Char-Broil Smoker...........

[Sport]

Last night after work I went to Home Depot and I was looking for a turkey deep fryer. When I got to the section in the store I saw the fryer but, I also came accross a smoker that can smoke up to 50 pound of food at once and I could not resist. So, I bought them both the smoker and the deep fryer. Me and a buddy assembled it last night and it is huge ! ! ! I did not think that it would be that big but I am pleasently suprised. So this morning before work I went to Albertsons and bought 4 slabs of pork ribs and 2 whole 5 pound chickens to smoke this afternoon durring the Florida Gator's game. I am very excited to get to smoking ! ! ! My wood chips are now soaking in water so when I get home we can get started with the feast ! So, does anybody have any good receipes for a smoker for a giant pork roast for Sunday's football meal ? This is the coolest thing that I have purchased in some time and I think I will be using it quite often. I'll post the results our smoke out from today a bit later. Thanks.

Sport

[Lenny]

Todd S and Mark H should be able to help you as they "smoked" I believe 75 pounds of pork at AOTH this year.

"Pulling Pork" is a job that you might want to give to "temporary workers" :D

[Lenny]

I'd love to see a link to the Smoker you bought. As Home Depot purchases locally in many cases and caters to certain geographies and life-styles in their respective locations, I have NEVER seen a Smoker at mine 5 miles down the road. I see the same thing at Lowes as well. Waaayyy different items depending on Country/State you are in. Anyways, that might be something I can have shipped to this one, as I have always wanted one after seeing one in Texas, but that time I couldn't pick it up. Any pics or product number?

[roadtrip se]

I may be too late...

Busy with Halloween parties, family stuff, and watching the Wolverines sneak past Purdue.

MP is right, the chunks are good for starting a fire only. The problem with them is they burn too fast and generate too much heat. Logs are better. Mesquite, Hickory, Pecan, Cherry, Apple, even Oak for steaks are good hardwoods to work with.

First thing to do is rub down that new grill with oil. This cures it. Second, let a fire burn in the box for about two hours to generate a film in the cooking area. Going forward, do not clean off the nice layer of creosite that will build up inside the grill, it adds flavor.

Temperature is king. Smoking is about slow cooking. 225 degrees is as warm as you should go. Invest in an electronic meat thermometer for monitoring the food temp. Cook only to temp and please resist opening up the grill hood every ten minutes to check on the meat, it is still there! In my opinion basting is a waste time for the same reason, every time you open that hood, you lose heat and cooking time.

We dry rub only. There are several great commercial dry rubs available for different kinds of meats, but we typically make our own. I can recomend several great smoking books for recipes, just send me a PM.

Mark, the Pitmaster of Plainview, Horne and I did about 70 pounds of brisket and 30 pounds of pork tenderloin at AOTH this year! There was very little left and we auctioned off what was!

Remember, there are a thousand opinions about how to do this the right way, I'm always looking for another recipe or technique, and good food always brings out good friends!

Let me know if I can help!

Todd
"Enjoying great smoked food and the beer that goes with it, almost as much as my Donzi!"

[Sport]

http://www.charbroil.com/smokers/h2o_smokers.asp

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc%2FsearchResults.jsp&MID=9876&frmSearchStr=Char+Broil&cm_ven=hd_over&cm_cat=Search&cm_pla=28&cm_ite=bid10068349-char_broil_smoker

The smoke out was killer ! ! !

Way beyond what I expected.

Sorry so short but work is killing me today, I hate Mondays ! !

I will report on our smoke out later, stay tuned.

Sport

[Lenny]

Glad it worked out for !!! :yes:

Anyways, thanks for the links but the smokers I was looking at in Possum Kingdom were about 500 pounds and about 6' long and were about $800. That is what I am looking for and I don't want to make one. I would have brought one home last time but the extra 500 pounds would have been the straw that broke the Camels' back. (Shebby Van that is..) ;)

[boxy]

Lenny, this one isn't very portable, but it does look kind of cool....
http://www.askthemeatman.com/pdf%20files/homesmoker.pdf

You may have more trouble burying it than I would .... :D

[boxy]

We can get these in Ottawa ......
Big Green Egg (http://www.fireplacecenter.com/bbq/egg-2.htm)

... do they work ???

