Smokin it in Modesto

[charredbonz]

Hal here sayin Hiya!  Wife decided to shift my old Weber kettle to a better cause and buy us a C-G Smokin Pro on sale at Lowes.  It's my first experience with this style, so here I be.  Got a lot of heads up from the Mods pages and want to say thanks to all for recounting what has worked and not for you.  After my first charring, I went ahead and ordered the side box so I won't have to move my meat off to add fuel.  Yep, I'm that lazy.  Also learned it can get downright toasty up on the top rack.  Never had crispy sausage before.  Good thing we have a digital meat thermometer or the cross rib roast down below would have been inedible instead of just full of gristle.  I wonder if there's such a thing as sausage croutons . . . .  Actually, most of the Johnsonvilles came out OK.  I filled the top rack end to end and only 4 or 5 were a little too dry.  All were rather salty though.  A pretty good learning burn, really.  Sure is a lot more acreage in there compared to my Weber.  I wonder If I'll still be saying that next year?

 

[bluewhisper]

Welcome to the board! You need to make your own pork sausage, way less salt and fat.

 

[charredbonz]

Glad to be here. Home grown sausage sounds temptin.  I probably shouldn't whine about the salt since I'm poppin these puppies like they were popcorn.  Whoops, there goes another one.  Let's see, I'd guess you grind, you season, you stuff then smoke slow and let the flavors all marry.  Is there any curing that goes on in there anywhere?  I can just see me after learning to make spanish chorizo--600 lbs and growing!  I'd need a bigger car.  I'd need a bigger house!  They'd have to bury me in a piano case.  But my grave would smell devine.

 

[bluewhisper]

There are many sausage recipes here! Note that many call for adding fat - I have never come anywhere near the amount of fat in commercial pork sausage.

And, you don't have to stuff links, you can just make patties like you'd see in a breakfast sandwich.

I haven't smoked any yet, but you certainly could..

 

[gary s]

Welcome to SMF from a toasty East Texas

Gary S

 

[knifebld]

Hey Hal, sounds like you are having some fun with that new smoker! Don't forget to post some pics of your next smokes...always fun to view and learn from others. Cheers.

 

[mj ryder]

Welcome from Turlock. Always good to see local Valley smokers on here.

 

[mj ryder]

Also make sure you go to the group section and join the Nor Cal Crew.

 

[charredbonz]

Thanks all!  I'll go check out the group section right now.