My first time smoking

[longhair75]

Good afternoon friends!

I am brand new to smoking meat.  I have been cooking forever, and grilling, but I will fire up my smoker for the first time tomorrow.  I have a lovely rack of St. Louis cut ribs (they were out of baby backs) and a couple of chickens.  

I plan to put the rub on the ribs tonight and let them sit in the fridge, and rinse the chickens and let them air dry in the fridge over night.

I am using an offset smoker with Royal Oak lump charcoal.  I have some hickory and apple wood chips I will soak and then put in smoker boxes.  I will allow six hours or so for the smoke time.

I may or may not be on teh right track here, and we could end up ordering pizza for dinner tomorrow, but I plan to give it my best shot.

Wish me luck!

 

[noboundaries]

Longhair75, enjoy your smoke!  Sounds like you have a plan and that's great!  Stick to it and enjoy the results.  Those long-term cooking instincts will come in handy.  It may not be perfect the first time but it will be delicious!   

 

[lemans]

Low and slow

 

[longhair75]

Thanks.  I don't expect perfection, but the journey begins with the first step.

I got my first job in an Italian restaurant, and was a line cook before I was fifteen. (No OSHA in 1968...)  I spent my high school and college years in commercial kitchens.  The stuff I learned has served me well.  It is time for a new adventure.

 

[noboundaries]

The only "fails" I've had since I started smoking last year was when I discarded my instincts and decades of cooking experience and followed recommendations that just didn't feel quite right.  Your learning curve will be very short due to your experience.  A smoker is just a smoky oven.  Once you get temp control in hand, the rest is a piece of cake. Cake, not recommended for smoking.

 

[dave17a]

 
Longhair75, enjoy your smoke!  Sounds like you have a plan and that's great!  Stick to it and enjoy the results.  Those long-term cooking instincts will come in handy.  It may not be perfect the first time but it will be delicious!   

 

[longhair75]

Thanks all for the support.  I will report back

 

[longhair75]

Failure.  My ribs are braising in the oven

 

[lemans]

What happened?