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I'm seeing a lot of people getting into grilling/barbecuing this year so this is a thread for all the beginners and wanna grill bosses. Any questions or thoughts feel free to ask
What you absolutely need
1) Grill (a charcoal Weber 22" Kettle or Smokey Joe, Propane is not BBQ)
2) Spatula
3) Tongs
4) Grill scraper. Get the one with steel bristles
5) Chimney. No need to use lighter fluid to get the charcoal going with this
1) Grill (a charcoal Weber 22" Kettle or Smokey Joe, Propane is not BBQ)
2) Spatula
3) Tongs
4) Grill scraper. Get the one with steel bristles
5) Chimney. No need to use lighter fluid to get the charcoal going with this
I started grilling and smoking meats on just a 22" Weber kettle for years. I didn't even get a dedicated smoker until this year. You can do almost everything you want and on the cheap.
But Bill, you say, my dad always burnt everything to a crisp with charcoal. That's because he likely never used a two zone method. You want the coals on one side of the grill, with the other side clear. The clear side acts as an oven, the coal side for searing. More on this later
To get the concept in your mind, think of a steak. The char on the steak brings out the most delicious flavors out of it, but any more and it is a disgusting mess. How do you avoid that?
With the two zone method, you can do a reverse sear. You use the cool side to act as an oven. You can cook the steak on that side until you get it to usually about 10 degrees below what you like, and then sear it off until at correct doneness
The vents on all grills and smokers are the keys to the temperature on a charcoal grill. More air = higher temp. Less air = lower temp. If you shut top and bottom vents, it'll kill off the coals which you can save for the next use
My recommendation is to keep the bottom vent open and use the top vent to regulate temp. If it getting too hot you can start by closing off the top, and if it is fully closed and still too hot, start closing the bottom.
When you get a new grill, your temps are going to be high high HIGH because there is no gunk in that thing. The gunk gets in all the crevasses and helps make the temps regulate along with general seasoning. What is the best way to get gunk?
Pulled Pork. This is the number one go to for any man woman or child when they want to start smoking meat. Nearly impossible to screw up and delicious every single time
So you got a Weber kettle, or a Traeger, or whatever the fuck you had a hard on for, and you want to smoke meat. You should always do a first smoke with pulled pork. The amount of grease it lets off will season your grill or smoke immediately
The directions here are for a Weber kettle, since that is the cheapest way to both grill and smoke
First, the wood. This is more important than you thing. Wood gives off certain chemical profiles when burned. Fruit woods play nice with white meat (pork/chicken) while other woods like oak and hickory play nicer with beef. You can mix and match, but let's do apple for pork
Get apple wood CHUNKS. Not chips. I wasted a lot of time with chips, they suck and just burn. You'll get some smoke but it is not the smoldering kind you need
Smoking on the weber is not "easy" but frankly that is part of the fun. Smoking on anything that is just fire and wood with no electrical parts is never going to be easy. Get used to drinking beer and looking at the temps
To smoke on a Weber, you need to do the snake method. You can google it, but the short is, you make a snake of 4 bricks of charcoal around the kettle with wood on top and then light the one side, then use the vents to get to the temp you desire
Another reason why I recommend pulled pork as a first time smoke is it is VERY forgiving. You can aim for 275 in temp and if it goes to 300 or even 325 you can't ruin it. Just choke off the air and bring it down
I recommend getting a meat therometer but you should already have that. If not, shame, but just get any one for ten bucks somewhere. They'll be slightly off but it's more of a guide unless you get to semi-pro like me
If you want to eat pulled pork for dinner, and it is past 10am, you are not eating pulled pork for dinner. You'll need to wake up early to get this going. Each piece of meat is different but it can take 8-12 for each pork butt to cook to 203 (my preferred temp)
If you don't have a thermometer, the pork butt is done when the shoulder bone comes out easily. I could get into rubs and sauces all day but that comes down to personal preference. I recommend just making your own with the Memphis dust recipe
After all that time and effort, you still need to let the meat rest, for about 30-60 minutes. You really need to let every piece of meat you make have a rest period. Steaks/burgers/chicken 10-15 minutes, big piece of meat 30-60
I recommend getting a basket for vegetables for grilling. Throw any of them in with salt and pepper, spritz some oil on them and sear them off until cooked. Delicious every time
Trimming meats is one thing I wish I learned a lot sooner. You absolutely have to trim brisket, spare ribs, chicken, almost all big cuts of meat. Look on youtube for how to do it properly. You may think you are losing pounds but you gain more in flavor and consistency
Big Boy Tip:
If smoking a meat, especially a large cut like pork butt or brisket, do NOT open the lid for three hours. Every time you open the lid it throws the temp off, which will screw up getting a nice bark on either
If smoking a meat, especially a large cut like pork butt or brisket, do NOT open the lid for three hours. Every time you open the lid it throws the temp off, which will screw up getting a nice bark on either
The dreaded Stall:
So you've been smoking a pork butt for six hours and it hasn't moved at all from 155 degrees for an hour. That's because it is stalled due to mass/moisture. You can either power through it (adds hours to cook) or wrap it in foil to get through it
So you've been smoking a pork butt for six hours and it hasn't moved at all from 155 degrees for an hour. That's because it is stalled due to mass/moisture. You can either power through it (adds hours to cook) or wrap it in foil to get through it
So you are having a BBQ party. What's the plan? Pulled pork you can make the day before and heat it in the oven the day of. Brisket will delight your guests but prepare to either a) stay up all night cooking it or b) trying the Myron Mixon hot and fast method
Brisket is going to be a 10-15 hour cook depending on the weight smoking at 225 as recommended. Myron said screw that and does it in 5-6 at 325. Low and slow is more tender I found but I think I prefer the hot and fast. Up to you to try it out
