I don’t have a lot to write about today, but I did want to mention that I’m finally getting the hang of this Bradley smoker. However, this success did not come without tribulation…
When I first received the smoker, there was a problem with the electrical wiring. I was very disappointed in Bradley’s customer support. I called in the first time and described the problem. The lady informed me that I should open up the controller box, examine the wiring, and solder the loose leads into place. I must say I was a little peeved. First of all, to assume that I was able or willing to solder a brand new piece of equipment struck me as pretty poor customer service. Secondly, the fact that they know this is a common problem and still ship the units also seemed mighty inconsiderate of the customers.
I wrote a fairly heated letter to Bradley, complaining about the service experience and the new smoker. I received a mail response, apologizing for my experience and requesting a mailing address so they could send me a replacement unit. Unfortunately, the replacement had the same problem! I got mad, but since I was travelling a lot at the time, I set it aside and didn’t get back to it. Luckily for me, my wife has some background in electrical engineering, and one afternoon she figured out the problem and fixed it!
For folks who are unfamiliar with the Bradley smoker, it has an automatic feeder that drops disks of wood chips onto a conveyor, and allows you to smoke meats without having to stand watch over the danged thing all day. The electric oven is controlled by a thermostat. Simply load it up, set the timer, and come back several hours later to serve up dinner… no checking the temperature every half-hour, adding or removing coals and chips, or fighting flare-ups. You really can set it and forget it.
Sure, some purists may consider this “cheating”, and I can understand. I’m a bit of a traditionalist too, and my old “Smoky Joe” certainly turned out some tasty treats. But I found myself avoiding smoking meats because of the hassle involved. Doing a ham or shoulder required an entire day of running back and forth to check the temp, the chips, and the coals. I seldom have that kind of time and initiative. It was always easier just to put it in the oven or crock pot instead of smoking. So, if it’s a question of having smoked meats or not… well, I can turn my back on tradition. Besides, as Thoreau said, “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds!” Expand your horizons!
Anyway, last night I experimented with a ham shank. I rubbed it real good with Pappy’s seasoning, and put it in the smoker at 220 degrees for about six hours. With the exception of applying the rub, that’s all the work it required. The result was a piece of nicely smoked wild pork, moist and tender on the inside with that slightly crispy, smoked skin on the outside.
I’ve got about 50 pounds of meat in the freezer that’s waiting for grinding, so you can expect to hear more about this smoker.
Now I’m hungry. It sounds to me like it was worth the effort although I would agree that the customer service was a little lacking.