Topper's Grilling Advice!

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Aaronp18
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Aaronp18 »

Topper wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:46 am Duck Breast, rosemary polenta, sauteed brussel sprout leaves with bacon and pecans.

Chocolate mint creme brule.

How was your Christmas dinner?
Nice!

Wife does a brussel sprout, bacon, pecan dish. Also has cranberries and something else. Not just the leaves but that’s interesting, why do you use just the leaves?
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

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Aaronp18 wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:54 am
Topper wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:46 am Duck Breast, rosemary polenta, sauteed brussel sprout leaves with bacon and pecans.

Chocolate mint creme brule.

How was your Christmas dinner?
Nice!

Wife does a brussel sprout, bacon, pecan dish. Also has cranberries and something else. Not just the leaves but that’s interesting, why do you use just the leaves?
The core is fairly bitter. I use a paring knife to cut the core out and peel the leaves off. Blanch them them saute in bacon fat. They also plate better. A dollop of polenta in the centre surrounded by a circle of leaves, with the sliced breast on top of the polenta and an orange flavoured sause over the meat and polenta. I'll often add apples to it. Thought about cranberries.

I've made this before using a whole duck where I'll smoke the thighs and legs and the confit them. To serve I'll shred the thigh meat (not much meat on the legs) and plate the sliced breast on top of it.

Told the kid I was going to buy him a 410 and he'd have to go to the pond next door and get the duck for dinner.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Aaronp18 »

Sounds terrible as usual! :D

Smoker is next on the list for the outdoor kitchen. Do you have a dedicated smoker?
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

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Two Hotel pans. Put a few layers of foil down in a small square at one end and put your chips on it. Put your food to be smoked on a rack at the other end. Invert the second Hotel pan as a lid. Put the end with the chips over top of a burner on the stove and crank it. Extra weight on top helps with the seal and it doesn't take long to smoke something. This is also how we did it in the restaurant.

Try smoked scallops or tomatoes for soup.

You can also put chips on an old metal pie plate on top of the gas burners and under the grill of your has BBQ.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

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I’ve had a smoker for a year and haven’t used it. Topper is it harder to cold smoke salmon than hot smoke it? How hard is it to smoke brisket etc? I’m completely ignorant smoking things other than weed so any feedback would be appreciated.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

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Vin Tanner wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:12 pm I’ve had a smoker for a year and haven’t used it. Topper is it harder to cold smoke salmon than hot smoke it? How hard is it to smoke brisket etc? I’m completely ignorant smoking things other than weed so any feedback would be appreciated.
Cold smoked salmon needs a firebox then a connecting tube to the smoking box. I prefer regular smoked myself as the cold smoked texture isn't as desirable.

Brisket takes like 12 hours at 225-250. Any less and it won't be as tender
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Blob Mckenzie »

Cousin Strawberry wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:17 pm
Vin Tanner wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:12 pm I’ve had a smoker for a year and haven’t used it. Topper is it harder to cold smoke salmon than hot smoke it? How hard is it to smoke brisket etc? I’m completely ignorant smoking things other than weed so any feedback would be appreciated.
Cold smoked salmon needs a firebox then a connecting tube to the smoking box. I prefer regular smoked myself as the cold smoked texture isn't as desirable.

Brisket takes like 12 hours at 225-250. Any less and it won't be as tender
I like the cold smoked Indian candy. Shit is like velvet
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Vin Tanner wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:25 pm
Cousin Strawberry wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:17 pm
Vin Tanner wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:12 pm I’ve had a smoker for a year and haven’t used it. Topper is it harder to cold smoke salmon than hot smoke it? How hard is it to smoke brisket etc? I’m completely ignorant smoking things other than weed so any feedback would be appreciated.
Cold smoked salmon needs a firebox then a connecting tube to the smoking box. I prefer regular smoked myself as the cold smoked texture isn't as desirable.

Brisket takes like 12 hours at 225-250. Any less and it won't be as tender
I like the cold smoked Indian candy. Shit is like velvet
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

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Topper wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 11:52 am Two Hotel pans. Put a few layers of foil down in a small square at one end and put your chips on it. Put your food to be smoked on a rack at the other end. Invert the second Hotel pan as a lid. Put the end with the chips over top of a burner on the stove and crank it. Extra weight on top helps with the seal and it doesn't take long to smoke something. This is also how we did it in the restaurant.

Try smoked scallops or tomatoes for soup.

