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1.) DParker - 05/19/2017
I've got a 10.76 lb vacuum packed bone-in pork shoulder in the freezer that I've been wanting to smoke for a while. But finding a weekend with enough free time to babysit the smoker for 14 hours (or more) has been a challenge...and I keep forgetting to transfer it to the fridge for defrosting early in the week. So after doing a bit of reading I decided to get creative about it.

That's right...I'm gonna' sous vide Porky's butt. Not only that, I'm going to toss it into the bath straight from the freezer. Since it's already vac-packed I don't even need to do that. I got everything ready to go in the kitchen tonight, and just before I leave for work tomorrow morning I'll put the roast in the container, cover it in hot tap water and set the Anova to 165°F...and then leave it for 24-28 hours (depending on when the rain quits that's expected Saturday morning.) Then I'll cover it in rub and toss it into the smoker at 300°F for however long it takes to bring the internal temp to ~200°F, give or take.

I predict that this will either be a brilliant success or an unmitigated disaster...and nothing in between. My biggest concerns are that the meat won't hold together after that much time in the sous vide, or that there won't be enough time in the smoker to create any bark. But I'm hoping that the higher smoker temp will solve that problem.
2.) Triton Rich - 05/19/2017
[B]Good lord that sounds dangerous, be careful! :wink I dunno, it actually sounds like a good plan to me. Then again, I'm from Illinois, I don't know a thing about smoked meat. Not to mention that I couldn't imagine a set of circumstances where I would have 4 hours to babysit a smoker, much less 14 :-) I'll stand by and await the final report![/B]
3.) DParker - 05/19/2017
[QUOTE=Triton Rich;48990][B]Good lord that sounds dangerous, be careful! :wink:[/B][/QUOTE]

Yet another example of my willingness to face great peril in the name if science.
4.) DParker - 05/19/2017
So...the madness begins...
5.) Swamp Fox - 05/19/2017
So is the sous vide doing the defrost and most of the cooking, and the smoker finishes it off?


I like your meat anchor.

That doesn't sound right, but there...I said it.
6.) crookedeye - 05/19/2017
You do no this has never been attempted before..
7.) DParker - 05/19/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48993]So is the sous vide doing the defrost and most of the cooking, and the smoker finishes it off?[/quote]

That's the plan, Stan.

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48993]I like your meat anchor.[/quote]

Surprisingly, the shoulder didn't try to float..but it did keep getting pulled toward the cooker, so I jammed that mallet in there in order to keep the two apart.

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48993]That doesn't sound right, but there...I said it.[/QUOTE]



[QUOTE=crookedeye;48994]You do no this has never been attempted before..[/QUOTE]

As much as I'd like to take credit for the idea I actually go it from reading about other people cooking shoulders the same way...though finishing it in the smoker might be a bit of a twist (I think most/all other accounts I read involved either using the meat as-is when it came out of the bath, or finishing it on a grill or under a broiler.)
8.) Swamp Fox - 05/19/2017
LOL...


165 represents the water temp, correct? And then some expert or chart tells you X pounds will be defrosted/partially cooked in Y amount of time?

Do you know what the meat temp will be when you take it out of the water? And then do you/how do you have some idea how much time at 300 will be necessary to hit an internal 200?
9.) DParker - 05/19/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48996]165 represents the water temp, correct?[/quote]

Correct.

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48996]And then some expert or chart tells you X pounds will be defrosted/partially cooked in Y amount of time?[/quote]

In this case I'm going based on a collection of anecdotes posted by quite a few other sous vide users who have experience with this cut of pork. It's pretty much unanimous that 24 hours or so at that temperature is sufficient to yield a tender and fully-cooked shoulder.

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48996]Do you know what the meat temp will be when you take it out of the water?[/quote]

In theory, at that point the temperature throughout the meat should be a uniform 165ºF. One way or the other I'll know for sure because I'll be embedding one my my iGrill2's temperature probes in it.

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48996]And then do you/how do you have some idea how much time at 300 will be necessary to hit an internal 200?[/QUOTE]

At this point...I don't have a clue. It's one of the biggest bits of knowledge I hope to gain from this because I couldn't find information on it from others who had attempted the same thing. All I'm reasonably certain of is that it should take a LOT less than 14 hours (especially since 165ºF is a bit passed the point where shoulders typicall stall in a smoker), which is the whole point of this exercise. So the really important questions remaining are...

