Behold My Butt! (2003–2006)

[snowangel]

It was an interesting day. My first time smoking butts in cool, raining weather.

Let me backtrack. We are going to a farm in southern MN tomorrow to go pheasant hunting. I am in charge of something to eat, in the meat domain. Butt has been cheap, so it seemed the right thing to do. I got the kids on the bus. The day was cloudy, but not rainy, so I got the chimney started. But those butts on. It started raining. Drizzling, acutally. The high today was barely 40. I started smoking at 10:00 am, so it was just Old Golds and really strong coffee. A bit early, on a school day, to start off with beer.

That sure makes temp control on the Weber Kettle easy.

Instead of boring you all with photos of the butts in progress, here is the finished product. (before pulling; I always forget to take a photo of the pulled finished product.

I smell like smoke. My clothes smell like smoke. My husband thinks it smells good.

Needless to say, we had butt for dinner, with coleslaw, and =Marks vinegar mustard sause on sqishy white bread just as soon as Diana's last volleyball game (they lost) of the season was done. We will have butt again tomorrow (gently reheated in the oven at The Farm, moistened with smoked pork stock).

I have learned to not smoke one, but two butts at a time. Takes the same amount of charcoal, wood, and time.

The kids, Paul and I all fight over the crispy parts.

My butts are wonderful.

[Dr. Funk]

I put water in my drip pan. Makes it come out moist and tender after 6 hours.

[Carrot Top]

My butts are wonderful.

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Your butts are the best, snowangel.

It must have something to do with beer imbibed, early, on a school day.

Thank you for the advice...I will try it.

[jayt90]

Reading thru the recipes, it looks like charcoal on one side of the Weber is better than two piles. Does anyone wrap the butt in foil after the colur is set, to preserve moisture?

[snowangel]

Reading thru the recipes, it looks like charcoal on one side of the Weber is better than two piles.  Does anyone wrap the butt in foil after the colur is set, to preserve moisture?

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No. Too busy drinking beer and tending my butt to bother with finding the foil.

BTW, it was sublime on squishy buns with =Mark's bbq sauce (mustard and vinegar) as well as on corn tortillas with pico/salsa and a dash (well, more than a dash) of Tabasco cipotle. Shit, this stuff is good cold, via fingers.

A cool, rainy day made smokin' easy (read easy temp control) and I am so proud that I've finally figured out just how to load this weber kettle to achieve temp control. Would that I could stuff more meat into the grill.

Edited to add: yes, one pile on one side. Works much better. Give you more grill space. I just wish I chould have added a couple of racks of ribs.

If you are smoking, put as much meat on the grill as you can. It does shrink, considerably, so next time, once the butts have experienced some shrinkage, I will add more meat and just prolong the experience (and drink more beer, smoke more Old Golds).

Edited October 18, 2004 by snowangel (log)

[lovebenton0]

Yeah, we like to eek all the ergs out of the fire we can.

Bo-dacious butts!

[snowangel]

If I could figure out how to post photos nowadays, I would show all of you my most beautiful, succulient butts and thighs. My first winter smoking experience (ahem), and most rewarding.

[snowangel]

Figured out the photo thing.

Grill, not long before I cleaned it off to begin smoking:

This was my first winter smoking experience. It was 20 (F) outside, and slightly breezy. It made it very, very easy to control temp; don't think that my low tech Taylor oven thermometer ever went over 230 (F).

This is the bounty. A mess of thighs and two butts:

Everything was luscious. Ate the thighs that night; pulled the butt and we had it the next night, along with squishy buns, =Mark's South Carolina Mustard BBQ sauce, my Black Bean and Rice Salad and a cole slaw with buttermilk dressing, dried cherries and pecans (modified recipe from Nigela).

A perfect winter meal, to remind us that the days are getting longer and that there is hope that I won't have to wade through the snow in my ultra-chic Sorel boots to grab freeze dried rosemary from the garden.

