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[Bytor]

I picked up a 3-3/4LB Chuck at the market last week and threw it on the 340 for one of the best Chuck's I have made yet. I didn't realize when I bought it, but it was somewhat squashed in the packaging. I opened it up and the fat side measured just a little under 3" thick while the other side was not even 2". I decided to squeeze it together and tie it up to get me a more uniform 3 inch thick Chuck.

I did my usual S&P rub on a baking rack and overnight in the fridge it went.

I added a little more rub and some garlic and into the pit at 225. At the 5-1/2 hr mark it had remained around 157 for quite some time so it got wrapped with butchers paper and for the first time, I added two small cubes of butter before wrapping and placing back in the smoker. I bumped the temp up to 275 for an hour or so and the IT hit 195-197 and pulled it.

One hour later, it got devoured. So much, that I only had a small portion remaining for the final shot. I've been using LJ Char-Hickory pellets lately and this really had a good flavor and great ring to it. This is the first time that I have added butter in with the wrap. Most of the times, I will add an ounce or two of apple juice. I'm not sure if that contributed to this turning out fantastic or not, but it sure was. So much for leftovers for breakfast the next day...

Cheers!

 

[mooncusser2k]

I think I will freeze a good portion and save for my next batch of chili.

Solid plan. It's also good for nachos. Or so I've heard.

 

[ghuns]

Daughter, SIL, grandson + two dogs, son + a dog were all in town last week. Six people and 6 dogs makes my house feel really small, so I spent A LOT of time tending the Bull.

Smoked 4 boxes of Cheez-its, mac-n-cheese, a brisket, two pork butts, two pans of queso, and a jumbo batch of beans.

For the Cheez-it recipe, I add a package of dry ranch dressing mix. I have done it without it, and they're not nearly as good.

I'm not a big mac-n-cheese fan, but that recipe is killer. It's topped with a pound of bacon, so how could it NOT be...

The Rec Teq Game Day queso was the biggest hit at a small party we had Saturday night. Made two batches and only had about cup leftover. And I think the beans are also awesome. Which is good, because I made a double batch and have a bunch leftover.

The twenty+ pounds of butts resulted in half of a large ziplock bag worth of leftovers. Probably my best butts to date.

We attended a wedding Friday night. I had moved the two pack of butts from the freezer to the fridge on Wednesday. Friday morning they were still frozen solid so I set them out on the counter. Before we left for the wedding around 6PM, I stuck a probe in them and they checked 38 degrees. By 9PM, at the reception, I was bugging the wife to GTFO of there so I could get the butts cooking. We didn't end up getting home until 10:30.

When I cut the packaging open, the ends where the two butts were touching were still frozen. I have cooked many butts and I have a bulletproof process. As these were for our party Saturday night, deviating from my process made me extremely nervous. So I drank a couple glasses of bourbon and smoked a cigar with my SIL as we pondered our options and debated the merits of fat side up vs down. I have always been 100% fat side up. He is 100% fat side down. Not sure I'd have given him permission to marry my daughter had I know what a deviant he was.

By 1AM, we were drunk and the butts were no longer frozen. I rubbed them with Rasta Joe's BBQ rub and set the smoker for 250, much hotter than I'd normally start. I lit a full smoke tube of pellets, added a pan of water, something I'd never done, and placed the butts fat side down, also something I'd never done...

{img]https://i.imgur.com/roRFr63l.jpg[/img]

When I woke up at 8:30, both butts were running about 170. I was fully prepared to wrap them, but decided against it. Instead I cranked the Bull up to 275 and let it ride. By 2PM, both were probe tender and 205 degrees. I had a hell of a time getting them off my non stick grill mats. They wanted to fall apart sooooooo bad and the fat had melted down through the holes in the mats, but not dripped off. I managed to get both off, double wrapped them in foil, then a towel, and put them in a cooler.

At 6 I got them out and pulled. It was by far the most moist and tender pork I've ever pulled, without being the slightest bit mushy, and the bark was perfect. Sorry, no pics. Too busy with party prep, AKA, heavy drinking.

My SIL credits this 100% to his fat side down deviancy. I'm not sure that's it, but I now have a new process for cooking butts. Next time I'm gonna try to get into sub 12 hour territory without wrapping.

 

[SmokeZilla]

Experimenting with a new thermometer (and playing mad scientist). The regular legs had a visit from their Texas cousin on the right. Hehe.

 

[TexasManInCajunLand]

Now that life is getting back to "somewhat" normal after Hurricane Laura, and I finally have a few days off, I'm currently in the process of smoking a pork butt. We'll have a little taste of it for dinner this evening, and the rest will be packed up and ready to take to my buddy's house for the LSU/Miss. St. game tomorrow.


Cheers to you all, and I hope you have a great weekend!

