A barbecue adventure, the saga unfolds.

[geezer]

Mathew, where are you on the varieties of wood to use in the smoker?

One of the best places in Southern Maryland has a truly huge pile of split wood behind it, and I spent a few minutes examining it.

I could recognize several varieties of hickory and oak, plus walnut. I asked the "fireman" about the wood selection, and he said that all were very good, and he just kept the walnut and oak below half. They do not use any charcoal.

A good place in the Shenandoah Valley consistently used apple from orchard age renewals (free wood for removing it), and his customers preferred that taste.

I have cooked pork chunks on a revolving spit over all walnut coals with slowly added fresh chunks, and loved the flavor. This is not BBQ, but related, hard to do real BBQ far from the paved roads, up in a Virginia hollow!

 

[PPC1052]

My new Recteq should be arriving tomorrow.

 

[Matthew]

Mathew, where are you on the varieties of wood to use in the smoker?

One of the best places in Southern Maryland has a truly huge pile of split wood behind it, and I spent a few minutes examining it.

I could recognize several varieties of hickory and oak, plus walnut. I asked the "fireman" about the wood selection, and he said that all were very good, and he just kept the walnut and oak below half. They do not use any charcoal.

A good place in the Shenandoah Valley consistently used apple from orchard age renewals (free wood for removing it), and his customers preferred that taste.

I have cooked pork chunks on a revolving spit over all walnut coals with slowly added fresh chunks, and loved the flavor. This is not BBQ, but related, hard to do real BBQ far from the paved roads, up in a Virginia hollow!

Wood is regional: use what’s there. This is part of why bbq tastes different wherever you go. Around here, the biggest percentage is going to be hickory, it can be bitter if that’s all you use though. Oak is usually added, maple too. After that the fruit woods are used to add flavor (apple, cherry), even pecan. I do like mesquite but that seems to burn hotter so you have to be careful.

There are decent charcoals out there, just look for something that says 100% hardwood. Briquettes, like Kingsford Competition, can be ok. I use lump charcoal.

About 10-15 years ago the mayor of the town with the 2nd largest bbq contest (the Royal in KC is the largest in the world) set up a booth next to us at a contest. He had a pig roasting rig that was an electric motor with a chain drive. A rebar was run through a whole hog and the whole animal was wrapped in chicken wire to keep it from falling apart. He and his crew just dumped several bags of charcoal directly on the ground underneath it. They cooked it all day and all night Fri, then gave away samples on Sat. Good stuff.

 

[geezer]

Thanks Mathew, and yes, there was maple in the stack too, at least two varieties, swamp and silver.

 

[Sac Arrow]

So...

What did I do wrong?

I'm mentally reviewing what I might have done differently.

1. The beef ribs weren't all that meaty relative to the bone/weight. So, for an extended cooking time, drying was probably inevitable even though I used water. Initially anyway. I think if we were talking massive slabs of brisket, the outcome would have been very different. Again, some came out okay.

2. That was an aggressive first try. I probably should have started with pork ribs. Meatier, 5 hours instead of 8. That would have been a slam dunk I think.

3. Maybe I should have kept the drip pan full of water? Others have suggested that water isn't necessary at all, it just provides a thermal buffer.

4. Generally, temperature control was good but when I had to add coals, I had some excursions in the 275 range. I don't think that necessarily killed it, but who knows.

5. Maybe I should have aggressively throttled from the getgo to maximize coal life? I went full bore open in an attempt to bring temps up quick. By the time I was ready to start throttling the lower vent, the charcoal was mostly burned up.

 

[JOhnH]

So...

What did I do wrong?

I'm mentally reviewing what I might have done differently.

1. The beef ribs weren't all that meaty relative to the bone/weight. So, for an extended cooking time, drying was probably inevitable even though I used water. Initially anyway. I think if we were talking massive slabs of brisket, the outcome would have been very different. Again, some came out okay.

2. That was an aggressive first try. I probably should have started with pork ribs. Meatier, 5 hours instead of 8. That would have been a slam dunk I think.

3. Maybe I should have kept the drip pan full of water? Others have suggested that water isn't necessary at all, it just provides a thermal buffer.

4. Generally, temperature control was good but when I had to add coals, I had some excursions in the 275 range. I don't think that necessarily killed it, but who knows.

5. Maybe I should have aggressively throttled from the getgo to maximize coal life? I went full bore open in an attempt to bring temps up quick. By the time I was ready to start throttling the lower vent, the charcoal was mostly burned up.

The good news is that now you see that you need practice! When is the next practice session?

