Extreme Conditions!

Jon: I just had a first extreme experience with my Smokette, after cooking with it for about 5 years. In NY right now it is about 0 degrees... I put in a corned beef this morning, and planned to take it out around 6 pm. I had the Smokette at 250, and the brisket got to 183 on schedule... looked good. But then it was 180. Then 179. Then 178. At 6 pm. That was it for me. I never did this before, and I've smoked in some cold conditions... but I pulled out the almost pastrami and put it in the oven to finish up. I think mother nature was starting to get the better of me.

Isn't winter fun! I did a butt yesterday in similar conditions... 1 degree with w wind chill at -25 at 6:00 am... I put the butt into my Sokette at Midnight, just as the temps began to drop and the wind kicked up! It was 8 1/2 lbs and ended up taking almost 15 hours. The Smokette internal temp seemed to hold very well, and the result was great!

...ron

geezus... is that cold air headed my way? I was going to brag about my current extreme conditions (3 degrees with a 15 mph wind or so), but now I'll just shut up! Well.. nah... I'll re-state how frickin' happy I am to have a Cookshack. I'd be getting nowhere (well, getting no sleep tonight) with my El Cheapo Brinkman. Instead, I've got time to cook up a few different sauces, drink some holiday cheer, and watch the Patriots crush Miami.

Pork Butt is coming along nicely, and hopefully will be ready to take to work tomorrow morning to treat my co-workers at the holiday pot-luck. Gonna bring 3 or 4 sauces to see what they like best as well.

Happy Holidays everybody.

Thanks for your replies!

My guests just left and I'm now reflecting on the day's cook with a perspective tempered by Bass Ale, Stella Artois, and Yellow Tail Merlot.

I checked in about noonish and the thigh temp was about 155. I put the boneless breast on and let both go. At 6 pm the temp was 165 in the leg and the breast. Couldn't seem to get it much higher in the CS (even at 250) so I too brought it in and finished in the oven on 350 for abou 1/2 hour. Overall it was delicious. The guests liked it too but I got teased a little about the extra time it took!

I'm glad I brined it, though, because it was on the verge of being a little dry.

Merry Christmas to all!

Jon E.

Mercy! I don't know how you'al stand it in the Arctic. 1 degree! Might as well be -176 degrees.
I wouldn't go outside to pick up a free turkey in those temperatures. It was too cold to cook ouside here today, +58 degrees.

Good luck and a Merry Christmas to you hardy people up North.

smokemullet

58???
58???
man mullet we didnt break 47 here all day!!!
i got 2 greyhounds under heavy covers (except for when i check the brunswick stew we are cooking just to keep the house warm )
i swear if this keeps up when i retire i am moving somewhere warm!!!!
jack
ps. merry christmas to all!!!

A wonderful 6 below zero this morning in Maine. Ouch. And the Pats got upset by the Dolphins. I should of went to bed earlier!

The pork butts are STILL chugging along (at 170 degrees) 14 hours later. I hope they're ready by noon - got some hungry co-workers to feed.

lol, Dave.....sorry about your Pats, but you know how football can be. Just ask Michigan. How happy can they be going to the Rose Bowl after getting tromped by the Buckeyes this year.

JonE, glad your smoking, because with temps like that it wouldnt be prudent to rub butts or strangulate poultry! (see open forum: applying rubs)

Jack, I'll crawl out from under the covers for a good brunswick stew too!

JonE,

A Cookshack and Yellow Tail Merlot, you do have good taste.

Happy holidays,

Hook

You call that cold? just kidding

Check out my post using a FE100

http://forum.cookshackamerica.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cg..._topic;f=23;t=000050

Craig (still freezing in ND)

Phew - once again, the Cookshack didn't let me down. The pork got to 188 degrees by 11:00 am. I wrapped in foil, put in a cooler, and brought it in. It fell apart when I took it out!

The co-workers apparently loved it, as there were NO leftovers. Think I might have sold a couple Smokettes during the lunch.

I'm glad it worked out, Dave... I wish someone that I work with would bring in meals like that...

Wait...

They're probably saying that bout me!

The cool thing (pun intended) about this is that we're cookin' our own Q in weather that we used to cook Swanson Pot Pies and such! (At least I used to...). Now I've got three slabs of baby backs in the Smokette since 1:00pm. I just opened the door and sprayed them with apple juice and slid in a pan of beans. When I put them in, the temp was 35. Its 21 now and diving fast... By 7:30 or so everything should be done and I won't care what the temp is!

Nice web site, BTW... Well done!

...ron

I agree, nice site. This morning, we woke up to a balmy -25� (not bad considering yesterday was -42� without the wind chill).

No weather for cooking anything! Maybe I'll light a fire if we get over zero during the holidays. The kids are begging for ribs.

Wish I was enjoying the 58 in FL!!

Peter

Well, the Miami guys were probably frozen solid so they stood up well to the Pats. As they thaw, they might feel some bruising!

Merry Christmas to you all!!!! Happy cooking.
Peggy

P.S. The Brunswick stew is very good.

quote:

Originally posted by northernQ:
[qb] I agree, nice site. This morning, we woke up to a balmy -25� (not bad considering yesterday was -42� without the wind chill).

No weather for cooking anything! Maybe I'll light a fire if we get over zero during the holidays. The kids are begging for ribs.

Wish I was enjoying the 58 in FL!!

Peter [/qb]

Yikes! Where the heck are you? Near Thunder Bay?

Are you already ice drinking, I mean, ice fishing?

Yep, we're east of Thunder Bay, near the Quebec border. Ice fishing is just about ready to start, the lakes are all frozen, even the big ones.

Good news is ... lake trout, walleye, pike are all great smoked!! and are all plentiful right out the back door.

A lot of folks here are bringing caribou back from James Bay hunts. Trucks all over with big racks poking out the back.

Sportsman's paradise. Wish it wasn't quite so cold. LOL

Peter

We're getting a little extreme here in Ohio today. Upto 16" of snow is called for before tomorrow when the temp is gonna plumet to 2 degrees. I'm gonna put a bucket under the thermometer to catch the mercury when it busts out the bottom.

And let's not forget those unfortunate Q'ers who have a regular offset or bullet smoker, can't normally smoke in these conditions.