My husband. He researches everything to the nth degree before buying something. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about lawnmowers or insoles for shoes, that man, he likes to make sure he gets it right the first time. š
Is your husband like this too? Does he make you CRAZY?
Well, towards the end of last summer he started talking about BBQ’s and how we needed one {even though in previous years we’ve only used a BBQ like 4 times during the summer season}. We left our old gas BBQ behind when we moved and so we were starting from scratch.
Or rather, he was starting from scratch. I told him very early on in the BBQ researching process that I had absolutely no interest in cooking meat on a hot grill in the middle of summer in the New England humidity. So this decision, this purchase, was all on him since he was going to be the one doing all the work. {Which come on now, how clever was that on my part? VERY CLEVER, very clever indeed.}Ā š
So, after 6 months of researching BBQ’s online, watching BBQ videos and researching the proper tools and what not, the HH finally decided on aĀ Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 18 Inch Smoker.Ā Which, totally wasn’t the gas grill he had in mind when he started out on his little BBQ research adventure. {This is where I would add an eye rolling emoji if I knew how to do it.}
And of course, because you just can’t have a smoker…. he also bought aĀ Weber Rapid Fire Chimney StarterĀ because apparently you’re supposed to heat the briquettes in the little chimney starter thing first, before adding them to a round of fanned outĀ briquettes at the bottom of the smoker.
For his first BBQ adventure, he chose a 5 pound pork shoulder and added equal amounts of salt and pepper, along with about a tablespoon of garlic and onion powder each. He told me he wanted to start with an inexpensive cut of meat {$1.16 lb} on his first try because he wasn’t sure how everything would turn out.
His 6 months of research also told him to buy a meat thermometer and to get the internal temperature of the meat to about 200 degrees while maintaining the smoker at about 275 degrees. There was a little pan in the smoker he added water to to help regulate the heat. This is what the pork shoulder looked like about 3 hours into the cooking process.
5 1/2 hours later… he bundled up his little bundle of joy with foil and brought it into the house to rest for an hour on a plate.
And this is what the pork shoulder looked like after 5 1/2 hours in the smoker. The results were delicious! We had planned on making little street tacos with shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes but we were both so exited and instead just stuffed the pulled pork into sandwich rolls and gobbled them up as fast as we could.
Well done HH, well done! Not to shabby for your first try. š
Do you own a smoker? Do you have any tips for my husband? Do you have anything special you do to your meat before cooking it? Favorite spices or rubs? I know he’d love all the help he can get.
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone, enjoy the sunshine.
~Mavis
Tools and Gadgets the HH Used:
- Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 18 Inch Smoker
- Weber Rapid Fire Chimney Starter
- Kizen Instant Read Meat Thermometer
- BBQ with Franklin Video
lynne says
ahhh yes…the wonderful wafts of smoking pork! looks delish! congrats to the HH!
our favorite rub recipe: 1/4 c smoked paprika; 3 T br sugar; 2 T black pepper; 2 T salt; 1 T chili powder; 2 t chipotle powder. My man also rubs down the meat first with plain ol’ yellow mustard, then rubs in the rub.
We also use a chimney starter – best invention ever!
Happy BBQing! LynneinMN
Carole says
OK comments from Texas on smoking. Use hickory or oak for smoke, soak it over night in water to get smoke vice fire. We use real wood charcoal not that prefabricated stuff in bags, available at Costco or your local butcher maybe?? Meat will absorb smoke for about three hours, after that its done with the smoke. You can fuss with the heat for the rest of the cooking time OR bundle it up in foil very well, I add some liquid at this point like apple juice or beer. Then finish it off in the oven at a very low temp for the rest of the cooking time which can be HOURS. Much controversy on doing BBQ like this but it works for me. The result will be to die for. As for rubs, this takes practice and personal taste. Most Texans guard their rub recipe like the family jewels so just tell HH to experiment with different ingredients until you get it the way you like it. Its all about the meat and the smoke. Start with good meat, get real smoke and the rest is magic.
