Grill or smoker? Other tools of the trade?

[BLeeber]

Okay, of recent, I have really begun cooking/bbqing more after buying my first book, How to Grill by Steven Raichlen. It really showed me what I was doing wrong on the grill...which made grilling more of a chore for me instead of enjoyable. I've done ribs, chicken and steaks with much success over the past 4 months and have loved doing it. Here's my question...

I already have a decent, 4 burner, gas grill which works fine for what I am doing (direct and indirect cooking). For Christmas I got 2 Bass Pro gift cards. I'd like to get more "stuff" to take my cooking to the next level. These are some of the things I am thinking about...

1. A smoker (electric or charcoal). Or could my gas grill suffice with wood chips in foil? Is there that big of a difference? Use the money for something else?

2. A meat grinder for burger and sausage. I have a nice food processor which can grind meat. Although I've heard you can over grind and turn meat into mush with a food processor. I'm sure it takes practice but have heard of many who do it. Again, save the money for something else...making the food processor suffice?

3. A sausage stuffer and set up, casings, etc. to make sausages. This is a big interest for me. I'm not sure of the difficultly of it though.

Any comments/suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. I am new to this and don't want to make a poor, uneducated decision.

Thank you!!

[slick4591]

Welcome to the board!

A gas grill is not a smoker and can not produce as one. I started cooking on a grill, then expanded to a smoker. They both have their separate jobs at my house.

I'm now graduating to making sausages and later on will learn the curing process. I own a food processor too, but it would not be a choice for me to grind meat as I don't believe the two are interchangeable. There's a technique to grinding properly to get the right consistency and a processor is not the correct piece of equipment for that job.

There are grinder/stuffers, but my understanding is they are not recommended by the experienced folks for stuffing.

I'm sure one of the more experienced guys will be along for more information.

[Mike D]

Hi BLeeber and welcome!

I'm sorry that I cannot help you with the smoker or grill question, but the general consensus is that a separate grinder and sausage stuffer is the best and easiest option. When starting off I went with a combined grinder/stuffer and whilst this was OK to start off with, I progressed onto a separate stuffer a couple of month back and cannot believe how much easier it is, and how better my sausage look too!


Is your food processor a Kitchen Aid type or a Magimix type 'blitzer'?? The reason I ask is that when making the sausage mix, you need to keep all the ingredients as cold as possible but to mix it enough for it to go sticky, and I do this with the Kitchen Aid as it just numbs my hands too much doing it manually. If I used (what I term my food processor) it would just turn the meat to a mush as its speed is not really controllable.

HTH

[BLeeber]

Thank you for the replies and your thoughts.

I understand what you are saying about the grill vs. smoker thing. It makes sense.

My processor is a Kitchen Aid and it does discuss grinding meat in the manual. However, your experience and suggestion to keep it cold will save some headache, I'm sure. I may try to grind to meat this weekend just to see how it works.

Thanks again!!

[vagreys]

Okay, of recent, I have really begun cooking/bbqing more after buying my first book, How to Grill by Steven Raichlen. It really showed me what I was doing wrong on the grill...which made grilling more of a chore for me instead of enjoyable. I've done ribs, chicken and steaks with much success over the past 4 months and have loved doing it. Here's my question...
1. A smoker (electric or charcoal). Or could my gas grill suffice with wood chips in foil? Is there that big of a difference? Use the money for something else?

There are people who do well smoking on their gas grills, but I find that something is missing. I use a wide variety of grilling techniques on my Weber kettle, but grills are designed for grilling, and smokers are generally designed for smoking. I have a separate smoker just for (mostly hot) smoking. I would like to add a smoker better designed for cold smoking.

Since you are just starting out, I'd recommend going inexpensive until you have some experience and a better idea of what you want in a smoker. The key to good smoked food is you. There are guys who have won awards at Memphis in May making barbecue on inexpensive bullet-type smokers. I suggest you consider a bullet-type smoker, sometimes called a water smoker. You can learn about smoking without spending several hundred dollars, and who knows? You may find that's all you need. They come in electric and charcoal models. Some people are fine with electric smokers. I prefer to use wood and charcoal for smoking. Either are available for less than $100 at Bass Pro Shops. Consider the Smoke'n Grill Charcoal Smoker or the Brinkmann Electric. Prices jump after that.

2. A meat grinder for burger and sausage. I have a nice food processor which can grind meat. Although I've heard you can over grind and turn meat into mush with a food processor. I'm sure it takes practice but have heard of many who do it. Again, save the money for something else...making the food processor suffice?

