Low Tech Amateur

[patrick lutz]

Hey All!

My name is Patrick and I live around Rochester, NY. I love to cook and nothing gets me more revved up than buying a big slab of meat from the butcher and figuring out what I'm going to do with it. Like my title says, when I smoke something I go low-tech. My SO got me a stovetop smoker that's great for small stuff but anything beyond a few pieces of salmon and I'm left to my own devices. Most of my work at home is done on something that resembles a 22" Weber but has been there since the previous tenants moved out. .

What I'm really here for is some advice on how to make my favorite vacation meal come together. We do a long weekend in the Adirondacks every year and I love to cook for everyone. This year I want to try to do a big pork shoulder for everyone and I can't wait. My biggest issue (and point of pride) is that I'm doing it over an open fire (3 "walls" about 30" high). I've tried similar things in the past (see some photos below) and just can't seem to get my shoulder to pull the way we all dream of. I know how crucial temperature control is but it's next to impossible (or at least it feels that way) to control temperature all that well while camping so I'm wondering if anyone has some insight as to how I might be able to pull this off. 

Thanks for creating such an interesting and diverse community and thanks in advance for any advice y'all might have.

Smoke on!

-Patrick 

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• patrick lutz
• May 24, 2016

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• patrick lutz
• May 24, 2016

 

[bilgeslime]

Every year at the Yacht Club we do a whole pig smoke using an oven made with CMU and electric rotisserie. Each of the fleets split the watch as this smoke goes overnight. My fleet usually takes the 12:00AM to 4:00AM shift. We have meat probes in the carcass and in each corner of the CMU oven (there is a slab of roofing tin over the top). We have a log book written by the originator many years ago telling what the temps should be at different times.

A bedsheet is strung between two trees with a movie projector and sound system than there is the all night domino game not to mention a quantity of alcohol.

 

[gearjammer]

Hello Patrick, welcome to you.

Glad you came upon this site and decided to hang out with us.

You will get a much better response to your question if you jump 

right out into the forums and ask.

That will get you answers.

Enjoy.

              Ed

 

[patrick lutz]

Thanks Ed! Will do.

Hello Patrick, welcome to you.
Glad you came upon this site and decided to hang out with us.
You will get a much better response to your question if you jump 
right out into the forums and ask.
That will get you answers.
Enjoy.

              Ed