The BBQ Thread

Good idea! I've always liked brussel sprouts. I mean, it's not like I'd ask for them special on my birthday, but I've always liked them if they appeared for dinner. I think many people don't like them. But because I like them, some people, like my daughters, think I love them. I don't love them, but I like them as much as I like any vegetable. And those look really good. Looks like a nice cook. Well done, sir.
 
Fired up the old bullet smoker. 1 1/2 lb skinless pork belly with a chunk of post oak & pecan.
Average temp ~240° and it was probe tender at 196° internal. Nothing fancy...rubbed it down last night with some store bought, (Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust), and she's resting now. I'm trying something new, for me anyway, and am smoking some Brussels sprouts cut in half and tossed in some olive oil and some Kinder's SPG rub while the meat rests. I tossed a small piece of hickory on the coals for the sprouts.

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I loved my bullet. One day I'll get another one or a drum. Best way to smoke some butts. That belly looks fantastic.
 
Good idea! I've always liked brussel sprouts. I mean, it's not like I'd ask for them special on my birthday, but I've always liked them if they appeared for dinner. I think many people don't like them. But because I like them, some people, like my daughters, think I love them. I don't love them, but I like them as much as I like any vegetable. And those look really good. Looks like a nice cook. Well done, sir.
Thanks and I feel pretty much the same, but Non-FB Fran loves them. I usually oven roast them but I figured that it would be pretty tough to ruin them in the smoker...I tossed them with a little crumbled bacon & balsamic vinegar at the end of the cook, which really elevated them for me...
 
One of my all-time favorite recipes, Peruvian chicken. I have done this as beer can chicken, but I highly recommend you butterfly the chicken, and then once on the grill, cook it 'brick style' with either foil-wrapped bricks on top or jury-rig a 'brick' like I use, a big cast iron griddle plate. I even put a 25 lb barbell on top to further compress it. I usually turn it once after 40 minutes or so. The chicken comes out crispy on the outside. On the marinade, I add lemon juice, and also hit the chicken with more lemon juice coming off the grill. It will fall apart as you take it off the grill if you've done it right.

This great rotisserie chicken recipe became hugely popular along the East Coast of the United States a few years back. Know as Super Chicken, El Pollo Rico, or Peruvian Chicken this is a tasty way to make a bird with enough flavor to satisfy anyone, but mild enough for everyone.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
4 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons white wine
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lemon
1 quart cold water

Preparation:

Combine vinegar, wine, oil with garlic powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix well to form a paste. Add lemon juice to cold water. Trim chicken of any excess or loose fat. Wash chicken thoroughly with lemon water. Place chicken in zip-top bag. Pour spice paste over chicken. Coat chicken completely with mixture rubbing into every surface. Try to get the paste under the skin as much as possible.

Seal bag and place chicken in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. The chicken will have more flavor the longer it "marinates" in the spice mixture. Do not refrigerate more than 24 hours however.

Preheat grill and prepare rotisserie. Place chicken on rotisserie and on the grill for approximately 1 1/2 hours at a temperature around 300 degrees F. (150 degrees C.) Test chicken for doneness by measure in the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh. Chicken is done at 165 degrees F. (75 degrees C.).

This chicken is frequently served with dipping sauce. A simple version of this sauce is made from combining 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons mustard and 2 tablespoons lime juice

Here's what it looks like post-marinading...

IMG_1217.jpeg
 
One of my all-time favorite recipes, Peruvian chicken. I have done this as beer can chicken, but I highly recommend you butterfly the chicken, and then once on the grill, cook it 'brick style' with either foil-wrapped bricks on top or jury-rig a 'brick' like I use, a big cast iron griddle plate. I even put a 25 lb barbell on top to further compress it. I usually turn it once after 40 minutes or so. The chicken comes out crispy on the outside. On the marinade, I add lemon juice, and also hit the chicken with more lemon juice coming off the grill. It will fall apart as you take it off the grill if you've done it right.

This great rotisserie chicken recipe became hugely popular along the East Coast of the United States a few years back. Know as Super Chicken, El Pollo Rico, or Peruvian Chicken this is a tasty way to make a bird with enough flavor to satisfy anyone, but mild enough for everyone.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
4 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons white wine
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lemon
1 quart cold water

Preparation:

Combine vinegar, wine, oil with garlic powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix well to form a paste. Add lemon juice to cold water. Trim chicken of any excess or loose fat. Wash chicken thoroughly with lemon water. Place chicken in zip-top bag. Pour spice paste over chicken. Coat chicken completely with mixture rubbing into every surface. Try to get the paste under the skin as much as possible.

Seal bag and place chicken in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. The chicken will have more flavor the longer it "marinates" in the spice mixture. Do not refrigerate more than 24 hours however.

Preheat grill and prepare rotisserie. Place chicken on rotisserie and on the grill for approximately 1 1/2 hours at a temperature around 300 degrees F. (150 degrees C.) Test chicken for doneness by measure in the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh. Chicken is done at 165 degrees F. (75 degrees C.).

