What I learned today

[ftank47]

I’m just getting started and have spent way too much time reading and not enough time actually cooking. So I thought I’d share what I learn along the way hoping it might help some others new to the pellet game like me.

I attempted a reverse sear on a beef tenderloin with Weber hickory pellets.
- holy smokes the hickory pellets impart too strong a bacon flavor on tenderloin IMO. I heard about this but never new it was to this extent. I also realized too late that tenderloin can get overpowered by hickory but it may have been perfect for another steak like ribeye. Next time will go with a pellet blend.
- trust your temp probes. I set the grill to 235 and was thinking 1.5-2 hours to get it to 110. It was ready in about 1 hour. I pulled, cranked to 600, removed probes, back on for sear. Was shooting for 1 min a side, went to 2 mins bc it didn’t “look” seared and ended up overcooking by 10 degrees and pulled at 138. And that was from doing just two sides. Probably do 45 sec a side next time. Also I just salted and dry brined for 24 hours. Probably won’t do just salt again, that cut of meat needs more flavors IMO.

 

[Bruno]

Looks excellent!!

 

[abmet]

Looks great, I use the Grillmaster pellets most of the time.

 

[JpsBBQ]

Looks like a winner!

Hickory are very aggressive. I reserve them for actual BBQ and often mix with cherry pellets

I’m not a dry brine guy. I’ve done it a few times and always felt it was too salty, even after rinsing. I have had marginal success with briskets and rib roasts, but I’m not really sure it’s worth the effort. After countless tenderloin and rib roast cooks I’m all in on no sear and just roast at low temp. Give you edge to edge perfection and minimal carry over cook due to low temp.

enjoy!

 

[MCombs]

I rarely, if ever use hickory. I reserve it only for poultry, and even then only use about every 10 cooks.

For beef, I stick with oak, pecan, and mesquite

for pork, I use fruit woods cherry and apple mostly

hickory provides that “belch” that reminds you you ate bbq 3 hours earlier.

 

[ftank47]

Looks great, I use the Grillmaster pellets most of the time.

I started with those and they are great but since weber had a sale I thought I should try the rest to find my way.

 

[ftank47]

After countless tenderloin and rib roast cooks I’m all in on no sear and just roast at low temp. Give you edge to edge perfection and minimal carry over cook due to low temp.

Thanks for the tip! Will probably try that next time and maybe save the searing for actual steaks.

 

[ftank47]

hickory provides that “belch” that reminds you you ate bbq 3 hours earlier.

I totally get that and thanks for the pairing recommendations!

 

[ftank47]

Basic Grilled chicken breast. Brine for 1 hour, wash and dry. Add rub. Smoke boost for 15 mins. Pull chicken and raise temp to 400. Let grill stabilize. Grill 8 mins per side until 165. Flip once or twice. Comes off moist with some smoke flavor.

 

[Dassman5]

I rarely, if ever use hickory. I reserve it only for poultry, and even then only use about every 10 cooks.

For beef, I stick with oak, pecan, and mesquite

for pork, I use fruit woods cherry and apple mostly

hickory provides that “belch” that reminds you you ate bbq 3 hours earlier.

That is why I use a mix of Hickory and Mesquite on large, heavy, low and slow slopes like brisket and butts.

 

[ftank47]

Pork Butt. 7 lbs, just salt a pepper, no binder, no spray, fat cap on top, water pan, wrapped in foil at 165, put butt on the lower grates, pulled at 204. I started with smokeboost for 2 hours at 8:30 last night, it was about 35 degrees outside at the time, no issues. Bumped to 225 until it hit 150 and then butt started to stall. I run a separate ambient probe to have accurate pit temps and noticed my probe was consistently 15-25 degrees under set temp. Bumped again to 265, noticed ambient temp went up to 225-250, so I kept it there until internal temp went to 165. I wrapped my last pork butt when I thought it stalled at 150 and it ended up being dry so I was holding out this time around. I recently saw a video from Mad Scientist BBQ and he suggested to wait until the fat cap was the right consistency which was helpful to check. Wrapped tightly at 165 in foil, probe back in, removed water pan, back to the grill. Finished pretty quickly. Total cook time was 15.5 hours, 2 of which was smokeboost. Extremely happy with the results this time around. Next up...whole chicken....

 

[Bruno]

Pork Butt. 7 lbs, just salt a pepper, no binder, no spray, fat cap on top, water pan, wrapped in foil at 165, put butt on the lower grates, pulled at 204. I started with smokeboost for 2 hours at 8:30 last night, it was about 35 degrees outside at the time, no issues. Bumped to 225 until it hit 150 and then butt started to stall. I run a separate ambient probe to have accurate pit temps and noticed my probe was consistently 15-25 degrees under set temp. Bumped again to 265, noticed ambient temp went up to 225-250, so I kept it there until internal temp went to 165. I wrapped my last pork butt when I thought it stalled at 150 and it ended up being dry so I was holding out this time around. I recently saw a video from Mad Scientist BBQ and he suggested to wait until the fat cap was the right consistency which was helpful to check. Wrapped tightly at 165 in foil, probe back in, removed water pan, back to the grill. Finished pretty quickly. Total cook time was 15.5 hours, 2 of which was smokeboost. Extremely happy with the results this time around. Next up...whole chicken....View attachment 3163

Looks excellent, nice smoke ring!! What was the sauce? Vinegar mustard?

 

[ftank47]

Looks excellent, nice smoke ring!! What was the sauce? Vinegar mustard?

Thanks! Yes vinegar mustard sauce, always prefer that type and this recipe was recommended and did not disappoint!

Columbia Gold, A South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe

In Mid-South Carolina, from Columbia to Charleston on the coast, BBQ sauce is yellow. HereÍs a quick and easy recipe for classic South Carolina mustard sauce. For those who are only familiar with traditional red BBQ sauces, yellow mustard sauce can be jarring at first -- at least until that...

amazingribs.com

 

[Bruno]

Thanks! Yes vinegar mustard sauce, always prefer that type and this recipe was recommended and did not disappoint!

Columbia Gold, A South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe

In Mid-South Carolina, from Columbia to Charleston on the coast, BBQ sauce is yellow. HereÍs a quick and easy recipe for classic South Carolina mustard sauce. For those who are only familiar with traditional red BBQ sauces, yellow mustard sauce can be jarring at first -- at least until that...

amazingribs.com

Nice, I’m going to make that. I love vinegar sauces!