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***Official Grilling and Smoking Thread*** (2 Viewers)

Got a 5 lb pork butt going today, meat hit the smoker this morning at 10.  Have officially hit the stall at 160 IT.  This is only my 3rd butt and 2nd that I'm not wrapping.  My other unwrapped butt was over 7 lbs and stalled in the low 170's for 3 hours.  I'm hoping this 5 pounder gets through it quicker.  Bumped up the smoker temp from 230 to 250.

Time for a beer!
Nice enjoy.  I dont wrap mine either.  Come out great and with epic bark.  If you need to you can go as high as 325.  I usually cook my butts hot and fast.  Post some pics when its done!

 
Got a 5 lb pork butt going today, meat hit the smoker this morning at 10.  Have officially hit the stall at 160 IT.  This is only my 3rd butt and 2nd that I'm not wrapping.  My other unwrapped butt was over 7 lbs and stalled in the low 170's for 3 hours.  I'm hoping this 5 pounder gets through it quicker.  Bumped up the smoker temp from 230 to 250.

Time for a beer!
Nice enjoy.  I dont wrap mine either.  Come out great and with epic bark.  If you need to you can go as high as 325.  I usually cook my butts hot and fast.  Post some pics when its done!
This also the 1st one I dry brined.  I'm following Meathead's recipe including the Memphis Dust rub.

 
Got a 5 lb pork butt going today, meat hit the smoker this morning at 10.  Have officially hit the stall at 160 IT.  This is only my 3rd butt and 2nd that I'm not wrapping.  My other unwrapped butt was over 7 lbs and stalled in the low 170's for 3 hours.  I'm hoping this 5 pounder gets through it quicker.  Bumped up the smoker temp from 230 to 250.

Time for a beer!
Nice enjoy.  I dont wrap mine either.  Come out great and with epic bark.  If you need to you can go as high as 325.  I usually cook my butts hot and fast.  Post some pics when its done!
This is a stubborn chunk of meat.  Sat at 160 for nearly 2 hours, then has crept up a few degrees per hour since.  I'm nearly 11 hours in with a 5 lb butt and still only at 182.  Thought maybe my probe wasn't reading right, moved it - same temp.  Tried another thermometer, same temp.  Just had to add a full chimney of coals and cranked it up to 300.

And of course it started raining.  Hard.  183, whoo hoo! 

 
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This is a stubborn chunk of meat.  Sat at 160 for nearly 2 hours, then has crept up a few degrees per hour since.  I'm nearly 11 hours in with a 5 lb butt and still only at 182.  Thought maybe my probe wasn't reading right, moved it - same temp.  Tried another thermometer, same temp.  Just had to add a full chimney of coals and cranked it up to 300.

And of course it started raining.  Hard.  183, whoo hoo! 
Yikes.  Yea butts can take a while.  183 means your getting there though.  past the stall at least.  You could wrap which might speed it up but if your at 300, it shouldnt be too long now. 

 
Yikes.  Yea butts can take a while.  183 means your getting there though.  past the stall at least.  You could wrap which might speed it up but if your at 300, it shouldnt be too long now. 
Please excuse my ignorance. What temp are you gunning for? 

 
Please excuse my ignorance. What temp are you gunning for? 
typically if your pulling it, i let it go until it is probe tender.  Basically when the probe goes into it like butter.  Usually its around 190-205 internal. 

If slicing you can take it off way before that. 

 
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typically if your pulling it, i let it go until it is probe tender.  Basically when the probe goes into it like butter.  Usually its around 190-205 internal. 

If slicing you can take it off way before that. 
Thanks for the reply. I'm reading Meathead's recipe that was linked above and just got to that part.

 
OK, so everything I've read about doing lobster on the grill is to do a quick boil and then into some ice water then slice in half and grill/smoke the rest of the way till the tail meat hits 140. Also the claws take a little longer, so I'm going to pull from the boiling water and dip the claws into the boil for a little longer and then ice that bad boy down. This also helps me get the pics I need for four different clients today. So I will have whole shots and split shots. About to go boil the water now. Talk to everyone on Monday. 

