ChefEx said:
Thanks for the tip Creator, I'll make sure the goat holds on the pigglets real tight!
Chuck, Can a dome type weber grill be used as smoker?
Hawgboy, Maybe a pulled pork pate de Campange, Ribs with a warm frisse salad, lardons, black truffle vinaigrette, ouffes en coccote? Maybe a French 75 with BBQ sauce, YUK!
I would not recommend a dome weber as a smoker. the key to smoking is low indirect heat. I don't believe you could regulate the heat properly on a weber.
Other tips:
1. If your going to use charcoal use lump charcoal, not briquettes. I use Royal Oak which can be found at any walmart. pretty good stuff. I then add my wood chips of choice on top of the coals to get my smoke.
2. Here is some info on Ribs. From the
smoking-meat.com site
The Basics of Smoking Ribs
Meat selection is probably the most important aspect and should be handled very carefully. This will be covered on another page so I will not reiterate all the details here and now.
Ribs can be marinated in the fridge overnight or you can do like me and just put on a good dry rub minutes before smoking them. It is all a matter of preference however the one thing that I feel is highly important is removing the membrane or fell. Smoking ribs is to impart flavor as well as to cook the meat... Removing this membrane allows the smoke to penetrate the meat and give the meat more flavor.
Remove the Membrane before Smoking Ribs
To remove the membrane you simply lay the rack on a hard surface with the bone side up and starting at the corners you will see a thin plastic looking substance...starting at the corner use a fork or something sharp to get it started then use a paper towel to grab it and pull it off in one clean sweep. OK...well I admit it really is not that easy but with a little practice you can get quite proficient at it.
I plan to post some pictures of this process soon so it will be easier to understand what I am talking about. Until then feel free to send me an email if you absolutely cannot figure out something and I will try to go into more detail on an individual basis.
Low and Slow is the key to Ribs
Smoking ribs is a slow process and should never be rushed. Always cook the ribs low and slow as in 230 degrees or less for at least 6 hours. The ribs must be allowed to reach around 170 degrees if they are to be tender.
Pulled Pork:
I Prefer the bone in pork butt which normally runs about 8 pounds or so. They say the meat is sweeter when it cooks with the bone in and I happen to agree.
When I get ready to do my favorite pork shoulder recipe which is basically a nice pork butt rubbed down real good with my own proprietary rub recipe which you can get here and smoked with a good dose of oak and some apricot or peach or some other fruit wood, I like to find a piece of meat that has lots of good fat marbling.
This keeps the meat moist in the smoker and guarantees some excellent flavor.
I always rub the pork shoulder down with a light layer of French's yellow mustard to help the rub to stick better throughout the smoke and apply about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of my special rub to the outside of the meat being careful to massage it into every nick and cranny.
Note: the mustard will lose its flavor during the smoking and will only leave a nice brown crust so you need not worry that your pork will taste like mustard.. it won't.
Prepare the smoker as you normally would to maintain a 225 degree temperature and lay the pork shoulder on the rack for the long smoke.
Pork shoulder cook time can be figured at 1.5 pounds per hour so a 8 pound shoulder will require about 12 hours in the smoker. If you are using propane, electric or charcoal then you can stop smoking it when it reaches about 140 degrees since it should be suitably smoked at that point.. feel free to keep smoking if you are a seasoned smoker and know how to do it without oversmoking the meat.
I have a buddy who only leaves the shoulder in the smoker until it reaches the 140 degree mark and then wraps it and finishes it off in the oven for convenience. And that is fine if you need the convenience.
Both of these articles were shamelessly copied from the Smoking Meat website. Jeff, the owner of the website is the original author for those. I followed both recipies and had them all turn out good. They also have recipies for various rubs and sauces there too.
Welcome to the wonderfull world of BBQ cuisine!
Maybe I'll wait.