scottsol wrote:Gwiv may have used his quota of pellets at Barn & Company.

At Barn I had a few smokers and grills. Pellet smoker, Fast Eddie, which I augmented with Mojo bricks for extra smoke and bought pellets by the half ton from a Company called BBQr’s delight. I also had a high-quality Yoder offset, three or four Weber grills, and a WSM. I also had an inexpensive Santa Maria grill until I burned it out.

I had no part in obtaining the Fast Eddie I inherited it. It took me a while to optimize it, but it’s a poor carpenter that blames his tools.

When you are running 800 pounds of meat for service from 11 to 9 it’s not quite the set and forget of a couple of racks of ribs on a Traeger.

While I learned to use the Fast Eddie well I never grew to love or even really like the Fast Eddie. Via consulting I’ve used a number of types of smokers, mainly Southern Pride. At home I have a number of smokers and grills. The two I currently use most are a Big green egg and a 26.5” Weber kettle.

God bless all. Cook on what you want. Enjoy your self, feed your family, friends, neighbors and pets. Have a good time while you are doing it.

If I do get snarky in this thread or others it’s just because I’m bored not judgmental.

Oh. And yes. Ronnie’s hot off the pellet grill meats look terrific. I imagine they taste great as well. Though, as he said. He has a solid base with wood and charcoal.

Continuing the 'foundational meats trials' on my new pellet grill, this time out it was pork shoulder. Started it before bed on Friday night (225F) and with plenty of time before Saturday dinner, I decided to go strictly no-wrap on this run. I wanted to allow for maximum bark, so I figured a lower temp and no-wrap was the best way to achieve that.

10 hours in, it was just about through the stall and almost there . . .


Smoked Pork Shoulder - 175F internal, almost there on the way to 195
Going low-temp and cooking on the top rack definitely slows things down but I love being able to put the drip pan below the meat and that's not possible when cooking on the lower grates. At some point -- by choice or by circumstances -- I'll cook on the lower level but as long as I have room to go 'top shelf,' I plan on doing so.

After a couple more hours the pork hit 195F internal and I could tell it was done cooking. I wouldn't exactly say I wrapped it but at that point I did want to keep it warm until our guests arrived, so I put it in a clean foil pan, covered it and let it sit on the counter. When our friends arrived, about an hour later, I uncovered it and pulled it into large pieces . . .


Pulled Pork Shoulder
Note what the BBQ guys refer to as the instant-read thermometer, aka the cleanly pulled bone. Needless to say, this turned out really great, with a pronounced bark, very nice smokiness and a tender/moist/unctuous interior. The flavor was so intense and so clean through the finish, I didn't even bother to mix in the NC-style vinegar-based sauce I'd prepared. Instead, I served it on the side. Right after the pull (and the pic) it was time to make our plates . . .


Plated Up
Pulled pork sandwich, veg-spiked quinoa, a blob of the weekly slaw and an on-the-fly baked mac & cheese that I threw together while the pork rested. Happily, the pork shoulder was truly the star of the show. After we were all quite full, with our plates pushed forward, we were still picking shreds of pork out of the pan and snarfing them down. If that isn't a big thumbs up for the new pellet grill, I don't know what is.

=R=

Has anyone tried grilling a steak on a traeger? I am not sure that the 500 degree max is an issue, I think that my bge is only around that sometimes, but it is direct heat with flameups which helps with the char. Is indirect heat a deal breaker for grilling as opposed to smoking?

-Will

As I posted on the dinner thread, I smoked a whole turkey on my Traeger this weekend. The results were good, not great and there were probably several reasons for it. I think I tried too many new things at once, so it's really hard to tell exactly where it deviated from my previous pellet grill experiences and expectations.

Started with a fresh 13.8-pound turkey from Harrison's in Glenview. I brined it for 24 hours (2 gallons water, 1 cup Morton kosher salt, 1/4 cup granulated sugar), then chilled/dried it for an additional 24 hours to form a pellicle. After that, I spatchcocked it and removed the breast bone . . .


Turkey Workshop

Once prepped, I hit it with Meat Church's Holy Gospel rub. I think that was a mistake. Like many of his/their rubs, it's a relatively salty rub and in retrospect, not a great match for a brined protein. Here, I should have probably used my own rub, which not only has less salt but would have also provided a better basis for comparison to my previous cooks. From there, onto the Traeger, loaded with B&B Competition Blend pellets (hickory, cherry, pecan), and set at 325F . . .