This chicken is frequently served with dipping sauce. A simple version of this sauce is made from combining 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons mustard and 2 tablespoons lime juice

Here's what it looks like post-marinading...

View attachment 10433
Now I'm triggered to break out the rotisserie!
 
Does anyone have a good BBQ sauce they would like to share?

My current sauce is a recipe from Franklin BBQ but it's not that great to me. I also buy Malcom Reeds (Killer Hogs) BBQ sauce and cut it with some apple juice to thin it out. Both are adequate but I would like to do better.
 
Does anyone have a good BBQ sauce they would like to share?

My current sauce is a recipe from Franklin BBQ but it's not that great to me. I also buy Malcom Reeds (Killer Hogs) BBQ sauce and cut it with some apple juice to thin it out. Both are adequate but I would like to do better.
Honestly? What I would do is look for a base recipe that you like online and than customize it to your liking. Document your changes.

Molasses or not? Mustard or not? Red pepper flakes?
 
Score!!
My WSM is from the 90's and she's beginning to show her age..the porcelain is weakening around one of the legs and a spot of rust is rearing its ugly head.
I'm always perusing FB Marketplace for Weber stuff, and there are a lot of 18" WSM's, but they're always more than my cheap ass is willing to pay and then....I saw this one.
The seller installed a gasket, and upgraded to a stainless Cajun Bandit door and latch and says he only used it 4 times. He hasn't even registered with Weber, (for the warranty coverage), so I can register under my account.
These are $419.00 new...and the Cajun Bandit door costs ~ $60.00.
I paid $125.00🤟🤟🤟🤟

I already notched it for probes and will hot burn to clean 'er up on the inside. I'll break it in with a pork butt sometime soon...

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Honestly? What I would do is look for a base recipe that you like online and than customize it to your liking. Document your changes.

Molasses or not? Mustard or not? Red pepper flakes?

LOL that you think I haven't already done that.

Nothing wrong with seeing if someone has a kick ass sauce they would like to share. I have kick ass rubs that I would share. I also have kick ass Eastern Carolina BBQ sauce, which is the vinegar tangy based sauced, that I would share.

What I don't have yet is a kick ass tomatoed based sauce yet.
 
I wish I could help you out man. I only cook for one person and it's been a long time since I've been on a smoker. I just use Stubbs for my grilled chicken legs.

Stubb-s-Gluten-Free-Original-Barbecue-Sauce-18-oz-Bottle_35ee7f23-0a96-4ed4-be06-22c48c59a21e...jpeg
 
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My number one tip for someone that's new to smoking is to buy a good wireless BBQ thermometer. Mine is a ThermoWorks Smoke which has been great for me.

I have never owned a smoker that was 100% accurate with its temperature gauge. As you can see below this Traeger is set at 315 and it thinks it's running good at 320 BUT if you look at my thermometer it is showing the pit temp is 221.

When I first bought this Traeger, all my cooks took longer, and I didn't correct that until I was able to figure it out with a reliable thermometer.

I did try to get a new control panel from Traeger, but they kept giving me the runaround, so I never got one.

Even my competition chest smoker is 5 degrees off.

Controlling the pit temp was a game changer for me.

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What's the actual probe that sits inside the grill look like? I assume it is just measuring temp inside the grill and doesn't include internal probes?

I had a ton of trouble with my Traeger and finally moved on to my current Req-Tec which I am so much happier with. It seems much more dialed in than the Traeger and comes with 2 internal probes. App works well.

I have used a wireless probe system in the past (the 'MEATER' block). When it worked, it was great, but the probes themselves were pretty sensitive. I felt like it will eventually be a great system but maybe I got on board before they had worked a lot of the kinks out.

I'm currently kind of flying by the seat of my pants when I use anything other than the pellet grill.
 
The Smoke has two probes. One for pit temp (probe on the right) and one probe for food internal temp. The pit temp probe is theirs and it's a little stubby one. The food IT probe is theirs also but it is a needle one that I use mostly on spare ribs.

1743344019529.png
 
IMO there is no one number associated with a "pit temp." A pit is not like a kitchen oven. There are hotter and cooler areas. There is also the draft. I like to use multiple probes, at least two, sometimes three, at grate level stationed around the meat or sometimes above the meat, depending on the smoker. Most of the time, the probes will read differently. So I take the average of the two or three probes. Doing this not only gives one a more accurate pit temp, but it also enables one to learn about the nuances of that particular smoker. I use the Thermoworks Smoke X4 which allows 4 probes, plus it has a place to plug in a billows fan. I think the Signals has four as well. And then they have the new RFX Wireless probes, which I don't have.
 
I do the biscuit test on my smoker to find the hot and cold spots. As long as I keep the food away from those spots, I feel good about my temp.
 
There are so many rabbit holes to go down in BBQ... one of the things I love about it. Thanks for the pics Ashburn Dave, appreciate it! And great points about the nuances of 'pit temps'. I also think the *type* of smoker one is using greatly impacts how to approach getting to as close to your desired temp and staying there.
 

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