doing anything different this bbq season?


 
Thanks for the tip Dave. Ive been reviewing old posts on the use and start up of Lump. I like the idea of a layer of briquettes on the bottom. I figure this would catch the small pieces from falling through the grate as well help with a long burn.
 
R. Paquin said:
Thanks for the tip Dave. Ive been reviewing old posts on the use and start up of Lump. I like the idea of a layer of briquettes on the bottom. I figure this would catch the small pieces from falling through the grate as well help with a long burn.
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That it does, but it also adds to the longevity of the cook, especially if it's good dense briquettes like Stubbs. You can even pour in two layers. It's going to be burning very clean by the time the fire gets to the bottom. I also like to light with briquettes because they're not near as sensitive to the air deprivation once dumped into the cooker. Forget about all you hear about lump burning hotter than briquettes once you put it in a wsm. Also, realize that cheap lump like Royal Oak is NOTHING like Wicked Good, Ozark Oak, and others. I only have a bag and a half left of Wicked Good, and I won't use it until I need my 22" for a big butt cook.
 
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This is a great thread, my first post here in a long while. My wife and I were just going through all of the weber cookbooks realizing how much of the same grilling staples we seem to stick to. Here's to trying some new things this year, including sides and desserts.
 
Bob Correll said:
I plan to make a better burger.
No matter what I try, they never seem to have the beef flavor, like the ones from a good burger joint.
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G Dechaine said:
Bob, are you grinding your own meat? I started over a year ago, and burgers taste 100x better. Mind you, a lot of burger joints use flat tops, so different flavor profile than over charcoal grill, so you might not get exactly the flavour you're after. .
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Bob Correll said:
G,
That's my next move, if I can find my grinder again, it's been awhile since I used it
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Waiting on chuck roasts to go on sale again too.
Thanks for the advice!
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We have an old friend who refuses to buy supermarket hamburger...she will always buy a chuck roast and have the meat man grind it for her. They are pretty obliging that way.
The other thing I notice about supermarket hamburger is that more and more often you see 85/15 and I feel like that has NO flavor.
 
Russ, you have PHOTOS of this smokehouse??!! Let's See it man!
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Don't want to hijack this thread. I'll put together a 'Look what I built' post in a few days. But for a sneak-peek. This was during the build.

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Russ
 
I'm going to try beef ribs, and hopefully I'll be logging a lot more cooks. Being fairly new to this and still a seasonal Q'er, I now realise that a need to make better notes of my recipes as I've lost a few of my favourites
 
Russ -- Awesome yard. Awesome smoke house. I need to make some raised beds this year. Is that regular construction lumber? Am I correct that pressure-treated can't be used for beds due to the chemicals?

On better burgers -- if you have a steak house in town that ages its own meat, go ask if you could have their scraps. Mix them with supermarket meat (chuck, brisket, etc.) and pulse in a food processor. I have a friend in NY whose restaurant gets scraps from a steakhouse in Jersey. His burgers are consistently rated among the best in Manhattan.
 
Thanks. I just used pressure treated but I did let it dry out several days before I put a couple coats of Thompson's Water Seal. Now that pressure treated doesn't have arsenic in it anymore, I'm not so concerned about using it. They're just 2x8 with 2x2 blocks in the corners to give the decking screws something to grip into. Three eight footers, one cut in half, yields a 4x8 planter.

Russ
 
Will be using my WSM with the windbreak I built, actually using a Thermometer for some cooks so I won't need to hover, and will be making my own rubs and sauces the best that I can low carb for my wife and family seeing as most are diabetic now. Also will be exploring different cuts of meat.
 
I've been doing lots of experimenting with raising the height of the coals closer to the grill grate. I mostly use bricks, but have also cooked skirt steaks directly on the coals themselves. I'm a sucker for a nice, charred crust on any kind of beef. Getting the meat as close as possible to the heat source for the searing portion of the cook has been fun. I also find I get a hard sear done much more quickly this way, leaving more time to move steaks or chops to the indirect side of the grill and thereby getting a more consistent temp through the greater part of the steak.

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I plan to do a brisket this year ! Plan to cook for big groups to prepare for hopefully my own wedding next year like the compliments I receive ! Foremost I plan to eat healthier and lose a lot of weight so that means stop cooking way more than I need on the smoker !
 
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