Hello from The Puget Sound

[bmb527]

Hello
My name is Bill and I just stumbled upon this site while trying to find out which smoker to buy on a budget.
I looked at many...Some so cheap they looked like they were made of thick foil...Some so spend and complicated my BMW mechanic would have trouble using it. After reading the opinions here of the Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn....I settled on its little brother...The "Highland" model. It seems well built, and after opening 3 boxes at the local Wall Mart, I found the demo unit was the best unit. I brought it home...seasoned it up for 9 hours yesterday and plan on having a Father's Day feast a day early due to work constraints! I am the neigh or hood expert on grilling burgers and steaks....but low and slow is all new to me. My family wants some good barbeque, so I am heading off to get some dead critters in a few minutes.
I look forward to getting advice from the experts and contributing where I can!

 

[mneeley490]

 Bill!

You will find everything you need to know on this board, and if you don't see it, ask. Somebody is bound to know the answer to any question posed. Hope you have some decent weather for Father's Day!

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Welcome, glad ya joined us !

 

[bmb527]

Well,

 I broke in the smoker yesterday......and into today!

 I fired 'er up yesterday morning...after too many beers Friday night, so got a late start, like 11 am! Temp stabilized by noon and I put a 9.5 pound pork butt on and away we went. I also had 3 racks of baby back ribs to put on in 2-3 hours.

I had to work to keep the temp right at 210, and went through a good bit of fuel. I followed a recipe I saw here for pork butt, and kept spraying everything with a Captain Morgan/Apple Juice mix, and used honeycrisp applewood for fuel. Don't know if type of apple makes a difference, but it was what I had handy.

That butt was resistant to this whole feeding me thing. The ribs were done to perfection after 5 hours, but the butt was just getting going! After dinner, more beer, the rest of the Captain Morgans, a bit of Blanton's, and some more beer, a Son's of Anarchy marathon, it was then 0415 in the morning. I checked the meat's temp, and it was at 207. DONE!!!!! I brought it inside, all wrapped in it's foil and wrapped it in a towel, and put it in the oven to rest, as directed. directions used a cooler, but mine is on loan to a friend that will probably forget that he can't afford a Yeti, but yet finds one in his boat!!...I CRASHED!

I woke up at 11:40 and couldn't sleep, so I decided to go shred this meat. I unwrapped it and it was still very warm. The bone slid out like magic, and the fat had melted away, leaving a weird grey/brown slime that slid away with little effort.

I have pulled or shredded chicken before and it is a task. I was expecting similar. WHAT A SURPRISE!!! This meat fell apart. I mean no tools, no effort, Just touch it and it made long shreds! It is a bit greasy, but the taste is unbelievable. I just had barbecue from a restaurant that that is all they do, and my first time made theirs look like they did it in a microwave! I haven't even added finishing sauce yet. I woke my wife up, and poked a chunk in her mouth, still half asleep, and she woke up wide eyed saying she has never tasted anything so good....and she was serious! If there is any left by tonight, we plan on pulled pork for dinner.

I am now anxious to try it again, after a mod or 2 to seal things up a bit. This unit is pretty well put together, but being a mechanic, I know that anywhere 2 parts come together without a seal or gasket, air will flow. I will seal the doors, make a plate to even out the heat, and the lower smoke stack extension.

I just have a question for those that have some experience....

 Is the butt supposed to be kind of greasy? If not, what causes it, and how do I correct it? I would assume it is temp related, or possibly being wrapped in foil once it hits 165 degrees, sitting in it's own "juices"...a.k.a. fat. Next time, I will try it in a foil pan, on a roast rack. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the tips I have found here so far!

Bill

 

[gary s]

Hello and welcome to the Forum, congrats on the new smoker

Gary S