*Official* BBQ N' Smoker thread

[retfr8flyr]

Got my new Kamado Joe Big Joe set up and ready for cooking today.








All set up!!





Doing a burn in cycle.




I plan to do some real damage to some meat this year.

 

[s8v4o]

Nice!! The only thing that keeps me away from them is the lack of an easy way to refill it with more fuel. I do know that they are super efficient but I'm a stick burner so all I burn is wood and that would be rather difficult with one of those. Now making a pizza in that bad boy, I'd be all over that!! Especially since they don't cook for very long. Let us know how it works for you.

 

[retfr8flyr]

You use lump charcoal in one of these and a load will cook for about 14 hrs, so you don't really need to add more fuel. A stick burner is the only thing I have never cooked on. I have been cooking with the Kamado type grill for over 50 years. My father brought one back from Japan back in 1962, before anyone here even knew what they were. He taught me to cook on it and we did many meals on that grill. When he passed, I got it and used it for many more years. Unfortunately it was broken during one of my many moves. I have used many different kamado style grills, as well as conventional grill and smokers, since then but never found one that I was really happy with. This Big Joe is extremely versatile and I am glad to have finally found one that I am happy with.

If you have never cooked on a Kamado style grill then you owe it to yourself to give one a try, if you ever get the chance. You can smoke, grill and bake all on the one grill. There just isn't anything available, for the back yard environment, that cooks better than a Kamado grill.

 

[retfr8flyr]

Baby back ribs from my new Big Joe. I used the firebox divider and only used half of grill, for a single rack. They came out great, super moist. Even the wife is only half as mad at me, for getting the grill, after eating these.

Almost done!




Ready to come off!




The money shot, ready to eat with some grilled Parmesan Cauliflower!

 

[JEWC_Motorsports]

Earl do you have room to adopt an adult child?

 

[retfr8flyr]

No, I finally got all my children moved out and I don't have any room.

 

[irishpwr46]

Damn I need the snow to melt faster. Walking around in home depot on Sunday and this thread really have me in a smoking mood

 

[NickD87]

looks nice glad your enjoying the first cooks, can only get better with more practice and experimentation
Make me hungry looking at it then looking at my smoker under a foot of snow....

 

[Mr. Q]

Damn I need the snow to melt faster. Walking around in home depot on Sunday and this thread really have me in a smoking mood

dude, if i could grill in Fairbanks, Alaska, in -40degF weather, you can definitely grill in the snow. just saying
pro tip: buy extra charcoal. lol

 

[irishpwr46]

i definitely could, i just cant get my smoker out of the shed til the ice holding the door shut melts. hindsight is 20-20

 

[Herknav]

Snow, ice, mud, rain...I can't smoke right now because I'm 800 miles from my smoker.

 

[retfr8flyr]

dude, if i could grill in Fairbanks, Alaska, in -40degF weather, you can definitely grill in the snow. just saying
pro tip: buy extra charcoal. lol

+1 I grill all winter long with my Kamado.

 

[Premium08]

Those ribs look on point

 

[retfr8flyr]

These were as good as any ribs I have cooked. They were moister then some I have done using the 2-2-1 foil wrap method. I can't wait to do some reverse seared steak on this Big Joe. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so Thursday for the steak.

 

[s8v4o]

Nice looking ribs Earl!! After doing some research I've opted to not wrap them in foil anymore. It's more or less a crutch. I've been leaving them open to the smoker the whole time now.

Here's my fuel source. It's hickory from a tree that I cut up. Someone on craigslist had a downed tree so I removed it for them. Nothing like not having to buy charcoal!

I always dry brine my meats with salt about 24 hours before cooking the meat. Dry brining is just simply sprinkling a 1/2 tsp of salt per pound of meat and let it sit for a minimum of 2 hours. In this pic I already dry brined it and added my rub. Because I dry brine I don't add any salt to my rub.

Here it is the following day before going on the smoker

Getting the fire going

Fire is just right

Put the meat on

About half way there

About 5-6 hours later

As you can tell despite not wrapping the ribs in foil they still come out very moist and pull cleanly off the bone. I really do enjoy stick burning with just wood. For one all my fuel is free. Also it has an old feel to it that really does take some time to "master". I use that term loosely because I'll always be learning.

Next time I'll show you guys a datalog of my next cook!!







..

 

[retfr8flyr]

Great looking ribs. I stopped using foil on ribs because it just isn't needed with a kamado and I like the better bark you get without foiling.

 

[s8v4o]

Great looking ribs. I stopped using foil on ribs because it just isn't needed with a kamado and I like the better bark you get without foiling.

Your absolutely right about the bark regarding the foil. I also no longer wrap my pork butts either. Takes a little while longer because the stall time is longer without the foil but it's certainly worth it. I usually do have a water pan though. The steam from the water not only keeps the meat moist but it also makes the meat "stickier" to the smoke particles. Enjoy the new cooker Earl!!

 

[retfr8flyr]

I never did wrap butts, again the bark issue. I don't need a water pan with the Kamado but I do put a drip pan, with a little apple juice in it to keep the drippings from burning, under the butt. I save the drippings and put them in the fridge to get cold. After it gets cold, I remove the solid fat from the top and I have nice a nice batch of Au Juice. When I reheat leftovers I add this back to the meat and it works great.

Thanks, I plan to really enjoy my Big Joe. I've been waiting a long time t get another real ceramic grill.

 

[s8v4o]

What size is that Earl?

EDIT - Nevermind Earl I googled it. Very nice, enjoy.

 

[retfr8flyr]

It's the Big Joe and is 24 inch diameter at the grill. Plus I can get an extender rack for another level above the grill.