Need help, encouragement (long)

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All the great posts here got me inspired to try some cooks on our WSM -- BY MYSELF! Last year my husband cooked a couple times and it has been stored ever since. I remember the brisket and pork butts were soooo good but the ribs weren't the best (please don't tell him). I thought they were a bit dry and tooooo salty. I thought the only way to figure this out was to try cooking myself (with the help of this site). So about a week ago, on a night when my husband was away for the night, I got up at 3:00 a.m. and lit off the WSM hoping for a great dinner that night.

I put Kingsford (the regular kind) in the weber chimney. Within 15 minutes I had 6-8 inch flames pouring out the top....is it suppose to flame so high? Once they were grayed I poured them into the WSM and filled the rest of the chamber with coal and just before adding the meat I put in 4 or fives pieces of a mix of pecan and cherry chunks (what was on hand). Two pork butts went on at 4:45 a.m. With all the inspiration from this site firmly in mind, I babysat the WSM through the darkness, wind, and rain and fought to keep the temperature fairly constant at around 218 (a little lower than I wanted, it was stubborn because of the wind). Finally that afternoon meat temp reached 170, I took them off and let them rest for an hour. I was expecting an easy pull, but the meat was more resistant than I expected (and didn't taste as good as I remember). Is this because it needed to cook longer? I had tested all my thermometers the day before so I felt confident taking the butts off at 170. At this point I didn't know what to do. The WSM was cold in the rain as the butts had been off for an hour. Should I have fired it back up? I put them in the oven in foil for a couple hours at 200. That seemed to help, but I would rather have eaten them off the WSM.

A week goes by and I think I should try another cook. So I get some beautiful back ribs from Costco and prep them for a cookout yesterday. A perfect BBQ day in Seattle, mid 70s! I followed the Best Ribs in the Universe recipe from this site. Remembering my husband's SALTY ribs, I applied the rub as a very light dusting....too light. I did not get enough flavor. Next time I'll put a bit more on them. I am not sure if they could have used a little more time on the smoker. The meat was still a bit fatty inside, is that how it should be, or would more time have made that a bit better.

I would sure appreciate any pointers based on my results, I really would like to be able to do this well.

Thanks, and sorry this is so long.

Connie
 
Ah, a fellow northwesterner! :-)

You're exactly right, the butts should have stayed on longer (a lot longer). You were getting close though. If you're looking to pull it, you should cook to an internal around 195 degrees.

What kind of rub did you put on the butts?

Also, how long did you cook the ribs? Baby backs will still have a fair amount of fat in them when they're finished. If you prefer less fat in the ribs, you might try a St. Louis cut. They might take a bit longer to cook, but the end result is wonderful.

Ryan
Eugene, OR
 
Hi Ryan, thanks for your input. I cooked the ribs for five hours. I had a hard time keeping the temperature below 230 yesterday. I reviewed my notes on the butts from last week, and I was wrong, I took them off at 180, not 170. I believe though, as you said they were not done enough -- next time we'll shoot for 195. When my husband made butts/brisket last year he cooked them all night and it was fabulous. I forgot to mention that I tried that with a brisket I also had on with the ribs....sadly I lost the fire sometime the night and got up to find it at 90 this mornin. We are debating on whether the brisket should be thrown away after being at such low temps?

Thanks again...this just has to get better!
Connie
 
Hi Connie! Welcome to WSMland! This is the greatest resource.....You'll get lots of good advice here.

My first BRITU ribs were wonderful, but a bit on the salty side even though I was careful to give them a light sprinkle. Although I'm sure that it's not what Mike Scrutchfield (the originator of BRITU) intended, I lke to double everything but the salt in the recipe. It's still on the salty side, even with a light sprinkle, but a bit more flavor. I'm sure someone can point out flaws in my technique, but it works for me. I might have been a little overenthusiastic with my "light sprinkle."

Good luck, even though I'll bet you won't need it!
Rita
 
Connie,
Next time you try a pork butt, shoot for 190 degrees internal temp before taking it off the smoker. Wrap in foil, then an old bath towel, and let it set for a while before you start pulling it. Learned this after a time or two of tough pulled pork...

About the saltiness... I've been using Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand) in cooking for several years now and sing it's praises to whomever'll listen. There was some notes on this board about the difference between kosher and plain-old table salt. One member posted an article comparing salt... Good info - too bad I can't find it right now. Anyway, I keep the measurements for salt the same in all my rubs. I just use the Kosher salt. Since it's milder, it not so overpowering. (I even put some in the coffee basket before brewing - cuts the bitterness of the coffee.)

