cooking without waterpan

[Guest]

HI! everyone. This is my firt post although i've been follwing this site for quite sometime. My question is for Jim Minion. Jim have you ever used the wsm without the waterpan in place, in other words nothing between the meat and the coals, the meat being on the top rack. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

 

[Chris Allingham]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the discussion! I moved your post to the Beginner's Forum since the Guestbook Forum is mainly for introductions only.

Best regards,
Chris

 

[Guest]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike Gammans:
[qb]HI! everyone. This is my firt post although i've been follwing this site for quite sometime. My question is for Jim Minion. Jim have you ever used the wsm without the waterpan in place, in other words nothing between the meat and the coals, the meat being on the top rack.[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I have done that on a similar cooker. It's a excellent approach when you want:

a) Roasting temperatures of 325+ degrees

b) Sufficient direct heat to brown and crisp the outside in about an hour of cooking time.

A very good method or roasting a chicken -- the skin gets crispy in the hour or so it takes to cook. However, I wouldn't do a turkey that way. The roasting temperatures are idea for a turkey, but 3+ hours of exposure to direct heat will burn the skin -- although it would probably work great if you had the turkey over a roasting pan.

It would also be a good way to do thick stuffed pork chops or a pork loin roast or grilled chicken parts. It might also be a good way to do a smallish roast beef or a beef tenderloin. Anything that roasts in about an hour or so would be a good candidate.

Trying to hold low "smokin'" temps (below 275) with that setup will require a very small fire, I think.

 

[Jim Minion]

The style of the cook would very southeastern in flavor. This method has been going for 100s of years. As Webb says a small fire would be needed.
I don't cook way this often, I pefer a different flavor being the main reason (just personel taste). With practice I'm sure you can make work.
Jim

 

[Guest]

I enjoy cooking sans ala pan when time is short. Brined chicken halves will plump up great when cooked on the top grate. You will only require about 1 to 1 1/2 chimney loads, to cook. I run all three bottom vents just about wide open. Start the chicken skin side down, top grate, flip at about 45 minutes, sauce and then keep it covered for about 15 more minutes. This is how I like to cook during the week, takes about an hour, and no fussing around. Good stuff.