So Many Smokers, So Little Time

The other day I came across a post in a foodie group where someone was looking for advice on choosing a smoker because he wanted to start smoking meats. This was my chance to get my opinion out there, and it wasn’t completely unsolicited. 

Classic Weber Grill

Starting Out

At first, I was smoking briskets and chicken in college and then moved on to pork shoulders and ribs. But, I have not perfected the ribs. That’s not the point. A few years ago, I completed a Backyard Pitmaster class from Brisket U, but that’s not the point either. The point is that I am not a professional pitmaster, but still have some thoughts and opinions on the subject. I’d like to think I’m qualified to give my not completely unsolicited advice. 

I’ve owned offset smokers and barrel smokers and have some minor experience with the egg type of smokers. I have found that the grill that works best for me though is the simplest. I have gone through at least a couple of Weber classic kettle grills. They make great smokers. As with all grills, they require periodic attention to ensure that there is enough fuel for the fire to keep up the smoke and heat to cook your meat. With any grill, the key is to control airflow to keep the fire at the right size to keep the temperature and smoke at the right level. 

Pellet Style Smokers

What I don’t have any experience with, and what most of the comments giving advice were about, was the pellet-style smoker. What I call and understand to be the set it and forget it type of smoker. For me, half the fun in smoking a piece of meat is tending to the fire and maintaining the heat. It should be a hands-on experience. For me, filling up a box with pellets and setting a thermostat takes all or most of the fun out of it. The pellet-style smoker does work for some people. 

Final Thoughts

This is just my opinion. There are many different schools of thought out there on grilling and smoking. I like a grill that can do it all without a lot of bells and whistles. There’s a lot of information out there for you to make an informed decision for yourself. 

Chimichurri Steak

Chimichurri Steak

I've been thinking about making this one for a while, and finally got around to finding a night to try it out! The chimichurri sauce is full of big flavors that compliment steak perfectly! This chimichurri is based off of Anthony Bourdain's version, with a few modifications.


The Recipe:

• 1 1/2 Cups Olive Oil
• 1/4 Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Cup Finely-Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1 Cup Finely-Chopped Fresh Cilantro
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
• 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• Juice of Half a Lime
• Juice of Half a Lemon
• Salt to taste
• 1 Top Sirloin, About 2 Pounds

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined. Marinate the top sirloin in a plastic storage bag for at least 1 hour. Then, it's time for the grill. I grilled this top sirloin using the reverse sear method.

Chimichurri Steak Ready for the Grill

While the top sirloin was on the grill, I put the remaining marinade on the stove. Once it came to a simmer, I turned down the heat. Now, I had a sauce for my steak! I served this top sirloin along side some crinkle cut sweet potato fries!

Reverse Seared New York Strip

Reverse seared New York Strip!

One of my favorite meals is steak night! Last Saturday night was a rainy, Houston night, so what could be better than a steak and a movie at home? A creature of habit, I usually cook a steak the steak the same way each time. The same seasoning, the same sides, the same method. A good steak doesn't come cheap, so why take a chance and risk getting it wrong?




I have been hearing a lot about the "reverse sear method," when it comes to grilling meats, especially steaks. I decided to take a leap of faith with the two New York Strips I had picked up and try it out. I'm not sure that I'll ever go back. The cooking time is a little longer, but well worth the wait. The color is consistent throughout and melts like butter.

Grill the steak over indirect heat.

Conventional wisdom would tell you that a good sear when a piece of meat first lands on the grill will lock the juices in. The reverse sear does the same thing, but better. Since the meat is not over direct heat, the juices don't ever have a chance to cook out, making for a more tender, juicier steak.




Enough of me talking about it, let's cook!




The Recipe:

• 2 New York Strips
• Steak Seasoning (Cavender's has always been my go to)

Prepare a charcoal grill. For tips on setting up your grill visit here. The fire should be built on one side of the grill, so that the steak can cook over indirect heat.