[gcarter]

There's a small town in Central Texas named Lockhart, about 20 miles South of Austin) which is the home of the longest lived meat market and bar-be-que joint in Texas (maybe the South).
It was started in about 1905, and when I first visited, my grandfather lived in Lockhart, and every time we visited, we would visit Kreus's (pronounced "Kreitz") Bar-be-que (this was in about 1948). In the back of the meat market was the pit, a large brick and iron pit about 3' high, 4' wide, and 25' long. At the near end was a 4' X 4' square hole in the floor where Post Oak and Mesquite was burned, and at the far end was an exhaust fan.
You buy the meat (beef roasts and pork sausage made on the premises) by the pound and it is served on butcher paper w/slices of bread or saltine crackers. Benches and tables are provided. I love the place, but my wife, Elaine, doesn't get it. Every time I have tried to explain the long lived business plan, somehow, she still expects a restaurant.
The place is now under the third ownership since new. The name has changed and I can't remember the new name. It has been written up in Southern Living and Texas Monthly. It was also featured in the movie "Second Hand Lions", this was the place where Michael Caine and Robert Duvall beat up the punks.
It's always a high point for me on my trips back to Texas.

[roadtrip se]

The smoker you saw at our place at PK was an
"Oklahoma Joe". I believe "New Braunfels Smokers"
is the company that owns and makes the Okie Joe brand now.

It's in the garage here now and will be around a long time after I'm gone. Thing has got to weigh half a ton, but I roll her in and out like the family heirloom that she is!

Todd

[Lenny]

Great story George !!! :D , very cool, Todd, yes, what you had at Possum is what I want only I want a BIGGER one, (to combat the HP500 thing you have :D ) Seriously, "I think" they are cheap considering what they offer and I have no trouble finding Alder, Cherry, Hickory etc. The Mesquite will have to be an import thing but I can get it.

Thanx again :yes: :D

..ok, I got the smoker, now who can cook ??? :( :)

[ToonaFish]

I'll cook, Lenny, if you provide my transportation there!

Seriously, my old Weber smoker and I have a relationship that has withstood the test of time and various diets.

It has witnessed some of my finest moments as a hostess and born the dust of neglect when things were tough and a piece of meat was a forbidden luxury.

Currently, one of my favorite culinary chores is to spend a full day smoking various meats... package and freeze the lot... then reap the goodness by nuking them later. Almost as savory as fresh off the grill.

Weber sends out a goofy little magazine every so often... I'm sure they offer something similar online.

The best part of smoking is that your mistakes will usually taste just fine!

Bunches,

Celene "Kreus's sounds like Greek's in Plant City but cleaner"

[Lenny]

Celene,...forget all the help stuff. Very nice tho, but I just want you to know...we love ya :yes:

:)

And thanks for the help.

I'll see what we can do,.... visit that is, without $$$ changing hands. :yes: and there is a horse or two for you to ride here :rolleyes: ( I'd prefer the glue for woodworking projects)

Take care and stay well, oh, and there is no weenie bar in my boat and I don't know what winter means :D

Dress warm :)

Actually, I am a nice person when "SHE" is around... ;)

Converstion at AOTH with you and Digger was a treat, actually it was GREAT !!! as well as the company. I won't forget. I love meeting people that can converse about topics that transcend geographies, topologies, and literary constraints. Provinces, States, Countries ....

Digger has a way of saying things he feels are important, but does not overstate them, and keeps the whole thing pleasant... Lessons to be learned from that guy. You have the same trait.

I had a BLAST with you guys in 'Tucky.

Be well, always, all of ya :)

[ToonaFish]

Aw, Lenny, thanks, you just made my day!

One of the moments that will stay with me forever from that trip was listening to your amazement over the presence of glowing bugs... a lovely reminder of the miracles surrounding us if we only slow down enough to notice. :biggrin.:

You and Miss Donzi Deen were even better than my already high expectations!

Bunches,

Celene 'hoping the grin survives a morning of Atlanta traffic'

[ToonaFish]

Oh, and Digger is the one with all the exotic recipes... but since he has quit smoking, he might not be willing to share. :biggrin.:

Bunches,

Celene 'still waiting on the Virgin Mary'