Hanging meat in the WSM

[Garvinque]

https://youtu.be/ZMnrhN2h00w

[LightningBoldtz]

I love his videos, and I have to tell you, I didn't do this with a WSM but I did get a barrel house cooker and let me tell you, something special happens when you hang meat directly over the coals.

I am not giving up my webers for this thing, but it is another tool in my cooking arsenal.

[mike.stavlund]

I'm really tempted to call out @LightningBoldtz for his (continued!) disloyalty to the Weber brand, but for now just let me say that he is right-- using fat and meat juices as a source of smoke is really incredible.  It's a whole other layer of deliciousness. 

I recently cooked a pretty ordinary chicken by hanging it in a 300 degree 18WSM, and when I brought it inside I smelled that magical thing I still haven't gotten when I cook pollo ala brasa (Peruvian Chicken) on the rotisserie-- that incredible flavor of smoking chicken fat. 

[LightningBoldtz]

@mike.stavlund I plan on putting the barrel house right next to the kamado.

In all seriousness, if I get my hands on an 18 wsm, maybe @jbenavidez2 will sell me his, I will plan on getting a rack and doing it on it.   

[mike.stavlund]

Put the barrel and the kamado out by the curb, @LightningBoldtz . 

Do it soon, before you are impeached by the WKC!! ;-)

I love my rack, use it all the time.  Chickens regularly, and I've done ribs in there (I need to shorten the racks to fit in my 18WSM), and I hung a really nice pork loin roast in there last week.  Turkeys too, both breasts and whole birds.  I've been nervous about stinking up my smoker, but I've hung fresh fish in there a few times too.  And every summer I string up a bunch of red poblanos and red jalepenos to make ancho and chipotle peppers.  There's nothing like using your own chile powder in the middle of the winter. 

Another great thing about 'vertical cooking' is that the outer surface of the meat (especially poultry) stays intact, and doesn't get torn by the grates.  When you pull it out, all of those juices stay inside. 

[mike.stavlund]

Also:  hanging a chicken (or turkey) from the neck end means that the dark meat is closer to the fire.  So you end up with breast meat at 160 while the thighs are right about 175. 

[swamprb]

If you have a WSM and aren't using a hanging rack - do yourself a flavor and make the leap! You will enjoy the extra cooking space that hanging affords.







I'm using the WSM hanging rack in my Pellet Poopin' Bullet, Hunsaker Smokers clone and BPS drum.





If any of you guys have Drum Smokers, There are slip in hanging racks available for the Gateway Drums (30 & 55 gallon cans)

http://www.gatewaydrumsmokers.com/Rib-Hanger-Kit-p/10655.htm

And I've made some DIY hangers that I'm using in my 30 gallon can and Gateway clone.







I've since sold my 22" WSM's but like @LightningBoldtz said, there is something magical that happens to meat hanging over coals!

[pschiller86]

Hello all, I'm assuming the 22.5" expandable rack will not fit the 18" WSM??  Where would I find the 18" version?

[LightningBoldtz]

The part number Weber 7472 Expandable Smoking rack.  Weber doesn't make them but you may be able to find them elsewhere online.

[SmokenJoe]

Hummmm, let me think about this for a minute     Hey, wasn't that the original G Steven concept of outdoor cooking  ...  that is; cooking meat over a direct bed of coals with a lid to prevent flareups

SJ

[iCARRY]

I still haven't ordered a rack yet. I have no idea why I haven't. I will definitely be getting one for the spring.


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[abett]

I looked online and they are sold out everywhere.  I need the hanging rack for the WSM 18.  Anyone know where to get one?





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[LightningBoldtz]

I looked online and they are sold out everywhere.  I need the hanging rack for the WSM 18.  Anyone know where to get one?





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Look at local BBQ shops, @jbenavidez2 found his at one recently.

[LiquidOcelot]

if and when I get a wsm I'm leaning towards the 18, seems like the perfect size.

[jbenavidez2]

They still have them in stock when you call Weber. I just did not want to pay an extra $8 for shipping, so I called the first BBQ place here and scored one for $30.  Weber charges $35 + shipping.   FYI, it only comes with the fish hangers and nothing else :/


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