Smoking

[Rick Waldroup]

A pork butt, that is. It is just a bit past 4:00 am and I have the smoker going and will be putting a 9 pound pork butt on in just a few minutes. If things go well, we should be having some nice pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, sometime this evening. I will save you guys some. Anyone else into smoking meat?

 

[JayOC]

Yep. It has been a while though. I had a nice Pits and Spits smoker for close to 20 years. But I just didn’t use it enough. So I gave it to a local VFW hall. One of my favorite things to smoke is a pork tenderloin covered in cracked black pepper. It only takes a few hours and I can do it decently on a kettle grill. My wife prefers smoked chicken

if I were to list my favorite things, it would be barbecue, coffee and photography (no particular order). As far as wood for smoking pecan, hickory, mesquite and oak in that order

 

[doobs]

I had a Mastercraft electric smoker at our last house. I would smoke a wide variety of meats on it; turkey, chicken, pork but and of course brisket.

I have it away when we sold the house. Looking forward to the completion of our new build when I can get another smoker. Just need to figure out which one...

 

[Rick Waldroup]

I have a big vertical smoker which I hardly ever use any more. It is just the wife and I now. I am smoking this butt on a Weber kettle with indirect heat. I am using charcoal and hickory. I did one like this last year and it came out great. I've got beer on ice, music playing- it is going to be a long, but fun day, even though it is supposed to hit 105 degrees where I live. Oh well, it is Texas.

 

[JayOC]

I had a Mastercraft electric smoker at our last house. I would smoke a wide variety of meats on it; turkey, chicken, pork but and of course brisket.

I have it away when we sold the house. Looking forward to the completion of our new build when I can get another smoker. Just need to figure out which one...

Some neighbors, who moved away, gave us a small Traegar smoker as a thank you for everything we had done for them over the years. I tried it several times but just did not like it. I think it was the noise of the blower that really put me off of it. I am not sure what I would get if I were to get smoker (vs. grill). And to be honest, with it just being my wife and myself, it is easier to just go out for barbecue these days. So I will stick to my kettle grill and smoke (beef and pork) tenderloins and chicken

 

[doobs]

Good luck, stay cool.

Let us know how it turns out.

LOML and I just got finished watching Barbecue Showdown on Netflix.

It was a hoot

 

[JayOC]

I have a big vertical smoker which I hardly ever use any more. It is just me and the wife now. I am smoking this butt on a Weber kettle with indirect heat. I did one like this last year and it came out great. I've got beer on ice, music playing- it is going to be a long, but fun day, even though it is supposed to hit 105 degrees where I live. Oh well, it is Texas.

That is all part of barbecuing. Have a nice day. Time to start the coffee and get ready for F1 race

 

[doobs]

Not to thread jack but due you think anyone other than Verstoppen will win a race this year?

 

[JayOC]

Not to thread jack but due you think anyone other than Verstoppen will win a race this year?

Possibly. The question is what style of barbecue does he prefer? We won’t even get into the sauce / no sauce arguement

 

[doobs]

LOL!

Maybe some hints here:
Barbecuing in the Netherlands: how do the Dutch do BBQs?

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Possibly. The question is what style of barbecue does he prefer? We won’t even get into the sauce / no sauce arguement

I admit that I am a sauce guy. I'm not a purist, I know, but that is just the way it is.

 

[doobs]

LOL

Sauces are my down fall.

At present I will mix a bottle of traditional Kraft sauce with an equal amount of apple cider vinegar and a heaping helping of Tabasco.

Mix it all together in a sauce pot and simmer for about an hour.

 

[bluzcity]

My dad taught me how to grill when I was a boy. He had converted a soft drink machine, Pepsi Cola, into a grill that cooked quite well. Given its height, it had lots of racks so we usually cooked for several people. I use a Weber and was gifted a Big Green Egg at retirement. I grill or smoke something most every week. Favorites include steak, salmon, pork butt, ribs, pork tenderloin, beef burnt ends, and a couple times a year I do a brisket.

Now I am drooling

 

[doobs]

My dad taught me how to grill when I was a boy. He had converted a soft drink machine, Pepsi Cola, into a grill that cooked quite well. Given its height, it had lots of racks so we usually cooked for several people. I use a Weber and was gifted a Big Green Egg at retirement. I grill or smoke something most every week. Favorites include steak, salmon, pork butt, ribs, pork tenderloin, beef burnt ends, and a couple times a year I do a brisket.

Now I am drooling

What are your thoughts about the BGE?

After seeing them on the "Barbecue Showdown", I'm thinking about picking one up for the new house.

 

[bluzcity]

What are your thoughts about the BGE?

After seeing them on the "Barbecue Showdown", I'm thinking about picking one up for the new house.

I really like cooking with ceramic. The output, given no serious pilot error, is tender, juicy, and you can get quite the sear given the BGE’s high temperature capabilities.
Pros: fabulous temperature control, options for direct or indirect cooking, life-time warranty, frankly it’s difficult to screwup- can’t over emphasize how moist and tender output is.
Cons: expensive, and the accessories are crazy expensive. Had I not been gifted mine I would likely have bought a Kamado Joe - less expensive and similar options and accessories. And finally, it is heavy so you will want a cabinet or stand.

overall I love mine and highly recommend ceramic; it’s a great addition to the grill stable!

 

[JayOC]

I really like cooking with ceramic. The output, given no serious pilot error, is tender, juicy, and you can get quite the sear given the BGE’s high temperature capabilities.
Pros: fabulous temperature control, options for direct or indirect cooking, life-time warranty, frankly it’s difficult to screwup- can’t over emphasize how moist and tender output is.
Cons: expensive, and the accessories are crazy expensive. Had I not been gifted mine I would likely have bought a Kamado Joe - less expensive and similar options and accessories. And finally, it is heavy so you will want a cabinet or stand.

overall I love mine and highly recommend ceramic; it’s a great addition to the grill stable!

My parents had one when I was a teen. I remember it being easy to use. A friend from college has a Kamado Joe. Like you he is impressed with the temperature control. I have considered replacing my Weber kettle with one But I have trouble justifying the expense. Then again there is the cash flow consideration camera gear vs. barbecue

 

[JayOC]

LOL

Sauces are my down fall.

At present I will mix a bottle of traditional Kraft sauce with an equal amount of apple cider vinegar and a heaping helping of Tabasco.

Mix it all together in a sauce pot and simmer for about an hour.

Vinegar based sauce with pork. Otherwise tomato based in small quantities. There are quite a few places around the state that don’t offer sauce at all

 

[JayOC]

LOL!

Maybe some hints here:
Barbecuing in the Netherlands: how do the Dutch do BBQs?

What they call barbecue, I call grilling.
barbecue = low and slow

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Happy to report that everything was great. The pork butt was excellent. Sam, our cat, stayed with me on my deck for the entire cook, guarding the fire. She was amply rewarded for her duty.

 

[rrybicki]

Just put a brisket point on my Big Green Egg and it is settled at 225 F. Dry brined the brisket overnight and rubbed it with Meathead Goldwyn‘s Big Bad Beef rub.

I just got the BGE when I retired in June and like it a lot. It replaced a Big Steel Keg (now Broil-king 5000), which served me well for many years but eventually rusted out.