Pellet Smoker vs Real Wood

About a week ago, I wrote a post about all of the different types of smokers. Smokers come in all different types, shapes, and sizes. You have offsets, box smokers, electric smokers, propane-fueled smokers, kettle smokers, and the seemingly ever popular pellet smokers. These pellet smokers seem to have exploded on to the market in the past few years, giving way to a whole sect of the population who is suddenly crazy about smoking meats.

Stack of Firewood

But, there’s a problem with that. Over the weekend I went to my local Lowe’s to get some more firewood for my rotisserie and was disappointed to find that they seem to only carry campfire wood, not exactly something you want to cook with, and a whole aisle full of a variety of manufactured pellets. That’s great if you use a pellet smoker. But for me, a pellet smoker is like an infomercial I saw on TV years ago for an electric countertop home rotisserie. The man peddling this product would say, “Set it and forget it!” Well, I don’t want to set my smoker and forget it.

For me, part of the joy of cooking is the experience of actually cooking. I’ll even forgive the electric and propane type smokers. With these, you still have to go out there and add wood chips from time to time. I enjoy the work of cooking, not just eating what I’ve made. I enjoy putting all of the ingredients together to make something delicious. Even more, I enjoy checking on anything that I have slow cooking, say like something on the smoker. Going outside to check on the grill and see if the fire is still where I want it to be is therapeutic. I can only imagine that checking on a hopper full of pellets in your pellet smoker is less than fulfilling. 

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. 

Smoked Pork Loin and Baked Potatoes

A month or so ago, I had something rare happen. I had the house to myself for the 

Smoke Pork Loin and Baked Potatoes
on the Grill

weekend. My wife had taken the kid off to see the Grands for a few days. On these rare occasions, I get to make whatever I want without having to worry about who is going to eat it. I had a pork loin in the fridge and found some potatoes and went to work. A smoked pork loin was just the thing I wanted.

I knew I had some yard work to do, so the smoker was the way to go. I put some seasoning on the pork and I was on my way!

The Tools

• Smoker or Grill
• Lump Charcoal
• Chimney Starter
• Wood Chips or Chunks
• Foil

The Ingredients

• Pork Loin
• Potatoes
• Butter
• Spice Rub
• Salt and Pepper

Smoked Pork Loin Method

The first thing gets the grill going. It can be a regular charcoal grill, a full-size smoker, though it might be a bit overkill for this application, or even a pellet smoker, which might be a bit much too. My favorite way to light the grill is with a chimney starter. There’s no messy lighter fluid flavor this way. I still use a classic Weber for my smoker. It’s what I have had the most success with.

While the charcoal is getting ready, it’s time to get the pork and potatoes ready. For the pork, use your favorite spice rub. I’ve used quite a few spice rubs over the years, and my favorite is called The Dalmatian. It’s 50/50 salt and pepper. I’ve found that anything complicated gets lost in the smoker when the final product comes off the smoker. Generously apply the spice rub to the pork, making sure everything is covered.

The potatoes will get a similar treatment. Season them with salt and pepper. and wrap in foil with a few generous pieces of butter. The foil will still allow smoke to pass through, but you can punch some holes with a fork if you want.

The charcoal should be ready by now. All you will need is a small fire to get the grill temp between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit. No matter which grill you use, you’ll want to use indirect heat. That just means the fire is on one side and the meat is on the other. The meat will be ready once the internal temp is between 140 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before you cut into it. The potatoes will be ready at the same time as the pork. Mine was on the grill for about an hour.

Serving the Smoked Pork Loin

Feel free to use any barbecue sauce you want to with this. It will lend itself well to whichever you choose. For the potatoes, I went classic baked potato, with butter and cheese and green onions.

Happy eating!

Backyard Pitmaster

Brisket U Certificate

Over the weekend, my wife surprised me a  backyard barbecue class with Brisket U. These classes are all taught by certified KCBS judges and pitmasters, who are often members of competitive barbecue teams! At the end of the 3 hour class, you will have all of the knowledge you need to smoke the perfect brisket in your backyard. As much as I'd like to give you some pointers here, I don't think the folks at Brisket U would appreciate it! You'll just

have to find a class near you!