re: Green Egg vs. Komodo vs. Bayou Classic

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You're smoke ring looks good. One thing I will suggest you try though is to inject your butt beforehand with a brine of apple juice, sugar-in-the-raw, and sea salt.

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Thanks. As this was my first attempt I was pleased when I woke up and even more pleased when I saw the smoke ring.

Please pardon my ignorance but what would injecting it with what you suggested accomplish?

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hanks. As this was my first attempt I was pleased when I woke up and even more pleased when I saw the smoke ring.

Please pardon my ignorance but what would injecting it with what you suggested accomplish?

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The injection will add flavor as well as help keep the meat moist. Since I'm no longer doing it competitively, I'll give you my method....

1. Make Brine: 1/2 cup sugar-in-the-raw, 1/2 cup sea salt, 1 cup apple juice. Put into sauce pan and stir over low heat until both dissolve into apple juice.

2. Inject ALL the brine into the butt.

3. Rub butt with mustard & pork rub. (make your own like I do or buy some at the store)

4. place on smoker (fat side up). Get temp to 225. Put thermometer lead into but and set alarm to go off 165 internal temp. During this time smoke hard (I prefer to use cherry but you can use oak or hickory). About once an hour spray butt with apple juice (a "round-up" style spray bottle is perfect for this).

5. Once butt reaches internal temp of 165 pull it off smoker. Pack meat side opposite fat side with brown sugar (make this layer of brown sugar at least 1" thick). Wrap in INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH plastic wrap and aluminum foil. It's key that your wrap both holds the brown sugar layer in place and is air/water tight.

6. Place butt back onto smoker with brown sugar layer facing up (fat side down). Place lead back into butt and set alarm to go off at 195 internal temp. No need to continue smoke since the meat is wrapped up. But make sure to keep temp at 225.

7. Once internal temp reaches 195, pull and unwrap. Sugar coat should have already cooked into meat. If you want to cut the butt (like for a presentation), you'll need a VERY sharp fillet knife. Otherwise, you'll only be able to pull it.

Serve & enjoy!


ETA: If you're wondering where the BBQ comes into play here. I prefer to serve my butt with a little cup of BBQ sauce on the side. And like my butt rub, I also make my own BBQ sauce.

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Industrial strength plastic wrap? What is that?

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I think it's more commonly known as "commercial" plastic wrap.





Basically it's just like regular plastic wrap but it can withstand higher temps. You can also use a oven bag but you just have to make sure to get it air & water tight. The key is to lock in the moisture and not let it escape.

Question. Do the oval shape of the Primos allow you to create a hot zone on one side of the grill with having to use a diffuser? Seems like it would, but I do not know anyone who has one where I could try it out myself.

yes, there is a divider plate that allows for true indirect cooking without deflection plates.

if you are looking for a smoker, i'd buy a "Backwoods Smoker" before i'd buy any of those.

Something like this is what I use to use in competition...



As for the ribs I did this weekend, I used my old Kingsford grill like this.



It doesn't even have a separate firebox.

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cooking 2 or 3 hundred is quite another thing.

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Right around the corner. I may schedule a sales trip Wed-Fri this year.

If I run across it, I'll pick some up.

It seems everywhere I go has some sort of cowboy charcoal. I'm not even sure the brand. That's what stein has, so that's what I generally buy.

I've gotten a couple different things from shoppers choice, but I don't remember what they were.

For $1000, it's not just a smoker. You can grill on it and seat steaks on it too. Not saying it's for everyone, but they certainly have their place.

Also, if you pay attention around here, there's a guy who can get you the hook up from time to time. It was still expensive, but I didn't pay anywhere near 1k for my Primos.

wick

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i got conned into doing "load-in".

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Happy Mother's Day.

ETA: At least, load in used to be on Mother's Day every year in the past. Mrs Cove and Mow Mow Cove used to love it.