30 Minutes In
I really liked what I was seeing at this point -- good color, flesh firming up and skin tightening up and rendering -- but there were already some warning signs, one of them being that the internal temperature at the breast was already reading 110F. If I slowed it down by lowering the cooking temperature, I thought that would lead to a more rubbery skin. Looking back, maybe that would have been a good move because even cooked at 350F, I would describe the skin as edible but not necessarily desirable. So, a lower cooking temperature might have provided more benefit than detriment.

After that first 30 minutes, with the bird cooking as fast as it was, I deployed the on-board temperature probe and placed it in the thickest part of the breast. I didn't want to miss the moment when it came. I set the probe/alert to 150F and a little more than an hour later, it went off. At that point I let it go another 5 degrees, which only took another few minutes . . .


Smoked Turkey
After a total cooking time of ~1:50, the bird was reading 155F at the breast and ~175F at the thigh. I corroborated these readings with my Thermapen, so I believe they were pretty accurate. I took the bird off the cooker and wrapped it up in foil to keep it warm.

The first thing I noticed was the salt level. It wasn't unpalatable but it was higher than I would have preferred. In the end, though, that was mitigated by the fact that a lot of the saltiness was on the skin, which wasn't really worth eating. So, skin discarded, the result was absolutely within acceptable parameters, tasty even. But the bird wasn't as lovely as some of the other large-format meats I've cooked on the the Traeger (brisket, short ribs, spare ribs). It was a bit dry and I wasn't in love with the rub which, not unusually, tasted a bit different now than it had raw. Some of the notes that were now stronger after cooking were too strong and some of the more subtle ones that were there when raw were no longer discernible.

Certainly good enough to serve, I carved up the turkey and plated it up for myself, my wife and some friends who'd agreed to be my guinea pigs on this one . . .


Smoked Turkey
The Alabama-style white BBQ sauce complemented the turkey nicely but it was necessary to 'save' it or anything like that.

We all know that poultry is tricky, even a brined, spatchcocked bird. When cooking it whole, getting both the breast and dark meat to optimal doneness is a challenge even under the most controlled circumstances. Thinking about how I could improve my result next time, a few things to come to mind:

1) Reduce the salinity on the brine and/or use a shorter brine time (or maybe no brine?)
2) Use a tried and true, less salty rub
3) Write the skin off from the outset and cook at a lower temperature
4) Go back to indirect cooking over lump charcoal and wood on my kettle grill or ceramic cooker.

I've watched a fair amount of videos on this and my result seems to vary widely with what's out there. The CW is that the combination of a whole, brined turkey and a pellet grill is a great one. My experience didn't really line up with that and based on it, I won't be hurrying to do this again, but I'd like to, especially for Thanksgiving but I'll need to have it ironed out by then. So, any thoughts or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps I'm missing something(s) obvious?

Thanks,

=R=

Flubby bird skins on the pellet grill, yup. I'll still eat flubby skin, but it's better crispy, I'll admit. (Bacon tho - I'm team flubby.) In a perfect world, where I'm fully focused on getting the bird perfect, I'll start it at 225, then about an hour or so in, crank it to 325, then just under desired temp, BLAST it on high heat specifically to target the skin.

-Crank the temp up, and flip the bird (tee-hee) skin side down.
-Bring it inside and use my oven's broiler.
-Fire up regular gas grill, and char it skin side down. (Usually only if I'm already using it for something else)
-Or use my side station gas grill box on the pellet grill. (Big enough for one chicken, MAYBE 2 smaller ones.)

Also, I'll BUY a prebrined turkey - I think those butterball, Jennie-o things say "Pre-brined" but I'd never wet brine or re-wet-brine a turkey. Plain ol rub, and attention to salinity on the label ( to determine how much salt in the rub) is all I need. Once it hits temp, it should be juicy, unless it's a not so great bird.

My dirty lil secret when spatchcocking - Trim the uneccessary fat around the thighs, and cut it up into little pieces. Season that pile of trimmings with your rub, or whatever. Then place those under the breasts' skin. I've noticed that with some bigger chickens, there's a bunch of fat hanging over the breast area as well. I trim that stuff, and stuff it under the breast skin. It renders and also helps the breast cook a little slower.

