Looks like I’m the first – Up waay early to start smoking a large pork butt. Just finished first cup of coffee and waiting for the meat to approach room temp before starting everything (it’s been brining for two days).
So… Good morning everyone. Love to hear your tales of BBQ, Grilling, Smoking etc. What’s the last thing you cooked outside? Any good recipes? Any secrets to share?
My only “secret” is using bourbon in the brine and injections. I also use ground up whiskey casks in the wood. I think it adds flavor to the smoke.
**Tip:**Cedar shingles (leftover from a roofer) are cheaper than cedar planks one can buy in the store. [del]Brine[/del] Soak your plank & put it between the grill & your salmon or other fish. That’s prolly the last thing I cooked outside. We were just starting to talk about Thanksgiving yestidy; I smoke my turkey for Thanksgiving. I would try frying it but it’s relatively 'spensive to buy the setup stuff, & more importantly, how does one dispose of that much used oil?
Momma Nature didn’t cooperate with me last night for my full moon shot; next two opportunities are Feb & then May…& Firday morning’s shot can’t be redone until March.
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to work. They are cleaning the chimneys today, so I had to move the entertainment center, and exile Gordie to my room.
bpullin, we can’t have grills at my complex. Fire codes or some such.
I’m up, pondering whether I wand to go back to bed or go to the diner and get breakfast. Short stack dropped right on top of a couple of sunny side up eggs, a pot of coffee and a fresh newspaper on the side, there’s worse ways to start the day. It’s my day off so, in theory, it’s a lazy day at home. Reality will come home soon enough.
If I get real motivated, as soon as it warms up, I’ll go out and use the post hole diggers to plant my new mailbox. Digging down four feet with those things will be a PITA but I don’t want it going anywhere.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN I was a slug abed and did not arise until six fifteen! :eek: ‘Tis 68 Amurrkin out and cloudy (I did see the moon peek out however) with a predicted high of 85 and mostly cloudy for the day. TWPTB say there shall be rain tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday. We shall see. The big plan of the day is to defilthyfy da cave. The General’s sup shall be swiped and I have the joy of Vestry meetin’ tonight. I have a feelin’ it will be a loooooooooooong one.
I do love my electric smoker! I don’t get as fancy with brinin’ and such but I do use a good dry rub and I like apple and pee-khan wood chips the best, although hickory and mesquite are favorites as well. When I smoke ribs or a <snerk> butt! <snerk> I like to finish 'em off in the oven. Both are always fall apart tender when I do that. I do a lot of smoked chikin also. I lurves me some smoked meat!
MOOOOOOM in answer to your question from the last MMP, yep, it was that series on the Tudors. We really loved it as well. Have y’all watched Versailles? We had problems gettin’ through the first couple of episodes, in fact almost decided to stop watchin’ then, but it got way better.
Now I need more caffeine and rumbly tummy wants to be fed. Then, onward into the day. Rah!
Our grill was recycled some years ago. But I do wheel the smoker out to the front porch, under the roof, when I smoke stuff. However, when I just use it as a slow cooker, it stays in the garage. It’s electric, so that works.
In fact, I bought a <snerk> poke butt <snerk> yesterday to slow-cook for pulled poke. But I may do it in the big crock pot because it’s easier that way. RoxStar lurves pulled poke, and it’s easy to freeze it for future meals.
Forgot to mention that last week, I ordered my freebie turkey from work - we get it a week before Thanksgiving. Last year we were in FL for Turkey Day, so I told them to donate my bird. This year, we’re going to Mom’s, but I’ll stick my turkey in the freezer for a future meal. I lurves me some turkey! I may even smoke this one!
The rain has moved out till Weds, but I think it’s too wet to run the mulcher/vac. I do plan to run to the Amish market today for cukes and green beans. And I have baby duty this afternoon. But no pressing chores other than that. We shall see what the day brings.
Chilly 39 degrees out.
We’ll be heading out to the dog park in a few.
I can’t wait until I can take Echo with me. My son will be happy too since he has to get up and sit with her while I’m gone.
Ripple is already nudging me, he’s ready to go.
I still have to get my socks and shoes on, and get him dressed to go out.
I took his harness off him at the park one day, some of the dogs like to grab collars and harnesses to drag other dogs around. Ripple does not like being naked in public.
I took off irk this morning to finish my taxes.
If you hear a lot of cussing from this area, you know why.
