This Little Piggy
I awakened early today for dinner preparation. I'm slow cooking a 9 pound pork butt. I'll be tied to house all day. I don't claim to be a grill master but I do okay. Most everything I smoke or grill comes out very good, sometimes great, with an occasional mishap because I like to experiment.
I've gotten a good amount of use of my Brinkman smoker over the past 2 1/2 years. It's a simple non-electric wet smoke model. I use charcoal and wood chips, usually mesquite. I've also used hickory, apple wood and pecan.
The temperature gage is very basic .... low, ideal and hot .... so I don't know exactly what the temp is when I'm smoking. This morning I put a thermometer inside the smoker for the first time hoping to keep an even temp all day. The experts claim slow cooking temp should be regulated in the 250-275 range.
I've read several slow cook smoking and grilling recipes for large roasts. The temps and cooking times are all over the map, from 200 degrees for 18 hours to 325 for 8 hours, or less. I'm planning a twelve hour cook. Near the end I may move it over to the gas grill for some direct heat because I like the outside of the meat barky.
It was windy yesterday. I was concerned the gusts might carry over today. Wind wreaks havoc on outdoor cooking. This morning is beautiful, calm, sunny with an expected high temp in the 80's. We've had an exceptional spring, not so hot.
Over the years you learn tricks, sometimes through trial and error, other times from advice. For months I searched unsuccessfully for a simple bellows for stoking the fames on my smoker. A guy at the BBQ shop suggested I use a blow dryer. It was perfect advice except for the dryer no longer being useful indoors. It blows smokey smelling air. Oops.
I prefer dry rub seasoning over barbeque sauces. I rarely use sauce but have some at the dinner table for those who do. Yesterday I bought a syringe for injecting the meat with seasonings. This is my first pork butt on the smoker. I'm hoping for the best. Fingers are crossed.
Baked potato, corn-on-the-cob and a garden salad will accompany my little piggy for dinner. A nice IPA will wash it all down.
There will be plenty of leftovers for pulled pork sandwiches. That's when I'll break out the BBQ sauce.