Pork Butt vs Ribs

Butt is always a great choice... 

+1 on the butt

I would go with a shorter cook for the first time...chicken, for example.

I agree with lighting it and playing with temperatures before actually attempting your first cook.

Have fun. You're gonna love it! 

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.
What follows are a collection of thoughts that you may find interesting:

Here’s a link to all things ceramic-chances are if you have a question the answer is within this site somewhere.  Check out the recipe section for some great ideas.  http://www.nakedwhiz.com/nwindex.htm

For additional links to cooking/recipe sites; here are two very good ones, depending what you are cooking:  This site contains a wealth of the science behind Q cooking along with info on about every type of meat cook you would attempt: http://amazingribs.com/

Here’s the second one:  http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/

 After-market toys- With the BGE there are three basic styles of cooking;  “direct”-where the cooking grid is on top of the fire ring; “raised direct”-where the grid is elevated at least to the gasket-line (this setup requires after-market stuff-easiest is to get another grid and then use three fire bricks (or three empty aluminum beer cans) and place them on the grid at the fire ring and then put the second grid on top. The third is “indirect” where there is a heat deflector (platesetter or some other type stone) between the burning lump and the cooking grid.  This is the setup for low&slow long duration cooks.  I would get comfortable playing around with the BGE before any major after-market investments.  Will save you $$ in the long run.

 Some observations-make sure you calibrate your dome thermo-boil some water, then insert the thermo and check the temp.  If not around 210*F, then note the off-set and use the nut on the back to correct.  Then recheck.

Temperature is a controlled by the volume of lump burning.  The volume is controlled by the air-flow thru the BGE.  In thru the bottom vent and out the top.  Make sure when you set it up that the fire box opening is aligned with the lower vent. 

When adjusting the vent(s) to change temperature, the feedback loop can take some time.  Changes in air-flow are reflected in the dome thermo temp.  Don’t chase temperature; +/- 10-15*F is close enough.

“Stable temperature” is a relative term.  Means you haven’t moved the vents and the temperature is steady for anywhere from 30-60 minutes.

That's more than enough and certainly for a Friday night.

I'll go against the grain and say ribs. It's a shorter cook and you are generally awake for the cook so you can monitor temps and adjust if needed. You will cook ribs at 250-275 degrees. If you can hold a temp for 5+ hours for ribs it will make an overnight cook that much easier and be confident that the fire won't go out. Every once in a while you will see a post about a fire going out over night and the poster asking if the meat is still good to use or if bacteria got the better part of it. Pulled pork is forgiving and cheap if ruined. So not a big deal but you might get a little more experience by working with the temp and food along the way. Enjoy the journey either way. Ask away with questions. There is always someone here to help out with answers. Most of all have fun!

Ribs are wonderfully flexible, but really hard to perfect - cook to your taste:  foil with apple cider vinegar to get "fall off the bone", or ride naked, sauce for the last 30 min to an hour, or not....   We've done them multiple ways and as long as you get to the point where you pass the bend or toothpick test they're good. I haven't deciphered the path to consistent excellence but am having fun (and good eats) chasing it!

Jcrosson said:

My new green egg is being delivered Monday. I plan to build a fire without meat and play with controlling temperature next week. I'm torn between ribs or a butt being my first cook. Any advice???

Congrats. Don't put your tow in the water. Cook something! 

Spare ribs were not the 1st things I cooked, tho' that's why I got the Egg. Might have been the 4th cook, after burgers, brats, chix. Were better than I'd ever done. But it took me about 6 mos to get where I wanted w. them.

At this point, its completely simple. Load lump, add some oak, chips or chunks, not soaked. Fire up, set vents so it can't get hotter than 350 (Daisy on, opened 75%, bottom, about 1".)

Put in a drip pan, no water, and then a raised grill.

Go trim ribs, rub. Check the Egg after about 20 min. Usually, most of the "bad" smoke is cleared, and I shut to 250-ish vents. Daisy 1/16" open, bottom, about 1/8". When the smoke is blue and wispy, on go the ribs, and I go away. Come back in 2 hours to make sure the heat hasn't crept up too much. Usually, its around 275, and I squinch down the bottom vent farther.

Come back in another 2 hours, see how the meat is pulling back from the bone. Maybe shift the ribs around it they're not cooking quite evenly.

5 hours at 250-ish is the earliest I've ever had spares done. Usually check again at 5, and brush on some oil or butter, and add more pepper, garlic powder, maybe some paprika.

Turbo works OK for ribs. I don't think it works quite as well for butts. Not as much time in the smoke. But 250-275 works for my schedule. Put 'em on at noon, by 6, dinners ready, and I got to take a couple of breaks to check how things were going, and have a few nibbles.

IMO, foil is completely unnecessary unless you want sauce infused ribs, or you are desperate to finish faster, which is better done by going to turbo temps.

I would go with indirect cooks first until comfortable with the egg and temp control.      I started with ckn breast and thighs indirect at 300 and then went to a butt at 275 and it took me several months to get comfortable with direct.