Prodigal Son Checking In-Where I've Been (I've Started Smoking)
No, not that kind of smoking! Fellow Brothers of the Blade-I've really enjoyed getting to know some of you over the years I've been on SRP, including a few who have become good friends IRL! But as anyone who knows me will attest, I don't have hobbies, I have obsessions! One thing I've been wanting to do for years is start smoking (meat, that is!). Being originally from NC (but living most of my life in SC), I've always dearly loved barbecue. But as you fellow addicts know, the best restaurant BBQ even at some of the hole-in-the-wall places can be very expensive because 1. the meat is expensive!, and 2. it is very labor-intensive/time consuming to make. Moreover, all of the best bbq I've ever had has been done by backyard hobbyist smokers, and for years, I've thought, 'I can do that.'
Well, after my wife and I got through with the rat race that shutting down a major suburban high school for the summer entails (not to mention finally graduating my very reluctant youngest son!), we decided to splurge and buy a grill/smoker. And after weeks of reading the forums;) and vascillating between an offset barrel cooker, one of the Weber bullet smokers, and all the other choices, we pulled the trigger on an Akorn Kamado, kind of an "R2-D2 with wings" looking contraption that is a cheaper version of a Big Green Egg, so it can smoke AND grill (important!).
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...psnu7qfjrd.jpg
And so (at least temporarily) I've let honing, stropping, restoring, and straight razors in general take a bit of a back seat, though of course I still have all my gear and intend to take a summer day here real soon to do some or all of the above (got a growing honing pile, for one thing!), as I do miss the whole zen experience of it all. But lately I've been on the quest for the best lump charcoal, the best smoking woods, good recipes for homemade rubs and sauces, how to smoke ribs, chicken, boston butts, and brisket (soon, I hope!) to perfection, chasing that "thin blue "sweet" smoke, etc. So to make up for my absence (not that anybody's missed me probably!), I'll post up some barbecue pron from my 1st few cooks:
Here are some spare ribs dusted with a homemade Memphis-style dry rub:
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps5ewnkilr.jpg
And the result after 4.5 hours of low-n-slow smoking with hickory and apple chunks (with corn on the cob and asparagus):
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...psbseytebz.jpg
Look at that smoke ring!
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...pskzw4koow.jpg
And here's some free cherry wood my neighbor cut down that I plan to split and cure for future smokes:
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps18smobks.jpg
How about some barbecue chicken?!
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...psefjbspxs.jpg
Guys, my taste buds tell me this is some of the best BBQ I've ever had, so moist and juicy/well-smoked off the kamado-style cooker, and my family agrees! More spare-ribs tomorrow, and then butts and brisket soon! I just wanted to check in and let my SRP brethren know what I was up to! Aaron/SHD
