I received an electric smoker for Christmas a couple years back. Today I
broke it in...
After trying all the local meat markets, I finally found some beef brisket
at a local grocer chain. They only had "trimmed-down" pieces... around 2
1/2 lbs each. I realize these weren't the ideal cuts, but what the heck -
I'm a newbie, let's go for it. I picked up a couple cuts and the spices
needed for the rub.
I mixed up a batch of "All-South Barbecue Rub", from the "FAQ Of The
Internet BBQ List"...
http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq/faq2/toc.html (thanks for the earlier post).
I used a full batch on my two pieces of meat, sprinkling it on, rubbing it
in, then pounding the meat with my fists. I threw the two cuts in a bowl to
settle down a bit while I tended to the smoker.
I soaked a couple bags of char-broil mesquite chips in water. Unfortunately
the smoker I have is an on-or-off electric element type. This is obviously
going to be a learning experience.
Around 1:00 PM I fired up (OK... plugged in) the smoker and threw some
soaked chips on the electric element. I sprayed the grate with some PAM,
then threw on my pieces of meat. For the first three hours, I smoked with
the exhaust vent closed and the intake vent closed, throwing in a few chunks
of chips an hour.
Ooops... as I read more from the BBQ Faqs page I realized I'm doing just
about everything wrong. Did I mention this is going to be a learning
experience? For the first few hours my temp hovered around 150 degrees.
OK... here we go. Let's open the exhaust vent wide open. Let's leave the
intake vent open while throwing on an assortment of soaked and dry chips.
Twenty minutes later... WHOA! Temp is up to 340. Unplug the element, close
all the vents, grab a beer. Lesson learned - take small steps, preferably
away from cliffs.
I eventually figured out a technique of adjusting the heat by plugging and
unplugging the element, and adjusting the intake vent. For the last couple
hours I kept the temp right around 210.
After about 6 hours, I checked the internal temp of the meat, and it was
reading right around 185. I took the meat off, wrapped it up in tinfoil,
and threw it in the fridge. Did I mention I'm making this for a father's
day picnic tomorrow?
An hour passes, and I take the meat out of the tinfoil and slice it up. The
aroma is UNBELIEVABLE! As the pieces flake off I grab my commission, and
have a nice little dinner in the process. It's a little dried out, not too
bad, but I figure I'll improvise.
I throw on some bbq sauce from a local bbq-joint (Dinosaur BBQ / Rochester,
NY) on the sliced meat, then set the meat in a deep-dish casserole for
reheating tomorrow.
After an hour, I pulled the casserole out of the fridge to re-try the meat.
Man, let me tell you, the taste is incredible. I'd prefer it a little more
tender, but the taste is incredible.
Lessons learned (or things I'll try different)...
#1 Plan ahead. Next time I'll order a full brisket (9 lbs or so) in
advance.
#2 Plan ahead. Next time I'll leave the rub on for a day or so.
#3 Smoke appropriately. Now that I've figured out my smoker, I'll attempt
keeping a constant temp going.
#4 Plan ahead. Next time I'll make sure to have a full case of beer on deck
prior to starting. A twelve pack simply doesn't cut it, especially once the
neighbors start catching on and decide to stare at the smoke with me.
#5 Smoke and Eat on Same Day. I'm hoping to go boating tomorrow prior to
our picnic at 4pm, so there was now way I could smoke and party in the same
day. Next time, I'll try to smoke and eat on the same day.
Conclusion...
I type endlessly after drinking a lot of beer. This smokin thing is a good
time! I have a compulsive personality, so I figure by the end of the week
I'll have finished construction of my smoke house in the back yard. If
anyone's looking for a wife, I figure mine will be available soon...
[Burp]... mmmm, smokey brisket. Life is good
First Timer,
Doug