BBQ

[Bradley Walker]

Verticals are really the best.

[Jerrod]

I use a http://www.chargriller.com/ and I am happy with it. Had it for about 4 years and the only problem I have had is replacing a grill because I dropped and broke one. I came really close to buying a http://www.biggreenegg.com/ but the price is a little hard to get over.

[pointdisc]

One year, the oven broke at Thanksgiving and I literally cooked the whole meal in the smoker (including all the meat, beans, green beans, corn and dressing).

Can you come to my families Thanksgiving? I'll even break the oven before you get here!!! (Sounds amazing...)

pd

[Elevated Plastic]

you want to taste the best rub ever created by human kind? http://www.spadelranch.com/ rub a lil of this on your meat 24hrs before cook time, I promise you'll agree. I use the red jar on tri-tip.

[Bradley Walker]

z

[Jerrod]

mayhaps a thread fail?

[RustyP]

First attempt at brisket turned out fairly well...

Started it on the smoker at 9:30 yesterday morning, kept it on until about 6pm. I did my best to keep the temp around 220-250, but it did drop as low as 170 a few times and got up to 280-290 each time I added more coals. (I found out that my smoker is very finicky when it comes to keeping the temp where you want it. The lid doesn't fit very well so I kept losing heat. I'm thinking this is the perfect excuse to go buy a more heavy-duty one ) I flipped it once each hour, and sprayed it with a mixture of apple cider, cider vinegar, and bourbon each time. Wrapped it in foil and let it rest for almost an hour before cutting.

The bark was pretty dark and very flavorful, but got a little soggy from the resting period. It had a nice thick smoke ring and tasted great, but it was a little tough and kinda dry...luckily the Dr Pepper BBQ sauce I made helped out with that. I also made a spicy bourbon sauce too, but the DP was everyone's favorite. I'm gonna try adding meat tenderizer to the rub next time, and maybe pull it off the smoker a little sooner to keep it from getting dry. Any ideas/tips on how to keep it moist? Maybe wrap it in foil after 2-3 hours then stick it back on the smoker?

[chunk]

First attempt at brisket turned out fairly well...

Started it on the smoker at 9:30 yesterday morning, kept it on until about 6pm. I did my best to keep the temp around 220-250, but it did drop as low as 170 a few times and got up to 280-290 each time I added more coals. (I found out that my smoker is very finicky when it comes to keeping the temp where you want it. The lid doesn't fit very well so I kept losing heat. I'm thinking this is the perfect excuse to go buy a more heavy-duty one ) I flipped it once each hour, and sprayed it with a mixture of apple cider, cider vinegar, and bourbon each time. Wrapped it in foil and let it rest for almost an hour before cutting.

The bark was pretty dark and very flavorful, but got a little soggy from the resting period. It had a nice thick smoke ring and tasted great, but it was a little tough and kinda dry...luckily the Dr Pepper BBQ sauce I made helped out with that. I also made a spicy bourbon sauce too, but the DP was everyone's favorite. I'm gonna try adding meat tenderizer to the rub next time, and maybe pull it off the smoker a little sooner to keep it from getting dry. Any ideas/tips on how to keep it moist? Maybe wrap it in foil after 2-3 hours then stick it back on the smoker?

what was the internal temp of the brisket with you pulled it off? generally speaking briskets are done ~ 190f but you should always do a poke test to confirm. the meat therm should slide in easily. if you have to push hard its not done.

also if you're cooking just the flat wrapping it in foil with a little beef broth, beer, or coffee and finishing the cook in foil will help with the dryness. if doing this wrap the brisket when it reaches 170f.

[RustyP]

I didn't even think to test the intermal temp...probably a crucial part, huh? i have a digital probe thermometer that I used to keep track of the temp of the smoker (since the thermometer that came with it doesnt even have numbers...just "warm", "ideal", and "too hot" )...guess I'll put it to better use next time

Next up...smoked salmon!

[chunk]

use your meat therm to figure out wheather 250f is ideal or warm , or what ever and then use it in the brisket. also you always want to cook to temp and/or feel with bbq, not time.

[RustyP]

SUCCESS!!!

I got a walmart gift card for Christmas, so I went out the day after and bought a nice 8lb bone-in pork butt and prepped it for a-smokin'. I used the last bit of my basic bbq dry rub (see earlier in the thread) and let it sit overnight, then smoked it for about 4hrs in the 250-300 degree range before finishing it off in the oven at 325 until the internal temp was 190.

By the time it came out it was so tender I couldn't even pick it up...it just fell apart! I couldnt decide between a NC style vinegar sauce or a sweet/smoky/spicy tomato-based sauce, so I made both. The vinegar sauce just had cider vinegar (about 80% of the mixture), lemon juice, a little sugar & honey, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes and some finely diced onion. The tomato-based had too many ingredients to list, but you could really taste the smoked paprika and molasses (also had dark rum, cinnamon, and cloves) and overall had a really warm/sweet flavor.

I've been eating pulled pork for the past 3 days now, and I can't remember the last time I felt so happy I have finally reached bbq enlightenment

Next up is probably another brisket, but I want to branch out a bit and experiment with some of my more exotic spices for the rub. I read a recipe for coffee-cardamom brisket that sounds fun.

[Blink]

When it comes to bbq all I know is Sweet Baby Ray's honey bbq sawce. I could eat dried dog doodoo with that stuff on it and think it was delicious. maybe it covers up the taste too much, but I take texture into account more than flavor just about when I eat meat. I just don't want a bunch of fat to pick through or anything burnt black.

[RustyP]

I'm with you when it comes to fat, but I LOVE the burnt ends of a brisket...I'm lucky that the best local place here (Randy's Smokehouse) offers burtn ends as its own meat choice

[Blink]

Dang I guess I should look more into it if its like that, I just considered it the same as eating ash haha.

[chunk]

SUCCESS!!!

I got a walmart gift card for Christmas, so I went out the day after and bought a nice 8lb bone-in pork butt and prepped it for a-smokin'. I used the last bit of my basic bbq dry rub (see earlier in the thread) and let it sit overnight, then smoked it for about 4hrs in the 250-300 degree range before finishing it off in the oven at 325 until the internal temp was 190.

By the time it came out it was so tender I couldn't even pick it up...it just fell apart! I couldnt decide between a NC style vinegar sauce or a sweet/smoky/spicy tomato-based sauce, so I made both. The vinegar sauce just had cider vinegar (about 80% of the mixture), lemon juice, a little sugar & honey, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes and some finely diced onion. The tomato-based had too many ingredients to list, but you could really taste the smoked paprika and molasses (also had dark rum, cinnamon, and cloves) and overall had a really warm/sweet flavor.

I've been eating pulled pork for the past 3 days now, and I can't remember the last time I felt so happy I have finally reached bbq enlightenment

Next up is probably another brisket, but I want to branch out a bit and experiment with some of my more exotic spices for the rub. I read a recipe for coffee-cardamom brisket that sounds fun.

congrats. did i tell you about dizzy pig rubs? they are the bomb. check out the cow lick for briskets and dizzy dust for pork butts.