care to share your meat smokin tips & recipies?

[Kansas]

I am part of an amatuer KCBS bbq team fwtw, I smoke something every weekend year round, my actual recipes are secret but tips are free.

turkey breast brine tip- (modify as you see fit)

1/4c course sea salt, 1/2c white sugar, 2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp whole cloves, small bunch of these fresh or dryed herbs-sage, oregano, tyme, ( I use about 6-8 large sage leaves and about the same amount of the rest use what feels good cant over do that part)

4 cups h2o in pan and boil the mixture and simmer 30 minutes (make a tea) cool in frig or freezer and inject the turkey liberaly and dunk the turkey in a bag with all the remaining brine let all air out of bag and refrigerate 12-24 hours.

rub skin and cavity with OO and pork and poultry seasoning, cold smoke for 6-8 hours @ 130-135 with hickory or pecan and bring temps up to 325 and take meat off @ 175-185 deg usually takes another 1 to 1 1/2 hour, pull off, wrap in foil and let sit 30 min and cut entire halfs off bone and slice across grain.

drippings tip- DO NOT ever let meat sit in juices when sitting after wrapping never do that with any meat always pour the juices off first thing you will thank me someday! I normaly cool the juices in the frig then its easier to de-fat it since the fat floats and will harden up and then whats left will work in gravy as long as you are cooking in a shallow cookie pan which I usually do there will be some drippings anyway.

the meat will taste and look like honey ham enjoy!

Kansas

 

[jbighump]

we smoke some jerky every year, and w use hickory, oak and apple chips, excellent flavor way better than in the dehydrator

 

[taylor6400]

rub skin and cavity with OO and pork and poultry seasoning, cold smoke for 6-8 hours @ 130-135 Kansas

Isnt this asking to get sick? Salmonella or something? You cant cook at such a low temp for that long without curing the meat. Bacteria will begin in 4 hours below a certain temp (i cant remember what that temp is).

 

[freemind]

I smoke meat many times a year. I ONLY use hickory, as I like the flavor of it best.

For turkey, I allway inject melted butter spiced with garlic powder and onion powder. I smoke mine for about 12 hours.

I have a gas smoker too, but mine is very large. I can smoke 6 whole turkeys in mine.

I did some chickens that were injected with brown sugar and molasses with garlic powder mixed in. VERY good. If you decide to try the moleasses, be sure to add a bit of water to thin it for injecting.

 

[Gumneck]

I did a Turkey breast for Tanksgiving day. Brined it for ten hours overnight with 1-4 cup table salt dissolved, I can of Lime Dacquiry Mix, and fill water to cover up both boobs in a stainless steel pot(maybe a 16 qt pot) and put in fridge. Dried it off next morning and made a dry rub with:
paprika, chili powder, crushed red pepper, oregano, parsley flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, and some other stuff I can't think of. Celery seed would have been good but did not have any.

Smoked from 10:00 to 2:00 in my Brinkman charcoal smoker( I know...amateur tools!) with a cup of mesquite and three feet of 2" diameter peach tree limbs.
Earlier, I took half of the dry rub aside and used it to baste with EVOO(been dying to use that abbreviation) along with Molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, and muscadine wine an hour before stopped smoking. I did not use this till the end because I didn't want any sugar to burn the boobs.
I like mine heavy on the smoke and it turned out really good. I mean the little kids were going to town on it, so it had to be good right?

 

[iowa]

I smoked 2 turkeys and a 7lb boston butt on thanksgiving day. The pork was on the smoker for 11hrs. The turkeys for 7hrs. I used hickory and sassafras in my Brinkman Pit smoker.

The turkeys sat in a a brine of water, wirchestershire sauce, salt, minced garlic, and pepper. They sat for 24hrs in that brine. I took them out and dried them and used a wet rub on them. Rubbed over and under the skin-let sit another 24hrs.

The pork was rubbed and then vacuum sealed for 24hrs. My rub has paprika, salt, ceyanne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, corriander, sage, thyme, cummin, and a few others I can't quite remember. LOL.

I keep my temps around 225-250. I need to do some moddifications to my smoker to make it work better. Mostly being able to regulate the heat better. You really have to keep and eye on the temps or it can get cold fast or too hot!

My teachers saying "keep it low and go slow"!!!

 

[ericjeeper]

I have a smoke n pit.. But it takes a lot of babysitting. SO I broke down and used my 20% off coupon at the rural king Black friday and bought a Cajun electric. SO far I have done 3 eye of round roast and a turkey breast. The breast I smoked yesterday using apple chips.
My wife said"I think this is the best turkey breast I have ever had" My head swelled.
Nothing like thinly sliced turkey on bread smothered in mashed potatoes and gravy..
I have noticed with the electric that I do not get the deep pink smoke ring that I achieve on the SNP. But the meat is just as fine tasting.
Making my own roast beef for sandwhiches is a whole lot cheaper. 3.29 a pound as opposed to 6.99 from the deli.. I have done 15 pounds of roast beef so I have already made pretty good contribution toward it paying for itself.. By spring it should have paid for itself.

