Smoking Tips

By JimMac

Ingredients

• like ribs that are "falling off the bone" then you need to use the 3-2-1 method as described below:
• Important Smoking Tips
• Smoking Shrimp (Read the Newsletter on this topic)
• to several pounds of uncooked, peeled, tail on, jumbo shrimp for best results and get them thawed out a couple of hours before you're ready to use them.
• To 5-7 place in a colander and run cold water over them until they are no longer frozen. This takes about 5-7 minutes.
• Drain well
• 2 to in large ziploc bag and pour about 2 TBS of cooking oil (or olive oil) per pound of shrimp over the top of them and toss to coat.
• 1/4 to cup per pound of my rib rub recipe (buy the recipes if you haven't, you'll be glad you did) and toss/roll to coat the shrimp real good.
• 2 to shrimp in the fridge for about 2 hours to marinate.
• 1/8 to in a shallow baking pan with about 1/8 inch of butter in the bottom for great results. You can also place them on skewers and put them directly on the grate if you wish but the butter helps to keep them really moist.
• to to recommend that you head on over to the archived newsletter for this one so you can see the pictures and get a better idea of how to pull this off. It's a crowd pleaser for sure!
• Smoked Cornish Hens (Read our recent Newsletter on this topic)
• 6 to 30 hens and leave in fridge for one day to thaw. You can also do a quick thaw on them by putting them in a pan of cold water. Replace the water with fresh cold water every 30 minutes until they are completely thawed.
• 1 1 1 1 solution of 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of brown sugar into a 1 gallon pitcher or other suitable container.
• Place hens in non-reactive container such as a glass or plastic bowl with a lid and pour the brine solution over them until they are covered with liquid. If you have my rub recipe, sprinkle a little of that over each hen as well for extra flavor.
• to in the fridge during brining to keep them at a safe temperature.
• 4 for 4 hours then remove from fridge and rinse well under cool water.
• 1/4 hens dry with a paper towel then place down in a large ziploc bag with about 1/4 cup of cooking oil poured over them.
• 1/4 to to of my rub recipe over the hens, zip the bag closed then roll/shake the bag to coat with seasonings. This is the best way to get the seasoning all under the skin as well as all over the outside.
• 225 4 165 on grate of smoker and maintain about 225 degrees for around 4 hours or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees in the breast or thickest part of the thigh.
• 3 at least 3 hours of good smoke (50/50 mix of pecan and a fruit wood such as orange or cherry is my favorite)for best results and when they are done cooking, serve immediately.
• Smoking Brisket
• 9-11 a whole packer brisket for best flavor in the 9-11 pound range.
• to 1/4 1" to to to then score the fat horizontally, vertically and diagonally at 1" intervals to allow the seasoning and the smoke to get to the meat a lot easier.
• to to to cooking oil to moisten the surface of the brisket before adding rub as this will help the seasoning to stick to the meat.
• 1-2 about 1-2 cups of my rub recipe on the brisket for amazing flavor and crust.
• to to brisket fat side up directly on the grate for a nice bark and to allow the fat to melt and baste the brisket.
• 225 to to at about 225 degrees to keep the rub from burning and to end up with a great tasting brisket
• 4-6 you are using a charcoal, electric or gas smoker, keep the smoke flowing for at least 4-6 hours for a nice smoky flavor.
• I recommend hickory, mesquite and pecan or a mix of these for a great flavor.
• 2 2 to in a foil pan for super juicy brisket. The downside is that the bark or outside of the brisket stays soft instead of forming a crust. Fat side up x 2 hrs, fat side down x 2 hrs then back to fat side up until it's done.
• to 200 to done and will NOT be tender enough until it gets to about 200 degrees internally. Be patient and use a digital probe meat thermometer to let you know when it's done.
• 1.5 is usually figured at about 1.5 hours per pound however, let the temperature rather than the time determine when the brisket is done.
• 20-30 to rest for at least 20-30 minutes once it's done before slicing it to retain the tasty juices.
• to Slice across the grain to accentuate the tenderness of the meat.
• If it doesn't seem juicy enough, mix a couple tablespoons of my rub recipe with a cup of beef broth and pour over the slices just before serving. NO more dry brisket.
• Smoking Pork Butt
• Buy the bone-in butt or boston butt instead of the picnic for best flavor. (my opinion)
• to to light coat of yellow hotdog mustard to help the rub/seasoning to stick real good. (don't worry, your pulled pork will not taste like mustard when it gets done).
• 1 to about 1 cup of my rub recipe and massage it in real good. Make sure to get the rub into every nook and cranny.
• to 6 to using a charcoal, gas or electric smoker be sure to keep the smoke flowing for about 6 hours to get that nice smoky flavor all the way through this thick piece of meat.
• 225 to to to about 225 to keep the rub from burning and to slowly prod the pork to it's full tender potential.
• to 205 to perfect when it's cooked to an internal temperature of 205 degrees. It will almost fall apart on it's own and you probably won't need bear claws to get the job done.
