Meat Smokers

Jaime Loebner 
Fri, 10 Nov 1995 18:57:07 -0700

Hello! My uncle and aunt own a small restaurant in Upper East Tennessee and would like to know where they could get a large meat smoker (big enough to hold about 3 turkeys). If anyone out there knows where I could find one, please let me know. I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks! Jaime 

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Re: Meat Smokers

Ray Basso 
Sat, 11 Nov 1995 09:16:41 -0700

The best source I know of is the "BullSheet" the publication of the Kansas City Barbecue Society. The last issue I just looked at had advertisements for 14 manufactures in it. If you would like a free issue of it just sending me and email

Thanks

Ray Basso

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Re: Meat Smokers

Clive Boyd 
Wed, 20 Dec 1995 19:15:57 -0700

Hi there,
 

Greetings from Melbourne Australia...I picked up a smoker in the States last year and thought I'd smoke a turkey for Xmas. I don't have a recipe ??? and thought I'd track one down using Netscape. I haven't had much luck yet...If you have any advise for a novice smoker please let me know!
Many Regards....

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Re: Meat Smokers

Ray Basso 
Thu, 21 Dec 1995 20:18:18 -0700

Ok I will send you a recipe from the Kansas City Barbeque Society's new cook book but you have to promise to post a message in this forum stating how good it was and how everyone should buy this great cookbook.
 

Ray

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Re: Meat Smokers

Mike Scrutchfield 
Thu, 21 Dec 1995 22:07:00 -0700

The first thing I do with any kind of poultry is never smoke it whole! You're dealing with two completely different kinds of meat, white and dark. So I separate the bird into three distinct parts: 1: the double breast section 2: leg & thighs together and 3: wings. Since you are now dealing with pieces only and not a whole carcass the meat can be much more easily marinated. I like to use Wish Bone "Robust" Italian salad dressing. One whole bottle will easily do 2 cut up chickens or about any size turkey. Use a zip lock bag, squeeze out the air, rotate occasionally, and refrigerate preferably overnight. About an hour cooking remove from bag and put a medium sprinkle of lemon pepper on all sides of all pieces. In a water pan smoker fill charcoal reservoir to the top with completely white-hot charcoal (after starting in a chimney style starter). Lay on top of the charcoal 6 nice size chunks of cherry wood (about the size of a peach). If you have a thermometer cook between 225-250 degrees until the white meat internal temperature is 150 degrees. Take it off, it's done! Any longer and it'll start toughening up and drying out! Continue cooking the hind quarters and wings until the thighs register 175-180 degrees internal.

Tip: Don't stir the fire, let the wood burn from the bottom side only laying on the coals. Tip: If you have to add charcoal (which you shouldn't) don't ever add black (non burned) in midstream. Start that charcoal in a chimney also! Did you ever smell black charcoal burning? That's what your meat will taste like. Tip: Don't ever, and I mean never try to control the oven temperature of your cooker by closing the top vent's or stack. Close the fire end up by choking off the air.
 

Note, this cooking procedure won the poultry division for the KCBS in 1995. Everything exactly how I did it except for the rub/seasoning which I'll someday try to market, until then it's still "TOP SECRET"
 

Enjoy, MIKE SCRUTCHFIELD RE/MAX is Cookin'Now Team
 

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Ham & Turkey for Christmas

Mike Scrutchfield 
Fri, 22 Dec 1995 15:46:05 -0700

Jack, If you are having to baby sit your smoker, you are probably not building a large enough initial fire. First of all it seems as if you maybe are trying to cook with straight wood. Forget that nonsense! One of the best cookers I know is Jeff Stehney with Slaughterhouse 5. He always cooks on a big, side fire box Oklahoma Joe smoker, and I know for a fact he uses a lot of charcoal, and I mean a lot. Build yourself a good charcoal based fire, white hot, well in advance (1 hour at least) of your anticipated cooking start time. As soon as the charcoal is white hot, add the smoke wood flavor desired, shut down the air supply for the fire box to just a trickle, leaving the stack wide open. After a while you'll see the cooker start to calm down and start cooling down. Once you open it back up to put the meat on it's going to cool down even more. From that point on you need to start opening the air vents and spoon feed the fire until the cooker runs up to the desired cooking temperature, and then you will find that you still have plenty of fuel left to run at a constant temperature. What I have just explained are basics. Every smoker cooks a little different, but if it wont cook this way, trash it! Remember, more charcoal, less wood, lots of patience, and plenty of practice are the key ingredients to kick ass BBQ.

On ham and Turkey I would use a 50/50 mix of Oak and Cherry for flavor. Only cook a pre-cooked ham and smoke it until the internal temp. gets to 150 degrees. 4 hrs.? Turkey, see my letter from yesterday to the fellow from overseas. White Meat 150 degrees, Dark 175-180 degrees. One thing you'll find out about me, is that I always got an instant read digital thermometer in my shirt pocket. I even poke rib and monitor to a finish temp! Temperature of both the oven and the meat must be known at all times and finished temperatures are the most important to tenderness. Practice makes perfect, my first year of competitive BBQ'ing I cooked 231 days, something, getting to know my cookers, meats, seasonings, and smoke woods! And I logged all of my results. But then not too many people are as crazy as me, and obsessed with being as competitive as I've come to be!

Good luck on Christmas dinner!

When we talk about barbecue no conversion would be complete without talking about cooking ribs and of course in the first few months of The BBQ Forum the subject turned to ribs.  The following messages contain some real "golden nuggets" of information on how to cook ribs. 

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Re: Meat Smokers

Mark Flaming 
Tue, 2 Jan 1996 08:37:34 -0700

This may be late for the holiday season but, hey, you can eat a smoked turkey anytime.

I cook a 12 lb. turkey around 16-17 hours at 250 degrees, though I am not sure about my smoker thermometer and always use the meat thermo (internal temp @ 160-165). You may want to cover the breast with tin foil for the last 4 hours to prevent drying out. Add concentrated orange juice and rosemary to salted butter and let sit overnight. Pack under the skin of the bird prior to smoking.

For quicker smoking I suggest the following.
 

Remove the carcass from the bird by cutting down the backbone, through the thigh and wing sockets and down along the ribs under the breast, making sure not to cut the skin. The bird is then butterflyed with thighs, drumsticks and wings intact. Marinate the bird for a few hours in your favorite brew and then place meat down on the grill. I suggest packing with butter as described above.