A (Temporary) Cure For My Hankering

[wire-it-up]

Well, I was starting to think I would go nuts before it warmed up enough for me to cook outside. Left the office for lunch today, and headed toward a Hardee's restaurant that has only been open for a month or so. I wasn't really hungry for a burger, so I was thinking I'd peruse the menu for something else when I got there. Then, it dawned on me that a local supermarket chain built a brand new store a year or so ago, and as part of the new construction, they put in a high end smoker and sell a ton of Q every day.

Now, I'm sure the smoker is using gas for fuel, and I need to get it through my thick skull that that's okay. I had eaten there a couple of other times and thought it was pretty good. I ordered a brisket sandwich, and the young lady behind the counter went in the back to get a fresh one, rather than cutting slices off of one that had been sitting out (it was 1 PM at this point). I ordered a side of smoked mac n cheese, which I liked as much as I liked the meat. In total, the meal cost me $7.99, which I thought was a bargain. She kept piling brisket onto the bottom bun, to the point that I thought the sandwich would be hard to eat. They have a few sauces to choose from, and she asked which one I wanted. I asked her to pick one and put it on the side. The sauce is served warm, and I thought it had a bit of a smokey flavor to it. I didn't get a drink because I need to cut back on sugary soda. Drank water instead.



While she was making the sandwich, I asked her what time they put the meat in each day. She said it cooks for 16 hours at 200 degrees. Here's the part that surprised me... she said they put brisket in at 4 PM, and take it out at 6 AM the next morning. I was curious as to why you would want it done so early. No one will be buying it before lunch, so that seems like a long hold time to me. But no complaints from me on freshness, tenderness, or flavor. It was outstanding. She said they use cherry wood for all of their cooking.

I can get all of the free cherry wood I want (by giving Q to the guy who owns the trees). So now, I'm thinking if I follow everything she said, I just may make a decent brisket. So far, I haven't been able to. I may have to try again as soon as the weather breaks. Getting excited!

 

[BillN]

There is something about holding briskets, chuckies, butts that IMO makes the meat that much better.

 

[InThePitBBQ]

Those are natural gas fired Southern Pride ovens with a tiny wood box for flavoring at those locations, most of the Q tastes like a bad decision with a side order of regret it's hard to get the taste of gas out of your mouth afterwards.

The 300 pound capacity models they installed burn 1-2 sticks of wood every 3 hours or so if someone is there overnight to throw it in.

I'd be embarrassed to serve it to anyone and call it BBQ.

Try Coach's on SR. 23, they have been working pretty hard to reinvent that location and the Navarre Group is now managing it.

They recruited an experienced pitmaster who is running a Peoria stick burner and they are serving up some great Q every day after 4pm they are doing well enough at this point to add a larger pit.

 

[wire-it-up]

Thanks Bob. I've done some electrical work for Kurt Janowski, the owner of Navarre Group. It's been quite a while, so he probably wouldn't remember me. I was reading about Coach's in the paper after he bought it. He's been wanting to get a Q joint up and running for a long time. I just wish Coach's was open for lunch. His pitmaster, Jeremy, is a member here. But I don't think he posts much. He owned the Prized Pig in Niles, MI, which did very well until he closed it. Then he was at Fat Cap for a while. I talked to him there once. He's a real decent guy... gave me a few pointers.

 

[InThePitBBQ]

You get a taste for some real hardwood smoked Q give me a heads up, even if I'm not running the cookers regularly in the worst of winter we quick cool and vac wrap brisket, pulled pork, ect. there's always something delicious in the freezer when the snow is blowing sideways.

 

[wire-it-up]

We need to meet up and talk shop. I'll swap bbq methods and stories with anyone who is willing, all day long. I've only been at it for four years or so, so I still consider myself a novice. But people seem to like the food I turn out.

By the way, when I woke up overnight with heartburn last night, I remembered your comment about "a bad decision with a side order of regret." Not sure if the brisket caused the heartburn, but it probably didn't help. But it definitely hit the spot, and I'll go back for more when it's too cold to make my own.