Cecile says
Just a suggestion since you live in a treed area. Use a drip pan! He may have had one that I didn’t see in the images but if you use a drip pan with a grill elevated up from the pan you will collect all the drippings so one, you won’t get a grease stain on the ground or surface you are cooking on, two-you can collect the grease so little or big furry friends won’t venture into your back yard trying to find what you cooked earlier in the day! If you collect the drippings and freeze them, in small containers, they are amazing to add to baked beans in the winter when you likely won’t be out smoking often…my hubs does it all year round! Try different woods as well, Alder and Cherry wood give chicken and pork amazing flavour. If you tap trees, freeze some of the sap in the freezer until 24 hrs before you are going to smoke your meat then soak maple wood chips (hard to find but if you take any maples down when you are clearing this spring, save the chips!) and put them in a metal chip box that you sit on the coals. If you use the chip box they don’t burn off as fast as putting the wood directly on the coals. Just a few tips from the 30+ years we’ve been smoking Pork Shoulders and Chicken!
Ginger says
I married to man like your dh. I like how you spinned his obsessive researching to āhe wants to make sure he gets it right the first time.ā I am going to remember that when my dh obsessively researches every little thing. The chimney smoker is a game changer and will save you from listening to him go in/out the door to check the fire and discuss it with you. It gets hot quickly and boom he is ready to BBQ.
Peggy says
Yes, charcoal and the chimney is the way to go! The chimney eliminates the need to ever use lighter fluid on your briquettes! It looks beautiful!
Christine says
When we use or smoker we did smoke several items so that we can have a number of meals. Our smoker had several racks. We often crank the smoker up on Saturday. We would do a pork roast to slice for sandwiches during the coming week, chicken for Sunday lunch, and a shrimp scampi style dish for Saturday night dinner. The shrimp was cooked in an aluminum disposable pan with butter and garlic. Baked beans are also easy to do. BTW, chicken salad made from smoked chicken is really awesome.
Carolina Cooper says
Your “have a wonderful Tuesday” comment at the end of the post left me thinking that it is Tuesday, and questioning myself (I am 75 years old and a little forgetful)—because I thought it was Wednesday!
Mavis Butterfield says
Ha! It is Wednesday. š Oops.
Alison says
Yes, my husband sounds like yours. He started smoking meat last summer. Pork ribs & bratwurst are easy and quick. Pork butt is the tastiest. We werenāt a fan of the brisket he tried. He bought a remote thermometer thingie that tells you the temperature of the smoker and the temperature of the meat at all times. That is REALLY helpful.
Katy says
No smoking tips, but you can VERY EASILY make pulled pork in the crock pot. Good in the winter! Onions, water & your meat – cook on auto till done. Shred it up and add BBQ sauce. Couldn’t be easier. Don’t forget to put cole slaw on the sandwiches.
E in Upstate NY says
My mom and I were the only non-engineers in our family. So your description of researching to the nth degree before decision making sure sounds like the engineering gene coming through!
Re smoking meat. Worked one summer at a seasonal southern style BBQ place. They used apple wood for their smoke, something else for you to collect for your husband’s new skill. They smoked pork butt with the bone in. Once smoked, the meat was torn apart by forks. The fat slabs and the bone were saved for making “cowboy beans.” They also smoked chicken halves, beef brisket and ribs. All the meat was fabulous, and as an employee, I could eat all that I wanted. The drippings from cutting the brisket were wonderful! I’d scoop out some to pour over the egg yeast rolls they made. Yum! When the pan was empty, I’d pour all the drippings into a container to let the fat rise. The “broth” was wonderful as a seasoning for potato gravy or crock pot roast. Since it was rather concentrated, learned that a little went a long way.
This place should be opening soon, and can’t wait to go there. Wish your husband continued success with this adventure.
Katie W says
Mmm smoked meats. Your pork looked great! I don’t have a smoker or grill, so I make my pulled pork in a crock pot. First I season it very liberally all over, then seer it in my cast iron skillet on both sides. Finally I throw it in the crock pot with beef broth and chopped onions. Let it cook on low all day. Then I toss it in my stand mixer to shred. We eat ours on sandwich buns with homemade bbq sauce (and I like pickles too). We’ve also done it on top of a baked sweet potato with sauce and cabbage.
