Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi, Jeff,

 

I asked a friend who cooks BBQ professionally for suggestions. He likes Cookshack equipment for restaurant use and said if he were looking for something to use at home, he would get one of the smaller residential Cookshack electric smokers.

 

Karen

 

Hi Karen,

 

I had a look at those but because they do not have a UK distributor it means an extremely expensive personal import. In the end I stuck with instinct and ordered a Charbroil Electric Smoker and it arrives tommorow. It is fully automated and one load of wood chips will keep it going for up to eight hours. It works to either end temperature or time or both.

 

Ordered lot's of wood chips including apple, cherry, sweet chestnut, whiskey barrels (for cold smoke salmon) and loads of spices to produce my own rubs. Also ordered some meats to play with and get me started. This is the one I bought. It will sit in La Cuccina and keep me company for many a slow smoke .....

 

Please thank your friend for the advice and thanks again for your help.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2017 by UKCruiseJeff

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! The day began with the semi-annual trip to the dentist. I have a mouth full of fillings so each visit comes with a dire foreboding of issues with the fillings. I got lucky today. :)

 

Jeff...your new "Cuccina" toy looks amazing! I'm sure your mastery with food with shine with this! And I'm sure we are all looking forward to pictures of the creations! There is a charcoal product being touted here called the Big Green Egg. Apparently you can make thin crust pizza and even bake with it along with the BBQing and smoking options. It is pricey though so we are "toying" with the idea.

 

http://biggreenegg.ca/

 

Have a great day all!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Greetings Coolers! The day began with the semi-annual trip to the dentist. I have a mouth full of fillings so each visit comes with a dire foreboding of issues with the fillings. I got lucky today. :)

 

Jeff...your new "Cuccina" toy looks amazing! I'm sure your mastery with food with shine with this! And I'm sure we are all looking forward to pictures of the creations! There is a charcoal product being touted here called the Big Green Egg. Apparently you can make thin crust pizza and even bake with it along with the BBQing and smoking options. It is pricey though so we are "toying" with the idea.

 

http://biggreenegg.ca/

 

Have a great day all!

 

Thanks M,

 

For what it's worth the Big Green Egg looks like the sort of thing that one lusts after but I wonder ......

 

If it's for pizza then the smaller the BBQ the better the chance of reaching a temperature for decent pizza. But who wants a 12" bbq? So with a big egg you are going to wait for an hour or two for it to not to reach Neapolitan pizza temperature ie around 960f ... in order to cook a pizza in a few minutes. What a palaver to cook a pizza in five minutes. So it doesn't seem to me to be practical for a pizza and even if you got a very small one then that would be unsuitable for a BBQ. And it is a load of cash.

 

As you know I have the indoor bbq but what I have for La Cuccina is a small Landmann PortaGo that I buy in packs of three for around £30 ie £10 each. I don't bother with the legs but put it on the paving table beside the Beehive. I use a chimney to get the coals going and throw away the bbq every year or two and so I don't get all cleany and houseproud about it. A shake it when it's cold and put it in a plastic bag and it takes no room. The chimney never fails.

 

A BBQ basically doesn't cook pizza and a pizza oven is no good as a BBQ. And the food will taste the same whatever BBQ buy. :)

 

 

[mysty]

Thanks for your sage advice on the "egg". In theory it does appeal but as you pointed out, in practice it may turn out to be a "white elephant". We have enough of those in our basement! :( Myster used our son's BBQ which had a smoking option while we were there. He did smoked tuna and it was delicious! I think the experience made him eager to have that option here.

[carefreecruise]

Hi Karen,

 

I had a look at those but because they do not have a UK distributor it means an extremely expensive personal import. In the end I stuck with instinct and ordered a Charbroil Electric Smoker and it arrives tommorow. It is fully automated and one load of wood chips will keep it going for up to eight hours. It works to either end temperature or time or both.

 

Ordered lot's of wood chips including apple, cherry, sweet chestnut, whiskey barrels (for cold smoke salmon) and loads of spices to produce my own rubs. Also ordered some meats to play with and get me started. This is the one I bought. It will sit in La Cuccina and keep me company for many a slow smoke .....

 

Please thank your friend for the advice and thanks again for your help.

 

 

 

Jeff, congratulations on your new equipment.

 

Don't really know how much experience you have with smokers but will offer some things that others may find useful: Commercial smokers have separate controls for timing on how long the burn takes place on the wood chips. While residential units seam to use the same heating element to heat the cooking cavity and burn the wood chips. This causes one to over smoke the product in residential units. Work around is to have very small wood chip (size of one golf ball or 1/2 that size for shorter smokes.

 

Other is to keep a detailed log on the following: Type of meat, weight of meat, product quality, type of rub or seasoning used, temperature set points, how many times you opened the door, time intervals, temperature of finished product and post finishes.

