John Henderson
TVWBB Fan
My first cook after getting my 22" WSM in the first week of January was a brisket. Since then, I've also done shorter cooks for a duck and a turkey breast. Last weekend, my wife asked, "What are you going to smoke next?" That sounded like an invitation. When I was making an improvised smoker of my 22" One Touch Silver before getting the WSM, my next plan was a pork butt (I had done ribs several times), so a pork butt it would be.
I chose to go with the popular Renowned Mr. Brown recipe and followed Chris A's instructions pretty closely.
I went down to Sam's Club and got the two-pack of butts. I got the smallest one they had which was about 15 lbs for the pair. I momentarily panicked when I arrived and for the first time I actually I went to buy a pork butt was the first time they were completely out. Maybe Superbowl parties wiped them out the previous weekend. I decided to ask the guy working there, and he said a truck had just arrived, and if I could wait a few minutes, he'd get the butts off the truck.
I start to trim the one butt. The other is going to go into the freezer for later.
All trimmed up.
Mixing the rub.
The rub all mixed and ready to go.
The recipe calls for two application of rub. I applied the rub the first time Friday morning.
That evening, a second application is performed. The sop is mixed up as well.
The charcoal ring is filled. I put in about five hunks of oak, a hunk of hickory, and about two handfuls of cherry chips.
It went on about 8PM. No pictures since it was dark.
The next morning. At this point, that's mostly steam coming from the smoker. After about 13 hours, the charcoal and smoke wood was mostly consumed.
The second peek at about 12 hours with the second application of the sop. I applied sop and turned at 4AM. (And didn't take any pictures then, either.)
By about 4PM, the muscles were separating, and a wooden skewer pretty much just slipped right through. I put the leftover sop on to heat up. I subsequently added the sop in the foil while resting the next hour.
After resting, and ready to pull.
After most of it was pulled. You'd think this guy knew what he was doing.
I don't think through sides much. This was pretty much, "What is in the pantry?" I would like some slaw. Maybe next time, although my wife hates slaw.
The texture was perfect. My son, four, exclaimed, "Daddy! This is yummy!" And he doesn't eat much meat. My wife said it was really good, but it was a little spicy for her (I suspect that means too much black pepper. It didn't really have any heat.) Even me, the guy who thinks every recipe needs more black pepper, thinks it could have been cut back a little. I also think the rub needs more salt or MSG. The salt content seems pretty low for a rub.
Overall, a very good first attempt, and I am very pleased. The next time, I think I will try to Slathered with Mustard and Rub recipe. That might not be for a while. I bagged three one-pound bags of leftover. And I still have chopped brisket point in the freezer. I think I need a good Brunswick stew recipe to use up some of this.
I chose to go with the popular Renowned Mr. Brown recipe and followed Chris A's instructions pretty closely.
I went down to Sam's Club and got the two-pack of butts. I got the smallest one they had which was about 15 lbs for the pair. I momentarily panicked when I arrived and for the first time I actually I went to buy a pork butt was the first time they were completely out. Maybe Superbowl parties wiped them out the previous weekend. I decided to ask the guy working there, and he said a truck had just arrived, and if I could wait a few minutes, he'd get the butts off the truck.
I start to trim the one butt. The other is going to go into the freezer for later.
All trimmed up.
Mixing the rub.
The rub all mixed and ready to go.
The recipe calls for two application of rub. I applied the rub the first time Friday morning.
That evening, a second application is performed. The sop is mixed up as well.
The charcoal ring is filled. I put in about five hunks of oak, a hunk of hickory, and about two handfuls of cherry chips.
It went on about 8PM. No pictures since it was dark.
The next morning. At this point, that's mostly steam coming from the smoker. After about 13 hours, the charcoal and smoke wood was mostly consumed.
The second peek at about 12 hours with the second application of the sop. I applied sop and turned at 4AM. (And didn't take any pictures then, either.)
By about 4PM, the muscles were separating, and a wooden skewer pretty much just slipped right through. I put the leftover sop on to heat up. I subsequently added the sop in the foil while resting the next hour.
After resting, and ready to pull.
After most of it was pulled. You'd think this guy knew what he was doing.
I don't think through sides much. This was pretty much, "What is in the pantry?" I would like some slaw. Maybe next time, although my wife hates slaw.
The texture was perfect. My son, four, exclaimed, "Daddy! This is yummy!" And he doesn't eat much meat. My wife said it was really good, but it was a little spicy for her (I suspect that means too much black pepper. It didn't really have any heat.) Even me, the guy who thinks every recipe needs more black pepper, thinks it could have been cut back a little. I also think the rub needs more salt or MSG. The salt content seems pretty low for a rub.
Overall, a very good first attempt, and I am very pleased. The next time, I think I will try to Slathered with Mustard and Rub recipe. That might not be for a while. I bagged three one-pound bags of leftover. And I still have chopped brisket point in the freezer. I think I need a good Brunswick stew recipe to use up some of this.
