[beer_crafter]

Holy crap. 55 pages!

I smoke in a Weber kettle grill, and just got a smokenator for more capacity.

Here's what I know:
- Spare Ribs (St Louis Cut) are the ribs to use.  Baby Backs have no meat.
- A pork shoulder (boston butt) takes so long to do, I've made it 3-4 times, and every single time, it defeats me.

[bluesman]

Holy crap. 55 pages!

That's what I say everytime I see another post. What an awesome thread this is! 

I was watching a show on the best burgers and the consensus is that the best burgers are a blend of beef cuts. The one blend that I want to try is equal parts of Beef Short Rib, Beef Brisket and Sirloin steak. This blend should render a really fine burger. I need the attachment for my Kitchenaide mixer to facilitate the grinding. I have a hand grinder but it's a royal PITA.

[ethalacker]

- A pork shoulder (boston butt) takes so long to do, I've made it 3-4 times, and every single time, it defeats me.

they do take a while.  I usually keep a 10 pounder on the smoker for 20-22 hours, but it is worth it to me.

[nicneufeld]

I smoke in a Weber kettle grill, and just got a smokenator for more capacity.

Me too!  I bought a smokenator a few years ago.  I then bought a very nice 2009 model Weber Smokey Mountain, and yet I find myself still using the smokenator for most cooks!  Great piece of equipment.

[deepsouth]

Holy crap. 55 pages!

I smoke in a Weber kettle grill, and just got a smokenator for more capacity.

Here's what I know:
- Spare Ribs (St Louis Cut) are the ribs to use.  Baby Backs have no meat.
- A pork shoulder (boston butt) takes so long to do, I've made it 3-4 times, and every single time, it defeats me.

'why do you feel the boston butt defeats you?

[Robert]

- Spare Ribs (St Louis Cut) are the ribs to use.  Baby Backs have no meat.
- A pork shoulder (boston butt) takes so long to do, I've made it 3-4 times, and every single time, it defeats me.

Amen on spare ribs! More meat and about $2-3/lb cheaper.

My butts go about 14-16 hours for 8-9 pounders. That plus a mandatory one hour rest wrapped in foil and towel in a cooler. Going with something I saw on Cowgirl's Country Life blog and injecting my butt with Knorr Chipotle buillon mixed with beef stock and coating in a creole mustard before putting on my rub this weekend. Probably put it on around 10pm Friday night to be ready for Bal/Pit kickoff at 3:30p Saturday. My only concern is the low temps overnight, so I'm going to wake up every 3-4 hours to make sure fire is going well. Also going to spatchcock a whole chicken brined in beer and creole seasoning and also some homemade smoked sausage wrapped in cornhusks rather than hog casings. Gonna be a helluva game.

[capozzoli]

Dont feel defeated. Low and slow man, low and slow. Oh man there is nothing like beating a but.

[euge]

I love this thread. You guys have helped me improve my Q tremendously. 

Those baby backs are worthless unless you go hot and fast (grilling)- I've never been happy with them in the smoker. I seek out the St Louis cut or cut it out of a slab of ribs myself.

My last pork butt went 17 hours at about 200. Came apart with my fingers. I did a 6.5# super-trimmed brisket on Sunday and overcooked it.  Now it's chopped beef.

The sausage in the corn husk sounds intriguing. Let us know how it turns out.

[nicneufeld]

Spares are indeed my favorite too, I always "st louis cut" them, and serve the rib section for dinner, and scrounge the meat off the remainder for freezing and use as an ingredient of impeccable goodness.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, with ribs I find myself going "medium" instead of low and slow, lately.  The ribs I've done in an hour and a half often taste just as smokey, and are definately as tender/fall off the bone, as my low and slow versions.

Cold smoking some cheeses this weekend, and I DO mean cold smoking...hopefully it doesn't just freeze out there!

[deepsouth]

awe man, i love me some baby backs....








but not quite as meaty for sure!

[beerocd]

I got 4 slabs of spares for $1.79/lb the other day. Learned how to prep em on youtube, so now they're presentable. Before that I used to just throw the whole thing on.  

[capozzoli]

Try this. Hit ctrl + and zoom in on deepsouth's ribs. You can tell they are perfect.

Man, I really wish we all lived close enough to have a pot luck. Imagine how good the food and drink would be.

Ill tell ya, I would under normal circumstances avoid a potluck but with you guys I would fly to get there.

[beerocd]

I think the real difference would be...
We are trying to impress each other with good food.
Quite often a potluck consists mostly of "what cheap crap can I make a ton of and put in a crock pot"
little money + little effort .


_{not that there's anything wrong with a crock pot} 

[deepsouth]

Try this. Hit ctrl + and zoom in on deepsouth's ribs. You can tell they are perfect.

Man, I really wish we all lived close enough to have a pot luck. Imagine how good the food and drink would be.

Ill tell ya, I would under normal circumstances avoid a potluck but with you guys I would fly to get there.

gee thanks!!!  i'm still a rookie, but i try hard.  

the things you post over in the cooking thread amaze me.  

and it would be worth a flight to have a potluck with this group for sure.   some of the most awesome and creative cookers i have seen!

cheers!

[capozzoli]

NAh, your not a rookie anymore. And I ahve had "Pro" bbq that didnt look nearly as nice as yours, or taste as nice im sure. Im not easily impressed. thats why idont go out to eat much. 

The ribs above appear to be pink to the bone are they cured? or did the smoke have enough time to get to the bone.

Very nice.

With the zoom I can almost smell them.