I only smoke cigarettes. I live in a townhouse and lots of people grill on their patios or driveways but not me. I’m afraid of those things. But there is nothing better than a burger fresh off the grill. My ex used to grill a turkey on T Day but I always made a second turkey cuz grilled turkey is not my thing.
No smoking here at Casa Rat (we never did it as a family when I was yong so never developed the skills or taste for it) and I’ve never smoked any tobacco products (or the wildwood weed for that matter).
Temperature isn’t smoking either, plenty of N.O.S. but only 51F. Might see if I can beat the truck and go mow in about an hour, but due to the drought the lawn really isn’t too bad yet.
Kids back from Fall Break so my soccer practices should be busy again.
Hah! Thanks for the memories. That brings back some good old times for me.
Will they let you use an electric smoker? Like **swampbear **below, that’s what I’m using, even though there are no HOA/etc. rules. It’s just easier and l can leave it for a time if necessary.
I do agree – electric all the way. I’ve watched my neighbors working all day over a wood-fired smoker and nope, nope, nope. I enter the temp, fill the wood chip doohickey, fill the moisture tray with beer, and keep an eye on my remote meat thermometer from elsewhere. The receiver’s the size of a cellphone, and will beep when pre-set temps are reached. It can also show me the hottest and coldest of its 5 sensing probes. Brinin’ ain’t that fancy. Just drop the meat in a large pan of saltwater and put it in the fridge for a few days. Works wonders, even on ribs.
First cool AM. My feet are freezing. Siameezers are glued to my lap. Makes me feel so speshul! Human warming pad.
Got to go to the foot doctor today. I was out barefooted and cut my foot on a sharp rock (such a dummy) it looked ok till last night. Puffed up overnight.
Son-of-a-wrek is the smoker, griller, fryer of the family. The best thing he’s done lately was frying a ham. He injected cajun butter in it and put it in his turkey fryer. It was good.
Disposing of the oil can be a problem. Our landfill has a grease catch thing you can take it and dump it there. SofaW takes his to his job. They recycle motor oil and he dumps it there.
Happy day, y’all!
**Beck **- I’ve got a Bengal who thinks I’m his personal hot spot. He’ll either plaster himself against my leg or stretch across my lap under whatever I’m knitting or crocheting.
Another here singing the praises of an electric smoker! I expect the next time I’ll use it will be for the Christmas turkey, assuming the inlaws want that. We’re going to Ocala this year, and my MIL really doesn’t need to be cooking up a huge meal, so I’ll do the lion’s share of the cooking. I did it last Thanksgiving and she hardly protested at all.
Roxy and I went to the Amish market, and when we got home, I hung out her swing and she played on that for a while. We just finished lunch. In about half an hour, she’s going to nap. She doesn’t know that yet. Then I’ll assume the afghaning position for a bit.
What a wonderful idea! I could dump it on the plants…that snap shut…trapping insects. Just have to be careful when I do such as I don’t want to get scalded by any of that boiling oil.
The butt has been in the slow cooker since this morning - the house smells yum!! But it’s not tonight’s supper. We’re having chicken that’s been sitting in Eyetalian dressing for a few hours. And broccoli and carrots and some starch to be determined.
Roxy just got up from a 3-hour nap! I nearly finished the lap robe I was working on. It was a good nap!
There will NO food cooked in my house today. ‘Yea, verily’
Deer-season, the hunters will eat at camp. Yay!
I made a giant pot of chili yesterday. I’ll have frito-chili pie.
I should pick some more greens. But my foot. So tomorrow. Maybe.
I used to BBQ a lot. Brining was key. My BBQ was trashed in a tornado. I kept using it for a year or so, but then gave up and sent it away. I need a new one…
Almost all the kids have “Columbus and/or Indigenous Peoples” Day off, but not my son. I’m off to pick him up from school.
I fell asleep in the middle of doing taxes.
Now I am stuck again, and when I called taxact to get my question answered I was told there were too many calls on hold and my call would not be accepted.
This is where I am stuck, if any of you know the answer, which I am not counting on.
I claim my son as a dependent, as he is a full time student. He gets scholarships and grants to pay for his education. He is supposed to file, claim the money he receives and deduct the tuition and expenses. Supposedly he owes something like $100 to Maryland. However, taxact (the program) tells me to put it on my return.
I think it should be one of us, not both. So if I claim it does he have to file, and if he files, why would I claim it? Then again if I am claiming him as a dependent because he is a student, it would make sense that I should put it on my return.
Then I’ll assume the afghaning position for a bit.