John Sully
TVWBB Fan
I bought my first WSM 22 in 2014 and have some good cooks but this is my best ever, pork rib roast. What's yours ??
What is your best cook ever ?
- Thread starter John Sully
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Lew Newby
R.I.P. 1/26/2024
That's a beautiful hunk of Pork. You deserve all the praise you get for a great cook. I have racked my brain and come up blank on my best cook ever. I hope my best is still ahead because I never stop learning. My latest "most memorable" cook was the result of my Granddaughter in Law's request that I make pulled pork for their wedding reception. 
Mark Foreman
TVWBB Wizard
My first cook on the WSM. Did ribs and carolina mustard chicken on the performer for our car club (SonomaCount Mustang Club, 35 guests). Fortunately I had rib racks. There was nothing left!!! That was when I leaned how big a 22 is!
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I'd politely share Lew's sentiments. While I've cranked out good food (and pretty much continually gotten raving reviews,) I'm always trying to improve.
That's one of the best briskets I've ever turned out, and it all got completely devoured that afternoon & evening. I'm perfectly happy when I make too much food and there aren't any leftovers.
I must be doing something right, my g/f suggested that I smoke a pork tenderloin this coming weekend. It's taken nearly 20 years to finally exorcise the pork demons she'd been afflicted with when she was young.
Mark Foreman
TVWBB Wizard
I agree with you and Len. Every time I cook, I learn. Currently, I am learning to make smaller amounts. used to be the 6 of us (4 kids). Now it’s 2. 10 lb briskets have turned into 3 lb ones.... Can only freeze so much.I'd politely share Lew's sentiments. While I've cranked out good food (and pretty much continually gotten raving reviews,) I'm always trying to improve.
That's one of the best briskets I've ever turned out, and it all got completely devoured that afternoon & evening. I'm perfectly happy when I make too much food and there aren't any leftovers.
I must be doing something right, my g/f suggested that I smoke a pork tenderloin this coming weekend. It's taken nearly 20 years to finally exorcise the pork demons she'd been afflicted with when she was young.
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Still on the way! My first brisket was a pretty amazing cook. The one before last was really amazing, the next feast should be pretty good too!
This was pretty good.
Not finding one of the roast projects.
This was pretty good.
Not finding one of the roast projects.
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
They all make (made) people happy over the last few seasons, not as many as I might have wanted to feed this season.
Michael Richards
TVWBB Emerald Member
I asked my kids the question, two of the three said the last 2 pork shoulder that I made, which were literally cooked with the goal to cook them just how they like. My oldest daughter said the first time I smoked Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, I know this maybe an underwhelming cook to most here, but my oldest loves this cook. For me I went back and forth between a Carolina style pork shoulder I did on my old smoker, and this Rib Eye steak I did on my kettle. This is the best steak I ever cooked and one of the top two steaks I have ever eaten. So yeah I will go with that! Great thread, I love seeing these post! 
This is a hard one. First, how do you define best? The one you thought tasted the best? Made you the most proud? Most raves from your friends or guests? Best results at a competition? Biggest challenge met?
I was part of a KCBS team for five years. We decided to retire after 2015 (Age, chronic health issues for all of us, along with my frustration with not putting in any effort to improve our results).
Summer 2019 we threw a big BBQ party, as the leader of the BBQ team was relocating to the Phoenix area. It was the best brisket I had ever done ( while each of us worked on all the meats, one always had the lead for each category). The pork was great as were the ribs. It was a combined effort that was fun and satisfying. My main criteria is always was the food good? And it was.
The other cook that comes to mind was in 2012. The pastor of my church asked me to cook pulled pork for a huge all-church lunch. The estimated attendance was 1000. I had my BBQ team's 7 ft. Lang smoker and also rented two other large (inferior) smokers. I managed to get 600 lbs. of pork shoulders shoe horned into these 3 cookers with 7 stragglers on my WSM 22. It was a major operation organizing volunteers for injecting and rubbing and then pulling when the port was done. This was a giant event that was had a lot more moving parts than me getting the meat done, but it was something I was proud of mostly because the product was good and it was a challenge on a scale that I had never attempted before (and likely would not accept again). There were lots of leftovers that the church was able to use at other events with the staff.
I was part of a KCBS team for five years. We decided to retire after 2015 (Age, chronic health issues for all of us, along with my frustration with not putting in any effort to improve our results).
