What to do first?

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I'm sure this has been asked a million times on this forum, but the big brown truck is coming tomorrow with my WSM just in time for the weekend. So what should it be for the inaugural smoke? Pork butt, ribs, chicken, brisket? I'm interested in hearing all recommendations. This is my first trip into the world of barbecue, easy would be good, but not mandatory.

Thanks for any info.
 
I did a full chicken with a coating of season salt and it turn out a great and a real confidence builder. Plus the price for chicken is worth learning about WSM temp control without it coasting you an arm or leg if you blow it.
 
Congrats on your new WSM. You'll have alot of fun and great food with it.

For a first cook, chicken is always good. It's not too expensive, pretty forgiving if you over cook it and it always tastes great. Just follow some of the directions around this great site and you'll do fine.

If you don't feel like poultry, and don't mind spending the extra $$, try the BRITU (Best Ribs In The Universe) recipe that Chris has posted in the cooking section found here Just follow the recipe, it really isn't that hard, just watch your temps and keep it somewhere between 225 and 250. They'll be great!
 
I would recommend one of the shorter-cooking items, those being ribs or chicken, chicken being the easier. Whether it's whole or halved, do yourself a favor and get an instant read themometer-- chicken is actually not that forgiving. The difference between moist and dry white meat can be as little as 5 degrees. If you do your chicken low (225-250*) it will take about 4 hours. When it hits 160* in the breast, take it off and rest it, loosely covered in foil for 15-20 minutes before carving. Alternately, you can do it at 325-350* with a dry water pan, which might work better on a new WSM, since they tend to run hotter until you get a soot layer built up on the inside. Again, go by your thermometer, and not your clock.

Ribs, specifically spares, can be cooked at 225-250* for anywhere from 5-1/2 to as much as 8 or 9 hours and still come out good. Splurge on baby backs, and you can be done in as little as 4-5 hours-- they're smaller and leaner.

Oh, and whatever thermometers you use, test them for accuracy in boiling water.
 
another alternative..baby back ribs, for me, are easier because there's minimum/no prep, just open and cook..you get a 5-7 hour cook and a great meal/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

whatever you cook will surprise you I'm betting.
 
Go for the chicken on your first cook. Its easy and forgiving, except if you use too much smoke wood. Poultry really sucks it up. My first cook was chicken with 3 chunks of maple and it was borderline too bitter. Use only 1 chunk for your first cook, then if the smoke flavor is not enough, you can add more next time without turning your family off to the wonderful world of bbq because your first cook was too bitter.
 
I did a couple of chickens on the bottom rack and some baby back ribs on the top rack for my first smoke. Both were done in 4 to 5 hrs.

Used a handful of oak, not too much.

Pork Eat World
Sonny
 
Chuck D,

I agree on the temp window but I assume that folks have a probe and will be monitoring the temps.

Probably a stupid assumption...

As for "forgiving", I meant that it could be cooked at 205 degrees or 325 degrees and it would still be good.

I figure that most rookies and first timers have a harder time with temp control that meat temp.

Anyway, have a great weekend...
 
I'm often confused with my rapping brothers, Chuck and Heavy... /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
 
I couldn't make up my mind, ribs, chicken, ribs, chicken, ribs, chicken ...

I'm doing both.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll come back Sunday night with a critique of the results.
 
I often do more than one thing. Last week it was 3 racks of spares, a whole chicken, and a chuck roast. The chicken was on the bottom, and was done first. The spares were on the top and done next, and the chuck roast, also on the bottom, stayed on until the internal temp hit 188*.
 
One down, many more to go. Did one 2 lb slab of back ribs using a modified BRITU recipe, and butterflied one 5 lb chiken. Both came out unbelievably good.

Now I know what you guys have been raving about.

I hate to think how many disasters I might have had if it hadn't been for this site. Thanks to all for the great info. Makes life as a noob a lot easier.
 
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