Smoking Meat (18 page)

2 Tbsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

2 Tbsp garlic powder

2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

PREPARATION

Rinse the brisket under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Trim the fat cap so only one-eighth to one-quarter of the fat remains on top of the brisket. Use a sharp knife to make a crosshatch pattern in the remaining fat cap by cutting through the fat down to the meat. This will allow the smoke and heat better access to the meat, and will create a series of pockets to help pool the rendered fat and hold the seasonings in place.

Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic powder over the entire brisket. I recommend a light sprinkling of cayenne pepper for a little added heat, but this can be omitted if desired.

Set the brisket aside for 30 to 45 minutes to allow it to come up to room temperature while you set up your smoker.

SMOKING

Prepare your smoker for a long cooking session at 225°
F
to 240°
F
. If you are using a gas, an electric, or a charcoal smoker, be sure to have enough wood chips or chunks to produce smoke for about six hours.

Once the smoker is ready, place the prepared brisket in a disposable aluminum pan, fat side up, and set the pan on the smoker grate.

Smoke cook the brisket for about four hours, then flip it fat cap down. Flip the brisket every two hours from that point on to ensure that smoke gets to the entire piece of meat. Also at the four-hour mark, insert a digital probe meat thermometer into the side of the brisket so that the thermometer remains intact regardless of whether the meat is fat side up or down.

Once the brisket reaches 160°
F
, you can tent foil over the top of the pan to help tenderize the meat further and accelerate the cooking process. I usually forego this step unless I am in a hurry.

Once the brisket reaches 195°
F
, remove it from the smoker. Allow it to rest in the pan for about 30 minutes to give the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat.

FINAL PREPARATION

Remove the brisket from the pan and set it aside. Pour the drippings into a lidded container and place in the refrigerator to cool. Once cool, the fat will solidify at the top and can be skimmed off and discarded. What remains is the tasty
jus
, which can be poured over the sliced or pulled brisket to kick up the flavor of the meat.

Slice the brisket into 1/8- to ¼-inch slices or pull it into chunks if you prefer. Serve this juicy rendition of brisket hot with warm barbecue sauce on the side.

Beef Back Ribs with Jeff’s Mojo

These are super tasty; however, you will find that most beef back ribs do not have a lot of meat. Be a little choosy and hunt for ones that are extra meaty—you’ll be a lot happier with the end result. My
mojo recipe
adds a ton of flavor.

2 racks extra-meaty beef back ribs (about 3 to 4 lb per rack)

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

2 cups
Jeff’s Mojo

½ cup barbecue sauce (optional)

PREPARATION

Rinse the ribs in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the ribs on a cutting board bone side up and remove the membrane (see the introduction to the
Pork
chapter).

Cut the ribs into individual pieces and lay them in a deep disposable aluminum pan. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the ribs, then pour the Jeff’s Mojo overtop. Leave the ribs on the counter for 30 to 45 minutes to come up to room temperature while you set up your smoker.

SMOKING

Prepare your smoker for cooking at 225°
F
to 240°
F
. If you are using a charcoal, a gas, or an electric smoker, be sure to have enough wood chips or chunks to produce smoke for about three hours.

Once the smoker is ready, place the pan of ribs on the smoker grate and smoke cook for four hours. When this time is up, remove the ribs from the pan and lay them directly on the grate for an additional 45 to 60 minutes. This is a good time to brush on your favorite barbecue sauce if you want to serve the ribs wet.

When they are tender (see
Smokeology
chapter), remove the ribs from the smoker grate. Place them back in the pan and tent foil over them to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Ray’s Meatloaf

I started smoking meatloaf many years ago, back when it was unheard of, and I got a lot of strange looks—even from my wife—when I first mentioned trying this out. Once folks taste it, the strange looks change to awe and they are hooked. This is an excellent version of smoked meatloaf from Ray (Silverwolf636) at
www.smokingmeatforums.com
. You could also substitute your own family meatloaf recipe and smoke it as suggested here.

1½ cups fresh white breadcrumbs

1 lb ground chuck (80/20; see the introduction to the
Beef
chapter)

½ lb plain ground breakfast sausage

6 to 7 medium mushrooms, chopped

1 medium onion, minced

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

3 eggs

1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce (Thai hot chili sauce)

1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

1 Tbsp
Ray’s Deer Rub

PREPARATION

Prepare the meatloaf at least four hours before you want to smoke it. This will give the flavors time to saturate the meat and breadcrumbs.

