|
Those 55 gaslon drum BBQ units work well simply because ya place the fire at one end and do the Qing in the middle and end of the unit. Thus your temp will stay more or less constant and the effect of thin metal is counteracted. The only thing is your not quiet getting an indirect fire.
I know cause I had one for 15 years.. |
Remember each unit has its own learning curve...each does something well and some things not so well. The idea is to get a unit that does almost everything well.
To that end for BBQing and not grilling I like this. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1252442019.jpg The drum is 1/4 steel plate and the fire box is 1/2 steel plate..th unit weighs about 600 lbs and is a home version of commercial and competition BBQ units. This is for the ones who are serious about their eats...and will accept no compromise with quality of product. |
Quote:
I agree with the MOP comments. When I have cooked for the crowds, I always supply extra sauce. It usually goes untouched - very gratifying. Tabs, don't you think the mesquite is too bitter/strong for ribs? I was extra careful not to get creosote on the meat this weekend. There was just a nice hint of smoky flavor, but I think it can be even more subtle with other woods. |
tabs for all the times i've found reason to disagree with you in PPOT i have to say...you have restored my faith. your comments about disguising the meat flavor with too much rub, too much sauce, etc. are dead nuts perfect.
i was literally clapping as i read what you typed about 'not too much salt and pepper' and looking for subtle flavors. so much of what we buy in the grocery store these days is just generic 'meat' with selected flavors added. a blank canvas if you will. bravo for calling bull**** on rubbing 6lbs of 'seasoning' on 3lbs of meat!!!! there is no skill in this! all this effort put into cooking methods only to bury the flavor of the meat under layer after layer of msg.....bah!!!! |
I use the Hardwood Charcoal and not the Mesquite logs...the smoke is mostly burned out of it and what you get is high heat.
Oak logs burn hot and impart a very mild flavor. Olive wood gives a hit of nutty ness and burns hot and clean,, Peach, Apple, Nectrine, Cherry are all going to give a hint of that fruits flavor. Orange or Lemon wood goes well with poultry and fish. Alder is good for smoking fish. Hickory and Mesquite do give heavier flavors. So I generally avoid those woods... |
MSG = Alzheimer's
MSG makes the brain nerve receptors snapse quicker, thus popping the flavor on food. But it does have its sideffects. |
Quote:
Now I have a case of Grill Envy! My current grill was made form a new drum, but when I was a kid my dad used to bring them home from the plant where he worked.... used. There's no telling how many chemicals we ate! Yes, he'd burn them out, but who knows? :confused: That may explain why I bought a 28-year old car! |
Quote:
I have peach, apple, plum and pear trees in my yard and have used all four woods to various degrees. I like apple and peach best. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
I'm not Tabs, but I agree mesquite is a little strong for my ribs.... I tend to like it on beef much better! |
Quote:
Remember when you put new fuel on the fire it takes awhile for it to come online and provide heat. So you have a tendency to have spikes in temp. The idea is to provide a Constant low and slow temp....not one that is up and down... Second is worth the effort to modify one of those suckers, the thin wall heat disiapation thing never goes away. I have tried putting foil on those things to baffle the heat and I only had moderate success for my efforts. I had a New Braunfels Bandera Unit which looked like a verticle filing cabinet with the fire box on the side. It was great for smoking fish at the top of the cabinet, but you only needed a short time for it to do its job. I could never get a Pork Roast right with that unit. |
Quote:
|
We have a drum one. Not quite 55 gallon size..
Anyway, I start the hardwood charcoal and oak chunks in a large metal coffee can with holes. Then add the coals to one end. Closer to the coals I grill chicken (flattened with the backbone cut out..) and further away do the ribs.. Same rub, same mop. Keep it closed, and keep the smoke and heat inside with just a small fire. Add more fuel as needed.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...leys/sleep.gif |
Quote:
If I really wanted to stay pure I would use nothing but OAK LOGS as in the picture. Then you need to burn them down to glowing chunks before you put the meat on. The flames cause SOOT. Even when using Logs you have to use some Charcoal as a base to get the Logs to burn. I find it just as easy to use Mesquite Hardwood Charcoal. I did a Beef Brisket on Friday...4 hours on the Unit with Apple Wood as the smoke provider (Moped twice) and then after the smoking part was done 14 hours in the oven at 250 wrapped in foil. Great flavor, but the meat was lacking enough of a FAT CAP to make it as tender as I would like..It didn't fall apart when done, so I was disatisfied with the end result. Today I sliced some thin on my slicer and was tender enough so the dog won't get it. It just has to melt in the mouth to be right. |
when I had my Drum BBQ unit I did some wicked Pork Roasts....4 hours and they would fall apart..a 7 lb Roast WENT..with 5 people and two of them were children who didn't eat much.
I think part of the problem today is that the Pork Butt Roasts are MUCH LEANER. The FAT is what makes the meat just disolve in your mouth. |
Remember when buying Steaks etc FAT CONENT is what you are looking for for tenderness.
So FAT FAT FAT is the key. AND so goes my cholesterol and my heart |
I can do Back Backs in my Big Greeny that fall off the bone without wrapping in foil. Only problem with those is that they have limited capacity and can't use Logs for the fire. Key is just to keep the GDamed lid closed.
|
Quote:
I could be wrong, but I have heard much the same thing from the television BBQ Gurus who have lamented the fact that fat content in pork and beef these days is much less than in years past (no doubt due to those danged Health Nuts that think All fat is bad) and they say that MOst of the fat content is cooked away/from the meat when grilled. So, in light of that, give me Fat! :D |
If you want the ultimate in control of your heat source and don't want your meat shiny black when done, try burning seasoned wood down to coals in something like a Weber, then add the coals to your smoker, as needed, to keep the temperature where you want it.
JR |
Tabsy, you need to find a better butcher is what it sounds like to me, if you are having trouble getting stuff that is marbled as you prefer.
Quote:
I could tell you guys the secret to ribs, but then I would have to kill you, unless you are from Texas. You will never say, "I wish I had spent less on my BBQ rig." You will have it the rest of your life, you want the gauge of the metal to be plenty heavy. Mesquite is no good for a smoker, too hot. I like pecan myself, had good success with almond and apple though. The coffee pooch makes a good suggestion WRT adding coals rather than wood to mitigate temp fluctuation. |
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:59 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2025 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Pelican Parts Website