What to smoke for the first time?

Quoi fumer pour la première fois ? - BBQ Québec

The world of smoking is really interesting. However, over time, I realized that there are 2 types of people when it comes to their first smoke: the uncertain and the cowboy!

The uncertain person is the type of person who asks 1001 questions before starting. To doubt so much that he even loses his pedals! The cowboy, it's very simple, he wants to make a brisket in a 22 inch kettle!

For the cowboy, or even for you the uncertain, here are some tips and tricks for your smoking, starting with which machines other than a smoker you can use.

1. Propane: It is not mandatory to have a smoker to do your first smoking tests. You can do it with a simple propane BBQ equipped with a smoker box . The advantage of this is that you can test cheaply if you like it or not! Fill the box with dry wood chips and put it on your heat deflector (prioritize to put it on a deflector on the left end or even the right end) on maximum heat until smoke appears. At this point, lower the heat to the minimum to generate a more constant smoke. The meat, meanwhile, should be placed in the center of the BBQ, above the closed burners. https://bbqquebec.com/fumage-boite-a-fumee-bbq-quebec

2. Charcoal: You can smoke with any charcoal BBQ. Place the charcoal either on one side or the other or on both sides and place your meat over a charcoal-free area. Then place 1 to 3 pieces of wood ( chunks of wood ) directly into the charcoal depending on the amount of meat on your BBQ.

3. If you have a smoker, simply start it up and start smoking!

A lot of smoke or a little smoke?

The first mistake we often see is that people smoke their meats way too much or the smoke is very white and very opaque. When you are starting out, I suggest you smoke your meat less than too much! If you have a charcoal BBQ, try to get a smoke that is almost transparent by using chunks instead of wood chips. If you have a gas BBQ, it will be more difficult to get this type of smoke, because there is no control of the air in and out. If you have a denser smoke in a gas BBQ, it is less serious, because the smoke comes out of the BBQ more easily.

What to smoke to start with?

If you're the "unsure" type, start with something simple, like chicken drumsticks or pork tenderloin! Chicken needs less smoke than pork, but in both cases, be sure to use a cooking thermometer.

If you are making drumsticks, smoke them with woods with fruitier aromas such as apple, cherry or even maple at a temperature between 275 degrees and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Apply BBQ Québec's Ocean spices and cook them indirectly to a temperature of 185 degrees Fahrenheit, then sear them for 2 minutes on each side over high heat. Top it off with BBQ Québec's Ketchot sauce!

If you are making a pork tenderloin: start by removing the Silver Skin that you will find at the end of it. Sprinkle the Kansas spices from BBQ Québec evenly and smoke at a temperature of 225 degrees to 300 degrees Fahrenheit with maple, apple or hickory wood until an internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Then sear two of the four sides and let rest, brushing with Sweet Lemon sauce from BBQ Québec.

For Cowboys who want to get into smoking with a b risket , PLEASE don't do it!

It's a bit like starting to play major junior hockey: it might work out, but the odds aren't really in your favor! Cowboys are big meat guys, they want to have fun and impress the crowd. That's why I suggest you start with pulled pork or a prime rib roast.

For pulled pork, start by asking your butcher for a bone-in pork shoulder ( Boston butt ) and, above all, plan on cooking for between 6 and 14 hours depending on the cooking temperature chosen. For a first experience, I would not remove anything from the shoulder, I would leave it as is. Sprinkle generously with Kansas BBQ Québec spices and inject it with one of our Kosmos Q or Butcher BBQ injections (optional). Then, smoke it with maple or hickory wood using indirect cooking between 225 degrees and 325 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the time you have. Sprinkle it with apple juice or beer every 30 minutes after the first hour. When it has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, you can wrap it in two layers of aluminum foil with a little liquid at the bottom. This will allow you to retain more moisture and speed up your cooking. When it has reached an internal temperature of 203 degrees to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, take it out and let it rest for 30 to 120 minutes in a warm place. Many use a preheated cooler, but you can simply place it in a drip pan, in a turned off oven. Then, shred it, taking care to keep the cooking juices, because you will mix it with the shredded meat and Mamacita's sweet night sauce from BBQ Québec. If you don't want to burn your fingers when shredding the meat, use BBQ Québec's shredding claws. You can serve in a bun with coleslaw or directly on the plate.

For the prime rib roast, I suggest making thin incisions in the fat of the meat, removing the bones from the meat and wrapping them in aluminum foil. To start, apply a very thin layer of BBQ Québec Colonel Mustard sauce, then coat with BBQ Québec Montreal spices. If you like the taste of rosemary on this type of piece, add BBQ Québec California spices to the roast. Smoke using indirect cooking with maple, hickory or even mesquite wood at an ambient temperature of 250 degrees to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. This piece of beef can take higher temperatures, so don't hesitate to increase this one. When you reach an internal temperature of 130 degrees to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the meat and let it rest in aluminum foil for 10 to 30 minutes depending on the size of your piece. You can also sear it at the end of cooking, but plan to take it out 3 internal degrees earlier than the final temperature. The final temperature should be 140 degrees to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Carve and serve with BBQ Québec's Bourbon Maple Sauce.

Whether you are a beginner of the "Cowboy" type or of the "uncertain" type, you will find the recipe that will please you! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to join our Facebook discussion group: BBQ Québec recettes et Techniques sur le BBQ, and above all, ask your question!

star

Leave a comment

Please note: comments must be approved before they are published.