I’ve been hooked on brisket lately they are fun because they are pretty finicky and you really have to keep an eye on them to be perfect. I use a big green egg and a homemade rub. The real key is to let them rest before serving.

KC got some good ribs and BBQ. I can't remember the name of it but my buddy brings me some KC sauce everytime he goes back home. Stuff is amazing.

Yep, Gates. I had to look it up but that is it. LOVE IT.

I have a Yoder YS640 pellet smoker and pretty much use it year round. Did a brisket, pork butt, chicken, tenderloins you name it fairly recently. I haven’t ventured into homemade rubs and sauces yet.

My wife finally took the time to learn how to use it and will sometimes use it to make dinner. Usually a tenderloin or chicken. I just gotta make sure it’s cleaned out for her to use it. She just turns it on and sets the temp.

We make our own rubs/sauce but generally focus on pork butt, pork belly, st louis style pork ribs, and beef brisket. Last cook I finally got my brisket 100% perfect and that certainly took some trial and error. We'll see how it goes next time. About the only thing I don't put in my smoker (Traeger) is chicken... LOL

Jeff

I thought this thread was about something else and I had something to contribute, but its about food so....

about to throw some wings on my Pit Barrel Cooker. best wings ever. about 12 people who have eaten them have bought a Pit Barrel! btw, i have nothing to do with the company, just love the product (especially for wings). Tomorrow i will throw a brisket in my Camp Chef Woodwind. I love it too. Watch the advert video on their website for entertainment. Pretty funny. Ends with a vegan chowing on ribs!

I have been using a stick burner for years but last winter I went and got myself one of those newfangled pellet grills. I have been using it a lot! I miss the amount of smokey flavor that the stick burner brings but man its so nice to not have to dedicate entire days to babysitting the smoker. This weekend I have a spatchcock chicken planned and maybe some shishkabobs. I have a pork butt still waiting in my freezer but I'm saving that for memorial day I think

Mostly pork shoulders here with the occasional two rack of ribs or brisket. Last weekend I smoked a 13lb pork shoulder (split in two from Costco) for a small family get together. Woke up at 4am to get it started lol.

St Louis ribs this past Sat, homemade dry rub, no wet mopping

- Big Green Egg with plate setter down, and DigiQ from BBQ Guru for temp control
- 250F until thick areas hit 203F (took just over 3.5 hours)
- Cowboy mixed hardwood lump charcoal
- a couple big chunks of cherry spaced in the anticipated burn zone for light, even smoke

First time using cherry on pork ribs and will use it again. I like the flavor profile as a change from my typ hickory

My least fav task with ribs is removing the membrane, but that effort is soooo worth it

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Prior to joining the Big Green Egg (BGE) cult last summer, I used just about every kind of smoker except pellet. The BGE with a DigiQ totally transformed my long overnight butt & brisket sessions

I can bring the BGE up to 225F, load in a butt at 9P, and then forget about it until morning knowing that the DigiQ is going to hold temp within a couple degrees until the butt is ready at 204F inside temp. Longest time so far is a 17 hour session that still had enough charcoal remaining in the basket to go for another couple hours

I also use a KickAsh wire basket, and that greatly improved aeration by reducing ash build up in the burn zone

Not a compensated user, just somebody who is finally achieving my low-n-slo goals after more than a decade of trying many methods to get there. It’s definitely not the only way, but the one I’m finally satisfied with

ATB - R

Dude. Same, but if it's about food then those sandwiches from Popeyes are bomb when I'm smoking weed.

Big green egg is the best money I’ve ever spent and I’ve used traegers, oil drums etc. It’s super efficient with the lump charcoal and puts a perfect smoke ring every time. The best thing is you can get these things cranked up high if you want to sear a steak also.

I do a lot of chicken ,ribs and poke butt.I like mesquite,cherry and apple .oak is my favorite.I like to put my dry rub on about 8am on football sunday put it in my smoker by 9am and nurse it all morning with bud light ready to eat by the end of game 2 .game 1 here 10am game 2 1pm late game 5pm .Best turkey I ever made I smoked 8 hours.

