Lamb Shoulder Tacos & Pork Shanks

I love smoking! There’s something about the smell of smoke in the air that makes me hungry and that didn’t happen before my passion for outdoor cooking to hold. On this day I’m smoking lamb shoulder and pork shanks. I’ve smoked lamb shoulder a few times and it’s always fantastic. This time I decided to pull the lamb shoulder for tacos which is slightly more unusual for me. Even more unusual are the pork shanks. Never cooked them. Never eaten them. Decided to cook them similarly to the lamb and see what happens.

Brybeque Rubbed Pork Ribs/Belly

I asked my butcher, Chris Hayman Butchers, for some really meaty ribs.  “Leave the belly on but remove the rind” I said.  Well I certainly got what I asked for because this slab was absolutely huge!  I considered trimming it down but then decided to just go for it and cook the whole thing.  I was excited to see how this would turn out.  Can never have too much meat right?  I had some new rubs and sauces from the fantastic local company Brybeque to try out so I thought I would give those a go.

Smoked Brisket

Yes!  I have finally had the opportunity to try tackle the ultimate BBQ meat.  The brisket!  I’ve always wanted to try this but being more expensive that your average roast, I’ve never really been able to justify it.  Thankfully, I didn’t have to this time.  Thanks to the extraordinarily generous competition held by James Lowe at JL Butchers for #UKBBQWEEK – I won this fantastic Aussie brisket.  Absolutely free of charge!  I couldn’t wait to get this on the UDS and create smoked meat perfection.

The Benefits of Good Charcoal: Sweet Green Chilli Pork Shoulders

What charcoal do you use when you barbecue?  Whatever you can find in the supermarket?  Maybe you’re more bbq savvy and use brands like Big K instead.  Have you ever thought about looking for a local producer of charcoal? No?  I think you should give it a go and here’s why.

The Reigniting of my Passion for Barbecue and Smoking.

I haven’t posted anything to my blog for a very long time.  My domain had expired and my drive to write anything had disappeared.  I have loved barbecue food for a long time but my ignorance meant that I didn’t make the most of what I had.  Although I have a large Weber Mastertouch at my disposal – I mistakenly believed that they could only be used for grilling.  I think most of the UK public incorrectly hold a similar view.  What I really wanted to do was smoke some meat but I couldn’t afford to buy a dedicated smoker.  After watching videos of Frankin BBQ on Youtube I was sure that an offset smoker was the way to go.  I even tried to build my own filing cabinet smoker but it just didn’t work (despite the popularity of the post) and I gave up.  The dream of smoking the all mighty brisket at home was all but guaranteed never to happen.  

FRANKLIN BARBECUE – A MEAT-SMOKING MANIFESTO

The book is here!  Pre-ordered months ago and eagerly anticipated so that I can cook excellent barbecue – Franklin Barbecue: A Meat Smoking Manifesto finally arrived a week or two ago.  Why am I only telling you about it now?  Well, I’ve been busy.  But this is not a review.  I haven’t cooked anything in the book yet and so it would be unfair to review it. Once I have, I may write a separate post giving my assessment but I’m guessing it will be great.

If you haven’t heard of Franklin BBQ… Shame on you! Franklin BBQ is arguably the most popular BBQ restaurant and although I am yet to try the food myself, I have heard great things.  I strongly suggest that you look them up and if you ever have the opportunity… Try their food.

With summer fast approaching and the sun beginning to show itself, I am looking forward to the opportunity to barbecue more often.  I know many of the hardcore barbecuers will cook outside rain or shine, but I struggle.  In the coming months, I hope to barbecue often and I will be happy to share my experiences with you.  In particular, the recipes in this book!

Have you already used this book?  Let me know what you think 🙂

If you would like to purchase the book, you can find it here and perhaps in other places too.

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Written by Tomos Newland-Jones @MrNewland66

The Filing Cabinet Smoker: The Build – Part 1

 So I have owned this filing cabinet for some time.  I have always had the idea that it would someday be turned into a barbecue smoker.  Time, money and the fact I have no idea what I am doing have all been factors preventing me from going forward with it.

February is the month I am finally going to get it done.  Most of you might just say “why don’t you just buy one?”.  I have considered doing just that but the main reason I haven’t is the cost.  If I am going to buy something like that I would want a good one and the good ones are certainly not cheap.  Secondly… Where is the fun in that?! I’m more interested in finding out whether or not this will actually work.  Ill keep a track of how much this costs too and see how it compares.  So far…. it has cost me £22.47 for the thermometer.  Think of this as an experiment or research.  Making slight improvements each month, maybe it will someday be a really great smoker (although I doubt it).  I know that it is unlikely to be the best smoker in the world but I am hoping that with a little help here and there from those who know what they are talking about, I might be able to cook a half decent brisket.  THAT… is the dream.

I am certain that many of you reading this will have fantasied about the possibility of smoking your own meat.  Many of you already have.  Whether it be a pork shoulder for pulled pork that melts in your mouth, barbecued ribs where the meat falls off the bone or juicy and tender brisket… everybody loves this stuff.  Maybe… If it isn’t a total disaster – I might just inspire you to build your own.

This is part 1.  I am going to treat this as a series – posting weekly updates and if you want to keep up to date… follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter.