I additionally wished to name out one oddity I observed in testing, which is that canine appear very interested in the massive knob on the Woodridge’s management panel. Three totally different canine who came to visit to my home throughout smoking classes pressed it with their noses, most likely as a result of mixture of meat scent and seeing different individuals touching it. They would not have the ability to activate the grill, however they will mess with you whilst you’re setting the temperature in the event that they’re mischievous or curious like mine.
The Smoke
Coming from the world of propane grills, the scale of the Woodridge Professional actually struck me. You could possibly simply smoke two full-sized pork bellies on the identical time, and I hope to very quickly. Because it was, my traditional Costco pork stomach hundreds up half the smoker, which is greater than sufficient to feed some buddies and have leftovers for myself.
It couldn’t be simpler. Set the temperature, maintain the hopper crammed, and every part else is managed robotically. As an alternative of worrying about vents or fan speeds or gasoline, I sometimes simply hand around in the yard, get some work achieved, play with the canine, and concentrate on the meat.
{Photograph}: Brad Bourque
I’ve discovered myself extra prepared to do all the additional steps that basically make a meal nice. I’m marinating and brining forward of time, getting rub recipes from buddies, making pickled onions as a substitute of shopping for them. Stuff that sounds easy however could be straightforward to skip should you’re feeling lazy. Understanding I’ve a scrumptious chunk of meat on the smoker motivates me to go the additional mile.
Because of this, I’ve made or contributed to a few of my greatest meals ever over the past couple of months, and introduced my buddies collectively to get pleasure from them. We have eaten tender pork stomach tacos coated in a savory and spiced rub fastidiously refined by my neighbor, juicy pork chops with a crusty exterior, coppa sandwiches on a pal’s home made focaccia. In between, I’ve loved luxurious leftovers like fried rice, smoked egg salad, and easy sandwiches. Greater than only a grill, the Woodridge has develop into part of my kitchen and cooking routine extra rapidly and seamlessly than I’d’ve imagined.