We’ve Taken Up Smoking

Between two evils I always pick the one I never tried before.

 

It’s not that I’m dwelling on food because I’m on a diet but we all have to eat.  Right?  As long as we have to eat it might as well be succulent and amazingly good.  Right?  Well, that’s what we think too.

I mentioned in my previous blog that we were thinking about getting a smoker.  We had tossed the idea around for quite some time.  Now it’s not that we knew much about them.  We just knew the food coming out of them could be awesome.  The research was on.

Of course, we also knew this would be something that would not be going on the road with us either.  That would definitely be a ridiculous idea. However, we could certainly put it to good use during the summer months.

Our little “smoking” patio out back.

 

  

Right to begin with we had to nix an electric smoker and start looking at propane smokers.  An electric one would be easier but with limited electricity at the “cabin” we also knew we better not lean that way.  So, a propane smoker it was. 

 -- In the meat goes.

We looked a lot of places and talked to a lot of people.  We ended up with a Weston Propane Smoker.    We also knew that we would end up with a lot of not-so-perfect meat in the beginning.  That happened also.  With books on “smoking” in hand, we learned that some of it has to be our own experimenting and we have to tend the fire especially in the beginning.  We’ve learned more about brine, marinade and rubs plus we figure we’ll be learning for quite some time.

It’s cooking --- 

 As of now we have smoked salmon, chicken, jerky, pork ribs and beef.  The only things that did not turn out mouth watering delicious was the jerky and the beef.  We followed instructions according to one recipe and over cooked both.  Oh well ……  we have all summer to get this perfect.  And, then ………….. well, we’ll probably have our freezer full.

 

Terry had to have this gadget.  It’s a talking wireless meat thermometer.

Weather has been gorgeous. We’ve spent a lot of time outside doing very little. We take walks several times a day with Duchess. The feral cats have been fed and so have the birds and the deer. Our grocery bill definitely goes up this time of year.

Friday we’ll be making a trip to the big city …. Portland.  Terry has a CAT Scan scheduled and I’m going to visit my brother.  I’ll be taking him all the experimental meat we’ve cooked.

‘Tis life on the road.