Anyone Smoke? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Anyone Smoke?

CruisnGrrl

CruisnGrrl

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Got an entry level charcoal smoker for my birthday, looking for some tips and recipes.

Also found out Canadian Tire price matches similar items from different stores. Lowes has the master forge on sale for $60 http://www.lowes.ca/smokers/master-forge-vertical-smokercharcoal-grill_g1429437.html got the Master Chef from Canadian Tire for the same price http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/o...ef-vertical-smoker-0851013p.html#.U7oPvY1dV0E

Found this video which looks like pretty much the same smoker http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Charcoal-Smoker
 
Started smoking this year, haven't touched my BBQ yet

I have a small master forge gas smoker. Does a damn good job


ajede3a3.jpg


8enydusa.jpg


ragunuma.jpg

7e2eseza.jpg
 
Can you BBQ with these using regular charcoal, not briquettes? I've been trying to find something that does roasts and doesn't use propane.
 
those vertical smokers are pretty versatile, smoke, grill , bbq all in one. #1 rule is patience , its a marathon not a sprint. I will often soak my woodchips that I add to the smoker in beer/scotch/bourbon. I have no idea if it makes any difference but its a good story at dinner.
Turning a cheap pork butt roast or a crappy cut of beef into a big pile of happiness is a great reward. There is a great debate on lump charcoal VS briquettes , I personally use lump for no particular reason other than I think I like it better. The experts say the briquettes are more consistent and easier to control temps over a longer period of time.
Let me know when the first beef is ready, I will bring an excellent merlot.
 
crankcall said:
those vertical smokers are pretty versatile, smoke, grill , bbq all in one. #1 rule is patience , its a marathon not a sprint. I will often soak my woodchips that I add to the smoker in beer/scotch/bourbon. I have no idea if it makes any difference but its a good story at dinner.
Turning a cheap pork butt roast or a crappy cut of beef into a big pile of happiness is a great reward. There is a great debate on lump charcoal VS briquettes , I personally use lump for no particular reason other than I think I like it better. The experts say the briquettes are more consistent and easier to control temps over a longer period of time.
Let me know when the first beef is ready, I will bring an excellent merlot.
Click to expand...

Re the briquette / lump charcoal. I prefer the lump but it seems not all lumps are created equal. The elite go mesquite?

Somehow cooking dinner over a mix of crushed coal and who knows what briquettes isn't my cup of tea (Or glass of beer)

http://www.weber.com/weber-nation/blog/charcoal-fuel-types

Browse the Weber site for some good tips.
 
Smoking becomes an art form. sometimes difficult to get consistent heat.

Also finding a good brisket to smoke in Canada can be difficult. its not exactly a grocery store cut :)
 
I have a similar smoker, made by Meco. I've done a few things and they turned out very well. The biggest problem I've had is trying to add charcoal partway through the smoking process. As I'm going very long duration at a low heat, I need to add some after a few hours. I pretty much need to remove all the racks to get to the bottom to add the new hot charcoal. The little sliding door on the bottom doesn't open enough to add through that. Your mileage may vary.
 
I picked up one of the units from Lowes and put it together. It's a big tub once you've put it together. Hopefully get try it this weekend.
 
suzuki2000 said:
Smoking becomes an art form. sometimes difficult to get consistent heat.

Also finding a good brisket to smoke in Canada can be difficult. its not exactly a grocery store cut :)
Click to expand...

So true, ya can't go to Loblaws or the big supermarkets, teenage kids make terrible butchers. Finding a good local butcher can be hard to find. The Apple Market on the Queensway in Mississauga has a quality butcher.
 
suzuki2000 said:
Also finding a good brisket to smoke in Canada can be difficult. its not exactly a grocery store cut :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, meats for the smoker are not for the amateur. If you cook it like any other meat it will turn out stringy and bland. Luckily the Chinatown grocers carry briskets, pork butts and an assortment of ribs including my favourite, cross-cut beef short ribs.
 
I fired up mine yesterday to, as instructed, burn off any manufacturing residues. After that there was still heat happening so I put some sausages on the top rack without the water pan. The temperature was at the higher end of the smoke range and whatever the process was, they were great. Crispy but not burned skin and moist inside.

I can see one really big downside to this thing. My diet.
 
The cuts that are really awesome for genuine BBQ aren't common in the cooler at Loblaws. Its worth the effort to make friends with a real butcher, and it doesn't need to be a designer shop, just somebody that caters production meat processors and restaurant supply , the more ethnic the cliental in my experience the more likely they are to have pork butts, belly for making your own bacon and beef brisket and tri tip. Want a really bad habit?? Buy a pork belly and trim it pretty lean and smoke your own bacon, keep the heat low and smoke it thoroughly , then thick slice it. Its heaven. Take the thick slices and cover both sides with brown sugar, put parchment paper on both sides and press the slices between two cookie sheets, bake at 350 for 35 mins. they stay flat and when cool taste like bacony happy candy, really fattening deadly candy.
 
I tried the chimney starter but it's unreliable. The best charcoal lighter is the electric hot element type. And yes, never ever use lighter fluid.
 
CruisnGrrl, I got an IR thermometer from Princess Auto when it went on sale. It will read the outside temperature. For inside the meat, I got one at a kitchen supply store, Hendricks here in Kingston. L
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom