Gonna be a long night

[BoatBuoy]

Put butts on the smoker after supper and the temps are coming up slow. Long night but hopefully a GOOD lunch tomorrow, or maybe a good breakfast - I love smoked pork with scrambled eggs.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Gonna be a long night

Put butts on the smoker after supper and the temps are coming up slow. Long night but hopefully a GOOD lunch tomorrow, or maybe a good breakfast - I love smoked pork with scrambled eggs.

Now you are making me hungry !!!!
Enjoy.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Gonna be a long night

120 to 130 for how long???

 

[mike64]

Re: Gonna be a long night

Sounds yummy. It's almost lunch time, how'd it turn out?

Do you use an electric smoker? I'm guessing you didn't stay up all night to stoke a charcoal fired smoker.

I get a turkey from work every Thanksgiving, but we go to the in-laws, so I freeze it to smoke every summer. Get up at 6 am, get the coals going, and it's ready by 5 or so.

Mmmm...getting hungry now...still got last Thanksgiving's turkey, got to thaw it out and call some friends...

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Gonna be a long night

They're still not finished. Internal temp hasn't gotten to where I want it yet. Evidently, these had more collagen to break down than others I've done. I usually figure 12-16hrs.

I do these using a mix of charcoal and hickory. Electric smoker? That's heresy. The management of grate temps varies from cook to cook. This one has been easy. Got the temp regulated soon after putting the butts on and didn't have to touch it until about 4:00 this morning. I woke every 2 hrs. to check, but no adjustments were necessary until then.

I use a WSM smoker and can do 6 butts at a time, but am only doing 2 right now. A full load of charcoal with hickory will last 16-20 hrs in the summer. Not nearly so long in winter.

 

[mike64]

Re: Gonna be a long night

Electric smoker? That's heresy.

I fully agree.

Wish I had seen this post a little earlier. You're going to need some help eating those, and East Tennessee's probably about a 9-10 hour drive from here...

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Gonna be a long night

A little hijack but I don't think you'll mind.

I'm a BBq'er myself. I bbq/smoke brisket (Tejas style), pork ribs (is there any other animal with ribs good enough to eat? ) , loins, all types of sauages and brats, and various wild game caught/shot. I have (IMHO) perfected the Tejas style and I am starting to try to cook to other regions style ie more mustard based rubs and sauces (Carolinas) and open hearth (California) in efforts to be better all around. I have done a couple of catering jobs for fun. SIL had over 100 guests at her wedding and when it was done many wanted my card so I could cater for them. Same thing at local hospital. When they were told I do it for fun and not a job they were sorely dissapointed. I've done a cookoff and got third in cooks choice, honorable mention on my ribs and brisket. All that being said- How does a butt compare to a brisket? Would one use the same rub? What internal do you want to reach? What is your usual cooking temp?

 

[mike64]

Re: Gonna be a long night

...I have (IMHO) perfected the Tejas style...

Kenneth, I'm not familiar with Tejas style. Googling came up with suprisingly little info on it. Is Tejas mostly the way you bbq-- in a sealed smoker, or does it also have to do with the type of sauce or rub you use? Feel free to share any of your secrets

Looks like I'm becoming an accomplice to this hijacking. Hopefully BoatBouy won't mind if this thread turns into a general discussion of bbq techniqes. And let us know how those butts turned out BB!

 

[aspeck]

Re: Gonna be a long night

Hey BB ... hows your butt? We are all waiting to hear!

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Gonna be a long night

Kenneth, this is kinda like solder/crimp or dino/synthetic - Now with that being said, who but a Texan, would waste their BBQ time on a brisket? Did you know that you can't even find brisket in the groceries here, only pastrami. But every store has pork butt.

Now, more seriously, smoked boston butt (pork shoulder) is what most pulled-pork BBQ is made from. If it's done right, it's too tender to slice. It would only tear apart even under the sharpest knife.

I cook at 250* grate temp and pull at 195-200* internal temp. Some(not me) cook to only 180* to avoid the "collagen plateau", but then it has to be sliced like ham. I've achieved my goal in as little as 12 hours, but some, like yesterday, take much longer. Yesterday took 18 hours.