Jealous about peach wood. Only way I can find it here is mail order. Pecan chunks have recently been reliably found in 10-15 pound bags, so I have used it for lamb roasts and stuffed meatballs with great results.

I added a BGE pizza stone last Fall and no longer head out for pizza. It takes a bit of time + charcoal to hit 600F, but the hint of wood flavor reminds of East Coast pizza places with wood-fired ovens. I found larger chunks of charcoal work better than a ton of medium sized pieces for hitting 600F

Central Market has dough balls ready to warm and let rise, and I typically make 2-3 pies from one of these.

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Did my first turkey last thanksgiving, but haven’t fired up yet for summer....
Side box Char-broil smoker.

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Let's see
Shirley 24 x50 reverse flow
Anything from Oakridge for rubs
Any hardwood, I can't tell the difference
Brisket hot and fast 275* wrapped at stall 6 to 8 hrs till probes tender 2 hours in
cooler
Pork butt same as brisket till bone pulls easy 1 hour in cooler
Ribs 3-2-1 for St louis 2-2-1 for baby backs 3 in smoke 2 wrapped 1 sauced back in
smoke

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This picture makes me sad. My BGEs have been regulated to the garage since I moved to the new house last month. The movers were super happy when I told them to keep them in the garage because I'm getting a new patio. Well, I didn't know it wouldn't be until August until I could get my project programmed. I'm too lazy to move them out, even the medium, and then back because they are heavy AF and no easy access.

I've been regulated to my gasser, which is good for grilling. However, I messed up some beef ribs (I don't do often, but were on sale) recently because I'm not used to long cooks on the gasser.

I BBQ a lot, so I rotate Pork Butts, Brisket, STL spare ribs, and my favorite lamb breast (my kids don't like though). I usually reseverve chicken for grilling. Of course, I do the can't do without Turkey at Thanksgiving.

Here's a great place to start with smoked, stuffed meatballs. This is always a hit with the fam and company, especially with a mix of extra sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. I use thin slice reduced salt bacon - whatever is on sale that week. Regular bacon makes these a bit salty for my taste

https://www.smokedmeatsunday.com/bacon-wrapped-meatballs/

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And while you're there, I'm also a fan of their smoked meatloaf recipe:

https://www.smokedmeatsunday.com/smoked-meatloaf/

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During the winter I'll do a 2x or 3x batch and smoke them all at once. Once cool I'll slice the loaves up and vacuum seal dinner sized portions for easy leftovers. I've been doing loaves about every other month, a bit sooner if we have meatloaf loving company visiting for dinner

ATB - R

So I bought a new Traeger smoker last year and I am not sure if it is for me or not? I consider myself a good chef in the kitchen and I know how to prepare almost any restaurant quality meal. My problem with the Traeger smoker is I am finding it difficult to get the level of quality BBQ that I am looking for and accustomed to. I have experimented all last summer with ribs/brisket/pork and never was really satisfied with the results. From smoking 12+ hours low and slow to a combination of wrapping in foil with cider, etc. The cost is also significant with the cost of the ribs/brisket and the pellets are not cheap, also it is very time consuming. I did find success buying the raw rotisserie chickens from Costco and smoking them-hard to screw up chicken.

Now I am debating on selling my new Traeger and just getting my rib/brisket and pulled pork fix from my local award winning BBQ joint. We have an amazing local BBQ joint and I find myself comparing everything to their BBQ. If anyone has any secrets? I may try a few more times and if I do not get the level of quality I am looking for and if it cost too much and takes too much time I may throw in the towel on being a master smoker.

Plate Cut Beef Sort Ribs, Brisket with the delicious burnt ends of course, Boston Butts, Lots of ribs, wings, chicken legs and thighs, Mac n cheese all cooked on a Lang Offset smoker.

