Seventh Electric Smoke:

½ hour pre-heat, NO water in pan, vent closed and smoker temperature set at 200*F

At 11:15 I started the 9.57 pounds Pork Tender Loin (cut in half) mopped in Bill Johnson’s BBQ sauce. I added one and a half trays of dead scrub oak chips and left the temp at 200*F and opened the vent. I am trying a quick hot dry sear to seal in the juices with extra smoke before I drop the heat. I did leave the pan in the smoker as a diffuser heat shield from the heating element.

30 minutes later I dropped the temperature to 180*F and closed the vent.

At one hour and again at two hours I added a tray of oak.

Also at two hours I lightly salted to taste the Salmon and set on the counter to dry the surface to glazy-moist tacky (pellicle). At 8% humidity it only takes about an hour in Arizona.

 

 

At 14:30 (3 hours 15 minutes) I started thin cut small Elk Steaks layered in a bread loaf pan and seasoned with Basic Seasoning at each layer. I saw a thread on forum where a guy is making meatloaf in the smoker. To save room I thought it was worth putting the Elk in a pan. They are going to be cut smaller and added to dishes.

Also 14:30 I put the Salmon in the smoker and added one tray of oak wood chips.

At 15:30 (4 hours 15 minutes into smoke) I added 4 Potatoes, 3 Zucchini, 3 Yellow Goose Neck Summer Squash and two skewers of Mushrooms. I kept the potatoes separated, but just crammed all the other vegies on a rack together. I added a tray of Scrub Oak Chips.

At 16:45 I added another tray of oak.

At 18:45 I pulled the Salmon when the probe thermometer read 170*F for over ½ hour. It was in the smoker at 200*F for 3 hours 15 minutes. I also pulled the Mushrooms.

With so much in the smoker I never needed water in the pan, but did leave the pan in the smoker as a diffuser heat shield from the heating element. I went more on what the salmon looked like than the temp. I never had a temp probe for my wood smoker so I had to rely on looks. The lower smoker temp kept the salmon from developing fat beads. Two trays of Scrub Oak Wood Chips were perfect for the flavor.

At 20:00 I pulled the Vegie Rack. It was in for 4 ½ hours. I left the Potatoes in on another rack.  

At 21:00 I pulled the pork, potatoes and the elk. The internal temp was 170*F on both meats. I bought a second probe thermometer. The pork was in for 10 hours 15 minutes. The elk was in for six hours 30 minutes.

The elk in the loaf pan came out great. I saved the au Jus to add to whatever Rhonda makes it into. It was well done and very tender. We are going to have to try meat loaf.

The potatoes were not tender yet but did have good smoke flavor. 5 ½ hours with the smoker set at 200*F was not long enough. It would have been at 225*F. They made fantastic refried potatoes with onions. We made smoked salmon cream cheese omelets with them. Wow was that good.

We also made pork green chili with homemade flour tortillas. The BBQ sauce glaze on the tenderloin keeps the juices of the meat in and allows the smoke to enter. The sauce flavor does not soak into the meat. Trim the sauce meat off and save for dishes that you want that flavor.

Sixth Electric Smoke:

½ hour pre-heat with 2 cups RO water in pan, vent closed and smoker temperature set at 200*F

Start smoking at 3:00 pm with two whole chickens (basic seasoning), four fresh rainbow trout (basic seasoning), two beef chuck roasts 2lbs. each (basic seasoning), three zucchini and three small russet potatoes. I started with hickory chips and left the temperature at 200*F.

At one hour I added ½ hickory chips and then filled the tray with scrub live oak chips. At 2 hours I added scrub live oak chips again.

At three and one half hours (6:30 pm) I pulled the trout and the vegetables. The internal temperature of the trout hit 170*F. It was very tender, pulled right off the bones. Over cooking at a lower temperature would have softened the bones too much causing them to leave with the meat.

I pulled the chickens at four and three quarter hours (7:45 pm). The internal temperature of the chicken is 172*F. The probe released clear fluids.