 
OK, so everything I've read about doing lobster on the grill is to do a quick boil and then into some ice water then slice in half and grill/smoke the rest of the way till the tail meat hits 140. Also the claws take a little longer, so I'm going to pull from the boiling water and dip the claws into the boil for a little longer and then ice that bad boy down. This also helps me get the pics I need for four different clients today. So I will have whole shots and split shots. About to go boil the water now. Talk to everyone on Monday. 
why boil it first?  all this lobster talk now i want lobster. 

 
that bark!  looks like it came out great!  how long did you brine again?  Was it juicy? 
Thanks!  Only about 12 hours on the brine and it was plenty juicy.  Love the Memphis dust rub - the bark was excellent eating.  Even with the late finish, my wife and 21 year old son came down to the kitchen when they smelled it.  We ate about half of it 11:00 at night. I've also decided I'm never doing that small of a butt again - 7 pounds and up.  If I'm gonna invest 13 hours of my time, I want some meat!

 
Big family/friends picnic in 2 weeks. Thinking of doing briskets and chicken or ribs + I would love to get some great sausage to smoke.  What's the best source? Not sure of local butchers and the Whole Foods sausage seems inconsistent. Worth it to ship from somewhere? I am in So Cal so imagine there has to be a decent source, but if not any recommendations from Texas, etc?

Oh, my brisket (using Franklin method) was even better the 2nd day. I'm asking 2-3 prime briskets from Costco - how big of a risk is it to smoke the day before the party and then reheat?

 
Judge Smails said:
Big family/friends picnic in 2 weeks. Thinking of doing briskets and chicken or ribs + I would love to get some great sausage to smoke.  What's the best source? Not sure of local butchers and the Whole Foods sausage seems inconsistent. Worth it to ship from somewhere? I am in So Cal so imagine there has to be a decent source, but if not any recommendations from Texas, etc?

Oh, my brisket (using Franklin method) was even better the 2nd day. I'm asking 2-3 prime briskets from Costco - how big of a risk is it to smoke the day before the party and then reheat?
Wrap in the butcher paper and take the brisket to about 190. The next day, remove from the paper and finish up to firm up the bark. 

 
PinkydaPimp said:
why boil it first?  all this lobster talk now i want lobster. 
I did some research and everyone said to boil first. Also, the claws take longer to cook than the tail meat. So I boiled the lobsters for 2 minutes, then lifted the tails out and boiled the claws another 2 minutes. Came out great!

 
Did two more Tritips yesterday, just under 5 pounds total - as mentioned previously, my wife is not a fan of too much smoky flavor, so this time I did them without the smoker box, just low and slow until the were ready. One tritip got a basic BBQ sauce on it, the other I made up a Santa Maria style rub for.

Both came out very good - it was just me, the wife, and my 10 and 6 year olds (the 12 year old is on a 2 week trip with grandma and his cousin) - there was I would guess a little under half a pound of the BBQ sauce one left - we ate the whole Santa Maria style one (nice heat on that one).

Costco came through again, though went with the choice cut here as they had no prime in, but I'm going to need to try and find a cheaper source if we go through this much every time.

Planning to grill some chicken tonight then probably New York's on Tuesday or Wednesday night.

 
Mostly a lurker here, but know there are many seasoned vets that can answer my question.  I use a Weber Kettle to smoke, so wondering what the target temp is prior to putting the meat on the grill to get it to 225 once the meat is on the grill?  I typically struggle with the temp either jumping back up too fast OR dropping way low and taking up to 30-45 minutes to recover.  Guessing someone else has encountered this, so welcome your thoughts.

 
Mostly a lurker here, but know there are many seasoned vets that can answer my question.  I use a Weber Kettle to smoke, so wondering what the target temp is prior to putting the meat on the grill to get it to 225 once the meat is on the grill?  I typically struggle with the temp either jumping back up too fast OR dropping way low and taking up to 30-45 minutes to recover.  Guessing someone else has encountered this, so welcome your thoughts.
Ahhh, the old kettle. Loved mine for many years, but then I got a kamado and realized there was such a better way. No more fidgeting with the vents and adding charcoal all the time to get the thing to stay on temp. I know it's a crappy answer to say, "buy a kamado or a Traeger" but that's the best I have beyond practicing vent management because it all comes down to oxygen control. I generally just put a pile of coals on the right side and the meat on the left and cooked everything at around 300. Initially that wasn't because I wanted to do the high heat method, because that was the temp my grill would stay constant at. I adapted my cooking style to the grill rather than trying to force the grill into something it couldn't do consistently. Go to the high heat method and you will never go back. 

