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Home smoking/BBQ

Spymaster said:
Is hot smoked belly (uncured) a thing?
Click to expand...

Yes, not as common as butt or shoulder, but usually they would be American style if you can find it, so rubbed and sauced.

All cold smoked meats are (should be!) cured.

All hot smoked meats are uncured.

(Yes you can cook cured meats but that's the rule of thumb).

The salt/sugar replaces the Available Water in cured/cold smoked leaving nowhere for the bad things to breed.
Temperature kills them in hot smoked.

My Weber's legs fell off when I moved it last week or I'd offer to smoke one for you. Need to fix it up for the summer.

foodcrumbles.com

What Is Water Activity (in Food)?

Water activity plays a crucial role in food product development and food safety We explain what water activity actually is and how it impacts the quality of your food.
foodcrumbles.com foodcrumbles.com
 
Last edited:
spitfire said:
Yes, not as common as butt or shoulder, but usually would be American style if you can find it so rubbed and sauced.

All cold smoked meats are (should be!) cured.

All hot smoked meats are uncured.

(Yes you can cook cured meats but that's the rule of thumb).

The salt/sugar replaces the Available Water in cured leaving nowhere for the bad things to breed.
Temperature kills them in hot smoked.

My Weber's legs fell off when I moved it last week or I'd offer to smoke one for you. Need to fix it up for the summer.

foodcrumbles.com

What Is Water Activity (in Food)?

Water activity plays a crucial role in food product development and food safety We explain what water activity actually is and how it impacts the quality of your food.
foodcrumbles.com foodcrumbles.com
Click to expand...

Brilliant. Thanks for your help.

This is the gear isn't it?
 
These guys have done it in the past, found it on this web page:

www.crystalpalacefoodmarket.co.uk

London Smoke & Cure - SMOKED PORK BELLY - Crystal Palace Food Market

Smokery – London Smoke & Cure Ross says “It’s all about the smoked meats this week and we’ve got some real treats for you. Once again we’ve taken some of Gill Wing farms finest pork belly and cured these slowly over the last week. We’ll have some ready to eat fennel, white pepper and lemon […]
www.crystalpalacefoodmarket.co.uk www.crystalpalacefoodmarket.co.uk

londonsmokeandcure.co.uk

London Smoke & Cure

London Smoke & Cure
londonsmokeandcure.co.uk londonsmokeandcure.co.uk

Definitely worth a call, they may do one for you when they are next smoking.
 
spitfire said:
These guys have done it in the past, found it on this web page:

www.crystalpalacefoodmarket.co.uk

London Smoke & Cure - SMOKED PORK BELLY - Crystal Palace Food Market

Smokery – London Smoke & Cure Ross says “It’s all about the smoked meats this week and we’ve got some real treats for you. Once again we’ve taken some of Gill Wing farms finest pork belly and cured these slowly over the last week. We’ll have some ready to eat fennel, white pepper and lemon […]
www.crystalpalacefoodmarket.co.uk www.crystalpalacefoodmarket.co.uk

londonsmokeandcure.co.uk

London Smoke & Cure

London Smoke & Cure
londonsmokeandcure.co.uk londonsmokeandcure.co.uk

Definitely worth a call, they may do one for you when they are next smoking.
Click to expand...

Cheers.

I just phoned Albert Matthews and it was an issue with the website rather than stock. I ordered over the phone for delivery next Thursday. :thumbs:
 
Oh hello I'm back.

Fell off the smoking tree for a little while. I'm Autistic and get incredibly obsessed with my hobbies/obsessions but when I move onto something new I'll tend to throw myself at that 100% and previous hobbies get neglected.

My drum smoker only got used once or twice last year, had aquascaping as an obsession for a bit (some of my tanks:
Iwagumi style.
1705103154514.jpeg

Large Jungle Tank:

1705103353583.png

Low Tech Grow Out

1705103455420.png

Now obsessed with tinkering with my gravel bike. But as we are having to save due to our fixed rate coming to an end and having to find £400/month we're gonna have to rein in takeaways and eating out so I should use this thing I spent a lot of time and effort ont that makes delicious food...

