"Billy Rose" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
raeannsimpson wrote:


So how do you mid-westerners smoke things up? Using my plain ol' Weber,
I twist up some hicory chips in some aluminum foil, and add water to
them and just let them sit. Then I fire up the coals in one of those
chimney thingies, put a can of water on the lower grill and, when the
coals are ready, pour them out next to the water, drain the water out
of
the wood chips and toss the foil containing the wood chips on to the
coals, put on the meat and close the vents on the lid to about half.
Then I wait as long as I can. When doing ribs, I use real charcoal
because it burns longer.

I don't know about mid-westerners, but we usually put the chips right
in the grill (no weber, unfortunately). We use hickory, mesquite, or
whatever happens to be on sale.

Dry chips or wet? Don't have wild hickory trees here in California. Buy
the chips dry in little plastic bags. To get them to smoke, instead of
burn, I gotta soak them before use.

With ribs we will use a marinade/basting sauce but chicken is usually
just fine as is. Left-overs (aka: planed-overs) will either find their
way in to a salad or a tortilla or both.

Chicken is good plain - if not dried out, but marinade helps with the
moisture a little for the white pieces. And I agree with you on the
left-overs - also makes pretty good chicken potpies!

With chicken, we usually eat the thighs plain and put the breasts in
salads. Some times I put a sauce on the breasts but not usually. Chicken
breasts can get awfully dry, like trying to swallow sawdust, but that's
where the fruit of the vine comes into the picture or, something like
celery remoulade or, slaw salad.

Always willing to learn.
ME TOO!
Right back atcha.

- Billy
Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

I generally use them dry - i guess we do more "burning" here. with the kids
and all - i don't always have the time it takes to smoke the meat. you
never know what will happen from one minute to the next with a 2yr old and a
4 month old! dry chips cook faster to me, but of course, you don't always
get a strong hickory, mesquite, etc., taste to the meat. If i know i'm
gonna have help around (or if the hubby will be in early) and I have time
for it to cook - then i will wet the chips before lighting up the grill, and
smoke the meat. so to me - the preference of the chips (wet or dry) all
depends on my prep time.........

oh yeah, on your earlier post about the aluminum and Alzheimer's, I've read
a little about it - ( i was a nurse before we decided for me to stay home
with the kids). I, myself, still use aluminum. I know that Alzheimer's is
more of a hereditary thing. Unfortunately, it runs in my family. So I
don't really understand how they can think that there is a link there. I
just mark it as something's gonna get you one way or the other. that
doesn't mean that I go about my life more dangerously, mind you. That's
just my take on this matter. Would be interested to know if anyone has a
newer report on this - say something from the last couple of years - I'm
kinda out of the medical loop these days.............other than peds it
seems. (lol)

Rae