From: "kit anderson" <kita@i2k.com>
To: "SPTSB" <barbecue@sptsb.com>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 1:02 PM
Subject: Re: Calling Dr. Bombay


Here is how I use my WSM. Lump fire started in the ring but then spread out to a circle around the outside of the bottom. Butt on the top rack, no water pan. Prop up one side of the lid with a 4" piece of wood. That way, some fat with hits the coals and there is wood smoke, but no build up of benzopyrenes or wood smoke. Also, you get infrared heat as well and convection. New coals go on every three hours or so.

On my old Brinkmann, I would move the butt close to the hot spot for the last hour to develop the crust. The smoke ring only happens when the meat is below 140 and doesn't get destroyed by higher heat. When it feels like I can remove the bone, I take it off and let it cool until pullable.

Kit

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Gary Wiviott:

Kit,

Really interesting technique, couple of questions, if you don't mind.

You said you start the lump in the WSM charcoal ring, do you remove the ring
before you spread out to a circle or leave the charcoal ring in the WSM.
Also, when you say circle, do you mean that you are leaving an empty space
in the center?

Is the lid/dome propped up with a small piece of wood the whole cook.

Are you using wood chunks with the lump charcoal.

Are you doing multiple butts, or just one in the center of the top grate to
take advantage of the no coal area in the middle, if that is in fact how you
are placing the coals.

I've done butts direct, no waterpan, on the WSM, but never with the lid
propped up. I'm looking forward to giving your method a try.

Thanks in advance for your response.

Regards

Smoking in Chicago,
Gary

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Kit Anderson:

> Kit,
>
> Really interesting technique, couple of questions, if you don't mind.
>
> You said you start the lump in the WSM charcoal ring, do you
> remove the ring before you spread out to a circle or leave
> the charcoal ring in the WSM. Also, when you say circle, do
> you mean that you are leaving an empty space in the center?

Yes, remove the ring and spread the coals leaving a center space. I
can't get the ring back on after removing and I am not sure it is
necessary. I use 2 chimney's worth. Don't fill up the ring as suggested
or it is too hot because the fire is going to be hotter. I suppose you
could star the coals in chimneys and pour them around the ring. I'll
have to try that. A few coals under the meat, I would think, will
probably do a better job of creating fat smoke.

> Is the lid/dome propped up with a small piece of wood the whole cook.

Yes. This allows the smoke to escape otherwise you get a nasty black
coating. Ask me how I know. ;)

> Are you using wood chunks with the lump charcoal

I start with a small piece of maple. About 2" X 12". That's all the
wood. The smoke in the first hour is key to a smoke ring because there
is no nitrites in fat smoke.

> Are you doing multiple butts, or just one in the center of
> the top grate to take advantage of the no coal area in the
> middle, if that is in fact how you are placing the coals.

Just one. This allows some fat to hit the coals but not enough to start
fires. I put kielbasa or brats around the outside sometimes. Have to try
kiszka sometime.

>
> I've done butts direct, no water pan, on the WSM, but never
> with the lid propped up. I'm looking forward to giving your
> method a try.

The coals are going to burn faster because of the increased air flow. I
think the propped lid allows for more infrared heat than convective.
This is more traditional. Watch the coals to make sure the fire doesn't
get too low. The flavor is more subtle but delicious. The meat gets a
nice mahogany color.

> Thanks in advance for your response.
>
> Regards
>
> Smoking in Chicago,
> Gary

De nada.
Kit

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Gary Wiviott:

Kit,

Thanks, I think I have a pretty good idea of what you are talking about. I
will try it once, screw it up, and come back with more questions.

Brats or kielbasa ringed around the pork butt sounds delicious, but I'm not
sure about kiszka. You mean kiszka as in sausage made from buckwheat groats
or Jewish style made from matzo meal? Hummmmm, I wonder how that would
taste.

Regards

Smoking in Chicago,
Gary

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Terry Light:

Kit,
Before Gary screws it up, how do you set the bottom vents??
Thanks,
Terry Light
Oak Hill, Virginia

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Kit Anderson:

Once the coals are set, I use my hand to check the temperature. 4
seconds is about right. Too hot, I will close all three 1/2 way. Too
cold, add more coals. A lot of weather factors become a bigger variable
in this technique just as if you were cooking pig on cinder blocks.
Northern Michigan winter make this a tough endeavor so I'll abandon this
for the leeward side of the house and put in the water pan with no
water, cover all the way on. Even then.....

I forgot to mention that fat is going to accumulate in the bottom. So
make an aluminum foil bowl or put sand in the bottom making sure not to
block the vents. Much easier clean up.

I suppose that you could cook this way in an offset. Make a fire in one
part of the cooking chamber and put the meat over that. Prop the lid a
little. I think that the distance from the heat is going to be too
close.

Kit

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