So ever since moving to North Carolina in 2006, I've been gradually diving more and more into the world of BBQ. About a month ago, I acquired a hand-me-down New Braunfels Bandera smoker. Just had to replace the thermometer and give it a little paint job. All in all, not a bad price to pay.
This smoker consists of a vertical smoking chamber with an offset firebox. An example of one is below.
So with the in-laws here in Charlotte for the weekend, I convinced everyone to let me fire up the smoker and cook up a pork butt. So at about 7:30 that morning, the butt comes out of the fridge to be prepped. I trimmed the majority of fat off of the butt (left about 1/4" on the bottom), slathered the butt with a mixture of mustard and honey, rubbed my favorite BBQ rub, and then injected the butt with a brine mixture. At 8:00am, the charcoals are lit in the smoker, with the butt and wood (a mixture of apple and hickory wood) going on 30 minutes later.
Throughout the cook, I kept the temperature between 270 and 300 degrees. Normally, if I have the luxury of time I will cook at between 225 and 250 degrees. But with the late start, I decided to go with a higher temp. I generally do not like to open the cabinet to check the meat, but when I went to check the internal temperature on the butt, I couldn't resist getting a picture.
Finally, after 8 1/2 hours later, the butt reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees. I checked the bone in the butt, and it slid out with ease... so off came the butt.
I was pleased overall with the nice outside bark. There was a significant smoke ring on the inside. It passed the wife and in-law test. And it sure made for some hella good sandwiches later.
So with a grateful heart, I present to you my first real contribution to the forums.