[LIST=1]
[*]How much smoker time will be required?
[*]Whatever the answer to #1 turns out to be, will that be enough time at 300ºF to dry the surface, create a bark AND give me good smoke infusion?
[/LIST]

I think the pursuit of these questions is Discovery Channel worthy. Do you think they'll call?
10.) Swamp Fox - 05/19/2017
Probably not unless you have some work done...



11.) DParker - 05/19/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48999]Probably not unless you have some work done...



[url]http://jokideo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Cooking-shows-for-men-be-like-meme-600x357.jpg[/url][/QUOTE]

Hey, that didn't stop this guy from making it....

12.) Swamp Fox - 05/19/2017
I don't think I ever caught his show. I did see this a while back:


[QUOTE]Do you miss Alton Brown's classic cooking show Good Eats? You're about to get more of it... and then some. In a live chat with fans, Brown has revealed that his previously hinted-at internet cooking show will be [B]a spiritual sequel to Good Eats, but without the corporate limits that kept him from cooking certain meals or exploring techniques while on TV. He may cook rabbit, for example, or work with sous vides -- those just weren't options on the Food Network, Brown says.[/B]

As a sign of the change in direction, the chef spent most of his chat soliciting ideas from fans. You could see him cooking with only a microwave, trying Hawaiian food or making poutine. [B]He even floated the idea of making a Brunswick stew with squirrel meat.[/B] The internet-only show won't debut until sometime in 2017, but it's already evident that Brown plans to take full advantage of his online freedom -- this won't be sanitized for the sake of nervous broadcasters. [url]https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/30/alton-brown-internet-cooking-show/[/url][/QUOTE]


[Emphasis mine.]


Yeah, squirrel in Brunswick stew is INSANE!---:re:


(That's what real Brunswick stew is, ya morons!)







:bang:
13.) DParker - 05/19/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49004]I don't think I ever caught his show.[/quote]

It was great. Some of the attempts at humor were...well...just goofy. But the pop culture references were usually fun..and the episode on scallops where they played on the Captain Quint character from [I]Jaws[/I] was a classic:

[INDENT]"You go in the cage. Cage goes in the water. Scallop's in the water. [I]Our[/I] scallop. Fare well and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies...."[/INDENT]

But it was an excellent show because, if you paid attention, you learned the relevant scientific principles involved in cooking, presented in layman's terms. So rather than just blindly following recipes, or hearing nonsense explanations from cooking show personalities who don't actually know what they're talking about, you actually learned WHY things happen the way they do, allowing you to make at least semi-informed decisions when coming up with concoctions of your own. My kids and I watched every episode.

[QUOTE]As a sign of the change in direction, the chef spent most of his chat soliciting ideas from fans. You could see him cooking with only a microwave, trying Hawaiian food or making poutine. He even floated the idea of making a Brunswick stew with squirrel meat. The internet-only show won't debut until sometime in 2017, but it's already evident that Brown plans to take full advantage of his online freedom -- this won't be sanitized for the sake of nervous broadcasters. [url]https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/30/...-cooking-show/[/url][/QUOTE]

That's awesome. I knew about the internet-based revival, but was unaware of the restrictions that the The Food Network had placed on him. One of the things I never understood was, knowing that AB is no bleeding-heart liberal, why did he never do a show on cooking game meats? (He did do one with a synopsis that spoke about preparing "game", but it turned out to be Cornish "Game" Hen...a major disappointment). Hopefully he'll be able to do much more interesting stuff now.
14.) Swamp Fox - 05/19/2017
Yeah, I might have to go looking for it.

I wonder what the deal with sous vides was? Not a sponsored product?
15.) DParker - 05/19/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49008]Yeah, I might have to go looking for it.

I wonder what the deal with sous vides was? Not a sponsored product?[/QUOTE]

I suspect that wasn't actually a network-imposed restriction, but rather a result of the fact that practical and affordable commercial sous vide cookers for the home kitchen weren't readily available when [I]Good Eats[/I] was being produced, which filmed its last episode in early 2011. As such, it wouldn't have made any sense to devote an episode to a technique that couldn't be effectively implemented by the average home chef.
16.) Swamp Fox - 05/19/2017
Ah! Makes sense.
17.) DParker - 05/19/2017
Well, the wife just got home and sent me a message to let me know that the pork is still properly immersed and that the Anova is reading a perfect 165ºF. So far...so good....
18.) Swamp Fox - 05/19/2017
Yeah, but you left the toilet seat up again, didn't you?

