Fired up the smoker

Once again. Preparing the fire, has to be just right with real wood chunks:

Attachment 168135

I know when it's right when I see the smoke like this:

Attachment 168136

Meanwhile, I saw a crawfish on the wall of my shop:

Attachment 168137

Also saw a gecko:

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These will work. Deboned chickens, one stuffed with cornbread dressing, the other with crawfish etouffee:

Attachment 168139

Nice glaze on those.

Those look good. I prefer the corn bread stuffing. I do that with speckle bellies and use jalapeno corn bread and giblets to make the stuffing and wrap with bacon. I have the same style smoker. You are right charcoal and real wood chunks are a must. Those pits take a lot of fuel to keep the heat going for a few hours. I like to use oak and hickory 50/50 with one pecan chunk in the beginning. If more heat is needed later I use only oak. I once ruined a load of ribs and chicken with too much pecan. I like to sear the meat in the hot box before moving to the smoking chamber.

Them look killer. You sure know what you're doing.

Yuuuummmmmmmmmmmm!

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Originally Posted by saute86

I have the same style smoker. You are right charcoal and real wood chunks are a must. Those pits take a lot of fuel to keep the heat going for a few hours. I like to use oak and hickory 50/50 with one pecan chunk in the beginning. If more heat is needed later I use only oak. I once ruined a load of ribs and chicken with too much pecan. I like to sear the meat in the hot box before moving to the smoking chamber.

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Thank you sir, nice complement from a professional chef. We will finish this off with a humming bird cake. Fresh from scratch, not a box mix:

Attachment 168148

Pineapple, bananas, pecans, cream cheese icing, etc.

I wanted to try to smoke some crappie that I have in the freezer. When I lived and worked in Canada, a co-worker of mine would do that with some steelhead trout we caught. He cold smoked it. Don't know how to do that, should have paid attention. I guess if I had some 6" crappie I would experiment.

Google cold smoking and read up on it

Man that cake looks great !!!!!!!

I dont think crappie will cold smoke good. Not enough fat like salmon or trout. I eat it grilled all the time. Now that was cruel to show the cake. Hummingbird is my favorite.

that cake definitely got my attention........

Now I know where my Hummingbirds are disappearing to, how many per cake Randy? Ferdi.....

Ur makin me hongry. Man those chickens look like some good eating. I have a buddy who loves the cold smoked fish thing. Since he doesn't have salmon, he does catfish.

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Originally Posted by Tracker123

Once again. Preparing the fire, has to be just right with real wood chunk

Meanwhile, I saw a crawfish on the wall of my shop:

Attachment 168137

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Is it possible that you had just a touch to much. :Rofl