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Tips Archive

Do you know what a GREAT Presentation Box looks like for a Competition BBQ? Well, here's some!!!!!
Come to a Class and we'll show you how to do that!!!!

Smoke That Cheese!!!!!!! Custom Cheese Smoker built by Caleb Hayes from Caleb's Custom Smokers!
Don't see many of these!!!!

When Should I Glaze/Sauce Those Ribs?
Glazes Glazes and Sauces have a LOT of Sugar in them. The best time to put them on your meat is the last 30-45 minutes of the cook so they do not burn!
I like my Glazes a little Crispy, so I really keep a close eye on them and get them off at the perfecto time.

What's the real temp of my Smoker?
Just because that Smoker Gage says 205 doesn't mean it is!!!
Every so often, you need to check the accuracy of your gages. Place an Oven Thermometer as close to your smoker's Temp Gage as you can (on the grates) and check to see the difference.
And, yes, the Oven Therm can go bad too!!!
And, remember, it has nothing to do with how long the meat has been in the Smoker!!!! It's ALL about the Internal Temp of the MEAT.

"It's Done When It's Done"

Smoked Jalapeno Peppers
Smoke them at 275 degrees for about 30-45 minutes. You can tell when they have taken on enough smoke when they start to wrinkle like a Prune.
Chop them up and add to any recipe that calles for Jalapeno Peppers. They add an excellent smokey, spicy flavor.
I eat them by dipping them in Cheese Dip. Pretty spicy, but GREAT!

Charcoal Burn Test
(Lump vs. Briquettes)
You decide which type to use!

Burnt Ends
Crispy, Crunchy little pieces of Beef!!!

Smoking In The Rain?
The rain will cool down your firebox so much it will lower your smoker temp immediately!!!
Just cover the fire box with something and your fire will continue to burn perfecto!!!
Raining? Who cares. Ya gotta eat! Get out there and Smoke something!

Brine That Meat!!

Just a few important bringing basics here.
1. You must ALWAYS Brine in a non-reactive container. Never use metal. The Salt will start to corrode the metal and your product will make you ill.
     Always use a food safe plastic. I use ice coolers like this Igloo.
2. You MUST keep your Brine water below 40 degrees!! Remember that Meat and Dairy Products Danger Zone 40-140???
3. Basic Brine is 1/2 cup of Kosher Salt to 1 Gallon of water. That is the BASIC Brine solution.    That mixture is what starts the Process of Osmosis.
    Whatever else you add to your Brine is your choice.
4. You can Brine ANY piece of meat!!!

Meat Slicer
Need that meat sliced to perfection? This kitchen tool is a cut above the rest!!! I do not use it often, but it is a blast when I do. Talk about slicing meat!

This is a Bone-In Boston Butt for Pulled Pork.
Score the top (fat cap on bottom) of the Butt. (1-2 inches deep)
This will allow the Butt to cook a little quicker and it will provide more surface area to get more Rub into the Butt for more flavor and more of that Crispy, Crunchy Bark (the best part).
Smoke On!!!!

February 12, 2012

Stick Burners Rule!
You can get twice the heat from an ALL WOOD fire than you can from a CHARCOAL fire.
So, if you are having trouble getting your Smoker up to temp, get wood!!!
I love maintaining a fire with just wood. I start a fire using a few pieces of Briquettes or Lump Charcoal, and after I get a good bed of coals, I go to Sticks. Make sure they are the right size for your Smoker!! Too large and you will have a Cold Fire. Too small and they will burn up too quick.
It takes a little practice to maintain a wood fire and keep it Hot and Clean without your Smoker temp jumping all around, but after you master that, it's the BEST fire you can get.
Perfect heat and perfect smoke!

February 12, 2012
Rolled Ribs
How can I get 6 Racks of Ribs on that Smoker/Grill without a Rib Rack? Roll them up and stick a toothpick in them to secure. How do they smoke? Hey, the meat doesn't know the difference!!! You have to unfold them before you cut them, but other than that, Perfecto Ribs!!!!
And, they do look Purdy!

February 11, 2012

HillBilly ABT Holder
You You can buy a Stainless Steel ABT Holder for $19.99 and spend another $1.28 on hot water to clean it each time you use it, OR, you can make one out of a disposable Aluminum Pan
for $.38 and throw it away!!! Just Sayin'.

January 11, 2012
If You're Lookin', You Ain't Cookin'!
When you open that Smoker, you lose most of the heat within moments! So, leave the lid closed.
Although, I do spray my Ribs the last hour of smoking about every 15 minutes. The spray mixture I use makes the Ribs shiny and gives them a little sweet taste as the mixture caramelizes!

January 6, 2012
My version of the Beer Can Chicken.
So, I go in this Store that is going out of business and everything is on sale. I see these Beer Can Chicken holders and I bought 4. Why 4? Because they were only $1.00 each.
I do a Beer Can Chicken and Smoke it up on my trusty 'Ol Brinkmann Offset. (my favorite Smoker out of 8)
Beer Can Chicken is finished and really looks Purdy. Nice and light brown in color and smells wonderful.

