BBQ Smoker Grill Blog

Smoked Mac and Cheese With Bacon is a favourite comfort meal. The sweet, smoky, cheesy taste has you coming back time and time again. This is a great meal on its own, or a fantastic side at a barbecue party. It really is one of the best smoking side dishes. We like the combination of cheeses here but feel free to experiment to find what suits you. Use a cast iron pot that can take the heat of the smoker for long periods of time without damage. Smoked Mac and Cheese Recipe Table of Contents Ingredients For Smoker Mac and Cheese Smoker Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 1 - Cook Your Macaroni and Bacon Smoked Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 2 - Make a Roux Smoker Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 3 - Add the Rest of the Ingredients to the Pot Smoker Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 4 - Make the Breadcrumb Topping Smoked Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 5 - Put Your Pot in the Smoker Smoked Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 6 - Serve! Ingredients For Smoker Mac and Cheese 2 Pints (or 1.2 Litres) of Whole Milk 100g Plain All-Purpose Flour 100g Butter 100ml Double Cream 100g Mature Cheddar Grated 100g Grated Mozzarella 100g Grated Red Leicester A Good Splash of Worcestershire Sauce 1 Teaspoon of Dijon Mustard 500g Macaroni Cooked to Packet Instructions 3 Slices of Smoked Bacon Chopped For the Breadcrumbs 50g white breadcrumbs 50g parmesan cheese freshly grated Salt & Pepper to Season Smoker Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 1 - Cook Your Macaroni and Bacon Get your smoker up to 110°C or 225°F. Make sure you are using quality charcoal, and a mild fruit wood such as apple or cherry, or even a nice mix of both. We are going to start our mac and cheese off on the stove in the kitchen then finish it off on the smoker. Cook your macaroni in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside. While your macaroni is cooking fry off your pieces of chopped bacon in a small frying pan, until it goes crispy. Smoked Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 2 - Make a Roux Now we are going to make a roux, adding equal parts butter and flour together over a medium heat in our cast iron pot. Stir the flour and butter together with a whisk until the butter melts into the flour and creates a thick paste. This will take around 3-4 minutes. Smoker Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 3 - Add the Rest of the Ingredients to the Pot Make sure you don’t have any lumpy bits in your roux, and then add the milk, cream and cheeses to your pot. Stir it around for a minute or two, and then add the mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, and cooked chopped bacon. Stir to incorporate all the elements to your sauce. Now add in your cooked macaroni and give your pot another stir or two, to get all the lovely flavours into your pasta. Your cheese should be beginning to melt now. Smoker Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 4 - Make the Breadcrumb Topping Last of all sprinkle the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan over the top of your mac and cheese, and then season the topping with black pepper and salt. Smoker Mac N Cheese with Bacon Recipe Smoked Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 5 - Put Your Pot in the Smoker Now your mac and cheese is ready to go into the smoker. Place your pot on the smoker grills away from direct heat. We want our mac and cheese to smoke not burn. Close the lid on your smoker. It will take around an hour to smoke your mac and cheese dish. If you want your dish to be smokier you can always leave it for longer, but an hour should give you a sufficiently smokey taste. Check your mac and cheese every so often to make sure it isn’t drying out. If it is drying out just add a little boiled water from the kettle. After an hour or so you can remove your smoked mac and cheese with bacon from the smoker. Smoked Mac and Cheese With Bacon Recipe Step 6 - Serve! Serve with any accompaniments you like, a green salad, or preferably a cold beer. Some people like to put smoked mac and cheese on their burgers for extra flavour. Delicious!

In case you missed it here is our recently updated post with a ton of valuable information: 'Best Meats to Smoke.'

Check out the full blogpost here and happy smoking! https://bbqsmokergrill.org/meats-for-smoking/

Here is our pulled pork in smoker recipe, complete with an easy to make sweet dry rub. It’s a long smoke but very much worth it. Pulled Pork in Smoker – Served on a Board Table of Contents Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 1 – Buying Your Pork Shoulder Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 2 – Prepare Your Meat Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 3 – Smoke for 6 Hours Unwrapped Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 4 – Smoke for 6 Hours Wrapped Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 5 – Rest Your Meat Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 6 – Pull Apart with a Fork & Serve We are going to use pork shoulder for this smoked pulled pork recipe. It’s also called pork butt, even though it actually comes from the shoulder of the pig! It’s a very affordable cut of meat which is tough and fatty and therefore perfect for cooking slow and low pulled pork. We recommend leaving the bone in because the bone adds additional flavour (because of the marrow) and helps the meat cook better. We’re going to cook our pork shoulder in a similar way to our ‘How to Smoke Brisket,’ article, using the ‘Texas Crutch,’ method of wrapping the meat in foil or butcher’s paper for the second stage of cooking. We explained this in detail in our Brisket article, but the gist of it is that wrapping our meat makes it cook quicker, avoid any temperature stall in the cook, and makes for a juicier end result. Ingredients For Sweet Dry Rub 3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar 2 Tablespoons of Sweet Smoked Paprika 1/2 Teaspoon of Chilli Powder (or more if you like heat) 1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder 1 Teaspoon of Granulated Garlic (not the same as garlic powder) 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper 2 Teaspoons of Freshly Ground Black Pepper 1 Tablespoon of Fine Sea Salt Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 1 – Buying Your Pork Shoulder We always recommend buying from the your local butcher because that way you know where the meat has come from, and can find out about the life that it has had. Preferably from a trusted local source! Depending on your cut of meat you might need to remove excess fat. If so, you can always ask your butcher to do this. Make sure your pork doesn’t have any dark spots on it, is a nice light pink colour (not greyish) and that it has a nice amount of fat marbling for best results. Depending on the number of your guests aim for around a pound of meat per person – so 8 guests means 8pound pork shoulder cut. Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 2 – Prepare Your Meat Put all your dry rub ingredients into a bowl and mix them together to form your rub. If you have excess fat on your pork remove it now with a sharp paring knife or sharp scissors. Now we are going to cover our pork in the mustard of your choice (American, French or English – which is the hottest) for taste, moisture, and the fact it will help the dry rub stick better. You will probably need around 2 tablespoons. Safest to use rubber gloves here. Now you can use your hands to rub the seasonings all over your pork shoulder on both sides. The rub should stick fairly well but you may need to apply some pressure to get the rub right into the meat. Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 3 – Smoke for 5 Hours Unwrapped Get your smoker up to temperature – 110°C or 225°F. We like to use a mix of apple wood and hickory wood chips here but cherry or oak chips work well too. Place your pork directly onto the grills, and close the lid of your smoker/barbecue. Depending on your smoker you may need to refuel every hour or so. Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 4 – Smoke for 6 Hours Wrapped Now this is where things can get tricky. Your meat will eventually reach a point called the ‘stall,’ where its internal temperature will stop rising. This stall will add extra time to your cooking, and it can even last hours. This is where our ‘Texas Crutch,’ method comes in. If we wrap our pork shoulder in butcher’s paper or foil we can braise our meat, avoid the stall, save time and retain moisture. How do you know when you have reached the stall? It’s different every time you cook. It will probably occur around 4-5 hours into cooking but it’s hard to predict. The only way to be sure is to measure the internal heat of your meat using an internal meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, have a look below. The stall usually occurs around 145°F-165°F or 63°C-74°C which is well below the temperature we need to bring our pork to. When the pork gets to this temperature take it off the heat and wrap it up in paper or foil, as tightly as possible so that it is as airtight as you can make it. It’s also customary and helpful to add liquid at this point. We like to add a good splash of cider, but apple juice is a good option too. You could also try a splash of beer, if you prefer. Some cheeky people even add a splash of bourbon if you have it. Other people like to add apple cider vinegar, but we prefer a sweeter and less sour flavour in our pork. Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 4 – Smoke for 6 Hours Wrapped Once your pork shoulder is tightly wrapped return it to your smoker or barbecue and cook for another 5-6 hours. Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 5 – Rest Your Pork You then need to rest your pork in its paper/foil for at least 1 hour to retain moisture in the meat tissues. Pulled Pork in Smoker Step 6 – Pull Apart with a Fork and Serve You can now prepare your meat for serving by pulling it apart with a fork. The classic way to serve pulled pork is of course to put it in a toasted brioche bun with your favourite BBQ sauce. If you would like to read our article on ‘How to Make BBQ Sauce,’ feel free. Classic sides include coleslaw and/or fries but you can serve it with whichever accompaniments suit you and your guests. Pulled pork in smoker recipe nailed! Soak up your guests’ praise. If you enjoyed this article feel free to check out ‘How to Smoke Brisket.’ Or our ‘Prime Rib in A Smoker.’

Many of us think of a lovely, juicy, smoked burger with all the accompaniments when we consider barbecuing. Here is our smoked burger recipe for you to try out on your smoker or barbecue, served with a delicious smoked garlic and chilli mayo, red onion relish, rocket and applewood cheese. Table of Contents Smoked Burger Recipe Step 1 — Smoke Your Onions and Garlic Smoked Burger Recipe Step 2 — Choose Your Burger Meat Smoked Burger Recipe Step 3 — Make Your Smoked Burger Patties Smoked Burger Recipe Step 4 - Smoke Your Patties Smoked Burger Recipe Step 5 - Make Your Smoked Mayo & Red Onion Relish Smoked Burger Recipe Step 6 - Serve with Toasted Buns For The Smoked Burger The Beef should be at least 20% Fat 80% Meat 500g Beef Mince/Ground Beef Chuck 500g Beef Mince/Ground Beef Brisket Ingredients for Smoked Garlic and Chilli Mayo 4 Smoked Garlic Cloves 1/2 Red Chilli Pepper Finely Chopped and Deseeded A Good squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice 100ml or 1/2 Cup of Mayonnaise Red Onion Relish 2 Medium-Sized Red Onions A Squeeze of Fresh Lime Juice 1 Teaspoon of Fine Sea Salt To Serve 4 Toasted Brioche Buns Rocket 4 Slices of Smoked Bacon 4 Slices (or Grated) Applewood Cheese Smoked Burger Recipe Step 1 — Smoke Your Onions and Garlic The first thing to do is leave your onions and garlic in your smoker for a few hours (or overnight if you can) so that they char and take on that lovely smoke flavour. We’ll use them for the relish and smoked mayo later. Close the lid down and leave them as long as you can at a low heat. We like to use the Pit Boss Sportsman Wood Pellet Grill, but you can use what ever grill you have. Smoked Burger Recipe Step 2 — Choose Your Burger Meat Go to your local butcher for this. We are going to use a half and half mix of beef mince/ground beef. This will give us the right amount of fat to meat ratio — making our smoked burgers extra juicy. We want to aim for 20% fat to 80% meat, and it’s best to explain this to your butcher rather than rely on prepackaged mince that isn’t fresh and don’t know where it has come from. If you are really fortunate your butcher may mince your beef right there and then, but you should ensure your beef has been ground that day, and is fresh all the same. Get yourself 500g of Chuck Steak Mince and 500g of Brisket Mince, which will make around 4 burger patties. Smoked Burger Recipe Step 3 — Make Your Smoked Burger Patties Now we are going to shape our beef mince into patties using our hands. We’re actually going to shape them so that they are a little wider than our brioche buns, so that they are around 1/2 inch or 1.25 cm thick. They will shrink as we smoke them, so bear in mind that they are being shaped into a bigger size than they will eventually end up. Season each patty with salt and black pepper and then wrap up each patty in clingfilm. