That is one Smokin' Butt!

So ever since my char broil grill started acting up last week I can't get the thought of a smoker out of my head. My options were to fix the grill and buy the necessary replacements or replace the grill altogether or build my own smoke such as the one in the Good Eats Episode with Alton brown. I ended up fixing my current grill as it turns out it was just gunked up with cob webs causing the gas to backfire into the knob. I still can't get the idea of a smoker out of my head. I can't exactly afford my ideal set up which would be a "Big Green Egg" but the idea of a cheap home project started sounding pretty darn good.

As a huge BBQ lover I decidedly began my trip down the Smoking road. I've smoked as a novice using my old charcoal BBQ and offsetting the heat source but I think I'm ready for a whole new experience. Smoking in Ceramic! Well, Terra cotta too broke to go for ceramic.

It begins with the following hardware from your favorite hardware/garden center.
1 20 inch unglazed Terra cotta planter extra thick preferable
1 17 inch unglazed Terra cotta planter extra thick preferable
1 Commercial metal handle one you can screw in
1 small unglazed Terra cotta saucer one that would fit the whole on the bottom of the 16 inch planter
1 16 inch Weber replacement grill
1 hot plate
1 Weber smoking Joe replacement grill
1 bag of lava rocks
1 replacement thermometer
1 5 qt iron dutch oven
1 bag of smoking hardwood.
3 bricks
Drip tray I used an old pie pan
Screws and washers that will fit the hole size of the handle

Tools:
Drill with Masonry Bit

It started one night at 11 PM when I decided to just put some of the pieces together. I couldn't help myself I assembled the whole thing and it only took minutes. Here's what you do.

Take the 16 inch planter and mark the handle holes over the bottom of the planter. Moisten the clay with water and drill enough hole to fasten the handle. Use the washers to give you extra grip.

Set the small saucer on top of the hole.

Next using the masonry bit drill a hole big enough to slide the thermometer into.

Next disassemble the hot plat and disconnect the wiring. Fit it through the bottom of the 20 inch planter leaving the heating element and the drip try inside and the base and knobs outside. It should be tight but just enough to make it so you can control the heating element from the outside preventing overheating of the whole base.

The heating element will be uneven so lay the lava rocks down enough make the heating element flat.

Arrange the bricks in a "C" shape to provide a base for the larger planter and leaving an opening for the control knob of the hot plate.

Set planter on top.

Set dutch oven on the heating element and rocks.

Fill with chunk wood and set small grill on top. ( I placed some wood chips in too to provide instant smoke)

Set drip tray on top of small grill.

Set large grill.

Top with small planter upside down.

Okay so I couldn't help it. By the time I was done it was close to midnight and I was working from home the next day to take Chelsea to the pediatrician. I had to do it. I went out to get a pork butt.

Brine:


8 ounces or 3/4 cup molasses

12 ounces pickling salt

2 quarts bottled water

6 to 8 pound Boston butt

Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6 quart Lexan. Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal.


Using the above brine solution I let it sit from 1 AM to 7 AM.

First thing in the AM I set the hot plate one until it started to smoke. After about an hour I took the pork out of the brine and used the below rub.

Rub:

1 teaspoon whole cumin seed

1 teaspoon whole fennel seed

1 teaspoon whole coriander

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon paprika

Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder and grind fine. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika.

I placed the pork skin side down on the grill with a wireless thermometer set to 160 degrees. It started smelling great but I noticed the heat was too hot. It got up to 350. Way too hot for smoking. It took me too long to correct it and too late 4 hours later the pork was too tough but if you can get over gnawing off a piece it tasted great. Next time I'll keep it low at 210 for 10 hours. Next time I'll get you pork!!!! I still ended up with a flavorful piece of meat that I ended up chopping up and putting into baked beans like bacon and made a sand which out of it. Try it for yourself.

Some ideas that were nixed. Castor wheels to roll around the smoker. Concerned too many hole on the bottom might compromise the the structure. A damper using a corner shelf bracket. Decided to go more low tech with the Terra cotta saucer.

..and the secret ingredient is ketchup!

This weather in New Jersey has been strange.  Last month we had balmy weather with beautiful sunny days.  Now it's back to being cold and rainy again.  There is something to be said with global warming messing up the weather.  And when it's cold and wet, comfort food is always what drives the cooking.  Looking through a variety of recipes, I came across one that looked simple enough (and I had the majority of ingredients already.  The secret ingredient seemed to be ketchup in the recipe's I looked through.

Software:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons spice mixture (3 tbls paprika, 2 tbls salt, 2 tbls parsley, 2 tbls onion poweder, 2 tbls garlic powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 1tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 1tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp  celery salt)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup fine dried bread crumbs
• Glaze:
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Hardware:
Global 8-Inch 20cm Cook's Knife
Cutting Board
Measuring Spoon Set

Mixing Bowls Large Blue

Haeger Natural Stone Baking Dish, Square: Blue

   Chop the vegetables up and add them to a large skillet with the vegetable oil.  Add the spices (garlic, salt, basil, thyme, pepper) and cook until they are soft and golden.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Next in the first mixing bowl, combine the meat together til the pork, veal and beef are blended well together.  In another bowl, mix the ketchup, heavy cream, spice mix, dijon mustanrd and worcestershire sauce together.  Then dump everything together into the 'meat bowl' (in my case the blue bowl) along with the vegetables from the stove as well as the breadcrumbs.

Mix well together until you get a blend.  If you have an extra pair of hands like I did, it makes it that much easier.  Spread the mixture into your casserole dish  and smooth it out.  Top it off with the glaze (ketchup, brown sugar and worcestershire sauce mixed together). 

Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes.  There will be a pool of excess grease coming out.  Let rest for about minutes before serving.  Freeze or refridgerate any left overs.