Foiling definitely speeds up the cooking time. I believe that is the main reason for foiling.
As for the cooler, to me the main advantage of the cooler is keeping the meat temperature as close to cooking temperature for a longer time. The cooler just provides more insulation and a tighter fit...
My target temperature is 240 degrees, but it varies as I am sure most all smoker do (with the exception of Stoker Log of course). The temperature never gets above 260 or cooler than 230.
I do cut off the fat cap. Maybe that is a mistake.
I cooked a couple of 7 pounder butts yesterday. I am new to the WSM. The last time I cooked butts, I foiled at about 165 degrees. I needed to speed up the cooking time to meet the meal deadline. Yesterday I did not foil just to see if there was a difference. I thought the unfoiled butts...
The standard KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce mixed with honey is really good. I believe it is five parts sauce to one part honey. I just add honey to taste, so it may not be 5 to 1 for me. I also add a few shakes of Tobasco for a little fire. Lastly, in a glass bowl I crush a couple of...
THE RESULTS:
My first brisket was a success!!! Here are some pictures:
Brisket
Pork Butt
BBQ Meal
Lessons learned:
1. Foiling works. I was able to speed up the butt towards the end to get it ready for dinner.
2. I liked Kevin Kruger's rub for butts.
3. I liked the brisket with Texas BBQ...
Getting done too early is better than late when company is involved. Another issue too is probe placement for the remote thermometer. I hope I inserted into the meat, but I could have missed and gotten into the fat. So before I pull it off, I will use the Thermapan instant reading to get a...
UPDATE:
Got everything started at 7:30AM. It only took 45 minutes to get to 235 degrees which surprised me. After one-and-a-half hours of cooking I'm at 244 degrees grill temperature and 148 degrees internal temperature on the brisket (lower grill) with the vents at about 15 to 20 % open.
I...
I ended up with a 7 pound brisket and 7 pound butt. I figure about 10 hours max for the cooking and two hours of rest in the ice chest. So I will start the fire at 6:30AM tomorrow morning. I'm leaning towards Kevin Kruger's rub for the butt and the Texas BBQ brisket rub for the brisket. I...
I am doing my first brisket this weekend and will do a pork butt at the same time. In the past for a pork butt I have used the KC Rub recipe as written in the Weber BBQ cookbook. I am considering as a different option for the butt using the Texas BBQ Rub I ordered for the brisket. Another...
I don't recall the exact weight but it was about six pounds. That sounded about right to me since the whoele weight would be over 12 pounds. The label specifically said "half flat". That I do remember. I did also see a huge (15 pounder) at Wal Mart last week too. I wish I had gone ahead and...
I'm having four neighbor couples over for a BBQ next weekend and plan to cook one or two pork butts on top and a beef brisket on the bottom. I checked Sam's this week and they only had half flats. Plenty of butts in stock. So do I do two half flats or look elsewhere for a whole one? I'm...
My favorite for pork is the rub recipe given for Kansas City style spareribs in the Weber Big Book of Grilling page 163. I reduce the amount of Kosher salt by one-half. Also, I add 1/2 teaspoon of dried mustard and 1/2 teaspoon ginger. Let me know if you need all the ingredients.
There really aren't that many BBQ places in Raleigh itself. There is a national chain called "Red Hot and Blue" with a Memphis atmosphere. They have good food but not as good as mine. LOL. Driving to the beach, there is a place called Wilbur's in Goldsboro, NC. I like it too.
One of my all time favorite restaurants is in Asheville, NC. It is right in the center of downtown. Here is their webpage:
Salsa's information
The owner/chef is Puerto Rician/Mexican mix. The food is spectacular and different. Big portions and reasonable price. Any time we travel through...