smokers Finally, a Smoker I Can Call My Own
- Thread starter stettoman
- Start date
Part 2 of my porkbelly adventure...
Ok, then. A little over two hours total, now they get the drizzle with a damned good local bbq sauce, foiled over and back in for another hour or so.
No, I didn't do the cook in this pan, it was in this one...
Now it's all sealed up in the prior drip pan...how convenient! Speaking of drip pan, I got almost a full pint of Kosmos flavored bacon grease to fry eggs, taters, whatever my fat bastard taste desires!!
I wish I were as good at documenting my cooks as some of you guys are, but I'm eatin' good and gittin' 'er done, right?
Part 3 later...
Ok, then. A little over two hours total, now they get the drizzle with a damned good local bbq sauce, foiled over and back in for another hour or so.
No, I didn't do the cook in this pan, it was in this one...
Now it's all sealed up in the prior drip pan...how convenient! Speaking of drip pan, I got almost a full pint of Kosmos flavored bacon grease to fry eggs, taters, whatever my fat bastard taste desires!!
I wish I were as good at documenting my cooks as some of you guys are, but I'm eatin' good and gittin' 'er done, right?
Part 3 later...
I have my own pork belly adventure going on over here. 10 pounds bacon about to come out of a 1 hr fresh water soak after 5 day cure.
After I dried it I let it form a pellicle with fan on it, into freezer * for about 45 mins while I get the kettle set up and settled into temp.
Just a hybrid snake /minion setup with the cherry chunks below the snake.
*More smoke uptake at colder temp.
After I dried it I let it form a pellicle with fan on it, into freezer * for about 45 mins while I get the kettle set up and settled into temp.
Just a hybrid snake /minion setup with the cherry chunks below the snake.
*More smoke uptake at colder temp.
WarrantMan
Extreme Member
It basically means skin . Think how pudding forms a dry skin. It isn't critical with bacon but I do like to do that step if I have time. Often it just gets patted dry then onto smoke if I am feeling lazy. There is a slight difference that I notice but if could just be in my mind .
Definitely makes a difference when smoking fish though.
Honestly homemade bacon is one of the easiest things ever. I have experimented with all kinds of homemade cure rubs but I kept coming back to the premade Hi Mountain brand buckboard bacon cure.
Hardest part is weighing the pork belly. Grams is preferred , divide it by 25 for the buckboard cure ratio. Rub it all over the pork belly , stuff in a zip bag and leave in fridge for 5-7 days. Once a day pull the bags out and mush them around the meat a bit.
If you like your bacon on the salty side you don't even have to fresh water soak. Just rinse , pat dry and onto the smoker with heavy smoke but low temp. 220-225 until it gets up to about 140-145 f. If won't take any smoke flavour after that.
Don't worry if it seems a bit harsh smokewise if you try a piece right away. It needs to sit and equalize a bit like cold smoked cheese. A few days in the fridge, but it also will do the same in freezer if you wrap it well and leave for longer.
Definitely makes a difference when smoking fish though.
Honestly homemade bacon is one of the easiest things ever. I have experimented with all kinds of homemade cure rubs but I kept coming back to the premade Hi Mountain brand buckboard bacon cure.
Hardest part is weighing the pork belly. Grams is preferred , divide it by 25 for the buckboard cure ratio. Rub it all over the pork belly , stuff in a zip bag and leave in fridge for 5-7 days. Once a day pull the bags out and mush them around the meat a bit.
If you like your bacon on the salty side you don't even have to fresh water soak. Just rinse , pat dry and onto the smoker with heavy smoke but low temp. 220-225 until it gets up to about 140-145 f. If won't take any smoke flavour after that.
Don't worry if it seems a bit harsh smokewise if you try a piece right away. It needs to sit and equalize a bit like cold smoked cheese. A few days in the fridge, but it also will do the same in freezer if you wrap it well and leave for longer.
WarrantMan
Extreme Member
Man, kicking out such knowledge for free! 
Old dog learning new tricks!
Old dog learning new tricks!
That's really beautiful, Ashen. I may come to tears! And I do like my bacon on the salty side, so thanks for the clarification.
My first porkbelly turned out great, but for the operator letting the smoker overheat and char a number of pieces. I should know to be more vigilant with it (it blew out my lower thermometer!) and am punishing myself with Miller Lite for the total of today....
But the char was only an inconvenience and mostly affected the cubes closest to the firebox. The bulk of it turned to pork candy...
Once again I couldn't move fast enought to get a shot of a full plate.
My kid wound up taking ALL the leftovers home....
My first porkbelly turned out great, but for the operator letting the smoker overheat and char a number of pieces. I should know to be more vigilant with it (it blew out my lower thermometer!) and am punishing myself with Miller Lite for the total of today....
But the char was only an inconvenience and mostly affected the cubes closest to the firebox. The bulk of it turned to pork candy...
Once again I couldn't move fast enought to get a shot of a full plate.
My kid wound up taking ALL the leftovers home....
I can do one better . I have a picture.MikeUSMC said:
I put the chunks of wood under the grate where the snake will start. Actually used 4 or 5 briquettes under there too , just to brace the wood chunks from rolling down the bowl.
Build the snake like normal on top of grate.
I guess I understand your confusion. With snake most setups have the wood either in the snake or sitting on. Minion can be set up the same way I guess but I tend to see most recommend that the wood be under for cleaner smoke flavour.
Only other time I’ve seen that done (I*ll have to try it sometime) is Malcom Reed, cooking wings with a “Vortex”Ashen said:
(There’s a video in the link too)
https://howtobbqright.com/2018/02/22/vortexchickenwings/