Pro Staff Article - Smoking Fun 9-20-07

Smoking Fun 9 20 07

Smoking Fun 9-20-07

If you are looking for a smoker, look no further. I have used electric and charcoal smokers for years, with considerable difficulty controlling the heat and smoke because we live on a high ridge where the winds are often quite strong. I have literally put quilts around my old smokers to hold the temperature. This usually results in a slightly burnt quilt, an upset wife, and, if you run your mouth too much, you'll be wrapping that smoky quilt around yourself as you sleep on the back porch. I have now found that if you want to really control the heat and smoke, the Camp Chef Smoke Vault is the bomb. I was able to hold the smoker at a steady 250 degree for 4 hours with a minimum (I checked it hourly) amount of smoker supervision. Yes, I was delighted with my first attempt in my new 18-inch Smoke Vault, and our quilts are neither burned nor smoky -- not to mention that I got to sleep in my own bed. Well, enough about the smoker and my past experiences. Let me tell you about my latest adventure in smoking. We invited a few people over, but the eight we invited somehow grew to 25. We've found that when Kathy and I start cooking, the family comes running. For a group this size, we decided to smoke about 16 pounds of beef brisket. I am aware that brisket is one of the standard meats used in smoking, but there is a reason for it. This particular cut of meat will have a tough texture unless it is cooked slowly with some moisture - so smoked brisket is dang good! The night before we cooked the briskets, Kathy put a rub on each piece of meat, consisting of the following ingredients mixed together and rubbed on the surface of the beef (per 4-5 pound brisket): Beef Brisket Rub 1/3 c. table salt 2 tbsp. white sugar 1 tbsp. garlic powder 1 tbsp. dried lemon rind 1 tbsp. coarse ground black pepper 1 tsp. ground chili powder 1 tsp. dried cilantro 1/2 tsp. ground cumin We put the meat in the smoker at 250 degrees and smoked it for four hours, making sure that it was smoking the entire time. About 45 minutes before serving, we basted the briskets with my famous Big Joe's BBQ Sauce. We pulled them out, sliced them about 3/16" thick, and served them with additional sauce on the side. Everybody raved about the beef, and everybody wanted seconds. Depending on your taste you can alter the rub or leave it out entirely. You can do the same thing with the BBQ sauce. We have experimented with the sauce and time in the smoker and will probably continue to do so; however, the smoked brisket is a fairly basic meat to start with for your smoking adventures. Stay tuned for the next installment: Creating a "Big (fill in your name) BBQ Sauce" plus details about my latest smoking escapade.