And in my humble opinion, I think you #1 option is probably the biggest issue. Start with meatier ribs. Ask a butcher that sells short ribs if they can sell you the ribs before they "shorten" them.
Also, #4 is the next biggest problem.

 

[GaryM]

So...

What did I do wrong?

I'm mentally reviewing what I might have done differently.

1. The beef ribs weren't all that meaty relative to the bone/weight. So, for an extended cooking time, drying was probably inevitable even though I used water. Initially anyway. I think if we were talking massive slabs of brisket, the outcome would have been very different. Again, some came out okay.

2. That was an aggressive first try. I probably should have started with pork ribs. Meatier, 5 hours instead of 8. That would have been a slam dunk I think.

3. Maybe I should have kept the drip pan full of water? Others have suggested that water isn't necessary at all, it just provides a thermal buffer.

4. Generally, temperature control was good but when I had to add coals, I had some excursions in the 275 range. I don't think that necessarily killed it, but who knows.

5. Maybe I should have aggressively throttled from the getgo to maximize coal life? I went full bore open in an attempt to bring temps up quick. By the time I was ready to start throttling the lower vent, the charcoal was mostly burned up.

I don't cook a lot of beef ribs, simply because I can't find good ones anywhere near me. Pork ribs I've got dialed in pretty well, both for competition, and simpler versions for home cooking, but others here can give better advice on short ribs. Which won't stop me from wading in anyway, because this is POA, after all, and I do use a smoker similar to yours.

1) That did seem like a very long cook time for the ribs you had pictured. One of my rare attempts at short ribs was just over a week ago, and they finished in 3.5 hours at an average smoker temp of about 250F...BUT, they were significantly less meaty than yours, and part of the cook time was in a covered aluminum pan containing liquid (red wine and some other stuff). That will shorten cook time relative to smoking directly on the racks. I brought the ribs in when the instant-read thermometer was showing 203F in the thickest part of the meat between the bones. Temp may be your best indicator, although the toothpick test (insert a toothpick into the meat, ribs are done when it encounters little resistance) should also work. There is also the 'bend test' for pork ribs; I'm not how applicable it is to beef ribs, especially since they vary so much in how much meat is on them.

2) Pork ribs may indeed be easier. I cook a lot of baby backs, and for home consumption I like the 'Best Ribs in the Universe' recipe, as it's simpler than most (no overnight marinade! I never have room in the fridge for pans that will hold racks of marinating ribs) https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/best-ribs-in-the-universe-mike-scrutchfield/ This recipe was developed on our type of smoker (the originator reportedly made variations on the recipe 173 times before settling on his final recipe), and it really did win 'Best Ribs in the Universe' at a major competition in the 1990's.

3) I always use water in the water pan, to buffer temperature swings and to keep the humidity up in the smoker thereby helping keep the meet moister. But, not everyone does; some leave the pan empty, some fill it with sand. So I can't claim water makes the difference, though I plan to continue using it.

4) Minimizing temperature swings is good, but I doubt a short swing up to 275 made too much of a difference. Some cooks use that as their target temperature! I think the length of time on the smoker was the bigger concern.

5) I'll usually run the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker full bore (without food) for at least half an hour before I start throttling back the bottom vents to reach my target temperature. It is supposed to lead to a cleaner 'blue' smoke, the voluminous white smoke you see soon after lighting isn't great for the flavor profile. I rarely put food on the smoker until it has been lit for less than 45 minutes to an hour...but, it still has most of the charcoal load at that point, so maybe you did keep the vents wide open for too long.

It's helpful to keep a notebook detailing each cook; makes it easier to repeat the conditions of the good ones!

Now, get back out there and smoke something else!

 

[Matthew]

I don't cook a lot of beef ribs, simply because I can't find good ones anywhere near me. Pork ribs I've got dialed in pretty well, both for competition, and simpler versions for home cooking, but others here can give better advice on short ribs. Which won't stop me from wading in anyway, because this is POA, after all, and I do use a smoker similar to yours.

1) That did seem like a very long cook time for the ribs you had pictured. One of my rare attempts at short ribs was just over a week ago, and they finished in 3.5 hours at an average smoker temp of about 250F...BUT, they were significantly less meaty than yours, and part of the cook time was in a covered aluminum pan containing liquid (red wine and some other stuff). That will shorten cook time relative to smoking directly on the racks. I brought the ribs in when the instant-read thermometer was showing 203F in the thickest part of the meat between the bones. Temp may be your best indicator, although the toothpick test (insert a toothpick into the meat, ribs are done when it encounters little resistance) should also work. There is also the 'bend test' for pork ribs; I'm not how applicable it is to beef ribs, especially since they vary so much in how much meat is on them.

