What are you "smoking"? ;^)

Freds · Mar 20, 2011

For the BBQ'ers out there.
Show us your smokes.

Yesterday mine was a late St Patty's day dinner, corned beef and cabbage. This was my first time smoking corned beef, which turns into pastrami when smoked :thumbsup: Armed with a little internet knowledge, I soaked it for six hours, changing the water every two, rubbed it with fresh cracked pepper, corriander and garlic powder (3:1:1). And smoked it on the low side of 225 for about 9 hours using maple. The last couple hours I ran the temp up to 250 and I still had to wrap it in foil, as I hit a second stall at 161F that was not going anywhere soon. You know how that goes with briskets... My target temp was 165 and the foil ran it up to 174 in about twenty minutes. Rested for two hours and sliced thin.
Along side a smoked head uf cabbage and a hunk of bologna just because.

jinman · Mar 20, 2011

It looks terrific! Can we assume that it tasted just as delicious as it looks?:licking:

The last smoking I did was baby back ribs. I smoke several racks and then freeze the extras. A slow warming at 250 while wrapped in foil in the toaster oven is all it takes to make them taste just as good as the day they were smoked. I've never done cabbage nor bologna, but I'd bet they are both good. I've been told that smoking turns bologna from boring into a gourmet treat. I've gotta try that some day. How do you serve the bologna? Is it sliced or cut into wedges?

Freds · Mar 20, 2011

Thanks Jim. It was so tasty I made myself another Reuben (using the smoked cabbage, too) for breakfast, lol.

Usually I like to do a one inch hunk of bologna and I rub both surfaces. Then I cut it into cubes and plop down on the couch with a plate of the meat, a toothpick and some crackers. This time, because I was borrowing a meat slicer for the pastrami, I got a bigger piece and just rubbed the outer ring after removing the casing, then sliced that up, too. I'm sure it will be good in a sandwich, but time will tell if I do it that way again.

I like warmed up ribs, too. I nuke mine on a medium setting. Too many folks think you need to warm everything up on a high temp or setting, but just a gentle warming is all you need. Works for ABTs, too.