Reverse sear steak

 1 inch thick sirloin. Smoke 225° for 1 hour. Then remove from pellet grill. Crank temp to high. Cook 4 t. o 5 minutes a side. Med Well to Well

Smoked Chicken Halves

I like to smoke my chickens in halves they cook more even and quicker. Thy are also more juicy.

Start with a 7-8 pound Bird.

 Prep: unwrap, wash  and cut chicken in half. Use meat scissors and cut out the back bone and split the breasts. Brine if you like for 1/2 an hour. Sprinkle rub of your choice on the halves.

Preheat Smoker 250 F. I use Cherry or apple wood chip. And smoke for about 4 1/2 hour at 250 F. I smoke the Chicken until its 170F  internal. I double check by twisting drumstick. It should be able to twist will little effort.Your juices will be clear.

Pork Ribs 3-2-1 Method

    Start with Pork spare ribs. Trim up ends and remove the silver skin. cover with yellow mustard and coat with a dry rub ( I have one on this blog I use). Put in the refrigerator over night. Smoke at 225-250. I use cherry wood or apple.Smoke for 3 hours with an occasional spray with apple juice. After 3 hours wrap in foil and cook 2 hours in the foil. After the 2 hours in foil remove.Put back in the smoker on open racks or on grill with indirect heat.Still maintain the 225-250 temp. Now coat ribs with a maple flavored syrup and sprinkle on brown sugar. After you candy up your ribs start mopping with your choice of BBQ sauce. Mop acouple a times for an hour. after 6 hours your ribs bone should be loose. 

Smoked Top Round Roast

         Coat the Top Round Roast with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Apply A simple rub of kosher salt, coarse ground pepper and garlic granules. Smoke at 225-250 degrees. Allow 1 1/2 per pound. I Spray meat with a mixture of Apple Juice and Spiced Rum with a little bit of vegetable oil in it ( after the meat is at 100 degrees.).  Foil after it reaches 140 degrees. This is a lean piece of meat so cook to desired wellness.  120°F to 125°F, (49°C to 52°C) for rare, 130°F to 140°F (55°C to 60°C) for medium rare, 145°F to 150°F (63°C to 66°C) for medium, and 155°F to 165°F (68°C to 74°C) for well done (Note: 120° is a pretty rare roast). When desired wellness is achieved wrap in towels and put in dry cooler for 30 minutes and let the juices redistribute back into the meat.  Save drippings from foil for you Au Jus. Carve meat perpendicular to the grain of the meat.

Beef Au Jus

1 cups water

3 cubes beef bouillon granules

1/2 teaspoon coarse pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic granules

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons butter
Add any dripping if you have any

Smoked Brisket

Smoked Brisket

The night before I smoke I prep the brisket.
I prep my brisket by trimming most of the outside fat off, including the fat cap.
Weigh your brisket after trimming you can lose 3-4 lbs.
If its a whole brisket trim some of the fat that separates the flat cut and the point.
This makes it easier to separate the two half's to carve.
Personally the flat cut is the best. The whole cut has allot of waste.
After trimming fat cover the brisket in yellow mustard and apply your choice of rub.
Soak your wood my choice is apple or cherry.

Smoke at 225-250 degrees. Allow 1 1/2 hours a pound.
Spray after it reaches 100 degrees. I use a 3 part apple juice 1 part spiced rum mixture.
Spray every 30 to 60 minutes.
after it reaches 165 internal double foil it.
I stick it in the over now and take it to 205 degrees.
I wrap it in towels after it hits 205 and put it in a cooler for 1-2 hours.
This lets the juices redistribute back into the meat.

