Grilling, Smoking, BBQ, etc. WAYCT (What Are You Cooking Today) Outdoor Edition
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Oh, nothing went wrong with the cauliflower, it came out just fine. I was following a recipe from Genevieve Taylor, and it was pretty great.
My complaint about the process being labor intensive is basically about me not using the right tools for the job:
I have a dedicated smoke oven:
An oven like that uses sawdust rather than wood chips, so that’s what I have a hand.
But whereas wood chips can just be thrown on the coals in the Weber that doesn’t work with the sawdust. Now I believe Weber sells something called a “smoke box” that could be used, but I don’t have one of those either.
So I used an old Weber device for cold smoking in a kettle grill:
It’s the spiral thing in the middle. It worked, but at first didn’t burn quickly enough (it is supposed to burn slow) so I had to fiddle with putting coal on it to increase the smoke output.
So basically - it works, but if you’re cooking something in a kettle grill and want smoke flavor, consider using wood chips
Smoking vegetables - in general my experience is limited, and the challenge is go get smoke flavor in them while avoiding drying them out. With the cauliflower blanching it (or steaming) for a few minutes and then putting olive oil on it before smoking it worked terrifically. Other good vegetable candidates for smoking is aubergines (for baba ganoush) and my favorite, potatoes, which hold the smoke taste very well.
Aubergines I would cook in a kettle grill, while I would put cooked potatoes in the smoke oven (hot or cold).
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@TeflonDon a dedicated smoke oven looks like the go, reckon I’d even start smoking cheese if I had one like yours.
Been going down the YouTube Weber rabbit hole since we started talking about webers and came across a thing they called a smoke ring that has a defuser plate. Turns out I have one but never really knew what is was for. Neatly threw out a while back. Might even give it a shot.
Only downside to having a Weber where I live is that they are absolutely dangerous in summer. I could potentially burn the town down….
and I never want to be that guy.Cheers for the tip on the vege’s I’ll give it a shot when I get home from my holidays.
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Smoking cheese is great - I’ve done that a lot.
I think my absolute favorite is havarti - a full fat, very mild danish cheese. If taken straight from the oven is very soft on the inside, and the fat really retains the smoke flavor.
Cheddar is another favorite, though it can go a bit dry.
And another benefit of smoking cheese is that it “kills” them, and stop them from maturing further. So if you have a Brie or similar that’s is on the verge of getting too intense it can be “stabilized“ by smoking.
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@TeflonDon I have some smoked cheddar that's been vacuum sealed in my fridge for about 3 years. It's going to be super mellow and delicious when I crack it open later this year. Lovely stuff!
Also, if you're in a country that sells Cheez-It, I highly recommend smoking some of those. You'll thank me later
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@TeflonDon said in Grilling, Smoking, BBQ, etc. WAYCT (What Are You Cooking Today) Outdoor Edition:
And another benefit of smoking cheese is that it “kills” them, and stop them from maturing further.
Didn’t know that one either, very Interesting
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I’m at ancestral home for the summer and this weekend we meet with friends for 3-day beef extravaganza. The porterhouse was aged for 30 days and the filet mignon for 20. All grass fed.
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Greek style marinaded grilled chicken on the Weber.
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@catdad1 cool grate setup
