So I have brew day this weekend and a buddy of mine is coming over to hangout while I brew. After brewing his wife is going to come over for a bbq. So after a long brew day what would you recommend throwing on the grill?
Before I start brewing, I get a couple slabs of baby back ribs rubbed down, put em on a broiler pan, cover em with foil, and put em on the middle of the grill, with the two inside burners off and the two outside burners as low as they will go. Leave em on for four or five hours while brewing. Then throw some corn on the cob that's been soaked in water onto the grill, take the ribs off the pan and onto the grill, turn on the other two burners, low heat, and baste and flip every five minutes with a 50/50 blend of BBQ sauce and beer. 30 - 45 minutes later, heaven on a plate.
Get a tri-tip steak, about 2.5 pounds, and a bag of applewood chips (homedepot has the chips.)
Rub tri-tip in simple rub of black pepper, salt, and galic powder (equal parts) up to 24 hours ahead.
Lay about 6 oz. of wood chips in a thin, 9"x9" square on top of some foil and wrap it in a square. The idea is to make a thin wood pack that will allow you to expose the wood to heat pretty evenly. Cut some small slits in one side of the foil to allow air in or out.
Fire up your grill to about 350, heat on one side. Throw on the wood chips in foil over direct heat. As soon as you can smell some smoke, throw the tri-tip on the other side, indirect heat. Let it go for about 45 minutes to smoke, then wrap the tri-tip in foil and let it ride until the meat reaches an internal temp of 130 (perfect medium rare).
Pull the meat, turn up the heat to 500+, toss the meat over the direct heat to sear, turn to get both sides.
Rest ten minutes.
Slice nice and thin, serving with your favorite summer sides.
(I serve it with a piquant salsa, corn chips, baked beans, and dank stout or black IPA.)
If you have a genuine smoker, adapt to your smoker. 6 oz. of wood is my "mild, I'm hear for the meat, not the smoke" level of smoking, it's an added flavor, like the rub. If you already have some wood chips or you want to throw down for some, I like a blend of applewood at about 2 parts with 1 part hickory a little better, but all hickory is too much for me--it's the chinook of smoking woods.)
Also, seriously, I was working hacks for smoking like the above until got an inexpensive electric smoker ($80, assembly required) for father's day and I couldn't be happier. I'm still working of the key elements, but do yourself a favor....
Sounds amazing, what are you rubbing with?
They all sound delicious! I have charcoal though...those ribs sound amazing though!
I'd toss a pork butt on the smoker. My smoker is pretty self-maintained. I watch the temp remotely and occasionally close and open the vents if there are spikes in temp. If the charcoal is laid out right and the wood is not spread out past the center where the half chimney of hot coals are dumped, then the temp rarely goes all over the place for me. Weather clearly changes this a little though.
If you don't want to do a pork butt then chicken is easy. Offset cook just like @flars mentioned.
I've been wanting to get a wifi temp probe, so I can monitor the grill with my phone, but I'd rather spend the money on brew equipment.
It seems my smoker does not like 250F without having to constantly adjust the air flow. I'm off doing something else and forget it too long and it gets too hot or starts going out. (Adult ADD onset I guess )
I think I've figured out why, but now too lazy after doing it the easy way. Only so many hours in a day.. :heavySigh:
I didn't even go that fancy. I bought this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IMA718/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
I absolutely feel it was a worthwhile investment. The temp gauge on the top of the smoker isn't really telling me enough about the temp of the meat and such. What smoker do you have? I have a Weber Smokey Mountain, the 18.5" one. I use the minion method and toss some wood right in the center and then dump a 1/2 chimney of burning charcoal over that. I learned that if I put pieces of wood around the charcoal on the outer ring, the heat gets to it and spikes. I would have to really pay attention and at that point, I learned there was no reason to actually put wood around the outside. The wood is doing its job in the center and it doesn't need constant feeding of wood.
I admit, if I had to really do a lot of work to maintain temps on this thing, I would not use it. My offset stick smoker was a constant pain. I could never ever leave it. With the WSM, I can nap, shower, brew, and go out to the market if need be and not worry too much.
Sorry OP to hijack your thread.
I didn't even go that fancy. I bought this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IMA718/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
I absolutely feel it was a worthwhile investment. The temp gauge on the top of the smoker isn't really telling me enough about the temp of the meat and such. What smoker do you have? I have a Weber Smokey Mountain, the 18.5" one. I use the minion method and toss some wood right in the center and then dump a 1/2 chimney of burning charcoal over that. I learned that if I put pieces of wood around the charcoal on the outer ring, the heat gets to it and spikes. I would have to really pay attention and at that point, I learned there was no reason to actually put wood around the outside. The wood is doing its job in the center and it doesn't need constant feeding of wood.
I admit, if I had to really do a lot of work to maintain temps on this thing, I would not use it. My offset stick smoker was a constant pain. I could never ever leave it. With the WSM, I can nap, shower, brew, and go out to the market if need be and not worry too much.
Sorry OP to hijack your thread.
If you don't want to mess with charcoal while you're brewing, throw em in an oven at about 200. Then the grill to baste. I've done it both ways.
That Maverick is great until the probes die at which time the replacement cost will bite you in the wallet. I have replaced 4 so far, the last two to die were kept in a tupperware filled with rice and a moisture absorbing sheet. They lasted the longest but still only made it a year and a half. My theory is that the high moisture level in my green egg type cooker is hard on the probes.I didn't even go that fancy. I bought this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IMA718/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
I absolutely feel it was a worthwhile investment. The temp gauge on the top of the smoker isn't really telling me enough about the temp of the meat and such. What smoker do you have? I have a Weber Smokey Mountain, the 18.5" one. I use the minion method and toss some wood right in the center and then dump a 1/2 chimney of burning charcoal over that. I learned that if I put pieces of wood around the charcoal on the outer ring, the heat gets to it and spikes. I would have to really pay attention and at that point, I learned there was no reason to actually put wood around the outside. The wood is doing its job in the center and it doesn't need constant feeding of wood.
I admit, if I had to really do a lot of work to maintain temps on this thing, I would not use it. My offset stick smoker was a constant pain. I could never ever leave it. With the WSM, I can nap, shower, brew, and go out to the market if need be and not worry too much.
Sorry OP to hijack your thread.
Lately, we've liked fresh Hungarian sausage in the pit. No need to boil in beer or whatever first. Just place them in the pit opposite the charcoal & put some wood, like cottonwood or alder, maybe pun oak on top of the coals & close it up. At about 30 minutes, turn them over & top off the wood. Watch'em at about the 45 minute mark. If you can see juices bubbling under the skin, they're done. They have to be removed from the pit before they squirt juice or split to stay juicy when eating them.
I like to dry rub ribs & cover'em in the fridge a couple hours before placing them in the pit, opposite the coals & wood chips/chunks/whatever. About an hour later, hit'em with some mop sauce ( my English Bitter one good here) Flip, rearrange, etc. This goes on for 3-5 hours, depending on heat, smoke, & wind. When the meat pulls back about 1/2 inch from the bones, they're done. I prefer to keep up on the pit, rather than set it & forget it. But some things are easier than others. If it's steamed, boiled or baked first, it ain't BBQ!
I really like the taste of this, but would it work after a long day of brewing?
I think I'll give it try this Fall when it is cooler and the other work is slowing down.
When I do ribs I use the rule of 3. First hour no tinfoil to get the smoke flavor. Second hr wrap in foil to let the juices cook with the meat. Third hour. No foil to let the meat set up. Works every time. As close to 225* as I can get since my hand is my thermometer. It's all over open flame.
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