So I bought my first grill 3 weeks ago. It was just a small little beginner $25 grill and charcoal by the way. I have a gas stove in the kitchen figured why would I need another for outside ha… I cooked dinner on it every night for a week. Sausages, burgers, chicken. Everything was so much easier and tasted so much better on the grill it was crazy!!! So I decided to go out and get a “big boy” grill since I can tell I’m going to be doing this a lot. Going to use my little beginner grill for a portable take to the park grill. but I got the char griller pro that has the option of adding a side smoker. I’m going to wait to get better on the grill before I try smoking. But I been cooking dinner on it for the last 2 weeks and I just keep wanting to cook more and get better. Especially now that I’m getting the hang of it.
So can anyone give me any tips or advice? Maybe some recomondations on some easy recipies for a beginner.
Or what kind of charcoal do you use? I have yet to try hardwood lump charcoal which I am going to try this weekend.
Whats the best wood for adding a little smoke taste?
Seems that everything I throw on it comes out perfect and juicy and just amazing. I thought this was going to be hard!!! haha
Going to try spare ribs this weekend I think. Might do some chicken tonight.
Haha I noticed I have been going through the beer faster LOL. Definitly fun for some reason. Might be a guy thing like cars. When the foods done I just want to throw more on. but Then we end up with way to much meat to eat because it’s mainly just me and the girlfriend.
WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO TASTE SO GOOD!?!?!?!
This is why most bbq peeps have 2 or more grills. You use the small one when it’s just you and the lady, and then when company comes over use the big boy.
I like to cook a few things at once, while the coals are right on. I pack the extra up and put in the fridge for the next few days’ proteins.
I also like to grill veggies on skewers or a foil pouch.
Try the smoker out because it’s super easy to smoke meat and do it well. Get a brisket or a shoulder, or better yet a venison ham, and dive in.
Lump charcoal is always better, but they all work well. I am not a fan of lighter fluid or the matchlight stuff, just because of the residual smell and taste, but as long as it burns off real good before you cook with it, it is ok I guess. I prefer to start charcoal with one of those little can type starters and some of those small fire starting bricks, then dump it in the grill when it is ready.
For smoke, I prefer Maple or Apple. A lot of people like Hickory, but it is a little strong for me. Maple is mellower, as is Apple, but it has a slight sweet flavor. Oak is also a good one, but also strong like Hickory. Whatever you do, do use Mesquitte, it has chemicals in it that are harmful. They sell it all day long for smoking, but I have not used it since I found this out. I prefer Apple over all of them, but Maple is easier to come by in my back yard.
Here is a thread I started a while back when I cooked my last Briskit, and it has some good pointers in it. http://www.classiccougarcommunity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=664 I have since cooked about a dozen racks of ribs. I usually do 3 or 4 Briskits a year, and a few dozen racks of ribs, and cook on it at least twice a week. All on the same grill you just got.
Just remember, Low and slow. Never let your temp rise above 225° when smoking. Oh, and pay no mind to the thermometer on the grill, it is as useless as tits on a bull. Get a good digial probe type that can be monitored from outside the grill, they are about the only ones that are truely accurate.
Nowt that I thinkg about it I actually remember reading that thread when it was first posted. Too bad I didn’t really discover the awesomness of grillin until now! I’m going to try your onion rings sometime I saved the recipe. How well does the side box smoker work on yours? I looked into it online and a lot of people have done modifications to it so it smokes better. Sealing all the gaps and extending the smoke stack on the inside all the way down to the grates to lock more smoke in. Is all that nessecary?
I want to drill a hole on each side of the bottom of the lid so I can have thermometors on each side at grate level. or maybe ill just get a digital probe like you said. I will have to go check them out.
Your new #1 priority is to find a local butcher - they will lead you to the promise land of meat! Nothin better than freshly made garbage brats, or sausage!
I have a huge killer gas grill but when I break out the little smokey joe I use the lump or “cowboy charcoal”.
if you use wood for flavoring soak it for a bit then toss it on right before you put the tastey morsels of goodness on em.
I love corn on the grill - put some butter on em - sprinkle some cayanne pepper on em wrap em in tinfoil and let em sit for 10- 20 min depending on how big they are.
Beer can chicken is also good - its actually the best way to get rid of any of that beer that your buddies bring over that you dont want to drink.
When you get a bit more practice - plantaines & peachs on the grill are killer too.
Good thing I just did a chicken on the grill - otherwise Id be running out there and lighting it up!
The lump wood charcoal burns a lot hotter than briquettes from what I have experienced. I built a huge pit for my buddy out of a condemned 80 gallon air volume tank, and we use 1/4 of the full grilling area to cook. If we loaded the whole thing up, it would take about 25 lbs of charcoal to fill the whole thing. It worked out well since only having the fire under one section gives an area you could cremate things on, then a really hot zone, a hot zone, and a spot to put things just to keep them warm all under the same lid.
I am happy with the way it works, but it is showing it’s age. All the lower grates are falling apart from the many heat cycles I have put on it, and the side vent on the box is frozen from rust. The inside is covered with a crusty, bubbley 1/4" thick layer of smoke. Every time I open it, chunks fall off and go all over. I have had mine for 5 or 6 years, but Will be building my next one from an 80 gallon compressor tank. The one thing I dont like about it is that it doesnt have a heat barrier between the box and grill. If the wood flares up from opening and adding more wood, flames just shoot up into that side of the grill. I just put all my food on the opposite side when smoking. I wouldn’t worry with sealing anything up or extending the exhaust, it gets plenty of smoke if you do it right. Too much smoke can be a bad thing. I always leave the exhaust cracked a little, and smoke still pours from the bottom of the lid.
If smoke is not comming out, then the wood is either out, or in flames, either is bad. Small flames is ok, but you want the wood to just smolder.
I have an 80 gallon compressor tank and a smaller 30-ish gallon glycol header tank to use as a fire box if you want them. I’ll get a shipping quote, and send them to you for whatever shipping will be. Most likely 2 pallets for both.
Yeah I figured some people were just going over kill on the sealing up crap. A lot of people recoated their grill with some tougher paint to better seal it from rusting. One guy had this same grill sand blasted and a total new coating of some kind of aluminum something or other on it. He probably put $500 into a $119 grill. But I’d say for $119 if it rusts in 5 years I will just go get a new one. Plus I live in sunny California and doubt I will have a problem with rust.
I been watching some videos and some put a tray of water on the grill right where the smoke comes through the firebox that acts as a damper or barrier and also puts moisture in there. I can’t wait to try smokin.
I already have tons of ideas to cook. Crazy what you can learn with an internet connection and youtube. ha.
“Crazy what you can learn with an internet connection and youtube. ha.”
For sure. I learned to bake pies over the web, thanks to Alton Brown. Find his channel on youtube and you’ll learn more than you want about food chemistry and cooking.
I been watching these guys on youtube and they have all their recipes on their web page along with the videos. A lot of help to me so far. and the narration is pretty funny to me.
I’ve heard nothing but good things about the big green egg…unless you count the buy-in as a negative.
Alton Brown…love his show(s). The science side of it is interesting, and, you end up with a great finished product. We’ve been using his ice-cream recipe for three years now.