 

Its a process and fun labor of love that can have you loading up your smoker prior to bed time for tomorrows lunch. Don't be discouraged if one time the same weight of meat takes 1 to 2 hours more to get the finished set point. The turning of collagen to gelatin can get stalled sometimes and needs more time to work its magic.

 

Have fun and good luck...

[jpalbny]

Looking forward to some pictures of "English BBQ" from Jeff. I've attached my favorite rib recipe. The spice rub is delicious - I also use it on chicken, pork chops, etc. I double the recipe and make a pint at a time to keep around and use whenever the urge strikes.

 

The recipe is not designed for a smoker but you should be able to experiment.

 

Enjoy your new toy. :D

Barbecued Baby Back Ribs by Cook's Illustrated.pdf

[Camillus112]

Wow! Great to have so much expertise around... And to think we only have a small Weber egg that just grills with charcoal... Food (equipment) for thought...

[UKCruiseJeff]

Jeff, congratulations on your new equipment.

 

Don't really know how much experience you have with smokers but will offer some things that others may find useful: Commercial smokers have separate controls for timing on how long the burn takes place on the wood chips. While residential units seam to use the same heating element to heat the cooking cavity and burn the wood chips. This causes one to over smoke the product in residential units. Work around is to have very small wood chip (size of one golf ball or 1/2 that size for shorter smokes.

 

Other is to keep a detailed log on the following: Type of meat, weight of meat, product quality, type of rub or seasoning used, temperature set points, how many times you opened the door, time intervals, temperature of finished product and post finishes.

 

Its a process and fun labor of love that can have you loading up your smoker prior to bed time for tomorrows lunch. Don't be discouraged if one time the same weight of meat takes 1 to 2 hours more to get the finished set point. The turning of collagen to gelatin can get stalled sometimes and needs more time to work its magic.

 

Have fun and good luck...

 

Hi, and thanks for the hints .... really appreciated.

 

Thankfully there is a fair amount of Youtube on it with owners sharing experience. There is a wifi controlled one which people have had problems with and so I went for manual simplicity. I don't need to know the temperature of my brisket whilst I'm watching TV! It either cooks on time at a set temperature or reached temperature from an included probe which automatically stops the smoke when it has reach preferred temperature. I plan to calibrate the probe using iced and boiling water to try and understand it's accuracy before I start. I've bought an extra probe, and analog thermometer to triangulate and keep and eye on things.

 

The element is quite low wattage and there hasn't been any complaints yet of over smoking although some mistakenly carry over charcoal bbq habits and soak the wood which of course just delays the start of smoking and creates steam. I'm also using lighter sweeter woods rather than hickory, oak, pecan, mesquite etc. The temperature range as a result of the small element is just from 100f to 275f so I don't believe overheating is a risk. For example for pork ribs it suggest 225f for 5 to 7 hours to reach an end probed temperature of 190f. So I could just set the probe to 190f and let it figure it out for itself and just taking a test of internal temperaure every hour after say 4 hours or so. I tend to keep records when I'm learning so I guess I'll figure it out.

 

Thanks so much again for posting the tips, so much appreciated.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Looking forward to some pictures of "English BBQ" from Jeff. I've attached my favorite rib recipe. The spice rub is delicious - I also use it on chicken, pork chops, etc. I double the recipe and make a pint at a time to keep around and use whenever the urge strikes.

 

The recipe is not designed for a smoker but you should be able to experiment.

 

Enjoy your new toy. :D

 

Many thanks JP, I've printed off the recipe and I'm sure it will be a success.

 

I have ordered far too much stuff from Amazon and my on-line supermarket so I am going to have to find space for all the stuff. It is really exciting to learn a new art or skill. I'm not going to be using it much .... I reckon after the honeymoon once or twice a month perhaps. I just want to sit out their in autumn with a beer and watch it smoke .......

[ShotsnCruises]

Okay. I have set back long enough. My father cooked on the most decorated Kansas City BBQ team for 5 straight years. I live and breathe smoked meat.

The most consistent smoker type is a pellet stove smoker. I prefer hickory.

You get consistent results like this:

 

 

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[Lois R]

WOW:D....I live in the south and we have a BBQ place on every corner.........your photos looks fantastic:D

[ShotsnCruises]

A few more to drool over.

 

 

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[spinnaker2]

AMAZING

Shots

Just scrumptious

[ShotsnCruises]

We just got back from a long weekend in UP North country of Michigan. Lots of wine and good food. We stay in a cabin that is a little more than off the beaten path. No TV, no internet, no phone. A refreshing break from the world for a while. Now back to reality, and back to cooking this week! Not tomorrow, as it's my long work day, but I have a few meals planned later this week that I will be sure to post pictures.