Remove from the cooler be careful it will still be very hot.
I separate the two pieces on a whole brisket.
Scrape the fat off in between the two half's.
Pay attention to the grain.
Start slicing perpendicular to the grain on a bias.
I slice the pieces about 1/4 inch thick.
this makes the meat almost melt in your mouth tender.
if its a flat cut find the grain and cut perpendicular on a bias.

this YouTube video is helpful: I just carve each piece separately
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGAP1DG_Vs8

Salsa

Salsa not a smoke recipe but a good one

Ingredients:

10 lbs of Tomatoes (Roma)
8 Banana Peppers (your choice of heat)
1 1/2 Cups White Vinegar
2 TBLS. Salt
8 Jalapeno Peppers
3 green peppers
2 Cups of Red Sweet Peppers
6 Cloves of Garlic
2 Cans of Tomato Paste (14-18 oz. cans)
6 TBLS. of Sugar
4 TSP. of Paprika
3 Spanish Onions
6 TBLS. Dried Parsley
2 Habenero Peppers (leave out in the mild)

Prep:

Blanch and peel Tomatoes. Seed and coarsely chop.
Place Tomatoes in large heavy sauce pan and cook down.
Remove cores and seeds from all Peppers.
Chop Onions and Garlic.
After Tomatoes cook down add all ingredients except parsley.
Now bring to a boil on medium heat.
Simmer uncovered for 1 to 2 hours. stir occasionally.
Ladle off excess liquid.
Add parsley.

Process for Canning:

Fill jars 1/2 inch from the top.
Process in boiling water 20 Min. for pints, 25 min. for quarts.

Apple Pie Baked Beans

1 (14-16 oz) can butter beans -- drained
1 (14-16 oz) can kidney beans -- drained
1 large onion -- diced
1 bell pepper -- diced
11/2 cups BBQ Sauce your choice
1 (14-16 oz) can Pork & beans
1 (14-16 oz) can chili without beans
1/3 cup Brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 can of apple pie filling
4 ounces Bacon -- crumbled crisp

Put all of the above ingredients in a crock pot or large pot except bacon, and bring to a boil for 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Then simmer for at least 2 hrs.,Stirring occasionally, so mixture doesn't scorch & burn. Before serving crumble bacon on top of beans.
For added flavor throw in the smoker after you boil it for a couple of hours.

Good BBQ Sites

http://www.bbqbug.com/
http://www.thesmokering.com
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/

Hamburger Quickie Smoke

A quick hamburger smoke.  Apply your seasonings if desired.Throw hamburgers on at 250-275 for 45 minutes. Flip after 25 minutes. Use a couple handful of wet wood. The hamburger absorbs smoke easy so once is enough. After 45 minutes transfer to a cast iron skillet. Fry hamburgers now to your desired likeness. Enjoy the smoke aromas released as they fry. If you want to smoke complete just add a half hour in the smoker. They are great either way, and you will never want another burger on the grill again.

Wood Type And Flavor Profile

Reference guide for Woods used to Smoke Food

ACACIA - these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. Is a very hot burning wood.

ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.

APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.

ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.

BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.

COTTONWOOD - It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don't use green cottonwood for smoking.

CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.

GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

HICKORY - Most commonly used wood for smoking--the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.

LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.

MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

MESQUITE - Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning woods.

MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.

OAK - Heavy smoke flavor--the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.
ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.

SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game

Types of wood that is unsuitable or even poisonous when used for grilling. Don't use any wood from conifer trees, such as PINE, FIR, SPRUCE, REDWOOD, CEDAR, CYPRESS, etc. Also ELM, EUCALYPTUS, SASSAFRAS, SYCAMORE and LIQUID AMBER wood is unsuitable for smoking.

John's Dry Rub

1 Teaspoon Kosher salt
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 Teaspoons Paprika
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1/2 Teaspoon Chipolte powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Powder
1/2 Teaspoon cumin
1/2 Teaspoon mustard powder
1 Tablespoon seasoning salt

Dry rub split chicken breast

Apply John's dry or your rub of choice. Smoke at 225 - 250F for two and a half hours. To an internal temp. of 165-170

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork

Choice of meat:

 Bone in Pork Shoulder – They range from 7 to 9 pounds. You can use a fresh pork picnic which is the Butt (Shoulder) and the upper front leg bone together. They are larger than the Butt alone.


