Purchase smoke wood and pork


 
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Wade G

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Where are some good places to find smoke wood?

Also, where are places to look for various cuts of pork? I am not familiar with an butcher shops around. Do some folks get their cuts at chain grocery stores, with relatively good luck?

Lastly, if the desired end result is non greasy pulled pork for sandwiches (and assuming that the cut is cooked correctly) is a pork shoulder or butt preferred? I don't mean to touch off a firestorm, just a general pro and con to the cuts.

thanks.
 
Well if you are willing to cut the wood an orchard or grove is a good place to start. often times they will give you the wood for free.

People including me have had great luck with sams or costco.

A butt is part of the shoulder . there are two diffeent cuts of the shoulder the butt and the picnic both are very good. most people prefer butts and they are more prevalent.
 
Wade,
The quickest way to get smoke wood would be to go to Wal Mart or larger grocery store and look in the BBQ section by the charcoal. Around here they generally have Hickory and Mesquite, once in a while Oak, it probably will be in a plastic bag.

Bob
 
Smoke wood - I'm still looking.

I get ribs from Costco. I have yet to find better elsewhere. Although I haven't stuck my head into any specialty butcher shops yet.

Pork Butts (Pork Shoulder Blade Roast), whoever has them on sale. If you find only small ones, ask the meat dept. person, usually they have larger in the back.

Briskets at Cash & Carry. I can't find 'em anywhere else around here.
 
Barbeques Galore sells all sorts of wood. Here in Dalla sno shortage of good meat even at grocery stores. Sam's is usually cheapest for BBs. Specialty butchers and grocery stores are great but cost more.

In Texas we have a chain of gourmet supermarkets called Central Market which is incredible - imagine a huge grocery store with 10 kinds of live mussels, 100 kinds of fresh fish, 20 kinds of fresh sausage, 5 kinds of asparagus, a cheese section bigger than a 7-11, an aisle of refrigerated bins devoted to fresh pickles and oilves by the pound ... well you get the idea.
 
Jason-
Sorry for the confusion. When you say BBs- -is that Baby Back ribs or Boston Butt (as I have seen it called) for pork butt?

thanks
 
Sorry. I meant ribs but around here it also holds true for butts. If you want turkey the cheapest place is usually a grocery store, often on sale at a ridiculous 19c a pound.
 
Well. I went to 3 different grocery stores in search of meat for Saturday. It was slim pickins for sure. Only one place had a Picnic- -but it still had the bone in it, and it didn't weigh much. I figured if it was already light, and there was a bone in it- -then it really wouldn't be enough to feed 6 hungry adults. Plus, it looked like it had been sitting in the case for a while.
Fortunately, some friends of mine have a butcher they have been using for ages, and pointed me to them. they are getting in a shipment of Boston Butts today at lunch. So, that will consume my lunch hour.

I was able to get some premium apple juice, a 20lb bag of Kingsford, 2 pound glad bags, and heavy duty foil, though, at the grocery store.

Hopefully this thing is coming together.
 
Wade-
Welcome to bbq'n. Certainly sounds like you are new but you are getting off to a good start. Whereabouts are you located? If you can get to a Sam's club or Costco then you will more than likely be able to get the cuts of meat you want to bbq. They will have baby backs, spare ribs, boston butts (bone in should weight between 6-8lbs - same goes for pork picnics which are also part of the shoulder), and briskets (flats are come from the flat/thinner end and usually go about 4-6lbs - otherwise a lot of people will cook the packer cut which is the whole brisket going from 8.5lbs to 15/16lbs - otherway just try to get one that's untrimmed). Good luck finding a meat source. It can be tough at times.
 
John
In Puyallup there is a gentleman that has Apple Creek Timber Co. Let me know if you want to hook up for fruitwoods and he has other hardwoods on a more limited basis.
Jim
 
Try Costco for the meat and Home Depot for some of the smoke woods. They usually have Hickory and Mesquite for around $10.00 for a decent sizs bag.
 
thanks for all the feedback. I am not sure where there is a Costco, and due to the time crunch (gotta get the rub on it tonight for early am start), I will probably do the butcher route this time. Plus, I assume the Costco ones are also frozen? that would add time to a crunch. After this weekend, I can figure out where a costco is- -and then what you guys look for, etc.

Gotta get fertilizer at Home Depot (project for while smoker is going)- -so hardwoods will come from there. Is there any conversion of Chips to hunks? everything I have read on the site talks about fist size chunks of smoke wood. so, I guess heaping handfuls of chips would be the same?

I will try to update, if any one cares, on my maiden voyage on the WSM on Sat.

thanks
 
Home Depot has chunks of hickory and mesquite. Use the hickory. If you have to use chips here is what Chris says in "All About Smoke Woods" section:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Chips burn hot and fast, releasing smoke in a quick burst. If you use chips, you will have to add them several times during the cooking process, whereas with chunks you can add them just once at the beginning of the process. To prolong the smoke from wood chips, they are often placed in a pouch formed out of aluminum foil and put directly on the hot coals. Small holes poked in the foil allow the smoke to escape. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Sounds like you're on track for a good butt smoke tonight. I'm putting one on tonight as well.
 
The local WalMart Supercenter almost always has the meat I need for Q - baby backs, spares, picnics, Boston butt, brisket, and turkey. Or you can always do a meat loaf! Wood selection at WallMart is limited to chips, not chunks. They usually have hickory, mesquite and sometimes have apple and oak (Jack Daniels).

Check local hardware stores. Some of them have a surprisingly good variety of grill and barbecue stuff, including wood. Garden centers, too, in the proper season.

I haven't checked yet, but there's a pallet maker near work that probably has scraps (hickory or oak). Also, I live near a mill that makes hardwood flooring and they have oak, cherry, maple, and elm in their showroom. They probably have scraps, too, if I'd bother asking (but I understand that elm is a no-no).

Good luck!
 
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