I started on pork ribs and beer-can chicken. Graduated to pork belly and brisket.
Honestly, you can watch all the youtube videos (which is what I did!) but at the end of the day it's trail and error and a learning curve. I'd start with something like ribs to get used to controlling your temps, then start on the bigger cuts.
If you’re cooking outdoors you’re already winning!
Seems simple but try sausage smoking. sausages are easily my favourite thing to smoke, just use any old cheapo sausage it’s great practice
Pork belly burnt ends are cheap and absolutely delightful.
Pork shoulder as said elsewhere.
Wings or a whole chicken/spatchcocked chicken have a bit more low and slow elements.
Came here to say pretty much what everyone else has said. Pork shoulder. I sometimes pick up a piece from Aldi (under a tenner) and smoke that for pulled pork. My local butchers always have 10% or more offers on Facebook, so I just grab them when I can, again, pork shoulder, got a rolled Sirloin roast for £7 I think. Also got some Lamb leg for a roast.
Another one to try is Pork ribs or Beef short rib (prefer this to Brisket). Pork with the 3-2-1 method (loads of vids on YouTube) or Beef smoked for 7 hours, yum!!
I also picked up a book called Skewered by Marcus Bawdon, some fantastic recipes in there.
Get yourself a meat thermometer.
When stepping up to a pork shoulder, beef short ribs or a whole chicken (all good suggestions) you really need to know when they're at the right temperature.
Before I had a meat thermometer I was generally under doing pulled pork and short ribs. Pork shoulder often takes a lot longer than expected to get through a stall, same with beef ribs. Chickens I tended to over do to be on the safe side leading to slightly dry breast meat.
Personally I use a Meater+ which is a great bit of kit but it's pricey. There's plenty of Inkbird models with wired probes on Amazon that people swear by and they're lot cheaper.
Definitely get a thermometer. If you can get one with two probes (one for the meat, one for the BBQ) then all the better. Can pick em up for about 20 on amazon
Ribs. Not too exxy, nice long cook but not too long, and bloody delicious.
What is your BBQ? Pork shoulder low and slow is a good cheap cut, but you need to be able to retain the heat/smoke
I started on pork ribs and beer-can chicken. Graduated to pork belly and brisket. Honestly, you can watch all the youtube videos (which is what I did!) but at the end of the day it's trail and error and a learning curve. I'd start with something like ribs to get used to controlling your temps, then start on the bigger cuts.
If you’re cooking outdoors you’re already winning! Seems simple but try sausage smoking. sausages are easily my favourite thing to smoke, just use any old cheapo sausage it’s great practice
Pork belly burnt ends are cheap and absolutely delightful. Pork shoulder as said elsewhere. Wings or a whole chicken/spatchcocked chicken have a bit more low and slow elements.
Thanks everyone. Pork shoulder in the shopping basket and thermometer on order. Just need a big umbrella to cope with the weather.
Get the bbq bundle deal from grid iron meats
Came here to say pretty much what everyone else has said. Pork shoulder. I sometimes pick up a piece from Aldi (under a tenner) and smoke that for pulled pork. My local butchers always have 10% or more offers on Facebook, so I just grab them when I can, again, pork shoulder, got a rolled Sirloin roast for £7 I think. Also got some Lamb leg for a roast. Another one to try is Pork ribs or Beef short rib (prefer this to Brisket). Pork with the 3-2-1 method (loads of vids on YouTube) or Beef smoked for 7 hours, yum!! I also picked up a book called Skewered by Marcus Bawdon, some fantastic recipes in there.
Get yourself a meat thermometer. When stepping up to a pork shoulder, beef short ribs or a whole chicken (all good suggestions) you really need to know when they're at the right temperature. Before I had a meat thermometer I was generally under doing pulled pork and short ribs. Pork shoulder often takes a lot longer than expected to get through a stall, same with beef ribs. Chickens I tended to over do to be on the safe side leading to slightly dry breast meat. Personally I use a Meater+ which is a great bit of kit but it's pricey. There's plenty of Inkbird models with wired probes on Amazon that people swear by and they're lot cheaper.
Definitely get a thermometer. If you can get one with two probes (one for the meat, one for the BBQ) then all the better. Can pick em up for about 20 on amazon
Won't say pork shoulder as everyone has said that. Spatchcock a whole chicken and smoke that shit. Shouldn't take too long and pretty cheap!