Nothing Warms Your House Like BBQ

I’m pretty new at this, so bear with me…

We had our Housewarming Party this past Friday, which I saw as a perfect opportunity to use my new smoker. It’s my (early) Christmas present from Erin, thanks honey!

OK, before we get started, I am going to clear up a few things:

• BBQ (verb) – cooking “low and slow” using an indirect wood/charcoal fire (in my opinon, no gas or electricity)
• BBQ (noun) – PORK cooked “low and slow” (commonly known as Carolina BBQ)
• BBQ = BBQ, not grilling
• Most BBQ uses a “Rub” which is a blend of spices that you apply before cooking, many recipes include brown sugar, because it carmelizes very nicely on the outside of the meat during the smoking process – creates a real nice “Bark”
• Some people like to “Mop” or “Baste” their BBQ with a sauce during the smoking process
• Much like Beer and Tailgating, Apple and Pork go very well together

I use a very basic rub consisting of: brown sugar, chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and onion powder. I also use a “Spray” which you apply during the cooking process (using a spray bottle), it consists of apple cider, apple juice, and bourbon. You can also use that combination as an “injection,” which you inject the meat with before smoking.

For this particular occasion I bought 2 hefty “Boston Butts” (part of the pork shoulder), 2 racks of pork spare ribs (AKA St. Louis Ribs), and 2 whole chickens.

Deliciousness:

We started smoking around midnight on Friday night and finished at 5 PM Saturday. The aftermath: