The hardware chains have obliged us by offering sturdy, lower-end
smokers that do an excellent job for household use. Forget
the vertical type: It has little capacity and tends to go
out overnight. You need a horizontal grill with an offset
fuel chamber. They’re heavy and awkward to assemble, and I
suggest torquing the hell out of the bolts you use to attach
the legs. If they’re not provided in the parts bag, look into
adding lock washers or double nut the bolts. (I speak from
the experience of one who’s seen his smoker list to one side
in a high wind like a drunkard, eventually telescoping into
total collapse.)
You’ll be cooking tough pieces of meat for many hours at low
heat, the heat arriving on wings of smoke. The key ingredients,
therefore, are meat, seasonings for a dry rub, the right wood
and patience. Not to mention the ability to crawl out of bed
at 3 AM to check your fire.
Let’s start with the meat. Almost anything lends itself to
smoking, with poultry an excellent victim. Most of my last
few Thanksgiving turkeys emerged from the smoker, and chicken
wings get extra flavor and none of the deep-fry grease by
this method. Even burgers get an added righteousness, but
melt the cheese on top in a different kind of oven.
The king of them all is pork ribs. When choosing your meat,
look for what's called a barbecue cut or St. Louis cut, which
has 10 to 13 ribs and lots of meat between them. Don't fall
for the hype about baby back ribs. It's a cut that's smaller
and more expensive than the St. Louis cut, and has achieved
whatever cachet it has thanks to chain-restaurant menus. Cultivate
a relationship with your local butcher to get the best cuts:
Check out Rolf's Pork Store (709 Lexington Ave., Albany, 463-0185),
Cardona's Market (340 Delaware Ave., Albany, 434-4838) or
McCarroll's Village Butcher (406 Kenwood Ave., Delmar, 439-3936),
each of which either stocks or can order what you need. They're
also sold in cryovac pairs in BJ's Wholesale Club and other
such warehouse stores.
Pulled pork comes from the shoulder, termed the "butt" thanks
to the 18th- century New England practice of packing the less-desirable
shoulder into barrels that were called butts. (The more desirable
cuts, like the loin, were "high on the hog"). It's also called
the Boston butt, except, apparently, in Boston.
Beef brisket is another popular smoked item, especially in
Texas. It doesn't achieve the fall-off-the-bone tenderness
of the pork items but slices nicely and makes great sandwiches.
The next step, and there's no other way to put this, is to
slap a dry rub on your meat. This can contain any or all of
the following ingredients, which I've listed roughly in most-to-least
order according to my own recipe: paprika, salt, chili powder,
ground cumin, black pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder,
white pepper and cayenne. Not surprisingly, it's got a bite.
I wrap my roasts in heavy tinfoil to prevent excessive scorching,
fork-piercing the bottom to let the grease drip through. They
get slightly unwrapped for the final few hours, allowing them
to darken nicely.
Now, build a fire in your smoker. I start with charcoal in
a lighting chimney, which produces enough coals to get the
wood fire going. You can go after the fancy hardwoods like
hickory, but I have to confess that I use the same fuel—a
hardwood mix—that goes into my woodstove. Just be sure it
hasn't gotten soggy or moldy.
Fit as many logs as you can in the offset box, and burn them
until they’re all fairly white. Add a fresh supply of wood,
allow that to display well-developed flames, and let the smoking
begin. Keep the temperature between 200 and 220 degrees, which
you do by adjusting the air vents beside the fire box and
in the lid of the grill. At first they’ll need to be opened
a small amount, but as your grill gets crusted over time it
will leak enough to keep the circulation going.
Place the foil-wrapped items in the grilling box, taking care
to keep the thin ends of ribs away from the flames that might
be licking out from the firebox. This is why you should turn
the items after a couple of hours. Otherwise, it’s a fairly
unattended process. Ribs take from 14 to 16 hours; pork butts
eight to 10, brisket five to six. Your results may vary. Just
be sure to check it frequently, as it never tastes better
than when it’s just finishing cooking.
Having gone through this effort, you won’t want to insult
your palate with commercial barbecue sauce. Make your own
by cooking down a mixture (in decreasing amounts) of good
ketchup, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard,
brown sugar, molasses, salt, pepper, oregano and a dash of
cinnamon. Reduce it to two-thirds of the original amount,
and funnel it into your empty ketchup bottles.
Hamburger buns and coleslaw complete a pulled pork sandwich.
Serve the ribs with beans and slaw and cornbread, preferably
with cheddar and jalapenos within. Brisket goes well with
a mustard-and-vinegar sauce.
Your friends will bless you. Just don’t show them the calorie
count or they’ll never forgive you.
Agean
Breeze
327
Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, Mass., (413) 528-4001
Albany
Airport Hilton Garden Inn
800
Albany Shaker Road, Colonie, 464-6666
Albany
Pump Station
19
Quackenbush Square, Albany, 447-9000
Angelo’s
677 Prime
677
Broadway, Albany, 427-7463
Angelo’s
Tavolo
1
Glen Ave., Scotia, 374-7262
Aperitivo
426
State St., Schenectady, 579-3371
Appletini’s
Cafe
1118
Central Ave., Colonie, 489-2990
Arlington
House
3532
Route 43, West Sand Lake, 674-1880
Bailey’s
Corner
of Putnam and Phila streets, Saratoga Springs, 583-6060
Barcelona
1192
Western Ave., Albany, 438-1144
The
Barnsider
480
Sand Creek Road, Colonie, 869-2448
Bayou
Café
507
Saratoga Road (Route 50) Glenville, 384-1568
Bayou
Café Downtown
79
N. Pearl St., Albany, 426-8550
Beverly’s
47
Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 583-2755
Black
Cat Ale House
25
White St., Cohoes, 235-3199
Bongiorno’s
23
Dove St., Albany, 462-9176
Bourbon
Street
2209
Central Ave., Colonie, 382-1110
Brindisi’s
Restaurant and Bar
390
Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 587-6262
Brown’s
Brewing Co.
417
River St., Troy, 273-BEER (2337)
Café
Hollywood
275
Lark St., Albany, 472-9043
Café
Lucia
60
Church St., Lenox, Mass., (413) 637-2640
Café
Madison
1108
Madison Ave., Albany, 935-1094
The
Cat’s Meow
14
Karner Road (Route 155), Guilderland, 456-1895
Chianti
Il Ristorante
208
S. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 580-0025
Chico’s
BBQ & Restaurant
2490
Western Ave., Albany, 456-0940
Cider
House Restaurant (at Orchard Creek Golf Club)
6700
Dunnsville Road, Altamont, 861-5000 ext. 2
Circus
Café
392
Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 583-1106
Clinton’s
Ditch
112
S. College St., Schenectady, 346-8376
Daisy
Baker’s
33
2nd St., Troy, 266-9200
Davidson
Brothers Brewery & Restaurant
184
Glen St., Glens Falls, 743-9026
DeJohn’s
Restaurant & Pub
288
Lark St., Albany, 465-5275
Elda’s
203-207
Lark St., Albany, 449-3532
El
Loco Mexican Café
465
Madison Ave., Albany, 436-1855
El
Mariachi II
289
Hamilton St., Albany, 432-7580
Envy
Lounge
99
Pine St., Albany, 694-ENVY (3689)
Eugene’s
Side Door Café
1656
Western Ave., Albany, 456-1720
Everyday’s
Tropical Cantina
2012
Central Ave., Colonie, 869-0494
Firefly
71
Church St., Lenox, Mass., (413) 637-2700
Four
Seasons
33
Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 584-4670
Franklin’s
Tower
414
Broadway, Albany, 431-3544
Gaffney’s
16
Caroline St., Saratoga Springs, 587-7359
The
Georgian Resort
384
Canada St., Lake George, 668-5401
Gideon
Putnam Hotel
Saratoga
Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs, 584-3000
The
Ginger Man Wine Bar & Restaurant
234
Western Ave., Albany, 427-5963
Good
Times Lakeview Restaurant
175
Lake Road, Ballston Lake, 399-9976
Grappa
’72
818
Central Ave., Albany, 482-7200
Grecian
Gardens
1612
Route 9, Clifton Park, 373-9950
Hattie’s
45
Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 584-4790
Holmes
& Watson
450
Broadway, Troy, 273-8526
Horseshoe
Inn Bar & Grille
1
Gridley St., Saratoga Springs, 587-4909
Hudson
Harbor Steak & Seafood
351
Broadway, Albany, 426-5000
Indulge
183
Troy Schenectady Road, Latham, 220-9900
Inferno
Restaurant & Pizzeria
496
Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville, 459-2121
The
Inn at Saratoga
231
Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 583-1890
The
Irish Mist
28
S. 2nd St., Troy, 266-8915
Jake
Moon Restaurant Café
2082
Delaware Turnpike, Clarksville, 768-2570
Jake’s
Roadhouse
23
Main St., South Glens Falls, 636-5090
Jillian’s
59
N. Pearl St., Albany, 432-1997
J.J.
Rafferty’s
847
Loudon Road, Latham, 783-6800
Johnny
B’s Glenmont Diner
Route
9, Glenmont, 434-3761
J.T.
