Help me start smoking

Cafe Society
1

Summer’s here, and I want to smoke something before it’s over. I have a Char-Broil five-burner (four regular, and one sear) propane grill, a Webber Smoker Kit, a new thermometer for the grill hoodm, and a new thermometer for inside of the grill.

I’d like to smoke a brisket, but A) I get the minimum size of one is like ten pounds. That’s a lot of meat for two people – one of whom isn’t as enamoured of leftovers as I am; B) If I screw it up, that’s a lot of meat to waste; and C) I haven’t seen a beef brisket at the supermarket the last several times I looked.

Q: What other meat is good for smoking?

There’s always pork. I mad country-style pork ribs last week. I used to throw them over the coals and just cooked them. This time I followed instructions, preheated the grill to 350ºF, and cooked them on the other side of the grill from the lit burner as directed. They came out a little dry. For a roast, I get excellent results using the oven.

Q: What’s a good piece of pork (*snerk*) for smoking, with guaranteed results?

Chicken? I don’t prefer smoked turkey, so I don’t know if I want to do chicken. (Grilled with BBQ sauce, or El Pollo Loco style is what I like.)

Salmon? I like smoked salmon, and I understand smoking salmon on the grill is pretty quick; like half an hour.

Q: Would salmon be a good choice for a first-time smoker?

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Chicken thighs, bone-in are always very forgiving. And delicious. Just smoke at a higher temp, like 300-325, if you’re leaving the skin on or it will get rubbery.

3

Ribs, pork belly, pork shoulder, spatchcock chicken, sirloin roast.

I really like doing beef with a reverse sear - smoke to 120 degrees or so, then finish on a hot bbq.

4

Pork shoulder. Make pulled or chopped pork. It’s a very forgiving piece of meat, much more than brisket. You definitely do not want to do brisket your first time out of the gate.

I’m not a huge fan of smoked chicken or turkey, but that is the usual recommendation I see for one’s first smoke. Baby back ribs would be a relatively easy one, as well. I prefer spares, but baby backs are a little bit more forgiving, in my opinion, and easier, since they cook up well even at grilling temperatures.

With something like pork shoulder (Boston butt), you can budget at least 6 hours for your smoke, more likely closer to 8, but it depends on the temps you got going. Six to twelve hours is the general range for me for a 10-lb Boston butt. I don’t really do much babying or checking of temps. These days, I don’t even trim the fat cap. I stick the sucker (after dry rubbing it) on the Weber Smokey Mountain after building a fire and getting clean smoke, and then I check back in about five hours later to see where we’re at. Then I’ll stick a thermometer in it. If it’s at around 160-170, then it’s at the “stall” stage where it will stay for awhile. I’ll check in two hours later and repeat until the meat looks like its slumped in on itself and the temperature of the meat is somewhere around 197. Sometimes I take it to 203 or so, but I like it less pulled and more chunky. I’ve even had it finish at 193.

I have all sorts of wireless thermometers and stuff, but I just don’t bother. Just a regular probe thermometer works fine for me. And you don’t even really need that. With some experience, you’ll know when the meat is done by how it looks, how loose it is, and how it feels when you stick a fork into it.

5

I’ve done that with tri-tip before. I do a spice rub with rosemary, garlic powder, coarse salt, fresh ground pepper, and I’ll have to consult the recipe to remember what else… then about an hour in the smoker, and finish on a hot grill.

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I agree with ribs as a good start.

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Beef, or pork? Personally, beef sounds better. I rarely cook beef ribs. (Maybe once a year, plus cooking the ribs leftover from the Christmas roast low-and-slow in the oven.)

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Pork baby back or spares.

9

I’m relieved to find out the OP is talking about food and not cigarettes.

The thread title had me really confused. Lol

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I had no idea anyone would be confused! :smiling_imp: :lying_face: :smile_cat:

11

Awww, I did a brisket my first time out of the gate, and it was delicious! But, I had also helped my father many, many times before. So, yeah, I wouldn’t recommend it for your first few smokes, at least. Even a brisket is expensive these days, as all beef is.

I don’t share your lack of fandom for smoked chicken. Smoked turkey is great, too. But I would say that you have to really want those particular meats, vs the “MMMM, smoked meat sandwiches!” I associate with brisket and pulled pork.