2) Pork ribs may indeed be easier. I cook a lot of baby backs, and for home consumption I like the 'Best Ribs in the Universe' recipe, as it's simpler than most (no overnight marinade! I never have room in the fridge for pans that will hold racks of marinating ribs) https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/best-ribs-in-the-universe-mike-scrutchfield/ This recipe was developed on our type of smoker (the originator reportedly made variations on the recipe 173 times before settling on his final recipe), and it really did win 'Best Ribs in the Universe' at a major competition in the 1990's.

3) I always use water in the water pan, to buffer temperature swings and to keep the humidity up in the smoker thereby helping keep the meet moister. But, not everyone does; some leave the pan empty, some fill it with sand. So I can't claim water makes the difference, though I plan to continue using it.

4) Minimizing temperature swings is good, but I doubt a short swing up to 275 made too much of a difference. Some cooks use that as their target temperature! I think the length of time on the smoker was the bigger concern.

5) I'll usually run the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker full bore (without food) for at least half an hour before I start throttling back the bottom vents to reach my target temperature. It is supposed to lead to a cleaner 'blue' smoke, the voluminous white smoke you see soon after lighting isn't great for the flavor profile. I rarely put food on the smoker until it has been lit for less than 45 minutes to an hour...but, it still has most of the charcoal load at that point, so maybe you did keep the vents wide open for too long.

It's helpful to keep a notebook detailing each cook; makes it easier to repeat the conditions of the good ones!

Now, get back out there and smoke something else!

That’s an interesting link you posted. I don’t recognize Mike, but Donna with PDT still competes and wins, and so does Slabs.

That recipe of his is pretty old. Since then KC Masterpiece has been sold and became a national brand like Kraft. The consensus is that the recipe changed, too. Nobody around here uses it for anything. It’s sold in grocery store but not the local bbq stores. But mixing sauce with honey and painting it on as a glaze is done all the time.

Try using Blues Hog Tennessee Red instead of Masterpiece:

https://blueshog.com/collections/sauce/products/tennessee-red-sauce-19-oz

Original is good, too:

https://blueshog.com/collections/sauce/products/original-bbq-sauce-20-oz

The red is thinner and more vinegary so it makes a nice glaze if you mix it with honey.

 

[PPC1052]

My new Recteq should be arriving tomorrow.

Got some St. Louis style ribs from Costco and put them on the smoker this last weekend. It was my first time ever doing ribs. I sprinkled a little kosher salt on each side and I made a dry rub using this recipe: Meathead's World Famous Memphis Dust BBQ Dry Rub Recipe (amazingribs.com). I set my temp to 225, and then put them on at about 11:00 a.m.. I pulled them off at 5:30. I have to say, they came out fantastic. There is something to be said for these newer pellet grills. Super easy to use and pretty good results for a complete novice. I am looking forward to getting a pork butt and making some pulled pork.

 

[Matthew]

Got some St. Louis style ribs from Costco and put them on the smoker this last weekend. It was my first time ever doing ribs. I sprinkled a little kosher salt on each side and I made a dry rub using this recipe: Meathead's World Famous Memphis Dust BBQ Dry Rub Recipe (amazingribs.com). I set my temp to 225, and then put them on at about 11:00 a.m.. I pulled them off at 5:30. I have to say, they came out fantastic. There is something to be said for these newer pellet grills. Super easy to use and pretty good results for a complete novice. I am looking forward to getting a pork butt and making some pulled pork.

It’s pretty easy to trim ribs STL style. It’ll save you a few bucks and you can cook the trimmings as riblets. They cook fast so you’ll have something to snack on while you wait.

Pork butt is dead simple. An 8lb bone in butt generally yields pretty close to 5lb of pulled pork, so it’s a good way to stock up. Or cook a couple extra and make a lot of new friends.

 

[PPC1052]

It’s pretty easy to trim ribs STL style. It’ll save you a few bucks and you can cook the trimmings as riblets. They cook fast so you’ll have something to snack on while you wait.

Thank you.

