My 2nd smoke in this contraption.   Luckily mach 5 tape is now in isaan as this smoker had big air gaps on the door. At least mach 5 tape (also HVAC use now)  is what we called it  in 90' and it's standard on many missile systems including the Javi.     

Back to today's cook.  After yesterday's wedding ceremony I grabbed the loin to smoke today.  It was the last best peice of the 118kg hog as far as I'm concerned.  The locals can eat the organ meat although I will eat liver and it's best the day after you harvest a mule deer or elk.   Wife's brother failed to being lamai wood from lampoon so I used coconut cour  soaked in water for smoke  Started off cooking a bit low at 180f because it's hard to throttle this cooker down . I learned that  last cook of 2 shoats.  Then I added coals an it's d been cooking at 230f last 2 hours. 3 hours total.  Loin at 140f now so will be done shortly.  I plan to pull at 145f.  I my shoats were great by my standards but Thai people like crispy more.  So I'm thinking of getting a nice coal bed on the open half barrel and searing it on all sides for about 20 mins total.   Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Brought some dry rub from USA.  Also of there is a special smoking meat area please move this post.  Pic is  at 2 hours in

Gum tree leaf from eucalyptus trees in abundance in Issan. Good for smoking!

Well it was a hit.  Gone in 20 mins.    Seared to please the crispy Thai lovers. The thickest part seemed a bit pink so I seared it more.    I'm happy with smoke ring and flavor.  9:30-2 cook.  

Well it was a hit.  Gone in 20 mins.    Seared to please the crispy Thai lovers. The thickest part seemed a bit pink so I seared it more.    I'm happy with smoke ring and flavor.  9:30-2 cook.  

Sad to learn her late father sold his eucalyptus tree 2 times and the 2nd time they cut the root so no more.   If it was up to  me I would plant some teak  or rosewood and leave a legacy. The last timber stand was sold 4 years ago and is now cassava.   I'm sure mom got ripped off with the trees.   What other woods are good to smoke with. I have read lamai is the best.  I'm a heavy smoke flavor guy and like hickory and mesquite the best.   I still have 10 days here squatting on the toilet before asoke then Anghor wat  so maybe I can smoke again. 

Looks delicious ????

It was a big hit and I liked it. I don't think village Thai people have the idle time or patience to cook low and slow.    I wished I had brought a bag of hickory chips with me.  To me it's the gold standard. I will chse with apple and cherry but it's always main wood of mesquite or hickory in my WSM with temp controller.  

20 hours ago, Thaifish said:

Gum tree leaf from eucalyptus trees in abundance in Issan. Good for smoking!

I thought it is toxic?  (unless one is a Koala ????)

1 hour ago, Captain Monday said:

I thought it is toxic?  (unless one is a Koala ????)

Yeah there is a lot of myth about burning Eucalyptus. The Ozzy aborigines have been cooking with it for thousands of years. 

There is a tree over there the man, pointed, who raises pigs, fish, chickens and 2 beautiful cows that he feeds rice bran to.  Lately he has been milling people's rice for free because feed is so high and he wants the bran.    His Mill is big but seems slow.  It takes him all day to do 300 kg. When I see similar sized machines that do 600kg/ hr.  His chaff blows right into the screened off chicken coop.  The hogs, cows, and fish really love that bran.   Here are the 3 chunks of coconut husk I used.  1 had the outside hard shell on and no flare ups. 

Interesting topic. When I first saw the title, I was expecting something totally different. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that "Big Ugly Drum Smoker" was not a reference to a British expat.

 

@Elkski

 

Did you not brine the meat first? 

 

Even a short brine, an hour or so, makes the smoking process so much better.