Do you normally wet-brine a turkey? Or is it because you’re smoking it? I went to a dry-brine years ago after wet brining a few times with less than appetizing results (and was over the mess it creates). I’ll never do anything else—juicy bird, great skin. I don’t add any salt after—strictly salt-free seasoning before cooking. And I’ve never smoked anything, let alone a turkey so no idea if that changes anything.

Plate looks really delicious though!

seebee wrote:Flubby bird skins on the pellet grill, yup. I'll still eat flubby skin, but it's better crispy, I'll admit. (Bacon tho - I'm team flubby.) In a perfect world, where I'm fully focused on getting the bird perfect, I'll start it at 225, then about an hour or so in, crank it to 325, then just under desired temp, BLAST it on high heat specifically to target the skin.

-Crank the temp up, and flip the bird (tee-hee) skin side down.
-Bring it inside and use my oven's broiler.
-Fire up regular gas grill, and char it skin side down. (Usually only if I'm already using it for something else)
-Or use my side station gas grill box on the pellet grill. (Big enough for one chicken, MAYBE 2 smaller ones.)

Also, I'll BUY a prebrined turkey - I think those butterball, Jennie-o things say "Pre-brined" but I'd never wet brine or re-wet-brine a turkey. Plain ol rub, and attention to salinity on the label ( to determine how much salt in the rub) is all I need. Once it hits temp, it should be juicy, unless it's a not so great bird.

My dirty lil secret when spatchcocking - Trim the uneccessary fat around the thighs, and cut it up into little pieces. Season that pile of trimmings with your rub, or whatever. Then place those under the breasts' skin. I've noticed that with some bigger chickens, there's a bunch of fat hanging over the breast area as well. I trim that stuff, and stuff it under the breast skin. It renders and also helps the breast cook a little slower.

Okay, thanks. I like that move of stuffing the excess fat between the breast and the skin -- nothing dirty about it, lol!

As for the rest, I was really trying to avoid using a second device, at least this time because I'm intent on exploring and understanding the performance of the pellet grill. Yes, there's almost always a work-around but what if there weren't? That's my starting point, and I'm still there with this cooker. Down the road, who knows?

boudreaulicious wrote:Do you normally wet-brine a turkey? Or is it because you’re smoking it? I went to a dry-brine years ago after wet brining a few times with less than appetizing results (and was over the mess it creates). I’ll never do anything else—juicy bird, great skin. I don’t add any salt after—strictly salt-free seasoning before cooking. And I’ve never smoked anything, let alone a turkey so no idea if that changes anything.

Plate looks really delicious though!

Thanks. I dry-brine poultry regularly and generally like the results. It might have been a good option here. This time, due to fridge limitations, it wouldn't have been possible. I had this bird wet-brining in a 5-gallon pail and that pail was then surrounded by ice in my Yeti tank. Once the brine was completed, other items had 'left the building' and, ironically, I then had room to chill the bird in the fridge. But yeah, smoking does change some things, especially the skin. No matter how well you smoke a bird, the skin will never be as good as it is when you roast one.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Thanks. I dry-brine poultry regularly and generally like the results. It might have been a good option here. This time, due to fridge limitations, it wouldn't have been possible. I had this bird wet-brining in a 5-gallon pail and that pail was then surrounded by ice in my Yeti tank. Once the brine was completed, other items had 'left the building' and, ironically, I then had room to chill the bird in the fridge. But yeah, smoking does change some things, especially the skin. No matter how well you smoke a bird, the skin will never be as good as it is when you roast one.

=R=

Enjoying following along—smoking is something I’ve never had the patience for so your posts have been very interesting!

I think the way I'd approach this, at least in the electric smoker, is to wet brine the turkey and then apply a rub without salt. I guess you air-dried the turkey to attempt crispier skin? Perhaps that 24 hours drying concentrated the saltiness? If I allowed it to stand, I'd put the rub on immediately after removing from brine to allow flavor more time to infuse, plus rub the inside since you might not eat the rubbery skin.

Also, since the pellet grill doesn't take that long to change temperature, it would be possible to use a 2 step approach without another grill: once the turkey is almost cooked, maybe at a lower temp than 325F to begin with, crank the grill to 450 or 500 and brown it a bit, perhaps helping that along by brushing with some melted butter, schmaltz,...

