I am a smoker, the BBQ type.

[GagHalfrunt]

nope.



Seriously: it's the region. This area just doesn't sell pork belly as it is not part of the demographic. (not enough koreans and vietnamese, I guess).

Yeah, I was in Costco last week and wanted to pick up some pork belly. No luck at my local store and also not available in the only other location I can get to easily.

 

[Ns1]

$6/lb for Berkshire is cheap as hell compared to what SRF wants.

http://www.snakeriverfarms.com/kurobuta-pork-belly.html

 

[zinfamous]

$6/lb for Berkshire is cheap as hell compared to what SRF wants.

http://www.snakeriverfarms.com/kurobuta-pork-belly.html

lol!

This lady was like "I think I have a slab in my freezer, let me check. $6/lb"

Hopefully she didn't leave out a 1...or 0. :hmm: Anyway, she still hasn't responded to me, but I've been talking to her neighbors.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

I guess since this thread popped up I'll chime in to report that I'm now the proud owner of an original Kamado brand Japanese oven. This one was imported in 1969 by a friend of my dad's while he was in the merchant marines.

It was a gift from him to me.

 

[Ns1]

^^

yeezus

http://palmsprings.craigslist.org/for/5260576805.html

 

[OutHouse]

I guess since this thread popped up I'll chime in to report that I'm now the proud owner of an original Kamado brand Japanese oven. This one was imported in 1969 by a friend of my dad's while he was in the merchant marines.

It was a gift from him to me.

Thats awesome dude.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

^^

yeezus

http://palmsprings.craigslist.org/for/5260576805.html

Imperial Kamado. Yep. Same brand as mine.

 

[Spydermag68]

zinfamous,

I buy all of my meat from Costco. Just this year the one near me started selling full packer briskets. These will not fit on a large BGE. I hated to do it but I had to cut it in half squeeze it together to get it under the egg dome.

This summer I bought one of the pork shoulders from Costco. I froze half of it for later and the other half I brined in food save bag for 2 days using Alton Brown's brine. For the over night cook I always tend to have I it cooking between 230 to 250 at about midnight. I then get up at 6 am to see what happened overnight. Most of the time it has dropped down to 200-225 range. At this point the meat has soaked up as much smoke as it will take. I then take a large foil pan, also from Costco, and put the shoulder into it and cover with tin foil and into a 200 degree oven. It stays there until it is ready to pull. The last one I cooked was still juicy two days later as leftovers.

 

[zinfamous]

^ right,

I've often bought meats and such at Costco, including their shoulders. I only buy their shoulders because I am with a group, it's economical, and I'm not paying. I don't generally like them because they are only ever boneless. I prefer other local options when I can find them, and have had great luck keeping low temperatures with my old trusty flower pot in the past, but that is long gone. Yeah, I always brine them in molasses and pickling salt, primarily...mostly out of habit. I don't think it's necessary. (Fine for pork, I think: but a complete waste of resources for poultry in my experience: dry brine and air chill or go home, imo)

In this most recent case (2nd cook with the kamado-egg), I managed to snuff the fire at some point. I started at 9:30 around 230F, and that maintained temp for about 2 hours, I could still see some red glow looking down into the narrow vents, until I forced my OCD ass off to sleep. I inadvertently woke up at 5:30, went to check on it. Fire was out, temp was at zero in the kamado....oh shit. Pork was still rather warm (this is why I love ceramic), so I tossed it into the oven at 225 for the rest of the day. Shameful, in a way, but I've always had success with ovens when I can't actually smoke it...so whatever.

All of that being said...when one treats a pork shoulder as they tend to treat it: brine/rub/smoke and/or thick sauce at the end...I think the sourcing hardly matters, no? Shit it still good, and everyone is happy.

I try to get large ones and as long as they get good smoke, they are good in the fridge for at least 2 weeks if you still haven't finished it.

...These days, I'm just not liking what I see at this local Costco. Then again, I've gone on several beef sorties only to return home empty. A lot of it is due to just not finding any good looking cuts (I'm only going to the easy spots right now), but also because beef prices have spiked quite a bit, so I just don't want to spend the $$$ on the only cuts that actually look good.

 

[zinfamous]

I guess since this thread popped up I'll chime in to report that I'm now the proud owner of an original Kamado brand Japanese oven. This one was imported in 1969 by a friend of my dad's while he was in the merchant marines.

It was a gift from him to me.

Oh man, that is awesome! Is that Louis Gosset Jr's head in the upper right?