Also, get milk.
19.) DParker - 05/19/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49018]Yeah, but you left the toilet seat up again, didn't you?

Also, get milk.[/QUOTE]

LOL! Not this time. It was just a quick status report with no complaints about anything.

Now that you mention it....that [I]is[/I] a bit suspicious. Maybe I should work late tonight.
20.) Swamp Fox - 05/19/2017
:-)....
21.) DParker - 05/20/2017
Well...the experiment has been aborted. We had some weather roll thorough in the wee hours of the night, which apparently caused a temporary power outage...and although the Anova cooker remembers the temperature you set it to when power returns, it doesn't remember that it was running previously, and so it just sits there waiting for you to press the "Run" button again. A seriously stupid design flaw.

When I came downstairs the water temperature was 99°F, and the pork So...nearly 11 lbs of pork and over 24 hours wasted because it never occurred to anyone at Anova that the power is sometimes interrupted.
22.) Swamp Fox - 05/20/2017
Ouch! How long was it sitting in water not cooking before you discovered this?

I've been known to push the limits of conventional food safety wisdom, but I'll let you answer before I opine. LOL
23.) DParker - 05/20/2017
I don't know when the power went out, but with the water temp dropping by only 66° I wouldn't think it was more than a couple hours before I came down (the polycarbonate tub I'm using isn't insulated at all, and it about 76° in the kitchen).

But since I've calmed down a bit I'm now thinking it's still salvageable. The pork has been cooking at 165°F for probably at least 20 hours in an air-tight sealed plastic bag. All the known food-borne pathogens are killed off after an hour or so at 130°F, so anything that might have bern inside the sealed bag is long since dead, and nothing new could have gotten in....so I think I can save this.

My next post could be from the ER.
24.) Swamp Fox - 05/20/2017
I've never been to the ER, and I've never sent anyone to the ER, either....So that has to say something. LOL.

Personally, I'd forge ahead, per what you said above.

You could also give the meat a vinegar wash ( I think you can find the info online) and reseal if you need to continue with the sous vide.
25.) DParker - 05/20/2017
I've had food poisoning 3 times, all from mishandled pork (the last one almost ruined bacon for me...it was a few months before I could smell it without feeling nauseous), so I'm just a little paranoid when it comes to this issue.
26.) Swamp Fox - 05/20/2017
I hear ya...It's no fun, from what I've heard. It's only smart to be careful. I just think there's often more tippy-toeing and over-correction over food than there really needs to be.

I guess you feel like your thread title was inspired, now...LOL


I bet if you don't eat all 11 punds at once, things will be okay. :wink
27.) DParker - 05/20/2017
Well, we're gonna' find out one way or the other.

Signing off for now to throw the dry rub together and take this mission to phase II.
28.) Swamp Fox - 05/20/2017
Dominus vobiscum...
29.) DParker - 05/20/2017
My father plays dominos better than your father plays dominos. (Say that low and fast and it makes for great phony Latin.)

Well, the pork is in the smoker, which is fluctuating between 294°F and 306°F (it's a little breezy today). The meat's internal temp was only up to 135°F when it went in, so the sous vide isn't going to save me nearly as much time as it would have without the power loss. The 135°F reading was an hour ago, and in that time it has only climbed to 138°F. If it stalls around 150°F or so I could be at this until far later than I bargained for.

I've also run into the same problem I've seen some others report. Namely, the roast wants to fall apart already...so I'm thinking that a lower temp and or less time in the bath would be better next time. As a result I've opted to put the shoulder on a sheet pan in the smoker instead of directly on a grate for fear that meat might break off and fall through. As a result the surface in contact with the tray isn't going to get any smoke.

Oh well. On the plus side I can say that I'm defintely learning a lot. For instance, when I ordered two UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) units for my WiFi router and FiOS box I should have added a 3rd one for the Anova.
30.) DParker - 05/20/2017
Now that I think about it...since the meat is already thoroughly cooked and more than tender at this point (which is what the usual 200°F target temp is all about), all I'm really trying to acheive now is smoke flavor and a dry, barked exterior. So once I have an acceptable bark I should probably take it out regardless of internal temp (which is currently at 144°F).

