Insulation

This would lead to some interesting "digs" for future generations -- mounds of rib bones, some poultry carcuses, and pot sherds!!

Sounds like it has merit but I'd need a bigger rig to hold the pot big enough for 3 slabs, 2 butts, and a couple of chickens.

Welcome JP.. Welcome to our humble abode. Jump on into cattle call and introduce ya-self. I'd be hesitant bout covering the meat with that pot... id be concerned about it drying out. The episode i saw was the terra cotta pot WAS the smoker.

Welcome JP.

What part Chicago you from?

willkat98 said:

Welcome JP.

What part Chicago you from?

Click to expand...

Don't answer that if you know how to pour concrete! LOL
Bill will have you over to his house in a heartbeat! :mrgreen:

Welcome aboard JP!

I'll show Bill how to pour concrete. I need a slab to put that new cooker on.

BBQchef33 said:

Welcome JP.. Welcome to our humble abode. Jump on into cattle call and introduce ya-self. I'd be hesitant bout covering the meat with that pot... id be concerned about it drying out. The episode i saw was the terra cotta pot WAS the smoker.

Click to expand...

Isn't a Green Egg a procelain cooker ?

yup.. it is..

I think JP is talking about puttting the pot over the food INSIDE the bandera.. JP?? am i right or did I misunderstand?

Sanity check...need that every now and again. Fixing to get interesting in Texas.

Romeoville. I'm in Aurora

Greg, JP is right between the bode of us.

Welcome again JP

Greg, JP is right between the bode of us.

Click to expand...

Yep. Smack dab in the middle. On heavy peanut days, he can probably smell one of us no matter which way the wind is blowing.

Sounds worth experimenting with. Maybe do 2 chunks of something like chuck roast: 1 with and 1 without the pot. If nothing else, it would give the pot a nice antique patina.

jpfeifer said:

I love the site! Great information on Q. I just got my Brinkmann version of the Bandera and plan on doing all the necessary modifications from Bandera 101. One idea though that I got from Good Eats on FoodTV. If you want help to maintain a consistent temperature, place the meat on the rack and cover with a natural terra cotta pot. The pot will absorb the heat and radiate it back to the meat. I've tried this with a vertical water smoker in a Chicago winter and had some success. Just let the pot come up to temperatue slowly, or thermal shock will break it.

Click to expand...

You can also use a "heat sheild" to accomplish the same thing. You can cover a rack with foil(on both sides of the rack, that provides an air gap inside the foil), leaving a small foil opening on the left side of the rack, centered(opsite side from fire box).

Place the foil covered rack just above the meat you are cooking, low in the smoking chamber. This will "contain" the heat where the meat is and conserve the amount of fuel you have to use. The Temp will be about 50 F hotter below the foil than above it. Last time I did a brisket, it was below the foil and above the foil was a large pot of beans with a rack of BB Ribs above the pot(so that the ribs drip into the beans).

The lower temp above the foil allowed the BBR to stay in the smoke(pecan and apple) for many hours (about eight) without burning. Then I saused and foiled them and moved to under the heat sield to finish them. These were the best ribs I have ever tasted. The Smoke was all the way into the bones, they were redish pink. A slight bite tug and the meat cleanly seperated from the bones. Also, the beans were great and not stuck to the cast iron pot.

Give the heat sheild a try, you will like it.