Food / Drink TCG Grillers, smokers and red meat enthusiasts

Spivitz

The Throttle is ur friend
TCG Premium
Oct 5, 2012
39,969
45,517
37659
Beer brat for lunch


20201128_123552.jpg
 

MEATeorite

Addict
Apr 10, 2016
878
4,834
Plano IL
Had an interesting test with the Ooni today. They recommend only kiln dried hard wood. I ran it today with Avacado wood. I tried Avacado as a smoking wood on meat and found it to be too much an evergreen acrid flavor, and also very hard to dial back. I'd call mesquite mild comparatively speaking.

So i decided to try it repurposed as a fuel for the pizza oven. Turns out, pretty good. It certainly doesnt burn as hot as Oak does, but nice in the sweet spot of 630-650 degrees on the stone and some nice, drape over the top flames. Definitely more maintenance than oak, had to refill more frequently. Still had the pine needle smell, but didnt get on the pizza. In the past i used olive and kiln dried oak as my prefered fuel, but im not so sure it really matters.
20201129_142344(0).jpeg
20201129_144828.jpeg
20201129_144840.jpeg
20201129_142906.jpeg
20201129_142441.jpeg
20201129_143250.jpeg
 

MEATeorite

Addict
Apr 10, 2016
878
4,834
Plano IL
Well, i did it. Went sous vide. Very cool. I did a lot of research before i did it. A couple cooks now under my belt, i learned you gotta sear hard. This is a chuck roast, marinated in olive oil, chipotle, lime juice, cilantro, minced garlic, adobo, and SPG to taste. 33 hour in the tub at 135 and a sear in grapeseed oil. Really really tender especially for a chuck roast.

I like it a lot, and I'll continue to use it. But if i had to pick my favorite method, itd be reverse sear over lump charcoal still. However tough cuts, this will do things others wont. I just had a chuck roast cooked medium and was very tender. Also, i think with absence of the grill flavor, you get more beef flavor. Which is more noticeable aftertaste IMO. Very interesting.
20201205_171022.jpeg
20201205_171139.jpeg
20201205_170759.jpeg
20201205_170148.jpeg
 

Z28Camaro

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Jun 25, 2015
2,177
8,199
Metamora
Well, i did it. Went sous vide. Very cool. I did a lot of research before i did it. A couple cooks now under my belt, i learned you gotta sear hard. This is a chuck roast, marinated in olive oil, chipotle, lime juice, cilantro, minced garlic, adobo, and SPG to taste. 33 hour in the tub at 135 and a sear in grapeseed oil. Really really tender especially for a chuck roast.

I like it a lot, and I'll continue to use it. But if i had to pick my favorite method, itd be reverse sear over lump charcoal still. However tough cuts, this will do things others wont. I just had a chuck roast cooked medium and was very tender. Also, i think with absence of the grill flavor, you get more beef flavor. Which is more noticeable aftertaste IMO. Very interesting.View attachment 75656View attachment 75657View attachment 75658View attachment 75659

I got a few bags of ping pong balls and put those in instead of using a lid. They float on the top and work well to keep the water insulated from the room temperature air.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MEATeorite

Yaj Yak

Gladys
TCG Premium
May 24, 2007
122,223
87,871
Niche score of 2,363
Well, i did it. Went sous vide. Very cool. I did a lot of research before i did it. A couple cooks now under my belt, i learned you gotta sear hard. This is a chuck roast, marinated in olive oil, chipotle, lime juice, cilantro, minced garlic, adobo, and SPG to taste. 33 hour in the tub at 135 and a sear in grapeseed oil. Really really tender especially for a chuck roast.

I like it a lot, and I'll continue to use it. But if i had to pick my favorite method, itd be reverse sear over lump charcoal still. However tough cuts, this will do things others wont. I just had a chuck roast cooked medium and was very tender. Also, i think with absence of the grill flavor, you get more beef flavor. Which is more noticeable aftertaste IMO. Very interesting.View attachment 75656View attachment 75657View attachment 75658View attachment 75659


absolutely.

sous vide is a neat additional cooking tool... definitely not the be all end all.
 

Yaj Yak

Gladys
TCG Premium
May 24, 2007
122,223
87,871
Niche score of 2,363
Speaking of sous vide, I did small filets Thursday with shrimps and carrots and gnocchi.

I don't use a clear container anymore. Just a big pot on my stove... Use the stove to heat the water quicker then turn it off and let it rip. My anova is five? Years old now... It had a good amount of calcification on it and looked up how to clean it... Just run it at 140* in vinegar... Did that and it's good as new.

Flank steak the day before but that was just over charcoal.

1203201911~2.jpg


1201201913~2.jpg
 

Flyn

Go ahead. I'll catch up.
Moderator
TCG Premium
Mar 1, 2004
68,052
27,984
Selling homes on the Gulf Coast of Florida
I agree that sous vide is great for some things and not as good for others. The best use, IMO, is tenderizing tough big pieces of meat with long cooks. It's also good if you aren't sure when you will be eating and want to be able to pull the meat whenever. You can also do potatoes and some veggies with less loss of flavor than with boiling/steaming.

If I owned a restaurant, I'd probably have a few sous vide stations set up in the back to cook or reheat precooked items. Cook steaks ahead of time to perfect medium/rare, put them in the fridge, sous vide them to warm them up and then a quick sear. Easy and consistent for a restaurant.
 

Lead Pipe

TCG Sub-par Member
TCG Premium
Nov 4, 2010
17,623
12,931
Wasn't the Smokefire having issues? I seem to remember some glitches with it.

Here, I did a youtube search.


Yeah they redesigned a few things and the new ones are considered "gen 2's".

 

Shawn1112

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Aug 4, 2010
34,901
104,516
Streamwood
Yeah they redesigned a few things and the new ones are considered "gen 2's".

Any positive reviews out on the gen 2's yet? On the Gen 1's I couldn't believe all the negative reviews Weber allowed to be posted on their website.
 

Thread Info