Yeah, I think that's the course correction that's called for here.
31.) DParker - 05/20/2017
OK, so I'm changing my mind one more time. After a little more reading I'm going to err on the side of paranoia and take the shoulder to an internal temperature somewhere north of 176°F, which is the temperature above which the toxin produced by Cl. botulinum (the nasty stuff that causes botulism) becomes denatured and rendered inactive.
32.) Swamp Fox - 05/20/2017
You saw that story about the nacho cheese at the gas station in California, didn't you? :p


Different circumstances, I'd say, but you're the chef...LOL...I doubt the highter temp can hurt anything.


What kind of texture and dryness did people get who complained of the meat falling apart from the sous vide but still took things up into the 200* area in the smoker?
33.) DParker - 05/20/2017
I don't know of anyone who went on to smoke their shoulders to 200°F after a sous vide, so I can't say.
34.) DParker - 05/20/2017
BTW...I don't know how much you know about botulism...but if it's even a remote possibility it's definitely NOT something to be trifled with.
35.) Swamp Fox - 05/20/2017
[QUOTE=DParker;49044]I don't know of anyone who went on to smoke their shoulders to 200°F after a sous vide, so I can't say.[/QUOTE]

Okay, I misunderstood.

[QUOTE=DParker;49045]BTW...I don't know how much you know about botulism...but if it's even a remote possibility it's definitely NOT something to be trifled with.[/QUOTE]

I'd type a long reply, except my limbs won't work and I'm having trouble seeing...LOL
36.) Swamp Fox - 05/20/2017
....
37.) DParker - 05/21/2017
So you're saying I should pull my pork? ::rim-shot::

OK...after 6 hours in the smoker the shoulder's interior temp hit 188°F, and I declared it ready.


All bark, no bite. Instead of pulling it apart with a couple of serving forks like I did last time, I put it in a large bowl and went at with my steel spatula like a homicidal maniac...so it's really more of a chopped pork than pulled pork.

This is the most moist and tender pork I've ever tasted. In fact it might even be a little too tender (though my wife disagrees), so I might back off the amount of time in the sous vide on my next attempt. That is...if I'm still alive come Monday.
38.) Swamp Fox - 05/21/2017
That looks great! Here in whole hog country (more fat), some places serve it up almost like mush. It's not the worst thing you ever put in your mouth...I'm just sayin'. :-) Some are places that make it to the BBQ Hall of Fame Map. :hb:

So if between the two of you you thought it was "moist and tender, and yee-haw," I'd say "Mission Accomplished...Well Done."


My stomach's growling...


:clap:
39.) DParker - 05/21/2017
I'm holding off on an official declaration of success until after the 24-36 hour incubation period. :p
40.) DParker - 05/21/2017
BTW...since you mention BBQ from your nape of the woods...one of the things I screwed up on was forgetting to smear a little stone-ground mustard on the shoulder before the rub. Next time.
41.) Swamp Fox - 05/21/2017
It's not necessary for authenticity, except in a certain fairly well- defined geographical area of both Carolinas (more in SC) but it is a lot of fun...

Jawohl?

(There are a lot of secret Carolina BBQ recipes, including Eastern NC, that never mention mustard. :wink--So now you know...)


I welcome the vinegar-and-pepper flame wars....:fire:...Have at it, ya bastards! :grin:
42.) DParker - 05/21/2017
That can get almost as bloody as a beans/no beans jihad.

I'm up for it!
43.) Swamp Fox - 05/21/2017
I like almost all BBQ varieties of this region as long as they're pork----PORK!----Mustard, vinegar, tomato...But pork! ---LOL

You get a little--I say a little bit--- of beef BBQ in Virginia here and there, some of which is very good. The best BBQ in Virginia as far as I'm concerned is found in the big city of Speedwell, in a little country store/take-out place..and I'm gonna say that was beef, tomato based. I wolfed the food down so fast I didn't really think about it, and I definitely didn't analyze it. My boots were soaked from wading icy creeks, I'd been in the woods for four days with little to eat, and I hadn't found the promised land for muzzleloader bucks...but I remember the sammiches. :grin:
44.) DParker - 05/21/2017
It sounds like you need to smoke a brisket and amaze your friends with the flavors of far away exotic lands...like Waco.
45.) Swamp Fox - 05/21/2017
LOL...My "friends" can eat inauthentic "BBQ" elsewhere...