325F seems like a compromise temperature, especially if you believe the theory about "closing the pores" to smoke flavor. Worth a try smoking at a lower temperature, say 275F, especially if your grill's smoke production is not proportional to temperature. If you don't want to waste a whole turkey in testing, there's always those Butera turkey breast halves.

tjr wrote:I think the way I'd approach this, at least in the electric smoker, is to wet brine the turkey and then apply a rub without salt. I guess you air-dried the turkey to attempt crispier skin? Perhaps that 24 hours drying concentrated the saltiness? If I allowed it to stand, I'd put the rub on immediately after removing from brine to allow flavor more time to infuse, plus rub the inside since you might not eat the rubbery skin.

Air-dried is mainly to develop a pellicle, so that the smoke adheres more to the meat. Rubbing it immediately after the brine would result in a very wet bird. Not great for pellicle development or any hope of crispiness, thin as the chance may be. I doubt air-chilling concentrated the saltiness in any meaningful way but it certainly didn't mitigate it, either.

tjr wrote:Also, since the pellet grill doesn't take that long to change temperature, it would be possible to use a 2 step approach without another grill: once the turkey is almost cooked, maybe at a lower temp than 325F to begin with, crank the grill to 450 or 500 and brown it a bit, perhaps helping that along by brushing with some melted butter, schmaltz,...

I think you're onto something here but ultimately the skin needs to render in order to get crispy. Is a blast at the end enough to accomplish that? Perhaps. However, oiling the skin -- after drying and air-chilling -- before cooking is an excellent idea. In fact, it was something I planned to do . . . but forgot. I had some peanut oil ready. By the time I remembered, I'd already seasoned the bird. D'oh!

tjr wrote:325F seems like a compromise temperature, especially if you believe the theory about "closing the pores" to smoke flavor. Worth a try smoking at a lower temperature, say 275F, especially if your grill's smoke production is not proportional to temperature. If you don't want to waste a whole turkey in testing, there's always those Butera turkey breast halves.

Yes, perhaps 325 is an in-between temperature. Per G Wiv, who's cooked dozens of turkeys, since there is no collagen to break down in a turkey, there's no reason to cook it lower or slower. I probably should have gone at 375F. Speaking of G Wiv, he called me today to share that -- and other -- insights, many of which I'm going to deploy. I hope he also finds the opportunity to stop by here and post them.

=R=

A couple justifications for my ideas: True, a rub containing salt and sugar after brining would get soggy, but one with just spices and no osmotic ingredients shouldn't impact drying.

And from experience with chickens, a lower temperature gives more time exposed to smoke for a smokier flavor, along with the goal of less drying out of the outer meat. But I will be very interested in Mr. Wiviot's ideas and experiences with turkey.

tjr wrote:But I will be very interested in Mr. Wiviot's ideas and experiences with turkey.

Gary has lots of posts on this website AND he wrote a cookbook (actually two).

Many of us learned how to smoke food from his five-step process.

Regards,
Cathy2

Smoked Turkey

Part 1

I have a very specific way of doing turkey on the smoker, and many thoughts, some of which run contrary to popular opinion. I’ve landed at these minimally flexible opinions after smoking countless birds over the last 20+ years. What was widely published about ten years ago has changed a bit. I’ll post the (slightly) new version at the end of this post.

First off, turkey does not need low & slow. There is no collagen or connective tissue to break down, nor excess fat. You can run the smoker at 350^ and achieve good results. Yes, possibly a slightly lighter smoke flavor, but with the brine, if you pump it full of smoke you may get a turkey that tastes like ham not turkey.

With my technique the turkey will cook fast, typically under 2 hours, and you should check at 1 hour.

I take out the backbone and break the joint between leg and thigh. This gives the heat more access to the slower cooking thigh. I do not spatchcock the bird. More on that later.

First let me say, Ronnie is one of the best cooks I know. Inquisitive, willing to do the reps, be it turkey, pie, bread or pot roast. Repetition is what it takes to learn nuance. Seemingly simple is actually often complex. Now I’ll critique his choice of rub and brine. ~smile~

I have not used a commercial rub in a decade or more. Salt is cheap, commercial rubs typically are loaded with salt. The exception being my rub at the spice house. Was Gary Wiviott rub, now, with the new owners, Chicago Fire. Ronnie should have gone with his instincts and used his own rub. Live and learn. As an aside, Ronnie’s choice of Alabama White Sauce was brilliant.