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes while you get your smoker or barbecue ready, and up to a temperature of 110°C or 125°F. Add hickory or cherry wood chips (or a nice mix of both) to your charcoal for extra smoke flavour. Smoked Burger Recipe Step 4 Smoke Your Patties Now we are ready to smoke your burgers! Make sure you flip them around halfway through your cooking time. At 110°C or 225°F it will take your burgers between 1Hour to 1 1/2 Hours for rare-medium rare. The only way to be certain is to check the internal temperature of the burgers. The internal temperature will be 63°C or 145°F for medium rare and 71°C or 160°F for medium, 74°F or 165°F for well done. Around 10mins before the end of your smoking time you can put your 4 slices of bacon on the smoker and close the lid. Around 5 minutes before the end of cooking you can toast your brioche buns lightly — either in the toaster or if you have room on your barbecue/smoker. Smoked Burger Recipe Step 5 Make Your Smoked Mayo & Red Onion Relish While your burgers are smoking we can make our relish and smoked garlic and chilli mayo. Peel your 4 smoked garlic cloves (which will be a lovely brown colour now) and mash them up in a bowl with the finely chopped chilli and lemon juice. When they are well mixed and combined add your mayo. Take your charred red onions and peel the skins off. They should fall off pretty easily for you. Roughly chop your onions, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice (or apple cider vinegar if you prefer) as well as your salt. Smoked Burger Recipe Step 6 Serve with Toasted Buns & Accompaniments Let your burgers rest for around 4–5minutes after cooking for best results. While they are resting you can arrange your plates, relish, and smoked garlic and chilli mayo. Put your relish and mayo in a two big bowls and let your guests choose how much relish and mayo they want. Serve your burgers on the buns with your rocket and smoked applewood cheese. You could serve these smoked burgers with fries, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, ribs or even onion rings. You know your guests’ tastes and your own. Smoked burgers recipe nailed! If you enjoyed this recipe feel free to have a look at this one: https://bbqsmokergrill.org/how-to-make-bbq-sauce/ Or this one: https://bbqsmokergrill.org/t-bone-vs-porterhouse/ Visit the blog for the full post. https://bbqsmokergrill.org/smoked-burger/

Pork Butt Smoker Recipe in 5 Easy Stages Please enjoy our pork butt smoker recipe, and read the instructions carefully. It isn’t difficult to smoke pork butt, yet it requires patience and attention to detail. What Cut is Pork Butt? Despite the name, pork butt doesn’t come from the backend of the pig (we get ham from there), it actually comes from the shoulder of the pig. It is also known as Boston Butt, possibly because that is where the cut became popular first. How Long to Smoke Pork Shoulder at 225°F? At 225°F (or 107°C) it will take somewhere between 10-12 hours to smoke for a 10 pound (4.5kg) cut of pork shoulder. The most important consideration for smoking is not timing but temperature. The pork shoulder is done when the internal temperature reaches between 195-205°F or 91-96°C. Smoke Pork Shoulder at 225 or 250? Cooking at a higher heat of 250°F could save you time, but we prefer to cook slow and low at 225°F to give the fat time to render down properly, allowing for a better outcome for the smoke. Should You Marinate Pork Shoulder Before Smoking? Some people like to brine pork shoulder overnight before smoking the next day. The brine adds flavour and moisture to the pork shoulder. It is optional as pork shoulder has plenty of fat to keep it moist. If you want to do this, simply place your pork in a mixture 10 cups (2.5L) of water, 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) of salt and 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) of sugar, and place in the fridge. Should I Wrap my Pork Butt? You should wrap your pork butt to save you time. Cooking the pork unwrapped can add hours to the cooking time as the internal temperature of the pork stops increasing and ‘stalls.’ To avoid this stall it’s best to wrap your pork in tinfoil or butcher’s paper. What Temp Does Pork Shoulder Stall? Pork shoulder normally stalls when the internal temperature of the pork reaches 155-165°F or 68-74°C. This can between 4-6 hours in to the smoke. Sometimes the stall itself can last up to 6 hours so you should wrap your meat in foil for the second part of the cook time. What Can I Spritz Pork Shoulder With? To stop your pork shoulder from drying out you can spritz it a mixture of equal parts apple juice and apple cider vinegar. If you don’t like the sweetness mix cider vinegar with equal parts water. When is Smoked Pork Shoulder Done? The pork shoulder is done when the internal temperature reaches between 195-205°F or 91-96°C. It also needs to be rested so that the juices can be properly redistributed into the tissues of the meat. Do You Flip Pork Shoulder When Smoking it? You don’t need to flip pork shoulder when smoking it. This is because it is being cooked indirectly by the smoke and heat. If you are concerned the pork butt is not being cooked evenly you can turn it every couple of hours or so. Generally this isn’t necessary though. Can You Smoke Pork Shoulder too Long? If you let your pork shoulder get to an internal temperature of 210°F or 99°C it will dry out. Make sure you check it with a meat thermometer to avoid this disappointing result. Can You Use Pork Boston Butt For Pulled Pork? Pork Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder is generally considered to be the best cut of meat for pulled pork. Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Rub 1 Tablespoon of Salt 2 Teaspoons of Black Pepper 2 Tablespoons of Smoked Paprika 1/2 Teaspoon of Chilli Powder 3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar 1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Method Table of Contents Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 1 – Buying Your Pork Shoulder Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 2 – Prepare The Pork Butt Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 3 – Smoke for 5-6 Hours Until The Stall - Unwrapped Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 4 – Smoke for Another 5-6 Hours Wrapped in Tinfoil or Butcher’s Paper Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 5 – Rest in the Foil for 30-45 Minutes Pork Butt is fatty and tough and perfect for cooking low and slow. Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 1 – Buying Your Pork Shoulder Try and source your pork shoulder from your local butcher where possible. It’s easier to ask questions about where the meat has been sourced from, the life the animal had, as well as get your butcher to trim off any excess fat. This will save you a job later. Make sure you get a cut of meat that is nice and pink with no traces of grey or dark spots on it. For best results you want to have a good marbling of fat on it as well. Think about how many guests you want to feed, aiming for around a pound of meat per person, depending on your sides and appetites. If you are feeding 10 people, for example, get a 10 pound (4.5 kg) pork butt. Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 2 – Prepare Your Pork Shoulder Place all rub ingredients together in a bowl and mix. Set aside. If you still have any excess fat on your pork use a paring knife or a pair of scissors to remove it now. Take two tablespoons of Dijon mustard and rub it all over the pork shoulder. This will give the rub something to stick to, and you probably won’t taste it. You can also use a little honey if you like sweetness. Rub the seasonings all over the meat. This rub will help us to get a really a nice dark, crispy bark on our meat. Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 3 – Smoke for 5-6 Hours Unwrapped Get your BBQ smoker up to the right temperature – 225°F or 107°C. In terms of wood chips apple would be the classic pairing here, but hickory works really well if you like a strong smoky flavour. Put the pork directly onto the grills of your smoker away from any open flames, ensuring indirect heat. Close the lid down. Keep in mind that some smokers need refuelled every hour or so to maintain a steady heat of 225 or 107. Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 4 – Smoke for 6 Hours Wrapped When the pork butt reaches the stall - at internal temperature of 155-165°F or 68-74°C - you will need to take it off the grills and wrap it in tinfoil or butcher’s paper if you have it. If you don’t have an internal meat thermometer try below. When you are wrapping your meat add a little liquid - cider, apple juice, beer or even a little bourbon are all options. Some people like to add cider vinegar, but we always prefer a less sour flavour in our pork. Wrap up the meat tightly, making it as airtight as possible and return it to the grills for another 5-6 hours. When the internal temperature of the pork is 195-205°F or 91-96°C you can take it off the grill. Pork Butt Smoker Recipe Step 5 – Rest Your Pork Butt in Foil Rest the pork in the foil for at least 30-45 minutes. If you want to pull it apart with a fork, you can do this now. Other people prefer to cut their pork butt into thin slices. Serve in a brioche bun with BBQ sauce or with whatever sides you wish - coleslaw, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes or fries. If you enjoyed this article you could have a look at our article on ‘Top Smoker Recipes For Mouthwatering Delicious Eats.’ Or our ‘Tomahawk Steak Recipe For the Smoker.’

Introduction: What is Wood Fired Pizza and Why is it Different? Wood fired pizza is a type of pizza that is cooked in a wood fired oven. It was first introduced in Naples, Italy and has become very popular in the United States, and across the world. Wood fired pizza is different from other types of pizzas because it is cooked at a much higher temperature – at least 400°C or 752°F, and often even hotter again. True Neapolitan pizza is meant to be cooked in 1 minute, and you need move the pizza around regularly during the cook time so that your pizza is evenly cooked. This helps to create the wood smoked flavour profile and texture of the dough, sauce and toppings. The taste of the wood smoke is very distinctive and unique. Many people believe it is the most authentic way to enjoy pizza. Wood fired pizza certainly has a crispier crust and the toppings are usually cooked for less time than other types of pizza. How do I Cook Wood Fired Pizza? Wood fired ovens are usually more expensive than a regular oven but they really are worth it if you want to make great pizzas at home. Bighorn or Ooni have a number of very reasonably priced options, although other options are available. You can still make great tasting pizza in a conventional oven, although you obviously won’t get the wood fired taste. You can get round this to some extent by adding wood chips to the bottom of your oven in an aluminium tray. Soak the chips for an hour or two in some water. Just before you put them in the oven, drain them and keep some of the liquid you soaked them in. Then put your wood chips in an aluminium tray with a little of the soaking liquid, and place at the bottom of your oven. Soaking them stops them catching fire in the oven, and this little hack will help you get some smoke in to your pizzas. Another option we like is to smoke your pizza on the barbecue with the lid down or your smoker grill. That way you get a really good wood smoke flavour into your pizza, although it will take longer than a wood fired oven which is much hotter. We are going to take you through the process of making wood fired pizza at home step by step. How do I Make Wood Fired Pizza Dough? Ingredients for Neapolitan Style Wood Fired Pizza Dough 1 kg Tipo 00 Flour 250g Semolina Flour 30g Fine Sea Salt 5 Teaspoons of Sugar 600ml Lukewarm Water 10g Yeast 60ml Olive Oil Wood Fired Pizza with Rocket, Olives and Tomatoes We want a high gluten and high protein dough for best results. Gluten takes a while to develop so leaving your dough to prove for 2-3 days will ensure a high gluten content. 