I additionally needed 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 because of the mixture of meat scent and seeing different folks touching it. They would not be capable of 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 possibly can simply smoke two full-sized pork bellies on the identical time, and I hope to very quickly. Because it was, my typical Costco pork stomach masses 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, hold the hopper stuffed, and every little thing else is managed routinely. As an alternative of worrying about vents or fan speeds or gasoline, I sometimes simply hand around in the yard, get some work performed, play with the canine, and concentrate on the meat.
{Photograph}: Brad Bourque
I’ve discovered myself extra keen 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 will be straightforward to skip in the event you’re feeling lazy. Realizing I’ve a scrumptious chunk of meat on the smoker motivates me to go the additional mile.
In consequence, I’ve made or contributed to a few of my greatest meals ever during the last couple of months, and introduced my buddies collectively to take pleasure in them. We have eaten tender pork stomach tacos coated in a savory and spiced rub rigorously refined by my neighbor, juicy pork chops with a crusty exterior, coppa sandwiches on a buddy’s selfmade 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 grow to be part of my kitchen and cooking routine extra shortly and seamlessly than I’d’ve imagined.