Greetings from IL

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PorkBones

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jul 25, 2019
63
31
Hello all! I just started smoking a couple months ago. I've used the smoker nearly every weekend since I began. The first thing I smoked was a 12 lb brisket. Having no experience, the end result was less than thrilling. The flavor was definitely there. But it was not nearly as tender and juicy as I had hoped. I had a hard time maintaining the right temp. It was running hot. So my bright idea was to prop the lid open to let the heat escape while the heat source burned down. Ha!

I've since smoked pork shoulders, spatchcock chicken, and spare ribs. I quickly learned how to control the temp. They all turned out amazing. The spare ribs, and the rib tips in particular, were honestly in the top 5 of best thing I've ever eaten. I trimmed the tips, put them on the top rack, and had the two St. Louis racks down below. The rib tips were unreal; juicy, tender, sweet with some heat, and caramelized, with the perfect amount of bark. After dinner, I kept snacking on them. Fortunately, I smoked two full racks. So there was a lot there.

I've learned a lot since that first brisket, thanks in part to this forum. I'm smoking another 12 lb packer on Saturday. Fingers crossed!
 
Thanks for the welcome. I always take pics along the way. I'll be sure to post my results. This smoker has kind of ruined me on traditional cooking. I love the ritual. It's also spoiled me on BBQ. I can't pay for it in a restaurant knowing it wouldn't come close to what I can do at home! Even my picky wife, who is from Kansas City, raves about it.
 
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