Summer 2019 we threw a big BBQ party, as the leader of the BBQ team was relocating to the Phoenix area. It was the best brisket I had ever done ( while each of us worked on all the meats, one always had the lead for each category). The pork was great as were the ribs. It was a combined effort that was fun and satisfying. My main criteria is always was the food good? And it was.
The other cook that comes to mind was in 2012. The pastor of my church asked me to cook pulled pork for a huge all-church lunch. The estimated attendance was 1000. I had my BBQ team's 7 ft. Lang smoker and also rented two other large (inferior) smokers. I managed to get 600 lbs. of pork shoulders shoe horned into these 3 cookers with 7 stragglers on my WSM 22. It was a major operation organizing volunteers for injecting and rubbing and then pulling when the port was done. This was a giant event that was had a lot more moving parts than me getting the meat done, but it was something I was proud of mostly because the product was good and it was a challenge on a scale that I had never attempted before (and likely would not accept again). There were lots of leftovers that the church was able to use at other events with the staff.
Kelly C
TVWBB Pro
When I taught our son how to smoke meats this year!
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Brad Olson
TVWBB Diamond Member
They're all the best because AFAIK I've never food-poisoned anyone. The results have varied widely over the years and I'm my harshest critic, but if nobody's selling Buicks after eating it's a win in my book. I'm not thrilled you didn't like it, but I'm glad you're alive to tell me.
But if I have to think of "best" as an achievement, it would be smoking 4 butts and grilling a ton of sliced beef for my daughter's baby shower. The plan was to grill a couple of chuck roasts and then slice them for sandwiches at the party, but I mentioned this to the head butcher when I placed my order and he did me the "favor" of slicing the beef (and very thinly, I might add) for me. So I salted all those slices the night before and that morning I sweated my a** off over the 26" for what seemed like an eternity...and the beef turned out to be a big hit. And as a bonus, 2 of the butts went untouched (I pulled them as needed at the party) so I dropped them off at the restaurant when my other daughter works, and they were devoured by the staff. Win-win!
But if I have to think of "best" as an achievement, it would be smoking 4 butts and grilling a ton of sliced beef for my daughter's baby shower. The plan was to grill a couple of chuck roasts and then slice them for sandwiches at the party, but I mentioned this to the head butcher when I placed my order and he did me the "favor" of slicing the beef (and very thinly, I might add) for me. So I salted all those slices the night before and that morning I sweated my a** off over the 26" for what seemed like an eternity...and the beef turned out to be a big hit. And as a bonus, 2 of the butts went untouched (I pulled them as needed at the party) so I dropped them off at the restaurant when my other daughter works, and they were devoured by the staff. Win-win!
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Michael Richards
TVWBB Emerald Member
Yeah I want two slices!!!
Chris in Louisiana
TVWBB All-Star
The first time I ran across a USDA prime packer brisket, I smoked it for a party. It was fantastic. Some said it was the best thing they had ever eaten, and a couple seriously questioned whether I really cooked it.
I have smoked many briskets, but that one was truly special.
I have smoked many briskets, but that one was truly special.
JimK
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Don't know that it was my best, but certainly my biggest. Our firstborn's first birthday, we ended up having over 40 people on a Sunday afternoon. As I recall, I put 5 butts on the WSM on Friday night and took them off Saturday afternoon. After pulling those and getting the mess cleaned up, I put 6 chickens on. Had everything ready to go for Sunday afternoon and put it all in the oven to start reheating, then transferred to chafing dishes as needed. It was a ton of work. 18 months later, when our next child had his first birthday, I called Domino's. 
Hrrrrm.... just a bit of an addition..... probably the most memorable cook, not necessarily the best. I'd just finished welding up my monster gravity fed smoker, smoked a pork tenderloin, bolted it down to a trailer and hauled it 600 miles each way, to smoke food for my brother's surprise 65th birthday party (about 70 people.) Really good food, especially considering I'd practically never cooked with it, brisket, pork butt & chicken. This is where I set up to smoke.
Edit: this past summer, 2 years after this bash, one of my cousins asked me, even before saying hello, "are you still smoking?" I'll take that as a compliment.
Edit: this past summer, 2 years after this bash, one of my cousins asked me, even before saying hello, "are you still smoking?" I'll take that as a compliment.
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Brad Olson
TVWBB Diamond Member
Even though it's a little bit left-handed, IMO that's one of the best compliments to get.
JohnBankert
New member
Might be the half turkey breast I did for solo Thanksgiving this tear. I brined It as per recipe on here on VWB and smoked it for a couple of hours with cherry wood. Best turkey I’ve ever had.