Windy City Smoke

[chicago smoke]

Here begins an odd adventure!!! I'm a 31 year old Chicago Police SWAT officer looking to open my own restaurant in five years. In Chicago you will only survive if you have a new spin on something or a cuisine not yet covered. Needless to say in a city of 4.5 million that is hard to do. Then a friend of mine from Kansas City informed me of his dream of opening a barbecue joint. Together we have decided that we've found our niche. Chicago's only examples of barbecue lay in the predominantly black neighborhoods or the few small restaurants that convince people that know no better that they have good barbecue. We have begun our quest of going to every place in Chicago as a case study of who's good and who isn't. So far our beliefs have been proven pretty true. CHICAGO DOESN'T HAVE GOOD BARBECUE!!!!! Now the dilemma....while I have attended some culinary school classes I have not covered barbecue or rather smoking which I'm very interested. I have a horizontal Kingsford grill that has the appearant makings of a great smoker I just don't know how. How do you keep the wood from just igniting on the coals? Wet wood or dry? How close from coals to meat? Etc...etc... Anyone up for taking me under their smoky wing?

Erick

 

[smokeys my pet]

Chicago welcome to smf. Be sure to sign up for the 5-day ecourse it is very helpful.

 

[msmith]

Welcome aboard Chicago glad you found us. I also recommend taking the 5 day e-course. Read a lot of posts and check out the wood smoker section and the different mods to smokers.

 

[chicago smoke]

I'm on day 4 of the smoking meats e-course and it is quite informative however I'm sort of a visual guy and there aren't any graphics. The mental picture I get after reading the e-course may not be the picture I'm supposed to be seeing. Anyway....I shall keep pushing on. There seems to be some very helpful posts and even more helpful people!

Thank you!!

 

[msmith]

Your welcome friend. I cook on a much larger smoker and have installed tunning plates in the barrel. I can maintain even temps from each end of the barrel. After I get a good bed of coals and get my smoker up to temp I will stick a split in my fire box to pre heat before it goes in the fire and each time I use that one another goes in the fire box. I an able to keep my temp up and not put any creosote on my meat. Its all trial and error and lots of practice.

 

[cowgirl]

Welcome to the forum Chicago!

 

[ds7662]

Welcome to the site from a brother, LEO.
I believe I know the grill you have. Does it have the side firebox or not?
If it does throwing the would on the coals will be fine. Learn to adjust your dampers to control the temps and this will also help keep the wood from catching.

If it does not have the SFB. You will need to cook indirectly. Place coal and wood on one side of grill and food on opposite side.
Describe your grill a little more and we can give you more info.

 

[gramason]

Welcome to the SMF, pleanty of info here.

 

[kookie]

Welcome to the site. Lots of friendly folks here and lots more good info. The learn is alot of fun.

Kookie