BS: Smoker - What To Cook?

24 Mar 09 - 04:03 PM (#2596390)
Subject: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Goose Gander

I just got a smoker from my friend who had seven or eight and needed to get rid of at least one. So I went and got charcoal (the real stuff, not those briquets they want you to use) and wood chips (hickory - it seemed like the right choice). And I smoked up some baby back ribs. They tasted good, but they ended up tasting and smelling more like bacon than ribs. The hickory, I know. But now I realize how little I know about smoking. And I need advice.

What to cook?
What type of wood chips? Charcoal?
Water pan - wet chips or dry?

Thank you.

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24 Mar 09 - 04:08 PM (#2596396)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Emma B

smoked duck breast is wonderful - there's a recipe here

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24 Mar 09 - 04:30 PM (#2596420)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Sleepy Rosie

I've no idea how to *use* a smoker,
but I absolutely love smoked cheese, and I also love smoked Tofu (though I doubt that'd be on most peoples lists..), smoked fish - salmon or trout... or any oily fish is fantastic!
I've bought smoked garlic from sainsburies, which tastes great, and I also now regularly buy Maldon Salt companies smoked sea salt - which adds a lovely light flavour to anything you use it with.

If you look around your deli and smarter supermarkets, you might get some great ideas to experiment with?

Smoked duck breast sounds simply yum! In fact I expect a lot of game would work well treated in a similar fashion.

Does the smoker sorta dry and preserve stuff, or does it just flavour?

Be interested to know how you get on...?

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24 Mar 09 - 04:31 PM (#2596422)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Rapparee

Turkey, trout, salmon, oysters, clams, chicken, beef, hams, venison...and experiment with vegetables as well.

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24 Mar 09 - 04:51 PM (#2596441)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Goose Gander

Mmmm . . . smoked duck. Thanks, Emma!

My brothers do a lot of fishing up and down the west coast (from Alaska to the tip of Baja) and they always bring back loads of fish. I think I'll hit them up for some salmon. My family goes to Sierra Nevada to trout fish in the Summer. I'll bring some back this time. Does tuna smoke well?

And there's always pork shoulder.

And whole chickens, I'll try that one, too.

Can you smoke brisket, tri-tip, London broil?

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24 Mar 09 - 04:57 PM (#2596446)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: wysiwyg

Go to any recipe site and search up "smoked" and you should find quite a few hints from which to improvise based on what meats (and cheeses) you can get locally. Also ask your local butcher who will know what cuts are best tenderized via smoking and, probably, which woods go with which meats/cuts.

~S~

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24 Mar 09 - 05:11 PM (#2596459)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: DougR

There are some excellent books on smoking meat. A few of them: "Home Book of Smoke Cooking, Meat, Fish & Game" by Jack Sleight & Raymond Hull: "Smoke and Spice" by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison; Dr. BBQ's Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook," by Ray Lampe.

All of these, with the possible exception of the first one listed, would be available from Amazon.Com Lots of recipes for brisket, sausage, different cuts of beef, pork, fowl, and fish.

Hope that helps. I have an electric Masterbuilt Smoker and use it a lot. Primarily brisket, ribs, chicken, and turkey.

We had quite a discussion on smoking meat a few years ago here on the Mudcat and you might want to check that subject in the archives.

DougR

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24 Mar 09 - 05:12 PM (#2596461)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: DougR

Oops, forgot to add, google Smoked Food and you might be surprised how much information is available online.

DougR

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24 Mar 09 - 05:20 PM (#2596471)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Rapparee

Some cheeses are great when smoked.

Don't get caught smoking herb.

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24 Mar 09 - 05:24 PM (#2596475)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Jayto

Brisket, pork chops, pork ribs (or beef if you want).

Brisket or beef ribs use mesquite

everything else use hickory.

I use Stubbs moppin sauce or dry rub while cooking. Then Stubbs sauce (reg BBQ) after when I finish.

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24 Mar 09 - 05:36 PM (#2596484)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: DougR

Apple wood is good too, as is Cherry wood. Stubbs is good, but there are lots of good recipes out there for rubs for different types of meat.

DougR

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24 Mar 09 - 05:53 PM (#2596497)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Goose Gander

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I usually make my own dry rubs and sauces when BBQing on the old Weber. But I see lots of smoke in my future . . .

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24 Mar 09 - 06:02 PM (#2596505)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Joe Offer

I live near the American River in Northern California, a major salmon spawning site and a great place for salmon fishing. Smoking salmon is almost as popular sport here, as catching it. I had a neighbor in Sacramento who used to keep me supplied, so I never had the need to learn how to catch and smoke it myself. Then he got divorced and moved away, and I've been without a good supply for a long time.

