I've been wanting to perfect a smoked beef stew. Normally I will smoke for about 3 hours at 220, then sear, then put into the slow cooker. Today I'm trying searing first, then putting the whole pan of meat in the smoker 1/2 filled with stock (so I'm essentially braising the meat in the smoker), I'll see how that comes out soon.
Using well marbled chuck and/or short ribs (today doing all short ribs). Anyone have suggestions on other methods they've used for a smoke stew that works well?
I think that it depends upon how much smoke flavor you want as smoke is attracted to cool surfaces, plus as if you sear the meat, I would imagine less smoke will penetrate the meat. but please let us know how it goes.
Grill/Smoke/Roast = SnS Grills Kettle + SnS Deluxe Insert & Drip n' Griddle
Grill/Smoke/Roast = Hasty-Bake Gourmet Dual Finish with HB rotisserie and Grill Grates
Smoke = Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Pizza = Blackstone Propane Pizza Oven (Stacy's, but she let's me use it sometimes)
Indoor Cooking = LG Studio 30" gas range
Camp Cooking = Coleman 2 burner white gas stove
Thermometer = FireBoard FBX2 with 2 ambient and 6 meat probes
Thermapen Mk IV = Light blue
Thermapen Mk IV = Black
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Auber 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 1 fan)
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Fireboard 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 2 fan)
Knives
Wusthof Classic Ikon set: 9" carving knive, 2X 8" Chef's Knife, 7" Santoku and three utility knives
Kamikoto Kuro set: 7" Santoku, 6.5" Nakiri, 5" Utility
Amazing Ribs Brazilian Steak knife set
Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ"
Cookbooks to check out - Raichlen's "Brisket Chronicles" and anything by Adam Perry Lang.
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
I smoke the meat for my chili. I use the technique you described .... I smoke until internal temp is about 160 and I've hit the stall. Then I brown it in hot cast iron. Then into the stew pot with all my chili ingredients. I also smoke the onions ... only about 30 minutes for those.
I've been running into a few sites lately that say not to bother searing for stews and such. I'm not sure I've absorbed their reasoning, but for sheer unadulterated smokey flavor you might consider it (me too).
My experience with mac and cheese in the smoker is during cooking I stir well "THREE" times when smoking. This adds plenty of smoke flavor, any more stirring and for us it's too much. The mac and cheese is in the smoker a couple of hours.
STIRING!! oh my gosh I have not tried Mac and cheese but but tired beans and other items and never got any smoke flavor but I just put them in like I would an oven Stir to mix in the smoke Dang I'm so Lazy I never stired lol ok gonna try again
Results overall were good:
1. Really juicy, retained more moisture than smoking them over a water pan, and more moisture than my usual method of smoke, sear, braise.
2. You're right lschweig Lower smoke flavor in the meat, mainly because I seared first, and partially submerged the meat during smoke process.
3. More smoke flavor in the gravy, since I smoked the gravy with the meat. SMOG MAN good suggestion on the stirring, I think I'll try that next time to see if I can get even more smoke in the gravy.
EdF Interesting, maybe I'll try that with a couple pieces of meat, but I can't see the rationale there. I love that carmelized taste on the outside, and being partially submerged, I'm almost sure I won't get that.
BBQbot - I was just plain wrong. The method I saw was to sear the whole piece of meat, then cut into large cubes when you put it into the stew. Sounds really similar to what you've done here. http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/01/f...beef-stew.html
EdF wow, thanks, you're right, that's how I normally sear, but that article was filled with a lot of other great tips (Booze makes it better, and use gelatin)! I really enjoy reading stuff from J Kenji Lopez-Alt because of the science perspective he brings like Meathead does. Thanks again!
I've been wanting to perfect a smoked beef stew. Normally I will smoke for about 3 hours at 220, then sear, then put into the slow cooker. Today I'm trying searing first, then putting the whole pan of meat in the smoker 1/2 filled with stock (so I'm essentially braising the meat in the smoker), I'll see how that comes out soon.
Using well marbled chuck and/or short ribs (today doing all short ribs). Anyone have suggestions on other methods they've used for a smoke stew that works well?
When I smoke meat for stew, I use choice-grade brisket flats from Costco (I like 6-8 lb flats).
I dry brine with 1/2 tsp kosher salt per lb for 4-6 hours, inject "no salt added" beef broth, apply Big Bad Beef Rub (BBBR), and smoke on my WSM at 225 until the IT hits 160 (regular Kingsford briquettes, oak & apple wood chunks). Then I double-wrap tightly in foil with a quarter cup of said beef broth, and finish in our convection oven until IT is 203 AND passes the toothpick tenderness test. Then I wrap in blankets for 1-2 hours.
Then my wife works her magic with onions, peppers, celery, carrots, spices, etc., and chopped brisket. It's all slow-cooked in a crock pot. I took some to work last week for our monthly luncheon, and it was gone faster than anything else in a crock pot that day.
Last edited by TBoneJack; January 29, 2017, 10:45 AM.
Thanks TBoneJack, interesting. So you do the whole cook in the smoker, essentially crutching to get the 'stewing' effect, then combine after. I may have to try. Seems if you cook the brisket again after it's cooked though (is that what you're saying as last step?) it may overcook the brisket.
EdF , it's a new Samsung gas and convection oven we bought back in November when our old unit stopped working. I've used my ThermaQ to test the grate temp vs. set temp, and it's remarkably close.
BBQbot , I asked my wife and she doesn't add the meat at a point where it cooks much more. Rather, she adds the meat after cooking the other stew ingredients for a while, then simmers that with the meat for bit to mix the flavors before serving. Seems to turn out well. I smoke the meat, she makes the dishes...
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