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Hello, I bought a nice-looking side of salmon earlier today which I'm going to cure and then smoke with apple/oak dust. It's just over 1kg in weight, but it is rather long, and I think it may be too long when I hang it from the lid of my ProQ smoker. Apologies if this is a daft question, but would it matter if I cut it in half and hung both pieces from the lid? Or is there any benefit to keeping it whole? Also, in Tim Hayward's excellent book Food DIY, he recommends a 24-hour smoke (so, setting the ProQ Cold Smoke Generator up and letting it run through twice). That seems a lot longer than other smoking times I've seen (usually 10-12hrs) - any thoughts? Thanks very much!

I made brisket chilli this evening. It was really good! I based it on the recipe above, and added a few things: garlic, fresh thyme, chilli powder, chipotle Tabasco and a tin of black beans. I'd overcooked the brisket a bit, but this recipe put the moisture back in, and I was very happy with it. Will definitely be cooking this again 🙂

Excellent, thank you

Turned out really well. Took about 8hrs, left to rest, then served in rolls with dill pickle and jalapeños, and some Asian coleslaw. Just the job on a hot day! Plenty of leftovers, too – any suggestions what to do with it?

Going to be a scorcher today. Got a 3kg pork butt on the go, with hickory and cherry wood (and a few beers while I keep an eye on things) 🙂

and most importantly, the missus liked it! I have a stack of sauce left over, so will probably freeze it in small quantities so I have it when I need it.

Very pleased with the result. A hint of smoke, and the flavourful braising liquid did the trick. When I put the meat right over the coals, the flames leapt up, so got a bit more char than I was expecting, but overall, very happy. Here's a pic. Thank you @Justin for the recipe 🙂

Thanks, Justin.

Hi Justin, am reducing the sauce now. Once that's done, do you add the ketchup, treacle etc to the reduced sauce so it's all in the same pan?

Thanks, everyone. Will report back 😀

@Justin I like the sound of that! My missus says other meats I've done have been 'too smoky', so this might be ideal for her. Quick question: on my ProQ Frontier, should I add a stacker (or two), and smoke the ribs with a bit of distance between them and the heat for first part, then put them right on the grille above the coals? Also, for such a short cooking time (ie less than an hour), can I get away with much less charcoal than normally, or do I still need a fair bit to get the heat up? Seems a waste to fill the basket with charcoal for such a short cook (or can I use them again?)

Going to have a crack at short ribs for the first time this weekend. Was planning oak and hickory mix, but minimal rub - probably just salt and pepper.

Welcome!

Well, that was embarrassing. I got Farenheit muddled up with Centigrade yesterday 😳🤬😥 Set the beef for 122˚ and I wondered why it was miles away after three hours. Once I realised, the internal temp of the beef was 72˚C, so let it rest to allow any juices that were left to do their thing, then quick sear over the coals. The end product was very tasty, and still had a little moisture in, but was WAY more overcooked that I would have liked. Very frustrating, but a lesson learned!

Thanks, Wade, good to know. Smoke leaks out of my ProQ Frontier, but only a little. When I read some of these posts I wondered if I needed to sort the seals out on the doors, but from what you've said, no need.

Looks delicious 🙂

That's a really good deal – thanks for letting us know. Just ordered 32kg for £31, and free delivery, too 😀

Is there a consensus on the best rubs for specific meats? Am reverse-searing a cote de boeuf this weekend, and am keen to keep it simple, so was just planning to use salt and coarsely ground black pepper. So far, I've used Bad Byron's Butt Rub as an all-purpose rub on a few different meats, and while I think it's fine, I want to narrow down the key ingredients depending on the meat I'm cooking. But it would be good to hear from others if you think that beef lends itself to a particular ingredient, and pork another etc

Welcome, Rob!

Can you do that with briquettes? I thought you couldn't, because of what they're made of - I have lump, too, which is OK for 'dirty' BBQing, isn't it?

Yep, good point. I'll do it that way 😋

Cote de boeuf/beef rib on the bone is by far my favourite cut of meat. I reverse-seared one on the ProQ a few weeks ago and was very happy with the result, but is it better than searing it first and cooking it slowly? If I'm cooking indoors, I would sear it then finish in oven, but on a smoker, could you sear it over the coals then smoke it? Again, thanks for any tips.

Ha, just seen their location - Hilltop in Hatfield. I was a student there and we were warned NEVER to go into The Harrier pub. I'd get chills heading back there! 😄

Just had a look at their site, looks really good. Will give them a try – could you share the code with me?

Thanks very much! Yes, am going to order some ribs online (and probably a pork butt while I'm at it).