Champco
Super Member
OK guys...my son is coming up from MD in a couple weeks and wants to have a smokeout and then have some meats to freeze and take back with him.
I havent done any long haul smokes yet so I need some advice on timing this out. I want to preferably get two smallish size butts vs one large one...a brisket..and possibly ribs will be involved. What would your process be in order to eat around say 6pm at the finish line? Stacking order matter?..like ribs on top..then brisket then butts?
From what I've gathered...pork runs about 2hrs@lb..brisket at 1hr@lb. Ribs are easy enough..I've done them enough at roughly 6hrs. Being new to me smoker I still dont know if I can trust it to let it go unattended for like an overnight smoke.
I'm going to do some meatloaf this weekend to dial in keeping the smoke box going at low temps. This lernin' is so much better than skool wuz!!
Lemme hear how you would go about it and your experience.
Remote meat thermometer.
Cook Brisket day or TWO before feast. Internal temp to 200/205 Degrees. No less no more. Salt the living **** out of it, before you cook. Whatever rubs you use test for salt but salt on Brisket is your friend. After 6 hours of cooking if the temp is not up there yet, (because you are cooking low & slow) Wrap it in Aluminum foil to keep it from drying out. If you want it to be tender. 200 degrees. keep and use all the juices in the foil. On feast day, oven warm it in a 300 degree oven for 40 minutes in the same foil. When you slice it to serve have the juices in the mix. Pork but is very similar but it can be dry so again after smoking for a period, 4-6 hours. Wrap it. Save the juice. When it pulls apart, about 180 degrees on the thermometer, pull it apart and add the juices. You can do this the day before as well. warm it with the brisket.
Ribs are best to me right off the smoker. Ribs are subjective but depending on what ribs we are talking about and how much meat is on them they are all the same in that they must cook low and slow to get what you want.
Internal smoking temp about 240 for 4 hours will yield edible ribs of any kind but not necessarily the best.
Here is where you do your thing. Do you sauce them? With a good rub you do not need sauce, but sauces are a preference and never hurts. 1/2 hour before serving slather em up on the heat let it caramelize for 20/30 minutes depending on doneness and time to eat.
When are ribs done? Well if you grab the rack with tongs and they fall apart they are over done but still good. I like to test them with the tongs. I sometimes cut full racks in half to cook. When I pick em up with the tongs I will see how they flex bending the end and watch the juices surface. perfect.
Sometimes temp can get out of control for whatever reason so time comes down. The Key is in all these meats is the fat renders when they are ready to come off the heat. Do not forget the salt on any of these meats.
Also depending on what woods you are smoking with 4/5 ounces of wood in the beginning is usually enough. Some people cannot take heavily smoked meet. Less is more.
