Official CCS Grillmasters thread

[brett05]

So my dad's brother was in town the other day. He lives in Missouri, and I've seen him maybe twice in the last 10 years. He stopped by our new house just to check it out while he was in town...and asked me about my grill, asked how often I used it, etc...and asked about my smoker. I told him my smoker just burned up the other day (one of those cheap walmart ones) and it seemed to pique his curiosity. He told me about one he had recently built for his local high school, and how it would hold about 800 lbs (!!!) of meat...and only then did i realize that he builds grills/smokers for a living. I knew he worked w/ metal, but talk to him so infrequently I had no idea what he did with it.

He's always had a strange level of respect for me, mainly b/c he respects the hell out of my dad, and b/c his son has always been the emo/pouty kid that hates everyone and doesn't understand why no one likes him. That's sort of important, too I guess.

So he went back to missouri the other day, and I got an email from him recently.

Basically, he said he hates the idea of a grown man not owning a "real" smoker :lol: and he had some ideas he was playing with...I told him it wasn't necessary but I appreciated it and was just happy to be able to spend some time w/ him, etc. etc.

Then he sends me this:

View attachment 1038

With the following specs:

-- Holds 100+ lbs of meat
-- Upright portion is a water smoker, will come complete with drain so I don't have to clean out the water reservoir as often
-- Middle portion is for dry smoking, should hold 80+ lbs of meat on it's own
-- Small portion is a small grill for quick charcoal jobs
-- Wheels designed to roll on any reasonably hard surface
-- Metal will withstand 900*, paint will withstand 850*
-- Total weight of the smoker will not exceed 350 lb.

He also said it will live far longer than I will...b/c he "don't use any of that cheap shit," to build it with. :lol:

When I asked him about cost, he said, "ehh, just come visit me when it's done, let me take you out to dinner, and I'll help ya load it on a trailer. Gotta be good to family."


So......Who wants to come over in a couple of months for 28 racks of ribs?

I'll bring my ribs pre-rubbed

Good ribs 1.99 pound at Cermak Fresh Produce

 

[brett05]

X, did you get it yet?

 

[brett05]

I have 2 prime ribs that I am smoking. Should have picks later

 

[Crystallas]

I could go for some smoked prime rib. Damn raw-foods diet is awesome, but I want to cheat bad! LOL

 

[FrenchieBully]

I read the entire thread. Good stuff!!! I'll be swapping idea's and technique's for sure. Recently I've done a pork shoulder, a leg of lamb, beef ribs, pork ribs, ribeye's, and buffalo burgers. If you haven't had buffalo your'e missing some good stuff! Kinda pricey but well worth it on occasion.

I'm kinda disappointed not see more seafood on the menu!!! You midwestern boys got a problem with fish?! Crabs?!? Shrimp?!?!? C'Mon!!! :flipa:

A few weeks ago I grilled a bison ribeye steak. Honestly, it was the best steak I ever head. Better than the high end prime cut bovine steaks. Whole Foods had the price close to the cow steaks too.


Charcoal+ Weber chimney starter + crumpled up paper = Fast start up charcoal grill. Ready to grill in 15 minutes. Charcoal burns dry so the temperature can get higher for searing. Propane releases water vapor.

 

[brett05]

Country House has bison burgers. For me...eh

 

[FrenchieBully]

Here is a good tip. Use sea salt on steaks. For some reason it doesn't dry out the meat like table salt. It's what Fogo de Chao and Tango Sur uses on their meats. I think the sea salt coating holds the juices inside the meat too.

I sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder, crushed peppercorn, and a little bit of cumin.

 

[brett05]

Here is a good tip. Use sea salt on steaks. For some reason it doesn't dry out the meat like table salt. It's what Fogo de Chao and Tango Sur uses on their meats. I think the sea salt coating holds the juices inside the meat too.

I sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder, crushed peppercorn, and a little bit of cumin.

No cumin but that is today's dry rub

Btw live fogo. I work three blocks north of them

 

[Sunbiz1]

Here is a good tip. Use sea salt on steaks. For some reason it doesn't dry out the meat like table salt. It's what Fogo de Chao and Tango Sur uses on their meats. I think the sea salt coating holds the juices inside the meat too.

I sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder, crushed peppercorn, and a little bit of cumin.

I sear the steak on high heat for 30 seconds per side after adding rub, seals the meat without all that added sodium...works even better prior to smoking pork shoulders if you have a pan that large.

 

[brett05]

If you sear first won't that prevent the smoke from penetration?

 

[FrenchieBully]

If you sear first won't that prevent the smoke from penetration?

I don't know about smoking, but for grilling steaks there isn't enough time to get the smokey flavor inside the pink meat. My daughter and I eat our steaks rare. Wife likes it medium. Even then my daughter asks me to cut off the "burnt" part off. She looks like a little zombie when she eats a lump of pink bloody meat.

 

[brett05]

Hmm. I eat it rare too. Smoke worked for me after 4.5 hours

Pics tomorrow

 

[brett05]

Of course a roast is different than a steak

 

[brett05]

Here we go with the pictures.

Did a simple pepper, salt, and garlic, smoked for 4.5 hours at 250. Came out great. Gave one to my neighbors.

 

[Capt. Serious]

You're a solid cook brett. Stuff looks awesome.

 

[GaelicSoxFan]

If you sear first won't that prevent the smoke from penetration?

Steaks don't really benefit much from smoking, as they're not particularly thick or tough pieces of meat like brisket or tri-tip. Searing helps keep the steaks from drying out by sealing in the juices.

 

[Sunbiz1]

Here we go with the pictures.

Did a simple pepper, salt, and garlic, smoked for 4.5 hours at 250. Came out great. Gave one to my neighbors.

Came out a nice med/rare.

I used to think the same in regards to searing then smoking, that the flavor would get locked out. Then found out later that searing still allows for enough air penetration. Pre-cut steaks/thinner cuts I don't bother with prior to open flame, 1 minute in a hot oiled pan ruins them imho.

 

[brett05]

Steaks don't really benefit much from smoking, as they're not particularly thick or tough pieces of meat like brisket or tri-tip. Searing helps keep the steaks from drying out by sealing in the juices.

I hear ya, but I thought I once heard MAC say that places like the Chop Hoise and Ruth Chris sear at the end of cooking. I've not had any issues, and that prime rib was melty delicious.

 

[Sunbiz1]

Went out and bought lump charcoal, applewood, and a pork shoulder.

Finally, Spring has arrived...at least temporarily.

 

[R_Mac_1]

Had a nice surprise today. Got over to my aunt's house and what do I smell? The smoker. I guess she and her husband decided to smoke the ham instead of baking it. Turns out, it was delicious. The bark was great, and the pineapples were like sweet little bites of Smokey deliciousness.

They used apple wood to smoke if you're curious.

...Tapatalking