Using a pan in smoker

Some meat, prime rib for example, tastes smokey enough to me cooked in a well seasoned smoker w/o any wood at all. Just my opinion.

Pan will keep it from taking on smoke where it hits the pan, but that sounds like a good thing in this instance.

How did you use the pan, you didn't say?

I use a pan with a small rack that fits inside... somewhat like a pie rack but it's made for the pan. Allows the smoke to circulate around what's cooking.

I use an aluminum diposable pan for everything. I use a rack that is angled like a V raised an inch which keeps the meat from soaking in a any of the juices. I usually use a can a beer when starting and when I cook baby backs I use the 3-2-1 method which makes it easy to cover with foil at 3 hours. Just throw the aluminum pans out afterwards and only change the aluminum foil in the bottom of the smoker about once or twice a year. I hate cleaning!! Works for me ; )

A roasting pan might work too, and the meat, or whatever, would still be pretty much exposed to the smoke.

As an aside I saw some aluminum sheets at Lowe's today, they're designed for cooking smaller things on the grill, a pack of 2 sheets was 6 bones. Would aluminum effect the taste of the food from a smoker? The meat, or whatever, would be in contact with the sheet for a whole lot longer than on a grill. If not they seemed like a great idea.

If you really want to use a pan in the smoker, then why not go super easy and use something like this, then throw away:



1/4 size sheet pan

Well there are a few Q sites out there that swear by the Pan Q method of cooking. Me, I don't like it near / steeping in the grease.

If it works for you, and it has the effects you want, it's smoky enough, etc, then keep doing it.

No right, no wrong way, do what works for you

Well, I take that back, BOILING is wrong... :d

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinOkie:

Well, I take that back, BOILING is wrong... :d

Even if you have enough liquid smoke in the water?

Well,assuming we have all eaten truly good bbq ,someplace,and we know what good bark tastes like,and the mouthfeel,and aftertaste, and does for the balance of the finished product,then I guess we can cook one each way and we will have info to make a good decision.

Now,if our only basis of information,is the "right" amount of smoke taste,Todd could be right about the liquid smoke being all we need and cooking it in a poultry ,oven bag,would really help on cleanup.

I see they even make fishsticks,Mannwich sloppy joes, and mac n'cheese with liquid smoke now.

Wish somebody woulda told me that 40 yrs ago.

+1 on the pan; I use Todd's pan, but I put it on a small rack that sits inside it so it catches the drippings without the butt sitting in it. Allows smoke all the way around, but I still have to clean the grate the butt sits on. Decent trade off for my purposes!

Like Smokin' says"the forum is about making folks BETTER bbq cooks".

Some of folks want to keep getting better,especially if they have ever eaten really good Q.

Now, I can't disagree that Goodhouskeeping,Better Homes and Gardens,Family Circle,etc. have quicker,cheaper,easier to do and clean up.

They can give the budget shopping tips and the diet statistics.

They can advise that gas grills are faster to warm up,easier to clean,you don't have to store that nasty old charcoal,and they are much greener on the environment.

You can do it in high heels and a cocktail dress.

Now,down here,Sonny's delivers.

That is fast ,easy,and quick cleanup.

Just a couple of thoughts.

I forgot to mention the sheets I saw were perforated. They're not designed to reduce clean up, just to grill small things that might fall through the racks.