But I became an expert at eating it - it goes great with beer.

-Joe-

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24 Mar 09 - 06:08 PM (#2596510)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Emma B

and with a chilled Chardonnay too!

Smoked Chardonnay marinated Salmon

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24 Mar 09 - 06:52 PM (#2596536)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Jayto

When I lived around Seattle we always used Alder to smoke the salmon it was great.

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24 Mar 09 - 06:55 PM (#2596537)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Rasener

Smoked Eel (Gerookte Paling) in Holland is a speciality. Its lovely served on toast.
If you are going to buy the eel live, just be careful the eel doesn't bite your fingers off before you get to killing it.

Gerookte Paling

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24 Mar 09 - 09:15 PM (#2596609)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle

Personally,

I do

chedder cheese

(tricky to keep the temperature cool) and you want to do a triple smoke on it...and let it sit at the back of the frig for a month covered with plastic-wrap... and then dip in parrafin and bee's wax to preserve.

With the price of

Beef

so cheap - it is a good time for jerky - that will last a year. Tri-Tip is easier than a whole sirloin.

Salmon

- whole half slabs - on the skin - include the head. Again - watch the heat - it MUST be cool.

Rub with: Fresh squeezed lemon juice

1-TBS salt

1tsp cracked black peppe
r
1tsp sugar

Enjoy, You are in for some delicious eats. A wet-mopped brisket that falls apart is your destination.

Sincerely,

Gargoyle

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24 Mar 09 - 09:21 PM (#2596614)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: GUEST,harpgirl

Turkey!!!!!! hig garg...going to amsterdam anytime soon?

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24 Mar 09 - 09:37 PM (#2596624)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Goose Gander

Gargoyle -

My friend is Mark Soden, who I've known for 25 years at least. He knows his stuff - hell, he won the World Tri-Tip Challenge a few years back. And I haved asked him for advice. But I also want to know what you guys think.

Thanks.

No, he's not a thief or a merchant or a craftsman, he's just a BBQ junkie. I think his wife wants him to down-scale, hence the gift to me.

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24 Mar 09 - 09:50 PM (#2596629)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle

Harpy-

Delighted - you are still around...and no longer masquerading as our dear friend Abby Sail.

No more NL and DE ...now the middle east and western Europe

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

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24 Mar 09 - 10:08 PM (#2596635)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: jeffp

Alder is good for salmon.

Fruitwoods are great since it's nearly impossible to oversmoke with apple or cherry.

How to Grill by Stephen Raichlen is a great book. It covers grilling and smoking. I have never had a failure using his books. The Barbecue Bible website has a forum with a lot of experienced people.

Turkey breasts and Pork butts are magnificent smoked.

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24 Mar 09 - 10:42 PM (#2596649)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Jayto

I boil brats in beer with onion, garlic, pepper etc... and then I smoke them low for a pretty long time. I then take the onions and all out of the beer and sautee them in butter, worchestire sauce and lemon juice to use on the brats. I use hickory to smoke the brats. man it is good.

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24 Mar 09 - 10:59 PM (#2596655)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Stilly River Sage

Back up a little, please. What kind of smoker is this?

I use a Luhr Jensen type, an aluminum box with a stack of shelves that load into it from the top. An electric element on the bottom and a pan for the wood chips. Hopefully it's still working since my crazy-ass catahoula leaped a gate in the garage and took the smoker with her when she landed on the other side. That would be a disaster, but I would replace it with something similar.

There are cast iron barrel-shaped smokers for Texas style barbecue that have charcoal and probably wood chips and have smokestacks and tow behind pickup trucks. There are backyard grills that have smoker features along with their LP fuel that heats up the wood chips.

My smoker doesn't cook meat as much as flavor it; at least, I choose not to leave it in that coolish box for as long as it would take to cook some meat. I do salmon in it all the way usually, after brining it (it's detailed, I'm sure I've posted my recipe and instructions here before). Salmon might take the time involved to smoke two or three pans of wood chips (I use alder for salmon). I put a chicken in for a single pan's worth of chips, and bake it in the oven rest of the way. Same with turkey breast, maybe two pans, tops. Too much smoke flavor not only is overpowering, it isn't good for you.

In cool weather I do cheddar cheese the way my father taught me--put it on the top shelf and leave it in for 30 minutes. That's enough.

