Everything smoking...meat smoking !! Tips, tricks, and recipes + (poll added)

Yes. The stall is happening because the meat is “sweating” and trying to cool itself off.

(This is another reason for fat side up) and why I use a hydrophobic binder (olive or avocado oil) instead of mustard.

Pull at 197-200. Never below or above. The wrap and resting will still cook the meat some and give you some temp fluctuations /increase.
Also watch for a second stall. If you have a steady rise in temps and then it just won’t budge at 195 for more than 10-15 min, pull it off. It’s done.

 

That second stall is what clued me in to pulling around 187 instead of 200ish. 184-187 is usually where that second stall hits.

 

Yeah crazy how much altitude changes things

 

The only thing I can offer is the it cooks a little faster than your normal (choice,select,etc.) meats do...

 

So here's the proper way to tell when your meat is done ... First of all lets make sure our temp probes (instant read, chamber, meat) are calibrated and reading properly.. Hold the tips of the probes in boiling water, without touching sides or bottom, It should read whatever temps water boils at at your elevation... 212 degrees for me ...

Temp is only a tool to tell you when to start checking for doneness... For my briskets and butts I start checking for "probe tender" at 195 IT .. Probe tender is when there is no resistance when sticking your instant read probe in (or a skewer or the like)... Probe it in all different places.. When it slides in and out like sticking a probe/skewer into peanut butter... , It's done... This can happen at 195 IT... it might take it until 210 before it's done.. It's done when it's done..

The biggest reason why meats are dry is from being UNDERCOOKED... Not overcooked as most people think.. Fat does not start rendering down (melting) until it reaches a temp of 175/180 degrees... The fat rendering is what you want so it will rehydrate the meat... Meaning make it juicy ... Cooler resting (1+ hours) is a must.. The fat keeps rendering done during the rest...

Myself... I don't trim any... More fat to render down for meat to absorb ... Trim the fat off when slicing if you don't want it ...

 

Pork shoulder with a side of T.I.T.S.

 

I guess here’s a good place to endorse “Meater” thermometers

 

Prob a good group to appreciate this as well...

 

Gotta live out of the trailer for a few days finishing up a job. Decided a smoke tri-tip would make for good foodstuffs while I'm working. I might even be nice and leave some for the kids..


Prepped



Smoked and Reverse Seared



Resting before I toss it in the fridge

 

I put two 8 lb pork shoulders on last night around midnight for a holiday party I'm hosting this weekend. This is how they looked when I woke up this morning. Still a long time to go.
I typically smoke the day of an event but I can't this time and I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to reheat a large amount of meat without drying it out.

 

I do it in a crockpot. Add a little sauce of your choice, not so much for flavor but to keep it moist.

 

¼ can of macro/crapco beer works too.

Plus, you get to delete a beer.

 

Follow up post: the tri tip does not disappoint.

Left side - sammich for a late lunch. Right side - tacos for later tonight.

 

If it's still whole (not pulled), wrap in foil and in the oven at 250 for an hour or so... If already pulled, put in big foil pan with some kind of liquid, cover with foil and in the oven at 250 for an hour or so...

You can also put it (whole or pulled) in vac seal bags and sous vide it at 160 for a couple of 3 hours. ..

 

Standing Rib Roast on sale this week at Winn Dixie for $6.99 lb... At Publix for $7.99 lb... Food lion $6.99 lb .. Kroger $6.97 lb ... Get the whole roast, cut off the ribs leaving some meat on them to smoke... Slice the rest into 1 1/2" steaks... vacuum seal and freeze...

 

A little Christmas pork with the MEATER my father in law sent me.. Yep, I opened the lid just to show you guys half way through the cook. It will survive. My kids have done worse.. ha.

I typically don’t wrap a pork shoulder because I love the bark and there’s usually plenty of fat to keep it from drying out. I might try to wrap this one.

 

Working on a prime rib.

 

@blenton don’t wrap the pork butt. It’ll make the bark soggy. I use a TempSpike and take them to 200.

Christmas prime rib. 2 hours to go.

 

Guess it’s coming out of the wrap. Haha. It’s just passing the stall so it worked as intended. I was worried about soggy bark… ew.

Last time I tried taking the pork butt to 200* it stalled around 195 again and dried out by 197. As far as I can tell, because the boiling point decreases with altitude, I need to decrease my finish temp by 10-12* else I drive all the moisture out. Water should boil around 202* for me.

 

As a somewhat older member that didn't grow up with cellphones and a propensity and urge to take pictures of everything around me, I do have to say I appreciate everyone who has contributed to this thread. I've been slowly reading through it and there's a lot of great info. Thanks all!

 

Fantastic.

 

NICE!! That looks even better than the one I did yesterday (granted, we did in the oven and not the smoker…). Temperature and finish, if I might ask?

 

4.5hrs on the pellet to 120* internal and then sear at 400* on the egg 1min per side to 130* internal.

 

Mmmm… I’m in a total food coma right now. Smoked pork butt turned out to be EXCEPTIONAL. I mean, I usually do a pretty darn good job on pork butt/shoulder, but this one was next level. Tender, moist, hint of sweet, deliciously savory, with a velvet smattering of smoke. Accompanied with home made broccoli salad, fresh homemade whole wheat bread, peaches, and fondant potatoes.

A word about fondant potatoes - this is the first time we’ve made them and WOW.. I have a new favorite potato. No joke. WOW. SOOOOO good.

I usually trim the fat cap a little bit to make more room for bark but left it untouched this time. I also didn’t screw it up by wrapping it for an hour, then unwrapping it. Pulled at 188 and rested on the counter under a foil tent for 40 minutes while we finished the taters.

That was a good meal. I am content. My oldest kept walking over to the cutting board and slicing off nibbles while cleaning up. My youngest had seconds. Maybe thirds. I was too busy eating to count.

 

That bread looks pretty darn good, too...

 

Thanks. It's a simple recipe I've been perfecting the last several years. We started grinding our own wheat a few years ago and it got even better. That loaf was actually a bit of a shrek loaf in that it was on the wet side and didn't want to rise as much as usual. But it sure is delicious. Not a hint of bitter, great texture that can be a little crumbly, smooth taste. I used to make it every week but anymore I only get to make it when I'm not super busy, or have a few hours on the weekend I want to commit to it. It will make amazing pork sammiches for lunch tomorrow

 

That's sweet, man. Total respect

 

Does anyone recommend or detest to using rib racks for stacking more meat? I have a pit boss cabinet smoker, the most I’ve done is 4 at once, but I’m kind of curious about using a stand up rack to possibly do 4+

 

That would be cool! Maybe take a measurement when/if you find them
Thanks