Best Meat For A Newbie...

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centre21

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 17, 2014
9
10
Glenview, IL
I'm looking for suggestions about what's the best meat for a newbie to smoke? What did you all cut your teeth on?
 
My first was a pork loin roast. Easy to do.
 
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Chicken leg quarters. They are cheap, very forgiving if you get to hot or to cool. And they always taste good. Some of the other cuts don't do well if your temps get out of range. Practice pit temp control. Remember to keep the door closed and kick back and enjoy. Remember it is done when it is done. Cook to IT not by time. Post a Qview as you go. We are all smoke junkies here and we are in need of our fix.

Happy smoken.

David
 
I agree cook it till it's done but also keep in mind pretty much the minimum to smoke anything in my experience is about 2-2 1/2 hours. Just relax and don't panic about the first smoke. You're not building bombs nothing bad is going to happen. Ask all the questions you can of the fine members here and you'll do fine.
 
Here are pics of my very first smoke. Beer can chicken and 8 chicken thighs. They turned out fantastic. That was only a week and a half ago. This past weekend I did a pork butt and ribs. I'm new where too. And all I can say is just do it. Lol. :sausage:




 
I'm new at this too.  I've had very good luck with Boston Butts.  I've smoked 4 so far for pulled pork, and every one was delicious.  But I've also had good luck with spare ribs (twice) and a whole pork loin.  I'm starting to think the craft of smoking meat is fairly forgiving to a noobie like me.  Just do your research and listen to the veteran smokers on this site.  Get a good thermometer and BE PATIENT!
 
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I'm still pretty green so I won't try to give a ton of advise. My first smoke was a pork butt for pulled pork, my second favorite. Followed advise and instructions from this site and I could not believe how good it turned out. I WAS HOOKED! Did 3 over a period of time, just got better. Then what happened? Mr expert smoker tried my very favorite....ribs. I"ll make short. Not so good. Second time, not so good. About to give up when I tried Jeff"s 3-2-1 method. Damn, back to Mr expert again. So pick something, research this site and go for it. Ya know that ole saying......if first you don't succeed, keep smokin!
 
My first effort at smoking was with a Brinkman gas model. I smoked a bunch of meat in it, but it took a lot of attention. Checking the temperature, making sure the water in the bowl didn't run dry, replenishing the wood. I had it for a long time. I was researching smokers and decided to get a cookshack electric. I gave the Brinkman to my son in law. My first smoke was Boston butt. I put it in the new smoker at 10pm and went to bed. 14 hours later we were eating my first pulled pork! Excellent! Only used 6 ounces of hickory. No tending, just cook to 195 probe temperature. Set smoker to 250. EASY!
 
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