Brine wise I’d have used a half cup dark brown sugar instead of the white and add a bit of oil. Plus whatever aromatics were handy. The salt was good at a half cup per gallon of water. I know Ronnie was not using iodized salt, which is heavier than Morton’s Kosher as Morton’s is heavier than Diamond.

After a 12-24 hour brine I rinse the bird then pat it dry. Rub with oil then apply rub. Remember I have not spatchcocked the bird so its carriage is still intact. I now take the disjointed legs and pull them to the top of the bird and tie off. This serves to protect the breast and expose the thigh. (Picture at end)

I then set the bird on a 350^ ish smoker so the ends of the drumsticks are straight up and the whole backboneless undercarriage is exposed. This allows heat and smoke to flow freely through the bird and accelerates cooking time.

Terminal temperature wise, IMHO Ronnie went a little high. Plus carry foward cooking will boost the temps another 7-10 degrees. I shoot for 155^ in the breast and 165^ in the thigh. Very loosely cover, if at all, and let rest for 15 minutes.

If you wish to guild the Lilly spray the bird with red wine vinegar 3 times in the last half hour to give it a beautiful burnished hue.

As for crisp skin you could use a regular propane cooking torch, though you would need a very light touch or, better yet, a Searzall or similar with a wide distribution of flame. Though a light touch is still needed.

Pictures at end of post.

Continued

Part 2

Low & Slow Master the art of BBQ in 5 easy lessons.
=====================
Long, with some unnecessary parts. I only have my phone with no current access to my desktop which would make this post easier and cleaner.
=======================

You know the perfectly burnished Normal Rockwell turkey you dream of serving guests on Thanksgiving? This is it, and you can cook it in as little as 2 hours. (This bird cooks surprisingly fast. Don't overcook it.) You only need three elements to make it happen: a backboneless turkey trussed just right, 24 hours in a fool-proof buttermilk brine, and a clean-burning, low low-and and-slow fire. Just remember: Do not (ever!) buy a turkey that has been "pre-brined" or injected with salt water. The buttermilk brine in this recipe ensures a juicy bird every time and removing the backbone makes the turkey cook quickly and evenly.

Please note: With the a full KISS load of charcoal burning, the WSM and BGE will run steady for several hours longer than it takes to cook a turkey. You can use this time to smoke more meat or vegetables for side dishes (be sure to check and refill the water pan as needed), or open the vents and carefully remove the water pan or plate setter to increase the heat and grill or hot smoke roast other foods. If you're confident operating your cooker, you can also start the cook with half the amount of unlit charcoal to reduce the cooker's running time.

Serves 8 to 10

For the recipe
1 12- to 14-pound unenhanced turkey
Basic Buttermilk Brine (page TKpage 000)
1 (12- to 14-pound) unenhanced turkey
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 cup Citrus Citrus-Herb Rub (page TKpage 000K)
For the cook:
3 feet of kitchen twine
Optional: 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (optional)

Cooker temperature: 350°F to 375°F

Cook time: 11/2 to 2 hours

Final cook instructions & meat temperature: To help crisp the skin and give the turkey a burnished, mahogany color, spritz the skin with red wine vinegar and completely open the bottom vents about 10 to 15 minutes before the turkey is done. The turkey is done when the breast reads 155°F and the thigh reads 165°F. Let the turkey rest at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

24 Hours Before before the Cook

Assemble Make the Basic Buttermilk Brine and set it aside to cool. While the brine is cooling Meanwhile, prepare the turkey.
Remove the backbone: Lay the turkey breast breast-side down on a cutting board. Using heavy-duty kitchen or poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone. Start at the thigh end, cut alongside the backbone, then turn the turkey around and cut from the neck side down along the backbone. (Save the backbone for stock.) Removing the backbone significantly decreases the cook time.

