredient rub you sent me. Also made his creamed corn cakes - those things are boss. We rounded out the meal with a bacon-bleu cheese coleslaw that I make. It was a pretty good first smoking.
 
Once introduced to it back on the Quad, I've been a firm believer of APL. His recipes arent very complicated, and his flavor profile is very similar to what I like. I cant recall a recipe of his that I havent liked.
 


I saw that a couple days ago. They've got a huge turnout of competitors, but doing it Easter weekend seems to be an odd choice. It would be fun to enter it next year though.


Just ordered 8 cases (16 shoulders) to pick up tomorrow afternoon. Throwing them on Saturday morning. Pictures to follow.
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Cooked 300+ lbs of shoulders today. I'm beat, but they turned out great. From an area known for it's BBQ cooked over coals, I'm converting some people. Even had a few say they liked it better than honey monks.
 
I got the shoulders on Thursday afternoon and kept them on ice until Saturday morning. Started prepping them at 6:30 and had them rubbed and injected by 7:30. Fired up the smoker at 7:45. Cooked them fat side up for 4 hours, then fat side down for hour 4-5. At 5 hours I flipped them back to fat side up. I'd check them every hour or so and spritz them with some fresh apple juice. Started pulling them off right at 4pm. So far, we've had nothing but compliments on them.

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Just a FYI, I went to my local Ace Hardware yesterday and came across large bags of hardwood lump charcoal for $11. I'll probably go back today and get another bag. Thats insanely cheap.
 
How big were the bags? I usually get the Cowboy charcoal at Lowes.

BTW... Posting at 30,000 feet is pretty cool.
 

Glad to see this finally got off the drawing table and put into action. Not trying to brag....but maybe just a little....but this is now 2 BBQ comps that I have helped set up in the Triad :D #1 When I was working down in Lex (06-08), I collaborated with the CofC, formed a committee, and traveled to MIM to compare/contrast MIM vs. KCBS. At that time, we were told we could not get KCBS sanctioned event hence MIM route. We had everything planned for inaugural BBQ comp right down to the website and date, but when I left Lex for greener pastures, the deal fell apart. #2 TCRF King of the Grill

Great looking pics TSY! How many mouths were you feeding?
 
Just a FYI, I went to my local Ace Hardware yesterday and came across large bags of hardwood lump charcoal for $11. I'll probably go back today and get another bag. Thats insanely cheap.

Which brand? I'm pretty brand loyal to Royal Oak and Original Charcoal Comp.
 
Great looking pics TSY! How many mouths were you feeding?

Honestly no clue how many. Most of the families that bought them were having them for Easter lunch, so I'd say 150 is a safe estimate.

I'll look tonight when I get back home on the lump brand. I've been using it with my grill so far and have been happy.
 
Anyone ever smoked leg of lamb before? I saw this done yesterday on Primal Grill and fell in love with the recipe. I've never done lamb on the smoker, but now I'm intrigued.

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Source: How to Grill, pg. 162
Method: Indirect grilling
Serves: 6 to 8
1 bunch of fresh rosemary
1 small or 1/2 large bone-in leg of lamb ( 4 to 5 pounds)
6 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
6 kalamata olives, cut into slivers and frozen
Extra-virgin olive oil in a spray bottle, plus
3 to 4 tablespoons for basting
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon Homemade Herbes de Provence (recipe
follows), or a commercial brand
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
You’ll also need:
2 cups wood chips (optional; preferably oak), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained; spray bottle
Strip the leaves off 2 rosemary sprigs. Finely chop the leaves of 1 sprig. Set aside the remainder of the bunch of rosemary.
Using the tip of a sharp, slender knife, make a series of 1/2-inch deep holes in the lamb, mostly in the sheath of fat on top, but also on the sides and bottom. The holes should be about 1 inch apart. Insert the garlic, olives, and whole rosemary leaves in the holes, one flavoring per hole.
Spray the leg of lamb on all sides with the oil. Combine the salt, herbes de provence, peppercorns, and chopped rosemary leaves and sprinkle them all over the lamb, patting them on with your fingertips.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips, if desired, in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat on high until you ssee smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss half of the wood chips, if desired, on the coals. Place the lamb on the hot grate, away from the heat, and cover the grill. Grill until cooked to taste, 1-1/2 to 2 hours for medium-rare. Every 30 minutes, baste the leg of lamb with oil, using the remaining rosemary sprigs as a basting brush. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the leg, but not touching the bone; the internal temperature will be about 125 degrees F for rare,
145 degrees F for medium-rare; and 160 degrees F for medium. If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals and 1/2
cup wood chips to each side after 1 hour of grilling.
Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, let rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve.
Sub-Recipe:
HERBES DE PROVENCE
Makes about 1 cup
3 tablespoons dried rosemary
3 tablespoons dried basil
3 tablespoons dried marjoram
3 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried summer savory (optional)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaves
In a small mixing bowl, crumble the rosemary between your fingers to break the needles into small pieces. Add the remaining ingredients and toss with your fingers to mix. Store in an airtight container away from light; it will keep for as long as 6 months.​
 
Doing 600 chicken halves tomorrow morning at the FD. We're starting the fire at midnight, will have them on by 4am and pulling them off around 11am. Every time we do these fundraisers, I cant stand the though of chicken for at least a week.
 
Doing 600 chicken halves tomorrow morning at the FD. We're starting the fire at midnight, will have them on by 4am and pulling them off around 11am. Every time we do these fundraisers, I cant stand the though of chicken for at least a week.

Dang. BBQ chicken sounds pretty awesome though. What I need to do is introduce you to Chiavetta's in case you ever want a break from Lexington-style chicken. That stuff is heavenly.
 
I checked out their website, and their cooking technique is very similar to the way we do ours. I've even got 4 or 5 of those metal racks at home that we built a few years back.

If you're around, you should stop by and get some. We have people come from all over the state to get our chicken. Usually we're sold out in about 2 hours.
 
I checked out their website, and their cooking technique is very similar to the way we do ours. I've even got 4 or 5 of those metal racks at home that we built a few years back.

If you're around, you should stop by and get some. We have people come from all over the state to get our chicken. Usually we're sold out in about 2 hours.

I'm planning on having my first trial run for the RibFest this weekend, so I probably can't. It would depend on when/if my cousin gets in from Fayettenam; I might move the rib smoke to Sunday and head out to Davie.
 
Doing a flat brisket tomorrow. If I can find a whole brisket, I may give that a try. Should be a great day smoking with the derby and Darlington night race to cap it off!
 
I hadn't heard the name Chiavetta's in years. I thought of it recently but couldn't place it. Best chicken marinade ever.
 
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