Grill the steak of indirect heat

Season the steak and let sit out at room temperature. This will allow the steak to cook more evenly. 

Finish the steak over the fire.

The idea of the "reverse sear method" is to cook the steak before it goes over the flame, leaving it to sear at the very end. Place the seasoned steak on the grill, opposite from the fire. I cooked my steak 6 to 7 minutes per side over indirect heat, before searing it about a minute per side over the fire. This still allowed for a nice medium rare dark pink color that was consistent throughout. This steak was delicious and I cannot wait to repeat the experience!

Happy eating!

Honey Mustard Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Honey Mustard Marinated Pork Tenderloin

I was messing around one day with salad dressing variations and mixed some lemon juice with some Dijon mustard. It was good, but not quite right. It needed something sweet in it. The classic honey mustard combo was what I went for. After the initial salad dressing test, I tried it on a few other things. It makes a good coleslaw. But where I hit gold, was as a pork marinade. The spice of the mustard, the sweet of the honey, and the acid of the lemon compliment the pork perfectly.


The Recipe:

• 1 Cup Spicy Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• Juice of 1 Large Lemon
• 2 Pork Tenderloins
• 1 Large Storage Bag

Use a plastic storage bag for marinating

Perforate the pork with a fork to allow the marinade to get inside the meat. Move the pork to a large storage bag. In a large bowl, mix together the mustard, honey, and lemon juice. I like to use a coarse grain mustard to give it some extra spice, but it depends on who I am cooking for. A milder, smoother mustard will work fine. Just don't use yellow mustard here. Don't worry about straining out the seeds or pulp from the lemon. It helps with the flavor. Pour the marinade in to the bag with the pork. With the bag sealed, work the pork and marinade around to get the pork completely covered. Let the pork sit in the fridge for at least 12 hours, preferably overnight.

Get a good smoke going to really enhance the
the flavor. The smoke is just to enhance the flavor,
not to actually cook the meat.

Remove the pork from the bag and place on a plate to let the extra marinade drip off. The mustard has a habit of burning and let it drip off a little will help prevent any unwanted burning on the grill. I like to use charcoal for this dish instead of gas, so that I can get a good smoky flavor in the pork. The smoke and mustard flavors were meant to be together. Get the grill to about 450-500 degrees. If you want to throw some oak or hickory in there to help get some smoke going. I use an oak lump charcoal that works really well. Grill about 10 - 15 minutes per side and then over indirect heat another 5 - 10 minutes. 

Honey Mustard Marinated Pork with
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Asparagus

I've served this with a few different things. Salad. Mixed veggies. Roasted potatoes. Usually I'll have rolls in the freezer I can throw in the oven. This time, I served the pork with some cheesy mashed potatoes and asparagus sautéed with onions and garlic.

Charcoal: Briquettes vs Lump

There are many ways to barbecue. Grills come in all varieties from a fancy custom rig to portable folding beach grill. Of course the grill you choose depends on a variety of criteria: space, cost, and application.

Once the grill is chosen, and probably assembled, the next thing to consider is how you light your grill. If the grill is gas powered then it is a simple process. But if you are going charcoal, it can be a bit more complicated. The go to is simple lighter fluid. While I do still use it at times, I don't like it and I don't recommend it. It always seems to leave a lighter fluid flavor behind. I've seen people spend time to light charcoal with a blow torch, but it always seems to take a lot of time.

The best method I've ever found is the chimney starter. In my house there are always ads and coupons lying around waiting to be crumpled up in balls. It is also somewhat satisfying to use bills, they're on auto pay anyway, and junk mail.  This is the most natural way to light the grill there is.

I've recently made the switch from charcoal briquettes to lump charcoal. It is one of the best culinary decisions I've made in a long time.

With briquettes,  there was always a flavor I was trying to mask with smoke from various types of wood. Now, with the oak lump charcoal, the smoke is there and the undesirable flavor is gone. If you're on the fence or looking to try something new, I strongly recommend that you make you switch to lump charcoal.