Maxies
240
Wolf Road, Albany, 435-1551
Justin’s
301
Lark St., Albany, 436-7008
Kitchen
at the Dovegate Inn
184
Broad St., Schuylerville, 695-3699
Krause’s
Restaurant & Grove
2
Beach Road, Clifton Park, 371-8033
La
Serre
14
Green St., Albany, 463-6056
Lakeview
Inn
Route
43, Averill Park, 674-3363
Lanie’s
Café
471
Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville, 438-5005
Legends
286
Lark St., Albany, 275-4900
Lillian’s
408
Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 587-7766
Londonderry
Café
Stuyvesant
Plaza, Albany, 489-4288
LT’s
Grill
2305
Nott St., St. James Square, Niskayuna, 374-7455
Lyons
Lake
Lyons
Lake Road, Nassau, 766-3953
Maestro’s
371
Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 580-0312
Maggie’s
Café
1186
Western Ave., Albany, 437-1701
Mangia
1562
New Scotland Ave., Slingerlands, 439-5555
Mansion
Hill Inn
115
Philip St., Albany, 489-0466
Martel’s
at the Capital Hills Golf Course
65
O’Neil Road, Albany, 463-1455
McGeary’s
4
Clinton Square, Albany, 463-1455
Mexican
Connection
41
Nelson Ave., Saratoga Springs, 584-4466
Mexican
Radio
537
Warren St., Hudson, 828-7770
Mill
Road Tavern
30
Mill Road, Latham, 783-7244
Moscatiello’s
Italian Restaurant
99
North Greenbush Road (Route 4), Troy, 283-0809
My
Linh
272
Delaware Ave., Albany, 465-8899
New
World Bistro Bar
300
Delaware Ave., Albany, 694-0520
Nicole’s
Restaurant
556
Delaware Ave., Albany, 436-4952
Orchard
Tavern
68
N. Manning Blvd., Albany, 482-5677
Otis
& Oliver’s Restaurant & Pub
979
Troy Schenectady Road, Latham, 785-9291
Pangaea
1-3
Prospect St., North Bennington, Vt., (802) 442-7171
Parting
Glass
40-42
Lake Ave., Saratoga Springs, 583-1916
Pearl
Street Pub
1
Stueben Place, Albany, 470-9349
Pennell’s
284
Jefferson St., Saratoga Springs, 582-2423
Pinehaven
Restaurant & Caterers
1151
Siver Road, Guilderland, 456-7111 ext. 132
Philly
Bar & Grill
622
Watervliet Shaker Road, Latham, 785-9559
Prime
at Saratoga National
458
Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 583-4653 ext. 601
Professor
M. Barley’s
198
Quail St. (corner of Western and Quail), Albany, 463-7740
Provence
Stuyvesant
Plaza, Albany, 589-7777
Reel
Seafood Co.
195
Wolf Road, Colonie, 458-2068
The
Riverfront Bar and Grill
Corning
Preserve, Albany, 426-4738
Ruggierio’s
Pizza & Deli
3905
Carman Road, Guilderland, 355-1200
The
Rusty Anchor
1
Selke Drive, Watervliet, 273-2920
Ryan’s
Wake Pub
403
River St., Troy, 270-9253
Sedgwick
Inn and Restaurant
17971
Route 22, Berlin, 658-2334
Sperry’s
30½
Caroline St., Saratoga Springs, 584-9618
Springwater
Bistro
139
Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 584-6440
Sutter’s
Mill & Mining Co.
1200
Western Ave., Albany, 489-4910
Swifty’s
Pub and Restaurant
367
Delaware Ave., Delmar, 475-1111
Tandoor
Palace
423
Madison Ave., Albany, 463-4123
Tesoro’s
20
Mall, 2080 Western Ave., Guilderland, 456-8242
Trader
Ed’s Nautical Pub & Restaurant
630
2nd Ave., Troy, 237-2717
Trick
Shot Billiards & Sports Pub
1602
Route 9, Clifton Park, 383-8771
Van
Dyck
237
Union St., Schenectady, 348-7999
Victory
Café
10
Sheridan Ave., Albany, 463-9113
Washington
Tavern
250
Western Ave., Albany, 427-0091
Water’s
Edge
70
Shady Harbor Dr., New Baltimore, 756-2000
Water’s
Edge Lighthouse
2
Freeman’s Bridge Road, Scotia, 370-5300
Wheatfields
Bistro and Wine Bar
54
Crossing Blvd., Clifton Park, 383-4444
Wheatfields
Restaurant and Bar
440
Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 587-0534
The
Wine Bar
417
Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 584-8777
Wine
Bar & Bistro
200
Lark St., Albany, 463-2881
Xicohtencatl
50
Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, Mass., (413) 528-2002
Yanni’s
Too
20
Marina Dr., Coeymans, 756-7033
Zaika
54
Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park, 688-1548
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