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Cooking on the Pit Boss Copperhead pellet smoker

It was on sale so I had to buy it for $199.00. 1/2 price at Wally World so go find it if you need one. This thing comes with a 5 year warranty and I added another 2 years through Walmart for $16.  Enter your zipcode and snag one!! https://brickseek.com/walmart-invent...?sku=876324460
 
This thing is huge, it has 5 racks 22" wide by 14" deep, big enough to hold full size aluminum pans. There's no electric or gas heat, it actually burns the pellets.
 
I broke it in last night with a rack of ribs smoked 1.5 hours at 300 using hickory pellets, 1 hour wrapped and 30 minutes unwrapped, not bad for 3 hour ribs. I didn't trim the rack and the dog loved the tips!! There was only a slight smoke flavor but next time I'll follow directions and actually smoke them instead of baking them.
 
This this also cooks up to 450F so I'll also try a few pizzas.
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This is what I usually use but this time I used a Cajun seasoning. I won't do that again, it's on the salty side even for me.
 
Seasoning:
3 tbs kosher salt
2 tbs cayenne 
1 1/2 tbs thyme
5 tbs paprika
2 tbs granulated garlic 
2 tbs onion powder
2 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs black pepper 
1/2 tsp pink curing salt


4 lb pork butt
1/2 c Cajun Power Garlic Sauce and ½ cup of water, mix in the curing salt to dissolve.
 

Trim off all silver skin, but keep a lot of the fat, cut into chunks or strips.
Place in large Ziplock and pour in Garlic Sauce/cure mixture, close and mash around, making sure meat is covered, place in fridge for 3 days.
Take out of fridge, wipe off excess liquid and coat (heavy) in your seasoning.

Heat smoker to 130 degrees using pecan. Put on smoker rack and smoke for 3 hrs. Raise temp to 170 and smoke another 3 hrs or until internal temp reaches 155. Allow to cool and vac pack, store in freezer until ready to use!
 
 
Awesome, RG. I guess I was a lot closer on my faux version than I thought.

I made it to use in shrimp in grits, as it is next to impossible to source Tasso here.

Now I need to figure out how to get some good grits. A good friend of mine who passed on a couple years ago, used to source Nora Mills grits for both of us through one of his buddies in Georgia. The stuff they do sell here just isn't the same as some good old Dixie Ice Cream.
 
There's stores here that make their own tasso and I've been trying to get the recipe. Mine is close but not exactly like I want. They smoke all night in a big smoke and if you're lucky enough to be there when they bring it out it makes you hungry, the smell of all the meats combined is intoxicating. They smoke everything from hocks, turkey necks, tasso, sausage, pork neck bones and there's probably something I forgot.
 
Sounds fantastic. Something similar to a butcher not far from where I live. It is owned by a polish couple and people know what time and day to show up. The built a smoke room out back and do bacon, ham, kolbassa, cabanossa, ribs, their own butcher made cold meats, they even smoke cheese once in a while.
 
I played with the pellet smoker again, still learning but it's tasting good. 
 
I started with rack of St Louie ribs cut in half to do regular and Chinese style then pulled some beef back ribs out of the freezer because you can never have to many ribs, Right?
 
I didn't get pics of the process but here's when I pulled to wrap after 3 hours at 250. This thing cooks like a dehydrator, I sprayed about every 40 minutes but it still gets dry. Those spots are drips from the top and I'll have to use a pan, that's ugly.
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After an hour wrapped in foil then glazed with the Chinese basting sauce it was time to cut and glaze again to get flavor everywhere.
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Asian to the left of me, Southern to the right....Stuck in the middle again!: :dance:
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These Asian ribs are tasty!!
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I love the room on this thing.
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Ribs done
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Terrible pic.
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Butternut squash with honey and cinnamon, it was wrapped till the last 40 minutes. Next time I'll leave it open to check the difference.
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Grocery store special beef back ribs, not much meat but for 2.99 a lb who can complain. FYI, beef back ribs here are the bones they cut off of rib roast so it's cheap ribeye meat. Not bad for 6 bucks.
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Gizzards boiled till tender then braised in Jack Millers BBQ sauce=Scooby Snacks!!!
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Not bad for a Thursday night.
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I made some jerky today while mowing(3 acres) in shorts!!! I marinaded in half soy and teriyaki sauce overnight then applied my bbq rub before it went on at 9 this morning at 150. It took a total of 8 hours and they infused the house with smoke when I brought them inside. This stuff is addictive fresh of the smoker.
 
Props to the smoker, this thing will work great for smoking sausage.
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FYI for those up north that were looking for this smoker, a guy from IL just said they are marked down to $199 in his area so you might want to check the Brickseek link in the first post of this thread to see if you can find one.
 
 
Here's motivation for you. Yesterday I smoked a batch of deer and pork sausage, 7 hours and they came out great.
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Does it use very many of the pellets to keep the temperature up? I guess what I'm asking is how expensive is it to run? Cheaper than using charcoal?
 
I couldn't find one in stock in our area for the new marked down price of $109. Only stock was on the northside at full $446.
Guy on ebay in Morgan City had One for best offer new in the box (took $249). Got it home and the case and door was dented worse than I could work with. Called pit Boss and they are sending me a new case and door (door is on backorder).
Sitting around reading and really wanting one, I rode up to the Northside got one at full price and Stopped at Wallyworld on Pinhook for a return and buy back (still in their system for$109, but no stock). Figured it was worth a try and low and behold they let me do it.
So once my new case and door makes it, I'll have one for sale.

Glad to hear you like it, I'll be watching your thread for ideas.
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Captain's Log!!
 
Rib cook #2, the first one was a hot and fast with almost no smoke flavor but this time was different. I smoked the first hour on the smoke setting then 2 more hours at 250 before wrapping for an hour then back on to set the glaze for 20 minutes. The results are night and day, smoke flavor and taste was better.
 
I cooked a few racks of ribs today for the family visiting from MS. I mixed up a batch of my rub and got to work.
 
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Cleaned up and ready for rub, I'm cooking the rib tips too.
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I had these on the smoker for 3 hours, I almost forgot to get a shot of the ribs before wrapping.
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The wrapping process is a light layer of brown sugar, honey and squeeze bottle butter-Parkay. Triggs recipe
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Meat side down to soak up that sweet nectar.
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All wrapped, if you look close there's 4 racks there. I had to buy another rack because "someone" gets heartburn from smoked foods so it was oven ribs.
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Perfect cornbread for dressing
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It's ugly but this is awesome dressing mix, ground meat, onions, bells, spices and a can of cream of mushroom soup. It's the same thing I use for rice dressing.
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This was a test and it's good but the tips are crispy from staying in long enough to get the bacon crispy.
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The rib tips all sauced, I cooked these longer wrapped in that pan to render the fat then back on the smoker to set the sauce.
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Ready to slice
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I'm surprised there's no smoke ring but they were good
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Oven ribs
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Not bad but compared to a smoked rib it loses. These were hot and fast in the convection oven at 375 started 2 hours later than the smoked ribs and finished at the same time.
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These were wrapped but not sauced. I sprinkled more rub when I put them back on the smoker. This came out better than expected and I might stop putting sauce on ribs, the flavor is better not covered up with a sauce.
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Finally!! That's potato salad washed out by the flash with cornbread dressing and beans of course. The top rib is dry and the first one I ate in the pic below.
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How's that for bite through ribs
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Thanks for the update Rajun!  They finally went on sale in Michigan. I grabbed one yesterday after a 55 mile drive each way to catch the sale.  Can't wait for it to warm up a little so I can try it out.  Wind chills are still in the low single digits here.
 
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