Any (meat) smokers out there?

Z

zackly

Maturing Primate
Although I worked many years as a chef, I'm from the northeast (near NYC) & don't have a lot of experience making barbecue.
Saturday evening I'm having a party for 25 people. I want to make pulled pork among other entrees.



I have a set it & forget it type smoker, an electric Bradley. I bought a twin pack of boneless pork butts @ Costco. They didn't offer bone in. My questions:
  • If I start cooking early Sat. morning will the meat be cooked by 5:00 PM?
  • How long can I hold the smoked meat un-refrigerated without it losing quality?
  • What temp is best to smoke?
  • How many hours should I smoke? Not total cooking time but how long to use the wood chips.
  • Should I brine the meat first? In what for how long?
  • What's the best store bought BBQ sauce?
Thanks for your help!
 
Make sure to brine/season the meat overnight (refrigerate it).

Set the temp to 210-220F.

Don't use too much oak, just put in a puck or two (haven't used Bradley, but know how it works). I usually use just an ounce or two of hickory, you really only need to season the meat for an hour or two and this should be enough.

I usually pull the meat out of refrigerator a couple of hours ahead to make sure it is room temp by the time I start. For the Costco pork butts (that's what I use as well) allow 18 hours on the dot, so set your smoker, put the meat in and start it that many hours ahead. The meat will be falling apart at the 18+ hour mark.

Let me know how it turn out.
 
I don't tend to brine my Pork butts, i just inject them with a combination of apple juice and Jack Daniels. FIgure that pork butts will take between 1 1/2 and 2 hours per pound when being cooked at a temp between 225 and 250. I wouldn't let the meat sit around for too long after cooking it. The best thing to do is to wrap them in aluminum foil and a towel and put them in a cooler in order to let them rest before serving them. I tend to continue to add wood chips until the internal temperature of the meat is 14o. at that poing, the meat no longer picks up the smokering. Do you plan on putting a rub on the butts, if you need the recipie for one PM me, i would be more than happy to give you mine, people love it. Cook the pork to an internal temp of between 180 and 190 if you plan on doing pulled prk. If you have any more questions, just PM me. Good luck. Oh before i forget, you need to have a couple of good 'Gars and a good beer or two in order for this to come out it's best.:ss:tu
 
:eevis said:
I don't tend to brine my Pork butts, i just inject them with a combination of apple juice and Jack Daniels. FIgure that pork butts will take between 1 1/2 and 2 hours per pound when being cooked at a temp between 225 and 250. I wouldn't let the meat sit around for too long after cooking it. The best thing to do is to wrap them in aluminum foil and a towel and put them in a cooler in order to let them rest before serving them. I tend to continue to add wood chips until the internal temperature of the meat is 14o. at that poing, the meat no longer picks up the smokering. Do you plan on putting a rub on the butts, if you need the recipie for one PM me, i would be more than happy to give you mine, people love it. Cook the pork to an internal temp of between 180 and 190 if you plan on doing pulled prk. If you have any more questions, just PM me. Good luck. Oh before i forget, you need to have a couple of good 'Gars and a good beer or two in order for this to come out it's best.:ss:tu
Click to expand...

Nice Meat!
 
:eevis said:
I don't tend to brine my Pork butts, i just inject them with a combination of apple juice and Jack Daniels. FIgure that pork butts will take between 1 1/2 and 2 hours per pound when being cooked at a temp between 225 and 250. I wouldn't let the meat sit around for too long after cooking it. The best thing to do is to wrap them in aluminum foil and a towel and put them in a cooler in order to let them rest before serving them. I tend to continue to add wood chips until the internal temperature of the meat is 14o. at that poing, the meat no longer picks up the smokering. Do you plan on putting a rub on the butts, if you need the recipie for one PM me, i would be more than happy to give you mine, people love it. Cook the pork to an internal temp of between 180 and 190 if you plan on doing pulled prk. If you have any more questions, just PM me. Good luck. Oh before i forget, you need to have a couple of good 'Gars and a good beer or two in order for this to come out it's best.:ss:tu
Click to expand...

Thanks for the good info.
I plan on smoking several. I bought a Pardon 1926 Series (my first) for the occasion.
It's an interesting crowd. My wife's friends are bicyclists & joggers who hate my cigar smoking. My friends are red meat eating, Jack Daniels swilling, cigar smoking fools. I'm going to declare the front yard a smoking friendly area & leave the cry babies out back.
 
:eevis said:
I don't tend to brine my Pork butts, i just inject them with a combination of apple juice and Jack Daniels. FIgure that pork butts will take between 1 1/2 and 2 hours per pound when being cooked at a temp between 225 and 250. I wouldn't let the meat sit around for too long after cooking it. The best thing to do is to wrap them in aluminum foil and a towel and put them in a cooler in order to let them rest before serving them. I tend to continue to add wood chips until the internal temperature of the meat is 14o. at that poing, the meat no longer picks up the smokering. Do you plan on putting a rub on the butts, if you need the recipie for one PM me, i would be more than happy to give you mine, people love it. Cook the pork to an internal temp of between 180 and 190 if you plan on doing pulled prk. If you have any more questions, just PM me. Good luck. Oh before i forget, you need to have a couple of good 'Gars and a good beer or two in order for this to come out it's best.:ss:tu
Click to expand...

This dude knows his BBQ, Could agree more. I would def. use a rub and also when ou get the store bought BBQ sauce (I like Peter Luger's or Stubbs)put a few shots of single malt scotch or bourbon in it prior to basting............tasty.
 
