Big Will's BBQ

[Big Will]

Thanks for the intrest in BBQ. It's something we can get into when we can't fish, and is a truely American pasttime.

As I've mentioned before. My cholesterol is not low. My wife struggles to keep it under control. I used to eat a lot of Boston Butt. Lately I've traded that for the other white meat - lean pork.

On a cold winter night a bright moon and a warm fire are all you need to have a snug time with your favorite honey. Add lump charcoal, a smoker, and a blend of harmoniously balanced spices along with your favorite cut of meat and your set for an unforgetable experience. More rugged than the smell of horses and slightly less intoxicating than smell of the sea, a wood smoke fire is a savory thing fit for conversation.

Here are a few of my favorites:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/BiggWilll/2007BBQDavidandWillJuly005.jpg

On the left is "Center Cut Boneless Pork Loin"
To the right "Pork Loin Top Loin Roast"
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/BiggWilll/2007BBQDavidandWillJuly012.jpg
Smoking is an art. I do not have it perfected. Front two are "Pork Loin Top Loin Roast" back piece is my favorite, has no gamey smell or taste,"Center Cut Boneless Pork Loin"
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/BiggWilll/2007BBQDavidHammondsMagic007.jpg
About 4 hours of smoking later and internal temp of 170 degrees, I pass em through the slicer.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/BiggWilll/2007BBQcattastelikechicken.jpg
Looks like this and look out! It doesn't last long...

[Shakespeare]

I agree with ya Will, there's something mesmerizing about smoking meat. I've stood by the smoker for hours on end... feeling like I'm busy as all get out but actually my eyeballs are getting the exersize watching the thin blue smoke coming out the stack, the meat thermometers and the cooking chamber temps. I keep a little side fire going too.

Here's a link to one of my favorite web sites for smoking about anything you can dream of. Assuming you haven't been there yet, its;

http://www.thesmokering.com/default.jsp

Check out the forums, 'cause that's where the action is. These guys are definitely knocking it out of the ballpark.

The loins look great! Yep, maybe some day we'll have a throwdown and cook up a little something.

Mike C.

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Man, that smells all the way to NY soooooooooooooooooooo good. yay yay yay 012

[Willie]

Big Will, if you can, what are the rub ingredients? :secret: cause it looks good............... ;D I am on my way to the market in a couple minutes and am getting the pork loin to do... tomorrow.........Willie

[Big Will]

Rub needs to taste like “you” want it to. What ever your favorite flavor is, make sure that’s in there.

Temperature is going to affect the rubs outcome if your rub has sugar in it, if you run too high a heat the sugar will scorch and not taste good.

I like:
Brown sugar.
Paprika
Mesquite smoked salt (Lays MesqBBQ chips can be substitute for this expensive item)
Black pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper

Brown sugar and Paprika form the base add the other stuff to taste. Take a pinch of it and try it, then when you get it to suit your taste rub it on the meat and get started.

Some say you have to give it a lot of time. I don’t. Yes, there’s a time to marinate and such, but with the cuts we are using it doesn’t take a lot to flavor the meat.

I use a lump charcoal and add a few chunks of whatever I have that’s green, usually some water oak or live oak and I have been known to steal a limb off one of the trees in the yard. However, wood chips soaked in water will do just fine.

Cooking, fat cap up, at about 225 to 250 degrees, mine are usually done in about 3 to 4 hours. Internal temp of 165 degrees, I take mine off and let it rest a half hour or so under loose foil before cutting.

Some will disagree with me, but once you get the initial smoke on the meat (hour or so), don’t be afraid to bring it in and finish it up in the oven – just set the temp down to 200 to 250. I know this is complete heresy for some, but if you’ve got a rainy day to deal with or the rug rats have to be at ball practice and you just cant stick around to watch the grill this is a great way to get the flavor your looking for with a touch of modern convenience.

Like fishing, the last thing you want is to have a bad experience and then not want to try again later. Sorry I didn't check the post last night, I could've gotten this to you sooner...