Kari says
My hubby got a pellet smoker a couple years ago, and has been trying all sorts of stuff. Sunday is now his day to cook! His favorite recipe book is Secrets to Smoking by Bill Gillespie. Weāve loved almost everything. Our favorite rub is the Smokinā Hoggz rub on oh 23. I also found a good java rub recipe online that is amazing on almost everything.
Kari says
Oops. Page 23.
Tami says
Mavis – I am the person who has to research everything to death. For years I thought I was just being smart – then about two years ago I realized I had anxiety about making a mistake or choosing wrong and a desire to make the perfect choice. Now, I don’t allow myself to do that. I set a time frame and stick to it or I get stuck in analysis paralysis!
Traci says
My husband likes to extensively research purchases. When we were first married (32 years ago) it kind of drove me bananas but I soon realized that for him that is half the fun! I on the other hand donāt like to make choices, at least not from more than 2 or 3 possibilities. So I think we make a good team!
Stacie says
You’re speaking my language. My husband and I BBQ alot (we’re from Texas so I think we pretty much fit the stereotype). We have the Fast Eddy by Cookshack PG500 pellet smoker; yes, it’s expensive, but we found a deal on ours it was a demo from a dealer. It uses compressed wood pellets; they come in different flavors like apple, pecan, mesquite, hickory, etc. We mostly use oak and pecan.
For the pork butt, we usually have one around 10 lbs. We score the fat cap like a tic tac toe board so the seasoning gets down in the meat (this is controversial, but we like it). Then we rub the entire pork but down with mustard (plain yellow mustard). Generously coat the pork butt with your favorite pork rub.
We set the smoker on 225, place the pork but in fat cap facing up. We cook ours 12 hours or so until the meat thermometer reads 195 – 200 range. We then remove it, wrap in foil and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Then pull out the bone and shred the meat using rubber bbq gloves since it’s so hot. Your husband is going to have so much fun cooking all sorts of new things on his smoker!
Trish says
Firstly, what is this BBQ season that you speak of? We grill all year round. Haha
Our gas grill exploded in my husbandās face two year ago and the emergency room doc recommended that he get himself a āGreen Mountain Grillā smoker. After he recovered of course. And we love that thing! Thereās no messing around with briquettes. It uses wood pellets.
Lastly, while the smoker is wonderful and often used, itās not the same as being able to quickly grill up a nice steak. So you still need a gas grill too. š
*Husband recovered from his burns very well with no scarring. Then he replaced the leaking hoses on the grill and he was cautiously back to grilling. Be sure to check out all your hoses and connections regularly.
Mavis Butterfield says
Oh how awful. I’m glad he is okay.
Marie says
Agree with ALL non-briquette users! Wood is the way to go. Some online articles reference briquette use to cancer causing nasties as well as any blackened meat from open grilling.
Smokin is the way!
Lana says
We have been smoking meats for 35 years here. Our favorite is to just load up the smoker with whole chickens. For regular grilling we have small Char Broil Infrared gas grill and we love that thing since it never flares.
Brian Johnson says
I own a WSM as well that I recently bought on Craigslist. I use charcoal every time and have not made the leap to lump charcoal yet. I am enjoying being frugal with my bbq, and if I spend over $1.50/pound I feel I’m paying too much in my learning stage. I have smoked Pork shoulder, ham, turkey, leg quarters, pork ribs, drumsticks, and pork loin. I found a local guy to source my smoking woods (Although fruitawoodchunks.com has a great selection and offers free shipping). I do not soak my wood, but that is a preference. The main thing, is have fun with it, and even when you think you’ve messed up, most of the time it could be better than some of the bbq folks are paying good money for. Oh, and buy a marine style bristle brush to scrape the creosote off the lid. Those bits can fall in your food while cooking which is not good eats.