Thats all right, one of my best friends is a Cigar smoking, beer swilling vegetarian... But he loves when i BBQ up some Tofu for him, it is actually not bad. Plus he is the one that got me into cigars!! God love him.
That is him on the right, Shows up at my buddy'c cottage at 8 am with an open Heineken and a Tatuaje!!
Ended up doing a 12 pond Brisket that day, made him think about converting
 
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:eevis said:
Thats all right, one of my best friends is a Cigar smoking, beer swilling vegetarian... But he loves when i BBQ up some Tofu for him, it is actually not bad. Plus he is the one that got me into cigars!! God love him.
That is him on the right, Shows up at my buddy'c cottage at 8 am with an open Heineken and a Tatuaje!!
Ended up doing a 12 pond Brisket that day, made him think about
converting
Click to expand...


That's one badass looking vegetarian there. Can you post the rub receipe or is it top secret?
 
Not a problem Here it is I'm sure my secret will be save, i mean how many people look at the internet anyway....

Dry Rub:
1/2 cup Paprika
1/2 cup Kosher salt (kosher has the best taste as i am sure a chef knows)
1/2 cup pure cane sugar (brown sugar can be used too, i just like pure cane)
1/2 cup granulated garlic
6 tbsp. granulated onion
1/4 cup chili powder
approx 1 tbsp black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin ( I tend to use more b/c i love the stuff)
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper ( I prefer to use chipotle though)
 
:eevis said:
Not a problem Here it is I'm sure my secret will be save, i mean how many people look at the internet anyway....

Dry Rub:
1/2 cup Paprika
1/2 cup Kosher salt (kosher has the best taste as i am sure a chef knows)
1/2 cup pure cane sugar (brown sugar can be used too, i just like pure cane)
1/2 cup granulated garlic
6 tbsp. granulated onion
1/4 cup chili powder
approx 1 tbsp black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin ( I tend to use more b/c i love the stuff)
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper ( I prefer to use chipotle though)
Click to expand...

Nice, I appreciate it, sounds awesome.
 
:eevis has it pretty well down.

Here is my general method:

1. Rub plain ole yellow mustard all over the pork butt and then sprinkle on the rub. You wont taste the mustard after it cooks and it helps hold on the rub plus helps form the "bark".

I baste with a mixture of 1/2 Cup Apple Juice, 1/4 Cup Apple Cider vinegar and 1/4 Cup Veg Oil in a spray bottle. I do this every 3 hours or so.

I smoke around 225F like :eevis suggests but I add some smoke all the way thru even tho the smoke ring stops forming at 140F. I dont know if it makes a difference but I do it.

When it reaches 190F I double wrap with aluminum foil and then a couple of towels place in a cooler and it should hold for a couple of hours or so.

At serving time I shred the pork and spinkle on some more rub and mix.

I always serve my sauces on the side and let folks add what sauce they like to the sammich.

A bought sauce I really like is Bone Suckin Sauce (no comments please) available in original and hot. You can buy it at a lot of Cracker Barrel's or Whole Foods Market or other grocers.


Duane
 
IWe have an electric(Smokin Tex) as well. Should be no problem being done by 5. Just turn the temp a little past what the center needs to get to. Maybe use a little olive oil if you want but use a dry rub on the meat for sure. I like ones that are pretty red. Make sure you use paprika and brown sugar!! Spanish red pepper, cayenne pepper(ground red pepper_ chile powder, ect. are good as well. But no matter what, it'll taste good out of the smoker!! (You can probably watch it and check on it after 4 hours or so to see how the insides are comin'). We do ribs from Sam's/Costco and usually put rub on them.. but not too much. We then throw em on the grill to char em and add BBQ sauce, but i'll admit, a lot of them get eaten when they're fresh out of the smoker!! Same goes for pork loin. And Beef Brisket. And smoked salmon is good super fresh. I bet poop would taste pretty damn good too.
 
I havent did any pork all summer. But all this chatter about BBQ and I do want to give :eevis rub a try.

The one I use is almost the same with a few mods.

Armadillo Willy's Rub
  • 1/4 C Turbinado (Sugar in the Raw) sugar
  • 1/4 C Salt (My favorite is Diamond Kosher)
  • 1/4 C Paprika (I have been blending Sweet and Smoked)
  • 1 Tbs ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbs garlic powder
  • 1 Tbs onion powder
  • 1/2 Tbs cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp crushed fennel seed
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
 
In my opinion if you can't take it from the smoker (after it has rested and been pulled of course) and place it on the table you have ruined much of your effort. Refrigeration just takes so much out of the flavor.
 
I'm strickly a wood smoker. Start with just enough charcoal to get the hickory working, then cook/smoke with the wood. Indirect heat only from a side-mount firebox. I usually do not brine my boston butts either. I did brine the very last two I smoked, can't say it made any difference. I usually allow 12 hours, but it can be done in less. I cook mine til the meat is falling off the bone and can be easily pulled by hand.

I check my butts for tenderness about 2 hours before I want to take them off the grill. If they seem too far from the level of doneness, and might not get there in 2 hours, I remove from grill, place in a roasting pan, pour one can of Pepsi in the bottom of the pan, seal well with heavy duty foil (becaue it's wide enough for a single sheet cover). Put in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 300-325 degrees, and it is done, still moist, and falls apart easily.

Rub I use is usually one off Food Network (Emeril Live show) for Kansas City Baby back ribs, except that I add 1 teaspoon of cumin to that recipe. Otherwise, it is good to go.

You should be able to adapt this method to your use inthe electric cooker, because heat is heat. Mine is probably smokier because of the fuel, but you should get good results with your electric. If you can find it, you might try mixing hickory and some apple wood chips!

Good luck, and Good Eats!!:D:dr

Upon a re-read, this thread is full of double meanings, isn't it!!
 
Your right, putting meat in the fridge right after cooking is a no-no. But i think a couple hours rest in the cooler does wonders. Gives you some leeway on cooktime time too.

A great appetizer are ABT's cooked on the smoker.
 
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