Lump, smoke flavors, extruded, and the like

[Sanny]

One of the Happy Camper posts is working on various types of lump. I figured I'd continue the discussion over here, what with the whole 411 thing.

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Can you imagine?? The comment I had when I cooked a leg of lamb on the cooker was that it had too smokey a flavor??

I was using Royal Oak. No added flavor lump (no hickory, apple, cherry, etc.).

Frankly, I think the commenter was out of his mind. The meat tasted like it had been cooked over a fire, not over a glowing element. Hrumph...

But, perhaps KKEC would have been a more neutral flavor.

Too smokey... BAH!

[mguerra]

one man's opinion

Some people don't like their food too smokey, I prefer it strongly smoked. Give your KK to someone else and cook it in the oven if you don't want smoke! At my autopsy, I want the pathologist to say, "This man had KK mesquite lung disease."

[Firemonkey]

You are not going to make everyone happy every time. You liked it, right? I'm guessing there were several people there, and only one person commented, so I would shrug it off and just rememeber that person doesnt like grilled flavor for next time.

Royal Oak is fairly mild, and KKEC in my opinion would have required a chunk or two of wood to flavor it. One thing to note, you can reduce the smoke from any charcoal by letting it fully light before dampening the airflow rather than starting a smoldering fire.

But really, i doubt it was too smokey with RO alone.

[Conodo12]

Per FM's note - you really should not add the meat until your smoke wood has burned off that initial white puffy smoke. Many will tell you that white smoke leads to a bitter smoke taste on the finished product.

Light your fire, add your smoke wood and let that smoker slowly get to your desired temp. In about a half hour or so, you should be at 225 - 240 for your low and slow and a blue almost translucent smoke emitting from your smoker. That's what you are looking for! Your meat will have a smoke flavor to it that complements the flavor of the meat as opposed to over-powering the meat.

Sanny, as for your guy - well, there's one in every crowd....

[jdbower]

Just as a reminder for Sanny, arm hair and eyebrows do not make good smokewoods! I tend to do a lot more poultry and find that apple and hickory work well adding a bit of sweetness in the process. Mesquite seems a bit sharper but holds up well against pork and beef. But I guess it all depends on the audience, for example the better the cut of beef the less flavoring I like to use. A sirloin usually gets a dusting of a rub (but generally cooks fast enough not to be able to use smoke), but a thick and juicy fillet mignon or rib roast goes au naturale onto KKEC.

[Sanny]

Sanny' date=' as for your guy - well, there's one in every crowd.... [/quote']

It was DAD! So sad. Said the roast was delicious, but he'd prefer less smoke flavor. Ptui.

Thanks for the tips.

I didn't think it was smokey at all. No more than an ordinary cook over a fire, rather than in the oven. Go figger.

[mguerra]

note to Sanny

I re-read my note and see I worded it improperly. I did not mean Sanny should give her KK away. My thought was anyone who does not like the smokey flavor in general should not be cooking on charcoal. Not you personally, Sanny! Plus it wasn't you yourself you referenced, but one of your guests. Just to clarify.

[Sanny]

Doc, I understood it in the spirit in which it was given. It was Dad - can't give him away. He doesn't have a KK, so he can't give that away. In fact, nor do I, although I'd be willing to give what I do have away if someone contributed an equivalent amount toward a KK...

[Firemonkey]

Hmmm....maybe Dennis should start a trade-up program

Full retail credit may be asking a little much, but maybe 25%, and some internal happiness from helping others? Donate it to charity and write off the full value - saving you whatever percentage your bracket is charged.

Maybe our new spendy govt should expand their scrappage bill to include cookers?? MAYBE then I could support it...or probably not

[TheNakedWhiz]

Sanny, another thing to try when having company who might like less smoke is Cowboy charcoal. Lotsa folks have observed that it produces less smokey flavor. Good luck!