New Smoker, 1st Time Smoking

thebig1 · May 4, 2016

Well today I picked up an original New Braunfels horizontal smoker for $125 off of Craigslist. It's in amazing condition.

The wife and I have been going over the recipes and have settled on Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs for our first attempt.

I bought some mesquite and some pecan wood pieces tonight at Wal-Mart.

I would appreciate any advice for my first time doing this. PLEASE, in giving me tips please tell me in extreme detail as if I were simple, step by step. No matter how trivial or simple you may think it is, I probably don't know it.

I appreciate anything that you may have to add. I'd rather not have pizza on speed dial.

Chad

thebig1 · May 4, 2016

Well, as I'm reading, perhaps I'll try a pork butt for my first time since everyone says that it's the most forgiving meat cut to smoke.

gary s · May 4, 2016

Pork Butt is easy real hard to screw up

Gary

thebig1 · May 4, 2016

That's right up my alley. I'm searching for a good rub now.

hardcookin · May 4, 2016

TheBig1 said:
That's right up my alley. I'm searching for a good rub now.

Chicken thighs is about 1 - 1.5 hour cook @ 300 also hard to mess up.

Pork Butt will probably be a lot longer cook. Usually figure about and hour a lb....@ 275

joe black · May 4, 2016

My vote for a first cook is whole chicken. It's easy, quick and inexpensive. Check out the search bar and look up "Spatchcocked Chicken". It's basically a butterflied bird and there are some very good recipes on here for a really good chicken.

As for rubs and sauce, You can't beat Jeff's recipes. They are available here and are really user friendly. The recipes can be easily tweaked to your personal taste. The proceeds from buying the recipes goes to support and maintain this great site.

Good luck and good smokin', Joe

mike5051 · May 4, 2016

I'm with Joe on the chicken! It can handle the temp fluctuations of learning your smoker. A butt will also handle the temps but will take a lot longer to smoke. Either way, glad you joined us!

Mike

foamheart · May 5, 2016

I say "Nekkid Chicken", its cheap, its delicious, chickens are easy to find, and its so easy its hard to believe it can be so juicy and delicios!

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/156212/nekkid-chicken-foamheart

Its just sooo easy, fast, inexpensive, easy to find, and delicious!

redrocker65200 · May 5, 2016

Let me start by saying I am fairly new to all this myself. My first try was chicken breasts with bacon on top. Simple rub i got from a member here. Just salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and I used Italian seasoning since I did not have thyme. 3 hours at 225 and an internal temp of 165 and all was good. Applewood in the wood tray. I did a pork butt and it was not easy. And it took alot longer to do and did not come out that great. My vote is for chicken the first time.

SmokinAl · May 5, 2016

I vote chicken too.

Whole or pieces.

Wings are super easy.

Here's a couple of recipes.

http://www.smoking-meat.com/tag/chicken-wings

Al

hakamo0o · May 5, 2016

You will love the taste of your own smoked meat more.

I started smoking meat a month or so ago, since then; I am smoking meat every Saturday.

My first batch was chicken wings, they were easy to do and quick.

I just threw them inside (face down). Kept the temperature at 275F and 3 hours later they were done and bronze in color.

I dipped them in wing sauce (I make my own but you can buy Crystal wing sauce) and put them on a HOT (420F) grill for 4 min each side (I use an electric oven for that).

This is my favorite snack, every time I have a space in my smoker; I do a couple of lbs ,

thebig1 · May 5, 2016

Thanks folks, I guess I'm back to chicken now. I'm going to check out the links that you all provided and choose one. I still think that those boneless/skinless bacon wrapped chicken thighs stuffed with cheese and jalapenos looks amazing.

I know at our local restaurant supply store they sell "fryer" chickens which are whole chickens that are cut down the middle to lay flat on the grill. I haven't looked at the recipes you've provided yet but I'm wondering if that's what is described in them to use.

I'll be checking them out.

The wife also wants corn on the cob so I've been searching around here for recipes for the smoker. There really aren't too many that I found though. Does anyone have a good corn on the cob recipe for the smoker? We usually boil them in water with milk and sugar, take them out and add butter and Slap Ya' Mama and tear them up. I'm thinking of peeling the husk back, removing the silk, rubbing with butter and Slap Ya' Mama, putting the husk back on, and putting it on the smoker. I just don't know for how long to do it though.

Thanks again,

Chad

thebig1 · May 5, 2016

I just read the Smoking Basics Ecourse as well as Jeff's Biggest Mistake article, and I'm thinking that I might want to give a pork butt a try. Dang does he make it sound easy and tasty!!!

Chad

tropics · May 5, 2016

TheBig1 said:
I just read the Smoking Basics Ecourse as well as Jeff's Biggest Mistake article, and I'm thinking that I might want to give a pork butt a try. Dang does he make it sound easy and tasty!!!

Chad

On that smoker you could do both, PP is easy

Richie

thebig1 · May 5, 2016

Ok, I know that you fine folks have advised me to possibly try chicken prior to pork butt, but I think that I'm going to go for the gusto. The wife won't get off of work until late Saturday afternoon/evening so I'll have plenty of time to do everything.

My menu will consist of:

Boston Butt

ABT's

Corn on the Cobb

After reading the Ecourse as well as Jeff's Best Mistake article, I think that I can pull it off. That Ecourse is chalked full of a ton of information.

Any tips, suggestions, rubs, etc... are always greatly appreciated. I can't wait, and look forward to sharing my Qview with you all.

Chad

tropics · May 5, 2016

Do a search for Chef JJ finishing sauce

thebig1 · May 5, 2016

tropics said:
Do a search for Chef JJ finishing sauce

Last night I found, and was planning to use, SoFlaQuer's Finishing Sauce this time. I'll definitely have to try Chef JJ's the next time.

Thank you for pointing out another option for me.

What I'm really in need of is a rub recipe. I'm dying to try Jeff's but the wife said that we're not buying a recipe.

tropics · May 5, 2016

TheBig1 said:
Last night I found, and was planning to use, SoFlaQuer's Finishing Sauce this time. I'll definitely have to try Chef JJ's the next time.

Thank you for pointing out another option for me.

What I'm really in need of is a rub recipe. I'm dying to try Jeff's but the wife said that we're not buying a recipe.

Have you checked in here

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/f/123/sauces-rubs-amp-marinades

thebig1 · May 5, 2016

Thanks Tropic, I'll start looking around in there. I did do a search for "Pork Rub" and was going through them but I'm looking for one that's not salt based like Jeff's.

I actually think that I found one that I'm going to try out.

wild west · May 5, 2016

TheBig1 said:
Last night I found, and was planning to use, SoFlaQuer's Finishing Sauce this time. I'll definitely have to try Chef JJ's the next time.

Thank you for pointing out another option for me.

What I'm really in need of is a rub recipe. I'm dying to try Jeff's but the wife said that we're not buying a recipe. :th_crybaby2:

Im a newb like you. Did my first pp last weekend and used JJ's rub and finish sauce for pork and it was the best ive had. Good luck but its so easy you can pull it off.

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