What to put in the smoker this weekend?

[Aloha_Shooter]

Hmmm ... trying to get to uploading pictures but the second pork butt wasn't as tender or shreddable as the first. I took both to 190F but there's still considerable fat and collagen in the second butt. I could put it in the oven for more time at 190 or 200 but I don't want to dry everything out either. I suppose I could put it in a ziploc bag then put that in a 190F water bath in the slow cooker ... I thought the fat and collagen was supposed to dissolve at about 160?

[DenverGP]

I always cook my pork butts to 200. I think 190F would work if you held it at 190F for an hour or so. I typically wrap in foil at 160F, then cook to 200F, then hold them in a warm oven (180F or so) for at least another hour. Couldn't find a spec of fat, but still very moist and juicy.

Some pics from mine today:

Pulling:


This is the "money muscle" from the end of the butt, I separate it and slice it:


sammich:

[Gman]

I thought the fat and collagen was supposed to dissolve at about 160?

You'll still have pockets of it with all of the connective tissue in the shoulder.

I pretty much followed the Traeger recipe. I had a pan of water in the smoker with the meat and hit 195 internal. 3 hours on the grill at 225, swapped over to disposable foil pans and bumped up to 250 for the next 6 hours or so. I did not regularly spray them down every hour or so with a solution like apple juice, as per some recipes. I've found the exterior gets kind of crusty with that method.

That's some good lookin' pig there, DenverGP

[Buff]

Dam DGP nice looking pork, kind of put's my Pork Loin to shame......
.

Also made/baked some mac and cheese with Anaheim's

[DenverGP]

Looks tasty there Buff. I've done a few pork loins, haven't come out a nice looking as yours.. and the mac and cheese looks excellent... got to be my favorite smoker side dish. We had mac and cheese last week with the brisket, so wife wanted to do something different this week. she made corn pudding, pretty good. sweet so it offset the spicy of the bbq sauce.

[Great-Kazoo]

I use treager as a baseline for most smoke recipes. However we've gone to using a 1-X hour smoke then set to temp for actual cooking. Pork gets a foil wrap after the 180 mark is reached.

Finally got some fish recipes down.
It's a straight setting of High - 450+ (whatever) your settings go to. Rub, marinade, seasoning of choice 30 minutes prior to cook. Marinade no longer than 5 min per side. Gives you a smoke flavor w/out turning it in to jerky...............or cat food.

[Dave_L]

Picked up a Traeger this weekend so I'll be watching this thread a bit more closely and participating.

[Great-Kazoo]

Picked up a Traeger this weekend so I'll be watching this thread a bit more closely and participating.

Browse all their recipes. This way you have an idea time frame from start to finish. There's nothing like a spouse who comments. If i had known it take this long. I would have never purchased one. That's until they try their hand at it. Then it's, YOU MEAN MY SMOKER.

[Dave_L]

I skimmed through the book last night and I'm excited to get working on things. We just grilled some kabobs last night that we had already purchased and the chicken was ridiculously juicy. I'm probably going to try some ribs this week and how knows what else over the weekend.

I'd be excited if my wife got into it and would have stuff going when I got home.

[Buff]

Picked up a Traeger this weekend so I'll be watching this thread a bit more closely and participating.

They make everything easy and almost fool proof, I can leave instructions for my wife or kids and they can do ribs, briskets, prime ribs, chickens, etc......

When I have the time I still go old school and use my old wood smoker, I think you get a better smoke, better bark and deeper flavor but it's an all day event.