[INSERT ILLO FROM PAGE 50 IN LOW & SLOW I; NO-BACKBONE-TURKEY.JPG]

Disconnect the leg/thigh joint: Turn the turkey breast breast-side up. Grip the thigh and leg firmly, then bend the leg backward to break the connecting joint. If the joint doesn't pop, you may need to leverage it against a solid surface (like the separator wall in a double sink) when you snap the leg backward. Repeat on the other leg/thigh.

When the brine is completely cool, submerge the turkey in the liquid, cover the brining container, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

1 Hour Before before the Cook

Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it under cool running water, and discard the brinedrain completely. Pat the interior and exterior of the turkey dry with paper towels.

Truss the turkey: Position the brined turkey breast breast-side up on a cutting board with the legs facing you. Lay the center of the twine beneath the tailbone of the turkey, with the ends extending left and right. Double loop the end of each leg with twine, then raise the legs so they are pointing directly upward. Secure the legs tightly together so they are "pinching" the breast and remain upright. If the legs slip out of this position, you can loop and anchor the twine around the neck bone.

[INSERT ILLOS OF STEPS TO TRUSS; TRUSSED-TURKEY1.JPG, TRUSSED-TURKEY2.JPG, TRUSSED-TURKEY3.JPG]

Rub the turkey, inside and out, with 1 tablespoon ofthe canola or olive oil. Coat the skin and cavity with the Citrus Citrus-Herb Rub or the rub of your choice (page TKpage 000) and gently work it underneath the skin of the breast.

30 Minutes Before before the Cook

Start a KISS method fire according to the instructions for your cooker of choice: WSM (page TKpage 000), BGE (page TKpage 000), or offset offset (page TKpage 000).

If you're cooking on a kettle grill, start a HOT SMOKE ROASThot smoke–roast fire (page TKpage 000). With this charcoal setup, Aa whole turkey will cook more consistently and on the kettle there's with less tinkering on the kettle with this charcoal setup.
Final cook instructions & meat temperature: To help crisp the skin and give the turkey a burnished, mahogany color, spritz the skin with red wine vinegar and completely open the bottom vents about 10 to 15 minutes before the turkey is done. The turkey is done when the breast reads 155°F and the thigh reads 165°F. Let the turkey rest at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.


WSM

When the charcoal is engaged in the fire ring and the cooker is reassembled, place the turkey breast breast-side up in the middle of the top grate. Close the cooker and adjust the vents..
Top & and Bottom Vents: Open
[INSERT: WSM-VENT-OPEN.JPG]

30 Minutes Into into the Cook
If you’re using an 18.5-inch WSM, close two bottom vents by one third.
18.5" WSM Bottom Vents: Close two vents by one-third.
[INSERT: WSM-VENT-ONE-THIRD.JPG]
If you’re using a 22.5" -inch WSM, close two bottom vents by one half. WSM Bottom Vents: Close two vents by one-half.
[INSERT: WSM-VENT-ONE-HALF.JPG]

1 Hour Into into the Cook

Check the cooker temperature. If the WSM is running hotter than 400°F, double- check the vent closures. Because the 22.5" -inch WSM tends to run hotter, you may also need to close the third bottom vent by one- half and/or the top vent by one- third to lower the temperature in the cooker. Adjust one vent at a time, and allow 10 to 15 minutes for the temperature to settle in before making another adjustment.

11/2 Hours Into into The the Cook

Check the temperature of the breast and thigh with an instant instant-read thermometer and continue checking the turkey every 15 to 20 minutes until the breast registers 155°F. Refill the water pan if it is less than half full.


=-=-=-


Citrus-Herb Rub
Smear this over and under the skin of turkey or chicken headed for the cooker -- —the bright, fresh citrus notes make a great counterpoint to the flavor of wood smoke.

Makes 1 cup

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves chopped garlicgarlic cloves, chopped
Zest and juice of one 1 orange
Zest and juice of one 1 lemon

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Use this rub immediately, or within 3 to 4 hours of blending the ingredients. The citrus juice will break down and change the flavor of the fresh herbs after several hours.

=-=-=-

Basic Buttermilk Brine
This is another starter brine that gives you a framework to build on. I love the distinct twang that the buttermilk gives to poultry, and it creates a great foundation that enhances the flavors of whatever additional herbs and spices you want to add. The second list of ingredients adds more depth to create my favorite, go-to buttermilk brine for turkey and chicken (particularly Smoky Low & Slow Chicken Wings, page TKpage 000). The kick from the hot sauce is subtle, and the other flavors complement it perfectly.

