BBQ and Grilling megathread

[bagofpucks]

I have the Napoleon prestige gas grill and I love it. As stated, I don’t have a pellet smoker, so I can’t compare light up time as the kamado style do take some time and attention. For straight cook times, if I’ve got the smoker going, I’m going to do indirect heat and low and slow anyways, which I think you might find you prefer once you get set up with a pellet smoker. However, all my friends with pellet grills love the versatility of being able to use it similarly to a regular grill. Personally, I prefer to do certain types of meat on the grill and others on the smoker, so because I’m fussy and the main cook in the house I’ll always have one of both. But, most of our pellet smokers have gone away with with their gas grill.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by bossy22

I need a new grill. I've used a natural gas grill for the past 20 years. I'm considering going to a green mountain pellet grill. It's the same price as the gas grill I would buy if I go that route. Napolean prestige model. My wife is concerned about heat up time and time to cook. We are pretty busy and she likes to just get the food done. Does cooking take a lot longer with a pellet grill?

Yes it does take longer. It is a different way to cook. I have a propane bbq and a pellet smoker. I use them about the same amount. If you are looking to get cooking done in a hurry, use the bbq.

I am not sure about this, but I heard from a friend there are combination units, that do both…

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by bossy22

I need a new grill. I've used a natural gas grill for the past 20 years. I'm considering going to a green mountain pellet grill. It's the same price as the gas grill I would buy if I go that route. Napolean prestige model. My wife is concerned about heat up time and time to cook. We are pretty busy and she likes to just get the food done. Does cooking take a lot longer with a pellet grill?

Uh-oh - if Wife Acceptance Factor is a concern - I wouldn't to go it alone on a pellet. While warmup can take a longer - from my experience - it's the cleanup that's the killer. Unlike a gasser you really can't / shouldn't just turn it to high and incinerate everything. There is no way my wife would clean up the firepot ever x uses, clean the grills, and empty the grease bucket.

I'd budget for a cheaper and seperate gasser & pellet grills to keep the peace.

[Royle9]

Cleaning up a pellet grill isn’t that hard, you make it seem harder than it is.
Shopvac and 10 minutes is all you need, best investment you’ll make especially if your family likes smoked meat + bbq in general.

My wife has no issues at all.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Doctorfever

I decided to keep the excess fat I trimmed from he brisket. I have a small elk road that a friend gave me. I am going to wrap it in the fat and smoke it as well.

Has anyone tried anything like this before? Any tips? It is my first try at smoking elk.

Depending on how you're planning on smoking it, probably I wouldn't bother wrapping it in the fat. All you'll do is reduce the smoke penetration/bark on the elk and increase cook times. Elk isn't brisket so you'll not likely be cooking it long and the fat isn't going to penetrate into the Elk anyways.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Depending on how you're planning on smoking it, probably I wouldn't bother wrapping it in the fat. All you'll do is reduce the smoke penetration/bark on the elk and increase cook times. Elk isn't brisket so you'll not likely be cooking it long and the fat isn't going to penetrate into the Elk anyways.

Well it’s done. I agree with what you said here. I wanted to eat it for lunch today, so I did wrap it (mostly) in the beef fat and smoked it for 6 hours. Some smoke did penetrate it, but not as much as I would have liked. I figured that would happen, my main goal wrapping it in the fat was to keep it from drying out.

It didn’t dry out, but was a bit over cooked for my preference. Sliced it up and fed it to the family. Let them all try it before I told them it was wild game. They loved it, and it was gone in a few minutes!

Was only about 2 pounds, I would do it again, but would be better with a slightly bigger roast. All in all, it was a success!

I don’t have much experience with wild game, but the beef fat definitely helped. Some of the recipes I saw online said to wrap it in bacon, but the beef fat was good.


Brisket is almost cooked. Another 2 or 3 hours. Then it will rest until supper.

[The Fonz]

I had put this in the Random Thought Thread but it’d be better placed here.

I’m using a smoker pellet tube and getting nothing but campfire smoke from it. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong or if it’s the pellets. I’ve tried multiple different strategies, all having the same end result - campfire smell.

I’m beginning to think these pellets aren’t suitable for a tube. Has anyone successfully used Traeger Signature Blend pellets in a tube?

[Incogneto]

Eater dinner menu:
Brisket
Spatchcock chicken
Spulumbo Sausage
Cornbread
Baked Beans
Green Beans
Coleslaw.

Just the way the Easter bunny intended.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

I had put this in the Random Thought Thread but it’d be better placed here.

I’m using a smoker pellet tube and getting nothing but campfire smoke from it. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong or if it’s the pellets. I’ve tried multiple different strategies, all having the same end result - campfire smell.

I’m beginning to think these pellets aren’t suitable for a tube. Has anyone successfully used Traeger Signature Blend pellets in a tube?

Isn't campfire smoke the whole goal here? Maybe Im misunderstanding the issue.

Normally tubes/smoker boxes/etc its all a game of how much heat and direct flame to throw under it to get it to smoulder and smoke. Have seen people put them directly on the flame diffusers and others remove the diffusers below the box/tube so it catches more direct flame to start.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Isn't campfire smoke the whole goal here? Maybe Im misunderstanding the issue.

Normally tubes/smoker boxes/etc its all a game of how much heat and direct flame to throw under it to get it to smoulder and smoke. Have seen people put them directly on the flame diffusers and others remove the diffusers below the box/tube so it catches more direct flame to start.

I guess it depends on what is burning in the campfire. I use my A-Maze-N with cherry and hickory pellets and the smell is as expected.

Side-note, the last time I cold smoked some bacon, I threw a chunk of cheddar in. Perfecto.

[Northendzone]

I am going to smoke a ham on Sunday.

I dropped it in the brine last night.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I am going to smoke a ham on Sunday.

I dropped it in the brine last night.

No one will be upset if you post some pork pics

[Northendzone]

Here is a couple of gratuitous shots of my smoked ham



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GGG]

Did you start with an normal pork butt or does it start as a cured ham

[Northendzone]

Purchased at sobey’s as a ham

[Shazam]

That Sobey's ham was damned good.

[PaperBagger'14]

Err nm, realized I had already posted my pork butt on the last page

[CroFlames]

Can you do pulled pork with the “picnic” cut of the shoulder?

Internet seems to agree that you can, but the Boston butt is better.

Of course I would do the low and slow smoking at 225 etc.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Can you do pulled pork with the “picnic” cut of the shoulder?

Internet seems to agree that you can, but the Boston butt is better.

Of course I would do the low and slow smoking at 225 etc.

I would think you could, but I'm not positive as I've never made the picnic cut. My thoughts are if you can take a tough cut like a brisket and smoke it to tenderness than you can do it with most cuts.

Here's another pork butt from last weekend, 13 hours total and came out awesome

Spoiler!

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Can you do pulled pork with the “picnic” cut of the shoulder?

Internet seems to agree that you can, but the Boston butt is better.

Of course I would do the low and slow smoking at 225 etc.

I've used the picnic cut many times for pulled pork and it works great.