Keep tryin'. There's no such thing as bad Que. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Peace. Out.

Alan Bosch
 
Hi Connie,
I think you are on the right track and just be a little more patient to let the butts reach the higher temps. I did a 8.5 pork shoulder saturday that was excellent! Here is how it went: Friday mourning I rubbed with Oklahoma Joe's Hawg & Yardbird Rub. At midnight I coated the meat with French's yellow mustard and more rub. I let the meat sit on the kitchen counter 2 hours. 2:00 a.m. I put meat on WSM using apple and hickory (4 fist sized) cooker was @230 degrees, full water pan. Sunday 9:00 a.m. sprayed with apple juice, turned meat, inserted temp probe, added water to pan, added 2 chunks wood. Meat temp registered 168. Tended smoker thru day, adjusting vents, spraying meat, etc. untill meat registered 192 degrees at 2:00 p.m.
Wraped meat in single layer of foil and put it in large Rubbermaid container. Dinner was supposed to be at 4:00 but didn't happen untill almost 5:30 three and a half hours after I took the meat off WSM!!
Honestly this was the best!! Meat was juicy, succulent. and still steaming hot!
To boost temperature you might try using less water in your pan, or more charcoal, but I think the main thing is to be patient hit the meats target temperature.
2nice
 
Connie
Come to Red Hook in Woodinville on May 18 and we can show you. Come Saturday morning and you can watch and ask questions. Will do brisket, pork butt, chicken, lamb, ribs, and salmon.
Jim
PS: I'm out of town for a week, back next Tuesday.
 
Thank you for the replies...I know my process needs some work. Everything you folks are cooking sounds so darned good and I know I'm not close (yet).

We defineately have a trip to Red Hook on the calendar...but I thought it was May 25th?? Jim, please let me know if you see this post, is it the 18th? Anyway, thanks for the invite to drop in and do some observing!

Connie
 
Connie,
I spoke at length with the organizer about Redhook. Setup starts on May 25th Saturday at 2pm then we will clear out for the Saturday diner rush. Saturday night the teams will be cooking Butts and Briskets. May 26th Sunday morning is the best time to visit and ask questions like Jim said. That is when the action is. Before 10:30am is best as turn in starts at 11. Stop by and say hi.

The whole list of events is on my website.
PNW Events
 
Thanks TB for the additional info. Defineately looking forward to this and we'll see you there! I'll bookmark your site this time!

Connie
 
Connie, Chris has an excellent explanation about brining and about different types of salt here on his website in:

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brining.html

Then go to the heading:

Kosher Salt And Table Salt Don't Measure Equally

Regarding my comments above about doubling everything except the salt in the BRITU, you could also substitute an equal volume of Diamond Crystal kosher salt for the (fine) salt in the recipe and achieve the same results.
Rita
 
Up at 3:00 am. Fighting the wind and rain.
Why are all the good ones always married?
db
 
Hello Connie,
I am a novice with the WSM also only having cooked a few times. I have a routine that works for me with butts. Remember where I live!
-For a Saturday cook,I get everthing ready on
Friday. I put whatever rub/mustard combo on the
butts as early as I can. Sometime during the day
I set up the WSM and get make sure it is ready
to cook.
-Saturday I get up at 0530-0600 and start the
coffee pot going(important stuff first). I then
fire the WSM using the Minion Method. When the
dome temp starts up 200 or so I put the butts on
usually one on each grill. I try to get them
about 6 lbs. I try to hold the temp in the 240
to 260 range. I don't lift the lid for at least
5 hours. I turn,swap and baste at the 5-6 hr
time(the "halftime method").
-After about 8-9 hrs the temp should be around
170 or so. I take the butts and wrap them in
foil,stick the Polder probe back in and put them
back on the WSM.
-I set the temp for 185 on the Polder. It took
about 2 hrs to reach this the last time I cooked.
When the temp gets in the 185 range,I take the
butts off,wrap them in old bath towels and put
them in an ice chest until I am ready to pull the
meat. Last time I unwrapped them about 2hrs later
(7PM). They were still steaming and I was able
pull them apart with a gloved hand.

Hope this helps you some.
Pat
 
Ya Connie, i was making the same mistake till Jim Minion told me to cook em to 190*+ or so... now they pull just fine! Im doing one tomorrow, a little hotter, like above post said is ok too.

good luck!
 
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