Smoking meat is so rewarding. All of that wonderful smokey, fatty, porky (or chickeny) goodness. And, that look my husband gives me when I slink into bed smelling like wood smoke.

Although I'm returning to braising this week, think ribs may be on the menu next weekend.

[fifi]

Oh my. Thank you for the pictures. I am sending a link to my son in Chicago so he will be inspired. I think that too many folks give up when the temperatures drop. I know that I am in a climate that lends itself to smoking year around, but conversations with my son makes me aware of the challenges of a colder climate. You said it was about 20 degrees F when you did this. Do you think it would have worked at all in the really deep freeze?

Funny thing. Your barrier to smoking is temperature. My barrier is how to clean the grills. I am about to load the grills, water pan and such up into a big plastic garbage bag, take them to my sister's so I can clean them up. I am in an apartment with these pitiful double sinks that nothing fits in. I do need to get the WSM back in shape and smoke some of those rodeo chickens (since I have already bought some more), put some smoked meat in the freezer and some portions of smoked chicken stock.

Smoke on angel lady!

[snowangel]

Ah, fifi. Cleaning the grill. I usually just scrape any drippings off the grill with a brass brush. I periodically take the brush to the lid. There was some discussion somewhere here earlier about the new Weber Kettles seeming "less substantial," but I'm thinking part of that is due to the amount of gunk that builds up on older ones.

Temperature. I'm really regretting that I wimped out when we were sub-zero and didn't smoke something. Should we see temps again this winter in the zero or below range, I will certainly smoke something. Those chicken thighs were damned good, and I'm thinking turkey legs are next up. The only problem with the chicken thighs is that they are so "flat" that you don't get much meat off the smoker.

[=Mark]

I figure it makes more sense to stand next to a blazing grill or smoker in January than in July...

[snowangel]

I figure it makes more sense to stand next to a blazing grill or smoker in January than in July... 

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And the beer stays cold!

[jmcgrath]

Funny thing. Your barrier to smoking is temperature. My barrier is how to clean the grills. I am about to load the grills, water pan and such up into a big plastic garbage bag, take them to my sister's so I can clean them up. I am in an apartment with these pitiful double sinks that nothing fits in.

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The WSM grills are small enough to fit in my dishwasher. Unfortunately the Weber kettle grill is too large.

Jim

[bleachboy]

Yesterday I smoked two bone-in butts on my Char-Griller. Started 'em about 10 am. As usual, I had a little trouble getting the fire started (I'm inept!). I had brined my butts for about 20 hours. I was smoking them using hickory and mesquite chunks (I wanted to try apple, but the hickory and mesquite was all I had, unfortunately).

After a couple of hours...

After a couple more hours...

After about 6 hours, I began periodically basting the butts with a really mustardy standard vinaigarette.

After about ten hours, I declared the butts to be done. By this time, of course, word of my butts had been getting around and we had about ten guests over for dinner. I took the butts off and let them rest for about an hour while everybody had a couple of cocktails. BEHOLD!

Three of us pulled the pork, sneaking little bites all the while. I took the cole slaw out of the fridge to let it warm up just a bit, but at this point everybody outside noticed our ecstatic munching and stampeded the kitchen. We served the pork with hamburger buns, cole slaw and two wonderful salads that Marissa had made. We also served =Mark's awesome sauce -- what a great sauce! That recipe's a keeper.

The butts started off at 7 and 9 pounds. By the end of the evening (and with everybody getting a generous portion to take home with them), there was only a couple of pounds left. Everybody was raving about how good the butts were -- most people declared it the best they had ever had. I gotta agree! Although I still like brisket better.

[racheld]

This is Rachel's Hubby responding. In my domain, "Fire is Man Thing" Woman no mess with fire! Amazing how they have trained us to do those things that they do not want to do, but could probably do better! Anyway you have several problems that over the years I have learned to overcome. You mentioned that you use real charcoal, good thing, I never respond to anyone who is deluded enough to think you can Bar-B-Que with anything other than real charcoal. First problem, heat. You can never control the heat completely, so you have to compensate for the lack of control.

