What are you Smoking/Grilling/BBQ'ing this weekend?

[BigRedChief]

What are you up to this weekend?

I finally gave up on my smoker and decided to get a new smoker. I went with a bigger model but less tech. Yes, its a cheater electric smoker. My 3rd one. I need more space to cook, I don't need help getting my smoke and temp right.

I've also never used injection for flavor except for pork butt or other big cuts of meat. I decided to give it a try. I developed my own injection. Basically like the other recipes you have out on the internet but I'm putting the rub in the injection and using sirracchi.

Full results not in yet but my son and I think its the best sausage we have ever had.

No sauce. Marinated the meat overnight. Injected the meat. Slow cooked the ribs and chicken. Baste it with a combo of butter and apple juice. Using a combination of Apple, Mesquite, Cherry and Hickory wood.

[TLO]

I'm just now learning to grill with charcoal. (Hank Hill is rolling over in his grave)

What are some tips you'd give to a n00b?

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by TLO

I'm just now learning to grill with charcoal. (Hank Hill is rolling over in his grave)

What are some tips you'd give to a n00b?

1. Chimney starter.

2. Don’t In58men your house.

[Coogs]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

1. Chimney starter.

2. Don’t In58men your house.

Chimney starter is a must. No lighter fluid.

Steaks go over the coals early while the temp is high.

Pork Chops and Chicken and possibly even burgers (beef or pork) wait a few minutes until the temp drops a bit. For the burgers, lightly butter the buns and toast over the coals after the burgers are done. It only takes a couple of minutes to do the buns. You might want to close the vents (at least on top) when toasting the buns.

If for some reason the coals flare up into a fire (usually from excess fat on the meat), move the meat from over the flames if necessary until the flames die out. Sometimes closing the vents will take care of the flames.

Hot Dogs and Brats wait until the coals are closer to the end of their life than the beginning so the "skins" don't split.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by TLO

I'm just now learning to grill with charcoal. (Hank Hill is rolling over in his grave)

What are some tips you'd give to a n00b?

Learn how to cook on direct and indirect. Direct is easy for the most part. You're going hot and fast over a constant flame with you tending and flipping. This guy is a great resource for cooking on basic charcoal style grills and figuring out indirect configurations that make sense based on what you're cooking. There are a number of others I'll recommend if you like.



Buy a charcoal chimney to get your coals heated and evenly ashed over before you cook. These things are foolproof and will always produce ready to use charcoal. Buy some starters like tumbleweeds or little wax cubes if you like. You can put vegetable oil on a paper towel and get it going. Newspaper works great too. Lots of options but do it this way. DO NOT USE STARTER FLUID



Understand what your vents do. You are drawing air from the bottom and pushing out over your cooking surface. You vent from the top so personally I control the input and leave the output wide open for the most part. This is where you'll learn how to manage temp in the grill. Realize the dome is going to read about 50 degrees hotter than the grates on average.



Buy a decent thermometer, especially if you progress from grilling to trying your hand at mixing in hard woods and smoking. You can add on hard woods directly to the coals when doing burgers or chicken or whatever and get that charcoal/smoke flavor very easily.

Just spend at least $10 bucks and you'll get something decent off amazon.

[Dante84]

Thinking I’m gonna pull the trigger on the new Masterbuilt Gravity XT.

The earlier models had a great concept, but were flimsy and broke down easily. The new model seems to have addressed these concerns. People had to add mods to the previous models, and the new design basically accounts for all of these.

Anyone have one yet? Do I need to be talked out of it?

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Dante84

Thinking I’m gonna pull the trigger on the new Masterbuilt Gravity XT.

The earlier models had a great concept, but were flimsy and broke down easily. The new model seems to have addressed these concerns. People had to add mods to the previous models, and the new design basically accounts for all of these.

Anyone have one yet? Do I need to be talked out of it?

I have a good friend of mine that has every grill/smoker imaginable and is a good home cook and he loves his Masterbuilt. I'd consider buying one even though I don't need it.

His model is probably 5 years old so it's not the new hotness but from what I've read on them the consensus is they've done a very solid job of melding charcoal cooking with the pellet grill temp control format.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by TLO

I'm just now learning to grill with charcoal. (Hank Hill is rolling over in his grave)

What are some tips you'd give to a n00b?

We’re gonna make you a God damn man soon!

Nice!

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by TLO

I'm just now learning to grill with charcoal. (Hank Hill is rolling over in his grave)

What are some tips you'd give to a n00b?

It's hot.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Dante84

Thinking I’m gonna pull the trigger on the new Masterbuilt Gravity XT.

The earlier models had a great concept, but were flimsy and broke down easily. The new model seems to have addressed these concerns. People had to add mods to the previous models, and the new design basically accounts for all of these.

Anyone have one yet? Do I need to be talked out of it?

Buy 2 and send me one. I’ve wanted one but haven’t parted with the cash.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by TLO

I'm just now learning to grill with charcoal. (Hank Hill is rolling over in his grave)

What are some tips you'd give to a n00b?

The real answer I’ll tell you is stick with it.

I struggled with the decision to go do it. I typically don’t have the time to mess with it, but man the charcoal flavor is hard to beat.

I just went with the tiny Weber because it’s cheap but I can’t do a bunch on it. I pretty much can’t do indirect. But if you’re going to cook something good, fire it up. It’s totally worth it.

[ptlyon]

Fire starter: Take the egg portion of the box and put vacuum cleaner waste and put it in them. Take a candle and pour some of the wax in each one. Take one when you want to start your coals, put it in there, and light. Will burn hot with the wax to get the fire started.

[jdubya]

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Fire starter: Take the egg portion of the box and put vacuum cleaner waste and put it in them. Take a candle and pour some of the wax in each one. Take one when you want to start your coals, put it in there, and light. Will burn hot with the wax to get the fire started.

Dryer lint works well too

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by jdubya

Dryer lint works well too

And probably more abundant!

[philfree]

I just set my charcoal chimney on the side burner of my propane grill. Once the bottom coals start to burn I turn the gas off and let the coals light themselves. It's quick and clean and easy.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by philfree

I just set my charcoal chimney on the side burner of my propane grill. Once the bottom coals start to burn I turn the gas off and let the coals light themselves. It's quick and clean and easy.

That’s a good idea. Unfortunately I don’t have a gas grill anymore. But I still get a newspaper.