Away games aren't half bad. Actually, they are kind of great.
The weekend kicked off with the home men's basketball season opener against Mississippi Valley State. A two-point win that was all too close for those in attendance. The remainder of the weekend was wide open, so at the last minute we decided to invite a few people over Saturday for the UGA/Auburn football game.
With Thanksgiving looming, I decided it was time to work on my smoking skills again. If I'm going to get that turkey right, I've got to practice. A couple of months ago we purchased two Boston Butts at Sams and had them residing in our basement freezer. While I love eating ribs, pork shoulder is so delicious when done correctly. The last time I tried smoked butt was prior to the ARGUS show in April. It was time to work on it again.
The weekend kicked off with the home men's basketball season opener against Mississippi Valley State. A two-point win that was all too close for those in attendance. The remainder of the weekend was wide open, so at the last minute we decided to invite a few people over Saturday for the UGA/Auburn football game.
With Thanksgiving looming, I decided it was time to work on my smoking skills again. If I'm going to get that turkey right, I've got to practice. A couple of months ago we purchased two Boston Butts at Sams and had them residing in our basement freezer. While I love eating ribs, pork shoulder is so delicious when done correctly. The last time I tried smoked butt was prior to the ARGUS show in April. It was time to work on it again.
The rub recipe on these bad boys used paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Most cooking websites will tell you to rub the butts with mustard first. I've smoked shoulders three times now and always use the mustard. It does give a nice tangy flavor to it as well as acts as a nice paste to ensure the rub sticks. Patting the rub down is key. Sure, you can just throw it on there but really making sure it is applied well makes a difference in the taste.
Once the smoker was up to temperature consistently between 225-260, the butts went on. As you can tell, I do not own the nicest or most expensive smoker in the land, but this baby will work. For me, the best part of smoking is letting the fire do all the work. Of course with this type of smoker there is a little more care needed. Keeping an eye on the temp every so often is essential. I'd love to one day spring for a Big Green Egg, but the Char Griller will work just fine for now.
This go around I used pecan wood. I've never really experimented with the different types of wood you can use. I typically just buy what is available at Academy Sports. I'm going to do a little more research before we do the Thanksgiving turkey and see if there might be a better wood to use.
The cooking time for the Boston Butt is about 8 hours. Every two hours the butts were rotated. That was also the time where I would add a little more wood to the smoke box. In between the two hour intervals I would add smaller pieces to keep the temps up. The last two hours of cooking I wrapped both shoulders in tin foil. My good buddy Jon Williams, who has much more experience doing this, gave me that little tip.
This go around I used pecan wood. I've never really experimented with the different types of wood you can use. I typically just buy what is available at Academy Sports. I'm going to do a little more research before we do the Thanksgiving turkey and see if there might be a better wood to use.
The cooking time for the Boston Butt is about 8 hours. Every two hours the butts were rotated. That was also the time where I would add a little more wood to the smoke box. In between the two hour intervals I would add smaller pieces to keep the temps up. The last two hours of cooking I wrapped both shoulders in tin foil. My good buddy Jon Williams, who has much more experience doing this, gave me that little tip.
It worked wonders. When I smoked the butts back in April I wasn't really thrilled with the toughness. They weren't difficult to tear apart, but not as easy as I would've liked. Using the tin foil the last two hours made a world of difference, as the pork slid apart with the touch of a fork. They had a great smoked flavor throughout especially the crust the rub made over top, which is always my favorite part. All in all, I'd say it was quite a success and the best smoking job I've ever done. Well worth the time and effort.
Notice I haven't really mentioned the game? Well ... the Dawgs did fight hard again. Without a doubt Aaron Murray is going to be fun to watch the next few years. The loss didn't totally damper the spirits, as we were more concerned about eating some good food and enjoying the company.
So now it is on to Thanksgiving. Researching has been at the top of my nightly priority list. We picked up the bird yesterday ... 17.5 lbs. With 10 people coming over, that should be enough. I hope.
So now it is on to Thanksgiving. Researching has been at the top of my nightly priority list. We picked up the bird yesterday ... 17.5 lbs. With 10 people coming over, that should be enough. I hope.
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