Keep a container of water in the middle of the charcoal and it keeps the meat from drying out, plus seems to smooth out the temp. Second concern is flavor. I use mesquite or hickory wood to give the smoke flavor at beginning. To much smoke will overpower, so don't keep adding wood. It will overpower any spice combination you choose. Third problem is how to make it fall off the bone when you pull it. Solution, after about the first hour on the smoke and charcoal take the meat off and wrap it tight (double wrap) in heavy aluminum foil and it will pressure the meat to tenderness. Cut the airflow down and wait about two the two and a half hours. Take meat off and let sit in foil for flavor to permeate. When cool enough to handle, pull and chop or cut to taste. Suggest Sweet Baby Ray sauce. Have experimented for years with own concoctions and have not been able to do better. Boss just informed me that I am required to light up the Weber this evening. Each time different, some better, some a learning experience.

Happy Grilling. Chris

[snowangel]

Saturday was party time. What 11 year-old birthday girl, 71 year-old birthday "boy" and couple (us) celebrating a 24th wedding annivesary wouldn't want a party?

And, at our house, a party isn't a party if I haven't smoked something. So, early in the morning, I lit the chimney, and fired up the Weber Kettle. I had two shoulders, bone in. One was 11 pounds, the other pushing 9 pounds.

After a bunch of hours (I moved to beer after coffee, so quit counting), this is what I had:

Then, I pulled. Here is the 11 pounder, pulled, minus the stuff the smoker just had to taste:

With this stuff, I had buns (dinner rolls from Costco), =Mark's BBQ sauce, my Black Bean and Rice Salad, a version of a Nigella Lawson coleslaw with buttermilk/mayo dressing and dried cranberries and pecans (I should write up my take on this for RecipeGullet). For dessert we had a big Dairy Queen cake. THe kids washed it down with raspberry lemonade (homemade), the adults with wine, beer, or vodka tonics. I also pulled out a big hunk of brisket I'd smoked previously and frozen.

We had a grand time, and ushered in new years for several of us in grand style.

The one vegetarian in the crowd just had to have a taste of the pork and brisket and announced that she is now a selective vegetarian. Anything I smoke, she'll eat.

[rooftop1000]

I decided to bring an uninvited butt to my mothers BBQ Sunday,

she was making the regular stuff burgers, london broil etc but

I kept seeing all these beautifull butts so ......saturday I did a nice

dry rub on a 7# butt 6 am sunday we lit the grill... a Gas grill

Fired up one side to medium put the meat on the other and started

laying apple wood chips through the grates, after about 2 hours it looks like this......notice the lack of a water pan

no more pics sorry, but we smoked for about 3 hours then

just let her cook for 4 more, just at the last moment it was

done enough to pull...it was good I think I need to rework my rub,

but there was shatteringly crispy skin for all except my mother

who didnt try any even though I choked down some london broil

The real fun began the next day after an early start we hit

Kundlas Western Beef in Hamlin PA (poconos lake wallenpaupak area)

for a nice slab of rbs, half a chicken and corn etc. Grabbed some of

their very very different basting and finishing sauces and some keilbasa

About 5 pm had hubby fire up the grill again while, trimming some beans

I notice ALOT of smoke coming from the grill...more than while smoking

the day before...

So that drip pan you should put under the meat really would have stopped

all the fat from landing on the lava rock, dripping out of the bottom of the

grill and landing on the rubber hose that connects the tank. Well we finally

smelled the burning rubber and disconnected the tank before

blowing up the house

guess I will get some charcoal for the webber next time

tracey

[lancastermike]

All this talk about butts has gotten me off of mine and I just ordered a Weber Smokey Mountain from Amazon. I used to do lots of smoking but switched to a gas grill a couple of years ago. I can grill ok with it but it is no good for smoking. So, you guys and your butts have me motivated to start smoking again. Should be here for me to smoke this weekend and I will post about my butt

[LindaK]

Thank you for bringing this thread back, I just read it from the beginning. I haven't laughed this hard for a long time. I doubt I'll ever try smoking a butt but I'm glad y'all have.

