Cook 1 was a spatchocked pollo in mojo. Tasty, tasty

Cook 2 was more of the same. Cooked at around 310 on the top rack. Hickory
(1 chunk) for light smoke. Probe therm said done at an hour and a half.
The fact that I was confused about done temp (I was thinking 140/160 for
breast/thigh) didn't help. Pulled too early still translucent in the middle
of the breast, blood at the thigh. Finished in the oven, so at least the
skin was tasty. First cook with sand in the water bowl, as cook 1 was run
with an empty bowl. Had to work a little more to get the heat up where I
wanted it.

Cook 3, the first overnighter. Thursday night, pulled the picnic that had
been defrosting in the fridge. Trimmed off the skin and fat, as I wanted to
get maximum bark for the pulled pork. Rubbed down with a blend of brown
sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and coriander. Too much sugar, as I
ended up with a bit of a rock candy bark (still might tasty though). Put
back in the fridge and let sit for a day. Took a half day Friday to hit the
local farmer's market and get home in time to meet up with the guys from the
heating company so they could go down and beat the snot out of my furnace in
an attempt to figure out why it ain't working. Got manly with the power
tools, bored out the fold/dpindle/mutilated vent cover and attached the
replacement from Weber. Much nicer fit than either of the two remaining
rivet jobs.

Pulled the pig from the fridge, and got a chimney of coals burning. Filled
the charcoal ring to the top, plus a little. Grabbed the turkey tenderloin
I had picked up at the market, tossed it in a bowl with some water and mole
poblano powder. Let it stew in the fridge for a while. Once the chimney was
going strong, dumped on the pile and put the WSM together. Brought the temp
at the top vent to around 250 (200 at the bottom rack). Killed two of the
three bottom vents, ran the third to 50%. Once the tmep got up to about 250
at the bottom rack I put the butt in, topped with the upper rack and
decorated it with the tenderloin and a couple of cranberry/maple turky
sausages from the same stall as the tenderloin. Let the system come back up
to heat, then ran the third vent down to 10% or so. Not wanting to lose the
basting of all the fat I trimmed off with the skin, I put a couple of the
biggest pieces on the middle of the top rack, letting the heat render the
fat out on to the meat below. Tossed a couple of hickory chunks on the
coals and set it to smoking.

Spent the first couple hours peeking at the top vent therm every 10-15
minutes. After watching it run unchanged that long, I finally got over the
"anxious parent" syndrome and let it run. Pulled the turkey and the
sausages, added a couple more fat chunks to the top rack. Coulda pulled the
turkey at about an hour and a half, but it was still mighty tasty. Chopped
it up, threw it on a plate with some corn tortillas, salsa verde, chopped
tomato and cheese. Drool.

Checked every couple of hours, the WSM running strong and steady. Retired
around 11 pm, set the alarm for 4 am and caught some shut eye. Got up with
the alarm, rain was starting, bottom rack was at 235-240. Not going to try
and fight a new chimney of lump and readjusting the heat, in the rain, while
still going (12 hours!) strong. Closed the door, went back to bed, sleeping
and dreaming of Q. Back up at 7, had been raining on and off for the 3
hours since last up. Temp was down to 190 at the bottom rack, the pork was
lookin' mighty tasty. Broke the glaze/rub loose from the bone, gave a twist
and it twirled and turned with ease. Stuck a fork in and twisted it,
gorgeous. Pulled the rack off the fire, and wrapped the picnic in foil and
put in the oven at 175 to hold.

Mixed up a couple of sauces the night before, using sports bottle topped
water bottles for transport/dispensing. Made a batch of 1/1/1
Mustard/Honey/Vinegar sauce and a red vinegar pepper sauce from the group.
Both sinfully good with the pork. Took the whole shooting match up to a get
together, picked up some cheap hamburger buns and coleslaw on the way up. A
dozen or so folks made quick work of the sandwiches, with lotsa requests for
a repeat next time.

Now, I gotta find some ribs on sale!

Jason

"Jason Tinling" wrote:

Lotsa effusive stuff snipped.
>
> Cook 2 was more of the same. Cooked at around 310 on the top rack.
Hickory
> (1 chunk) for light smoke.

Ahh, I can tell you've been reading a lot, little grasshopper.

>Pulled too early still translucent in the middle

Rookie mistake. You'll get better, I promise.

> Too much sugar, as I
> ended up with a bit of a rock candy bark (still might tasty though).

Most folks are eschewing sugar and salt in their rubs these days, I believe.
I know I am.

>Not wanting to lose the
> basting of all the fat I trimmed off with the skin, I put a couple of the
> biggest pieces on the middle of the top rack, letting the heat render the
> fat out on to the meat below.

Very creative!


> Closed the door, went back to bed, sleeping
> and dreaming of Q.

Jason, that tells me all I need to know. Anyone that dreams Q is fine in my
book. Get them ribs (spares, preferably), pull them membranes, drink them
beers and invite some lucky folks over. Congrats.

John in Austin

Jason Tinling wrote:
>
> Cook 3, the first overnighter. Thursday night, pulled the picnic that had
> been defrosting in the fridge.


Good info. I was at the store yesterday, they had picnics for .69 a
pound so I picked one up. I've done butts before, looking forward to
trying the callie.



Brian Rodenborn