Removing Meat

Don't know if you've already tried this, but I find spraying racks with canola or olive oil helps. I also remove entire rack with smoked product with a large enough pan waiting to place the rack on and bring pan with rack indoors to remove product. The pan also catches any drippings/chunks as the rack is removed. Once indoors, if your product is sticking to the rack, it's easier to work it with the entire rack out of the smoker. Works for me although, others probably have better solutions.

I like to use frogmats with most everything. slide the mat out with the pork butt and then peel it off with no loss to mention...

Buy yourself a half sheet pan (club store, restaurant supply, Amazon) and have it ready near your smoker. Then follow TN's suggestion as per frog mats. Frog mat to sheet pan to final prep area. No muss; no fuss.

Amazen.com sells QMatz for about half the charge of Frog Mats. Both work great! Spray both sides with Pam for easy cleanup. They say dishwasher safe, but I've never tried that.

I always put my frogmats through the dishwasher. No problems whatsoever.

Thanks y'all. I'll check out the Q'matz and frogmats. I'll definitely spray the racks with something next time.

I wish I could just take the whole rack out and mess with it inside. Problem is, I've never had everything on one rack be ready to take off at the same time! I'll have a pork butt ready to take off and the one right next to it will lack a few degrees. Luck

One last thing I forgot to mention: When I season a smoker, I spray the entire interior (including racks) with canola or olive oil (whatever I have on hand at the time) and crank the smoker up to maximum temp for 3-4 hours. I find this creates an extremely smooth and slippery surface on the racks and interior. I have also used this method in my kitchen oven at much higher temps to create a baked slippery surface on the racks.

Do you do that fairly frequently? I wouldn't mind doing it if it helps.

Bearcarver - On your kitchen oven? Yikes! I assume your wife is a very forgiving person!

StillLearnin, after seasoning the smoker (including racks) at high temp, I continue to clean and spray the racks after every smoke. I suppose it's similar to seasoning a cast iron pan. I haven't had to season the racks at high temp after their initial seasoning with smoker. Jay, I've discovered that if I tell (more like fib to) my wife that the manual calls for this admittedly unusual method, she doesn't question it. I also keep my manuals well hidden so she never (hopefully) learns the truth...seems I've amassed a considerable number of little white lies over the years with various hidden manuals lest she uncovers a pack of untruths.

I don't have these problems but here are some thoughts on why I don't basically based on a few years of making a mess

1. I don't leave the meat to sit in one spot for more than 2 hours or so. IF you do, and it sits in one spot for the whole cook it will stick and more likely will tend to soften and mold into the grates themselves. More the meat occasionally.

2. Fat side down tends to make a mess if it's at the end of the smoke.

3. Overcooking means over tender and will more likely fall apart.

4. Don't use tongs on big cuts of meat. IF it's too tender tongs tend to rip more than anything.

5. IF you use foil (which I don't much) the likelihood of a hole appearing is directly proportional to how long it's been in the foil and how large the cut of meat.

I use a pair of cotton gloves on top of which I use a pair of rubber gloves. I have a table right next to the smokers and I pick up the food and place it on or in a pan for transport.

If I know it's going to be messy I move the table closer.

For my birthday, my wife bought me one of those plastic food service carts (from restaurant supply) and I use that to take a lot of food back and forth.

Truth be told the spot right in front of my smokers does have some grease stains.

Thank you all for your replies. If smokin has some grease spots, guess I'll learn to love mine!

I bought a short handled metal pizza peel from restaurant depot. It's been working pretty well.