[Willie]

Thank ya kindly............. never did get to do the loin today, but picked it and some beef ribs up......hopefully this week........... yay yay

[sportskiff]

Hey Will,
ya ever brine the meat?? If not, give it a shot, ya might like the differance.
Reggie :secret:

[Willie]

Never have tried it for meat, did mix up some for some bluefish the one year, pretty good too.

what do you put into it and qty,, been so long I forgot think it was a cup for a gallon? 006

Went to a flea market today in Marshall's Creep Pa right along the Delaware River by East Stroudsburg, Delaware Watergap area......found a spice shop and picked up a few mixes with no salt ,( bay seasoning, chicken broth powder, and also some paprika with a kick of chipolete pepper Gonna use the latter mixed with some sugar for the basis of a rib and pork rub. yay

[Shakespeare]

I'm pretty sure it's 3/4 cup Kosher salt per gallon Willie... then 1/2 cup brown sugar if ya want. I add a few cloves crushed garlic and some bay leaves.

I brine poultry but haven't done that to pork. Beef stands on it's own IMO.

Mike C.

[Willie]

Thats it 3/4 cup and the brown sugar, soak the blue fillet, then ref. until they dry, then smoke em thumbsup

[Big Will]

Sportskiff,

I've heard of brining but I''ve never tried it.

I've got a frigerator in the garage I could let it rest in, and I could get a clean 5 gallon bucket to use. How would I brine a boston butt?

[Willie]

Big Will, I think its used mainly for poultry and fish.. ???.. but I also found this
is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (the brine) before cooking.

Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation. The brine surrounding the cells has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells, but the cell fluid has a higher concentration of other solutes. This leads salt ions to enter the cell via diffusion. The increased salinity of the cell fluid causes the cell to absorb water from the brine via osmosis. The salt introduced into the cell also denatures its proteins. The proteins coagulate, forming a matrix which traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This prevents the meat from drying out, or dehydrating.

In many foods the additional salt is also desirable as a preservative. Note that kosher meats are salted during the process of koshering so they should not be brined.

Some cheeses are periodically washed in a saltwater brine during their ripening. Not only does the brine carry flavors into the cheese (it might be seasoned with spices or wine), but the salty environment may nurture the growth of the Brevibacterium linens bacteria, which can impart a very pronounced odor (Limburger) and interesting flavor. The same bacteria can also have some impact on cheeses that are simply ripened in humid conditions, like Camembert. Large populations of these "smear bacteria" show up as a sticky orange-red layer on some brine-washed cheeses.

Things like corned beef are heavily brined I believe.....

Are there any others who brine as part of your smoking process, come on and jump in.............

I like to keep my salt intake low, thats why I don't brine.......but use a wet smoke to keep the meat moist Willie

here is a link I found about brining real good info and recipes.......... yay
http://bbq.about.com/cs/barbecuetips/a/aa112000b.htm

[Shakespeare]

There's a lot of arguments over brining meats such as Boston butts. I'm no expert and every smoke is a learning experience for me, but intuition tells me that any meat with a fat cap or good marbling doesn't require the additional moisture retention... the fat does the job for you. There are a few that are into injection but that's another subject. I would think a lean cut of meat like a pork loin would be a good candidate for brining, but poultry I believe benefits the most. Also, if your butt has been cryopackaged then it has been essentially brined in the package.

Mike C.

PS: Willie, that About dot com site is a really good resource. I've grabbed a few rub and sauce recipes from there.

[Willie]

Ye it looks like it from what I saw......been smokin now for a few years but did mainly turkey, now have been doing the pork and the beef and am always looking for new info . I have one of the cylinder shaped smokers from Lowes. It was charcole, but I got an electric converter from Cabelas and a gas converter from
http://gassmoker.com/ and got that from the smoke ring at http://www.thesmokering.com/default.jsp

lots of good stuff at the smoke ring link also.................Keep on skiffin and smokin Willile

[sportskiff]

Hey there Willie, Shake, and tootall,
This is GOOD input, so.. tell me.... are ALL of us a bit "heavy".....??
Reggie yay yay yay 012 012 012 012

[Big Will]

Like a Chevy!

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/BiggWilll/Fishingfirstboattrip07150610.jpg

[Willie]

depends on what you consider heavy 006 210 and mostly rock solid :o at least my head 017