 

[mike243]

Got a buddy with a old southern pride gas smoker and have never had any thing but great food off of it,I also have a gas fired smoker and nothing but good food,gas taste? never tasted gas fire on any smoker yet and I wonder what it tastes like? care to tell us? thanks

 

[InThePitBBQ]

There's nothing wrong with Southern Pride smoker's, or J&R's or Ole Hickory etc. The problem lies in huge square footage modern locations where the incoming natural gas main lines are big enough to crawl through.

Those lines are full of sulfur from the mercaptan odorant in the lines, and any oven connected to them smells like rotten cabbage and the food tastes like a dumpster fire.

 

[wire-it-up]

Hey Bob. I sent you a PM on here a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think you've seen it yet. If you see this post, check out the PM I sent you.

 

[Pulmah Finger]

There's nothing wrong with Southern Pride smoker's, or J&R's or Ole Hickory etc. The problem lies in huge square footage modern locations where the incoming natural gas main lines are big enough to crawl through.

Those lines are full of sulfur from the mercaptan odorant in the lines, and any oven connected to them smells like rotten cabbage and the food tastes like a dumpster fire.

Well don't sugar coat it tell us how you really feel!:mrgreen:

Ive got clean pipes so no sulfur taste for me.

 

[InThePitBBQ]

Well don't sugar coat it tell us how you really feel!:mrgreen:

Ive got clean pipes so no sulfur taste for me.

Someone has got to help the man with those bad winter BBQ habits lol!

We'll get him rolling some real oak smoke on the stick burner's and living right before long he's just on the other side of town cold be damned we cooking on the weekends. :hungry:

 

[wire-it-up]

LOL. Love it! Bob, check your PM's.

 

[InThePitBBQ]

LOL. Love it! Bob, check your PM's.

I didn't see anything from you, send it again?

 

[wire-it-up]

Just sent it. Not sure what happened the first time. Stick burners? I'm intrigued. That's big boy bbq. I don't know anyone around here who uses one.

 

[InThePitBBQ]

Just sent it. Not sure what happened the first time. Stick burners? I'm intrigued. That's big boy bbq. I don't know anyone around here who uses one.

Before I get to busy with the catering business come spring time we'll get you on a real pit cooking with oak heartwood I have several Lang's and we just added our first Shirley Fabrication smoker which is really an impressive cooker we'll be getting rid of all the Lang's and replacing them with SF smokers as build time's allow for.

We can run you a prime packer brisket and a couple pounds of my homemade smoked sausage over oak smoke to take home with you.

 

[wire-it-up]

To anyone following this thread... I'm almost 48 years old, and I may soon be adopted by Bob from InThePitBBQ. He may find out that an invite like this creates a pest that he has a hard time getting rid of, LOL. Looking forward to seeing the Shirley - I didn't think I ever would. And anyone who is looking to give me brisket and sausage, well, you can't beat that!

And Bob, if you need any electrical work done, let me know!

 

[InThePitBBQ]

Pork butt's are all over the place this week for 89 cents a pound, here's what your missing for supper tonight :razz:

Turned those money muscle slices into chopped Country Style and the Jalapeno Popper's are on point!

 

[wire-it-up]

Man, looking at those pictures is painful when I consider what I had for dinner. It was so far below these photos that I don't even want to post here what it was. I work in South Bend, so maybe I just need to follow my nose to your place.

 

[InThePitBBQ]

Man that's just some quick and fast Q to use up some stuff in the fridge that needed cooked, those only run an hour or so and they are ready.

I've been making sausage all week and saved a little money muscle that needed cooked and had some peppers left that were needing a trip to smoke camp.

We'll do something simple like that for your first run on a stick burner, some sausage and poppers take about the same time once they go in the smoke plus another hour to get the cooker out, fire it up and let it come up to temp and get a good coal bed established.

I'll let you cook on the Shirley Fab, may as well just ruin you to it right out of the gate eh?

There's no turning back once you get a taste of real hardwood smoke on a quality offset cooker, it's a game changer.

 

[wire-it-up]

You let me know what works for you, and I'll definitely pay a visit to check out that Shirley and get my hands on it. The Shirleys live in Tuscaloosa, and I'm originally from Bama myself. Been up here a long time though, and I didn't live close to Tuscaloosa when I was down there. But I've watched Paul's videos (he's a member here), and they are great folks.