12-24 hours is fine, but 2-3 days in the fridge for a cold prove will always be better. You can always make it on Wednesday or Thursday to use on Saturday night. It’s not at all difficult and pretty fast to throw together. This will make around 10 11” Pizzas. Method for Perfect Wood Fired Pizza Dough To make the dough, we need to mix together our flours and yeast in a large mixing bowl – 250g of Semolina Flour to 1kg of Tipo 00 Flour plus 30g of Fine Sea Salt. 1. Mix the 1kg Tipo 00 flour, 250g of semolina and 30g salt in a large mixing bowl. 2. In a separate bowl, mix the lukewarm water with 10g of dried yeast and 5 teaspoons of sugar and mix well. 3. Add the two bowls together – wet and dry ingredients and mix well. 4. Depending on how your flour has reacted to the wet ingredients, you may need to add a touch more water if it is too dry and won’t come together, or a touch more flour if the dough is too wet. 5. Knead the dough by hand for approximately 5-10 minutes until you have a smooth dough ball. 6. Put the dough back into the bowl, trickle over a little olive oil, add a small handful of flour to the top of your dough, and then cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge. The longer you leave your dough, the easier it will be to stretch out and the better the end result. 2-3 days is optimal. How Do I Make the Sauce for Wood Fired Pizza? Ingredients For Homemade Pizza Sauce 2 Tins of Peeled Plum Tomatoes 1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder 1 Tablespoon of Onion Powder 1 Teaspoon of Dried Oregano 1 Teaspoon of Sugar 1 Teaspoon of Fine Sea Salt 1 Teaspoon of Freshly Ground Black Pepper Place all the ingredients in a blender (we like to use the Nutri-bullet for smoothness) and blend until you have a smooth paste. Now you are ready to roll out your dough. Rolling out Wood Fired Pizza Dough For each pizza you roll out you need a dough ball which is roughly the size of the palm of your hand. We want to roll our pizza out thinly so that it will cook quickly in the Neapolitan style, in the wood fired oven. Your pizza dough should have risen quite a lot in the bowl in the fridge. Take it out of the fridge for around 30 minutes to come up to room temperature before you roll it out. Tear off a piece of dough roughly the size of your palm, and place it on a flat surface with some semolina or Tipo 00 flour. Press your hands onto the dough and knead it for a few minutes. Now use a rolling pin to roll the dough out evenly and thinly until you have a 11 inch round pizza base. You have probably seen pizza makers spin the dough around and catch it on the back of their hands. While it’s an entertaining thing to watch, it’s also useful in helping to form a crust, and shape your pizza base. Try to pass the dough between your two hands and then throw it up and catch it on the back of your knuckles, if you can. When you catch the dough on the back of your hand it means that the dough is stretching out from the middle as it hangs down around the sides. This helps to shape it. Now you can add your tomato sauce to the top of your base. Now you can add mozzarella cheese and any other toppings for your wood fired pizza. The best way to experiment with your first wood fired pizza is to make a margarita to keep things simple. If you feel confident you could try pepperoni, goat’s cheese and red onion, or another classic combination. It’s really important at this point to put semolina flour on the base of your pizza, and on the paddle that you are using to place the pizza in the oven. Otherwise the base will definitely stick which can be disastrous! How Do I Cook My Wood Fired Pizza? You will need to put your pizza stone in your wood fired oven for a few minutes before you use it, so that it comes up to temperature. The heat of your pizza stone will cook the base of your pizza so it needs to be hot. The classic wood to use for wood fired pizza is oak, but you may wish to put a little apple or cherry wood in there for a subtle, mild and fruitier smoke flavour. Your oven should be up to at least 400°C or 752°F. Use a paddle to transport your pizza to the oven, these are cheap and really useful. They also make sure your hands are nowhere near the fierce heat of the oven. Keep your pizza on the paddle for a few seconds to get a decent blast of heat. The last thing we want is for the pizza to stick to the paddle as we are trying to set it on to the pizza stone. Gently shake your pizza off the paddle onto the hot pizza stone. The crust will rise quickly at the front of the pizza, make sure not to let it burn. At this high heat we will need to turn the pizza every few seconds, to make sure it cooks evenly. You need to watch the pizza constantly to make sure it doesn’t catch fire or char too much. Keep your pizza away from open flames and burning wood. Take care to turn the pizza through 360° for a minute or so until the base and cheese are cooked evenly. As with every art form practice makes perfect. If you would like to read the full blog entry, feel free to visit this address: https://bbqsmokergrill.org/wood-fired-pizza/

