This section contains my favorite recipes for smoking brisket, ribs, pork shoulder, and whole chicken. For the fuel I use lump charcoal and hickory wood.  Sometimes I add

some cherry wood to enhance the color and flavor.

American Wagyu Gold Grade Brisket

Materials

Wood – hickory, oak, whatever you want!

Bag of lump charcoal

Charcoal Chimney

Fire starter – newspaper, tumbleweeds, etc.

Butcher Paper

3 aluminum tin foil pans

Coarse Kosher salt

Coarse Black pepper

Ingredients

Coarse Kosher salt

Coarse Black pepper

Preparing the Brisket

Trim the brisket to remove the silver skin and excess fat that won’t render.  You don’t need to go crazy here, a good guide is to leave about 1/4” inch of fat.  

Install the foil pans in the smoker to catch the drippings and act as a fire barrier.

Mix a 50/50 ratio of salt and pepper and generously apply to the brisket. 

Preparing the Fire

Fill the charcoal chimney with lump charcoal, and place loaded chimney on top of your fire starter, and light.  Once the lump charcoal is heated, add to your firebox.  When you have a good bed of coals add the wood.

When the temperature reaches 250℉ – 275℉, place the brisket on the smoker – fat side up and face the point towards the fire.  From here just keep an eye on the temperature and add wood as needed.

Smoking the Wagyu Brisket

When the brisket has developed a good bark (175℉ – 185℉) wrap it in butcher paper and place back on the smoker fat side up with the point towards the fire box.

Continue smoking it until the temperature reaches 190℉ – 203℉.  When you probe for the temperature, there shouldn’t be any resistance, it should feel like melted butter.

Keep it wrapped in butcher paper and wrap it in a towel.  Place it in an insulated cooler.  Let it rest for 6-8 hours or more!

After Many Hours…

Slice the brisket in half – where the flat and point meet.  Slice the flat from right to left, against the grain, make 1/4” inch cuts.  Rotate the point 90° to the left, cut right to left make 1/4” inch cuts (or slightly larger).  The first 1 or 2 slices of the point are the burnt ends, which is the bite of BBQ!

Pork Spareribs

Materials

Wood – hickory, oak, whatever you want!

Bag of lump charcoal

Charcoal Chimney

Fire starter – newspaper, tumbleweeds, etc.

Aluminum Foil

3 aluminum tin foil pans

Binder – olive oil or mustard, etc

BBQ sauce

Butter

Brown Sugar

Honey

Spray Bottle

Ingredients

Your favorite seasoning – Coarse kosher salt/Coarse black pepper, or any spicey or savory rub

Apple Juice or Pineapple Juice

Preparing the Ribs

Cut out the breastbone and remove the membrane. Cut off the skirt meat.  Add the binder.  Mix a 50/50 ratio of salt and pepper OR your favorite rub and generously apply to the ribs. 

Install the foil pans in the smoker to catch the drippings and act as a fire barrier.

Preparing the Fire

Fill the charcoal chimney with lump charcoal, and place loaded chimney on top of your fire starter, and light.  Once the lump charcoal is heated, add to your firebox.  When you have a good bed of coals add the wood.

When the temperature reaches 250℉ – 275℉, place the ribs on the smoker – meat side up and face the larger end towards the fire.  From here just keep an eye on the temperature and add wood as needed.

Smoking the Ribs

After 1-2 hours, spray the ribs with the juice every 60 min.

When they reach an internal temperature of 170℉ – 180℉ so they can be wrapped.  In the aluminum foil add the butter, honey, BBQ sauce, and brown sugar.  Wrap meat-side down and place back on the smoker.

When the internal temperature reaches 190℉ – 203℉, they are done.  Vent the aluminum foil and let rest for about 1-2 hours.

After Many Hours…

Slice and enjoy!

Carolina Pork Shoulder

A family friend had a birthday party for their son, who was turning the big 2!  They have family from North Carolina, so I wanted to smoke a Carolina Pork Shoulder for the party.  His grandfather had 3 sandwiches in 5 minutes!

Materials

Wood – hickory, oak, whatever you want!

Bag of lump charcoal

Charcoal Chimney

Fire starter – newspaper, tumbleweeds, etc.

4 aluminum tin foil pans

Aluminum tin foil

Binder – olive oil or mustard, etc

Mop or brush

Bowl

Ingredients

Pork Shoulder Seasoning

Mix the following:

¼ Cup off pepper

¼ Cup of salt

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of spoon cayenne pepper

Mustard – the binder

Mop Sauce

Mix the following:

3 cups apple cider vinegar

2 table spoons black pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar

1/4 cup dark red chili powder

½ of a lemon

Cole Slaw

Mix the following:

Cole slaw mix

3 table spoon spoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 table spoon spoon black pepper, salt. digion mustard, sugar

2 table spoon extra virgin oilve oil

1 teaspoon celery salt

Preparing the Carolina Pork Shoulder

Apply the mustard binder.  Apply the pork shoulder seasoning.

Install the foil pans in the smoker to catch the drippings and act as a fire barrier.

Preparing the Fire

Fill the charcoal chimney with lump charcoal, and place loaded chimney on top of your fire starter, and light.  Once the lump charcoal is heated, add to your firebox.  When you have a good bed of coals add the wood.

When the temperature reaches 250℉ – 275℉, place the pork shoulder on the smoker – fat side up and face the larger end towards the fire.  From here just keep an eye on the temperature and add wood as needed.

Smoking the Pork Shoulder

After 1-2 hours, apply the mop sauce every 45 minutes.

When it reaches an internal temperature of 180℉ – 185℉ – place on two sheets of aluminum tin foil and crumple the tin foil making a “seat”.  Place back on the smoker and continue mopping. 

When the pork shoulder reaches internal temperature reaches 190℉ – 203℉, it’s are done. 

Place the pork shoulder in a aluminum tin foil pan and cover with tin foil.  Wrap in a towel and let rest in an insulated cooler for 6-8 hours.

After Many Hours…

Shred and mix in the drippings and some seasonings.  Serve on a bun with the coleslaw. 

BBQ Whole Chicken

Materials

Wood – hickory, oak, whatever you want!

Bag of lump charcoal

Charcoal Chimney

Fire starter – newspaper, tumbleweeds, etc.

4 aluminum tin foil pans

Aluminum tin foil

Binder – olive oil or mustard, etc

Kitchen Shears

Ingredients

Your favorite seasoning – Coarse kosher salt/Coarse black pepper, or any spicey or savory rub

Butter

BBQ sauce

Preparing the Whole Chicken

Using kitchen shears, remove the spine and cut in half.  Coat chicken halves with cooking spray and generously apply the seasoning to both sides of the chicken.

Install the foil pans in the smoker to catch the drippings and act as a fire barrier.

Preparing the Fire

Fill the charcoal chimney with lump charcoal, and place loaded chimney on top of your fire starter, and light.  Once the lump charcoal is heated, add to your firebox.  When you have a good bed of coals add the wood.

When the temperature reaches 250℉ – 275℉, place the whole chicken on the smoker. From here just keep an eye on the temperature and add wood as needed.

Smoking the Whole

When the chicken reaches in internal temperature of about 165℉.  It can be wrapped in aluminum tin foil with butter, more seasoning, and BBQ sauce.  Wrap and place back on the smoker.

It’s finished at about 180℉.  Let rest for 1 hour.

After Many Hours…

Cut up, add more BBQ sauce if you want and enjoy!

 Cut up and enjoy.!