# Birthday/4th of July two day BBQ!



## jirodriguez (Jul 3, 2011)

Being my birthday today and the 4th tomorrow we are just doing a big BBQ tomorrow for friends and family (about 20-25 people all total).

Menu:

Brisket

Pulled Pork

Chicken thighs

Baked Beans

Coleslaw

Green Salad

... and snacks

Today I am cooking the brisket and the pork butts, then I will re-heat them tomorrow while the chicken cooks.

Started last night with the meat prep and getting a rub on them. Here are the victims of sacrafice: Two pork butts ($1.58/lb.), and a full packer brisket ($1.99/lb). Courtesy of Cash & Cary.








Butts got a brown sugar based mix of various stuff, and the brisket got a nice pepper steak rub.







7:00 AM...... first things first!







Aaaaahhh! Much better! Now on with the show! Got the WSM fired up with 20 lbs of Kingsford Blue (had to use some of the 160 lbs. I have in the garage from Home Depots sale! LOL). Got a mix of mostly hickory and a little mesquite for my flavor. Got everybody into the pool at 8:00 AM.













You may notice the twine on the butts, they are boneless butts and if you leave them flat they cook kind of uneven. So tie them up and they cook a lot more evenly.

Now its just down to waiting! Will post some more later!


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## scarbelly (Jul 3, 2011)

Happy Birthday my friend. That spread is looking great


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## SmokinAl (Jul 3, 2011)

Happy birthday Johnny! It looks like it's gonna be a good one!


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## jirodriguez (Jul 3, 2011)

Scarbelly said:


> Happy Birthday my friend. That spread is looking great


Thanks Scar.... I always laugh in that it's my birthday and I spend about $200 and two days cooking for OTHER people! Must be part of getting old and senile.... LOL.




SmokinAl said:


> Happy birthday Johnny! It looks like it's gonna be a good one!


Thanks Al! Today should be nice and mellow, got the WSM cruising at 200°, should't have to do much.


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## jirodriguez (Jul 3, 2011)

.... put the probes in at the 4 hr. mark, sitting at 156 on the brisket and 145 on the pork butts.













smelling sooooooo good!


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## meateater (Jul 3, 2011)

Happy Birthday Johnny!


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## fpnmf (Jul 3, 2011)

I always throw my own birthday party..it is the only way anybody would show!!

  Happy birthday!!

  Craig


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## jirodriguez (Jul 3, 2011)

..... 7 hrs. in and brisket hit 165, butts were at 161 & 162. Put them all int foil pans, added 1 1/2 beers to each pan, and covered tightly with foil..... snapped a couple of quick pics.













.... wood chunks got a big gulp of oxygen when I opened up the smoker and started smoking a lot, but settled back to thin blue smoke as soon as I got the lid back on.


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## jirodriguez (Jul 4, 2011)

.... and 13 hrs. later we have a finished brisket and two pork butts, all wrapped up and into the fridge for the night. So ends day one of my smoke.... tomorrow I will re-heat the brisket and butts in the oven, while I am cooking the chicken and BBQ baked beans.



















.... and all three were as tender as a stick of warm butter..... yeah baby!


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## so ms smoker (Jul 4, 2011)

Tyhat looks soooo good!

Mike


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## beer-b-q (Jul 4, 2011)

happy Birthday Johnny, Looks Great, Nice Job...


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## tom37 (Jul 4, 2011)

Happy Birthday Johnny, I hear ya on spending the money and cooking for others on your day. I guess we do it cause we enjoy it.

May I ask, if you always put your pork over your beef??? I always thought it was the other way around. 

BTW everything looks fantastic!!!


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## jirodriguez (Jul 4, 2011)

Tom37 said:


> Happy Birthday Johnny, I hear ya on spending the money and cooking for others on your day. I guess we do it cause we enjoy it.
> 
> May I ask, if you always put your pork over your beef??? I always thought it was the other way around.
> 
> BTW everything looks fantastic!!!


I did the pork over the beef for two reasons on this one. One I had only two probes, so I needed access to the second butt to check it with my dial therm; second was to actually use the drippings from the butts to keep the brisket from drying out. Since they are in there for 12+ hrs. and cooked to a full 200° internal temp. no bugs are gonna survive. With the pork and beef now you don't have to worry to much on which is on top, but if you have chicken then definately put that down on the bottom.


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