So, as with computer problems when we ask what make and operating system, please give us some of the hardware and power supply information.

SRS

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24 Mar 09 - 11:42 PM (#2596677)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Gurney

You do have to differentiate between hot-smokers and cold-smokers.

Hot smokers are a way of smoke-flavouring food whilst cooking it. They are small and usually in one piece.

Cold-smokers are a way of preserving and drying food in smoke. The smoke usually comes from a firebox through a tube into the smokehouse.

Slightly different techniques ars needed, because cold-smoked food is usually as dry as possible before smoking, often salted for a while to dry it out.

I only hot-smoke, but people here who have access to large quantities of fish, for instance, usually cold-smoke. There are people who make a living from cold-smoking.

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24 Mar 09 - 11:53 PM (#2596685)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Goose Gander

This one is cylinder-shaped, with a tray for wood chips. It uses charcoal. There are several layers upon which to place food. So far I've cooked ribs, pork shoulder and one whole chicken.

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25 Mar 09 - 12:47 AM (#2596704)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Gurney

Hot-smoker, Michael.
Most of them that are available here use methylated spirit burners. You use meths in the USA, but don't call it that. Impure ethyl/methyl alcohol with purple colouring and a bitter taste to stop Shane drinking it.

I prefer to cook fish in mine, oily, dark-fleshed fish that aren't so nice cooked in other ways.

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25 Mar 09 - 01:23 AM (#2596710)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: DougR

SRS: You can always put the meat in the smoker and apply a couple of hours of smoke and finish it in the oven inside.

DougR

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25 Mar 09 - 04:11 AM (#2596735)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Dave Hanson

Oak is the best and hot smoked sea trout is sublime.

Dave H

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25 Mar 09 - 07:34 AM (#2596831)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Bryn Pugh

We smoked some snig (eel) one time, but when it came out of the smoker, it tasted vile.

Even the cat turned her nose up at it !

Agree with Dave H - smoked trout (sea or no) is indeed sublime.

I love smoked venison, and my beloved loves smoked salmon.

Smoked Lancashire cheese or Cheshire cheese - wow.

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25 Mar 09 - 09:10 AM (#2596901)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Rapparee

Out hyar in The West we-uns jist slice up tha buffler in chunks about a quarter inch thick and hang 'em out on tha clothes-line ta dry in the sun. Takes a day er so in Summertime, but the dust from the passin' cattle herds adds that sartain flavor ya cain't git any other way. In wet weather, which we ain't got much of, er in the winter, we smokes 'em over buffler er cow chips.

Ah cain't honestly rekermend either method.

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25 Mar 09 - 10:47 AM (#2596974)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Jayto

Hickory man Hickory for God's sake man Hickory!!!! lol

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25 Mar 09 - 10:51 AM (#2596979)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Stilly River Sage

Doug R, that is how I often cook food if I want smokey flavor but don't want to deal with the consequences of slow cooking meat (takes a long time, and sometimes it either doesn't "feel" completely cooked or it can come out too dry). I sometimes cook the fish all the way in the smoker, but I don't typically leave a whole chicken in it for hours, I let the oven bring it up to the proper temperature and be sure I'm not only cooking it completely, I'm killing any bacteria that could grow in the milder smoker temperatures. I'll put Italian sausage in it for a pan of chips for good flavor, but then it is cooked all the way in a skillet.

The smoker is a great tool, but you do have to keep in mind that if it operates at a lower temperature, you want a good and fresh supply of meat and you need to pay attention to final cooking temperatures.

SRS

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25 Mar 09 - 11:07 AM (#2596993)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Dave Hanson

What do you mean ' Hickory ' it's not the Wizard of Oz you know.

And we don't have hickory trees in the UK.

Dave H

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25 Mar 09 - 11:10 AM (#2596994)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Rapparee

No hickory? What sort of backwards country doesn't have hickory?

Well, anyway, don't use pine....

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25 Mar 09 - 11:13 AM (#2596997)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Dave Hanson

Pine ? smells OK tastes foul.

Dave H

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25 Mar 09 - 02:25 PM (#2597165)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Jayto

They don't have hickory chips for sale? We are covered up with hickory here in Ky.

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25 Mar 09 - 02:36 PM (#2597173)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: DougR

Michael: you might enjoy a email newsletter devoted to grilling and smoking food. Google the BlueSmoke Gazette.

DougR

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25 Mar 09 - 02:44 PM (#2597178)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Rapparee

Oak can make a nice smoke.

