My First Smoke: Brisket, Drumsticks and Sausage

The past few months, I've been thinking more and more about getting a smoker. After some research, I purchased a new propane Masterbuilt, which I thought would be fine for a novice like myself.

Yesterday, I decided to pull the trigger and use it. I took my brisket out two hours prior to firing up my smoker and seasoned it with salt, pepper and garlic powder after trimming it. I opted for hickory for my first go around, which I think panned out nicely. My 4 lb brisket cooked at 250 for five hours. Three hours in, I made a sort of impulse move to add some marinaded drumsticks and spicy Italian sausage.

I think having to do a million things around the house yesterday before friends showed up, was sort of a blessing. It didn't give me the oppoetu ity to be impatient and constantly check om the meat. I used a digital thermometer and only opened the door when I noticed there was no more smoke, simply to add water.

I could not have been more pleased with the results of my first smoke. The wings and brisket in particular were so tender and moist. The brisket even heated up nicely with a little butter along with some fried eggs and toast.

I can't wait to tackle some pork butts later this week!