As for me, I regret that I have but one life to give for pork....


46.) DParker - 05/21/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49056]LOL...My "friends" can eat inauthentic "BBQ" elsewhere...

As for me, I regret that I have but one life to give for pork....[/QUOTE]

[video=youtube;6qDJZOpnKUI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qDJZOpnKUI[/video]
47.) DParker - 05/22/2017
Well, it's been 30 hours since my first taste of the pork shoulder of eternal peril, and so far so good...so it looks like the remaining 10 lbs or so won't be going to waste.
48.) bluecat - 05/22/2017
Sorry, I wasn't there to contribute to this thread. I did read through it and Swampy was asking all the questions I would have asked, so thank you Swampy.

So how are you enjoying your pork? Sandwiches? Looks delicious.
49.) Swamp Fox - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=DParker;49057][video]https://youtu.be/6qDJZOpnKUI[/video][/QUOTE]




I've often said a return to dueling culture could solve a lot of our problems...LOL
50.) DParker - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=bluecat;49069]So how are you enjoying your pork? Sandwiches? Looks delicious.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, sandwiches so far (wheat buns slathered with mayo and just a slight smear of some Sweet Baby Ray's). Later it will be used in quesadillas (the wife did that with the last batch, and it works great), salads...whatever we're making that could use some already cooked protein.
51.) DParker - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49075]I've often said a return to dueling culture could solve a lot of our problems...LOL[/QUOTE]

I've just always loved that take on the B-52s' [I]Love Shack[/I].

[I]Glove slap
Baby, glove slap
Glove slap
I don't take crap[/I]
52.) bluecat - 05/22/2017
Just make sure if you get into a slapping fight, you have the bigger fish.
53.) DParker - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=bluecat;49078]Just make sure if you get into a slapping fight, you have the bigger fish.[/QUOTE]

[video=youtube;lefP0_ZM-Lw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lefP0_ZM-Lw[/video]
54.) Swamp Fox - 05/22/2017






"Who wants to eat chiminichangas next year?"



LOL
55.) billy b - 05/22/2017
Install heavy coating of Chubacabra rub (google it)on meat, install pork buttock into "tried and proven" smoke vault of your choosing, cook in smoke vault at 225 until internal temp of lump of pork reaches 195 degrees , remove from said vault and break open and enjoy. Dang city slickers, can't fix what ain't broke. :re::tap::rage::wink
56.) billy b - 05/22/2017
Well????
57.) Swamp Fox - 05/22/2017
I might also try the marinade, just for something different.




And this...
58.) Swamp Fox - 05/22/2017
.....
59.) DParker - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=billy b;49081]Install heavy coating of Chubacabra rub (google it)on meat, install pork buttock into "tried and proven" smoke vault of your choosing, cook in smoke vault at 225 until internal temp of lump of pork reaches 195 degrees , remove from said vault and break open and enjoy. Dang city slickers, can't fix what ain't broke. :re::tap::rage::wink[/QUOTE]

LOL. I know you'd give me grief for this. :p

I'll look for the Chupacabra rub and give it a try (even though my humble homemade dust is pretty good), but I'm telling you Billy...you've never had a bite of pork shoulder as tender and moist as this one. Besides, the whole point of this exercise was to see if I could use the sous vide as a way of kick-starting the cooking process for those times...like this one...where I want to smoke something, but just can't devote the amount of babysitting time necessary for a pure-smoker approach. And I'm here to tell you that it actually works.

If I can find some vacuum bags that work with my FoodSaver's tube attachment and are large enough to hold a roast that big, next time I'm going to take it out of the packaging it came in and try brining and/or injecting it with a marinade of some sort for extra flavor...then I'm going to boost the amount of smoke to compensate for the shorter time in the vault.
60.) DParker - 05/22/2017
Oh, and if that doesn't sufficiently offend the gods of traditional smokin'....I plan on trying this with a brisket too.
61.) Swamp Fox - 05/22/2017
I don't know if most butchers have their own vacuum sealing machines or not. Maybe you'd have to find a specialty shop or a game processsor for this, but can you talk your butcher into injecting the meat for you before he vacs it, or waiting to wrap it until you've injected it yourself when you pick it up?