Darrell

 

[Bif Hunkly]

My first real smoke was today (the Bull arrived yesterday). I seriously over-estimated my cook time. Got my heavily salted and peppered Dino Ribs on the smoker this morning at 0530 along with a water pan. Temp set at 285. Started spritzing at 1100 and they were ready at 1330. I was expecting a longer cook. I wrapped them in butcher paper and had them holding in our indoor over at 170 for 4 hours. My wife is a HUGE rib fan and her gold standard for ribs were at this place in San Marcos, Texas called "Hays County BBQ." She's also incredibly honest when it comes to my cooking. After she unrolled her eyes, she said these were the best she's ever had. Great flavor, tender, not too greasy, and the perfect amount of smoke. I'm so happy with this smoker. Tomorrow I try my first brisket.

 

[Bif Hunkly]

My first ever brisket, a 16lb Prime beauty. I trimmed it and seasoned with equal parts salt and pepper. I was planning on a 10 hour cook so I put it on at midnight at 275. I slept until 0300 and then started spritzing every hour until around 6 am when it was looking a little darker. Then it was every 30 minutes. It came out of the stall at around 830, I wrapped it and set my probe temp alert to 205 and had a few hours of shuteye.

She was done at 1030. I let it rest for almost 2 hours and sliced it all up. Had a great crust and flavor. I'm tired but extremely happy.

 

[Mike]

That's a fantastic looking brisket @Bif Hunkly

 

[Buckeye1]

Friday and Sunday.
Pork loin with sweet tater and fresh apples baked in oven.
St Louis style ribs!!

 

[Bif Hunkly]

That's a fantastic looking brisket @Bif Hunkly

Thank you - I was pleasantly surprised on how it turned out. It was completely worth all of the babying.

 

[SmokeZilla]

Today’s cook was filet. I did a reverse sear. Starting grill temp was 225 degrees. Took them to an IT of 110-119 (trying to accommodate everyones taste). Took them off to rest while the Bull went to “full”, put them on the Grill Grates for a 650 degree quick sear, added knife and teeth to complete the day. Note: All juices, colors, and flavors were absolutely real and unaltered.

 

[SmokeZilla]

i forget to post Saturday’s cook. But pizza’s good any time. Lol.

 

[Waterboy]

Cooked up a nice rib eye for the wife and I tonight. Ran it low for some smoke then cranked it up to 450 on the grill grates (flat side) for the finish sear.

 

[ghuns]

A little Monday night, Italian marinated, reverse seared, pork tenderloin action...

 

[Bif Hunkly]

Did 8 lbs of short plate ribs today, 4 lbs for us and 4 lbs for the neighbor. Smoked at 285 for 7 hours (they hit 203) using just a 50/50 salt and pepper rub. The meat was like butter - almost too decadent. This smoker is amazing.

 

[SmokeZilla]

Another blessed day grilling. 12 hour pulled pork and USDA Prime Beef Short Ribs. I had a special “guest“ visitor, Hatch chilis from New Mexico stopped by to say hello.

 

[Buckeye1]

Poor mans brisket tonight with a salt crushed baked potato (on Recteq) and green beans. Local Pig had chuck roast $1.99 so gave it a try.

 

[Bif Hunkly]

8lb Pork Butt. 50/50 salt & pepper rub with a little paprika for color. I put it on (fat cap up) at 7 am on 270. Left it alone for 3 hours and then started spritzing every hour for 5 hours. When the cap cracked (about 8.5 hours into the cook), I wrapped in foil, probed and cooked for another hour at 270, then increased the temp to 295. The pork hit 200 after about an hour. I rested it for one more hour and then shredded it. Had it with a hot Virginia Sauce and also a Mustard base South Carolina Sauce that I made on some Hawaiian sliders. So good. This smoker is making my neighbors think I'm some kind of BBQ Savant. (First pic is my cat, Emerson, hanging outside with me while it smokes. He fell back in July and has had problems walking and with incontinence ever since. So he travels in a plastic bin lined with puppy pads.)

 

[Bif Hunkly]

My first pork spareribs. Was planning on a 6 hour cook and they were done in 5.

I did a 3-3 method (more like a 3-2). No slather, just a 2:1 pepper/salt dry rub with a little bit of paprika for some color. I trimmed, rubbed and let them sit for about 30 minutes.
Smoked them meat side up at 275 for 2 hours, spritzed with apple cider vinegar, let them cook for another half hour and because their color was looking pretty good, I gave another spritz and painted a little BBQ sauce on them. Let them smoke for 10, then flipped, spritzed and painted the other side for 10. I pulled them wrapped them in aluminum foil and placed back in the smoker for two more hours before I checked on them. They almost completely folded in half when I picked them up.

Let them rest in the foil for 30 minutes and then cut and served. They were AMAZING. I think I overcooked them a little because you could pull the bone out of the meat without any resistance - I've read somewhere that you want them to stick to the bone a little.

I'm 4 for 4 so far with the Bull and loving it.

I did plug my Signal in for a test run and it was showing a negative 10-12 degree difference than what the ambient RecTeq probe was picking up so I adjusted the temp for the Signal. I'll have to do a calibration test soon.

 

[ghuns]

Pizza night...