First Cook Question


 
C

ColinLP

New member
Weather permitting I'd like to do my first cook in my new 18* WSM the weekend after next. It's my birthday so I fancied having a go at brisket or pulled pork, but it's cold this time of year and I'm not convinced an overnight cook is the best idea for a first real go. I fired it up yesterday to season it with some pork skin and bones left over from making sausages.

What would you recommend as a good first cook or other advice to try and make it a success?

Thanks
 
I did a pork shoulder for my overnight cook last week. The temp outside was 29. Monitored the cook via a Maverick 733. Took about 14hrs. It turned out very well.
If you don't want to do an overnight cook you could try High Heat Chicken. Very easy and takes about an hour.
 
I would actually do a few high heat cooks to get some seasoning on the inside of the cooker and also give you a chance to get a feel for it. Chicken would be a good choice and is a little more budget friendly for the learning curve with a new smoker.
 
Chicken is a great first cook or a meatloaf or fatty. Pork steaks and hot links was my inaugural run. ( its all good) :wsm:

Tim
 
The pork butt is probably a better choice than the brisket. It's pretty forgiving and makes a great first cook. If you are worried about getting it done without going for an overnight effort a smaller butt can be cooked a bit more quickly. I like to cut mine in half anyway. You get more bark that way.
 
+1 for the pork butt. It was my first cook on most all my WSMs and it's pretty hard to screw up.

I waited a good 6 months to try a brisket just to make sure i knew the ins and outs of my smoker. (but I'm also kind of methodical that way :D)
 
Pork butt or chicken, you guys don't make it easy!!

If I went the pork option,a couple of options:
Cut it in half - faster cooking? Will there be more risk of drying out?
Could I use the Texas crutch to speed up the process so I could get it done in a day (9-10hours)?

High heat chicken is done without the water yes?
 
ColinLP said:
Pork butt or chicken, you guys don't make it easy!!

If I went the pork option,a couple of options:
Cut it in half - faster cooking? Will there be more risk of drying out?
Could I use the Texas crutch to speed up the process so I could get it done in a day (9-10hours)?

High heat chicken is done without the water yes?
Click to expand...

My vote would go to a butt Colin. This is how I approached mine and the photos hopefully speak for themselves. http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?638...t%92-preparation-amp-rub-recipe-(and-outcome). Good luck whichever way you choose
 
I too say pulled pork. I don't overnight mine. Start 'em off at 5:30 or 6am and you should be good enough by 5:30 PM. Especially if you foil it past the stall, and or (gasp!) finish in the oven.
 
My first "real" cook was chicken drumsticks. I did them high heat with no pan at all. They were on the WSM for 50 minutes I think, and they came out pretty good. It was a fairly easy first cook.

My second cook was a pork butt (Renown Mr. Brown). I did it with an empty, foiled pan. I did not foil the butt, and it took about 11 hours, but honestly probably should have stayed on another hour maybe. That said, it was still very moist and tasted great, so no complaints really. Temperature stayed very steady (225-250 lid temp) the whole cook, with only a handful of minor vent adjustments. I think next time I will probably foil (Texas crutch) to shorten the cooking time.

I think the pork butt was a better learning experience. The whole process was a bit more involved (but still very manageable), and you learn more about temperature control since it's a much longer cook.

Jason
 
OK guy, pork butt it is weather permitting, an early start and see how it goes.

I'm a lazy sort so maybe a DX2 in on the cards for overnight cooking in the future, I quite fancy the idea of forgetting it while I sleep. I'll do some manual first though to gain some experience, a bit of knowledge is always a good idea I think
 
ColinLP said:
OK guy, pork butt it is weather permitting, an early start and see how it goes.

I'm a lazy sort so maybe a DX2 in on the cards for overnight cooking in the future, I quite fancy the idea of forgetting it while I sleep. I'll do some manual first though to gain some experience, a bit of knowledge is always a good idea I think
Click to expand...

You could also try a High Heat Butt. Done anywhere from 5-8hrs depending on your ramp up time.

Tim
 
HH Pulled Pork is good. I used to do this on my Kettle before I got the WSM. It always turned out good but not as moist and tender as the 14hr butt I did a few weeks ago.

Either way you will eat good.
 
I threw caution to the wind and just ordered a DXII even though I said I wasn't going too. I guess an overnight cook is a possibility now. I think I'm going to go with the low and slow pulled pork butt, even in the cold weather it should be OK overnight and a top up of charcoal sometime in the morning should fingers crossed keep it going until late afternoon. I got 7 1/2 hours out of a half fill last weekend while seasoning the WSM. If it's a bit windy I'll set up a windbreak in the morning and do the high heat as a back up so with luck we'll be OK, still another week to make any changes of plan.......watch this space!!
 
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