The "Big Smoke" is tomorrow!

To those who responded to my post about a pork butt recipe, thank you. An executive decision has been made and we're going to smoke a mustard-slathered butt with a generous sprinkling of a Cajun rub from a BBQ joint in Syracuse, NY - Dinosaur BBQ (where, I found out, they boil their ribs before finishing them off on the grill. Hey! What do you expect from Syracuse, NY?).

So the menu from the smoker is four racks of spare ribs, St. Louis style and rolled, and two pork butts totaling 10 pounds. I'm allowing a total of ten hours of smoke time at an average temp of 230 to 250. The smoker will be fired up a la the Minion method with the water pan in and full.

Everythings ready, but I've one last concern -- which rack is recommended for what meat? I know the bottom rack is going to be a bit cooler and since the ribs will likely be done before the butts, I want to slow them done as much as I can.

Thoughts?

Thank you and have a great Q'n weekend!!

Alan Bosch

PS - I quit smoking today. From now on, it just gonna be the Weber.

First off, congrats on quitting smoking. I assume you mean cigs. I'll tag this reply with the big "thumbs up" icon in support of your decision.

Regarding which meat on which grate, I would cook the ribs on the top grate, since they'll need more tending than the butts--easier access that way. However, you're right that the bottom grate will be cooler, so it's a trade-off.

Have fun,
Chris

Alan,

Have you seen the new book Dinosaur Bar B Que: An American Roadhouse? Just received a copy today from Amazon.com. Haven't gotten into it yet, but it has lots of great looking pictures. Seems like quite a place!

Regards,
Chris

Alan, missed this post the first time around. First, after smoking for 25 years, I have now been a non smoker for 18 months. If you can fight through the odd sudden strong craving out of the blue, you can make it. They only last for a few minutes and after you fight off a few of them they get fewer and fewer. Good luck, it's well worth doing. Now if I could just drop the 20 pounds I gained....


Second, how did the butts turn out?

Doug W

Chris,
No, I haven't seen the book. Heard it was out there... Dinosaur started in Syracuse some years ago as a big-time biker bar. The guy that owns it used to cook at Harley rallys and decided to turn it into a full-time venture. The origional place in Syracuse has, from all accounts, a rather storied past. Within the last two or three years they've expanded and opened a place here in Rochester. I've eaten at the Rochester location and while the food was okay, it missed the mark somehow. It could have been the three hour wait or their sauce (which I don't like), but I haven't been back. Let's face it - Upstate NY is not the BBQ mecca Memphis is. Another BBQ joint opened here - called Beale St. Cafe - giving Dinosaur a run. A few friends have been to both and like my ribs and pulled pork better. Homemade's always better <grin>...

Doug,
Fifty-three days and counting! I find that there's days I wish I had one and times I can't for the life of me understand why I ever started. But, all in all, it's going pretty well. Thanks for the encouragement!

Peace, out.

Alan