I use a rub but I don't know if it's something that would work on brisket. Probably would since there are only so many rub ingredient possibilities.

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Gonna be a long night

I'm going to hijack a little too -

Share your secrets, everyone! I just happen to get my first smoker this week - a Weber Smoke Mountain.

I'm an avid griller (HOT and FAST) 3 -5 times a week and not to brag, but I think I do pretty well at it. I know smoking is 100% different because it's low and slow.


I am going to break in my new smoker this weekend. Right now, a bag of Kingsford charcoal, a bag of Cowboy brand hardwood charcoal, and a bag of hickory wood chunks. I may pick up a bag of oak chucks before this weekend. I have two chickens thawing in the fridge but I also wanted to do a brisket. From what I read, brisket is NOT beginner meat, but I'm going to give it a shot anyways.

I was planning on making a rub for the chickens and brisket and putting the rub on about 24 hours prior to smoking.

The plan is to do the chickens (maybe one with a beer can) first so I can get a feel for it for 3 or 4 hours until the chickens are done and then put on the brisket.

I'd be interested to hear suggestions for types of charcoal to use, what kind of wood chucks, if the wood chucks should be dry or wet, anything you want to share.

Kenneth Brown - I'm particularly interested in hearing more about your brisket because I do love me some Texas style brisket!

 

[mike64]

Re: Gonna be a long night

This is what I throw together for a rub for beer butt chickens and smoked turkeys...no amounts here, no order of importance, I just go by instinct

Granulated garlic
paprika
salt
oregano
thyme
black pepper
cayenne pepper
brown sugar
mustard powder
old bay seasoning
celery seed

seems like I may be forgetting an ingredient or 2

anyone else want to post their own secret rub recipe here... come on and share

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Gonna be a long night

jsfinn, if you haven't already, take a look at www.virtualweberbullet.com. Click "Cooking Topics" and check out the recipes. There's also a pretty good forum. You can find about anything you ever wanted to know about cooking on a WSM.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Gonna be a long night

Texas style is is just an adaptation that we prefer to use. It deals with cooking style, rub, and sauce. I like to marinate my meats overnight in a Zesty Italian dressing, any brand will do as well as the next. One normal bottle will do a regular packer style brisket just fine. You don't need to soak the meat, just pour it over it. I will usually split the plastic wrap on top and our it over while raising the meat in the package so it gets on the bottom also. I then cover it with foil and put back in the fridge. Most use a dry rub although some use a wet rub. I pull the meat out of the package before I start the smoker and whatever liquid falls off is how dry the meat gets. I vigorously rub the rub in. I'll poke holes the fat side with a fork and try to "push" the rub into it. Now its time to fire off smoker. I use regular charcoal to start it off even though some consider this a sin, to each his own. Now for the wood and the controversy. Most Texicans swear by Hickory and Mesquite. To me they impart too much "smoke" into the meat. I like to use Oak as my base with some of them added in along the way. When I can get it I will use Pecan as a flavor adder. Fruit woods are GREAT for pork and chicken. I'll get the smoker to settle out at around 300 and put the meat on fat side UP. After an hour or two the charcoal will be gone and I'll be on wood only and I can get the temp to stay around 250. A rule of thumb for brisket is an 3/4 hour a pound ie a 10 pounder will need to cook for 7 1/2 hours. You want to get the internal temp to 180 for beef to break down the internal fats ie render it. As Mike said it will also break down the collagons or connective tissue and will result in a nice soft meat. I'll throw in another Texas thang here- "The Texas Crutch". At about 4 hours (or if you prefer an internal of about 150-160) you'll wrap the meat in foil completely. This will help get it to the desired internal quicker and will somewhat steam the meat as no juices can escape. Other regions criticize us harshly for it but it makes cooking much easier. It doesn't hurt the meat or flavor one bit and IMHO improves it so why not? Well your meats been on since 9 this morning and its 5 in the evening, the internals are right, and company is starting to show up. Pull the meat from the smoker and let it rest on the counter for a half hour or so. If its a packer style you'll have a big thick end(the "flat") and a smaller end or point. Theres gonna be a fat layer inbetween these where its easy to cut/pull apart. These will have different grains so go ahead and do so. You may now slice AGAINST the grain. The point will have the easier to slice side. The flat will slice but is best used as either pulled meat or chopped. Try it as sliced first and then chip what doesn't work out. If you notice nowhere here have we added any sauce. If you do it halfway right you don't need it. That being said thats where alot of the regional variations come in. Here we use a tomatoe based sauce that is sweet and spicy. This is to be served in a bowl/bottle for people to use as they desire. Thats basicly it for my brisket cooking. If I've left anything out fell free to ask as its something I take great pride in.