So I've had my first smoke of the year already. Ok, I had another reason too as I just bought the new Inkbird temp controller for £90 and needed a test cook.


Great bit of kid for the money, I can now change temperatures anywhere I have a data connection. Hold temp well in a 5deg range, although I did have to restrict the fan inlet with some PVC tape as the chimney effect in my drum smoker was pulling too much air through the fan body for the temp to drip, (I've had a wifi thermometer and seperate home made PID temp controller but this gives a lot more functionality. Say the food is up to temp when I am out, I can reduce the temp to a safe holding temp and let it rest until I get back.

In addition, this runs from a powerbank and on my 10mAH one it showed very little power drain, 3/4 stars flashing at the start and exactly the same after 10hrs so I wouldn't have any problems leaving it out overnight on my 20k mah pack MY homebuilt PID controller required running an extension lead and a lot of faff, this I just push fit into the intake pipe

I did an OTT chili today to test it (6 meals bagged in the freezer for abusy day) and have a 1kg birthday chuleton coming in a couple of weeks I'll be reverse searing. Think I might brine and smoke a chicken on it next. Would love to get another brisket on it but don't have the freezer space so would have to be for a party or something.

Gonna try and do a few different things this year than the standard. I work from home 3 days/week so no excuse for not using that time to smoke.

You still doing the candied Salmon spitfire? How is that going?
 

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Whagwan said:
Oh hello I'm back.

Fell off the smoking tree for a little while. I'm Autistic and get incredibly obsessed with my hobbies/obsessions but when I move onto something new I'll tend to throw myself at that 100% and previous hobbies get neglected.

My drum smoker only got used once or twice last year, had aquascaping as an obsession for a bit (some of my tanks:
Iwagumi style.
View attachment 407992

Large Jungle Tank:

View attachment 407995

Low Tech Grow Out

View attachment 407997

Now obsessed with tinkering with my gravel bike. But as we are having to save due to our fixed rate coming to an end and having to find £400/month we're gonna have to rein in takeaways and eating out so I should use this thing I spent a lot of time and effort ont that makes delicious food...

So I've had my first smoke of the year already. Ok, I had another reason too as I just bought the new Inkbird temp controller for £90 and needed a test cook.


Great bit of kid for the money, I can now change temperatures anywhere I have a data connection. Hold temp well in a 5deg range, although I did have to restrict the fan inlet with some PVC tape as the chimney effect in my drum smoker was pulling too much air through the fan body for the temp to drip, (I've had a wifi thermometer and seperate home made PID temp controller but this gives a lot more functionality. Say the food is up to temp when I am out, I can reduce the temp to a safe holding temp and let it rest until I get back.

In addition, this runs from a powerbank and on my 10mAH one it showed very little power drain, 3/4 stars flashing at the start and exactly the same after 10hrs so I wouldn't have any problems leaving it out overnight on my 20k mah pack MY homebuilt PID controller required running an extension lead and a lot of faff, this I just push fit into the intake pipe

I did an OTT chili today to test it (6 meals bagged in the freezer for abusy day) and have a 1kg birthday chuleton coming in a couple of weeks I'll be reverse searing. Think I might brine and smoke a chicken on it next. Would love to get another brisket on it but don't have the freezer space so would have to be for a party or something.

Gonna try and do a few different things this year than the standard. I work from home 3 days/week so no excuse for not using that time to smoke.

You still doing the candied Salmon spitfire? How is that going?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately it didn’t pan out in the end. Inflation, collapse of Facebook advertising, investment too strung out to make use of and once the cost of living crisis kicked in the investors took fright and politely made their excuses. Fair enough tbh, they were decent people but had reached the end of their “appetite” as it’s called. Managed to contain the impact on other firms/suppliers which was good. HMRC took a bit of a hit though. Sorry everyone.

Back at the old job now. Could be worse. It was a bit of a relief in the end though.
 
Ah sorry to hear it didn't work out but glad to hear it wasn't as bad as it could have been. At least you gave it a go so you'll never have that 'what-if' voice...