People are always asking, ‘What are the best woods for smoking meat?’ You will find different answers depending on who you ask, and where you ask it. There are definitely guidelines and general recommendations however. It’s a similar topic to pairing wines with food, and of course we will all still have our preferences. Some things are clear though – when smoking meat we will be using hardwoods and never softwoods. Hardwoods are woods such as alder, hickory, mesquite, maple, oak, or fruit woods like cherry and apple. Softwoods include cedar or pine and are never used for smoking meat because of the high resin content which will give off an acrid, thick and unpleasant smoke when burned. As a general rule of thumb a lighter hardwood (such as cherry, peach or apple) will be used for fish and chicken which are more delicate. This is similar to why they are both paired with white wine rather than a bolder punchier red. Pork, venison and beef are heavier meats and work well with a stronger smoke flavour such as oak, maple, hickory, mesquite and pecan. That being said, pork and apple are an excellent combination as well. Again, this is why the likes of beef and venison are paired with a more robust and bold red wine rather than white. We are going to take a closer look at a few different woods for smoking meat, and consider the qualities and experiences they bring to smoking. Woods for Smoking – Hickory Hickory wood is one of the most popular and versatile woods for smoking. We’ve all enjoyed hickory smoked bacon at some point. It goes particularly well with pork shoulder and ribs, but it also lends itself well to red meat and poultry. It isn’t a mild smoke flavour (like cherry for example) so it’s worth considering what you or your guests might prefer. Don’t use too much or your meat may take on a slightly bitter flavour. Overall hickory brings a strong, hearty, sweet and savoury flavour to your meat. Woods for Smoking – Maple Maple wood is actually one of the more subtle of the woods for smoking. It is great for bringing a light, sweet, mild smokey flavour to your meat. This makes it perfect for poultry, game birds such as pheasant or partridge, and fish. Woods for Smoking – Oak Oak is good wood to use if you are new to smoking meat. It isn’t as strong as hickory or mesquite and it won’t overpower your meat. It goes well with lamb, sausages, burgers and even beef. Woods for Smoking – Cherry Cherry wood imparts a fruity and mild smoke flavour, slightly milder again than that of apple wood. It’s a popular choice and fairly versatile. Some barbecuers like to do a mix of hickory and cherry, which balances the two flavours out really well. It goes really well with ham, chicken, turkey or even fish. Woods for Smoking – Apple Apple wood is always a popular and pleasing choice out of the woods to smoke. You may have tried Smoked Applewood cheese which will give you an idea of what it is like. Applewood is deliciously sweet, mild, fruity and mellow in flavour. It goes really well with chicken, pork, and game birds such as guinea fowl or pheasant. Woods for Smoking – Mesquite Mesquite is a very robust wood that creates an intense flavour. It’s best not to use it in large quantities as it is so unique and can be overpowering. It is best used with red meat because of its robust flavour. Woods for Smoking – Pecan As you might expect pecan wood has a sweet and nutty flavour. Some people like to use pecan wood along with another hardwood because it is so sweet and rich. It matches really well with ribs, briskets, beef in general and other red meats. Woods for Smoking – Alder Alder is a really great wood to smoke fish with because it is light and sweet. It’s very delicate just like fish. Try it with salmon, sea bass or other delicate white fish. It’s great for smoking shrimp/prawns as well. Now we are going to consider some of the less well known woods for smoking meat. Have fun and experiment! It may be that some of these woods for smoking are easier to find where you live so by all means make use of them! Woods for Smoking – Ash Ash wood will give you a smoke that is light to medium in terms of flavour. It has quite a mild flavour so you may wish to mix it with hickory or oak to balance the flavours out. It actually burns quite quickly so is best used for shorter smokes. It goes well with fish and poultry but can also work for beef as well. Woods for Smoking – Blackberry Blackberry wood is probably quite an unusual choice but it will give your meat a fairly mild smokey flavour, and obviously an overtone of fruit. Again it does burn quickly so it may be best for you to add right at the end of your smoking. It works well with poultry, pork but also beef. Woods for Smoking – Peach Peachwood produces quite a subtle and fruity flavour which lends itself well to poultry and pork. One to think about and quite an unusual and unique choice. Woods for Smoking – Acacia Acacia is one of the more interesting woods to smoke and is actually from the same tree family as mesquite. It is a strong flavour and should be used sparingly like mesquite, but definitely worth a go if you can source it. You can actually use it to smoke vegetables, beef, lamb and other red meat. It is a very flexible wood. Woods for Smoking – Orange, Lime and Lemon Woods Wood from these citrus trees is well worth a mention because they give you a mild to moderate smoke and impart a citrusy, fruity flavour to your meat. They aren’t as strong as applewood but the flavours are unique and worth trying. They go particularly well with chicken, beef and pork. Woods for Smoking – General Tips Always use hardwoods and never soft woods e.g. hickory, alder, maple, mesquite, oak, or pecan, or fruit wood such as apple or cherry. Avoid wood that looks powdery, rotten, or waterlogged. Don’t use softwoods such as fir, spruce and pine which have a lot of oils and resin which produces thick bitter smoke when they catch fire. Never use wood that is overly green because that means it’s full of moisture and needs to be dried out. Never use wet wood because it will give you an uneven smoke, making it difficult to control. You want to smoke your meat, not steam it. We hope you enjoyed this article and that it has given you some wood for thought! It is often going to come down to personal preference so we recommend you get smoking and get experimenting. If you enjoyed this article on woods for smoking meat you might also enjoy this article on ‘Smoked Burger Recipe.’ https://bbqsmokergrill.org/smoked-burger/ Or this one on ‘How to Clean a Grill Grate.’ https://bbqsmokergrill.org/how-to-clean-a-grill-grate/ Another great article on the topic woods for smoking meat can be found here: https://www.smokewoodshack.com/smoking-woods-and-flavours We like to use the Pit Boss Sportsman Wood Pellet Grill payments are low and slow, allowing you to pay it off monthly!