[fifi]

All this talk about butts has gotten me off of mine and I just ordered a Weber Smokey Mountain from Amazon.  I used to do lots of smoking but switched to a gas grill a couple of years ago.  I can grill ok with it but it is no good for smoking.  So, you guys and your butts have me motivated to start smoking again.  Should be here for me to smoke this weekend and I will post about my butt

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You won't be sorry. I am about to get mine into shape again. I may have to get new grates because I don't have a good way to clean them but I am working on it. However, I think snowangel needs to enter the current Weber promotion on what you can do with a Weber. What she does with the basic kettle is nothing short of amazing.

[megwoo]

Okay, I'm loving this post about your butt. Too funny.

When I made pulled pork for the first time, I used the techniques outlined by Cooks Illustrated. It was the best pulled pork I've ever had and it literally fell off the bone. Here is what I learned:

1. Use a bone-in pork shoulder or Boston butt. Use a dry rub, wrap tightly in a double layer of saran and refrigerate for 3 days.

2. Make sure to bring the roast to room temp before cooking (usually takes about an hour).

3. Grill, indirectly, for about three hours--watching for grease flare-ups.

4. Remove from grill and wrap entirely in foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours (at 325).

5. Take foil wrapped roast and deposit into a doubled grocery bag and crimp shut. Let rest for an hour.

6. Unwrap, shred and eat! It's sooo good!

[snowangel]

2. Make sure to bring the roast to room temp before cooking (usually takes about an hour).

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NO, NO, NO (yes, I am shouting) CI is dead wrong about this one. Since meat quits absorbing the smoke at about 140 degrees (F), it's most advisable to put it on as cold as possible. When I start thinking about starting the chimney, I put the butts into the freezer.

Reminder. It takes the same amount of wood and charcoal to smoke as many butts as will fit on the grill as it takes to smoke only one. Leftovers never goe begging.

Edited to add: We never do rub on butts in this house. We like ours naked. And, little boys get a huge kick out of mom talking about smoking her butt, my butt is stalled, time to pull my butt, etc. Entertainment for hours for that 9-year old male set.

[turkeybone]

Today and tomorrow we're smoking shoulders as well. I don't have pics, but mmm mmm mmm, its going along with all the other southern cookin. They way we do it up is quite simple -- season with just s&p, roll it around on a hot grill til it gets nice and colored, then pop it into a 325-350 oven with some wood chips for about 5 hours, covering with foil about halfway. Then the next day we pull, vinegarize, and make into some mighty fine BBQ sandwiches with both an eastern n western BBQ sauce.

[fifi]

. . . . .

NO, NO, NO (yes, I am shouting)  CI is dead wrong about this one.  Since meat quits absorbing the smoke at about 140 degrees (F), it's most advisable to put it on as cold as possible.  When I start thinking about starting the chimney, I put the butts into the freezer.

. . . . .

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I am shouting with snowangel on this one. When I read that in CI some time ago, I sent them a scathing e-mail. What they said just doesn't jibe with the science, condensation of smoke components. I keep my fridge really cold but if I think about it and I have room, I will also give the butts a stay in the freezer. Yes, it takes them longer to cook. Oh well . . . more time to drink beer. Hey! This ain't fast food.

I know I have mentioned this before but one of the things I do when I fire up the Weber is get one of those big packs of chicken thighs, put them in brine for about four hours and put them on the other grate. Then I have that pantry gold, smoked chicken for salads, quesadillas or whatever. You just pull the meat off and freeze in smaller foil packets ready for the toaster oven. NEVER put in the microwave.

[megwoo]

I understand those against the CI method, but have you tried their exact recipe?

It's honest-to-god amazing and was better than any other pulled pork I've eaten.