Hello from PA

[pbonem]

Hello! BDS was new on Wednesday, seasoned on Thursday and used overnight on Friday to make some of the best BBQ butt I've ever tasted. I got the rub recipe from a different site but read and used the techniques and advice from this forum when it came to smoking / cooking. Couldn't be happier with the result; you guys rock. Sorry; no pics. But no surprises, either. 8.5 lb. picnic butt, 5 hours of apple smoke, total of 16 hours @ 220 to 190, then 6 hours FTC (a slight tad too long for my weak cooler but the meat was still plenty hot enough) and the bone slid out like that's what bones were meant to do. 20+ guests all raved about the taste. Thanks a tone to you guys for the good start.

I'm sure I'll get equally good advice as I venture on to other things. My first question, in fact, is about what those things should be: What the absolute best thing to master early? That'll teach me the most? What the thing that you wish YOU'D have smoked sooner in your careers than you actually did?

[tailfeathers]

Hi from South Dakota and welcome. I just suggested this to someone else on another post, but I recommend you get a pork loin, cure it and make canadian bacon. I use mallardwacker's maple canadian bacon recipe fom the susanminor.org recipe site. It's simple, foolproof and delicious. One word of caution: this can become an addiction!!!

[Saber 4]

Hi from South Dakota and welcome. I just suggested this to someone else on another post, but I recommend you get a pork loin, cure it and make canadian bacon. I use mallardwacker's maple canadian bacon recipe fom the susanminor.org recipe site. It's simple, foolproof and delicious. One word of caution: this can become an addiction!!!

Welcome from Texas and I couldn't agree more, Canadian Bacon is a great way to impress yourself and family with what you can do with a good smoker.

[ragweed]

Welcome to the forum from Nebraska.  Speaking of bacon, we're kinda partial to "Hillbilly" bacon.  I use Phone Guy's recipe from the susanminor.org site.  Super simple, super good.

[pensrock]

I do and like both, Canadian style and hillbilly or buckboard bacon.  :)
Also ABT''s are easy and great tasting.  :)

[tskeeter]

I vote for adding Canadian Bacon to your recipe box, too.  I've been using Habanero Smoker's recipe, from the susanminor.org site, and really like it.  Simple and delicious.  Got a batch in the works now that I'm going to try to trade with one of my brothers-in-law for some Alaskan salmon from his July fishing trip.

If you have sausage making gear, or can borrow some or partner with some who has the gear, Pikeman's (Kirby) summer sausage recipe is very good.  After tasting this, I don't think you'll bother to buy summer sausage again.

[pbonem]

This is my kind of place! Five replies and it's like the Monty Python "Spam" skit: "Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon and bacon wrapped poppers. And sausage." :-)

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll try some bacon. Then on to the pastrami, ribs, brisket, chicken, ...

[manfromplaid]

bacon is the duct tape of smokers

[waycoolcat]

Hello from PA too! Bacon is the gateway meat!