 
Ahhh, the old kettle. Loved mine for many years, but then I got a kamado and realized there was such a better way. No more fidgeting with the vents and adding charcoal all the time to get the thing to stay on temp. I know it's a crappy answer to say, "buy a kamado or a Traeger" but that's the best I have beyond practicing vent management because it all comes down to oxygen control. I generally just put a pile of coals on the right side and the meat on the left and cooked everything at around 300. Initially that wasn't because I wanted to do the high heat method, because that was the temp my grill would stay constant at. I adapted my cooking style to the grill rather than trying to force the grill into something it couldn't do consistently. Go to the high heat method and you will never go back. 
I am doing baby back ribs, so does the high heat method work here?  Link?

 
Judge Smails said:
Big family/friends picnic in 2 weeks. Thinking of doing briskets and chicken or ribs + I would love to get some great sausage to smoke.  What's the best source? Not sure of local butchers and the Whole Foods sausage seems inconsistent. Worth it to ship from somewhere? I am in So Cal so imagine there has to be a decent source, but if not any recommendations from Texas, etc?

Oh, my brisket (using Franklin method) was even better the 2nd day. I'm asking 2-3 prime briskets from Costco - how big of a risk is it to smoke the day before the party and then reheat?
Just throwing this out there.  I recently made the switch to tri-tip as my big party beef to smoke. Its way quicker.  Takes about 1.5 hours and is really easy, much more difficult to mess up.  No need to wake up early or do it the day before.  So if you get to the point where you are stressing about it, consider tri tip!

 
Just throwing this out there.  I recently made the switch to tri-tip as my big party beef to smoke. Its way quicker.  Takes about 1.5 hours and is really easy, much more difficult to mess up.  No need to wake up early or do it the day before.  So if you get to the point where you are stressing about it, consider tri tip!
And pretty cheap as well. Love me some tri tip!

 
I give you Pork Belly Burnt Ends. The purists will argue that these are not burnt ends. Only brisket can be burnt ends. I say it's a method that can be applied to any meat. Either way, these are epic!
Those look awesome!  My lessons from my first try at the same dish: 1-inch cubes are fine.  Vindulge made it seem like they would shrink more than they did in reality.  Cut them to be bite size right off the bat (like you did).  Second, I didn't trim any fat from my Costco pork belly and while it didn't turn out bad, the meat/fat ratio was not as good as brisket burnt ends.  On my last brisket I cut off too much fat, so I was trying to compensate on this.  

These are a great alternative to the long brisket cook.

 
Those look awesome!  My lessons from my first try at the same dish: 1-inch cubes are fine.  Vindulge made it seem like they would shrink more than they did in reality.  Cut them to be bite size right off the bat (like you did).  Second, I didn't trim any fat from my Costco pork belly and while it didn't turn out bad, the meat/fat ratio was not as good as brisket burnt ends.  On my last brisket I cut off too much fat, so I was trying to compensate on this.  

These are a great alternative to the long brisket cook.
That belly came from costco too. I left the thinner stuff, but the really thick fat had to go. It was mainly one one side. About 3 inches wide. 

 
Just throwing this out there.  I recently made the switch to tri-tip as my big party beef to smoke. Its way quicker.  Takes about 1.5 hours and is really easy, much more difficult to mess up.  No need to wake up early or do it the day before.  So if you get to the point where you are stressing about it, consider tri tip!
I would have said this was blasphemous before I made my first tri-tip. I'm a convert for sure!

 
I prefer them simmered in onions and beer and then browned on the grill, german style.
We need to talk about this. Simmering meat in liquid does not make tasty meat. It makes soup. You are leeching the flavor out of the meat, not the other way around. 

