The Passing of a
Smoker
A
sad thing happened this past week. I lost a friend in the barbecue cookbook and
culinary writing business. My favorite old, rusty, tired and trusted smoker
suffered a massive rust blow out and
will have to be retired. The piece of cooking equipment was lovingly referred
to as “Old Smoke” in my circle of barbecue and grilling buddies. Alas, Old
Smoke is moving on to that great barbecue cook out in the sky.
I
knew this day was coming. Ally and I spent a weekend the year before last
working on Old Smoke in a revitalization effort. We sanded, patched, bolted and
tightened. I even put on a new coat of black grill paint. Old Smoke looked
great but deep down I knew that it was just a short term fix. I bought the
barrel type smoker years ago and it has been my standard “go to” cooking unit
since.
My
dog Moses, or Big Mo, and I have spent countless evenings sitting in our lawn
chairs watching the sun set and keeping an eye on Old Smoke during a rib
session. You can solve many of life’s problems while scratching your golden
retrievers head and chatting with your wife and son. At times the night air
would be filled with a tantalizing mix of Braves baseball on the radio and wisps
of hickory smoke. And yes, Moses has his own lawn chair.
I’m
going try one more time to repair Old Smoky. I know it will be a lost cause…
but I feel the need to make an effort. It’s owed to Old Smoke to at least try
even though the outlook is not bright. As of this writing the decision on
having a wake is still up in the air. If I have one, I know my friends will
come over; if not for Old Smoke… then for the Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Ally
knows this is a tough loss for me. She told me that Old Smoke could go on to
help other smokers and grills hidden behind our back yard shed. Each serves a
different purpose. One is for charcoal grilling, one is for tailgating, and the
gas grills are used for different events. A handle from Old Smoke could go to
use here, a grilling-grate could be used there. “It’s like a smoker donor
program,” she said.
Old
Smoke and I were together for a long time on my continuing search for barbecue
wisdom. I learned about everything from
rubs to moisture control and mops to sauces. Countless recipes for several
books were experimented with and tested inside Old Smokes Chamber. Some of the
dishes were good, some great… and some I’m trying to forget. Old Smoke was there
as my son Mace and I practiced little league baseball in the back yard. And Old
Smoke was there when Ally and I held a party for Mace before upon his return
home from boot camp. Old Smoke was there when my parents came into town to see
the unique fixer upper home that Ally and I purchased. After a series of
tornados that took out the power for a week Old Smoke was put to use as a
neighborhood kitchen.
Every
time I traveled for a book tour, media event or spokesperson gig a rented
smoker was used. More often than not the event organizers would rent or borrow
a piece of equipment that was sub-par, too small or completely wrong. Yes,
there is a difference between a gas grill and a wood smoker. And yes, there is
a huge difference between grilling and slow smoked barbecue. I would make due,
use what I had and hope for the best product possible. I always came back to
good old hickory, smoke and low temps. Old Smoke knew that I would be back with
Big Mo or Macee close behind.
I
know this sounds dumb to many. Why such an affection for a broken grill? I
guess the only correlation I have is why would somebody have a soft spot in
their hearts for grandmother’s china, mom’s wedding dress, dad’s old recliner
and footstool? I always knew what I was going to get when I fired up that
smoker. It was a constant, and I will miss it. It’s always nice to have
something that you can depend on no matter how old, wise or independent you
are.
I
guess it’s time to start shopping around for the next “Old Smoke” so that I can
continue serving up lasting family memories.
Slow Grilled Pork Ribs
A very easy rib recipe and a great way to get some good hickory
taste on a gas grill. You can watch me cook a version of this recipe online.
2 racks pork ribs membrane removed
Salt & pepper
1/ 2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/ 2 cup ketchup
1/ 4 cup mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Lay the ribs out on a foil pan. Gently rub with some salt and
pepper. You can use lemon pepper seasoning of you wish. Mix the vinegar, ketchup,
mustard and lemon juice. Baste the ribs completely. Use a few good size hickory
chunks & charcoal or hickory chips on your gas grill in a smoke box set up
for medium high direct heat. Place the ribs on the grill and cook for about 10
minutes on both sides. Turn as needed and cook until the outside has a nice
brown and golden look. This should only take about fifteen to twenty minutes. Remove
the ribs from the grill and place back into the foil pan. Add a bit of water or
a dash of beer for extra moisture if needed. Cover the pan tightly with foil
and move to a cooler area of the grill or reduce the heat to as low as it will
go. Cook for an additional 2 hours. This will keep in the hickory taste and
make your ribs very, very tender. Serve hot with a good basting of your
favorite barbecue sauce.
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by to share some food for thought, Kent!
Kent Whitaker is a cookbook author and culinary writer with ten published books which include cookbooks, two children’s books and a World War Two culinary history book. He is the winner of the Food Network Emeril Live Barbecue Contest. The Texas Hometown Cookbook, which he co-authored with Sheila Simmons, was awarded a Gold Medal from the American Author’s Association. Kent is also a member and AUXCHEF for the United States Coast Guard Aux. Kent and his wife Ally live in East Tennessee with their son Mace and two spoiled dogs. Kent's books are available, or can be ordered, at any book store or online.
You can find Kent and his many works here:
