What to put in the smoker this weekend?

[Great-Kazoo]

My GF and I will be house sitting her parents house this weekend and I ask her dad to leave his Trager out. Can anyone recommend a simple, fool proof recipe for a first time (literally never touched one) user? Chicken, beef, pork, not really particular.

pork ribs. 3-2-1 method 3 hrs smoke 2 wrapped in foil 1 opened up with sauce of choice. When wrapped in foil using a liquid such as apple juice helps. Depending on size of rib rack. 4 tbsp of juice seems to have the best results for my stuff.

Boston Butt/Pork Shoulder. Rinse off and pat dry. Slather in the cheapest yellow mustard you can find. Don't worry, the flavor will cook off so you just need it for the rub to stick. Apply a hearty coat of Famous Dave's Dry rub to entire thing. Smoke at 225deg for about 4 hours using an applewood or blend/mix pellet. I like Cookin' Pellets brand because they have great reviews and can be found both locally (Wood Shed on Mulberry & I25) as well as online for cheap from time to time. Insert food probe and cook to an internal temp of 200deg. You can wrap tightly in foil if you want at about 165deg to help through the stall but this isn't 100% necessary. Let rest for at least an hour in foil with smoker off or on the counter. Cook times vary greatly so it's best to aim for early than late. You can rest a shoulder in the foil wrapped in a bath towel in a cooler for 3hrs+ if need be. Now tear it up and eat plain or with your favorite sauce. Should be tender, juicy and delicious. I can get into all kinds of specifics and make this even more complex but that process should yield you some of the best pulled pork you've ever had.

The wood shed is harmony & 25.

It's his first time using a smoker. doing anything other than simple items for a novice is IMO not suggested. While a pork butt/shoulder sounds simple, for the uninformed it can become a horror show. One has to get away from normal (Oven) cook times / per pound and know time-temp, stall etc.

I suggested ribs which is fairly fool proof. The only thing easier (first time ) would be sausage. 2 hrs low smoke, kick temp to 225 till sausage/brats hit 160 (TOPS) The ribs are a no brainer. The brats, pork shoulder, brisket all require a meat thermometer knowing (again) stall and rest times.

Plus ...a rib rack or few pounds of brats is way cheaper to go with IF they don't come out right. Than a 5+ pork shoulder