I have watched a bunch of youtube videos, and have seen how they cut the spare ribs down to St. Louis style. As I said, I have never made ribs before, so I wanted to make it as simple as possible. As it was, it still took me about 30 minutes futzing with the ribs getting them trimmed up and the membrane off. And that was just for one rack. A lot of that was trial and error and getting to know the anatomy of the ribs and where I wanted to remove some extra fat. I am sure I'll get that down to no more than 5 minutes a rack, or less in the future. I was also just making food for two, so I didn't really want to have to deal with all of the other stuff. I still have two racks left over in the fridge that I will need to make or freeze soon. It was only about 30 bucks for the three racks from Costco, so overall, not that expensive anyway.

 

[asicer]

It’s pretty easy to trim ribs STL style. It’ll save you a few bucks and you can cook the trimmings as riblets. They cook fast so you’ll have something to snack on while you wait.

I don't know if it's a "thing", but I found what works for me is to filet the meat off the trimmings (brisket bone?) and cook it like I'd cook the flap. Running the filet (boning) knife inside the connective tissue so as to separate it into distinct muscle groups seems to go a long way to making the meat more tender. And the increased surface area captures more of the rub.

The remaining bones and cartilage go into the stock pot.

 

[Matthew]

Easiest way to pull the membrane is to grip it with a paper towel. You’ll get better at it.

 

[Sac Arrow]

The hardest part is getting the membrane started. After you free enough to grip it with the paper towel, it's a piece of cake.

 

[Matthew]

I could tell from your posts you are quite knowledgeable. It's great you are so willing to share your knowledge. That's uncommon. I had a relative who used to complete and he wouldn't tell me a thing!

I remember you said you use a drum:


I somehow ended up on this guy's email list, so I get stuff from him about once a week. It's always interesting, and it gives me an idea of what @Sac Arrow gets to look forward to now that he has a smoker.

Here's his most recent video (I got it a few minutes ago) of back ribs on a drum. Pretty simple and quick. For any other smoker that cooks at a lower temp, just increase the times.

 

[Sac Arrow]

So @Matthew

I remember you said you use a drum:


I somehow ended up on this guy's email list, so I get stuff from him about once a week. It's always interesting, and it gives me an idea of what @Sac Arrow gets to look forward to now that he has a smoker.

Here's his most recent video (I got it a few minutes ago) of back ribs on a drum. Pretty simple and quick. For any other smoker that cooks at a lower temp, just increase the times.

So, let me ask you this. Some of the Youtube/smoking recipes suggest that you add coals that you have already started in the chimney, vs. just adding briquettes to get the initial white smoke out of the way.

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me in that for starters, you are generally putting hot coals on raw briquettes to maximize burn time, plus pre-burning your added charcoal seems like a real pain in the ass.

What is your opinion on this? And is it one of those things that is type dependent, as in maybe you do it for Kingsford briquettes but not lump charcoal? (I don't have the patience to do that.)

 

[Matthew]

So @Matthew


So, let me ask you this. Some of the Youtube/smoking recipes suggest that you add coals that you have already started in the chimney, vs. just adding briquettes to get the initial white smoke out of the way.

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me in that for starters, you are generally putting hot coals on raw briquettes to maximize burn time, plus pre-burning your added charcoal seems like a real pain in the ass.

What is your opinion on this? And is it one of those things that is type dependent, as in maybe you do it for Kingsford briquettes but not lump charcoal? (I don't have the patience to do that.)

I'll always pre-start the coals, then dump them in. But that's me. I keep my Weber grill right next to my smoker, so I can start the next chimney on the grill before I dump it into the smoker. It also gives me a place where I can pull off the top rack of the smoker, set it on the grill, and then I can get to the meat on the lower rack.

In our contest smoker, it isn't really practical to do that, since it takes 2-3 full bags at a time. For that, we do a couple things: 1) Add enough so that by the time we do need to add more charcoal, we are either to the point of wrapping in foil, or between unloading and loading different meats per the cooking schedule. 2) move the remaining live coals over to one side, then dump raw charcoal on the opposite side of the fire grate (when we do this, we will always close the damper between the fire box and the cooking chamber to keep charcoal dust from billowing in and coating the meat). This method allows the hot coals to slowly start the fresh charcoal on the side where the two are in contact with each other.

Otherwise: In a smaller smoker, I'd recommend doing similar to #2 above. I have a set of long tongs that allow me to reach in (with welding gloves), and push the hot embers to one side, then I can dump raw charcoal in and get it to start a little at a time. Or pre-start the coals and dump them right in.