 
We need to talk about this. Simmering meat in liquid does not make tasty meat. It makes soup. You are leeching the flavor out of the meat, not the other way around. 
Guess I prefer them traditional. Don't like them smoked (I've tried - not a fan). Cooked in beer doesn't taste any less flavorful than grilling alone to me, plus you have some awesome onions to throw on it!

 
Guess I prefer them traditional. Don't like them smoked (I've tried - not a fan). Cooked in beer doesn't taste any less flavorful than grilling alone to me, plus you have some awesome onions to throw on it!
If simmering brats in beer is wrong, I don't want to be right. 

 
Anyone grilling this weekend? I'm heading to Michigan on Friday. I'll be using a Traeger Tailgater as well as the crappy grills that come with the cabins. Briskets one day. Salmon another. Might do steaks one night. We pretty much grill 4 of the 7 nights there. 

 
Heading to Bel Air MD for my son's lax tourney this weekend, my sister happens to live a mile from the fields, and BIL has an XL BGE. Last game Sat is at 6 (others at 1 and 3) and I've offered to provide dinner at post game tailgate. Will be cooking for around 50, pork butts, ribs and sides. Have it cooked on my BGE for a few months. I'm giddy!

trying to come up with a cooking plan...meat quantities, timing, temps, etc. will hit Costco down there tomorrow. I can run back to house between games. Thoughts on rib/butt quantities for a group of mostly 14 yo boys and parents? Will start butts early am then could finish those in oven when ribs go on if grill space is an issue. 

 
Haven't read the entire thread - but any recommendations for a sub $500 propane grill?  Mine's getting a little long in the tooth.  Would like one that lasts this time.

 
Haven't read the entire thread - but any recommendations for a sub $500 propane grill?  Mine's getting a little long in the tooth.  Would like one that lasts this time.
They just don't make them in that price range to last. The steel is too thin and is the stainless that magnets can stick to which means it can rust. I would hold on to what you have and save some cash to up that budget. Go look at a Saber

 
Heading to Bel Air MD for my son's lax tourney this weekend, my sister happens to live a mile from the fields, and BIL has an XL BGE. Last game Sat is at 6 (others at 1 and 3) and I've offered to provide dinner at post game tailgate. Will be cooking for around 50, pork butts, ribs and sides. Have it cooked on my BGE for a few months. I'm giddy!

trying to come up with a cooking plan...meat quantities, timing, temps, etc. will hit Costco down there tomorrow. I can run back to house between games. Thoughts on rib/butt quantities for a group of mostly 14 yo boys and parents? Will start butts early am then could finish those in oven when ribs go on if grill space is an issue. 
14 year olds can be big eaters. Half a pound of uncooked meat I would guess per person. If it were me, I would smoke everything at 300. Finish the butts and brisket in 6-7 hours and have it all done 3 hours before dinner and wrap in foil and towels and let rest. Then throw on the ribs 3 hours out or so and have them ready when the party starts. 

 
They just don't make them in that price range to last. The steel is too thin and is the stainless that magnets can stick to which means it can rust. I would hold on to what you have and save some cash to up that budget. Go look at a Saber
No decent Webers in that price range?

 
Heading to Bel Air MD for my son's lax tourney this weekend, my sister happens to live a mile from the fields, and BIL has an XL BGE. Last game Sat is at 6 (others at 1 and 3) and I've offered to provide dinner at post game tailgate. Will be cooking for around 50, pork butts, ribs and sides. Have it cooked on my BGE for a few months. I'm giddy!

trying to come up with a cooking plan...meat quantities, timing, temps, etc. will hit Costco down there tomorrow. I can run back to house between games. Thoughts on rib/butt quantities for a group of mostly 14 yo boys and parents? Will start butts early am then could finish those in oven when ribs go on if grill space is an issue. 
Typically for adults I project 8 ounces (1/2 LB) Pulled Pork and 3 bones per person for spares, 4 bones for Baby Backs.

A typical bone in Boston But is going to yield about 1/2 its weight in finished product.  Spares typically have 10-12 usable bones per slab, Baby Backs around 12

HTH

 

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