Hey everyone 
, glad to be here.
Having grown up in north Texas, and calling Austin home since 2010, I'm no stranger to good barbecue. I've always loved grilling (and cooking in general), but could never justify investing in a smoker as a renter moving frequently between apartments/houses. Well, I recently purchased my first home and FINALLY was able to take the plunge! I've had some exposure to pellet grills in the past and, while the final product was always great, the overall experience just didn't provide the challenge or satisfaction I personally wanted and knew I could get out of maintaining a fire in a stick burner. Side note: I'm also a big camper/hiker/backpacker so playing with fire is absolutely in my wheelhouse haha. Thanks to my location, I was able to track down a 1/4" steel pit with a decent size firebox locally (manufactured by Texas Longhorn BBQ Pits out of Uvalde, TX) and not long ago I brought her home and got her seasoned and ready to start my smoking journey. I'm real excited to be able to (hopefully) make some fantastic barbecue at home to share with my family and friends now.
I'll be using the forum as a resource for learning, finding recipes and tips/tricks of the trade, as well as generally seeking out inspiration. As a first request, I'd love if you threw some suggestions my way for what to smoke first! From my reading thus far, it seems pork butts are generally forgiving but can also take a very long time to smoke. If there's anything that might take less time while testing out my fire management skills and not necessarily breaking the bank then send it my way.
Happy Smoking!
Bonus pics of the smoker the day I brought it home as well as just before seasoning. Not pictured is a firebox grate for open fire grilling, can't wait.
, glad to be here.Having grown up in north Texas, and calling Austin home since 2010, I'm no stranger to good barbecue. I've always loved grilling (and cooking in general), but could never justify investing in a smoker as a renter moving frequently between apartments/houses. Well, I recently purchased my first home and FINALLY was able to take the plunge! I've had some exposure to pellet grills in the past and, while the final product was always great, the overall experience just didn't provide the challenge or satisfaction I personally wanted and knew I could get out of maintaining a fire in a stick burner. Side note: I'm also a big camper/hiker/backpacker so playing with fire is absolutely in my wheelhouse haha. Thanks to my location, I was able to track down a 1/4" steel pit with a decent size firebox locally (manufactured by Texas Longhorn BBQ Pits out of Uvalde, TX) and not long ago I brought her home and got her seasoned and ready to start my smoking journey. I'm real excited to be able to (hopefully) make some fantastic barbecue at home to share with my family and friends now.
I'll be using the forum as a resource for learning, finding recipes and tips/tricks of the trade, as well as generally seeking out inspiration. As a first request, I'd love if you threw some suggestions my way for what to smoke first! From my reading thus far, it seems pork butts are generally forgiving but can also take a very long time to smoke. If there's anything that might take less time while testing out my fire management skills and not necessarily breaking the bank then send it my way.
Happy Smoking!
Bonus pics of the smoker the day I brought it home as well as just before seasoning. Not pictured is a firebox grate for open fire grilling, can't wait.