I'm gonna guess you don't want to inject meat and then freeze it, so this would all have to be done fresh?
62.) billy b - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=DParker;49085]LOL. I know you'd give me grief for this. :p

I'll look for the Chupacabra rub and give it a try (even though my humble homemade dust is pretty good), but I'm telling you Billy...you've never had a bite of pork shoulder as tender and moist as this one. Besides, the whole point of this exercise was to see if I could use the sous vide as a way of kick-starting the cooking process for those times...like this one...where I want to smoke something, but just can't devote the amount of babysitting time necessary for a pure-smoker approach. And I'm here to tell you that it actually works.

If I can find some vacuum bags that work with my FoodSaver's tube attachment and are large enough to hold a roast that big, next time I'm going to take it out of the packaging it came in and try brining and/or injecting it with a marinade of some sort for extra flavor...then I'm going to boost the amount of smoke to compensate for the shorter time in the vault.[/QUOTE]

It's real simple, install a few ounces of apple chips in the compartment set SmokinTex smoker to 225*, put seasoned 10# pork shoulder or butt I coated with a heavy coating of Chubacabra rub in center of smoker, (closer to the bottom for even more bark) set dial to 225*, close door and come back 10 hours later and WaaaaaLaaaaa, best bark you ever tasted. If you're not going to be home just use a timer on the power cord. I discovered the rub salesman in a little café close to my house and tried it, hands down the best rub I have ever used or made, also there is a web sight, they also have a brisket rub that is good but I use the "chubacabra rub" on everything, it's also awesome on grilled steaks. I go thru a big container every month. I saw your post and thought I might stir you up just a little, keep cooking little Frenchman.
63.) billy b - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=DParker;49085]LOL. I know you'd give me grief for this. :p

I'll look for the Chupacabra rub and give it a try (even though my humble homemade dust is pretty good), but I'm telling you Billy...you've never had a bite of pork shoulder as tender and moist as this one. Besides, the whole point of this exercise was to see if I could use the sous vide as a way of kick-starting the cooking process for those times...like this one...where I want to smoke something, but just can't devote the amount of babysitting time necessary for a pure-smoker approach. And I'm here to tell you that it actually works.

If I can find some vacuum bags that work with my FoodSaver's tube attachment and are large enough to hold a roast that big, next time I'm going to take it out of the packaging it came in and try brining and/or injecting it with a marinade of some sort for extra flavor...then I'm going to boost the amount of smoke to compensate for the shorter time in the vault.[/QUOTE]


It's real simple, install a few ounces of apple chips in the compartment set SmokinTex smoker to 225*, put seasoned 10# pork shoulder or butt I coated with a heavy coating of Chupacabra rub in center of smoker, (closer to the bottom for even more bark) set dial to 225*, close door and come back 10 hours later and WaaaaaLaaaaa, best bark you ever tasted. If you're not going to be home just use a timer on the power cord. I discovered the rub salesman in a little café close to my house and tried it, hands down the best rub I have ever used or made, also there is a web sight, they also have a brisket rub that is good but I use the "chupacabra rub" on everything, it's also awesome on grilled steaks. I go thru a big container every month. I saw your post and thought I might stir you up just a little, keep cooking little Frenchman.
64.) DParker - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49087]I don't know if most butchers have their own vacuum sealing machines or not. Maybe you'd have to find a specialty shop or a game processsor for this, but can you talk your butcher into injecting the meat for you before he vacs it, or waiting to wrap it until you've injected it yourself when you pick it up?