I agonized for about two weeks over replacing my old flower pot:

We have a real backyard now, so in the !near future, a large hole will be dug for firepit, seating and patio, spit and all that, but I also needed a real smoker....so either going shelf smoker, pellet, or hold-over cheap stainless offset from Lowes. I think all options are fine, but only the offset allows you some variety (none of the other options act as grills, true high-heat cookers, or ovens)...so I kept coming back to kamados. Then I thought, I'm going to make another one, but get all serious! Pick up 2 super large, super chick ceramic pots, find another internal ceramic nest, if possible, and make a real fire box, drill holes, attach vents, handles and such....etc.

In the end, that little project would have cost at least as much as a ceramic kamado, so I was like fuck it. Started researching various options. This reminds me of yours:

http://komodokamado.com/
super blingy, but lol.

I settled on the Egg, after almost convincing myself that I needed an Oval-shaped Primo
http://www.shopperschoice.com/item_item_2141312.html?PID=1919523
for reasons.

 

[Jeeebus]

Do you get it to pulled form at 350 for ~6 hours?

Yes - absolutely. This April we had a party and did about 40 lbs of pork butt on the smoker (4 butts) - all of them pulled apart with ease. That took a little longer due to the amount of meat, but 7 hours is a hell of a lot easier than 17.

 

[Kaido]

On a tangent, has anyone worked with fire brick for outdoor grilling & smoking?

 

[Ns1]

2016 bump.


(aka Ns1 is about to buy a new to me grill/smoker)

 

[zinfamous]

2016 bump.


(aka Ns1 is about to buy a new to me grill/smoker)

well, it was this time last year that I spent a lot of time coming up with reasons to make my own (ceramic smoker--& purchase separate grill) or get a pellet smoker (which don't make great grills) or a cheapo semi-combo grill with side smoker, before I finally came back to reality and plunked down the cash for a Green Egg.

best decision ever.

Or better yet, get one of these fancy super-blingy Kamodo ovens

http://komodokamado.com/collections/32-big-bad-komodo-grills

Costco actually carries a real ceramic Kamodo, in the wide shape, for around $500. I think it's a Kamodo Joe version, but I wish that was around when I was making the decision a year ago. I think I would prefer that shape--it's easier to set different sides for heat...but I wonder how well that works because the point of the kamodo is to provide a sort of natural convection.

Anyway, I just saw this

https://www.homdoor.com/homdoor-charcoal-stainless-steel-outdoor-home-tandoor-oven.html

That is awesome.

 

[Kaido]

2016 bump.


(aka Ns1 is about to buy a new to me grill/smoker)

I just smoked a turkey on my Traeger (pellet grill) last week, came out incredible - no bringing or any prep, just some spices on the outside, that's it! 4 hours @ 300F. Easy as pie.

I'm doing a second one tonight...3.5 hours smoke (180F) & 3.5 hours cook (350F), to see how a few hours of smoking affects the flavor (it was very, very good with just the smoke-bake above). Third one next week in my Charbroil SRG (oil-less turkey fryer). Then I can decide on which method is best for Thanksgiving!

 

[Ns1]

I think I'm passing on the kamado/pellet grills this time, I just don't have the kind of scratch for what I want. Meaning, BGE/Yoder or I'm going with Weber



At this point I'm debating a used Weber Genesis E310 (an older model) that's going for $150-$200 used. Slap on a gourmet bbq system, a few grillgrates and call it a day.

But then again, the new weber performer deluxe's look great too, and already have the gourmet bbq system. The torch light system makes it seem like it would be just as convenient as a gas grill, except with a way higher temperature ceiling.

Then I'd need the 3rd piece, a 22" WSM...good thing I'm buying during the off-season.

I can basically pick up all 3 of those for the same price as a used large BGE.

 

[Pantoot]

Then I can decide on which method is best for Thanksgiving!

We just do both. Every year we smoke and fry one. The fried usually gets eaten first, but the smoked seems to be better for leftovers, and especially turkey noodle soup.

 

[Kaido]

well, it was this time last year that I spent a lot of time coming up with reasons to make my own (ceramic smoker--& purchase separate grill) or get a pellet smoker (which don't make great grills) or a cheapo semi-combo grill with side smoker, before I finally came back to reality and plunked down the cash for a Green Egg.

best decision ever.

Or better yet, get one of these fancy super-blingy Kamodo ovens

http://komodokamado.com/collections/32-big-bad-komodo-grills

Costco actually carries a real ceramic Kamodo, in the wide shape, for around $500. I think it's a Kamodo Joe version, but I wish that was around when I was making the decision a year ago. I think I would prefer that shape--it's easier to set different sides for heat...but I wonder how well that works because the point of the kamodo is to provide a sort of natural convection.