What you don't want to do, and it's very obvious to a judge or pretty much anyone, is to dump a lot of raw charcoal directly on top of the embers. That will generally drop the temperature because the fresh charcoal chokes out the embers, and it causes smoldering from incomplete combustion. The result is a very bad raw charcoal taste to the meat. By putting raw charcoal on the side of the embers instead of on top, the fresh coals can start cooking and burning at a good temperature to generate heat. Smoke from charcoal is generally considered a "base" flavor, and added wood chunks give the smoke a "bbq" flavor. If you get too much smoke from the charcoal, you'll get that bitter and raw charcoal flavor that can really ruin some good meat.

 

[Sac Arrow]

I'll always pre-start the coals, then dump them in. But that's me. I keep my Weber grill right next to my smoker, so I can start the next chimney on the grill before I dump it into the smoker. It also gives me a place where I can pull off the top rack of the smoker, set it on the grill, and then I can get to the meat on the lower rack.

In our contest smoker, it isn't really practical to do that, since it takes 2-3 full bags at a time. For that, we do a couple things: 1) Add enough so that by the time we do need to add more charcoal, we are either to the point of wrapping in foil, or between unloading and loading different meats per the cooking schedule. 2) move the remaining live coals over to one side, then dump raw charcoal on the opposite side of the fire grate (when we do this, we will always close the damper between the fire box and the cooking chamber to keep charcoal dust from billowing in and coating the meat). This method allows the hot coals to slowly start the fresh charcoal on the side where the two are in contact with each other.

Otherwise: In a smaller smoker, I'd recommend doing similar to #2 above. I have a set of long tongs that allow me to reach in (with welding gloves), and push the hot embers to one side, then I can dump raw charcoal in and get it to start a little at a time. Or pre-start the coals and dump them right in.

What you don't want to do, and it's very obvious to a judge or pretty much anyone, is to dump a lot of raw charcoal directly on top of the embers. That will generally drop the temperature because the fresh charcoal chokes out the embers, and it causes smoldering from incomplete combustion. The result is a very bad raw charcoal taste to the meat. By putting raw charcoal on the side of the embers instead of on top, the fresh coals can start cooking and burning at a good temperature to generate heat. Smoke from charcoal is generally considered a "base" flavor, and added wood chunks give the smoke a "bbq" flavor. If you get too much smoke from the charcoal, you'll get that bitter and raw charcoal flavor that can really ruin some good meat.

That helps a lot. My instinct is to just throw raw charcoal over the coals, and although it certainly works from a heat standpoint, yeah the taste can be questionable. I did detect the taste of raw untamed charcoal smoke in those beef ribs I did.

But this give me confidence too... I feel as though I don't have to just dump coals on top of the embers. It seems that the fire box environment is hot enough that I can brush aside the burning embers and put the charcoal in and have an expectation that it will burn and maintain heat.

I think that was one of my mistakes. Tossing huge amounts of briquettes on the embers. They lit up fairly quickly, had the foul smoke, and heated up too quickly.

Damn, the leaning curve of this...

But it's worth it.

 

[Matthew]

@Sac Arrow

Some people recommend a “snake”. Run a path of charcoal around the inside of the fire chamber, then dump a lit chimney on one end and let it slowly burn along the path. Others will suggest adding all the charcoal you think you’ll need for the day, then dumping a chimney on top. The lit coals can then slowly ignite the rest of the charcoal and you won’t get that side effect of incomplete combustion.

My method in my smoker is to load that chimney with as much as I can fit, get it started, dump it onto the fire grate, and then pour in another bunch of charcoal on top and stir it up with tongs. While that’s getting going, I’m scraping cooking grates or getting the meat any last minute prep, or mixing a Bloody Mary. Then I can put the upper part on and let the temperature stabilize before I add the meat. That will usually get me about 4hrs of heat depending on ambient conditions. About the time I need to add more water, I’ll pull out some hot coals and drop them into the chimney, then fill it up and let it get hot before I pour it into the smoker.

 

[Matthew]

Oh, my. The local grocery store has pork butts for $1.29. I picked up two 10 pounders a few minutes ago. That should keep me for a little while. As soon as the snow melts a bit I'll get one of them going.

 

[Matthew]

...
If I were King of All BBQ Contests, I would provide each team 2 random briskets, all prime and none Wagyu. Give everyone a fighting chance with the same brisket you can get at Costco or Sam’s.

Kansas City BBQ Society is sanctioning steak contests and using my "King of All BBQ Contests" idea. In KCBS steak contests, only KC Strips will be allowed, and they must be either Creekstone Farms or Double R Ranch (part of Snake River Farms, the brisket people).

