This is my second try at meatballs on my mini, and after realizing earlier this week that we were out of pulled pork for a weeknight meal I put in a portion of a pork shoulder too.
The meatballs had been mixed up a couple of weeks ago with a mixture of ground beef, tomato sauce, and quick cooking oats. We get beef from my uncle's farm and it can't be beat. Friday night I put some a little mustard on each meatball along with some of my basic bbq rub.
The pork was part of a shoulder, the rest of which became BBB. Same exterior preparation with mustard and basic bbq rub as the meatballs, along with an injection of apple juice, worc. sauce, sugar and salt.
I set up the mini's basket with some hickory and a hole in the middle for the lit coals.
Pork on the bottom rack, meatballs on the top rack on my latest purchase, a cut piece of q-matz. Temperature 240-250.
While the smoker was rolling, it was a good chance to make some crescent rolls. Here's a shot after the dough rose, divided it into thirds, rolled into a circle, painted with melted butter, and cut into triangles with a pizza cutter.
The meatballs don't all come to temperature at the same time, so of course the early ones have to get sampled! Here's a close-up.
Here's the pork at around 145... on a rack in a pan with what was left of the injection and a little more apple juice. Inserted the Maverick, covered with foil, and into the oven at 250 to get up to 200.
Here are a couple of final shots of the pork. The mini provides a much more pronounced smoke flavor and ring than my MES even though the mini does require a more watchful eye. I de-fatted the leftover liquid and mixed some back into the pork after shredding along with a touch of bbq sauce.
Overall I was very happy with the meatballs, they were pretty fantastic. The pulled pork was good too, I just wished I'd left it on for a few more degrees to shred a little easier. Later!
The meatballs had been mixed up a couple of weeks ago with a mixture of ground beef, tomato sauce, and quick cooking oats. We get beef from my uncle's farm and it can't be beat. Friday night I put some a little mustard on each meatball along with some of my basic bbq rub.
The pork was part of a shoulder, the rest of which became BBB. Same exterior preparation with mustard and basic bbq rub as the meatballs, along with an injection of apple juice, worc. sauce, sugar and salt.
I set up the mini's basket with some hickory and a hole in the middle for the lit coals.
Pork on the bottom rack, meatballs on the top rack on my latest purchase, a cut piece of q-matz. Temperature 240-250.
While the smoker was rolling, it was a good chance to make some crescent rolls. Here's a shot after the dough rose, divided it into thirds, rolled into a circle, painted with melted butter, and cut into triangles with a pizza cutter.
The meatballs don't all come to temperature at the same time, so of course the early ones have to get sampled! Here's a close-up.
Here's the pork at around 145... on a rack in a pan with what was left of the injection and a little more apple juice. Inserted the Maverick, covered with foil, and into the oven at 250 to get up to 200.
Here are a couple of final shots of the pork. The mini provides a much more pronounced smoke flavor and ring than my MES even though the mini does require a more watchful eye. I de-fatted the leftover liquid and mixed some back into the pork after shredding along with a touch of bbq sauce.
Overall I was very happy with the meatballs, they were pretty fantastic. The pulled pork was good too, I just wished I'd left it on for a few more degrees to shred a little easier. Later!
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