Muffin

[muffin]

Hey everybody, I am muffin from NC, a beginner at smoke cooking. Have grilled all my life, but it has taken me 77 years to start smoke cooking. I am enjoying ever bite of it. I need all the help I can get.

muffin

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Hi and welcome Muffin!

I am sure you'll get lots o help here, just not from me unfortunately, I do very little smoking sorry to say. But I want to welcome you just the same!

Cheers, CCCathy

[jglass]

Hi Muffin. I have a stovetop smoker.
We loved smoked chicken wings etc..

[The Ironic Chef]

Hey there Muffin. It's nice to meat you. I enjoy smoking beef, pork and poultry during the summer months. I don't do anything monstrous. Just a big enough piece of meat fo a meal and sandwiches for the week. Your in BBQ country down there in NC so I'm looking forwards to any recipes you post .

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Howdy Muffin and Welcome!

In case you can't tell, we're a fine bunch of friendly folks. We always enjoy meeting new people and making new friends.

I've got a soft spot in my heart for NC. Haven't been there since I was a wee child, but I spent many years in Alaska so I like mountains and nature... I can see myself relocationg/retiring to north-western NC in a few years and setting-down roots in the Ashville area where there are plenty of scenic hills, forests and just enough history, culture and stimulation to keep the blood pumpin'!

[muffin]

Thanks for the welcome, I am located on the east coast of NC near the ocean. I visit the ashville area as oftern as I can it is a beautiful area. it is amusing at how the folks in the western part want to come to the east and the eastern folks like to visit the west. NC is just a good place to live work and play.
muffin

[chubbyalaskagriz]

It indeed sounds like a truly beautiful state, muffin!

[muffin]

Hey there Muffin. It's nice to meat you. I enjoy smoking beef, pork and poultry during the summer months. I don't do anything monstrous. Just a big enough piece of meat fo a meal and sandwiches for the week. Your in BBQ country down there in NC so I'm looking forwards to any recipes you post .

I

I appreciate the reply. I an just beginning to learn about smoking. Have grilled all of my life, but just bought a Sears propane smoker which I am enjoying. Have bought several books on smoking and trying various recipes. My favorite for Ribs so far is one I have modified. I use a brown Sugar Rub (from Karen Putman book, Champnship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoke Food} and I smoke Pork Ribs for approximately 5 hrs at 225 degrees and spray with Apple Juice ever 30 or 40 mninutes until the last hour and then I baste with Red Pepper Jelly. They really turn out good. Not sure if I need to spray the apple juice or not since my smoker has a water pan for moisture. Next time I do them, I am going to wrap them during the last to see if they will be a little tenderer. Mayber somebody out there can tell me if I need to spray that often. I hate losing the heat so often.

muffin.

[The Ironic Chef]

Muffin, I have never dealt with a propane smoker before but if you have a water pan for moisture control then I would just use the apple juice instead of water. But again, at 225*, I would almost consider that steaming the ribs.
I do use rubs or soak what ever I am going to smoke in a brine over night before I put it on the grill. The type of wood I use for smoking is generally what I look to for flavoring. I use apple, cherry, mesquite, hickory and birch for my chips. Depending on what type of meat or poultry I am smoking and what theme I am looking for depends on the type of one of those woods I will use.
You mentioned above that you did your final glaze with a Red Pepper Jelly. If you wanted more apple flavor you could have made a BBQ sauce by combining your jelly with the apple juice and reducing it down to the consistency to brush it on. When I am ready to glaze, usually the last half hour to forty five minutes of cooking, I like to crank up the heat, brush on the glaze and turn, brush and turn, brush and turn so as not to burn the glaze because of the sugar content. I build the glaze gradually. Everyone enjoys spooning the sauce on when serving too.
A good tip for smoking, don't rely on times. Get a nice reliable brand of meat thermometer and go by temperatures for the meat or poultry you are cooking. Allow for carry over cooking for when you remove it from the grill to rest. You will be more satisfied with the finished product.