These steaks are individually sealed in cryovac, and can't be opened until they are officially checked in at the contest site. Any meat used at a KCBS contest has to be inspected by the organizers, and must be raw, unseasoned, and not brined (the exception is sausage which can be made ahead of time, but must be raw at check in.) Meat can be trimmed in advance. Only after the meat has been inspected can the team begin seasoning or brining. The steak rules don't allow any pre-trimming since the package isn't allowed to be opened until after it's been inspected.

The other rule changes for steak is that the method of cooking has no limits. For the big 4 (pork butt, pork ribs, chicken, brisket) they must all be cooked over wood, wood charcoal, or wood pellets. Steak can be cooked by any method the cook wants to use - searing in cast iron over propane, sous vide, charcoal, whatever.

I think this is a pretty fair way to judge the cooks. Kind of like the meat version of IROC.

Now, I need to find some KCBS steak contests to judge!

 

[Matthew]

Oh, yeah. Either Fri or Sat one of my team buddies and I will be firing up the team smoker. He traded in for a bigger one sometime this winter. I haven't see it yet, so I'm headed over to his place to play with it. Since I'm "retired" from the contest side of this deal, this will be one of the few times I'll get a chance to play with it.

My plan is to do one of those pork butts I got the other day, a couple of pork tenderloins I found tucked in my freezer, and maybe a couple dozen chicken thighs I can pack away for dinners or lunches for a while. Brats for lunch, and then whatever else I can think of. I know he's going to be doing at least one brisket, but I know he'll have plenty of other things to go on.

When you use a smoker this big, it's a shame when you can't fill it up with one or two hundred pounds of meat.

 

[Matthew]

Welp. The cook is scheduled for tomorrow, so I'll have to get up at oh dark 30 to have time to finish the pork butt. Takes about 45 min to get to my buddy's place. I rooted around in the freezer and found 2 pork tenderloins, then there's the pork butt I got the other day. Today I picked up 5(?) packs of brats and Italian sausages. One for lunch, the others for me and another family member. Then I also got about 30 boneless/skinless chicken thighs today. They cook fast, and since this isn't for a contest, the boneless part really doesn't matter to me. For contests, leave the bone in, there's just more flavor that way. I'll individually freeze these, then put them into a couple of freezer bags, one for us and another for someone else. They're easy to pull out and thaw, then use for whatever recipe you might have or just reheat and make a sandwich out of it. The pork will get seasoned with a new rub I picked up at the local BBQ store (LBS). It's their house brand. I got some Head Country High Plains Heat rub for the chicken, and I'll marinade the thighs for a little while in Stubb's Chicken Marinade. I picked up the hot rub by mistake, actually, the one I really wanted was on the shelf right next to it but *squirrel*. I think it'll be pretty good, though, as long as I go light. Then I'll glaze it with Tennessee Red sauce from Blues Hog. It's a pretty thin sauce, but it makes a nice glaze if you use it as a baste.

Tonight I'll trim the pork butt. There really isn't much to do, just knock off any heavy corners of fat that might be on it. But there are some things I tend to do for contests. There's the "money muscle", I'll partially separate that from the main piece, that way I can get some extra rub around it. Contest rules say the butt must be cooked as a single piece until it's 165F, then you can separate it. At 165 I'll trim off that piece, wrap it, and put it into the cooler. Then I can reheat it and slice it without it falling apart - for contests it's normally sliced and then turned in with pulled pork next to it. That's sort of a contest thing, and for home cooking it really isn't necessary but I do it for fun and for something to snack on while everything else is still cooking. Another thing I like to do is remove that big gnarly membrane before cooking, rather than after. If you turn it fat side down, you'll see a muscle seam across the narrow part of the butt that matches up with the edge of the shoulder blade. Use your fingers to pull the meat back a little bit and you'll find a membrane that lines that cavity, it forms a 'V' that follows the seam of the muscle down into the butt, then back up along the bone. If you peel it off first, you can then get more rub in there and not have to dig around in the pulled pork later to find that membrane and toss it. I'll get the rub on the butt, then put it into a ziplock and back into the refrigerator for tomorrow morning.

Life is good.

 

[Matthew]

Ok, pork butt is trimmed and rubbed. @Sac Arrow this is all optional.

I knocked off the big chunks of fat, removed the membrane (you can see where the meat/bone separation is on the right hand side. The money muscle (called that because if you do this right, you finish in the money) is on the left, hidden under that other muscle group. This particular butt did not have a well defined MM so in a contest I simply wouldn’t turn it in - don’t turn in anything that isn’t going to score well. This butt, though, does have a good solid muscle group above the MM that might make good slices. That always judges well, so you work with what you have. This also shows why a team might cook 3 or 4 butts to get enough good pork for a single turn in. I *might* try slicing to see what I got, but I’m pretty sure it’s just going to all get pulled.