I tear into her and she tastes GREAT! She don't taste nothing like Beer, but she tastes GREAT!
She tastes like a little smoke flavor, juicy Chicken and my favorite Rub (Original).

But Beer? No!

I look in that Beer Can and ALL of the Beer is still in it.
I should have drank that Beer!!!!!!

I tried several more of the Beer Can Chickens and I never did get a Beer taste or flavor. Just a wasted Beer.

So, it's back to my old way of doing Smoked Chicken. If you add a Beer to the pan you are smoking that Chicken in, it WILL taste like Beer.

Now what do you want to shove up the Butt of your Chicken? An old aluminum can or some Cilantro, Onion, Garlic Lemon and Apple?
Beer Can, Smeer Can. Drink your Beer.
That's just my opinion and I don't know Jack Didley!!!

January 4, 2012
Burmis (PitMaster Supreme) Using Heavy Rubber Gloves To Pull That Pork.
That is my Brother (Ernest Emig) and my Dog (Ellie May) pulling a half dozen or so Pork Butts. He is using heavy rubber gloves. They allow you to handle the meat after it has rested a little and is still too hot to handle with disposable gloves.
They are also much easier and quicker than using Bear Claws and will allow you to pull out the larger pieces of fatty tissue that you are not going to eat.
They just make the job MUCH easier and certainly MUCH quicker.

January 2, 2012
Pass the Salt, please.
So, I hear this story about the different tastes that Salt has and I think, BS. Salt is Salt. Not True!
I started buying salts from around the world and the difference in their tastes are amazing!! The different minerals in the waters that they harvest the Salt from will give that Salt a special taste. These are 4 that I really like and use quite often. They vary in color because of the different minerals and certainly in price, too.
Some are as much as $35.00 a lb., and they are worth every cent, too.

January 1, 2012
Where are you going to set that chimney to start it?
CAUTION!!!
NEVER set that Chimney on Concrete to start your Charcoal!!! The heat can, and will, draw the moisture out of the Concrete and it can make the Concrete explode. This has happened and has caused serious injuries!! So, build a Chimney Rack (great for a wood deck) or set it on the ground!!

Dec 31, 2011
Season that wood!
You CAN burn green wood, but you had better have a REALLY hot fire to do so. Better if it's seasoned!!! Not as much moisture and resins in it. Easier to start and burns cleaner!
Cut it in small pieces, like in this picture, that will fit YOUR particular Smoker. Let it season for 6 months.
Some people season it inside a garage or cover it. I do not! I leave it out in the elements, rain, sleet, snow, hail and SUN!!! It seasons better, I think.
As long as you do not have it sitting on the ground where the bottom row can rot, it is just fine outside.

Dec 27, 2011
Smoked Garlic
I am sure that most of you have had roasted Garlic before. Here is a little trick I use for extra flavor on my meats.
First of all' there is a method for simply keeping your Rub on the meat as it smokes and it is called the "Slather Method". It is simply slathering your meat with Mustard and applying your Rub on top of that. Really works well to keep the Rub on and the people that use this method swear that "you can't even taste the Mustard".
I have tried it and they are right about "not tasting the Mustard".
If you can't taste the Mustard, I think it is a waste of good Mustard. Just make sure your meat is moist and your Rub will stick to it. Save that Mustard for your HotDogs!!!
I am not a fan of putting anything on my meats that I can't taste!!
Try this. Smoke a Head of Garlic by cutting just the top of the Head off and leaving the cloves together. Pour some Olive Oil on the exposed cloves and smoke it in a pouch of Aluminum Foil at 300 degrees or so for about an hour, or until the cloves are soft. It will have the consistency of butter and gets really sweat.
Pinch the cloves and mash them until you get that butter consistency and spread that all over your meat. Put on your Rub and smoke.
I will assure you that you can taste that mild Garlic flavor. Smoke On!!!!

Dec 25, 2011 at 1202 a.m. Merry Christmas!
Smoke That Cheese!
Remember the "Danger Zone" for meats and dairy products is between 40-140 degrees and they should NOT be left in that temperature range for more than a couple of hours!

A perfect time to smoke some Cheese is when you have removed the meat from your Smoker after a cook and you are letting the fire go out. Let the Smoker cool down to about 100-110 degrees (no more), making sure there is still just a little bit of coals left in there. If your Smoker is hotter than 100 degrees, take some of the coals out!

Put a small piece of your smoking wood on the coals. Just enough to smolder from the heat left on the coals. This is kind of like a Cold Smoke.

Get a block of Cheese (any kind) and place it on some aluminum foil in your Smoker.

Let it smoke for about 45 - 60 minutes, watching to make sure it doesn't melt. If you keep the Smoker at 100 degrees, it will not melt your cheese.
Much hotter than 100 degrees Smoker temp, and depending on the type of Cheese, you will end up with a Cheese Dip instead a Cheese block!!!

What I have found is that if you place your Cheese in the Refrigerator until it cools completely, the smoke flavor will intensify tremendously!!! I do not know why, but it certainly does.
So, taste it right after you smoke it and again after it has cooled in the frig.

