Wonderful food

sdbelt

Just thought I'd drop a line in on the wonderful food I've had recently off my BGE. [p]For Christmas I made a wonderful 20 lb turkey. Brined her up the night before, and then cooked the breast to 163 and the result was spectactular. Definitely the best turkey I'd ever had. Used apple as the smoking wood, and got great penetration. That which didn't get the smoke had a great flavor from the brine. The whole of the white meat was eaten completely in one sitting by our contingency of 15 kids and 11 adults. The only thing that didn't work out perfectly was that with this low breast temp, the thighs were not quite cooked and I discarded them.[p]December 30, I made my best attempt at ribs to date. Still slightly overcooked, but very, very tasty. These were baby backs, cooked direct, around 275 for the majority of the cook, aside from 45 minutes of foil treatment. Nearly all of the fat had dripped off (more apparent the next day, when I ate the the leftovers from the fridge). Prices are baby backs are pretty good right now, so I stocked up.[p]And today I'm cooking a Boston Butt. The most difficult part of this cook is always buying on. I go in to my local grocier and ask for the biggest butt roast they have (as I hold they wimpy 4.5 pounder they have in the case). After "discussing" this request for a while, they always come back with something that's at least 6 lbs. Today's is nearly 7 lbs. A great size.[p]I maintained a temp between 230 and 250 (usually around 240) throughout the night with no problem (why or why do I bother getting up in the middle of the night). I am trying a new twist with this cook. After the meat cleared the plateau, I opened the lid, and flipped the butt, with the fat cap now pointed down. I spray liberaly with apple juice, and then vent adjusted for 275-300. My goal is to minimize the amount of "charring" that occurs to the bottom of the butt. These end peices are my favorite to eat, even though they are usually a bit tougher. With any luck, this flip will reduce that to some extent, and since the fat is mostly rendered at this point, flipping the fat cap over shouldn't hurt. With any luck, the fat cap just may completely drip into the pan.[p]If this is any noticeable difference to the result, I'll give a shout. I've also got a double batch of JJ's Q sauce going now. Dang it tastes good, and it's just getting underway. Not sure what I did differently, but my wife agrees with me that there's something special brewing today.[p]Happy new year everyone. It's a pleasant and clear 65 degrees out today in sunny Phoenix.[p]--sdb