Next up, 10 or more hours in the smoker.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Ok, pork butt is trimmed and rubbed. @Sac Arrow this is all optional.

I knocked off the big chunks of fat, removed the membrane (you can see where the meat/bone separation is on the right hand side. The money muscle (called that because if you do this right, you finish in the money) is on the left, hidden under that other muscle group. This particular butt did not have a well defined MM so in a contest I simply wouldn’t turn it in - don’t turn in anything that isn’t going to score well. This butt, though, does have a good solid muscle group above the MM that might make good slices. That always judges well, so you work with what you have. This also shows why a team might cook 3 or 4 butts to get enough good pork for a single turn in. I *might* try slicing to see what I got, but I’m pretty sure it’s just going to all get pulled.

Next up, 10 or more hours in the smoker.

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Well I can’t wait to see the end result!

 

[Jeff767]

Got some St. Louis style ribs from Costco and put them on the smoker this last weekend. It was my first time ever doing ribs. I sprinkled a little kosher salt on each side and I made a dry rub using this recipe: Meathead's World Famous Memphis Dust BBQ Dry Rub Recipe (amazingribs.com). I set my temp to 225, and then put them on at about 11:00 a.m.. I pulled them off at 5:30. I have to say, they came out fantastic. There is something to be said for these newer pellet grills. Super easy to use and pretty good results for a complete novice. I am looking forward to getting a pork butt and making some pulled pork.

On e you get a pellet grill you never look back!!

 

[Matthew]

Well I can’t wait to see the end result!

The pork butts didn’t go on until 8am. It was pretty cold this morning. I haven’t put the chicken or tenderloins on yet. So we’ll have 5 butts, 2 pork tenderloins, about 30 thighs, a turkey, and 4-5 beef roasts. The briskets will be next weekend, my buddy’s making pastrami but wasn’t able to get the right brining ingredients until yesterday.

 

[Mahneuvers]

... 5 butts, 2 pork tenderloins, about 30 thighs, a turkey, and 4-5 beef roasts...

Wow! I've always admired people who smoke whole hogs. You're getting very close!

...my buddy’s making pastrami...

I only tried pastrami 2-3X before giving up as it just wasn't very good. Since you freely share your knowledge. Any secrets?

 

[GaryM]

On e you get a pellet grill you never look back!!

It's hard to beat them for convenience, but some of the other options make mighty tasty BBQ. While I covet the traditional stick burners like Matthew is using, they do require a lot more attention during the smoke, and I'd almost never be able to take advantage of the huge cooking surface most of them have. I'm using a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, which uses charcoal for the heat, and lumps of hardwood for the smoke. I feel I'm at least a little closer to BBQ's roots that way, and once fired up I can get it to hold temperature unattended for 3 or 4 hours. Weber experts can get them to hold temp a lot longer than that, but even on overnight cooks something usually needs to be sprayed or mopped or turned or wrapped every few hours, and at home I can sleep inside on a couch that's only about 8 feet from the smoker. With a remote thermometer and high/low temp alarms set, I don't miss out on too much sleep.

For convenience, I wimp out and use the propane grill that sits next to the smoker on the deck.

 

[Matthew]

Ok, I can’t promise the photos will 1) tell much of a story, and 2) be right side up.

I got to my buddy’s place about 7am. It was pretty cold so we didn’t get the butts on the smoker until right at 8am. That kind of bothered me, since it normally takes about 12 hrs for a pork butt. We decided to raise the temp from about 225-250 to 300 the last several hours and the pork butts finished in about 10 hrs, or 6pm.

I kind of screwed up the pork tenderloins. They were tucked away on the side and I forgot about them. I wanted to pull them at about 135F but they were closer to 150 by the time I got them off. Taste great, but not as tender as I hoped. The chicken was really good. Italian sausages and brats were good, too. These were just basic Johnsonville links, nothing special. The bonus was that one of the packs of brats was mislabeled and ended up being cheddar brats, they were lunch.

My buddy cooked a turkey, split in half. About 6 3-5 lb beef roasts that he’ll slice for roast beef sandwiches. He also smoked a tri tip and 4 pork butts. He’s going to do the pastrami next weekend. He also talked me into a road trip to Frisco, CO for a contest in June and a charity fundraiser cooking deal in downtown KC in May. The KC thing is we’ll run a handful of smokers, then participating chefs from downtown restaurants will cook on them and show off. He’s done it many times, looks like it’s my turn this year.

