Who's smokin/grillin what this weekend?

[kroberts2131]

I've got a cousin who competes professionally and he's up there on the KC rankings. Nothing comes off the smoker without spending some time wrapping it. A lot of the guys who are out there on a regular basis all wrap their meat. (I'm done trying to not make this sound dirty ) Its not a myth that it traps the steam in the foil and helps keep the meat moist. Backyard smoking probably doesn't matter too much but I personally think its the key to good BBQ. I always wrap my ribs, cover them in brown sugar, honey, and a few other things I've picked up. After two hours or so, unwrap them for another 30 minutes with heavy smoke. Give it a try this weekend!

 

[CHenry]

Smoking longer than 4 hours will make the meat taste bad. Smoke 3-4, wrap and finish, let rest in a cooler covered with a towel for 30 min. I did a pork tenderloin last night but only had 2 hours to smoke. Foil wrapped for about an hour on 300* until internal temp hit 180, remove and rested for half hour. VERY tender and juicy.

 

[kroberts2131]

Smoking longer than 4 hours will make the meat taste bad. Smoke 3-4, wrap and finish, let rest in a cooler covered with a towel for 30 min. I did a pork tenderloin last night but only had 2 hours to smoke. Foil wrapped for about an hour on 300* until internal temp hit 180, remove and rested for half hour. VERY tender and juicy.

Yep, I rarely got over 4 hours with anything i'm smoking. I have yet to make a decent brisket but I just stick to what i'm good at. I usually smoke at around 250, no matter what it is. Thats where my smoker likes to hold temp so I just go with it. Pork tendorloin is my favorite thing to make. Way better than a boston butt I think.

 

[dlbleak]

i'm having trouble with brisket also. pork is much easier but i still try the beef. my roasts come out good and thats what my wife prefers so at least i'm making her happy! at 250, i usually smoke for a couple hours then wrap for a few more. pork butts come off first or they get dry. the rest is fall off the bone.

 

[Coded-Dude]

Yes...too much smoke can bitter the meat which is why many wrap. That, and keeping the moisture in are the only two valid reasons I know of(although the latter is not necessary if you do it right). It can be done without wrapping, but it really depends on what kinds of wood you are using. Hickory and Mesquite are the biggest culprits(that I know of). When I did my 10lb pork shoulder on memorial day(13 hours), I used a combination of hickory and cherry. It tasted great out of the grill, but after reheating it a day or two later I could taste a little smoke bitterness. It was still damn good, but I think had I only used hickory and not mixed in the cherry it would have been much more bitter. /prefers smoking with fruit wood of any kind(cherry, peach, apple, pear, etc.)

I'll probably do a nice sized brisket in the next week or two if my busy schedule allows it. Although I will likely use my tried and true sous vide method as it does wonders for tougher meats..

Since we are on the subject of smoking...how many of you leave the backstrap on a pork shoulder? I usually take mine off because I love bark and it gives you way more surface area to create a good bark.

 

[tRidiot]

In competitions, wrapping is used to power through the stall, due to time constraints. The "myth" is that you must wrap or your meat dries out... which is absolutely not the case.

I never wrap, my meat isn't bitter.


Like I said, I prefer the bark, which is why I don't wrap it. If it is coming off the smoker and being transported somewhere else, I might, to hold the heat, but I know it is at the sacrifice of the bark. So I try to mainly stay home.

 

[dennishoddy]

IMHO, the bitterness comes from too much smoke, and not using fully seasoned, dry wood.
The wood should be at least 2 years old.
When the wife and I did the BBQ circuit, we used black jack.
Very mild oak smoke.
We built one hot fire in the stick burner, putting the meat on when it was white ash coals.
Then threw in the occasional fresh piece to generate light smoke.
Of course, we had to wrap for the reasons tRidiot mentioned.
Now, with the cookshack, I buy the Jack Daniels ground up oak whisky barrels available at Walmart.
I stick with oak.

 

[tRidiot]

IMHO, the bitterness comes from too much smoke, and not using fully seasoned, dry wood.
The wood should be at least 2 years old.
When the wife and I did the BBQ circuit, we used black jack.
Very mild oak smoke.
We built one hot fire in the stick burner, putting the meat on when it was white ash coals.
Then threw in the occasional fresh piece to generate light smoke.
Of course, we had to wrap for the reasons tRidiot mentioned.
Now, with the cookshack, I buy the Jack Daniels ground up oak whisky barrels available at Walmart.
I stick with oak.

I also usually stick with apple or pecan, occasionally hickory. But never used mesquite, which I understand is a MUCH stronger smoke and more prone to the bitterness. Plus, I use a pellet smoker, which doesn't smoke as heavily as a stick burner.

 

[trickydick]

I usually just smoke turkey's and chickens several times a year. The turkeys get 8hrs of mesquite smoke, the last one was breast down the whole time and the juices turned a tiny bit of the meat to mush, so I'll probably flip it back for the last 2hours next time. At the 8 hour mark I open the vents and let the smoker heat up till the thermometer pops. The turkey skin gets all the bitterness from the smoke and it just gets tossed out. The white meat comes out pink all the way through.

The t=bone and ribeye steaks I smoke a few weeks ago got seared for a few minutes on a grate in the fire box and then smoked for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I used some carne asada seasoning from samsclub and they came out medium and tasty.

I'd like to try ribs and brisket this year, but I would hate to ruin it.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Well guys, I can help you settle the dispute of whether foil wrapping or not is better. (Trying to keep from saying wrapping your meat, lol)
Lets pick a Saturday and I will serve as judge. We can have ribs, and a pork tenderloin class.