• 1.5 time for pork at about 1.5 hours per pound however let the temperature tell you when it's done rather than the time.
• 160 to like, you can wrap the pork butt in foil once it reaches 160 degrees and let it finish out it's time with just heat. This will speed things up a little usually and helps to hold in the moisture.
• To to to the pork butts really easy, place the meat down in a foil pan with a large piece of heavy duty foil in the bottom and hanging over the side. When it's time to foil, you can just pull the foil up and over the top of the butt to wrap it.
• to the pork while it is still hot even if you are going to save the pulled pork for later.
• Smoking Brats/Sausages
• Brats are super easy and require very little effort, furthermore, they are always great when friends are over.
• 225 to 225 degrees or whatever temperature your smoker happens to be at for other items.
• 2 not overcook these.. they are done in about 2 hours. Much longer and they will be tough and overcooked.
• Most other sausages including boudain are great on the smoker and can pretty much be smoked in the same manner as brats.
• Smoking Ribs
• Remove the skirt or flap of meat that runs down the center of the meaty side of the spare ribs. Just cut it off even with the top of the slab.
• to to to meat and cook it along with the ribs for some tasty treats. Be sure to add some rub to them. They will take about an hour or two to get tender depending on how thick they are.
• Remove the membrane by prying up this thick piece of skin at one corner of the bone side of the ribs and pulling it clean off. Use a paper towel or some catfish pliers for a better grip.
• to a light coat of yellow hotdog mustard or a little cooking oil to moisten the outside of the ribs.
• Sprinkle my rub recipe onto the top and bottom of the ribs thick enough that you can no longer see the meat. This is perfectly seasoned.
• 6-7 225 5-6 at least 6-7 hours in the smoker at 225 degrees. Baby backs will need 5-6 hours depending on how meaty they are.
• to to 2-3 apply smoke the entire time the ribs are cooking even if I am using a charcoal, electric or gas smoker. Be sure to apply at least 2-3 hours of smoke for a nice smoky flavor.
• to to almost impossible to check the temperature of ribs with a thermometer so it is best to just check for tenderness. When they get tender enough, they are done.
• To 90 for tenderness, hold them at one end with a pair of tongs and when they bend almost 90 degrees, they are probably about right for eating.
• 30 10 like "wet" ribs then apply some of my sauce recipe a couple of times beginning about 30 minutes before the ribs are done and then again about 10 minutes before they are finished.
• 3-2 3-2-1 3-2-1 Ribs (Spares)
• 3 the spare ribs directly on the grate, bone side down for 3 hours.
• 1/4 2 ribs in foil. Splash on about 1/4 cup of apple juice just before closing them up and place the wrapped ribs on the grate for 2 hours.
• Remove the ribs from the foil and place them back on the grate, bone side down for a final hour.
• 2-2-1 2 2 to be done this way as well except that it is more of a 2-2-1 method with 2 hours on the grate, 2 hours wrapped then a final hour unwrapped and on the grate to finish up. More here..
• Smoking Chicken Quarters/Pieces
• I recommend chicken quarters or chicken pieces instead of whole chickens for easier serving, better portioning and faster cooking.
• If you have time, I highly recommend brining the chicken for a juicier finish. Read more on brining here.
• 250-275 chicken at 250-275 for crispier skin.
• to smoke the entire time the chicken is cooking, the chicken cooks fast and you need as much time as possible for the smoke to flavor the meat.
• to 165 digital probe meat thermometer to make sure the meat is 165 degrees at it's thickest part before serving.
• 1.5 to 2 3-4 thighs/legs will take about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on how hot you run the smoker. Chicken quarters will take 3-4 hours.
• to to 30 to sauce the chicken, apply my sauce recipe liberally to the chicken about 30 minutes before it is finished smoking/cooking.
• to Long to Add Smoke
• to is a question that I get a lot so I want to make it real simple. If you were using a real wood smoker, the meat would be getting smoke for the entire time the meat was on the grate unless, of course, you wrapped it in foil or something.
• See my times and temperatures chart here
• to to Prevent Creosote (Bitter Taste) on Smoked Meat
• to is another popular question especially from newbies just learning to smoke meat and those unfamiliar with charcoal or wood smokers.
• to 1/4 to to make sure the vent that provides air to the firebox or charcoal area is at least 1/4 open at all times. I also recommend that the chimney or place where the smoke exits is open enough to allow the smoke to exit at a fairly rapid pace.
• For some smokers this means an actual vent and a chimney and for others there's a lot less control but if you have the controls available, make sure it's getting plenty of air into the smoker and plenty of air/smoke can get out.
• to 4-6 just means that the wood has not had sufficient time to dry. I recommend letting all wood dry for 4-6 months before using it in the smoker.

Preparation

Step 1

See notes under ingredients.