What's Hittin' the Grill or Smoker?

[cuinrearview]

Don't have any festivities to attend today or tomorrow but when Meijer puts butts on sale for $1.19/lb I feel compelled to act. We'll enjoy a few sandwichs tomorrow with the vinegar sauce I still have from my NC trip and then vac seal and freeze the rest. Should be lighting the Stubb's and hickory in the WSM a couple hours before the ball drops.

 

[mybowtie]

VERY impressive Bowtie! Cold smoke I assume? I assume the rest is in the fridge? After that do you freeze or what? How long does it keep? I tried cheese once with mediocre results. I had much better luck with sausage. Had a local butcher add some nitrite to a batch of andouille which I cold smoked with pecan pellets for four hours. Fantastic!

Yes, cold smoked. It will keep for yrs if vac sealed and in fridge. I've got x-sharp cheddar I smoked 5 yrs ago vac sealed in my fridge. I only break it out on special occasions.

 

[cuinrearview]

Yes, cold smoked. It will keep for yrs if vac sealed and in fridge. I've got x-sharp cheddar I smoked 5 yrs ago vac sealed in my fridge. I only break it out on special occasions.

My complaint about the cheese was the harshness of the smoke flavor. I didn't age it though. Does the aging take away that bite?

 

[mybowtie]

View attachment 547317
Don't have any festivities to attend today or tomorrow but when Meijer puts butts on sale for $1.19/lb I feel compelled to act. We'll enjoy a few sandwichs tomorrow with the vinegar sauce I still have from my NC trip and then vac seal and freeze the rest. Should be lighting the Stubb's and hickory in the WSM a couple hours before the ball drops.

What rub did you use?

 

[cuinrearview]

What rub did you use?

As anal as I am about everything else I really don't worry about the rub. I used to make my own following Michael Ruhlman's recipe. Then I tried different brands from the store and I never really noticed a huge difference in the finished product so now I just buy the big containers of BBQ rub from GFS. I notice a much bigger difference from wood species than rub as long as the salt, paprika, and chili powder are prevalent in it.

 

[mybowtie]

My complaint about the cheese was the harshness of the smoke flavor. I didn't age it though. Does the aging take away that bite?

Well, the closer the smoke generator is to the cheese, the bitter taste will be very noticeable. I age mine a minimum of 4 weeks. It makes a huge difference.

However, you can smoke cheese and eat it the same day if your smoke source is 15' from the cheese, and you add a cooling chamber between the smoke and cheese.
The more you can cool the smoke, and give the nasty stuff in the smoke to dissipate, the smoother the flavor on the cheese.

 

[cuinrearview]

I had a friend make me a tray similar to the A maze N pellet smoker and set it in the bottom of my WSM with the cheese on top. You've got me thinking I need to try it again and set up differently. I'm guessing some sort of flexible ducting piped through the air vent in the bottom of the WSM would work. Hmmmm.....

 

[mybowtie]

I had a friend make me a tray similar to the A maze N pellet smoker and set it in the bottom of my WSM with the cheese on top. You've got me thinking I need to try it again and set up differently. I'm guessing some sort of flexible ducting piped through the air vent in the bottom of the WSM would work. Hmmmm.....

Exactly. I usually have a old mailbox under my deck which is 12' high. That's piped into a old 2 drawer filing cabinet that is mounted to the underside of the deck. The flex pipe then goes into my cold smoke cabinet. The "chamber" cools the smoke and cleans it also. I have a small computer fan in the pipe to help things along if needed.

I didn't use that setup this time, as I take it down during the snow months.

So this batch will have to mellow out for several weeks as the tube was only a couple feet from the smoker.

 

[svk]

Temps were in the mid 30's, so it was a perfect day to add to my smoked cheese supply.
Used hickory for this batch. 4 hrs of smoke.
Did x sharp, pepper jack, and my wife's favorite, horseradish.

View attachment 547277

No, I didn't smoke them stacked up like this. It happens to be the only pic of them after the smoke.
Let them rest in my project fridge overnight on racks.
View attachment 547281
All vac sealed and ready for a 4-6 week rest.
View attachment 547282

Wonderful!

 

[amberg]

Yes, cold smoked. It will keep for yrs if vac sealed and in fridge. I've got x-sharp cheddar I smoked 5 yrs ago vac sealed in my fridge. I only break it out on special occasions.

When you get ready to throw it out you can always send it my way, As I will take very special care of it! lol.

 

[cuinrearview]

Had to include the money shots because it still amazes me that 16 hours on heat then two hours resting wrapped in foil can produce meat this juicy. It just never gets old.....

 

[mybowtie]

View attachment 547624 View attachment 547625
Had to include the money shots because it still amazes me that 16 hours on heat then two hours resting wrapped in foil can produce meat this juicy. It just never gets old.....

Gotta love that. Looks great.

 

[cuinrearview]

Yah just don't zoom in on that second pic if you're hungry. Just sayin'. The last couple hours the kids and I were picking hunks of bark off of the top and shortly after the divots in the meat were pools of juice. I will say that the butt pictured was noticeably juicier when opened up. The other two were tender but drier. First time it has stuck out to me like that.

 

[Biigg50]

Love some Baby Backs and Tri tip fresh off the Traeger! Oh and some smoky beans.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mybowtie]

I just licked my screen....

 

[cuinrearview]

I just licked my screen....

........

Tri-tip just got bumped up my list.

 

[benp]

View attachment 547624 View attachment 547625
Had to include the money shots because it still amazes me that 16 hours on heat then two hours resting wrapped in foil can produce meat this juicy. It just never gets old.....

Love some Baby Backs and Tri tip fresh off the Traeger! Oh and some smoky beans.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Outstanding guys!!!!

I was away for Christmas at the girlfriends and the neighbor asked if he could use the grill. He was going to make Mahi Mahi for his wife.





He said it turned out great and the wife really liked it.

ETA- speaking of the girlfriend, she got me an 8lb brisket for Christmas. [emoji2]

 

[mybowtie]

Outstanding guys!!!!

I was away for Christmas at the girlfriends and the neighbor asked if he could use the grill. He was going to make Mahi Mahi for his wife.





He said it turned out great and the wife really liked it.

ETA- speaking of the girlfriend, she got me an 8lb brisket for Christmas. [emoji2]

Now, she's a keeper.

 

[benp]

Now, she's a keeper.

Yep!!! She is.

She has a lot more confidence in me than I do for cooking.

LOL - When I was at her folks for Christmas I showed them a picture of "death bird" after I pulled it out of the brine at Thanksgiving.

Their expression was priceless.

 

[bowtechmadman]

You guys are making me drool!!! Looking fantastic. Couple money shots back at ya!