http://www.masterbuilt.com/prod-smokers-digital-black.html
All you do is set the time and temperature, put your wood chips and food in, and let it go. Since it's electric, there's no having to stoke the fire, and the temperature is consistently held. It might not be recommended by BBQ purists, but it's just fine by me! I cooked three different things in my smoker the past couple days: brisket, beans, and mac & cheese. You might be scratching your head over the mac & cheese, but I can assure you it takes everyone's favorite side dish to a whole new level. I found the recipes for the brisket and mac & cheese on this website:
http://dadgumthatsgood.com/
John McLemore, one of the owners of Masterbuilt, published a cookbook called "Dadgum That's Good!". While I've not seen the cookbook, it appears most, if not all, of the recipes in the cookbook appear on the website above. I used the marinade and the rub for his smoked brisket, but not the sauce mainly because I still have a bottle of an awesome sauce from Oklahoma Joe's in Kansas City. Ate there several years ago, and it was seriously some of the best BBQ I've eaten in my life. We've ordered their sauce via their website until I found a place here in town that sold it. Yippee! But, I digress...here's the recipe.
Smoked Brisket (Courtesy of "Dadgum That's Good!")
Marinade
3 cups beef stock
¾ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup ketchup
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Asian chili paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon celery seed, ground
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon granulated onion
Rub
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt (calls for 1/4 cup on the website)
¼ cup garlic powder (calls for garlic powder)
¼ cup seasoning salt
¼ cup granulated onion
¼ cup unseasoned chili powder
¼ cup paprika
¼ cup black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
Marinade
1. In a large saucepan, combine all marinade ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Marinate brisket for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator. Remove brisket from marinade, dry with paper towels, and let it sit for ½ hour. Reserve marinade for basting during smoking.
3. Trim excess brisket fat, leaving to a ½-inch layer. Be careful not to cut into the meat.
Rub
Combine all rub ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and apply to the brisket before placing in the smoker.
Brisket
1. Load the wood tray with one small handful of wood chips and preheat the smoker to 250° F. Reduce heat to 225° F, then add the brisket.
2. Place the brisket in the smoker and cook at 225°F for 4 hours, until a bark begins to form. Apply marinade every hour to prevent the brisket from drying out. Continue to smoke the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 165° F. (Total smoking time is approximately 60 minutes per pound.)
3. After 4 hours, remove the brisket, wrap in aluminum foil, and continue cooking an additional 3 to 4 hours until the temperature reaches 195° F. Remove from smoker and let stand for 15 minutes in foil before carving.
Note: I reduced the amount of salt and used garlic powder instead of garlic salt for the rub due to the fact that when I prepared the rub as written, it was entirely too salty. DO NOT follow the recipe on the website.
Smoked mac & cheese....what? I can assure you it's awesome. The pic doesn't do it justice. It's deliciously creamy and smoky under the top. I double the sauce because it seems like when you prepare as written it's too dry. Try it both ways and decide.
Smoked Mac & Cheese (Courtesy of "Dadgum That's Good!"
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 (8 ounces) cream cheese, cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups Gouda cheese shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Directions
1. Load the wood tray with one small handful of wood chips and preheat the smoker to 225° F.
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, and whisk flour into the butter. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and thick. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes until thickened. Stir in cream cheese until mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup Cheddar, 1 cup Gouda cheese, Parmesan cheese, pasta, and cream sauce. Spoon mixture into an 11 by 9 ½-inch aluminum roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese and Gouda cheese.
4. Place in smoker and cook 1 hour at 225° F, until brown, bubbly and delicious.