Prime Rib in a Smoker Recipe Posted bybbqsmokergrill January 3, 2022 Leave a commenton Prime Rib in a Smoker Recipe EditPrime Rib in a Smoker Recipe What could be more exciting at a barbecue than Prime Rib in a Smoker? Slow-cooked smokey beef falling off the bone with a crispy sticky crust… Ready to learn how to cook it yet? The Prime Rib cut comes from the cow’s ribs and spine, and it’s where you get the fantastic fat-marbled cut the ‘ribeye,’ from. When you buy a Prime Rib of Beef (or as it’s sometimes called a Rib Roast) you are buying a series of uncut ribeye steaks that can feed up to 10 people. It isn’t cheap but it is glorious. So let’s make the absolute most of it. Prime Rib in a Smoker Finished! Table of Contents How to Choose Your Prime Rib Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 1 – Prepare the Prime Rib Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 2 – Light Your Smoker Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 3 – Prepare Your Rub Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 4 – Get Your Prime Rib on the BBQ Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 5 – Rest Your Meat in Tinfoil Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 6 – Carve & Serve How to Choose Your Prime Rib We like to deal with a local butcher when it comes to choosing your rib roast. Be in mind you might need to order it in, in advance. Don’t be afraid to ask about the quality of the meat, where it came from, the kind of life that it had, and in particular the amount of fat. A decent marbling of fat is good but you still want to make sure you will get plenty of meat. You will need to consider whether you want your Prime Rib bone-in or boneless. We prefer our Rib Roast bone-in because the marrow in the bone really adds to the flavour, and the layer of bone actually protects your meat from cooking too quickly. It’s up to you in the end. If you are going to invest in an expensive cut you want the best quality possible. If you aren’t happy with the answers you may want to go elsewhere. There are plenty of decent, honest butchers out there. In terms of weight, a good rule of thumb is to aim for 1 pound (or 0.45 kg) of meat per person. If you are feeding 10 people at your barbecue aim for a 10 pound Prime Rib or 4.5kg Prime Rib roughly. You may want to get your butcher to trim off any excess fat around the outside of the joint, to save you a job. Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 1 Prepare Your Prime Rib Now that you have chosen your marbled masterpiece we can started with the prep. Start by trimming off any excess fat from around your meat, if you haven’t got the butcher to do this already. If you are keeping the bone in (highly recommended) just be aware that we are going to cut the Prime Rib into 1 inch thick steaks after cooking. Bones can cause confusion and divided opinions in cooking! Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 2 Light Your Smoker Regardless of your smoker box and how you fuel it, the process of smoking will be the same. You want to bring your smoker to a temperature of 110-120°C or 225-250°F, and keep it there. We like to use hickory wood chips which are perfect for smoking beef. Apple wood works well too and imparts a more subtle, slightly sweet smoke flavour into your meat. Top Tip – if you have plenty of herbs in your garden you can add a lovely extra flavour to your smoke. We use bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. The woody stalks of rosemary are particularly good. Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 3 – Prepare Your Rub Now we are going to make a simple rub to go over the top of your Prime Rib. Ingredients 4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped a sprig of rosemary leaves picked, finely chopped, stalk discarded 2 tbsps of olive oil 1/2 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika 1 tbsp of honey (or maple syrup if you prefer) 1 tsp of mustard 1 very cheeky shot (1 tbsp) of Bourbon freshly ground salt and pepper optional – a little chilli powder according to taste Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and give them a good whisk with a fork. Now pour liberally all over your lovely Rib Roast, trying to get it into every nook and cranny. Use your hands to coat your roast with your rub. Now we’re ready to start cooking! Prime Rib in the Smoker Step 4 Start Cooking! When your smoker is up to 110°C or 225°F put your Prime Rib onto your smoker grills directly. Now we are going to cook the Prime Rib in the smoker until the meat comes to the desired internal temperature. This internal temperature the most important way to tell if your meat is cooked. We like to use this Pit Boss one but it’s up to you. For rare your internal temperature will be 50-52°C or 125°F For medium rare internal temperature of 57°F or 135°F For medium internal temperature of 63-66°C or145°F For well done (although it’s a crime!) 72°C or 160°F Obviously you will need an internal food thermometer for all of this. That being said you can follow this rough timing guide to help. 110°C or 225°F takes roughly 40 minutes per pound (per 0.45kg) 120°C or 250°F takes around 30 minutes per pound (per 0.45kg) 135°C or 275°F takes about 20 minutes per pound (per 0.45kg) If you are smoking at around 110°C or 225°F a 4pound Rib Roast will take 2hours 40minutes, a 6 pound Rib Roast will take 4hours, an 8 pound Prime Rib 5hours 20minutes, and a 10pound one will take 6hours 40minutes. If you are concerned that your beef is drying out at any point brush it with a little honey or oil. Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 5 Rest in Tinfoil Once you are happy with the internal temperature of your beef, you need to rest it for around 30minutes. Wrap it in tinfoil. This allows you to keep all the lovely juices and moistness in your meat. Don’t worry it won’t get cold! Prime Rib in a Smoker Step 6 Carve and Serve You’ll need a good sharp knife and a fork for this. Now you can cut your Smoked Prime Rib into 1 inch thick steaks. You should be able to cut around the bones easily enough, although you may want to remove the bones with your knife. Serve with your favourite side dishes such as mash, barbecued corn on the cob, any kind of bread to mop up those lovely juices, fries – whatever you like! Happy smoking! Leave us a comment if you tried this recipe and it worked for you! If you enjoyed this recipe you may also enjoy our ‘BBQ Chicken Recipes,’ article. Or our ‘BBQ Vegetables Recipes.’ If you’d like another fantastic Prime Rib in A Smoker Recipe try this one: https://heygrillhey.com/smoked-prime-rib-roast/

