basic recipes for beginners?

[Jrjbertram]

Hi,

I've been looking through recipie section for suggestions, but having trouble nailing down what I should try first.

Is there a pre-canned set of simple recipes that I could follow that would give me a good foundation to build on?

One problem I have with the recipie section is that there's a ton of debate on what's best/etc.  That's going to be useful to me once I've tried out a few basics, but is too much of a fire hose to swallow right now.

To start, I'm thinking about just buying some smaller cuts of meat (3-5 lbs?) from the meat counter and am looking for maybe 4-8 hrs of cook time.  That way, if I screw it up or don't like the taste, its not that big of a loss.  I'm willing to do things like make rubs and experimented with an injector last summer, but it was a crap shoot on whether it turned out well or not.

I've had a gas grill in the past that I've used a lot (results varied a lot) and I bought a small smoker box for the grill that I used a lot last year... Made me realize that I like smoking more than grilling. 

Anyway..  If anyone has some suggestions for some baby steps to take, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!
- Josh, the Noob.

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[SuperDave]

Josh,
Poultry is usually the cheapest and shortest smoke to try out your new smoker and skills.  Ribs are probably the next food group that fits your description for time but costs a little more than the poultry.  Pick something that you feel like eating and let us walk you through it. 

[Barrel99]

Welcome Josh,
The most popular meats here for those starting out seem to be ribs, pork butts and chicken. The ribs and butts have a fairly standard way of cooking. I feel these are the easiest to start with. Ribs take about 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours. Butts can take as many as 20+ depending on the meat so probably you don't want to wait that long to taste. Chicken can be cooked in a few hours. Just have to watch the internal temperature.

Like Dave says pick what you like and we can direct you from there.

Good luck ... You have the best!

[swthorpe]

I agree with the others that chicken is a quick starter, followed by ribs and boston butts.   For chicken, I would suggest either chicken quarters, thighs, or breasts.   Season them up with whatever rub you want to try.   Chicken parts usually run around 2-3 hours and you will want to use a remote thermometer to check the IT of the chicken...165IT and its done.   If you go with skinless breasts, then I would suggest rubbing and wrapping with bacon to keep them from drying out.

If you don't have a remote thermometer then I would suggest a couple racks of BB ribs since you don't need to monitor IT for ribs.   Just rub them down and let them sit covered in seran wrap for a few hours in the fridge (or even overnight if you have the time) and when you are ready, put the on the smoker at 2225-235F and let them go for 5-5.5 hours...no peeking, just close the door and let them go.   I would suggest checking on them at around 5 hours to see if the meat is pulling back from the bone...if so, then you are ready to eat!

[old sarge]

I would go with pork ribs (I'm not a fan of smoked poultry). 225 degrees, a basic rub, a single 2 or 3 ounce chunk of wood, and let it go for 4.5 to 5 hours (no peeking). Then check for doneness (add more time if necessary)and enjoy. 

[jcboxlot]

Dave has it right, go with pork.   Ribs, loin or butt.

Meatloaf is easy and has always turned out A+ for me.

Mac N Cheese added to any smoke turns out well.

[Jrjbertram]

I ended up getting a 2 lb brisket from the store.  Put in with no prep at 11am, got to 165, and pulled it out early around 5.  It wasn't as tender as a proper bbq joint, but it wasn't bad at all... Tasted great. 

Reading the forums, I see I need to get it somewhere around 170-180 and then let it rest.  I will start earlier next time.

Since this is the "worst" it'll ever be, I'm pretty excited!

Thanks for all the ideas to get me started.
- Josh.

[SuperDave]

Josh, congrats on getting your first one under your belt.  I think you are still too light on your brisket temp, even for your next try.  Try between 195 - 200.

Also, one thing that no one mentioned on beef, a fair cut of beef like a small roast cooks quick because you are only taking it up to 135 - 145 for medium rare. 

[TmanEater]

Dave-


Josh is the friend I talked into getting the #2. You should ask him if cost of operation was a factor in his buying decision.  :-)


I see he's sticking with smaller cuts of meat because he's afraid to make costly mistakes. My recommendation for early success so far has been pick a meat and prep method that is defined in a detailed thread on this forum... and try to follow it exactly. Over time of seeing different meats and smokes (with what works and don't) the confidence will build up and desire to "experiment" will follow.


I'm getting more comfortable (after a few months) to where I'm doing multiple large hunks of meat (i.e. 12-16 lbs) so that I can freeze leftovers and spread things out over many "ready to eat" tasty meals. My next challenge is also getting brave enough to drill and cut wires in my smoker to modify it for my new HeaterMeter PID project. I'm taking lots of time for this to make sure I do it right.  :-)

[Jrjbertram]

Yeah... I easily spent the cost of a smoker in propane and wood chips last year.  Runningy grill on low for 10 hrs... Really go through a lot of propane. 

I have been looking at various electric smokers since august.  I was going to build a brick, propane smoker this spring, but Tony got a model #2 and has been so happy with it, he finally put me over the edge and I took the plunge.  Very happy I did!

- J.

[DivotMaker]

Welcome aboard, Josh!  Glad you got that "first smoke" out of the way; now you can get down to business!

2-3 lb cuts of something like brisket are a really tough smoke!  The little chunks (in Arkansas, anything under 3 lbs is what we call a "steak") are really unpredictable in the smoker.  7+ lbs cook soooo much better, and are easier.  Also, briskets take a little prep to be really good, as it's one of the toughest cuts of meat on the cow.  Check out the brisket recipes, under "Beef," and build from there.

Good to see Tman got you hear!

[Limey]

This may be a really unpopular post but I think Josh has a great idea. Surely we can agree-most of us anyway- on a plain vanilla way to tackle most smokes that will give a decent result. This forum is full of highly experienced, and very opinionated folks. As such it is a great place to learn. It is also, I submit, unnecessarily confusing and intimidating to newbies. We need someone to take a cut at a "basic instruction manual".
How about it Divot??

[DivotMaker]

This may be a really unpopular post but I think Josh has a great idea. Surely we can agree-most of us anyway- on a plain vanilla way to tackle most smokes that will give a decent result. This forum is full of highly experienced, and very opinionated folks. As such it is a great place to learn. It is also, I submit, unnecessarily confusing and intimidating to newbies. We need someone to take a cut at a "basic instruction manual".
How about it Divot??

Already in the works, Roger!  I know exactly what you are talking about.

[TmanEater]

I like the idea! A manual would be a great place to start for the newbies that just want to follow directions for an introduction to producing some top quality stuff. Giving some reasons behind some of the direction would also be a great learning tool to build from. I'd be happy to help participate being a few month old newbie myself. If anything I could give some perspective on reviewing the materials coming together.

[swthorpe]

Another great source for basic recipes is Jeff Phillip's web site, smoking-meat.com.    The recipes are very straight forward and often include pics for illustration.  I have tried a few of his recipes (and purchased his rub/sauce recipes) with good success.