Hello from the West Coast

[kranders]

Hi. I'm Ken Anderson from Santa Maria, California on the Central Coast of California and work at Vandenberg AFB. Around here they say you aren't bbq'ing unless you are doing it "Santa Maria Style", which is a tri-tip roast cooked over red oak coals.

I have not smoked before except for adding flavor to my grill with a smoker box and some wood chips. I like to use the "Jack Daniels Whiskey Barrel" chips. I am still cooking at about 300 degrees with indirect heat to cook a tri-tip 3 lb roast or a whole chicken in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I have grilled a turkey for the last couple of Thanksgivings using this method.

I just ordered a Landmann GOSM 38", 2 drawer, vertical propane smoker from Costco and should get it this week. I also ordered Jeff's book on Smoking Meat from Amazon and it should get here a day or two before the smoker. I'm looking forward to slow smoking some meat and I'm hoping to get into my first smoke next weekend.

 

[s2k9k]

Hi Ken! :welcome1: to SMF!!! We're happy you found us! You've come to the right place, we have over 50,000 members who just love to share their experience and over 1,000,000 posts describing it! Yea that’s right over 1,000,000!

The search bar at the top can be your best friend when you are trying to find answers to your questions but you can still ask too if you want!

We have an Articles section that is full of great information about smoking to include a lot of recipes and instructionals. Check it out there is a lot to learn in there!

You might want to check out Jeff's Free 5 day E-Course, it will teach you all the basics plus a whole lot more!

 

[seenred]

Welcome to the forums, Ken!  Glad you've joined us.  You've found a great place to learn and share ideas on our favorite pastimes...grilling, smoking, and curing great food!  There are lots of friendly and knowledgeable folks here who really enjoy helping one another.  Just ask any time you need help and you'll get plenty!

Red

 

[kranders]

Thanks for the welcome. While I'm waiting on the smoker to arrive I need to decide what cut of meat I want to try first. It's just the wife and me (empty nesters) so I'm not looking to cook a huge cut of meat. Any suggestions on what to try first for a total rookie?

 

[kathrynn]

 to SMF!  We are so glad you joined us!

If you didn't read the Terms of Service notes.....please do.  There are a few things that everyone should know about those pesky little rules before plunging into the forums. Rule #11......"Off Site Links are not allowed here at SMF" is something new. There are other simple guidelines for all of us to remember as we interact here.

If you need any help roaming around here in SMF....just give me a shout.  Happy to help any time!

Kat