So yeah, I agree if you really want smoked meat heaven and you’re just starting out: do pulled pork. I’d advise getting the smallest shoulder you can. Same thing when/if you move to brisket. A smaller one normally comes from a younger, tastier animal. I normally run pulled pork to 203-205 or so, and brisket to around the same. But I normally like it to fall apart.

I do use a ThermoWerks wireless thermometer. Mostly because I’m normally doing brisket, which can take a really long time. If the fire temp isn’t between 200-265, let me know and I’ll have a look. Let me know if the meat crosses 205. Before I got one of those I had to make sure I woke up every hour or so and check the temp if I slept during an 18 hour brisket smoke.

Ooof, that reminds me. I need to either shop for a new smoker or shop for a welder so I can weld up a new firebox for my very aged smoker (so many rust holes it’s hard to control the intake).

So yeah, get yourself a pork shoulder. Fun, easy, take it slow and it’s hard to mess that one up.

Aww now, they both have you standing outside inhaling noxious fumes. But one of them is only kinda addictive. Luckily, that one also provides tasty snacks.

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I actually do have some sort of bone-in pork roast in the fridge.

13

Here’s something different about my shor3eside upbringing…The first Smoker that I was introduced to, and taught to build, was specialized for fish. Much different monster. It was two or three barrels welded end on end. With doors and cross hung bars. Clothes Hanger wire gill hooks.

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Your title was awesome - the right way to draw people in with a provocative thread title. (A bit off-topic, but years ago there was a poster who had an annoying habit of creating sensationalistic thread tiles which, when you clicked on their threads, turned out to be about lame topics. The practice seemed highly manipulative, and it annoyed me to no end. You, on the other hand, demonstrated how attention-getting thread titles SHOULD be done.)

15

I don’t love smoked poultry. Every so often someone serves me smoked chicken or smoked turkey. And it’s fine. But i always think that it would have been better if they’d just roasted it.

So if you don’t prefer smoked turkey, it seems like you are unlikely to prefer smoked chicken. Go with beef or pork. Or maybe lamb or kid. I bet they are good smoked.

16

Lamb is wonderful smoked. It’s the regional barbecue of Owensboro, KY, or, rather, mutton is (just older lamb.) I do wonder how much of it is actual mutton and how much is just lamb. At any rate, I’ve done it at home with lamb shoulder, and it cooks up quite similarly to pork shoulder. In Owensboro (and nearby areas – I’ve seen mutton barbecue in Evansville, IN, right across the border, too.) it is mopped and served with a very Worcestershire-heavy “dip.” It’s similar to an Eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce in its thinness and approach, except replace about half the vinegar with Worcestershire. Just Google “owensboro dip recipe” or “owensboro black barbecue dip.” Worcestershire is pretty strong stuff, flavor-wise, and it works great cutting against some of the stronger ovine flavors. (But I didn’t find the meat itself particularly sheepy at any of the barbecue places we visited in Owensboro – there were four main ones left about twenty years ago, and I know one of them shut down since.)

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Hehehe, my relatives were surprised I liked the mutton when we ate at Moonlight barbecue.

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You can get just a flat, which is more like 5 lbs. I’m not sure what a Weber Smoker Kit is, but I have a Weber Smoky Mtn 18" diameter bullet-style smoker that I used to only use to smoke flats when I did brisket, because I didn’t think I could fit a whole flat & point cut. But I saw an episode of Cook’s Country that showed how to cook an entire brisket in a Weber kettle-style grill, which I also have. I did a thread almost exactly a year ago on my results copying their technique, which includes a video of the CC episode. I followed the instructions in the video closely and it turned out freakin’ amazing.

As for where to get a brisket, I would look for a specialty meat market in your area if you can’t find one at the grocery store.

As for leftovers, when you cook a whole brisket you do want to ideally plan to invite enough people to help you eat it. I don’t remember any brisket leftovers lasting long from last year! But pulled pork freezes and rethaws very well. I often will smoke two big pork shoulders and package up leftovers in several quart bags to freeze. Nothing better than wondering what to have for lunch on some random day and remembering “oh yeah, still got some frozen pulled pork and sandwich fixin’s!” I’m not as sure about brisket, but I imagine it freezes pretty well too.

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My brother in law has been smoking meat for awhile and has gotten very good at it. He invites people over and we always get a to-go box when we leave. I can’t wait for this summer’s get together.

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Oh yeah, it freezes great. My parents used to freeze whole briskets for later. I once got in trouble for slicing a big frozen hunk off of one in the middle of the night, then defrosting and eating it.