Great weekend. Total success, following the tips I've received here.
First, the ribs.
3 slabs of baby backs - cut in half to fit the smoker easier.
I like the tip of coating with mustard, then sprinkling the MacCormicks on.
I did not take off the membrane.
225 to 250 degrees, pecan wood, 2 hours.
Then, individually wrapped, poured some beer into each and then tightly wrapped.
Back in for 2 hours at same temp.
Unwrapped - Yay! the bones are sticking out of the meat. (First tme this happend for me).
Back in smoker for maybe a half an hour.
Decided to put sauce at the table while eating.
These were just the way we like them. Bones pull out clean.
But hey! I didn't even realize it till the next day - what happened to the membrane? We must have eaten it. :(.
But we never knew it.
I'm wondering if keeping the membrane on helped to maintain moisture more?
I was supposed to do half the ribs with it on, and half with it off, but I forgot.
Anyway, the best ribs I've ever eaten. Everyone loved them. That's what counts.
Next day, fresh off a win with the ribs - put the pork shoulder in at 8:00am - rubbed and stored in fridge overnight with McCormicks.
250 to 265 temp, Maintained that tempfor about 5 hours and it hit the 270 mark.
Like a robot - wrapped in foil, stopped smoking, back in with temp probe in meat till it hit about 202.
I pulled it wrapped and let it sit for about a half an hour.
I had also put my 'new' specialty in for the last 1 1/2 of cooking - stuffed banana peppers - stuffed with mild italian sausage, taco cheese, breadcrumbs, and a red sauce I found that has sweet pepper chunks in it. Drizzle the stuffed peppers with garlic olive oil.
Bam! we ate them right out of the aluminum pan on top fo the smoker while the chicken leg quarters were finishing.
Yep, I also put leg quarters in at the 3 hour mark from finishing the pulled pork.
This is starting to sound like an info mercial! :)
I let my son prep the pulled pork.
"Oh my god! The bone pulled right out clean!" he said.
As he used two forks to pull the pork apart, it just fell apart and he marveled at the results.
We made sandwiches, a piece of chicken, and his wife grabbed another stuffed pepper - which in my book is the ultimate compliment when they come back for more, right?
So that's it. I now have confidence that I know the basics of what I'm doing.
It's not 221, or 321. That's the basic starting point.
It's really about using a basic time schedule, like 221, but also it's about checking the oven temp continously, and it's about pulling the meat at the right temperature. It really is a science. A delicate combination of several variables.
I can't help but to say 'thanks', but it's true. Thanks to the advice here, I'm making food that is not 'normal' food that's simply 'cooked'. I'm making exceptional, mouth watering, tasty meals that people can't stop complimenting me for. Thanks for the advice.
Two things.
I did notice that the pork shoulder seems to have two distinct sections of meat.
One is much moister, more flavorful, and really good to eat.
But there seems to be another section of it that is definitely grainier, a little drier, and not as flavorful.
I know you guys know what I'm talking about.
Please explain it to me. Is there a cut of meat I should ask for that doesn't have this, or is it all just part of the shoulder?
Also, funny thing.
When you're trying to start out smoking meat on your own, you can really be put in the wrong direction without the expert help that I get here.
For example, I noticed this weekend that the I Grill temperature probe I'm using has preset meat settings. Funny thing. It says that for a pork but/shoulder, it's well done at 160. No wonder people pull the meat wayyyyy to early and then don't understand what happend.
That can be very confusing to newbies like me. When you told me to leave wrapped till it hits 205, I was absolutely shocked!!!!
Thanks!
First, the ribs.
3 slabs of baby backs - cut in half to fit the smoker easier.
I like the tip of coating with mustard, then sprinkling the MacCormicks on.
I did not take off the membrane.
225 to 250 degrees, pecan wood, 2 hours.
Then, individually wrapped, poured some beer into each and then tightly wrapped.
Back in for 2 hours at same temp.
Unwrapped - Yay! the bones are sticking out of the meat. (First tme this happend for me).
Back in smoker for maybe a half an hour.
Decided to put sauce at the table while eating.
These were just the way we like them. Bones pull out clean.
But hey! I didn't even realize it till the next day - what happened to the membrane? We must have eaten it. :(.
But we never knew it.
I'm wondering if keeping the membrane on helped to maintain moisture more?
I was supposed to do half the ribs with it on, and half with it off, but I forgot.
Anyway, the best ribs I've ever eaten. Everyone loved them. That's what counts.
Next day, fresh off a win with the ribs - put the pork shoulder in at 8:00am - rubbed and stored in fridge overnight with McCormicks.
250 to 265 temp, Maintained that tempfor about 5 hours and it hit the 270 mark.
Like a robot - wrapped in foil, stopped smoking, back in with temp probe in meat till it hit about 202.
I pulled it wrapped and let it sit for about a half an hour.
I had also put my 'new' specialty in for the last 1 1/2 of cooking - stuffed banana peppers - stuffed with mild italian sausage, taco cheese, breadcrumbs, and a red sauce I found that has sweet pepper chunks in it. Drizzle the stuffed peppers with garlic olive oil.
Bam! we ate them right out of the aluminum pan on top fo the smoker while the chicken leg quarters were finishing.
Yep, I also put leg quarters in at the 3 hour mark from finishing the pulled pork.
This is starting to sound like an info mercial! :)
I let my son prep the pulled pork.
"Oh my god! The bone pulled right out clean!" he said.
As he used two forks to pull the pork apart, it just fell apart and he marveled at the results.
We made sandwiches, a piece of chicken, and his wife grabbed another stuffed pepper - which in my book is the ultimate compliment when they come back for more, right?
So that's it. I now have confidence that I know the basics of what I'm doing.
It's not 221, or 321. That's the basic starting point.
It's really about using a basic time schedule, like 221, but also it's about checking the oven temp continously, and it's about pulling the meat at the right temperature. It really is a science. A delicate combination of several variables.
I can't help but to say 'thanks', but it's true. Thanks to the advice here, I'm making food that is not 'normal' food that's simply 'cooked'. I'm making exceptional, mouth watering, tasty meals that people can't stop complimenting me for. Thanks for the advice.
Two things.
I did notice that the pork shoulder seems to have two distinct sections of meat.
One is much moister, more flavorful, and really good to eat.
But there seems to be another section of it that is definitely grainier, a little drier, and not as flavorful.
I know you guys know what I'm talking about.
Please explain it to me. Is there a cut of meat I should ask for that doesn't have this, or is it all just part of the shoulder?
Also, funny thing.
When you're trying to start out smoking meat on your own, you can really be put in the wrong direction without the expert help that I get here.
For example, I noticed this weekend that the I Grill temperature probe I'm using has preset meat settings. Funny thing. It says that for a pork but/shoulder, it's well done at 160. No wonder people pull the meat wayyyyy to early and then don't understand what happend.
That can be very confusing to newbies like me. When you told me to leave wrapped till it hits 205, I was absolutely shocked!!!!
Thanks!
