Hello all. Very happy to be part of the Pit! Got my first smoker this summer as an anniversary gift from Mrs. Meat2, a WSM 18", and couldn't be happier. I consider myself a pretty good amateur cook; my repertoire is mostly based on grandma dishes from around the world. A great way to learn new techniques, new flavors and spices, but at bottom make a comforting crave worthy dish. And it is a big world so will always be learning. This site has been invaluable in helping me get my skills up on the smoker and meats generally. Great philosophy, great approach, and great taste. Here are some things I've done so far on the WSM: pork shoulder (of course), ribs (ditto), brisket (followed the technique here, excellent result, froze half of it and will make a smokey chili this football Sunday), jerk chicken and jerk pork shoulder (two of my faves so far and interesting technique for the shoulder - butterflied and pounded flat, cooked at 325 for 2 hours), and a couple of ducks (tried spatchcocked and whole, the latter got the better result, both delicious). Looking forward to Thanksgiving this year cause I'm gonna smoke that bird.
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Cool name and avatar. I think I saw you on Spaceballs!! First cousin to Pizza the Hutt
Welcome and thanks for the support.... -
Welcome to the Pit!! Looking forward to learning from youComment
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Welcome to The Pit Mr Meat2! Sounds like you've got a handle on some good eatin. I bet smokey chilli with brisket would be the bomb.
Here's some 'new member' homework for you:
When you get a minute check out Pit Boss' Welcome & Announcements channel, as well as the tips posts in that channel. These will help you learn your way around The Pit, as well as set up your signature (tip #1) with your equipment. There's also a post that explains the best way to post nice big pics here... we like to see bragging pictures of your equipment and your cooks. We look forward to hearing more from you! EnjoyComment
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Welcome to the pit! Love your name. This is coming from a guy that owns a life size han solo in Carbonite! Look forward to hearing about your grandma recipes. JimComment
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Welcome to the Pit R2Comment
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Welcome. The name and avatar are hilarious.Comment
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Hey R2 Welcome!
Be sure to stop by the bullet smoker channel and tell us all about you WSM!
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Welcome R2 to The Pit! Love the name and avatar. You joined just in time to show off the Thanksgiving turkey. We may need a thread for everyone to show off their Thanksgiving results!
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That jerk pork shoulder sounds awesome, mind sharing the whole recipe?Comment
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Welcome to The Pit. It is a great learning site.Comment
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Welcome R2!! You will like it here as from your post you are will to try new things and get out of the box, so to speak. I look forward to your posts and pics.Comment
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John - I used the below link as the basis for the jerk pork shoulder.
But with a few adjustments (I am a "dash of that" cook so please forgive the imprecise measurements):
For the paste:
1. I like a lot more allspice in the jerk paste and went triple or more than the 1 tbs recommended. To me allspice is the core ingredient for good jerk.
2. Same with the thyme. This is probably the second most important ingredient (ok maybe the third after the scotch bonnies).
3. The rest of the spices and herbs are optional but it is a good idea to use aromatics (like the cinnamon, ginger, etc.) that will infuse the meat with flavor as it cooks and create a complex profile. This provides a lot of room for experimentation.
4. I added a few splashes of dark rum.
5. Also added some lime juice and/or apple cider vinegar. With this level of salt and heat I think a bit of acid is key.
For the sauce:
This recipe doesn't speak to sauce, but it is traditional to have a dipping sauce available to serve alongside the finished product. After you blend the paste, take out a 4-5 tablespoons and reserve it. Later, put the reserved paste in a small sauce pan and heat it for a few minutes until the aromatics, onions and garlic start to cook (about 3-5 minutes), then add some more water, 1 tb rum and 1 tb lime juice/apple vinegar so that it reaches the consistency of liquid with a few delicious chunks of paste floating around (maybe about 1 cup of liquid total). Let it simmer for awhile so the alcohol cooks off and the mix reduces a bit (10-15 minutes). Adjust to taste. You may need to add more acid or sweetness (rum or brown sugar work well) to balance the heat and salt.
For the pork:
1. Trimmed the fat to about 1/4 inch to allow more jerk to seep in. Definitely let it marinate overnight if possible.
2. Cooked it at 325 for about 1-2 hours on the WSM using applewood and kingsford (vents open, empty water pan).
Its done at 190-195 degrees. Should have a nice smokey bark formed with the paste. Texture of the meat will have more chew than low and slow shoulder, more akin to a pork chop, but with the deep flavor of the shoulder and jerk.
For what its worth, I also butterflied a whole chicken and rubbed it with the paste, and cooked it along with the pork. There was some debate over which was better but both turned out very delicious. bon appetite!Comment
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Sorry - one more adjustment. I just looked at the link and realized this recipe calls for a ton of salt in the jerk paste. I used about half that much (just a couple of tablespoons) to begin, and then adjusted the sodium up using soy sauce (which has a more complex and better flavor for this - bring on the umami!).Comment
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