The Unknown

DynaGreaseball · May 2009

I have enjoyed my reputation among my neighbors, as the Pulled Pork King and the Baby Back Rib Guru in my neighborhood, because of my wonderful, Medium BGE. One of my neighbors is a Chef, however, and he has asked me to help him cook 18 or 20 Boston Butts for his restaurant in July for some outdoor event they're having. He's going to rent some kind of cooker. I hope it's charcoal, but it might be gas. I'm worried.

Before I got my egg and learned how to use it, I never had any experience with Webers or gassers, or offsets, or anything that smoked real pulled pork, for that matter. Am I correct in my thinking, that no matter what kind of cooker it turns out to be, the correct algorythm is just like my egg: 250° at the grate for about 1.5 hours per pound of the average size butt; let rest; pull; add some sauce and then serve--just like on the egg? I know not to crowd the butts, and I have a Thremapen, and one of those remote thermometers with dual probes.

Your advice is appreciated as always.

Grandpas Grub · May 2009

Sounds like you are correct in your thinking.

The mechanics are the same. The egg helps keep the meat moist and an easy cooking method.

GG

hayhonker · May 2009

that's the recipe for success but the cooker will have a huge impact on what you do to follow that recipe.
If it's thin walled metal, and a windy evening, you'll want to check the temps often. Off-set chamber? Wood or lump? Briquettes (Lord help you)?
GAS? you'll want to put some moisture in there if it's a gasser. Drip pans of water or beer or something.

Sounds like he's gonna fit 20 butts on one cooker so will probably be a wood fired offset. This would be good.

FlaPoolman · May 2009

Some of the cheaper offsets can vary 50 degrees or more from one end to the other. Multiple temp. probes? Find out what he is planning on using.

DynaGreaseball · May 2009

If it's charcoal I guess I'll get some bags of Kingsford Brickettes and check the temp often. If it's wood, I have no idea what to use. Would it be hard wood like in my fireplace in the Winter?' Could I use lump in a wood fired cooker, as long as I get some hickory smoke in there in the beginning?

Moisture...should I put some foil baking pans full of water in there somewhere, and leave in there throughout the entire cook?

Unknown · May 2009

We mostly use the same lump in the horizontal off-set as we do in the eggs. We then add wood splits for the smoke. You can cook with straight wood if you want. Either way, it is good if you can put the next few pieces of wood that you will be using, up on top of the outside of the firebox so thay can get "pre-warmed". Our smoker is thick plate and it really surprised me how much effort it takes to maintain a constant temp. And it takes a huge amount of fuel when compared to an egg. Be prepared to stay up all night tending it, which can actually be quite fun. We have bourbon to increase this fun. I'm not sure if it has ever done much good but we always have a couple pans of apple juice below the grate in the hope that moisture will be retained.
All the butts we cram into the smoker turn out so well that people want to buy any leftovers. Cooking on the BGE is much easier and uses MUCH less fuel. But an iron behemeth can be fun once in a while. You'll do fine.

Car Wash Mike · May 2009

Get plently of lump if it is an offset. My dad didn't want his egg I bought him for Fathers Day years ago and has a Goodone. 60lbs ought to cover it. :woohoo:

Mike

Celtic Wolf · May 2009

Tell him I will bring my Eggs down and help you cook those butts.

The Unknown

Comments

Categories