Makes 2 gallons

1 gallon (16 cups) water, divided
1 gallon (16 cups) buttermilk
1 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon (16 cups4 quarts) buttermilk

To make Gary's Buttermilk Brine, add:
1/4 cup molasses or dark cane syrup
1/4 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons Louisiana Louisiana-style hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Crystal
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground allspice

In a stock pot or large sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine 8 cups2 quarts of the water, with the salt and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat and stir until the salt and brown sugar are completely dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat.

In a nonreactive 4-gallon non-reactive container, combine the concentrated brine with the remaining liquid (1/2 gallon water, 1 gallon buttermilk and the remaining 2 quarts of water). If you are making my amped-up brine, stir in the additional ingredientsmolasses, black pepper, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, and allspice. Allow the mixture to cool. When the brine is completely cool, submerge the meat in the liquid, cover the container, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Buttermilk & Herb Brine
Steeping fresh herbs in hot brine retains the bright, potent flavor of the herbs -- —a flavor that gets a boost from the zing of buttermilk. You can save it for your next Thanksgiving turkey, or try it on a batch of smoked chicken quarters or legs for a picnic.

Makes 2 gallons

1 gallon (16 cups) water
1 gallon (16 cups) buttermilk
1 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
5 sprigs fresh thyme
5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 fresh sage leaves
1 gallon (16 cups4 quarts) buttermilk

In a stock pot or large sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine 8 cups2 quarts of the water, with the salt, brown sugar, thyme, parsley, and sage. Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat and stir until the salt and brown sugar are completely dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and Aallow the mixture to simmer on low for 10 minutes, until the water turns light green. Remove the pot from the heat. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a nonreactive 4-gallon container and discard the herbs.

In a 4-gallon non-reactive container, combine the concentrated brine Pour the buttermilk and the remaining 2 quarts of water into the container with the concentrated brine, with1/2 gallon water, 1 gallon buttermilk, and allow the mixture to cool. When the brine is completely cool, submerge the meat in the liquid, cover the container, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Thank you, Gary! I really appreciate the insights and advice, especially because I know they're based on a ton of experience. And -- just as you've always preached -- it's also pretty clear to me that what specific cooker one uses here is probably the least important detail, as long as fire/temperature are monitored and maintained throughout the cook.

I'm kicking myself because I have both volumes of Low & Slow (signed, of course ) so nearby that I literally can see them from the desk where I'm typing now but I just didn't think to check there. That said, part of me wanted to take the easiest, shortest path on this bird just to establish a baseline. I realize now that that probably wasn't the wisest move. A more complex -- buttermilk -- brine, my homemade rub, different bird positioning and a shorter/hotter cook will all be part of my next turkey cook.

Still, there's nothing you can do to avoid me calling you about this when it happens. I'm sorry about that but no amount of typing will get you off the hook that easily.

Thanks again!

=R=

As I documented in the Dinner thread, I smoked a small boneless beef roast (aka Ribless Roast) on my Traeger Ironwood XL this past weekend. It was the second half of a larger roast from Costco that I had in the freezer. It was about 3 pounds.

I trussed it, coated it with a binder (dusseldorf mustard and worcestershire sauce) and rubbed it liberally with Meat Church's Holy Cow. I like this rub when smoking larger cuts of red meat. I've tried a few of MC's products and this is the only I've really loved so far. Once rubbed, I let the meat rest for about 90 minutes before the cook.

In a low & slow cooking method that matches up with how I'd typically oven-cook a roast like this, I set the Traeger to 200F. I like this method for beef roasts because it ends up cooked evenly from edge to edge with no bullseye effect. I figured it would be a short cook (from ~65F to 127F), so I went with Supersmoke mode to maximize smokiness. Pellets were B&B Competition Blend (hickory, pecan & cherry). At some point during the cook it seemed like things were going a little too quickly and I lowered the Traeger to 190F. After about 4 hours, the roast reached my target temperature of 127F . . .


Smoked Ribless Roast
From here, I let it rest a bit and revved up the oven in my kitchen to 450F (convection roast), as I normally would. I drizzled the smoked roast with a bit of avocado oil and put it in the oven for ~6 minutes, rotating it 180 degrees after 3. From there, another short rest, then slice and serve . . .


