care to share your meat smokin tips & recipies?

[boostnut]

Wife just showed up with an early christmas present, a Brinkmann vertical gas smoker. No, its not in the same league as some of the custom built units I've seen posted here but it sure beats the hell out of the electric one I'll be replacing. Now, while I'm not new to using a smoker I don't consider myself very experienced.

I am lucky with my choices of available wood. Currently have oak, cherry, hickory, mulberry, locust, mesquite, and walnut in my stash. In the past I've stuck to cherry or hickory but I'm willing to consider other options.

I'd like to smoke a turkey breast this weekend, got any tips?

I've also got a 4.5lb pork butt on deck. Gotta make a batch of pulled pork, lets hear your method.

 

[redprospector]

For turkey my favorite wood is Apricot, but about any fruit wood is ok.
I've never cooked just a breast so my method may not apply.
I'm generally short on time, which is not a good thing when smoking so I'll par boil the bird first. This cuts down smoking time considerably, and ensures a really moist bird. I lay the bird in the smoke chamber and pour a beer in the carcas. Keep the temp in the 200 to 225 degree range and in about 6 hours get ready to chow down.

Andy

 

[warjohn]

I use a rub of one part salt, one part white pepper, one part poultry seasoning and 1/2 part sage. Stand the breast up on a can of beer, you can get a holder for this. Smoke for about six hours at 225 degrees. Spray with apple juice once an hour. I prefer pecan for poultry but of what you have available mesquite would be a good choice.

 

[sly13]

Been reading a book recently and it said a turkey will take all the smoke it's going to in about 15 to 25 min. I don't know just throwing that out there.

 

[taylor6400]

I just started smoking this summer in a charcoal side firebox smoker. Love it. I have done a couple butts...they are easy. Really cant screw them up. I put a nice rub on and then throw on the smoke somewhere 225-250 and sometimes after the first hour i will spritz with a sugar based spray (usually Capt Morgans and apple juice) makes a really nice dark tastey outter bark. Take the internal temp to 170 and wrap it in foil with some of the spray back on the heat to 205 leave rest for an hour and open up the foil and is will just fall apart. I also did a wild turkey brest...just rubbed it and laid bacon strips over the brest and smoked it at 225 till 170 internal and it was the best wild turkey i have had. I dont know about taking smoke for only 15 mins cause i used hickory and it was pretty smoky. But i like a nice bold smoke taste.

I would like to get a propane burner for winter because i cant keep a steady temp when its cold out in mine. Its nice in the summer because you have an excuse to "tend fire" (drink beer) all day while smoking...

 

[johncinco]

Get yourself a large metal trash can. After you have it all set up and fire going, meat inside, set the trash can over the top of the smoker. Prop it up with 3-4 bricks on the ground. I see your in IL, so your temps are the same as up here in MI. It keeps the heat in and consistant. I could never get the heat to stay up enough with the cold temps. They sell a blanket for smokers for $75, but the $15 trash can worked great!

Take some aluminum foil and double or triple layer it. Make a "pouch" or pocket out of it, take your wood chips and get em wet and stuff the pouch with them and seal it up. poke 3-4 slits in the pocket and once your fire is coals throw the whole thing in on the coals. You'll get a nice steady smoke. I make about 3 pouches, about 5x5" and toss them in as needed for effective smoke production.

Don't open the smoker to check it more than absolutely necessary. You let out the smoke as well as the heat. Like a crock pot, you dont want to be peeking at it, just let it work.

I dunno about oak or walnut as smoking woods. Sounds like BLECHHH to me, but maybe it works.

I'm hoping a local fishing guide shows up this week with some steelhead. We're trading my smoked venison for some fresh fish. Mmmm.

 

[taylor6400]

Oak is a very good smoking wood. I dont know about walnut. I use mainly oak and hickory on most things. Some cherry for a lighter fruity flavor on some. I am on a smoking forum...more than you can ever read about smoking here. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forums/index.php

There is a thread titled woods for smoking. Here is what it says about:

OAK - Heavy smoke flavor--the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.

WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.

 

[pwoller]

Oak is great for smoking!

One thing I have started using with poultry is brining. Basically soaking them in salt water for anywhere from 4 to 12 hours. It really makes them very moist.