 

[CrappieKeith]

I am part of an amatuer KCBS bbq team fwtw, I smoke something every weekend year round, my actual recipes are secret but tips are free.

turkey breast brine tip- (modify as you see fit)

1/4c course sea salt, 1/2c white sugar, 2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp whole cloves, small bunch of these fresh or dryed herbs-sage, oregano, tyme, ( I use about 6-8 large sage leaves and about the same amount of the rest use what feels good cant over do that part)

4 cups h2o in pan and boil the mixture and simmer 30 minutes (make a tea) cool in frig or freezer and inject the turkey liberaly and dunk the turkey in a bag with all the remaining brine let all air out of bag and refrigerate 12-24 hours.

rub skin and cavity with OO and pork and poultry seasoning, cold smoke for 6-8 hours @ 130-135 with hickory or pecan and bring temps up to 325 and take meat off @ 175-185 deg usually takes another 1 to 1 1/2 hour, pull off, wrap in foil and let sit 30 min and cut entire halfs off bone and slice across grain.

drippings tip- DO NOT ever let meat sit in juices when sitting after wrapping never do that with any meat always pour the juices off first thing you will thank me someday! I normaly cool the juices in the frig then its easier to de-fat it since the fat floats and will harden up and then whats left will work in gravy as long as you are cooking in a shallow cookie pan which I usually do there will be some drippings anyway.

the meat will taste and look like honey ham enjoy!

Kansas

Thanks for the tip....I'm tying this one!

 

[Kansas]

Isnt this asking to get sick? Salmonella or something? You cant cook at such a low temp for that long without curing the meat. Bacteria will begin in 4 hours below a certain temp (i cant remember what that temp is).

You are very correct about bactieria and low temps however salt is an antibactierial and as soon as the temps go above 140ish they are all dead and the salt is curing the meat along with the chemicals in the smoke. Great point btw!!!

The food safety rules all say keep meat out of the 40-140 range.

A smoker will vary in temps even the electronicly controled ones like the Traeger that I use the 140 temp will be reached at some point even if the avg temp is 135ish.


Kansas

 

[Kansas]

Thanks for the tip....I'm tying this one!

Welcome and please let me know what you think Keith! I know we like that one the best so far definately one I am not skerd of using when company comes around holidays!

Kansas

 

[taylor6400]

You are very correct about bactieria and low temps however salt is an antibactierial and as soon as the temps go above 140ish they are all dead and the salt is curing the meat along with the chemicals in the smoke. Great point btw!!!

The food safety rules all say keep meat out of the 40-140 range.

A smoker will vary in temps even the electronicly controled ones like the Traeger that I use the 140 temp will be reached at some point even if the avg temp is 135ish.


Kansas

Yep, 4 hours to get to the 140+ point is what i was thinking..."the danger zone." Thanks for the clarification

 

[boostnut]

Any last suggestions on the turkey breast? Its gonna meet the smoker this afternoon!

 

[sly13]

Just let us know how it goes and good luck.

 

[Kansas]

I need to do some moddifications to my smoker to make it work better. Mostly being able to regulate the heat better. You really have to keep and eye on the temps or it can get cold fast or too hot!

My teachers saying "keep it low and go slow"!!!

Sounds like you are doing ok your methods are getting results yes low and slow and- "if your lookin it aint cookin" I use a remote digital probe!

Just for grins if you are interested in some ideas. I have a modified smoke-n-pit I use for ribs when I cook in contests I would be happy to share my ideas and pics.

It isnt one of the easiest way to cook with an offset firebox but it can be made decent the big problem is no insulation I wrap my smokers with a welding blanket this time of year that helps some.

Kansas

 

[jags]

You are very correct about bactieria and low temps however salt is an antibactierial and as soon as the temps go above 140ish they are all dead and the salt is curing the meat along with the chemicals in the smoke. Great point btw!!!

This is a very good point, but as Kansas hit on: Salt (brine) is a preservative and natural wood smoke is as well. Then the heat kicks on and you have a microbial waste land.

I do a couple of hundred pounds of jerky per year. It starts off quite low and slow and will only be raised (at the end of the session) to 145 F for 15 minutes. It gets a 1,2,3,4 punch: Salt, sodium nitrite, smoke and >140F. Makes for a very stable product.

 

[boostnut]

Couple hundred pounds of jerky huh jags, got any tips? Ya know, this thread is all about sharing smoking tips & recipies.

 

[jags]

Couple hundred pounds of jerky huh jags, got any tips? Ya know, this thread is all about sharing smoking tips & recipies.

My personal mixture is a super duper top secret mix....BUT......If ya want a really good off the shelf mix - the high mountain jerky seasoning makes a pretty good batch. I still can't leave it alone and will add to it, like cracked black pepper or a little extra cayenne for a back ground heat. If you do use this a couple of other suggestions are: brine for at least 36 hours in the fridge; keep your meat sliced around 3/16"; after you season the meat (instructions are included with the stuff), pack flat and tight in a zip top bag for the brine session. Smoke low and slow - now I am talking at LESS than 150F with the air open on your smoker. Remember, jerky is a dehydrated product, not a cooked one. Its gonna take about 9 hrs. HICKORY RULES.

 

[AT sawyer]

Dude! Your outhouse is on fire!!!!

Which is what I said to my bro'-in-law upon arriving at his house in Michigan and seeing his home-made smoker running full-out with a load of sausage on the rack. I'll swear his contraption looked JUST LIKE AN OUTHOUSE, complete with the crooked vent pipe. But man what fine meat. When an artist is at work, you don't mess with his canvas (not if you want any of that venison sausage).

 

[23putts]

Wife bought me a Big Green Egg smoker/grill a few years back. Couldn't be happier. Smoked ribs, brisket, whole chicken, whole turkey, deer roast, pork butts, etc... It does a great job on everything.

 

[ericjeeper]

Wife bought me a Big Green Egg smoker/grill a few years back. Couldn't be happier. Smoked ribs, brisket, whole chicken, whole turkey, deer roast, pork butts, etc... It does a great job on everything.

You sir, Have a great wife..