rock bottom

[SmokeNSolace]

My clothes are disheveled
I smell like smoke and sweat
My hand, they are filthy
I appear to have hit ROCK BOTTOM
I have the perfect BRISKET

----

and a new hobby.

Hi all, I'm Will. I'm a geetar playin' techno-hippie from Virginia. My OBS with Auber PID arrived on Friday. Since then i have smoked 5 racks of baby backs (2 runs), 2 Chickens and 1 Brisket. My friends, my family and I are in meat heaven.

I would like to say a quick thank you to TENPOINT5, Habanero Smoker and Kynola. The generous sharing of their expertise has helped me tremendously. Your tutorials have taught me more in 3/4 posts than Steve Raichlen did in 4 books.  Also thank you to everyone else who makes this forum and Olds Place such a wonderful place/resource to newbie smokers.

Since it seems customary for new members to end most posts with a question. Is it bad to go up to your neighbors and give them some delightfully smoked meat? No joke, i have fed all my friends and family but i dont want to stop cooking. HELP!

But really, a serious question. I purchased some gunpowder seasoning based on its strong, seemingly ubiquitous recommendation. But i have no idea how or what to use it on. HELP! haha. 

SS.   

[Keymaster]

Welcome aboard Will !!! Hope to see some pictures of all this fine Smoked Foods Soon :)

[JerkyAddict]

Use the gunpowder on everything (not sure about bananas though)

[KyNola]

1. Welcome to the forum.
2. Thank you for your kind words.
3. No, it is not wrong to feed friends and neighbors but there is something you need to know.  They will start calling you on the weekends "just wondering what you're smoking".  It's their way of asking if they can have some. (Don't ask me how I know this. ;))
4. I use Gunpowder seasoning on a strong meat like beef as it has a very bold flavor.  Having said that, it is just my preference, personal taste.  I see folks using it on just about everything so experiment with it to learn what you like.  How bad can it be?

[Salmonsmoker]

Welcome to the forum Smokensolace. It appears that you have been smitten by smoke. Worse things could happen! ;D As Larry said, gunpowder is really good on beef. Another suggestion....When you're cooking other kinds of meat, sprinkle a small section with gunpower so you can sample. If the flavors clash, you won't have wasted the whole piece of meat. A light dusting may work just fine on mild tasting meat.

[Tenpoint5]

Dude you gotta try a light sprinkling of gunpowder on popcorn!

Also there is no known cure for the smoking bug

[muebe]

Welcome to the forum ;)

I like gunpowder on beef and pork. Don't care for it too much on chicken.

[beefmann]

welcome aboard

[squirtthecat]

Welcome!

[Keymaster]

Dude you gotta try a light sprinkling of gunpowder on popcorn!

Also there is no known cure for the smoking bug

I'm gonna try that right now Chris, Be back soon ;D

[SmokeNSolace]

Thanks all for the warm welcome.   :D That is a great idea about partial seasoning which i never would have thought to do. Same with the gunpowder on popcorn. I cant wait to try both soon, very soon.

I have the pork butt in the fridge as i type. As to that, any suggestions as to the first recipe for pulled pork? Ive been browsing the time tested recipe section and they all look so good. As this is my first pulled pork i didn't want to stray too far from tradition.

My thought was the Renowned Mr. Brown is the place to start. What do they mean when they say shave off the bark? Isn't that the best part?

I'll try and break out the Nikon for the next smoke session but to be honest i make about as good a photographer as Doc Watson. =)

SNS Will.

PS.

Wow, to how many words in this sentence?(numeric)
my response: Huh? Numeric isn't a sentence... : (  doh

more coffee needed. gears... jamming...

[KyNola]

Never too many "how to" questions in a post.  Best way to learn.  As for your first pulled pork recipe, keep it simple.  The Renowned Mr. Brown Rub is proven and quite good. I would use CYM(cheap yellow mustard) as a paint to apply to the butt prior to applying the Rub so the Rub has something to adhere to.  I personally use molasses rather than CYM as I like the more pronounced bark that molasses produces.  I also trim the fat cap off of the butt as I don't think it is required to have a moist finished product and you don't lose any of the bark when the fat cap slides off.  As for shaving the bark, I think what they are referring to is trimming the bark off of the butt prior to pulling the meat, chopping the bark and then mixing it back into the pulled meat.  That's one of the reasons I trim the fat cap off of the butt prior to applying the "glue and Rub".

Hope this helps.  Others more learned than me will be along to give you better advice.

[Ketch22]

Welcome to the forum

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi SmokeNSolace;

Welcome to the forum.

The step; "Then shave off the bark and finely chop that up;" does mean to shave the bark, chopping it up then mixing it in the pulled pork. I should add the mixing part in my directions. I've tried several rubs, but always go back to The Renowned Mr. Brown. Also I've been applying peanut oil to the meat prior to applying the rub.

[SmokeNSolace]

Ooh, that makes 1)sense 2)me hungry.

So... Yellow Mustard. Molasses. Honey, Maple Syrup. Peanut Oil and Nothing. and that's before we even really start adding flavor.

Hmm, so many choices, so little pig.

I've read, probably from you guys that CYM disappears. Molasses will thicken the bark. Sounds tasty. 

I would think honey and maple syrup would do something similar but to a lesser degree. I'm worried these could create almost a honey baked ham effect. So will probably avoid as a first attempt.

You piqued my curiosity with Peanut Oil. What have you noticed? Similar to the mustard but with less of a flavor impact? or something different entirely?