Meat: get a full brisket, a packer brisket, with both point and flat.
Seasoning: 1/4 Tbsp per pound salt, 1/4 Tbsp per pound black pepper, 1/8 Tbsp per pound garlic powder.
Starting smoker temp: 225℉
Desired end temp: 203℉
Start the smoker. Trim up the brisket so there’s about 1/4 inch of fat, max, on surfaces. Maybe cut the brisket in half to fit the smoker - either separate point from flat or just cut it in half. Put the seasoning in a shaker and shake it onto every exposed surface. Put it on the smoker with the point (fattier piece) on top, and the fatty sides on both up. Remember which temp probe is in which piece.
Start the smoker. Salt and rub into a shaker, shake it onto every exposed surface of the butt. Put the butt in the smoker and let it go for a long time. Check it at least 12 hours before you want to eat, you may need to turn the smoker up to 275℉ to get it done on time. For a 15 lbs butt it regularly takes 18 hours even with turning up the smoker 6 halfway-through. Let it rest a little, then pull it.
Meat: two approx. 2.5 lbs filets of of salmon (totalling 5 lbs), skin off.
Brine: 1 quart cool water, 1/3 cup sea salt, 1 cup brown sugar
Baste: maple syrup
Starting smoker temp: 120℉
Desired end temp: 130-140℉
The night before, slice each filet into thirds, and distribute between two ziploc bags of brine (half the brine in each bag). Place the brine in the fridge overnight.
11.19 lbs pork butt from the commissary, $2.02 per pound. I’ll use 2.75 Tbsp salt and 1.25 cups Memphis dust. Smoking it at 225℉ until it hits about 203℉.
6 Nov, 2310: meat is on the smoker.
7 Nov, 1330: meat is at 170℉. I’m turning the smoker up to 275℉.
1750: 201℉ - I’ll take it off soon.
1810: 203℉, perfect!
Pork butt was fantastic. Perhaps a little fattier than usual, but seems delicious.
I remember finding Clapton at the animal shelter near the San Antonio zoo. He was pacing around his small area, it looked like he had a lot of energy. I was looking for a dog who would be, in part, a running buddy. I took a couple dogs out for a walk that first day, but out of all of them Clapton struck me as “the one”.
I came back the following two days and took different dogs for a walk, each time also taking Clapton. At one point there were children playing in one of the dog play areas, and I decided to see how he’d do around them. They wanted to play with him and he was interested in playing with them, it seemed like he liked kids well enough, although he was generally indifferent about people.
Working through a course on “International Security Studies”, I got absorbed in some reading about methods of analyzing international relations. I dove into a rabbit hole and am now able to put my own beliefs and worldview on this into concrete terms.
I haven’t made ribs since 2018, apparently. Let’s do ribs again! And a pork butt later. I have been wanting ribs for a while, but haven’t done em. The wife isn’t a fan of ribs. And - last time I did them it didn’t go so great. But I have learned from that time. This time I only bought one package of ribs from Costco, 3 racks. St Louis style, 11.41 lbs, $2.89 per pound. I’ll smoke them at 250℉ until they hit 203℉. I might have smoked them at 225℉ but I have a time limit today…
22 lbs turkey (that’s crazy). I spatchcocked it then took out the breastbone so it’s fully split in half. I brined each half in a gallon of water with a cup of salt and 3/4 cup brown sugar.
My herb butter was very roughly inspired by this site. My cooking plan was inspired by this site.
27 Nov 1930 - turkey is in the brine. I struggled to get this to cool down because it didn’t fit in the fridge, so I had it in the garage in a bucket surrounded by ice. Hours later everything cooled below 39℉. It makes me nervous, but we’ll cook it until it’s fully done.