Barbecue 2023

Im putting a goat shoulder on the pellet smoker Saturday.

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What were some of the alternatives you were considering, and what are your favorite things to cook? I’ll be doing a10 lb pork butt over direct heat on my Weber kettle (using the method described an illustrated on my blog, if you want to try it). Sides will be potato salad, slaw, and … whatever anyone else wants to make. Just about anything you want to cook outdoors will be a hit

walmart is now carrying blues hog sauce. Was a time when you couldn’t win a bbq contest in our neck of the woods without using blues hog. Our local store isn’t carrying our favorite, Tennessee red but they have the original. Bought a bottle, interested to see if walmart scale has compromised their product.

edit: apologies I see someone mentioned this upthread.

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I like Blues Hog sauces, but some of them are very sweet. Original and Smokey Mountain are pushing my limits of sweetness (and I’m generally a fan of sweet BBQ sauces.) Champions’ Blend is my favorite Blues Hog sauce, and even that one is pretty sweet. I need to try Tennessee Red again. My Walmart doesn’t carry Tennessee Red either, but a specialty barbecue store here does.

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spot on, we like Tennessee red because it isn’t sweet. in contests, a lot of people mixed tenn red with original in various proportions to avoid overly sweet ribs. I used to purchase a gallon of original and a gallon of tenn red and mix as needed. their sauce lasts forever in the fridge.

I won a couple of rib trophies using red/orginal and a homemade spice rub. Never got a call when I tried to use my own sauce, it was good but my sense is that judges in our area (including me) were inadvertently conditioned to like blues hog entries.

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I haven’t tried many new sauces lately, but last time I was in Safeway I noticed Kinder’s has a new Hickory Molasses sauce, so I picked up that one. I’ve only had it once so far (on some sausage.) First impressions–just okay. I didn’t like it as much as some of the other Kinder’s sauces. I think it will be better on ribs than sausage, but I don’t see it being a favorite.

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john, read your step-by-step instructions, very well done, one of the best guides I’ve seen for smoking on the kettle. pre-weber bullet I used a similar method on our kettle but cooked indirect. some thoughts:

I’m surprised you can go 8 hours on a kettle without adding coals? I wonder if it would be helpful to your readers to include a target temp for the pork? also, I’ve found weber lid thermometers fairly inaccurate, I like to stick a cheap turkey thermometer into a top vent to get a sense of what’s happening closer to the meat.

best,

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Oh my!

At least they’re not closing…

Who isn’t closing?
I’ve gotten lost somewhere along the way.

I tried a few of these based on a recommendation by Miller’s. I found them good, but not enough to throw me off of my base BBQ sauce… Stubbs Original. I like the smokey, peppery flavor that is not too sweet… and if I need it sweeter/tangier/spicier I can add brown sugar, bourbon and or agave/vinegar and or citrus/hot sauce and or peppers.

Not a BBQ sauce connoisseur by any means, but just find it a great base and super versatile.

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I’ve had a few Stubb’s sauces. I could see using the Original as something to add things to, but I tend not to do that with sauces I buy. Smokey Mesquite has been my favorite Stubb’s sauce so far which surprised me because most things with mesquite overdo it. There are a couple more I want to try–Sticky Sweet and Smokey Brown Sugar.

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Kinder’s has become ubiquitous. I saw their rubs in Costco today.

Going on the pellet smoker Saturday. Front goat leg . Marinating for 24 hours in a chili mixture . Smoking at 250 degrees until temperature reaches 200 degrees. Ill be wrapping in paper after 4 hour’s. Cheers .

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Looks good. GOAT…

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Safeway had Stubb’s sauces on for $2.49 if you bought 3 of them, so I tried the Smokey Brown Sugar and Sticky Sweet sauces sooner than I expected (also got a bottle of Smokey Mesquite which I haven’t had in a while.) They’re both sweet sauces and both pretty good. Nice brown sugar flavor in the Smokey Brown Sugar sauce and some smoke but not overly smokey. The main difference between the two was a touch of extra tartness in the Sticky Sweet which I think is from apple cider vinegar (both have distilled vinegar but Sticky Sweet also has apple cider vinegar.) As I mentioned, I haven’t had Smokey Mesquite in a while and haven’t opened my new bottle of that, but I’m thinking the two new (to me) sauces are a bit sweeter and not as smokey as Smokey Mesquite. Unless I change my mind after I have Smokey Mesquite again, I’d still rate that one my favorite Stubb’s sauce, but the two new ones are two and three on my list of Stubb’s sauces. I’m not sure which of those two I like better, yet.

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I’ve been doing this a long time, so I mainly judge the temperature by touching the top of the Weber. I think it’s around 250-275, but it fluctuates, and you need to adjust accordingly. charcoal lasts a long time, but you’re right — it can start to run low and then you have to lift the grill, set it aside, and add some. The hickory chunks add fuel. A high wind burns it faster, and you need to control the air. The process does require a good bit of attention, but it’s worth it

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Walmart didn’t have Tennessee Red when I first noticed they were carrying Blues Hog sauces, but it was there when I was in Walmart today. Maybe they were just slower at getting that one on the shelves.

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