Anyway, I just saw this

https://www.homdoor.com/homdoor-charcoal-stainless-steel-outdoor-home-tandoor-oven.html

That is awesome.

That is correct, pellet smokers do not make great grills. Sure, you can cook burgers & stuff on it, but it's not the same as simply cooking it over an open flame. If you get a pellet smoker, I'd recommend at minimum buying a separate basic charcoal grill, like one of those $80 models from Walmart, for doing actual grilling on. Or like in your case, buying an AIO model like the BGE so you can just do everything on it.

I do like my Traeger quite a bit, especially for the convenience. For those not familiar, it's basically a standard drum smoker, but with a box on the side for food-grade wood pellets. An auger (drill) pushes the pellets into the hotbox, where it lights them on fire & lets the heat & smoke float into the box, which is then pushed by a fan. It is electrically-driven, so you just plug it in, set the temperature, and let it do its thing. It's really nothing more than a convection oven with smoke...just a very, very convenient-to-operate one. It doesn't do true smoking, either...the smoke mode is actually 180F, so you can't really do a cold smoke with it (although they do sell a cold smoker attachment for $200). It's more like an outdoor oven that bakes-in the smoke flavor for you (which is great!). Super convenient because you don't have to babysit it...just load it up with pellets, set the temp, and set your smartphone timer to remind you when to take it out!

 

[zinfamous]

I think I'm passing on the kamado/pellet grills this time, I just don't have the kind of scratch for what I want. Meaning, BGE/Yoder or I'm going with Weber



At this point I'm debating a used Weber Genesis E310 (an older model) that's going for $150-$200 used. Slap on a gourmet bbq system, a few grillgrates and call it a day.

But then again, the new weber performer deluxe's look great too, and already have the gourmet bbq system. The torch light system makes it seem like it would be just as convenient as a gas grill, except with a way higher temperature ceiling.

Then I'd need the 3rd piece, a 22" WSM...good thing I'm buying during the off-season.

I can basically pick up all 3 of those for the same price as a used large BGE.

Yeah, but do you have more than 3 square feet of space in your large LA bungalow backyard to accommodate all of those devices?

 

[Kaido]

We just do both. Every year we smoke and fry one. The fried usually gets eaten first, but the smoked seems to be better for leftovers, and especially turkey noodle soup.

Yeah...I actually got the Char-broil SRG nearly a year ago, specifically for trying out oil-less turkey frying (uses infrared via propane), but haven't gotten around to doing it yet: (just been using it as a regular gas grill)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00365FIAS/

I'm interested to see how it compares to deep-fried turkey (which is really good, but I don't have the space to safely do it as I only have a small patio/porch & no backyard).

Hmm, turkey noodle soup...that sounds pretty good right now...

 

[ponyo]

Skip the Weber performer deluxe. Just stick with gas grill and WSM. And 18" WSM is big enough.

 

[Ns1]

Yeah, but do you have more than 3 square feet of space in your large LA bungalow backyard to accommodate all of those devices?

Moving to half an acre.

And 18" WSM is big enough.

No, no it's not. The price difference isn't large enough to impact my decision making on this one.

18.5

22.5

 

[Kaido]

Yeah, but do you have more than 3 square feet of space in your large LA bungalow backyard to accommodate all of those devices?

I actually just got a very compact (and unfortunately, extremely expensive) grill that fits in small areas that you might be interested in. I'll do a separate post on it once I get some cook time under my belt with it. They are custom-made & do pretty much everything (grilling, pizza - including 90-second Neapolitan, wok, basic baking - using a dutch oven, griddle, etc.), using a variety of fuel sources (gas, wood, charcoal). Very awesome & unique design.

 

[Fritzo]

I just smoked a turkey on my Traeger (pellet grill) last week, came out incredible - no bringing or any prep, just some spices on the outside, that's it! 4 hours @ 300F. Easy as pie.

I'm doing a second one tonight...3.5 hours smoke (180F) & 3.5 hours cook (350F), to see how a few hours of smoking affects the flavor (it was very, very good with just the smoke-bake above). Third one next week in my Charbroil SRG (oil-less turkey fryer). Then I can decide on which method is best for Thanksgiving!

Traegers are awesome devices. It makes barbecue as easy as using an over. However, it does take some artistry away from it- kind of like synthesizers replacing actual instruments. None the less- I still want one

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

One of my dad's best friend's used to be a merchant marine back in the late 60s. He brought over like a dozen original Kamado ovens back then and recently gifted one to me (my dad has two bigs and a little one himself). Mines from like 1969 I think.