Ideas?

[tnthudson]

OK so I've been doing fish & chicken all winter, and some quesadillas...but now I want to try some new stuff on my grill & smoker (BGE)...
Any ideas? I guess I've grilled ALOT over the years, but nothing much more exotic that what I just listed. I did do ribs last year and LOVED it, I definitely want to do that again.
But can anyone give me a rough idea of some easy (i.e. fairly idiot-proof) things to start on as I 'branch out?' I've never done brisket, shoulder, pulled pork, or anything like that besides the aforementioned ribs.
Thanks!

 

[JohnT]

This is really good and easy : http://www.troublefreepool.com/pork-shoulder-tried-a-new-marinade-t5988.html

Sausage Fatties are great too, and you can cook them while doing something else.

 

[tnthudson]

cooool
8)
thanks!

 

[Molson]

Pulled pork is really easy. Just takes time. Let me know if you want a simple recipe.

 

[tnthudson]

Heck yeah, if you don't mind. No hurry, it would probably be a couple of weeks before I can begin my 'experiments'....

 

[spishex]

I did a hickory-smoked butt on my BGE and it was excellent. Tried to smoke some salmon but it needs to be cold smoked. It was great cooked salmon, but that wasn't what I was looking for.

Next up for me is making bacon. Just bought the belly today. You'll need a bit of pink salt and some time but it looks simple enough, and the cooking temp (180-200) is just right for the Egg.

-Rub a 5lb belly with 2 ounces kosher salt, 2 tsp pink salt, and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Place in a 2 gallon zip loc or appropriately sized container.
-Refrigerate for 7 days, turning the belly over every other day to redistribute the cure.
-Remove from cure, rinse, pat dry and dry it in the refrigerator on a rack uncovered for 12-24 hours.
-Hot smoke (180-200) to an internal temp of 150. Once cooled, cut off the skin leaving as much fat as possible.

You can add whatever to the rub, of course. I'm going to start with just pepper. The original recipe calls for maple syrup but I don't want to go there yet. I'll let you know how it turns out in 2 weeks or so! :-D

*I'll be smoking with applewood, btw.

 

[tnthudson]

cool! yeah, update us in 2 weeks, I'd be interested in hearing about it!

 

[Molson]

I'm gonna make some bacon this summer too.


Here is the butt recipe.

get a butt (heh)
cover in a light coat of yellow mustard
cover with your rub of choice (I use a cajun type rub)
Set/preheat smoker to 250 degrees
set butt on grill fat side down
close lid
open a beer
wait
aim for 1.5-2 hours per pound.

It will plateau around 160 degrees, and stay there a while, during that time all the connective tissues are breaking down. then it will begin to climb again.

At 195-200 degrees internal temp, pull butt off. Wrap 2-3 times in foil. Place in a small cooler, let rest an hour if you can.

Remove butt, remove bone (It will slide right out) and pull meat with fingers or forks.

Enjoy!

 

[spishex]

That's very interesting. When I did my butt it did in fact plateau at 160 for a very long time, which in my mind is done for pork. I let it stay on for another hour or so but didn't know to let it get to the 195-200 point. Thanks for the info.

Do you ever brine your butt before you put it on? That was my other mistake. I didn't let it dry after I took it out of the brine so it didn't hold the smoke as much as I'd like.

And even after all that it was still delicious.

 

[Molson]

we never brine, but know its done. I tend to sauce lightly after so it just adds a complimentary taste. You can finish at 160-180 but its only good for slicing, can't pull it until 200.

I do pork with cherry and apple wood/pellets. Some hickory too.

 

[wmshay6]

While you're smoking that butt, make a side of Pig Candy to go with it per Molson's recipe. Amazingly simple, but awesome!!!

pig-candy-t8390.html

Check the recipes forum and experiment.

 

[tnthudson]

Thanks again Molson, I got a 5-lb. butt and cooked it yesterday on the BGE, and about midnight I got a chance to try it out...yum!
I used your recipe and also some 'detail' points from the "Porknography" website...if you haven't seen it yet, check it out, everything you could ever want to know about pork: http://www.amazingribs.com/index.html
I even froze some in ziploc baggies with a dab of bbq sauce and some apple juice, hoping I did it right 'cause that's lunch this week :lol:

 

[Molson]

Yep, thats what I do too. When reheating, I'll toss the bag right in boiling water. It will keep it moist. If it ends up being a little dry, toss in a bit more sauce.

 

[spishex]

Bacon got smoked on Paddy's day. Tried a little before smoking and it basically tasted like ham. After smoking it was delicious. The skin was also a helluva lot easier to remove post-smoke. I froze it for a while to make for easier slicing, but that was still a chore. 4lbs of bacon for $15. I'll probably use the next belly I buy for pancetta or something else, but this was still fun.

I also made my own corned beef for Paddy's and that was the more satisfying project. Nothing to do with a grill, but very easy and tastes awesome. It's funny because it comes out of the brine a pale purple color as opposed to the bright red you're used to seeing in the store, but after cooking it looked deep red. Served with mashed potatoes and cabbage (of course), both incorporating the aforementioned bacon.

 

[Voldaddy]

Nothing is better than a smoked prime rib. I have a Masterbuilt electric smoker, and smoked a rib roast for Easter dinner. It was incredible. This is almost idiot proof as long as you don't overcook it. I did a simple rub with olive oil, kosher salt, and cracked pepper. I smoked with hickory at 225 until it hit 120*, then wrapped in foil and into a cooler filled with towels to rest. It's an expensive cut of meat, but well worth it IMO.

 

[Voldaddy]

A couple of pics:

In the smoker

Resting:

Sliced:

Plated:

 

[tnthudson]

nice!!!

 

[SeanB]

I've been using just wood (not even lump) for fuel in my Grill Dome the past couple of cooks and have really enjoyed the flavor. Last week I cooked Tilapia over hickory and it had a great flavor.

I think it's about time for a brisket!

 

[tnthudson]

I did Boston Butt again (pulled pork) yesterday...basically I used Elder Ward's recipe (from the BGE forum, I believe)...it was great, thankfully. I rubbed it with yellow mustard the night before, topped with a rub recipe that involved dry mustard and other spices, then when I smoked it I mopped it once with a vinegar mop (that was the first time I ever mopped; didn't want to mop too much because it cooled it down and slowed my cooking)...then served with a vinegar-based sauce I found on a "Cape Cod" recipes site.
Good stuff, but we all ate too much!