Welcome to the Cooler to our new members!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lois R]

Jeff, I am "OFFICIALLY TICKETED" for my flights:D:D:D

[UKCruiseJeff]

Lois, that's great news .....

 

Shots, lovely piccies ..... I have so much to learn ......:)

 

There really is nowhere near the bbq and smoking genetics in the UK as there is in the US, so I'm starting from scratch.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Ghosh ..... the most enormous fire in a block of flats in Ladbroke Grove (West London) with 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters attending. Very close to Notting Hill and Lancaster Gate for those that have visited London.

 

They are evacuating the building ..... those flames are huge.

Edited June 14, 2017 by UKCruiseJeff

[Joc123]

Words fail me.

Once again, I have been watching BBC World all day following this latest disaster.

So sad, I love London, having been there well over 30 times and I know this area.

The emergency services must be completely exhausted.

I feel for you all.

[MissSophia]

Absolutely horrific, my heart goes out to those poor people involved. There have been fatalities.

Bless our emergency services again.

[TLCOhio]

So pleased to see Terry having fun in Lisbon and thanks for the pics! Bon Voyage to all sailing soon......S

 

Appreciate the great food visuals, plus cooking details/options, etc. Very sad on London fire.

 

Yes, continue to totally love and be amazed by Lisbon and nearby. Yesterday, we went north/NW to Sintra, Cape Rock as the western most point of Europe, resort areas of Cascais and Estoril, etc. Saw lots of palaces, gardens, beaches, fine residences, scenic sights and history. Below are just a small sampling of pictures.

 

Get on board the Silver Spirit today. Will check out the towels and other key questions about that ship.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 68,667 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

For in and around Sintra north of Lisbon, here is a small visual sampling. Yes, as we told our grandsons, these are "Real Castles!". One picture shows my wife with Jose, our super excellent guide for two of the days here in Lisbon. Really have learned lots on the unique history of Portugal. And, you can see the shrimp for lunch in garlic sauce.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

I guess we might have a better idea in a few minutes when first official details might be released. It is difficult to see how many on the higher floors could have vacated.

 

Evidently there have been some that jumped. How on earth are firefighters supposed to deal with such tall buildings.

[TLCOhio]

I guess we might have a better idea in a few minutes when first official details might be released. It is difficult to see how many on the higher floors could have vacated. Evidently there have been some that jumped. How on earth are firefighters supposed to deal with such tall buildings.

 

Yes, sadly, these are important and excellent questions from Jeff. Real tragedy!! Even with that bad news from London, including the major need for finding out the exact cause and details about the fire alarms in the tower, I have some visuals from happier times that we enjoyed here in Lisbon. Let's hope in London that this was not any act of terror.

 

Monday night we were here in Lisbon as they staged the 85th edition of the city's Popular Parade that passed right in front of our hotel. It ties with the local Saint Anthony festivities on the Avenida de Liberdade (Avenue of Freedom). There were 23 different neighborhoods participating, including the winner group from Alfama. Lots of colorful costumes, great staging, dancing joyfully to Portuguese music, etc. There were 16 couples who got married as a part of the weddings of Saint Anthony at the historic Se Cathedral. We saw the couples parading, also, in vintage cars. Plus, caught part of the wedding ceremonies on national TV while having lunch along the shore north of Lisbon. These Saint Anthony celebrations were a special, surprise bonus for our visit here. This activities included lots of locals drinking and eating on the streets, Portuguese pop music blasting on loudspeakers, and the smell of sardines inundating the city. Sorry, we passed on the all-night drinking, partying, etc. Great fun to experience in Lisbon!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 181,552 views for this posting.

 

Here are a few sample visuals from the parade in connection with the Saint Anthony celebrations. As shown, the costumes and street action were very amazing! Shown in one picture are just three of the 16 couple married that day in the Se Cathedral who received many gifts and all expenses covered. Yes, in the last picture, she is saying "HI!" to me and those here on Cruise Critic.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

A women threw her baby from the ninth or tenth floor and it was caught.

[Joc123]

With all the Occ Heath and Safety Rules and Regulations how does this happen? I understand the tower was built in the 70's.

This means it is probably full of asbestos.

What a disaster.

[UKCruiseJeff]

With all the Occ Heath and Safety Rules and Regulations how does this happen? I understand the tower was built in the 70's.

This means it is probably full of asbestos.

What a disaster.

 

 

The social housing group that manages the block had just put notices up telling residents that if there was a fire but not in their appartment then they should stay in their own flat rather than vacate the block. I fear that as this was at around 1am many people wouldn't have been aware of the fire. (For overseas people, this part of London was historically a main area for Jamaican and other Afro-Carribean people to first live in the 50's and 60's when they arrived here.)