There are few things more popular to smoke than BBQ recipes for chicken. Chicken and barbecue have gone hand in hand since the invention of BBQ (which was about 1.8 Million Years ago with our ancestors cooking with fire apparently). Here are our best BBQ recipes for chicken, along with a few BBQ tips, tricks and recommendations just for fun. Table of Contents BBQ Recipes for Chicken Wings – Ingredients BBQ Recipes for Chicken Wings – Method BBQ Recipes for Chicken Wings – The Perfect Blue Cheese Dip BBQ Recipes for Chicken Whole & Spatchcocked BBQ Recipes for Chicken – Sweet Chilli & Lime Marinade BBQ Recipes for Chicken Wings – Ingredients Barbecue Chicken Wings are an absolute winner of a snack. This is our top tried and tested recipe for parties, families or a perfect couples night in. Perfect for Around 20 Chicken Wings BBQ Chicken Recipes – Chicken Drumsticks Ingredients 1/4 teaspoon Extra Hot Chilli Powder (according to taste) A shot of Bourbon (just because you can) 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground 125g of Plain Flour (or 1 Cup) 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder 20 chicken wings 290g BBQ sauce(1 cup) Check our article on ‘How to Make BBQ Sauce.’ 170g honey(1/2/ cup) A Splash of Tabasco Sauce BBQ Recipes for Chicken Wings – Method Light your BBQ 30-40 minutes in advance of cooking your chicken wings In a bowl, combine flour, extra hot chilli powder, pepper, salt, sweet smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Coat your 20 chicken wings evenly in the flour shaking off any excess. Put your floured wings directly onto your BBQ grills and cook until brown and crispy. You may need to do this in batches. In another bowl, combine the shot of Bourbon with the BBQ sauce and the honey. Dip a brush into the mix and coat your BBQ chicken wings as they cook on the grills. If you need to keep your BBQ Chicken Wings warm until they are ready to serve, put them back into the oven at around 100°C. BBQ Recipes for Chicken Wings – The Perfect Blue Cheese Dip 100g Blue Cheese (We love St Agur but any good quality one will do) 150ml soured cream a squeeze of lemon juice 50g mayonnaise Sticks of Celery to serve BBQ Recipes for Chicken Spatchcocked The most efficient way to cook a whole chicken on the BBQ is of course to make sure it is spatchcocked. You can get your butcher to do this or you can do it yourself. Check this link to help you spatchcock it yourself. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-spatchcock-chicken-video Much like butterflying a single chicken fillet (cutting it in two, spreading it out but making sure the two pieces are still attached) spatchcocking allows the chicken to cook on the inside and outside much more quickly. It also allows you to get your bbq sauce marinade into every nook and cranny of your whole chicken. Again you can check our article, “How to Make BBQ Sauce’ out to help. You can slow cook your whole chicken at around 110 C for 2-3 hours in your bbq or smoker to make sure the meat is beautifully moist and tender. Apple wood chips added to your burning coals bring extra bonus flavours. You can also cook your spatchcocked chicken in the oven at 180 Degrees C for 1-2 Hours and finish it off on the BBQ, for around 40 mins. BBQ Chicken Recipes – Sweet Chilli Lime Chicken – Ingredients 96g or 3/4 cup sweet chilli sauce 43g or 1/3 cup soy sauce Juice of 2 limes Thinly chopped spring onions (or chives) to serve 4 chicken breasts Olive Oil Lime wedges to serve BBQ Recipes for Sweet Chilli Lime Chicken – Method Whisk together chilli sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce. Set aside 32g or 1⁄4 cup marinade. Add chicken to a plastic bag or Ikea bag and pour in your marinade. For best results marinate in your fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Fire up your BBQ when you are ready to cook. As long as it’s hot enough you can grill your chicken at 8 minutes per side. Pour over your reserved marinade to keep it moist. Use the lime wedges and spring onions to serve. Coriander leaves are also a definite option. BBQ Recipes for Chicken – Sweet Chilli Lime – Ingredients 1/4/ Extra Hot Chilli Powder (or more if needs be) 1½ heaped teaspoons sweet smoked paprika 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons best quality honey 3 tablespoons organic ketchup 1 orange 1 teaspoon good quality olive oil 4 x 120 g skinless organic chicken breasts Method Light Your BBQ 30 minutes in advance Finely grate the orange zest into a shallow bowl. Add the chilli powder, sweet smoked paprika, Dijon mustard, honey, organic ketchup, a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a further splash of quality olive oil. Make sure to season with a pinch of freshly ground salt and pepper. Now you can spoon out a few tablespoons of your marinade to set aside. Put your chicken breasts into your bowl with the marinade you have set aside. Make sure that they are well coated, cover with some clingfilm and then let them sit until your BBQ is hot enough. When your BBQ is hot enough you can put your lovely marinated chicken onto the grill, and cook it for roughly 8 minutes on each side. Longer if your chicken breasts are larger. Use your left over marinade to serve with your chicken, allowing your guests to spoon out as much extra as they like. The result will be spectacular. The chicken will be moist, flavoursome and most importantly chargrilled to perfection. The tasty marinade will help to create those lovely caramelised, crispy sticky bits on your chicken we all know and love. More BBQ Recipes for Chicken…. BBQ Chicken Drumsticks – Ingredients Chilli powder (as hot as you can take) Sweet Smoked paprika Freshly Ground Salt & Pepper 4 Tbsps of Bbq sauce (your own or try our BBQ sauce recipe) 2 Crushed Garlic Cloves Thumb-sized Piece of Fresh Ginger Peeled and Chopped Juice of half a lime Dash of Tabasco Sauce (according to taste) Dash of Worcester Sauce 1 Tbsp of Olive oil 12 Chicken Drumsticks Using fresh ginger and garlic (rather than ground ginger and garlic powder) makes a massive difference to the flavour. However if you don’t have the fresh stuff, we won’t tell if you use a teaspoon of garlic powder and one of ground ginger. BBQ Chicken Drumsticks – Method Get your Barbecue or Smoker fired up 30-40 minutes before you want to cook. You’ll want it at a moderate heat. Put all your ingredients in a bowl (except the chicken) and mix together into a marinade. Add your chicken drumsticks to the bowl and coat them evenly in your marinade. Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 30mins. The longer the better. When you are ready to cook your drumsticks place them on the grills. They will take around 40minutes turning halfway through. You’ll need to move the drumsticks around a little cook them all evenly. Make sure your charcoal is in a mound shape with the most amount of heat in the centre of your BBQ. Move the drumsticks from the hot centre to the cooler parts around the outside. If you think they are getting too dry while cooking, brush with a little oil or lime juice. Serve with Blue Cheese Dip above, and perhaps some suitably scorched and barbecued corn on the cob. If you enjoyed this article you should try our article ‘How to Make BBQ Sauce.’ Or perhaps ‘How to Light a BBQ.’

Hey everyone. I'd just like to share a blogpost from my BBQ Smoker Grill Blog on Making Your Own Homemade BBQ Sauce. Please enjoy, and Happy New Year! https://bbqsmokergrill.org/how-to-make-bbq-sauce/