What is best for first cook?


 
S

Steve W (Weave)

TVWBB Fan
Hey guys ....tryin to plan my first cook on my WSM 18 and what most of you recommend for a first cook that may be forgiving as I learn how to dial in my new smoker?
I can get large Boston Butts from work for free but I'm not sure how forgiving they are?
Ribs, chicken?
Let's hear it!
 
Steve I would go with ribs or chicken just depend what your in the mood for. I myself have only had my smoker a couple of weeks ribs was my first cook and on the 4th I did a pork shoulder took 15 hours to do but it was good when it was done today the kids want chicken I think the just enjoy dad doing the cooking so good luck on what ever you pick.

Allyn
22 WSM
 
Butts for free? Saweet
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They are pretty forgiving, you can go low&slow or HH and the results are fantastic.
you could check out the beginners recipes in the cooking topics. http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/cook.html#beginner
Good luck!
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Tim
 
Originally posted by timothy:
Butts for free? Saweet
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They are pretty forgiving, you can go low&slow or HH and the results are fantastic.
you could check out the beginners recipes in the cooking topics. http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/cook.html#beginner
Yeah we buy a couple tons a week to make soppresatta. They look a little larger and slightly different in shape that the butts I have seen on here.
I'll post a pic this week.
Thanks for info so far guys!
Good luck!
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Tim
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I'd go with the free butt. Nothing is more forgiving. Be patient. They take time.
 
Pork Butt....no question about it......darn near hard to ruin....of course if there is a way to ruin a Butt, I will probably find it
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A butt is very forgiving, but takes a while to cook.
Pork ribs take a lot less time. They will give you a good feel for how the cooker works without tiring you out.
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Bob
 
Sunday afternoon... Go grab a couple of whole chickens. Rub them down with something... (montreal chicken from the groc. store is sufficient if nothing else) under the skin with some butter.
You can leave all the vents wide open, get some "seasoning on the smoker" as you were speaking of, and have some great chicken for the week.
No fire control on this cook... Next cook: the butt for sure!
 
IIRC my first cook was some Moo&Oink Beef Hot links and some polish sausage or bratts
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Chicken was the next, followed by CSR"s and then the Butt.
You can get great results in 5 hrs using this method on butts. http://www.kickassbbq.com/Pull...oston%20Butt%29.html
I like to milk it out a little more on the minion start for more smoke flavour and go with a 7-8 hr finish.

Tim
 
All good suggestions here - i'd say that ribs are a good way to start. They take a good 4-5 hours and that will be a good way to test out the smoker and control temps. Butt is great too - but it'll be a long day!
 
Pork butt first because they can take low or higher heat so you will have time to nail down your temp control process and have time to play and learn the quirks of your WSM.
 
Two schools of thought on this topic:

CHICKEN:
It is a great confidence-booster for your first cook. If you totally botch it, it's pretty inexpensive. It cooks-up pretty quick, so you can enjoy the results of your new WSM with minimal effort. (If you do this, do 'em high-heat and maybe marinate in Mojo Criollo or brine first - then it's even harder to screw-up.)

PORK BUTT:
Dang near impossible to totally screw-up. You will learn "Patience Grasshopper" - they require more time and planning. (When I do 7-8 pounders, I start 'em at about 5 a.m. and they're usually done around 5-ish p.m.) Don't open the lid more than you have to. Get it going, and then do some yard work / wash your cars / whatever. These things can and do platea at around 170°F FOR-EV-ER, so just wait it out until the temperature goes higher and check for tender more than temp. Some of the best PP that I've made ocurred when I ran some errands and let it go for what I would have thought would have been "too long" - pull 'em off and they were DEE-LISH.

You really can't lose either way ;-)
 
Oh man do what ever you want to do, It will all turn out in a WSM just got mine a couple of weeks ago and I have done 2 butts 6 chickens 5 racks of ribs, I nervous about all of them for the first cook. All turned out awsome. One of my favorite past time things to do now is watch other people cook on their WSM on youtube. Their is this one guy I love watching he goes by 007bondjb. You can tell he his trashed after 6 hrs. of smoking.
 
Originally posted by Mike Isaacson:
Oh man do what ever you want to do, It will all turn out in a WSM just got mine a couple of weeks ago and I have done 2 butts 6 chickens 5 racks of ribs, I nervous about all of them for the first cook. All turned out awsome. One of my favorite past time things to do now is watch other people cook on their WSM on youtube. Their is this one guy I love watching he goes by 007bondjb. You can tell he his trashed after 6 hrs. of smoking.
Click to expand...

Just started watching this guy and I already like him. Thanks man.
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Originally posted by Troy Allen:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike Isaacson:
Oh man do what ever you want to do, It will all turn out in a WSM just got mine a couple of weeks ago and I have done 2 butts 6 chickens 5 racks of ribs, I nervous about all of them for the first cook. All turned out awsome. One of my favorite past time things to do now is watch other people cook on their WSM on youtube. Their is this one guy I love watching he goes by 007bondjb. You can tell he his trashed after 6 hrs. of smoking.
Click to expand...

Just started watching this guy and I already like him. Thanks man.
icon_biggrin.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey boy!!! JB is awesome!!

I say cook them free pork butts! Cook them low and slow and plan on 1-1.5 hours per pound. If you have any specific questions just ask... People here are awesome!!
 
Sunday afternoon... Go grab a couple of whole chickens. Rub them down with something... (montreal chicken from the groc. store is sufficient if nothing else) under the skin with some butter.
You can leave all the vents wide open, get some "seasoning on the smoker" as you were speaking of, and have some great chicken for the week.
No fire control on this cook... Next cook: the butt for sure!
Click to expand...
Got to agree with Marc. You need to gunk up your smoker. Chicken does it really well. Not as long a cook either. Great flavor and to a degree forgiving. Just don't over smoke it.
Good luck
 
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