People make do with what they've got. Meat minced in a food processor is minced unevenly unless you work at it. Some of it will be mush, some will be just right, and some won't be minced very well. Some folks are ok with that. A kitchen food processor is only meant to handle relatively small quantities. If you wanted to do a 10-lb batch of sausage, it would take you quite awhile to mince all of that to a consistent size in a food processor. On the other hand, if you were to run the same amount through a purpose-designed meat grinder, you could make relatively short work of it and end up with a consistent, predictable product.

Again, if you are just starting out with sausagemaking, I'd suggest getting a manual grinder. The Kitchen Aid meat grinder attachment is fine for grinding a couple of pounds, but you risk burning up even their "heavy duty" motor if you think you are going to grind large batches. I'd suggest picking up a used #10 grinder until you know whether making sausage is for you. A 3/16" plate, and a 3/8" plate are fine to start with, and even if you don't continue with sausagemaking, they will serve well for chili-grind and burger. I've routinely done up to 15lb batches with a hand grinder. If you hunt and intend to process a whole deer, or a whole pig or hog, then you need a more powerful, electric grinder. To start, you might consider the L.E.M. #10 hand grinder for less than $40 at Bass Pro. I've had an old, used Porkert #10 in heavy-tinned cast-iron, for years. Stainless is nice, but twice the cost.

One thing a Kitchen Aid is good for is mixing sausage and working the batch before stuffing. Unless you are doing large batches, you don't need a dedicated sausage mixer.

3. A sausage stuffer and set up, casings, etc. to make sausages. This is a big interest for me. I'm not sure of the difficultly of it though.

Whatever you do, do NOT try to stuff sausage using your Kitchen Aid meat grinder attachment with stuffing funnels attached. It's much easier to stuff if your stuffer funnel is close to your worksurface, and not elevated like on a Kitchen Aid. Of course, you make do with what you've got, and if that's what you've got, you can make it work. It's just more of a hassle.

If you get a manual grinder, some people do great attaching a stuffing funnel to the grinder and grinding straight into the casing. I prefer a separate stuffer. A 5lb vertical or horizontal stuffer will do very well. Consider the vertical stuffer from Northern Tool. This is one place I do not suggest going with a less-expensive 3lb cast-iron horn stuffer. The piston doesn't seal well and clean-up can be more difficult than it has to be. At Bass Pro, consider the L.E.M. 5lb vertical stuffer over the L.E.M. 3lb cast-iron stuffer.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on your options.

[DanMcG]

If you want to try a smoker, the best bang for your buck is the Brinkman.
BassPro brinkman smoker link
they are inexpensive and work pretty well when tuned up.

If you're thinking about sausage making, you really need a dedicated grinder and stuffer. I use a manual grinder which are not that expensive, but for a few more dollars you can get an electric unit. Stuffers are costly, but are a must for sausage making. the horn style are not the best choice, but will work. the vertical stuffers are a pleasure to use
vertical stuffers at basspro

Good luck with your purchases, and let us know what you end up buying.

[BLeeber]

Guys, very informative posts...thank you!!

I am going to visit Bass Pro this weekend and take it all in. I might not purchase just yet but at least look at everything. Geez, I feel like I am buying a car...lol I tend to analyze everything. I guess it's the scientist in me.

[Iamarealbigdog]

If I had to go back and prioritize what to buy, it's a tough call.

To enlighten you, I started with sausage making manual everything, moved into curing and then into smoking and now do competitive BBQ. Most of my equipment is from Cabela’s (brass pro will do almost as good)

It all depends on where you want to start. The Kitchen Aid will grind OK but sucks at stuffing So if you are making sausage then first a vertical stuffer 10pds at least and larger depending on how many you make at a time. When buying a stuffer make sure it lowers itself right down, mine does not and leaves 2lbs in the stuffer after each batch.

Smoking, this is tough, electric gas or charcoal, I have all three and they all have their benefits. Going electric a Bradley is the best bet great bacon on this but costly to run. Has the best set and forget program and is the easiest to learn on. Going charcoal then the Weber Smoky Mountain (WSM) Bullet is the only way to go. It has thicker steel and one you dial in the cook temp it goes all day, I use three of these in a competition. If you have scabs of money then go with a ceramic cooker, it can get to 700 (f) and can cook pizza but they start a $700+ for a knock off. Propane gun cabinets, go for something tall to smoke your hanging sausage in it. We have done very well in these units as well and make great pulled pork. You can cold smoke in these as well with just a little tinkering.

So if you want my opinion… start with making your own sausage and get a vertical stuffer. The rest will follow, want to do your own bacon, get the Bradley digital, the smoke is $1.00 an hour but for 4 slabs of bacon… awesome.