You can also put chips on an old metal pie plate on top of the gas burners and under the grill of your has BBQ.
Have to give this a try before buying a dedicated smoker!

BBQ would be first so I don't smoke out the house.

Had to search up what you meant by hotel pans but those would be an easy get as well.

Don't smoke anything myself so meat it will have to be! :mex:
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Topper »

Aaronp18 wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:35 pm
Topper wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 11:52 am Two Hotel pans. Put a few layers of foil down in a small square at one end and put your chips on it. Put your food to be smoked on a rack at the other end. Invert the second Hotel pan as a lid. Put the end with the chips over top of a burner on the stove and crank it. Extra weight on top helps with the seal and it doesn't take long to smoke something. This is also how we did it in the restaurant.

Try smoked scallops or tomatoes for soup.

You can also put chips on an old metal pie plate on top of the gas burners and under the grill of your has BBQ.
Have to give this a try before buying a dedicated smoker!

BBQ would be first so I don't smoke out the house.

Had to search up what you meant by hotel pans but those would be an easy get as well.

Don't smoke anything myself so meat it will have to be! :mex:
I'm not a fan of dedicated tools.. If I can avoid them, I will. Hotel pans are the inserts used in buffets. I use mine for a few other things besides the smoker. Makes a great roasting pan or seal the top with foil and use to oven braise meats.

If you have weight (a large pot of water works) on top of the pans while smoking, you don't get much smoke in the house. I take it all out on the deck before I open it up,

Best to keep the food far from the smoke source to avoid over cooking.Important if you are doing seafoods. If I were to buy, I'd go for something like the gun style smoker, run it through ice and have cold smoke. (like the old days of hot knifing through an ice filled 2L plastic pop bottle).

https://www.breville.com/us/en/products ... sm600.html
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Aaronp18 »

That’s cool! Pretty reasonable as well.

There was a restaurant that made drinks using something like that.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

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Topper wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:46 am How was your Christmas dinner?
Wifey cooked up a storm as usual.

She was in the kitchen for like a week.

She's not a pro like you Tops, but she sure knows what she's doing...

Appies: fresh veggies with homemade dip, coconut shrimp, other assorted baked snacks.

Entrees: Roast turkey (she uses rosemary + thyme, not sure what else), honey ham marinated in ginger ale, gravy, herbed cheese sauce

... garlic mashed potatoes, fresh-baked dinner rolls, french green beans almandine, parmesan brussel sprouts, buttered broccoli crowns

... cremini mushroom sage stuffing (with lots of onions cuz i love 'em), baked 3 cheese mac casserole (panko cheddar crumb topping)

... pink salted cauliflower, stuffed mushrooms (out of this world).

Desert: Fresh granny smith apple pie (gluten-free with certain guests in mind) with fresh whipped cream, New York style cheesecake

... pecan pie (my personal fave), chocolate-dipped shortbread, homemade chocolate + walnut fudge, fresh strawberries, sugar cookies.

She gives away a lot of the leftovers (excluding my faves).

So yeah guys, I'm very happily married! :drink:
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

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Strangelove wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 4:41 pm
Wifey cooked up a storm as usual.

She was in the kitchen for like a week.

She's not a pro like you Tops, but she sure knows what she's doing...

Appies: fresh veggies with homemade dip, coconut shrimp, other assorted baked snacks.

Entrees: Roast turkey (she uses rosemary + thyme, not sure what else), honey ham marinated in ginger ale, gravy, herbed cheese sauce

... garlic mashed potatoes, fresh-baked dinner rolls, french green beans almandine, parmesan brussel sprouts, buttered broccoli crowns

... cremini mushroom sage stuffing (with lots of onions cuz i love 'em), baked 3 cheese mac casserole (panko cheddar crumb topping)

... pink salted cauliflower, stuffed mushrooms (out of this world).

Desert: Fresh granny smith apple pie (gluten-free with certain guests in mind) with fresh whipped cream, New York style cheesecake

... pecan pie (my personal fave), chocolate-dipped shortbread, homemade chocolate + walnut fudge, fresh strawberries, sugar cookies.

She gives away a lot of the leftovers (excluding my faves).

So yeah guys, I'm very happily married! :drink:
What was she wearing?
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

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5thhorseman wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 5:22 pm What was she wearing?

I mentioned to her that I posted the menu (her: :) )

... then told her some of the guys asked for pics. (her: :wow: )



She now thinks you guys are a bunch of pigs. :lol:
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Ask her to look back over her shoulder at your computer for us
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