Welcome To The BlueSmoke Gazette!

Spring Is Nearing

It's less than three weeks until Spring arrives. I can hardly believe it. I've been doing a little bicycle riding as weather permits, trying to get back in shape after "resting" all winter. The wind blows hard here in Kansas, so half of each ride is usually a struggle (against the wind) and the other half is sheer joy! You wouldn't believe how much easier pedaling is with a brisk tailwind helping out!

Outdoor cooking season is coming up, too. I've been preparing by writing more pages about smokers, grills and cooking accessories. If you plan to buy a new cooker this Spring, you'll find useful information on the new pages.

The Recipe Survey Results Are In!

Last month you all had an opportunity to vote for your favorite recipe to be included in this month's Gazette. You'll find the winning recipe below. Thanks to each and every one of you for voting!

In This Issue You'll Find

• Website Updates
• The Winning Recipe!
• All About Cooking Thermometers
• Investment and Return
• Charcoal Grilling Techniques
• Tell Me About Charcoal...
• Recipe - Apple Smoked Duck Breast

During the last month, there have been many additions and updates to Smoker-Cooking.com . I added several new pages during the month of February. Here are just a few of the new additions.

Natural Gas Smokers

Weber Smokers

If you haven't seen these new pages yet, check 'em out!

The Winning Recipe!

Over 50% of those of you who voted in last months Readers' Choice Poll wanted this recipe included in the BlueSmoke Gazette. I even voted for this one!

Smoked Beef Chuck Roast

Beef chuck is a great cut of meat that responds well to the low and slow smoking technique. Chuck is cut from the shoulder and neck area of the beef, so most chuck cuts are high in fat and connective tissue. While smoking, the fat and connective tissue melt, adding flavor and moistness to the meat.

Prepare the Chuck Roast for Smoking

For starters, the beef chuck needs to be seasoned with dry rub at least four hours before smoking and preferably rested overnight in the fridge. The following is a favorite recipe of mine for seasoning chuck roasts.

Smoked Beef Chuck Dry Rub

For each six to eight pound roast, combine one tablespoon of coarse ground black pepper, one tablespoon of onion powder, two teaspoons of canning salt (or one tablespoon of kosher salt), two teaspoons of garlic powder, one teaspoon of paprika, and one teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning. Rub the spice mixture into the meat and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Overnight is better.

Fire Up The Smoker!

Smoke the beef chuck, using hickory or oak, at 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit for five hours, or until the internal temperature hits 160 degrees. Wrap the meat in a double layer of heavy duty foil and put it back in the smoker (or in a 250 degree oven). Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees.

Remove the smoked chuck from the meat smoker or oven. Place the foil wrapped meat in a cooler and cover it with a pillow or some towels. Let it rest in the cooler for at least two hours...longer if you can stand it!

Shred the smoked beef chuck and add some of your favorite sauce. Piled on hamburger buns and served with dill pickle slices and hot sauce, smoked chuck roast makes a great tasting meal!

Visit the Smoked Beef Chuck Roast page.

Is it done yet? It's difficult to answer that question unless you have one or two cooking thermometers to track the temperature of your smoker and your smoking meat. Temperature control is the most important aspect of successful smoking. By using one thermometer to keep track of the smoker temperature and another thermometer to check the food temperature, your cookouts will be raving successes!

There are several types of cooking thermometers available. For monitoring the smoker temperature, dial indicator thermometers are usually included with the unit, and if not can be easily installed. Instant reading dial indicator thermometers and digital thermometers are handy for making a quick check of the meat temperature. Remote digital thermometers are great for...

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A wise investment of time and resources can provide you with profit, pleasure, or both. If you've ever had the desire to have your own website, I highly recommend...

Your charcoal barbecue grill is a versatile piece of outdoor cooking equipment. With it, you have the ability to slow smoke a brisket, grill a steak, or barbecue chicken. Using a charcoal grill to its full potential is all about temperature control.

With a charcoal barbecue grill you can...

• Grill foods directly over low, medium or high heat
• Barbecue and roast foods using indirect heat
• Slow smoke foods

Every charcoal smoker is different. With these charcoal tips and some practice, you'll be able to maintain the ideal smoker temperature. Controlling the charcoal burn is where you will need to do some experimentation and fine tuning. There are a couple of ways to go about burning the charcoal in a smoker.

Lighting The Charcoal
One of the most important of the charcoal tips is to refrain from lighting the charcoal with lighter fluid. The petroleum flavor will get onto your food. If you must use lighter fluid, don't start the charcoal inside the smoker, or the smoker interior will get contaminated with the aroma of petroleum. The best way to start charcoal is with a charcoal chimney. Newspaper is placed in the bottom with the charcoal up above. The newspaper is lit, and the flame starts the charcoal from the bottom.

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The flavor of smoke pairs well with waterfowl. This smoked duck recipe has been one of my favorites for years. It can be used with the big greenheads, tasty teal, or any other waterfowl you may have on hand.

Apple Smoked Duck Breast

Remove the bone and skin from the duck breast halves. Rinse well. For the brine, you will need...

one quart of apple juice or cider 1/4 cup kosher salt, or 3 Tbs canning salt 1 bay leaf, crushed 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, cracked

Mix the ingredients, making sure the salt is completely dissolved. This will be enough brine for up to 1 and 1/2 pounds of duck breast halves. Soak the duck in the brine at least two hours, and overnight if possible.

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And thanks again for subscribing to The BlueSmoke Gazette, the official newsletter of Smoker-Cooking.com.