Getting back into the smoking game now I've started, babyback ribs yesterday. Stuck on at lunch and ready shortly after we got back from the rugby. Changing BBQ temp from the stands is a nice novelty

1705223009070.png
 
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Spymaster said:
As promised:

View attachment 408742

View attachment 408743

The smell is incredible.

I'm going to halve it and freeze one bit for next month. The other half is destined for the Naga recipe I posted. Hopefully we'll get it done on Sunday.

Thanks again for your help with this :thumbs:
Click to expand...

No worries at all.

That looks smashing, would also be nice cut into thick slices, seasoned and then whacked over direct heat on a BBQ for a few minutes to render and crisp. yum yum yum.
 
Elpenor said:
Hope they taste good!

Done some research into bbqs today and I think I might opt for a Weber go anywhere charcoal bbq as it’s compact and seems to be big enough for my needs - cooking for one. It’s roughly the size as the one you’re using I think spitfire

A few reviews suggest there is the option to do a little bit of indirect heat cooking too. Anyway I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to buy this summer - as got a lot of other demands on my cash going on at present - but hopefully I’ll get one sorted for 2024 at the latest
Click to expand...
Well I’ve decided that as I had a bit of spare money this month due to some unexpected news I would shell out for a bbq and have ordered the Weber go anywhere charcoal variety with the chimney starter and some coal and lighters. Its size is more important to me from a storage POV than portability by I got the carry bag just in case though I reckon it will be mainly used in my garden.

Looks like this

IMG_0678.jpeg

Hopefully the weather will allow me to use it sometime this month :)
 
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The Go Anywhere is an amazing bit of kit, I use mine more than my 57cm kettle.

Comes camping all the time and also to the park down the road for a quick Friday dinner in the summer.

But also is my main grill (non-smoker) for the garden as unless we have guests it's plenty of space for 2 adults and a 5year old...
 
Mmm. I ate a lot of char siu kebabs last year in my portable. I'd marinade the meat before I'd go camping and stick the meat on the sticks at the campsite. I'd like some flat kebab skewers next so I can do mince meat type ones.

At some point I should upgrade to a Weber Go Anywhere, but I think my little one was 15 quid years ago and keeps going.
 
I've had a bit of beef in a cure for the last few weeks, rubbed nice spices on it and smoked it last night. Forgot to take any photos (it was huge) but here's the little bit I had left which I enjoyed for lunch. Also did pulled pork, which was nice, but probably the leanest bit of shoulder I've had. I actually checked the receipt this morning to check I'd not got leg by mistake.

PXL_20240527_114035074.jpg


Also got the little travel BBQ out last weekend camping. And remembered posting here last year about how I need better fuel for it!

PXL_20240518_192558761.jpg
 
About the fire up the Weber for the first time this year. Pork, lamb, steak and sausages. :cool:

Remembered I want some flat kebab sticks for making Turkish style minced kebabs. Slightly horrified by the price on Amazon, I went over to AliExpress. They've got a kebab press for £2.24, figured it's got to be worth a go and it meant I spent enough to get free shipping, so it really only cost me 25p. :D

1717345673922.png
 
In a tradition started on his 1st birthday, I did brisket for my (now) 6year olds "grown-ups birthday party". Torrential rain last night left me having to improvise shelter from my broken patio umbrella.

1718480839002.png

Now I do like the flat on brisket, but burnt ends are the best thing in BBQ. I love having an excuse to make them.

Sherwood foods do brisket-point only without the flat. I got really lucky and ordered 2x 1.6-2kg points which when they arrived weighed in at 3.7kg each!

So even after trimming and prep were still weighing in over 3kg.

1718480893375.png

Smoked this over hickory on the UDS sprinkled with my beef rub.

12 hrs until 92C and probing just a little firmer than butter, then cubed and finished for a couple more hours (whilst drowned in butter, brown sugar and homemade Kansas city BBQ sauce from the heygrillhey recipe.)

1718481264842.png

1718480985610.png


1718481033211.jpeg

Served in rolls with confit garlic and chipotle slaw (Pitt Cue recipe) on the side.

1718481010536.png

Also did a smoked cauliflower with spiced garlic butter for the veggies which was polished off sharpish, didn't get any photos of that though.
 

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