Grilling and Smoking

A few times a year, Jeff gets the desire/time to spend a whole day tending to the grill smoking some kind of meat. Completed culinary adventures have included pork butt, ribs, chicken and this past Memorial Weekend wild turkey . There is just something about the slow smokey cooking process that makes the meat so amazing. We also always try to use organic, locally raised products which makes a huge difference in terms of taste. So in honor of such deliciousness, I thought I would record the process and provide Jeff's instructions and tips for smoking meats. 

Preparation|Wood Chips: The wood chips is what gives the process of smoking that distinct flavor and the type of wood determines that flavor. In this case, Jeff choose hickory but you can and we have used other fruit wood. The chips are prepared by soaking them in water for roughly 12 hours before grilling. This step is crucial as otherwise the chips will just flame up rather than create that scrumptious smoke. 

Preparation|Grill: The process of smoking is done by providing indirect heat over a long period of time (think cooking something in the oven at a very low temperature for a very long time). For most meats, this means a grill temperature somewhere between 200 and 250 degrees fahrenheit. To achieve and maintain this low temperature, Jeff (using his standard weber charcoal grill) separated the coals into two baskets - one on each side. In between the baskets, he placed a drip pane filled with water to help keep moisture in the grill. Once the fire had reached its desired temperature, he placed the wood chips directly on top of the coals. 

Preparation|Meat: There are many ways you can prepare your meat for smoking and it is  completely dependent on what type of meat you are using. In this case, we had wild turkey breast harvested in the spring. Because wild game tends to be a little tougher (the animals actually move and build muscle), Jeff brined the turkey overnight in a standard brine of water, salt and sugar. He also added fat to these lean cuts of meat by wrapping them in bacon. 

Smoking: Obviously the next step is to get the meat on the grill and close the lid. It is important that you monitor the temperature checking on it every couple of hours but are careful not to open the lid excessively as you will lose all that good smoke.  Depending on your grill or smoker (and the outdoor temperature), you may need to refuel your fires a couple times throughout the process. For the weber, Jeff generally finds this is necessary every 3 or 4 hours. When refueling, don't forget to add more smoking wood. 

Monitoring..... 

Finishing: There are different rules of thumb on how long to smoke different pieces of meat but the easiest way to tell is to check the temperature of your meat with a meat thermometer. In this case, the turkey breasts were cooked for 5.5 hours. 

Let us know if you have any questions! Or maybe tips that you use!

container garden

​Over Memorial Day weekend, I finished my planting by adding three pots of flowers to our front porch. The area is in full shade so I chose a simple arrangement of one purple four leaf clover plant or rather purple oxalis flanked by coleus. While this is probably only my third time doing pots, I have found that I am most drawn to the foliage arrangements and those that contain succulents. Here are a few favorites.

​1. Urn with chicks, hens and pearls via ABC das Suculentas  2. Yellow echeveria flowers with succulents via Potted 3. This collection of perennials via Houzz 4. Shade container via Gorgeous Flowers, Garden and Love 5. These plum-colored foliage arrangements via Sunset 6. Hosta Container via Shady Oaks

water pressure

In last week's post Water Supply, I explained where your water comes from and how it is gets into your home. This week, I want to talk about what happens to it once it enters your home. Whether your water is from a public or private supply, it must be delivered at a correct quantity, specific flow rate, pressure and temperature in order for it to perform the duties you require of it - washing, bathing, heating etc. The pressure of the water is of particular importance as this is what allows for your water to be carried throughout your home. As Building Construction Illustrated (my current favorite home resource book) states "The service pressure of a water supply system must be great enough to absorb pressure losses due to vertical travel and friction as the water flows through pipes and fittings, and still satisfy the pressure requirement of each plumbing fixture". This appropriate service pressure is generally 40 psi (pound per square inch) in public systems which is the approximate upper limit for most private systems. 

Flowing at the right pressure, the first stop for your water is the  water heater. This is essential as it ensures that adequate water pressure be available to your whole hot water supply system. Its is also where your supply splits - cold and hot. Cold water supply lines run to every toilet, sink, tub, shower and water using appliance in the home while hot water supply lines only run to sinks, tubs, showers and hot water using appliances in the home. These respective pipes are termed risers or rather the set of risers (hot and cold).  

Each destination of your water supply (toilet, sink etc.) should be equipped with a shut off valve. This allows for maintenance to be performed without having to shut off water to the entire home - it should also go without saying that you should access to set valves i.e. don't close them behind a wall.  

As your set of risers branch to reach each fixture in your home, the diameter of the supply line changes to accomodate the specified pressure needs. Standard home fixtures typically require an operating pressure range of 5 psi to 30 psi and thus the pipe is adjusted accordingly. 

​information by Building Construction Illustrated and What's a Homeowner to do?

A note on repairs - if you are having water pressure issues in just one of your fixtures but not others than you know it is a problem with a specific supply line and the problem is probably easily fixable. If you are having an issue in one section of your home then the problem most likely lies within that specific branch of supply - a bigger issue that will require a professional. And finally if you are having water pressure issues throughout your home it is most likely a problem with your supply pipe from the municipal main. In this case, it could be a greater problem to say your neighborhood or your home in particular. Either way, you will need to call the water department. 

Look for next week's post where I will talk about different types of hot water heaters.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!