June 2, 2020: Smokeboys Wanted

Okay, I am not a grill master whatsoever, but I've been dabbling a bit. I'm curious about smoking, though it feels beyond my abilities. Anyone want to put together a Smoking on a Grill for Dummies Nation Has An Appetite post for next Monday? Pay is you get to eat smoked meat sometime between now and next Monday!

29 thoughts on “June 2, 2020: Smokeboys Wanted”

  1. Have you a round grill? Because the snake method is the easiest way to get into it. The only thing I've found, that never seems to be mentioned anywhere, is to build a foil wall between your meat and your coals to prevent burning an edge real bad.

    1. Right, or make a boat of foil instead of the texas crutch and shake move rotate your meat more often.

            1. ::sheepishly admits owning only a nondescript lift top rectangular gas grill::

          1. Thinking on it, it is rounded at the corners, so maybe one could set up a snake type thing. Would all that dead space on the other side affect things though?

            1. The point of the snake is low-and-slow. I think it would work ok in that type of grill. You'll just have to try it and report back.

  2. As long as we’re taking culinary delights, I had to buy a new chefs knife after an unfortunate incident involving the dishwasher and my sous chef. We’re still married. I got a great deal on a wusthof ikon. This one I’ll be washing and during and racking after each use.

    1. I know wüsthof is a standard but I've had bad luck with them. I've been rocking a Hammer Stahl for a while now which I love.
      hammer stahl

        1. Thanks. I seriously love them. Mostly because functional, but they are purty. I was gifted these w/ a cool cutting board case, but I've pretty much finished out the set over the last 18 months.

    2. I wouldn't mind having a goodish knife that I can make moderately ridiculous demands about its treatment, but I'm not sure where to start since there's so much out there.

      Kind of curious about the dishwasher thing though. One cycle and it's dead? We don't have any nice steel, so into the dishwasher it all goes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      1. This is a good primer though I'm sure zoom or someone else can probably point you somewhere better. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-chefs-knife-for-most-cooks/

        I went to a local place where you can test them out. I liked the balance and thickness of mine. I think that Wirecutter trends too high end and my second knife was cheap probably from Amazon and works fine.

        I'm not sure about the dishwasher thing. Mine have wood handles so it's a nonstarter but if you are paying a lot for a anything hand washing will probably make it last longer. Plus most untisils sit on their tips/edge in the dishwasher

        1. and bang around, so you are gonna ruin the edge on that knife. And if it is a carbon steel blade....

          INSTRUCTIONS
          Hone your knife: The easiest way to keep your knife centered is to hone it before each use.
          Wipe your knife: Use a clean dishcloth to wipe down your knife while you're cooking — especially after cutting acidic foods.
          Wash your knife: Use a soft cloth to wash your knife in a sink of warm, soapy water. Never put your knife in a sink full of dishes or — gasp! — the dishwasher.
          Hand-dry your knife: This should be done immediately after washing with a clean dishtowel.
          Rub with mineral oil. If you notice any rust spots, rub a light layer of mineral oil and let dry.
          Store knife: A plastic sheath, magnetic knife strip, or drawer insert are all appropriate.

          1. I own two Hock knives that I made handles for. High carbon steel will rust while cutting onions. I've seen it. I love these knives, and they're excellent western style cutters when sharp. I've been too abusive to them over the years, but I paid a guy to polish and reset the blade angle. I'll be more gentle going forward. Also, the handles I custom fit to my hand, so the sous chef doesn't ever touch them..... we're still married.

      2. I love my J.A. Henckels set. Just a 4", 6" and 8", and I rarely use anything else.

    3. When I got my Pit Barrel Cooker smoker, NBBW bought me a 7" Hollow Edge Santoku and this cutting board. I filled out the inventory with some industrial heat-gloves for setting the hot coal grate into the smoker, and a meat thermometer.
      ‎

  3. So with some friends I snarked about if you're going to loot, might as well get an Hermès scarf instead of a Slurpee. They insinuated that these are paid looters. Whaa?

  4. In the Dutch Oven

    In Le Creuset brown chicken legs with thighs attached in olive oil at med-high heat (covered, else a mess). (Pro-tip: make a cut between the leg/thigh to ensure it cooks through). Brown on both sides, remove meat, and under med heat add garlic/sliced onions. Once carmelized, add 1/2 c. dry Vermouth to deglaze, 1 c. chicken broth, sliced carrots/parsnips/potatoes, and bring to a boil. Add the chix and any juices back in, and put in the oven at 350F. A half hour later, add 2 tbsp lemon juice, and then before serving add lemon slices for last 15 minutes. Total cooking time 1 hr. Turned out pretty good.

    1. Nice.

      I made a sourdough rye Horta yesterday. Actually quite tasty and nice crumb, once you get past the armored shell.

      Tonight: shrimp tacos.

      1. in a time of the need of distraction... I went to a socially responsibly distanced birthday happy hour. Left over red beans for dinner. We witnessed the protest march here in NOLA on the way home. Very moving, very peaceful, very real.

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