Brianna says
We have a Bradley 6 rack digital smoker I got my hubby a few years back for a Christmas gift. He uses it when he is here, but when he is away for 75% a year I canāt let it sit idle because I get a craving and Iāve learned my own methods. Iām a fan of preparing my meat meticulously so the smoke and rubs penetrate deeply (I mostly smoke brisket and ribs). I use plain yellow mustard on my meat before my rub and put it back in the fridge for several hours to āmarinateā. When I put the meat on the smoker I rarely check on my meat, but I do constantly check the thermometer in the meat (which I read from the outside) and the temperature on the smoker. When I remove my meat I triple wrap it in foil and let it sit inside a cooler for awhile. Anyways, Iāve smoked meat for many friends and family and nobody has ever said anything negative. When it comes to storing leftover smoked meat I put it in glass in the fridge as I find plastic absorbs flavor and smoke, when I put leftovers in the freezer I double wrap it in aluminum foil and double freezer bag it and it works well. I learned the hard way on freezing smoked meat and my frozen veggies and fruits all had Smokey essence.
My essentials are a fire extinguisher and good gloves. I always keep a fire extinguisher near my smoker as I managed to start a fire inside of it from the grease pan. I also invested in nice black leather gloves for smoking that go way up my forearms.
Lisa MTB says
YUM!
Bobbie says
My husband is an avid smoker of all things edible. My only suggestion is to try peach wood chunks (never chips…chunks are way better). We did peach wood on some steaks. Awesome. Then sausages. Amazing! Chicken? The best so far. We like smoking with pecan as well. Trying different kinds of smoke is super fun. Try smoking some teryiaki chicken sometime. The smoke adds so much extra to it. Love it! And I dont even have to cook!
Michelle says
We have a Traeger Grill with a cold smoker attachment. Roasts, ribs, briskets, and steaks we cook in the regular ‘oven’ part of the grill, and we use the cold smoker for small batches of salmon and trout. We usually just buy the big bag of pellets from Costco and everything tastes great. Hubby also built a homemade cedar smoker for smoking really large batches of fish. Nothing beats the taste of smoked meat!
randi says
Oh this too is my HH. His favorite seasoning is “Bad Byron’s Butt Rub”
https://www.buttrub.com/
Rebecca in MD says
So wonderful that your husband is further expanding his cooking skills.
Here is my “tried and true” dry rub which I use on pork shoulder, beef brisket, and pork ribs.
2 TBS Brown Sugar
2 TBS Paprika
1 TBS Chili Powder
1 TBS Black Pepper
1 TBS Kosher Salt
1 TBS Garlic Powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients and generously rub the meat. Place in the refrigerator overnight to marinate.
This recipe is great for smoking, grilling, or even cooking meat in the crockpot.
We like to serve our BBQ with homemade BBQ sauce. For pulled pork shoulder and brisket I serve the sauce on the side. For ribs I like to slather with the sauce and then caramelize them on the grill or under the broiler.
Here is the recipe for homemade BBQ sauce (Adapted from Ree Drumond, the Pioneer Woman):
1 TBS canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion diced
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
4 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Kosher salt
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, crushed red pepper, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, being careful not to burn them. Reduce the heat to low. Add the ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, cumin, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Stir to combine. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Enjoy!
Rhonda says
We have a Traeger (given to us by Mr. Traeger) and love it. Our favorite rub for anything is here http://www.food.com/recipe/all-purpose-red-rub-318843. That smoke ring is impressive!
Carrie says
My dad has used and made many smokers over the years. He gets a little obsessive with his hobbies. š I don’t have any advice but I do have to say that smoked turkey for Thanksgiving and a smoked ham at Christmas are what I look forward to every holiday season. If he feels like being fancy he’ll make prime rib which is to die for! He always says don’t cheap out on the meat. When he gets a ham at the grocery store it is never as good as when he gets one at a real butcher shop. Happy smokin’!