 

[CrappieKeith]

For me the secret to producing great smoked meats was all about making a good brine....
then the trick was to figure out temps and times to leave the meat in the smoker.
I'm about ready to smoke up a 18 lb turkey....looking to inject the bird 1st.
I'm wondering what I should use?
I could just soak it in a brown sugar brine.

 

[taylor6400]

oh yeah, your not looking for thick billowing smoke (white or dark) you are wanting a nice thin blue smoke stream you get from a clean burning fire, not smoldering wood. You'll know when you see it. The thick smoke can cause creosote to condense on your food...yep same problem with smoking as heating with wood!

 

[pwoller]

For me the secret to producing great smoked meats was all about making a good brine....
then the trick was to figure out temps and times to leave the meat in the smoker.
I'm about ready to smoke up a 18 lb turkey....looking to inject the bird 1st.
I'm wondering what I should use?
I could just soak it in a brown sugar brine.

I would think if you got it into a good brine then you probably wouldn't need to inject it at all. If you did I would use some thing pretty subtle.

 

[boostnut]

For me the secret to producing great smoked meats was all about making a good brine....
then the trick was to figure out temps and times to leave the meat in the smoker.
I'm about ready to smoke up a 18 lb turkey....looking to inject the bird 1st.
I'm wondering what I should use?
I could just soak it in a brown sugar brine.

Keith, I'm not sure how it would work with smoking but when deep frying a bird I always stick it in an oven bag (trash bag would work) and dump a big bottle of Franks Red Hot or Louisana Hot Sauce in with it for 48 hours before cooking. It gives the bird a tangy taste, not hot! No one has ever asked if I use hot sauce and I've been doing it this way for about 10 years. Once again, never done it before smoking but might be worth a shot.

 

[ray benson]

I don't smoke, only supply the wood to a friend. Last summer it included red oak, paper birch, mulberry, pear and crab apple. This spring will send some red oak and cherry.

 

[pwoller]

I don't smoke, only supply the wood to a friend. Last summer it included red oak, paper birch, mulberry, pear and crab apple. This spring will send some red oak and cherry.

You really outta try it for yourself, I really enjoy the whole experience of it. Nothing like sitting back drinking beer until the wee hours of the morning. Then you get everyone's complements on how good it is, really rewarding. At the least your buddy should be giving you some smoked meat in return for the wood.

 

[taylor6400]

You really outta try it for yourself, I really enjoy the whole experience of it. Nothing like sitting back drinking beer until the wee hours of the morning. Then you get everyone's complements on how good it is, really rewarding. At the least your buddy should be giving you some smoked meat in return for the wood.

We must time things a little differently...I start smoking (and usually drinking beer) in the wee hours of the morning!

 

[zr900]

My Grandpa got into smoking meats very heavy for the last 20 years of his life and got damn good at it to. For poultry a brine of salt brown sugar and water was used. His favorite wood to smoke poultry with was sassafras.

 

[pwoller]

My Grandpa got into smoking meats very heavy for the last 20 years of his life and got damn good at it to. For poultry a brine of salt brown sugar and water was used. His favorite wood to smoke poultry with was sassafras.

Sounds like a good brine. Just dont forget about the bird while its brining, I did and ended up with some salty chickens.

 

[boostnut]

Sasafrass huh, I've got some of that too. Guess I'm pretty lucky to have the selection of trees to harvest, never thought about giving sasafrass a shot in the smoker.

 

[Old Cane]

I've used all kinds of wood for smoking and to be honest I can't tell a lot of difference. Usually it's mesquite now because that's usually all walmart has when I go to get some chips. For me it's more about how I marinate the meat.

I've smoked hams and turkey breasts here in the last few years and no real tricks to that. I just keep plenty of water inside the smoker or grill. It's good with little or no "sauce".

Now, with brisket I like charcoal and hickory but I soak the meat for a day in a refridgerator marinate. By that, I mean I go through the fridge and add what ever I have from miracle whip to pickle juice. Soy sauce, beer, mustard, salt and several kinds of pepper, onions, garlic, powders and flakes of whatever I have. Go wild. And then I smoke it for about 36 hours. Man, I know what I'm doing this weekend.

 

[acer saccharum]

Although you do not have a weber smoker, a lot of good information for smoking in general can be found at http:\\www.virtualweberbullet.com

I generally use oak and cherry. I also have a stash of apple, beech, mulberry and black birch. I stay away from locust, I think is smells pretty nasty coming out my chimney. I don't want my food smelling or tasting like that.