Doing a pork butt on the Weber. Set it up for a long cook using a 2x3 snake around a cast iron skillet that I fill with boiling water.
Smoking Meat Questions and Discussion
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How long of cook time do you get doing that? I have a weber smoky mountain 18 and prefer to cook a little hotter 250-275 and can get a good 7 or 8 hours at that temp with a full basket.
It's for a long cook. Running at 233 right now. A setup like that should get me probably 8 hours. I use the cast iron pan as my water pan so it also works as a heat sink because once that cast iron gets hot it holds the heat.
I should say I added 12 lit and ashed over coals at the beginning of the snake to get it started
Did you add boiling water to the cast iron or just water that eventually comes to a boil?
So after 10 hours my internal is 186 and the snake was just getting to the last of the charcoal so I added a couple of handfuls of charcoal to extend it a bit longer.
Ok so stupid question but you only light one end of the charcoal and let it work its way around?
The key to pork loin is to cook to 145 and then to slice it very thin. It is very good for sandwiches. Very easy. I have a Green Mountain and cook at 235 or so for about 2 hours. Rotate every 30 minutes Start checking the internal temp after about 75 minutes as they get to 145 faster then you would expect. When they reach 145 remove, wrap in foil and towels and place in cooler for 15 to 45 minutes. Use an electric knife to slice thin and enjoy. I like to use cayenne pepper on the outside as it gives them a little kick. Good Luck!
Yes, you put lit coals at one end and just let it slowly burn through the line of charcoal.
For a relatively simple setup on a Weber, I am amazed at how consistent you can hold the temp.(and for how long) with the snake method. For smaller chunks of brisket, it is my go to.
So I have been on a smoked pork loin kick for the past year. My go to when I fire up the smoker is usually ribs and pork butt but finding that pork loin is more convenient because it takes much less time and can throw a small roast on after my ribs have already been on instead of having to start the butt earlier than my ribs. I have been tinkering with how I prep my boneless pork loin roast and found a seasoning combo that has a pretty versatile flavor profile to it that will please just about anyone you are feeding. I don't go with your traditional BBQ spice rubs like you would do on your ribs or pork butt. I go with a lot of savory herbs like rosemary, thyme, garlic and onion powder, black pepper and salt and maybe some kind of sprinkle of an all-purpose savory herb seasoning. Lawry's has a seasoned pepper blend that adds some nice flavor and color too. Before I season my roast I might inject it with an apple juice/apple cider vinegar to add some additional moisture and flavor. I then I score the fat side with a knife in a diamond pattern then rub the loin with mustard before adding my seasoning. Really helps the spice flavors penetrate the meat more and gives it some crevasses for the fat to render into an pool a bit while cooking too.
Like someone else said take it off when it hits 145, I would even say pulling it a little before it hits 145 is not a bad idea either as the temp will still come up a bit while it rests. Don't let it got much over 145 if you can because it will start to dry the higher the temp gets. I use a wireless temp probe so I have a good idea when it is getting close to hitting that temp. Slice it thin, makes good sandwiches or just a nice tender slice you can cut with a fork. I serve with sauce on the side, the roast itself has a nice savory flavor along with the smoke flavor too that tastes good on it's own but if you want more traditional BBQ flavor then put your sauce of choice on the side to dip your bite in. I usually like a medium heat type of sauce with pork loin so the savory herb flavors go really nice with the bit of heat you get from the sauce. May have to go through my phone and upload some photos.
Oh, and I smoke using an offset charcoal/wood smoker too so fire management is always fun for me because the weather that day can play tricks with the temps on my cheap pit sometimes if there is a breeze or a sudden change in air temp if a front is rolling in. I'm old school and feel you can't replicate the smoke flavor of an offset stick burner with a pellet smoker. Have done some fun smoking competitions with our men's group at church and I'm the only guy that doesn't use a pellet smoker apparently and have been told by those guys they can taste the difference after we've gone around the room and told everyone afterwards when we all shared how we cooked our meats. Have had guests at our house comment the same too but maybe it's just my seasoning and cooking methods too as we visited a friend this summer who smokes a lot and we had a friendly "smoke off" rib competition on his pellet smoker and yours truly won a blind taste test that way too, LOL.
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Here's a video to outline the method. I don't have a smoker but use this for perfect brisket.
Leftovers get packaged into single meal portions, vacuum sealed, frozen, and then heated up in a pot of water after thawing when the family wants it again.
I ended pulling it at 195. Double wrapped it in foil and stuck it in a cooler. I'm pretty lit so I'll sleep some and get up later and pull it. It'll stay hot for hours in the cooler
Did 3 racks of ribs on Saturday. Probably the best homemade ribs I’ve ever had in my life. Unfortunately didn’t get a photo this time around.
Gotta say it seemed like a lot more work and monitoring than the brisket (at least in the first hour and a half), especially because I had to rotate positions between the racks with less space on the grill (using a 22” Weber Kettle). Did an indirect setup but I think I’d try a snake setup next time to see if that makes it any easier.
Gotta say it seemed like a lot more work and monitoring than the brisket (at least in the first hour and a half), especially because I had to rotate positions between the racks with less space on the grill (using a 22” Weber Kettle). Did an indirect setup but I think I’d try a snake setup next time to see if that makes it any easier.
Once you get your technique down on the BBQ, it will probably ruin you for eating BBQ in most restaurants -- especially ribs. It's really satisfying to nail those ribs and enjoy the fruits of your labor that way!
I had not thought about it, but I think you're correct that while ribs on the smoker are amazing, they are probably one of the more labor-intensive things to smoke. Even doing the 3-2-1 method (or similar) you end up fiddling with the meat a bit more than with a big hunk of brisket or pork butt...and over a much shorter window than the large pieces of meat.
But it's so worth it.
I had not thought about it, but I think you're correct that while ribs on the smoker are amazing, they are probably one of the more labor-intensive things to smoke. Even doing the 3-2-1 method (or similar) you end up fiddling with the meat a bit more than with a big hunk of brisket or pork butt...and over a much shorter window than the large pieces of meat.
But it's so worth it.
kcbob79clone
Well-Known Member
I did these drumettes and yellow squash on my GMG Davy Crockett last Saturday for the game that shall not be mentioned. As with all smoking it seems it took a little longer than expected so I was just finishing them up for kickoff so I didn't have time to post. After the game I didn't feel like doing anything associated so I'll post now.
I marinated the drumettes overnight in italian dressing then Saturday morning I took them out of the marinade and dried them off and then did a semi-dry rub of Montreal Chicken Seasoning. Cooked almost 3 hours when I was expencting 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Difficult to get a temperature reading in the drumettes which were fall of the bone excellent. The yellow squash started out frozen and I drizzled olive oil and sea salt on them. You can see the smoke rings on the squash. Great flavor but a little mushy, may try fresh squash next time.
Edit: I also served a low carb version of Jack Stack beans with the drumettes and squash.
I marinated the drumettes overnight in italian dressing then Saturday morning I took them out of the marinade and dried them off and then did a semi-dry rub of Montreal Chicken Seasoning. Cooked almost 3 hours when I was expencting 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Difficult to get a temperature reading in the drumettes which were fall of the bone excellent. The yellow squash started out frozen and I drizzled olive oil and sea salt on them. You can see the smoke rings on the squash. Great flavor but a little mushy, may try fresh squash next time.
Edit: I also served a low carb version of Jack Stack beans with the drumettes and squash.
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kcbob79clone
Well-Known Member
I hope you didn't like it since you can't make that combination ever again
It's unlucky to be superstitious!
