2012 BBQ, Grilling, and Smoking Thread

That bacon looks insanely good. Is it regular thick cut, or do you have to use something special for grilling?

Regular thick cut pepper bacon.

Because it doesn't sit in its own fat to cook, it's healthy bacon.

No. Since I had to get up so early to start a fire for the brisket, I cooked breakfast for the family on the small pit. I had to build a fire in it to cook a pot of beans anyway.

Sweet Jesus shootER, I love your food pics. Keep 'em coming.

I want to marry you.

I've tweeked my smoker box (more surface area for the coals, and more clearance underneath for the ashes) and I'm doing another pork shoulder tomorrow.

Do you think one shoulder is enough for four adults, one teenager, and one two year old?

Probably so, especially if it's a decent-sized one.

Prepping for about four or five hours from now. I was looking for a 5 or 6 pounder, but they only had this one. 7.5 pounds.

Anyone ever mix bacon with ground beef before making hamburgers? I forget if the bacon should be cooked first or not before doing that(?). Anyway burgers made that way are/can be REALLY GOOD if done/made right. Some restaurants do that. I remember a Chicago joint on either the Travel or Food Channel(s) that makes a specialty burger just that way. I had a burger made that way at a bar'n'grill on the Jersey shore last summer. It was great

There used to be a place around the corner that did it. I'm pretty sure the bacon was raw, and holy crap it was good!

I think I may have stumbled on what my problem was last time with keeping the heat high enough...to recap, for the first four hours, I had no trouble at all keeping the smoker above 220, but then I couldn't keep it above 200 no matter what I did.

Well, I started having the problem this time...but it was after about 7.5 hours (I guess my modification helped a little). So I ran out of lump charcoal, went to the store and got another bag, opened it up and added more, and the temp spiked to 300 degrees.

I'm thinking it's the size of the lumps. The smaller the bits, the worse they produce heat....and since the smaller bits settle to the bottom, as you go through a bag you're using smaller and smaller chunks...hence the smoker gradually can't keep the heat up.

I know lump charcoal is better, but for longer smoking/barbecuing when I'm not using actual wood, I actually prefer the briquettes. They don't burn quite as hot or as fast and the uniform size means they burn evenly. Plus, they're cheaper.

I like the lump charcoal best when I'm grilling, when the fire's got to be really hot and it doesn't matter that it's going to burn out faster.

That said, more often than not I'll burn some real wood down until it makes a nice bed of hot coals to grill over. Takes longer, but...

What do you have on the chicken?

After grilling I tossed the pieces in an spicy Asian sauce.

That out of a jar or you make it yourself? Got the recipes/product name?

Oh well, there goes that one then.

Well, I had to cheat again. Internal temp was 179 when I ran out of charcoal again...went through two bags...so I finished it off in the oven. Still though, it was pretty damn good. Better than the last time.

Yeah, charcoal isn't really for long-term barbecuing/smoking. Especially the lump kind because, like I said, it tends to burn hot and fast. For a pork butt or similiar cuts, you need low temperature and a long cook time.

The Cowboy brand is what I was using. The first big pieces are huge...practically logs, but then about three-quarters through the bag, they're just uselessly small.

So here's what I've learned for next time.

-Use briquettes, not lump charcoal

-Two 4 lb shoulders smoke a lot quicker than one 8 lb shoulder

-I need a wireless digital grill thermometer (already have a wireless meat thermometer...it worked pretty good...but I have a feeling the built-in dial thermometer on the grill may have been fibbing a little)

Yeah, the smaller you cut pieces the more surface area you have so the faster it is to cook. The surface area to volume ration is why little kids always get cold fast even while adults feel fine. It just so happens that little bit of knowledge can also help you cook a brisket faster too.

Why would you want to cook a brisket fast? If you do it'll be tough, not tender.

And cooking it fast means less excuse to hang out in the yard drinking beer. No thanks!

It was just the first cut which popped into my mind while typing.

No turkey in this house today.

No turkey? What are you, some kind of commie Kenyan socialist?