"dialed in pretty good with my smoker"
I got inspired to post a few bbq photos.
I got a smoker for Christmas a couple of years ago and have been playing around with making my own bbq since then. It took some trial & error, and the results got a LOT better once I invested in a meat thermometer. Here's the basic technique:
1. The day before the cook, unwrap the meat. Here is a beef brisket:
And a pork shoulder. Costco-size.
2. Next, trim the excess fat.
3. Now add liberal helpings of salt. This will be absorbed by the meat for flavor.
4. Now apply the desired rub. For beef, true Texans use only cracked black pepper. I am not a Texan. I use a coffee rub I found at Lowe's for both the brisket and pork. I've tried a couple other rubs but I keep coming back to this one. The rub is what gives you a nice bark on the outside of the meat.
5. Now it's ready to smoke. I put it in the fridge to sit overnight and absorb salt/rub.
6. Early in the morning, I'll fire up the smoker at 225 degrees F. Put the meat in, insert meat thermometers, and let her go. I have the cheapest, crappiest electric smoker you can get. I needed something idiot-proof for my first attempt, and this one controls the temperature for you. You place a pan of water underneath the meat to keep moisture in the air, and there's a tray to periodically insert wood chips that sit right over the burner. I usually soak the wood chips overnight to make sure they produce smoke while burning (not sure if that really makes a difference). If I'm cooking brisket and pork at the same time, I'll use hickory chips. Apple wood if it's pork alone.
7. About halfway through the cook (say, noon), I'll wrap the meats in foil and put them back in the smoker. This is called a "crutch" and speeds up the cook so I don't have to start it at 2 a.m. At this point in the day, the moisture in the meat is condensing on the surface and cooling it back down--it's called the "stall". It'll look like the meat is going to stay at 155F forever. Wrapping in foil helps power through the stall so it will cook faster. Most of the smoky flavor is absorbed in the first half of the cook, so you don't have to worry about losing flavor this way.
8. Pull the meats and wrap in foil and then a towel, and let them rest in a cooler for 30-60 minutes.
9. Serve to the admiration of your guests. Beef:
Pork:
You'll notice I don't get a pink "smoke ring" like famous bbq joints. That's because I'm using an electric smoker. The heating element provides the heat, so there's no actual combustion taking place. That's what produces a smoke ring. It still tastes good, though.