I'm gonna guess you don't want to inject meat and then freeze it, so this would all have to be done fresh?[/QUOTE]

Yup. I don't see myself doing any of this via a butcher though, since I tend to wait and get big cuts like this during good sales, and those almost always comes prepackaged. But that's OK...I think I've found the (or at least [I]a[/I]) solution to my quandry:

[URL="https://www.amazon.com/Foodsaver-Expandable-Vacuum-Bag-Rolls/dp/B00AL2AV2O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495478706&sr=8-1&keywords=FoodSaver+Expandable+Vacuum+Seal+Bag"]Foodsaver Expandable Vacuum Bag Rolls[/URL]

[QUOTE=billy b;49089]It's real simple, install a few ounces of apple chips in the compartment set SmokinTex smoker to 225*, put seasoned 10# pork shoulder or butt I coated with a heavy coating of Chupacabra rub in center of smoker, (closer to the bottom for even more bark) set dial to 225*, close door and come back 10 hours later and WaaaaaLaaaaa, best bark you ever tasted. If you're not going to be home just use a timer on the power cord. I discovered the rub salesman in a little café close to my house and tried it, hands down the best rub I have ever used or made, also there is a web sight, they also have a brisket rub that is good but I use the "chupacabra rub" on everything, it's also awesome on grilled steaks. I go thru a big container every month.[/QUOTE]

Well, la-te-da...look who's cooking with a fancy-schmancy electric smoker with automatic temperature control! And [I]I'm[/I] a city slicker? :wink

[QUOTE=billy b;49089]I saw your post and thought I might stir you up just a little, keep cooking little Frenchman.[/QUOTE]

"[I]Frenchman[/I]"? Well, now....that's just hurtful. :rage:
65.) Swamp Fox - 05/22/2017
LOL...



That would make Billy....Bugs Bunny?


66.) bluecat - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=DParker;49090]
[URL="https://www.amazon.com/Foodsaver-Expandable-Vacuum-Bag-Rolls/dp/B00AL2AV2O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495478706&sr=8-1&keywords=FoodSaver+Expandable+Vacuum+Seal+Bag"]Foodsaver Expandable Vacuum Bag Rolls[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

They need to make them large enough to fit a turkey...or at least a jake.
67.) Swamp Fox - 05/22/2017
"So who's having sex with the hen?"


68.) billy b - 05/22/2017
[QUOTE=DParker;49090]



"[I]Frenchman[/I]"? Well, now....that's just hurtful. :rage:[/QUOTE]


I have never smoked on anything but a Electric Bradley (crap) for two years and now a 1400 [url]WWW.smokintex.com[/url] since 2003, best smoker in the world.:p
69.) Swamp Fox - 06/14/2017
Okay, so you had botulism doo-hickeys in your sights at 176* but pulled the meat at 188...I'm doing a loin right now that I need to kill the heebie jeebies on...Do you think I need to crank it past 180?
70.) Swamp Fox - 06/14/2017
The thing that made me think of this is the poor American schmuck from UVa. who got locked up for 15 years hard labor in North Korea for allegedly trying to steal a poster for a souvenir. Now it turns out he's supposedly in a botulism coma and has been for a year. I've never heard anyone talk about his condition (which is on video) which was obviously effed up. All of a sudden people are asking questions.
71.) DParker - 06/14/2017
What makes you think it's a botulism risk? Did you leave it sitting on the counter for a few hours?

In any event, 180°F should be fine, so long as you're certain that's what the internal temp actually is.
72.) Swamp Fox - 06/14/2017
I had the power go out for about six hours in a storm a couple of weeks ago. There was a little bit of expansion (gas) in the "shrink wrap." It had been in the fridge rather than the freezer. It passed the smell test, but without a lot of room to spare. (I'm an easy grader.) I gave it a good rinse, including a bit of bleach, and then a two-day brine.

It's in the cooker getting higher-than-normal heat right now. I'll prolly smoke the shit out of it and use it shredded (pork).
73.) Swamp Fox - 06/14/2017
I have total faith in my $12 meat thermometer from Piggly Wiggly...

Right?

What could go wrong?
74.) Swamp Fox - 06/14/2017
I took it off in the mid 180's. I'll give it a go tomorrow.

Small bites to begin with...



"How do you eat an elephant?"
75.) Swamp Fox - 06/14/2017
I had a small slice. It tasted off, so ahmoana toss it....A damn shame, since I went through a bit of trouble for that pig...
76.) DParker - 06/14/2017
I'm sorry for your loss.
77.) Swamp Fox - 06/14/2017
I blame Carolina Power & Light...and some inattention on my part...but mostly CP&L...
78.) DParker - 06/14/2017
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49430]...mostly...[/QUOTE]

79.) Swamp Fox - 06/14/2017
LOL...


80.) Swamp Fox - 06/14/2017
They mostly come for me every month...mostly...
81.) bluecat - 06/14/2017
+3's all around.