Tweet
Easter smoke
I volunteered to cook 10 butts for an Easter feed after church. Decided to pull an all-nighter with the 2 new drums (plus the existing one) as I just did not want to deal with storing all the meat and re-heating it.
6 of the butts waiting to go on the 2 new drums. 4 were on the Illini drum by that time for 90 minutes. It was a very good idea to stagger the timing of this later.
Let's see.. Due to lack of time to get expanded metal, I borrowed 2 charcoal baskets from SmokyOkie and also 2 bags of Ozark Oak. (well, I bought those, you can't borrow them)
I started about 8pm on the Illini drum with 4 butts then got 3 each on the other 2 drums after they were seasoned. By midnight it was pouring rain and I did have the drums under the back patio overhang.
But as the rain got worse, I pulled them closer and closer to the back door. By the end I could barely open the back door. It was interesting how the temps varied in each drum. The middle drum was the most steady since it was buffered on both sides. The one to the far left was getting pounded by wind but did quite well. The lids on the new ones were not fitting too great so I will have to improve that.
I just realized I have NO pics beyond the point of foiling at 165ish when I moved them to the oven mainly due the rain. Also, I did run out charcoal in the Illini drum, too. (it was not even close to full when I started of course)
It was good that I staggered things thru the oven, resting in the cooler, then pulling them to put into trays and then back into the cooler to take to the event. Sorry no pics!
I served this sauce recipe and the standard Oklahoma stuff (Head Country) on the side. (got it from smurf from a Paducah, KY native - my original 'Que experience)
3 TBSP Ketchup (Heinz)
4 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar (1/4 cup)
1 TBSP water
1 Tsp Black Pepper (fine ground)
¼ Tsp White pepper
½ Tsp Cayenne (red) pepper (or more to taste, locals will use 1 Tsp)
2 Tsp Tabasco or other red pepper sauce
All measures are level measurements.
I gotta say, I am gonna think hard about taking on that much of a cook again all at once. Make me wish I had a larger cooker. If I do, I will stagger it over a few days and then re-heat. (I may do a feed at my client in May for 150-170 people)
ALSO, thank goodness for the ORANGE Thermapen. It gives me a lot of piece of mind to verify temps all over the place as this many drums and butts had quite a bit of variability through the process.
Thanks for looking..
6 of the butts waiting to go on the 2 new drums. 4 were on the Illini drum by that time for 90 minutes. It was a very good idea to stagger the timing of this later.
Let's see.. Due to lack of time to get expanded metal, I borrowed 2 charcoal baskets from SmokyOkie and also 2 bags of Ozark Oak. (well, I bought those, you can't borrow them)
I started about 8pm on the Illini drum with 4 butts then got 3 each on the other 2 drums after they were seasoned. By midnight it was pouring rain and I did have the drums under the back patio overhang.
But as the rain got worse, I pulled them closer and closer to the back door. By the end I could barely open the back door. It was interesting how the temps varied in each drum. The middle drum was the most steady since it was buffered on both sides. The one to the far left was getting pounded by wind but did quite well. The lids on the new ones were not fitting too great so I will have to improve that.
I just realized I have NO pics beyond the point of foiling at 165ish when I moved them to the oven mainly due the rain. Also, I did run out charcoal in the Illini drum, too. (it was not even close to full when I started of course)
It was good that I staggered things thru the oven, resting in the cooler, then pulling them to put into trays and then back into the cooler to take to the event. Sorry no pics!
I served this sauce recipe and the standard Oklahoma stuff (Head Country) on the side. (got it from smurf from a Paducah, KY native - my original 'Que experience)
3 TBSP Ketchup (Heinz)
4 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar (1/4 cup)
1 TBSP water
1 Tsp Black Pepper (fine ground)
¼ Tsp White pepper
½ Tsp Cayenne (red) pepper (or more to taste, locals will use 1 Tsp)
2 Tsp Tabasco or other red pepper sauce
All measures are level measurements.
I gotta say, I am gonna think hard about taking on that much of a cook again all at once. Make me wish I had a larger cooker. If I do, I will stagger it over a few days and then re-heat. (I may do a feed at my client in May for 150-170 people)
ALSO, thank goodness for the ORANGE Thermapen. It gives me a lot of piece of mind to verify temps all over the place as this many drums and butts had quite a bit of variability through the process.
Thanks for looking..
Comment