Smokin' with Dave!!!!!!

Seems like ages since I sat down to write a new post in my blog, it probably has been.
I had the busiest month since I moved the shop home, ten years ago.  A real wild ride and glad to have the ride!!!!!!

Not everyone knows my husband Dave so I'm devoting this blog post to Dave and his smokin' skills!!!  We have scoured the south and everywhere we go looking for smoke shacks and Q's. Arkansas is where my folks live so we've found a few favs there!!!!

On the Fourth of July we had some folks over and I did talk about that but we didn't show the smoker pics.  On that  day Dave smoked beef short ribs, pork ribs and chicken thighs.  Prior to the smoking process we generally brine the pork and chicken.  We use a salt and sugar mixture, approximately 1 cup kosher salt and 1 cup sugar to 8 cups water.  The trick to brining is the salt and sugar must be dissolved and you can't put hot brine on the meat.  so micro up 3 cups of water dissolve the sugar and salt and then add 5 cups of cold water thus not having to cool down the brine!!!  This is a basic brine you can add aromatics to this also like garlic, onion, carrots, celery, peppers etc.  sound a bit fussy to me.  For an 6-8 lb. pork butt 12 hours of brining is fine, then remove from brine and pat dry and put on your rub, this can be whatever you like make one or buy one or make up your own, basically it's salt, brown sugar, seasonings, red pepper, garlic etc.  there are a ton of recipes out there and online.  I like to have the rub on at least 5 hours or all night then the smokin' begins!!!  Smoking chicken is great but you need to use thighs they have a bone, skin and more fat, breasts will not do well.  The reality is no lean, trimmed out cut is going to do real well on the smoker, it's a low heat long cooking process that needs fat for moisture and of course flavor!!!!  I brined these thighs about 8 hours and patted dry and put on the rub.  Before smoking always get your meat out and bring up to room temp, otherwise there is too much catch up time for the cold meat to get cookin and smokin'.Now this week the store Dave works at had a potluck today so on Wednesday he smoked a pork butt for pulled pork and turkey legs.  He brined the pork but not the turkey, the legs didn't take much time, they are smaller.  Another facet to this process is mopping, which is a hot concoction of broth, wine or beer, oil and seasonings that you brush over the meat while it's smoking.  The list goes on and on for this too!!!

Also in the pics you will see smoked artichokes, olives and shrimp.  These work well for appetizers.  The shrimp Dave likes are large with the shell on and of course raw.  When marinating shrimp we have found shell on will hold the flavor better than shelled shrimp.  We use lots of hot sauce, butter etc and let them smoke away, they cook quickly so stay with them!!!  I parboil the fresh artichokes and cut them in wedges and put on the smoker only they need an hour or so.

Over the years we have smoked lamb, beef, pork, chickens, turkey ,veggies, mushrooms, fish, potatoes,sweet potatoes, the list goes on and on.  Smoking is not a quick deal, one must plan ahead days, if you want to brine, marinate etc.  You need a smoker and source for great wood, apple, pecan etc are very fun to use!!!  A few good recipes are help full or one of the many smoking cookbooks out there.  We live and smoke by "Smoke and Spice", it's old but the best.  Dave has really mastered the smokin' technique EVERYTHING he smokes is wonderful!!!!