Preheat the oven to 275°
F
. Arrange the breadcrumbs in a single layer on a large cookie sheet and place on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes.

In a large plastic or glass mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the baked breadcrumbs with the ground chuck, ground breakfast sausage, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, eggs, Sriracha sauce, and pepper. Shape the mixture into a large ball, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for three hours.

Using a knife or other sharp object, carefully puncture the bottom of a large 9- × 13-inch disposable aluminum pan with about one hole per square inch to allow the grease and juices to drain from the pan.

About one hour before smoking the meatloaf, remove the ball of meat from the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap and form the meat into a loaf about 4 inches thick inside the punctured pan. Sprinkle the top of the meatloaf liberally with Ray’s Deer Rub.

Leave the meatloaf on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes to come up to room temperature while you set up your smoker.

SMOKING

Prepare your smoker for cooking at 225°
F
to 250°
F
. If you are using a charcoal, a gas, or an electric smoker, make sure to have enough wood chips or chunks to produce smoke for about two hours.

Once the smoker is ready, place the meatloaf pan on the smoker grate. Place a secondary pan below the grate to catch the grease and juices that drain from the meatloaf; this will help keep your smoker clean.

Insert a digital probe meat thermometer at about the one-hour mark to monitor the temperature of the meatloaf. When it reaches 160°
F
, remove the meatloaf from the smoker, cover it with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Abi’s Meatloaf

This is the meatloaf recipe we use around our house. We used to love it baked in the oven, but now we love it even more smoked. If you have not tried a smoked meatloaf sandwich, you just have to do that soon. A couple of slices of your favorite bread, your favorite condiments, onions, lettuce, and a thick slice of smoked meatloaf: now you’re talking!

2 lb ground beef (80/20; see the introduction to the
Beef
chapter)

1 small onion, finely chopped

½ green bell pepper, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¾ cup ketchup

¼ cup whole milk

Dash Tabasco sauce

1 cup ketchup

¼ cup light brown sugar

½ cup barbecue sauce (optional)

PREPARATION

Place the ground beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic (if using), breadcrumbs, eggs, ketchup, whole milk, and Tabasco into a large mixing bowl, and mix by hand for five minutes or until everything is well blended. In a disposable aluminum pan, form the mixture into a loaf about 3 to 4 inches thick. Leave the meat loaf on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes to come up to room temperature while you set up your smoker.

SMOKING

Prepare your smoker for cooking at 225°
F
to 250°
F
. If you are using a charcoal, a gas, or an electric smoker, be sure to have enough wood chips or chunks to produce smoke for about two hours.

Once the smoker is ready, place the pan of meatloaf on the grate. At about the one-hour mark, insert a digital probe meat thermometer so you can monitor the temperature of the meatloaf.

Smoke cook the meatloaf for three hours or until the center reaches 160°
F
. For added flavor, brush the meatloaf with more ketchup mixed with the brown sugar, or with your favorite barbecue sauce, about 30 minutes before it is done. Slice and serve immediately.

Smoked Filet Mignon

This recipe comes from Rob Wyman (RobInNY) from
www.smokingmeatforums.com
, who says it is a favorite at house parties. I highly recommend buying a tenderloin that is already prepared and ready to slice (i.e., its connective tissue and silverskin have been removed); however, if you have the knowledge and want to save a few bucks, you can buy the whole untrimmed tenderloin and do the work yourself.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

½ cup Original Charlie’s Sticky Sauce (or your favorite barbecue sauce)

2 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 sprigs fresh thyme

25 to 30 fresh chives, finely chopped

5 to 7 lb beef tenderloin (connective tissue and silverskin removed)

6 to 8 unpeeled apples (optional if using a charcoal smoker)

PREPARATION

Melt the butter slowly in a small saucepan; do not burn. Mix the Charlie’s Sticky Sauce, shallots, and herbs into the butter and keep warm so it does not solidify.

Cut the tenderloin into 2-inch-thick steaks without cutting all the way through the meat (i.e., leave them slightly attached). Place a round glass baking dish upside down inside a large aluminum pan, and lay the partially sliced tenderloin atop the dish so that the pieces fan open, which will allow the smoke better access to the meat.