Rubs and Sauces- Usually enough for more than one so adjust as needed

Rub-
Pkg of Brown sugar
1/2 cup of salt (some prefer Kosher only, makes no difference to me)
2 tbl spoons of black pepper
2 tbl spoons of garlic powder
2 tbl spoons of paprika
1 tbl spoon of season salt
1 tbl spoon of Italian seasoning
1 tbl spoon of Cavenders/Old Bay/etc whatever spice mix you happen to have
1 tbl spoon of generic steak spice
A shake or two of Cayenne
I'll also just add at random different things as I'm looking for certain spices. Mix and match and make it your own. Don't be real concerned with the measurements as its not rocket science. Mix all of this together and then go to the meat with it.

Sauce-
16 oz of tomatoe sauce (not paste)
12 oz bottle of store brand/generic bbq sauce (again your choice although I prefer one with a smoke flavor)
1 tbl spoon of yellow mustard
1 tbl spoon of Worchershire
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 of a WHITE onion chopped up fine
A shake or two of salt, pepper, garlic powder and a very light shake of cayenne.
Heat this mixture up to a light boil and then kill the heat. Be sure to stir as the sauce WILL stick to the bottom of the pan. As it rests the flavors will spread amongst each other. I usually make my sauce right after I get the meat on so it has plenty of time.



So thats it in a nut shell. My fingers are sore and eyes are crossed. I haven;t typed this much in one sitting since high school.

 

[mike64]

Re: Gonna be a long night

I haven;t typed this much in one sitting since high school.

I'm giving you an A+ for that post. Thanks! Cut, pasted and saved.

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Gonna be a long night

BoatBuoy - If I'm not reading Iboats, I'm reading the Virtual Weber Bullet. It's a great site, but there are experts everywhere, and Iboats guys are really smart.

Kenneth Brown - Great information. I'm looking forward to breaking in my smoker. I'll be sure to post pictures and comments from what I produce on Saturday.

I have to give your post a B+ though. It would have got an A+ with handouts.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Gonna be a long night

anyone else want to post their own secret rub recipe here... come on and share

I normally use just salt and pepper. I have used rubs in the past but it seems a waste of time/materials. Can't tell much difference.

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Gonna be a long night

I try to put as little salt in my rubs as I can because I think the salt pulls moisture out of the meat. If I'm using a rub with salt, it usually doesn't go on the meat until 15-30 minutes before the food goes on to the cooking surface.

Ribs are different. I like a lot of thick sauce on my ribs and I usually rub them 24 hours before cooking.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Gonna be a long night

Hey BB ... hows your butt? We are all waiting to hear!

Turned out great. I did another load of butts last night so I have a freezer full of BBQ in Foodsaver bags. College FB season will be starting soon so I'm ready for all my rowdy friends.

 

[Labman]

Re: Gonna be a long night

I know most here will consider this heresy, But I have a Bradley Digital 6 rack.
Add the wood pucks, usually 1oak,1ash,1mesquite I just vary them,to the auto feed hopper, each puck is good for about 20 Min's. of smoke. Set the temp. 200-220, hit the time for smoke, time for cook and walk away.
I used to collect Fruit tree wood/sawdust and hardwood, Had smokers made out of fridges, plywood, sheet metal, fired with propane,charcoal, electric hot plates, missed a lot of sleep making Moose sausage/jerky, smoked Salmon,Pheasant and Turkeys. Guess I just got old and lazy.

And no I don't find a difference in taste, just in the labour I save.