Ribless Roast Dinner
This one turned out great. Great bark/exterior crust, nice smokiness, tender and moist. Not sure what's next for the Traeger but this cook has me thinking that a full, bone-on rib roast would be a perfect thing to cook on it, so I see that coming down the road, once the cooler weather hits.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Not sure what's next for the Traeger but this cook has me thinking that a full, bone-on rib roast would be a perfect thing to cook on it, so I see that coming down the road, once the cooler weather hits.

=R=

If you're a fan - picanha, and tri-tips might be worth your while. I use the same kind of cook method - reverse sear. Fat 1/2 lb burgers, too.

Nice work, Ron!

seebee wrote:If you're a fan - picanha, and tri-tips might be worth your while. I use the same kind of cook method - reverse sear. Fat 1/2 lb burgers, too.

Nice work, Ron!

Thanks. Burgers, huh? I never would have thought of that. I do like them over charcoal but I'm going to give it a try. And heck yeah on the tri-tip and picanha. I'm starting to see the beauty of Wild Fork and its proximity to my route to and from work.

=R=

I don't think my Traeger is capable of some of the things demonstrated in this youtube video using a Yoder pellet grill but either way, it's an impressive display of diverse cooks . . . bread-baking, bacon crisping, onion grilling, burger smoking/searing.


Smoked Bacon Cheeseburger! | Chuds BBQ

Chuds BBQ is a channel I've been watching lately and I really like his (Bradley Robinson's) meticulous, agnostic approach. He also cooks on -- and designs/builds -- woodburners but still takes the time explore and fairly assess alternate cooking methods. I also like that the videos don't dwell in the minutiae. If one needs detailed, step by step instruction, they may not be a great fit. But for folks who already have some experience, the shorter shots and quicker cuts help move things along without bogging down. He seems to know a bit about cooking and puts some thought into what he's doing. I can see his personality being a bit much but after having watched a few videos, he's grown on me, and I think good far outweighs the bad.

=R=

If you're a fan - picanha, and tri-tips might be worth your while. I use the same kind of cook method - reverse sear. Fat 1/2 lb burgers, too.

Nice work, Ron!

what temp do you do your picanha at? Just bought a 2lb prime cut, on sale was same price as brisket, crazy. Thanks in advance!

I generally do all my reverse sears at 225 until they reach to somewhere around 10 degrees prior to desired temp, then I blast them at high heat for a few sec per side for a crunchy crust, and crunchy fat cap - love crunchy fat.

Thanks much, basically did the same, 225 then seared off in cast iron. Should've trimmed fat cap a bit, wasn't edible even tho I scored it.

Random thought:

I have a 2:00 Doctors Appointment!!
Last time I got a Lecture on my Diet Desserts!! Told him I’m not 20 yrs old I’m 70. Going to eat whatever I want in moderation!! He didn’t like that answer!! I have to have a Check Up every 3 Months. They stay on top of me because I’m considered High Risk. He also told me to cut back on my Coffee consumption & switch to De-Caf. Told him I’d rather Cook on a Pellet Grill before that happens. He had no idea what I was talking about. Pretty sure I’m not an Ideal Patient!!
Kemper Morris via FB

Thanks to a generous birthday check from my MIL plus super duper clearance price at Walmart, I got a new toy: the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven. It functions both as a high heat pizza oven and a smoker using pellets for smoke. I tried a couple bbq meats so far: a couple long-forgotten-in-the-freezer turkey legs
(sliced and plated with some basmati rice & salted cukes)
and a small piece of pork butt
A half cup of pellets yields a lot of smoke for the first half hour or so. The oven includes a separate igniter element for the smoke box along with top and bottom heat elements. Slightly strangely, the pellet igniter isn't the standard hot rod type, it's a radiant heater that starts the top of the pellet pile rather than the bottom.

Results were plenty smokey using the sample pellets, which seem to be one of the Bear Mountain all purpose blends. Temperature held pretty well for an electric smoker with swings around 20F +/- and maybe 5F low over the long run.

I also tried Neapolitan pizza using the 700F pizza setting and the very simple crust recipe in the instructions. Turned out surprisingly well for a first attempt, easily cooked in the preprogrammed 3 minutes.