For those that are lucky (or Crazy) enough to have one of Caleb's Custom Cheese Smokers, smoking Cheese is really fun and easy! You don't see one of those every day!!
You can't buy Smoked Cheese like the cheese you smoke yourself!!

Dec 22, 2011
Make A Dry Rub Into A Wet Rub Or Maranade

To make any Dry Rub into a Wet Rub, add 1 part oil to 2 parts rub.

To make a marinade, use the amount of Rub you would use as if you were just putting it on the meat as a Dry Rub and add ½ cup Olive Oil, 1 cup liquid such as Water, Fruit Juice, Wine or Beer, and 1 Tablespoon Cider or Lemon Juice. Marinade food covered in the refrigerator from 30 minutes to overnight.

Remember that the Oil will burn if you are putting the meat over direct heat (coals - flame).

Dec 21, 2011
BBQ Marketing "101"
Want to Market a BBQ business on the Cheap?
Find a Meat Market that will let you set up your smoker in their parking lot and give away Free Samples of Pulled Pork, Pulled Beef or Brats.
Put up a large Banner like mine!!!
In MOST States and Communities you will not have to have ANY licenses to do this. (check with your local Health Department)
You can't sell food products but you can sell anything else you have and advertise your services and products at the same time.
Smoke some Butts, a couple of Briskets and some Brats. Get some small 2 oz. plastic cups and hand out the meat!!! You will fill a parking lot
if the business is near a busy road or Hwy. When I do this at Angus Meats, we have to call the Police to direct traffic.
The Police love it because I give them FREE sandwiches and Soda.
A Meat Market loves it because it is FREE advertising for them, also!!
Hand out Business Cards and it will create immediate traffic to your web site!
You're Welcome!

Dec 20, 2011
Injecting Your Butt? Stop The Mess!!!
Injecting can create a mess in the kitchen with the injection spraying out everywhere as you pull the injector out of the meat.
When you buy your butts in the plastic packaging, leave them in the plastic and inject right through the it.
If you rinse your meat before Smoking, (I always do) do so after you inject them.
If they have already been taken out of the plastic, slip them into a 2 gallon storage bag and inject through that!!!

Dec 16, 2011
Sharp Knives
I have a LOT of knives. I collect them. Any knife worth having is a knife worth keeping STRAIGHT RAZOR SHARP!
Yes, you will cut yourself once in a while as you do with any knife, but a really sharp knife will leave a cleaner cut that
will heal MUCH faster without leaving as much of a scar.
So sharpen your knives a little each time you use them.

Dec 10, 2011
Rub down with Oil!
Apply a coating of infused Olive Oil on your meat before you put on your Rub. There are some Great flavors available and helps your Rub adhere to the meat. I also mix Apple Juice and whichever Olive Oil (50/50 mix) I am using for that day and spray the meat during the smoke for some EXTRA flavor.

Dec 9, 2011
How long will it take?
Who knows!!!! "It's Done When It's Done" It doesn't matter how long it is in the smoker. Ain't got nuthin' to do with it. It's ALL about the internal temp of the meat!!! Going by the length of time in the smoker is just an educated guess AT BEST!
Get yourself a good remote therm like the one on the right. That way you can check your internal meat temp without lifting the lid on the smoker. "If you're lookin', you ain't cookin". Every time you lift that lid, it takes another 15 minutes of cooking time because you let out all of the heat.
The INSTANT READ therm like the one on the left is a little pricy but a GREAT therm to have.

Dec 8, 2011 Hey, I am a day ahead of ya'll. I just found a pic of this Bad boy and thought I would share, late at night, drinking coffee!!!
A good Pen!!!
If you want to be consistant with your smoking once you find a good recipe and it comes out Perfecto for you, keep a good Pen on hand and write down every detail about the smoke in a journal. I have notes from 25 years ago!!!

Dec 7, 2011
Crispy Chicken Skin
Want Crispy Chicken Skin? You are not going to get crispy chicken skin with a Smoker temp of 250-275. If you want to smoke at that low of a temp, smoke it at that temp and at the end of the cook (last 30 minutes) crank the smoker to 350-375. That will get you crispy skin.

Dec 4, 2011
100% Lump Charcoal
If you have not tried 100% Lump Charcoal, try some. It burns just as hot and as long as Briquettes and has 1/4 the Ash. Very important on those long burns. You won't fill up your Smoker with Ashes before your done smoking.
Dec 2, 2011
Pulling Meat
Bear Claws are a GREAT way to pull/shred your meats. Put one in each hand and go at it even if that meat is really hot! Also very handy for picking up large pieces of meat.
Dec 1, 2011
Lighting That Charcoal
Always use a Charcoal Chimney to light your Charcoal. If you use Lighter Fluid and do not get it all burnt off the coals before you load the meat, that odor will adhere to your meat IMMEDIATELY and you will never get it off. Lighter Fluid Ribs! Yuck!
Uncle Kenny also uses his Charcoal Chimney as a Bottle Rocket launcher!!!! Many uses!