Introduction
Hi there, we have been asking people who own Lang Smoker Cookers and are business owners what they felt was necessary equipment for someone going into business with a Lang. Well, the list was quite a long one, from something as simple as a putty knife to scrape clean the bottom plate to a portable sink with a separate hand wash area and a water heater for those on the go and competing. There are many different tool categories that you have to consider such as: fire maintenance, prep/wash area, food storage, safety and clean up. We will be going over general items, we do not recommend any particular make/manufacturer.
Fire Maintenance
If you have no fire, you cannot feed your customers. Seems pretty simple, but there are items you will need for good fire starting and maintenance. One of the items most mentioned was the log splitter. You need something that is easy, fast and will split the wood to the size of your firebox. Several people mentioned electric log splitters and others mentioned one that works with a drill. Use the one best for your situation. Starting your fire quickly may require a propane torch, weed burner because time is money and you want to get your fire started as soon as possible. Some Lang Owners have recommended that you get a draft blower. Remember, and this was brought to our attention, as important as starting a fire is, being able to put one out safely is just as or more important. Make certain that you have a fire extinguisher that is rated for Grease Fires. For clean up of your fire box a fireplace set of a poker and ash shovel should be helpful. For your safety, either welder's gloves or silicone gloves can be used for this.
Food Prep/Wash Area
This all depends if you have a tandem trailer with kitchen area built in, a food truck or you could be prepping in your kitchen. If however, you are outside and need to prep your food, make certain that you have an area put aside for this. In order to stay covered, a pop up tent is always a good bet. Make certain you have a stable work/prep area and that you have plenty of clean water to wash up your knives and other utensils. Plastic gloves for your hands will help keep your product germ free and uncontaminated. As mentioned above, in a perfect world you could have a portable sink with a separate hand wash area and a hot water heater. It sounds amazing to have something that nice on the ground.
Cooking & Food Storage
Again, you must store your raw and prepared food correctly or you will face the problem of poisoning your customers and no one wants that. First to make certain that your food has reached the correct internal temperature, you will need a really good thermometer. We have heard of a fireboard, a digital thermopen and wireless models to make certain your food is at the correct temperature before removing from your Lang. A pressurized spray bottle helps you to keep your food moist and makes it easier. Food storage boxes are utilized for wrapped food, remember, if you use foil, butcher paper or whatever you choose to wrap your food in, if you wrap, make certain to have all of that on hand. This is also where the silicone gloves can come in handy, picking up the meat. It was also recommended that a pair of heavy cotton gloves with plastic over them, but I have found the silicone gloves can be used in many ways and keeps your hands safe, whether working in the firebox, moving pieces of meat or tearing the meat apart with your hands. You want to make certain both you and your customer stays safe. Make certain you have aprons on for both food prep and cooking.
Safety
We have gone over some of the necessary items for safety previously. However, it never hurts to make certain everyone is on the same page when it comes to your safety. Keep your knives very sharp, you want to cut and prepare the meat and other foods, not cut yourself. Make certain you have heavy duty gloves so you don't end up with burns. The Lang is just like a very large piece of cast iron and will burn you badly. Make certain you have a fire extinguisher that is rated for grease. This is extremely important and one of our Lang Owners told us he was inspected two times and both times they wanted to see his fire extinguisher. Must be rated for grease or it will not help you.
Clean Up
A putty knife is a good inexpensive tool to scrape the bottom of the Lang. A wire brush should be able to take care of the racks. Make certain that you have a heat proof container for the grease drippings that will come out of the Lang Smoker Cooker. At this point some people choose to spray it out with water. Always make certain that you apply oil while still warm whether you use vegetable oil or spray oil to keep your Lang shining like new. Use the fireplace shovel to remove the ashes after they have cooled sufficiently so as not to cause a fire hazard when moving then to a storage bucket.
These are basic tool ideas that can be utilized by both commercial cooks and backyard cooks. Some prefer a stainless paddle to flip ribs, while others reach in with silicone gloves and do it that way. What we are trying to do here is give you some idea as to what you need to do the job correctly. We hope that this has helped a little and that if you have any questions or ideas for us that you will reach out to us at janmahlmann@netcetra.com.
Happy Smokin'