The issue is most BBQ joints and competition cooks use stick burners not pellet cookers. It is impossible to get the same flavor out of a pellet smoker.
Not saying they aren’t good because they are more user friendly for the average Joe,
just can’t get the same flavor.

I'm also a member of the Church of the BGE. Love doing brisket, want to do my first pork butt soon.

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I use the same meatloaf recipe (see link in post above) plus chopped green bell pepper and onions to make bacon wrapped meat logs

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My local BBQ joint is good but they want a an arm and a leg for their food.I am down to 1 arm 1 leg and 1 nut.

I love wings on the kettle with a vortex.

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Wangs - YES PLEASE!!!

It’s been a bit since my last batch, and now I’m having second thoughts on my decision to do pizza this coming Sat.

My last wangs session

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Here are a few things so far this year.

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romulusx - pardon my Vortex ignorance ... the two pieces of wood in the center of your food grate is your smoking wood chunks?

M-43 Tart Strawberry NE IPA - yes! I was able to snag a can of that last year thanks to Tavour.

btw I came across masterbuilt lump charcoal. best I have used yet! big ol chunks and burns slow. I will then toss in chunks of apple, pear, or cherry for the smoke. good clean burn is the key!!

Yes a couple chunks of hickory.
I used McCormicks smokehouse maple for seasoning.

this years batch just came out. I picked up a case!

I use a Napoleon Prestige gas grill with a smoker tray... I haven’t made the jump to a Kamado for charcoal yet. I make my own rib rub (Hutchin’s BBQ recipe!)

I like cherrywood or applewood for ribs (spares or baby backs) and really like hickory for wings, although I tried whiskey barrel and that was nice too.

The best product I’ve bought for smoking is ThermoWorks Signals probe thermometer. I LOVE this thing. Really great for smoking and reverse-searing steaks.

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I just use a $50 Weber like a real man...

actually I had a green egg for a few years and they are great but for me they are way too much work.

I may get one of those backyard pizza oven things though.

I’ve got a Traeger timberline 850, it’s super easy to use.
Lately I’ve been really liking the meat church seasoning especially the honey hog hot for ribs and chicken.

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You all need to give yardbird rub and bovine bold a try, fantastic flavor and color.

I use a Kettle Pizza accessory to make my pizza's on my Weber kettle.I use Kingsford charcoal and large wood chunks and get that bad boy up to 750 degrees!You know yourself how good these homemade pizza's can be off the grill.

I don't have a barbecue. And shouldn't be looking at all the delicious meats this late in the day.

Here is my contribution : https://shop.specialshit.com/#seasoning

LTG : )

On the topic of smoking/grilling ...

Who is brining as part of your meat prep routine, and what’s your preference(s)?

For my annual Tgiving turkey I wet brine (immersion in solution) with a concoction that includes salt, Zatarain’s liquid crab boil concentrate, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, crushed black pepper, and fresh Rosemary sprigs

For most all other meats I dry brine Texas style with just Kosher salt, usually for 12-36 hours uncovered in the fridge, and then load in to the BGE without rinsing.

Exception is pork ribs and pork butt where I apply the dry rub several hours in advance so the meat can absorb the salt and seasonings. I’m going to dry brine (salt only) my next batch of pork ribs, eliminate salt from my dry rub recipe, and apply this salt-less rub as usual ahead of load in. Should be an interesting experiment

Brining took my smoking/low-n-slo to a new level with flavor consistency thru the entire piece of meat. It’s easy to over do, especially if using the wrong kind of salt

ATB - R

I only truly brine my turkeys, I think it really helps keep it moist. For brisket I do my full rub 24 hours beforehand, put in a pan and pour some coffee in. I also use coffee in the crutch once it's around 120-130.

I have brined chicken wings in pickle juice. For whole turkey breast I just inject with infused butter. Haven't needed to brine. Pork is just dry rub.

Anyone doing Keto that has any good suggestions for spice rubs?