It was my birthday last weekend, and I did a barbecue for a few of my friends.
I'm lucky to live in London and we have an increasing number of butchers who do US style cuts, or indeed import US meat.
I bought Tom Hixson's BBQ Box (http://www.tomhixson.co.uk/smokers-bbq-box.html)
It comes with:
USDA Choice Brisket
Boston Butt
2 x St Louis Ribs
1 x Iberico Ribs
I also bought 36 Angel Hot Guts Sausages from my favourite butcher Turner & George. http://www.turnerandgeorge.co.uk/sau...-hot-guts.html
I rather brashly tried out briquettes rather than my usual lumpwood which has been burning rather hot in my smoker.
With some trepidation I trimmed the brisket. There didn't seem to be too much fat, I could definitely do with some feedback on how it looks and how you guys would have trimmed it. I just put salt & pepper on it. I'd never donr brisket before, so I wanted to keep it simple.
I lit the barbecue and put the brisket on at 7pm. I thought it would be a long cook, but it was done 7am the next day and I held it in an oven at 50c wrapped in foil until my guests arrived at 3pm. I didn't wrap at all during the cook. I used the minion method on my 22.5" WSM, and I had real trouble getting it up to temperature. With the lumpwood, I'm struggling to keep the temps below 275f, but with the briquettes the temperature stayed below 200f for most of the cook despite having all the vents open. The briquettes also created so much ash - I think it was that that kept the temperatures low.
Overall the brisket came out really nicely. I took it out at 196f and I had a lovely smoke ring and the meat was quite juicy. The point was especially good. The low temperature definitely didn't help the bark. It tasted good, but was rather soft.
I tried to stagger the meat, so I put the butt on at 11pm, and it was done at 11pm the next day. The ribs went in at 1pm and was ready at 5pm. The sausages got 1 1/2 hours and came off at 5pm too. I love these, they work so well when smoked.
I used Meathead's Memphis Dust on the Butt and Ribs, together with his KC sauce to go on everything.
I didn't get round to cooking the Iberico Ribs, as the wine was flowing and the barbecue was getting a bit cold.
My guests enjoyed the food, and most of them said that they would be prepared to contribute to the food next time. This meat was quite expensive, the box was £122, and the sausages another £14. That's probably about a buck and a half given the exchange rate at the moment!
I had about 25 guests, and they hoovered all the food. I could have made more I think.
I'm lucky to live in London and we have an increasing number of butchers who do US style cuts, or indeed import US meat.
I bought Tom Hixson's BBQ Box (http://www.tomhixson.co.uk/smokers-bbq-box.html)
It comes with:
USDA Choice Brisket
Boston Butt
2 x St Louis Ribs
1 x Iberico Ribs
I also bought 36 Angel Hot Guts Sausages from my favourite butcher Turner & George. http://www.turnerandgeorge.co.uk/sau...-hot-guts.html
I rather brashly tried out briquettes rather than my usual lumpwood which has been burning rather hot in my smoker.
With some trepidation I trimmed the brisket. There didn't seem to be too much fat, I could definitely do with some feedback on how it looks and how you guys would have trimmed it. I just put salt & pepper on it. I'd never donr brisket before, so I wanted to keep it simple.
I lit the barbecue and put the brisket on at 7pm. I thought it would be a long cook, but it was done 7am the next day and I held it in an oven at 50c wrapped in foil until my guests arrived at 3pm. I didn't wrap at all during the cook. I used the minion method on my 22.5" WSM, and I had real trouble getting it up to temperature. With the lumpwood, I'm struggling to keep the temps below 275f, but with the briquettes the temperature stayed below 200f for most of the cook despite having all the vents open. The briquettes also created so much ash - I think it was that that kept the temperatures low.
Overall the brisket came out really nicely. I took it out at 196f and I had a lovely smoke ring and the meat was quite juicy. The point was especially good. The low temperature definitely didn't help the bark. It tasted good, but was rather soft.
I tried to stagger the meat, so I put the butt on at 11pm, and it was done at 11pm the next day. The ribs went in at 1pm and was ready at 5pm. The sausages got 1 1/2 hours and came off at 5pm too. I love these, they work so well when smoked.
I used Meathead's Memphis Dust on the Butt and Ribs, together with his KC sauce to go on everything.
I didn't get round to cooking the Iberico Ribs, as the wine was flowing and the barbecue was getting a bit cold.
My guests enjoyed the food, and most of them said that they would be prepared to contribute to the food next time. This meat was quite expensive, the box was £122, and the sausages another £14. That's probably about a buck and a half given the exchange rate at the moment!
I had about 25 guests, and they hoovered all the food. I could have made more I think.
The brisket and pork look marvelous, and I bet the ribs and sausages were just as good. You really worked that WSM and it looks as though it didn't let you down. Congrats!
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