Now, on to the pix.

chicken:


The smoker only needed 2 bags of charcoal today


roast beef

Pork butts. Mine is lower left in the first pic

 

[Matthew]

And the charity event my buddy and I will work is mid-May:

https://www.cpckc.org/cookforcourage

My buddy has done this all 8 years. His smoker (American BBQ Systems, “ABS”) is a local company owned by a buddy of ours. ABS donates smokers for this event, then donates the personnel to operate the smokers. Normally it’s my buddy, the ABS owner and his 2 sons. This year I’m in. Then local chefs show up and cook.

Another consequence of the economic and covid shutdowns are the hits on charity events. Many fundraisers have been canceled the last couple years. My buddy normally cooks for another local charity for their major fundraiser. But canceled city and county festivals stopped that for a while, and then the high cost of brisket made it almost impossible to make any kind of “profit”’for the charity.

So, keep folks like that in mind if you have a few bucks leftover after taxes this year.

 

[PPC1052]

Going to try smoking a chuck roast for a pre-SB party. Wish me luck. The timing seems to be the hardest part to figure out. I am expecting about 5-6 hours, give or take at 225 for a 3.5 pound angus chuck roast.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Going to try smoking a chuck roast for a pre-SB party. Wish me luck. The timing seems to be the hardest part to figure out. I am expecting about 5-6 hours, give or take at 225 for a 3.5 pound angus chuck roast.

Hmm. Sounds like a long time, but the temp is low. I usually do chuck pot roast in a Dutch oven and it goes about 3 hours or so but that is at 350. I dunno. Check it after 4 hours. I suspect it will be done.

 

[Matthew]

Going to try smoking a chuck roast for a pre-SB party. Wish me luck. The timing seems to be the hardest part to figure out. I am expecting about 5-6 hours, give or take at 225 for a 3.5 pound angus chuck roast.

We were cooking about 250-ish. They finished a lot faster than I figured.

 

[PPC1052]

Hmm. Sounds like a long time, but the temp is low. I usually do chuck pot roast in a Dutch oven and it goes about 3 hours or so but that is at 350. I dunno. Check it after 4 hours. I suspect it will be done.

It's been on since 8 this morning. I am shooting for 190 so I can serve sliced. I wrapped in butcher paper at around 150. I have the temp probes in, and still at around 160 right now, but the temp is coming up. Bumped the temp up just a little bit (first to 235, and then to 240) to help speed the end. But it seems like it is going to take every bit of the 6 hours low and slow. Then I will throw in a cooler to rest and take to the party.

 

[flyingron]

Wow! I've always admired people who smoke whole hogs. You're getting very close!

I use my Carolina Cooker to do a whole pig every Memorial Day weekend. At other times I'll load it up with ribs, briskets, and chickens.

 

[Mahneuvers]

I use my Carolina Cooker to do a whole pig every Memorial Day weekend...

I've marked my calendar and expect an invite

 

[Matthew]

I use my Carolina Cooker to do a whole pig every Memorial Day weekend. At other times I'll load it up with ribs, briskets, and chickens.

Heh - a couple neighborhood guys cooked a pig for the HS football team (these guys had kids on the team). I asked them where they got the pig and they said they found a local guy that sold them. They went over to pick it up and the guy was holding a rifle and asked, "Which one do you want?"

Then I noticed the tarp on the ground, the chainsaw, and the bloody aprons in the front yard and decided not to ever get those two guys mad at me.

 

[flyingron]

In my case, there's a sign down the road that says "Catawba Meat Processing" and had a handwritten addition "Pigs dressed for bbq." I headed down the dirt road expeting to find some good ol' North Carolina boys, but it turns out to be a whole family of Vietnamese. The only thing I can say is that Va's english is better than my Vientnamese. I pick out the pig I want (I tell my wife I choose a cute one) and he kills it and does all the prep work for me. Typically the one that goes in my smoker on Saturday afternoon was running around Saturday morning. We eat him on Sunday.

 

[Mahneuvers]

It was a tradition in my old neighborhood in Atlanta to roast a whole pig once a year. They used the Hawaiian method of smoking the pig in a pit. The process started at 10 PM and the neighborhood would show up at 3 PM the next day to enjoy a fantastic meal. It was really a pretty great tradition. Then someone got the idea to have strippers do a show at 1 AM. If you were gonna be tending the pit all night, why not make it interesting? Then the wives found out, and it became harder to volunteer