A couple of months back I decided to indulge myself and try 'proper' BBQ and get a smoker.
Some searching on the web found me a small horizontal smoker & this forum, where a lot of people I'd never met took the time to reassure and advise me.
Since then I've done some minor mods to make the smoker more efficient, spent way more than I'd planned on charcoal chimney, digital thermometer, charcoal, smoking wood & meat.
BUT I've had some setbacks, but have also made some (if I say so myself) decent BBQ.
My friend the butcher had a brisket & some ribs (which seemed more like racks of ribs with the belly pork still attached, they were about 3 inches thick) for me at the weekend there, but I was sealing the doors & the join between the smoking chamber & the fire chamber on Saturday, so planned a day's smoking yesterday. The usual Scottish weather all day rain then materialised. Not to be daunted I fired her up in the doorway of the garage with all doors and windows opened, 10 hours of smoking & running back and forth in the rain while the dog sat on the back step & looked at me like I was a nutjob followed. I finished up not even that hungry & only had a couple of ribs.
I just got a call at work from my Dad telling me that the ribs and sliced brisket I gave him were the best he'd tasted & I should go pro. He was so proud of them he took some to a neighbour along with some brisket & was told I should give up being an engineer & just BBQ.
I got a hell of a buzz having other appreciate my efforts & while I pride myself on my cooking, this was the best reaction I've had.
The point of this is I'd not have managed this without the e-course, and without the friendly advice & great recipes on this forum - thanks folks!!!
(Extra special thanks to the 'Brisket Finishing Sauce' thread and Ranger 72's Lone Steer Finishing Sauce recipe, and to the 'Sear or not to Sear' thread - I seared & LOVED it!!).
Folks, you're great!!
Some searching on the web found me a small horizontal smoker & this forum, where a lot of people I'd never met took the time to reassure and advise me.
Since then I've done some minor mods to make the smoker more efficient, spent way more than I'd planned on charcoal chimney, digital thermometer, charcoal, smoking wood & meat.
BUT I've had some setbacks, but have also made some (if I say so myself) decent BBQ.
My friend the butcher had a brisket & some ribs (which seemed more like racks of ribs with the belly pork still attached, they were about 3 inches thick) for me at the weekend there, but I was sealing the doors & the join between the smoking chamber & the fire chamber on Saturday, so planned a day's smoking yesterday. The usual Scottish weather all day rain then materialised. Not to be daunted I fired her up in the doorway of the garage with all doors and windows opened, 10 hours of smoking & running back and forth in the rain while the dog sat on the back step & looked at me like I was a nutjob followed. I finished up not even that hungry & only had a couple of ribs.
I just got a call at work from my Dad telling me that the ribs and sliced brisket I gave him were the best he'd tasted & I should go pro. He was so proud of them he took some to a neighbour along with some brisket & was told I should give up being an engineer & just BBQ.
I got a hell of a buzz having other appreciate my efforts & while I pride myself on my cooking, this was the best reaction I've had.
The point of this is I'd not have managed this without the e-course, and without the friendly advice & great recipes on this forum - thanks folks!!!
(Extra special thanks to the 'Brisket Finishing Sauce' thread and Ranger 72's Lone Steer Finishing Sauce recipe, and to the 'Sear or not to Sear' thread - I seared & LOVED it!!).