Preparation:

About 12 hours before the meat goes in the smoker, trim the fat cap off there is pleanty of marbling inside it doesn't need the fat, apply a coating of mustard to the shoulder and use the rub of your choice, and wrap in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. ( the coat of yellow mustard before the rub is to hold the rub on and add to the bark. The mustard taste cooks out.) This is a good time to soak your wood.


Smoking:

Start your smoker and get it up to 225-250 degrees F. Place the meat in the smoker, fat side down. I don't flip as it interferes with bark formation. When the meat gets over 100F I spray it every half hour to an hour with a 3 to 1 mix of apple juice and water sometimes I use white grape juice. The sugars in the juice will caramelize, and add to the bark. An optional mop/ spray is a spiced rum ans apple juice mixture.

Foiling:

When the meat gets to about 165F, double wrap it in Heavy Duty aluminum foil. Put some of your spray of choice in the foil to help braise the meat. At this point I usually stop making smoke. You can finish cooking from this point on in the oven set at 250F. Continue to cook until the internal meat temps gets to 195-205F. Remove the foiled meat from the cooker and wrap it (still foiled) in a couple old bath towels and put it in an insulated cooler to rest for at least an hour before you pull it. This step forces all the juices back into the pork.


The Plateau:

Almost all marbled meats will hit a plateau where the temps of the meat stops rising. Don’t be tempted to raise the heat as that will dry out the meat. The meat is absorbing a lot of heat at this point while the connective tissue is breaking down. This is what makes the meat tender. Low and slow is the way to go! I’ve seen some actually drop in temp by a couple degrees. Patience – it may be over an hour before the temp starts climbing.

Pulling:

There is a tool called bear claws, I use my hands. I un-foil the meat, the bone usually falls out on it’s own, and I break it apart in to big pieces that I let cool for a few minutes. I then go through each piece and pull out the extra fat which there is little and shred by hand.

Sauce:

I serve my pulled pork with sauce(s) of choice on the side.

Time of smoke:

The general rule of thumb is that it will take about 1.5 hours per pound. Keep in mind that this is just a guideline as each piece of meat is different. Go by temp not time to know when it's done. Give yourself extra time, you can always keep it wrapped in the cooler a little bit longer before you have to serve. It's hard to rush a piece of meat if it does not want to be rushed. So a 8lb shoulder can take 12 to 13 hours.

SmokingMeatForums.com

 GOOD SITE WITH A NICE SEARCH OPTION

SmokingMeatForums.com

Basic Chicken Breast

Use fresh or frozen bone in  individual Chicken Breast. If frozen thaw first.

Apply Paprika and Season Salt to Breast

Throw in smoker at 250 degrees with a mild fruit wood like Cherry or Apple wood.
Poultry accepts smoke easy so one load of wood is enough.

Smoke two and a half hours untill internal temp. is 165-170 degrees

Pork Ribs dry rub

How to Smoke Pork Ribs

MOP:
 2/3 Apple cider vinegar
 1/3 cooking oil



Start by taking your your ribs and pulling off the membrane (silver skin) from the bone side of your ribs.
The St. Louis style is best because its pre-trimed.

Prep:
Now take yellow mustard and apply a thin layer on both sides of the Ribs.This makes a great bark and does not taste like mustard at all. Apply John's Dry Rub.Or your choice of dry rub.
Wrap in plastic wrap and let set overnight in the refrigerator.This is a good time to soak your choice of wood in waterfor tommorrow.

Remove from the refrigerator an hour before cooking and let them get near room temperature.

Heat your smoker to 225-250 degrees

Cook for five and a half hours flipping half way.
Then wrap in foil and cook for another hour-hour and a half.
 Apply a mop(spray) to ribs every 45 minutes.
Cook to 170-180 degrees bones should twist out easily. Test with a toothpick should pierce meat like butter.

I used Cherry wood but any will work.
Remember oven up your vents on your smoker and let the smoke flow.