Smoked oak also makes a nice wainscoting, but it's hard to chew.

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25 Mar 09 - 03:03 PM (#2597191)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Goose Gander

Thanks, Doug, I'll go check that out.

Thanks everyone for the advice, comments and stories.

So far I've cooked ribs, pork shoulder, and one whole chicken.

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25 Mar 09 - 03:05 PM (#2597192)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Jayto

I love anything smoked though. I keep pushing hickory but in the end I love anything smoked.

I really don't think mesquite is good with pork though. It just doesn't seem to compliment the flavor to me. I am not saying it is not good but that is one combo I try not to use because it is one of my least favorites.

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25 Mar 09 - 04:10 PM (#2597237)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle

Mr. Morris

When the thread has run its course - please post the recipe/procedure for your friend's award winning tri-tip.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

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25 Mar 09 - 06:56 PM (#2597372)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: michaelr

I find hickory smoke gives too harsh a flavor. Fruit woods such as Apple or cherry are milder.

http://www.thesmokering.com/default.jsp has all you'll ever need to know.

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25 Mar 09 - 09:54 PM (#2597474)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Bert

Mackerel

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25 Mar 09 - 11:41 PM (#2597492)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Gurney

Yes, Bert, oily fish. I don't smoke white fish unless I have lots.

Michael, I always make arrangement that the food juices DON'T drip into the sawdust, because that spoils the smoke taste, for me. Tastes burned, rather than smoked.

Fir and pine often taste too resinous. Not all of them, though.

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25 Mar 09 - 11:42 PM (#2597493)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Stilly River Sage

A little bit of smoke goes a long way with some dishes. I will put chicken breasts in the smoker for a few minutes, then cut them up and saute them with onions and green peppers and they're fabulous in fajitas. But you don't want to smoke them too much.

Salmon, though, can go for two or three pans, easily, and I like to cook it all the way in the smoker, even after the last pan of chips finishes smoking.

SRS

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26 Mar 09 - 03:42 AM (#2597551)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Dave Hanson

For hundreds of years we have been smoking kippers and salmon over OAK in the UK, simply the best.

Dave H

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26 Mar 09 - 03:44 AM (#2597554)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Dave Hanson

And before anyone jumps in, yes they will probably be a bit overdone by now.

Dave H

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26 Mar 09 - 09:10 AM (#2597698)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Rapparee

DON'T use scrap wood. My very own brother did that -- plywood bits, painted wood scraps, even some particle board.

When the local fire chief (our cousin) found out he convinced the brother to toss EVERYTHING a thoroughly clean his smoker. Seems like the glues and the paints put off neat-o fumes like cyanide and sublimed lead and worse.

Ten pounds of crappie hit the trash...a tragedy, especially if you've ever wasted the time filleting crappie.

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26 Mar 09 - 03:54 PM (#2598017)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Goose Gander

So I made some slaw and baked some buttermilk biscuits and ate so many pulled pork sandwiches that I made myself a little sick.

Now I think I'll pick up some tomatillos and make chili verde with some of that pork.

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26 Mar 09 - 04:48 PM (#2598050)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Gurney

Nice one, Garg.

Dave Hanson, oddly enough I didn't think about overcooking, I thought, "No they haven't! They've been smoking herrings. That's how they GET kippers!"

The minds at work on this site!

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27 Mar 09 - 07:58 AM (#2598439)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity

I've tried smoking duck, salmon, elk, and trout....but they were all too hard to roll..and wouldn't light!

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27 Mar 09 - 08:32 AM (#2598459)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Dave Hanson

Don't try smoking astroturf, it's not the same as grass.

Of course you are dead right Gurney, but a smoked herring doesn't have to be a kipper, it could be a red herring, or even a bloater or buckling.

Dave H

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11 Apr 09 - 11:07 PM (#2609505)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Peace

"Smoker - What To Cook?"

Sara Lee cakes will do in a pinch.

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12 Apr 09 - 01:10 AM (#2609523)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity

Smoked duck, is absolutely fantastic! Any of you out there, who haven't tried it...TRY IT!!

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12 Apr 09 - 02:24 PM (#2609761)
Subject: RE: BS: Smoker - What To Cook?
From: Stilly River Sage

No smoking today, I'm going to braise a pot roast. It's cold and rainy out, not great smoking weather (with an electric smoker set outside somewhere). And pot roast probably isn't one of the best meats to smoke. But I have lightly smoked leaner beef and then sliced it thin and stir-fried it quickly with onions and green peppers it for fajitas.

SRS

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