quote:
He asked for easy. Why keep stoking with charcoal when you can have the heated cast iron do virtually the same thing? Having the Dutch oven cracked open with lid on top creates an environment that never catches fire completely because there is not enough air for it to catch. You end up with a nice piece of lump coal or if continue to burn it, it will reduce to ash in the pot. It smokes and maintains and even temp throughout the day.

The more I think about this your idea is pretty ingenious. I like the pellet grill because it’s just so easy. But your suggestion is easy too. I’ve gotten to the point though I just can’t eat heavy smoked food. I carry that smoke taste around in my mouth now for days. I’m going to try your method though on a stick burner that has a side box.

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Posted by The Third Leg

Idiot Out Wandering Around

Member since May 2014

10076 posts

Posted on 5/23/20 at 9:42 am to Earthquake 88

quote:
The more I think about this your idea is pretty ingenious. I like the pellet grill because it’s just so easy. But your suggestion is easy too. I’ve gotten to the point though I just can’t eat heavy smoked food. I carry that smoke taste around in my mouth now for days. I’m going to try your method though on a stick burner that has a side box.

Try using less raw wood if the heavy smoke stuff is too much. You can ‘smoke’ meat with just hardwood lump coals and the smoke taste will be neutralized a bit. Some cuts of meat need heavy smoke for bark though. Beef ribs, brisket, pork butt—All examples of things that will suck without heavy smoke.

When I cook a large steak or rack of lamb, I warm it on an offset where I have a coal box inside the firebox to create a dense critical mass, use a single small chunk of wood on top. When it is to searing temp, I will move the coal box over to my kettle and sear it.

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Posted by GoAwayImBaitn

On an island in the marsh

Member since Jul 2018

2219 posts

Posted on 5/23/20 at 10:23 am to Earthquake 88

quote:
I’ve gotten to the point though I just can’t eat heavy smoked food. I carry that smoke taste around in my mouth now for days.

I know what you mean. You don't want the meat to be saturated with smoke and the method I described doesn't lead to that. I've had multiple people mention "it's got just enough smoke flavor, not too much" when eating off that smoker. You can control how much smoke easily by keeping the wood fresh in the pot removing it when it turns to lump charcoal and it will billow smoke as much you want.

Burning the chunk of wood down in the pot takes a while and even when at the lump coal stage where you don't "see" as much smoke, you're still getting good flavor from the burn

Too much visible blue and gray smoke while cooking for hours is what can lead to the over smokey taste.

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