Lolly says
Oh, yes, my dh researches everything. Keeps me from having to! And, we usually get something that works great! Yah on that! Dh has a combo gas grill + charcoal grill + smoker….and he used that for a good while. Then for Christmas a few yrs back, he researched an electric smoker….and I got him the one he wanted! š Made Christmas super easy for me!!! I usually let him have at the smoker stuff…..he has recipes and times and whatnot. I don’t know what he does….and I am a-ok with that! If he’s not able to smoke a boston butt….I trim some of the fat and toss it into the big crockpot with onions, garlic, s&p. It cooks for 8-12 hrs, and tastes just fine. But I prefer for HIM to do it all! š
Marybeth says
We have a smoker and it is wonderful. I never complain when Hubby wants to use it. I make him load it up so that I don’t have to cook for a few days. When you cook chicken or turkey make sure to use a brine. It comes out so much better then a dry rub. Ribs are amazing on the smoker. So is brisket. Now I want Hubby to smoke something. Have fun. Also have him try different kinds of wood, it changes the flavor.
Lynda Kling says
I made pulled pork yesterday in my slow cooker. I could go away and leave it, and it was in a delicious BBQ sauce to boot!!!!
Amy says
Does your husband also create excel spreadsheets for everything he researches? Mine does. Wait until you read Four Tendencies. You may have a Questioner on your hands. Iām totally an Obliger. It drive my husband batty when I said it was time for new silverware. I went online to my favorite store. Found a basic set and clicked purchased. Done. Checked it off my list. Meanwhile heād be 6 months in to researching whatever it is he was wanting to purchase. Gotta love them! ā¤ļø
Tina Zaugg says
Excel spreadsheets, would be so helpful!
Going to have to find the book, Four Tendencies, that you mentioned. Sounds like it could be an interesting, and educational read.
Nancy Erickson says
YES! My husband has to research EVERYTHING–especially related to his favorite pasttime, hiking. Our son has become like his father in this respect. He says it’s the modern version of needing to hunt, kill, and drag it home. It makes it more of a “hunt” by researching it to death, and letting us womenfolk in on all the details. š
BTW, that barbecue and meat sure looks great! Spring has arrived here too in Colorado, yay!
Tina Zaugg says
Too funny, Mavis. In our home, I am the researcher, my husband would just prefer to decide and be done.
Lots of different opinions on smoking meats.
Love your blog, learn so many neat things.
Chris says
World’s simplest appetizer…smoked cream cheese. Take a block of cream cheese, open up the foil just enough that the top & some of the sides are visible…place on smoker until deep golden brown. Serve with Ritz crackers. It is so simple and so good. Just don’t remove all the foil. My son told a friend about this but the guy placed an unwrapped block directly on the grate and it proceeded to melt and drip all over…lesson learned the hard way!
Cheryl says
I research things to death. I do this for 2 reasons, one is value to money as I can’t afford buying the same thing over and over when it breaks and two, it literally is like window shopping.
Claudia says
Get him the book “Meathead” by Meathead Goldwyn. It will add to his obsession but he will then create masterpieces for you!
Susie Janov says
We cook pork shoulders fairly often, sometimes on the charcoal grill with wood chunks to smoke it, sometimes in the crock pot. We love to find the pork shoulders/butts on sale about .99/lb, buy a couple, slather them with yellow mustard and rub, wrap in foil & freeze. That way, whenever we want to cook one, we’ve got it there, ready to go, and paid the least amount for it. Use some of that pork to make a pot of Brunswick stew!!!
Teri says
Great price on the meat and it looks so yummy! WTG HH!!
Does the charcoal last the whole 5 hours or does it have to be added to along the way?
Mavis Butterfield says
It did not have to be added along the way.
Gigi says
My aunt in N. Wisconsin cooks outside all summer over the fire pit. Keeps the house cool and the smoke keeps away the gnats and mosquitos. She cooks everything from meats to veggies, corn on the cob and even dinner rolls.
Kelli says
Nooooo, lettuce and tomato do no belong on pork tacos!!! You need to put thinly shredded cabbage, onions and cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Be sure to heat the tortillas on the stove as well. Corn tortillas go best with pork.