Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘pork shoulders’ Category

 Patience

Hey folks, the time has come to hang up my hat.  Lil’Iron and I have spent the better part of two years putting this site together.  It will still exist but in a different form.

I always wanted to share my favorite recipes and make it possible for anybody to get a professional result using their backyard smoker. 

The fear of being redundant has come. 

I can only show so many ways to do chickens, ribs and pork shoulders.  The videos on this site give you all the basics and a few tips.  I do hope you will use them if you need to and pass them on to friends and family.

I have had a great time and met many good people.  I will still answer all my emails and maybe from time to time put up something new I found.

Thank you all for your input and your friendship. 

God Bless you,

BigIron

Read Full Post »

I got this letter in email with some pictures and wanted to share with you folks.  Just goes to prove there is no reason not to have Pro results in your own backyard…
Here’s Proof!

Hey Big’Iron
As you know I had a graduation party for my daughter this summer and I smoked some pork shoulders for the feast.  Needless to say the shoulders was a hit from the beginning.  Everyone wanted to know how I made them and of course I told them the shoulders were done “Big’Iron” style.  Everyone looked at me in confusion and wondered what I was talking about.  I told them about your website and how you helped me with my first shoulders, then they understood what Big’Iron style was. 
 
Last weekend my friend was throwing his wife a 50th birthday party.  He was at my daughters party and ate the pork shoulder.  He asked me if I would bring my smoker over to his house and smoke some shoulders for their party because they knew how much everyone liked them at my daughters party.  They both are very good friends of mine, and I was glad to do it for them.
 
Again I smoked two 13 pound shoulders, They were on the smoker for 18 hours and rested for 5 hours.  I must say even after 5 hours of resting doing it the way you explain in your video they were still very hot to the touch and so tender and moist, they just fell apart.  The shoulders fed about 50 people, it was the only meat on the tables. 
 
The only thing I did different was I used a 12 pack of Budweiser instead of water in the pan,
 
 Your way of smoking must be contagious.  My friends nephew has a hog roast in August and he asked me if I would come to his house and smoke it for him using the same method as I done the shoulders.  I gladly accepted.  Big’Iron is getting a name here in Columbus Ohio, word gets around ! !
 
I included a couple of pictures of the shoulders, dont they look delicious????
 
Dave
 
 

 


Here is another from Joe

Hey there, Big Iron,

Just wanted to drop a line and see if this little message gets on through. I know what you mean about a madhouse and weather. We’ve been busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest trying to get the house squared away for the coming weather, the garden has the veggies coming in gangbusters and dodging raindrops for what seems the last forty days (I do have to talk with the new neighbor Noah whats-his-name building the boat in his back yard).

Listen, I wanted to tell you, I tried your tip about putting sand in the bottom of my rig. What I did was put tin foil in the bottom of the rig, followed by a layer of beach sand. It seems to keep the temps pretty constant. I guess once the sand heats up to temp, it can’t help but keep an even radiant heat going during a smoke session. Heck, even if you oversleep your 2 1/2 hour catnap, the sand will still keep things warm for you for at least another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. That’s quite a buffer.

The long and the short of it is, after I put the sand in, I tried a 9 pound pork butt. It smoked for almost 10 hours, and I rested it in the cooler for 3 hours. Perfection! I gave some to my mother’s pastor (a Georgia boy), and he told me if he didn’t stop bragging up this Yankee (me) at his church to his folks, that he’d have to turn in his SOOS (Son Of the Old South) card. That sort of let me know I did good…real good.

Anyway, we both know that football season is around the corner. I’m sending you one of my takes on Buffalo Wings done on the little ol’ Brinkmann smoker. I did these for my in-laws and they practically inhaled them. Enjoy!

See you around the block.

All Best,

Big Joe

Read Full Post »

Hey folks. I wanted to share a letter I received today from Dave………


We had a graduation party for my daughter this past weekend. We expected around 70 people to come and we wanted to give them a good feast.

My wife bought a lot of other foods but I personally want to do something very special for my daughter and she loves food cooked on the smoker. I knew I had to do pork shoulders because of the volume of people that was coming.

Although I smoke a lot on the Chargriller, I’ve never smoked something that big and for so long. I was so worried it would come out not tasting like I wanted, What to do? The answer was easy, ask “BigIron for some help.

With the advice you gave me, it came out fantastic. I put a very basic rub on them Thursday afternoon and let them set in the fridge until noon on Friday. I started the smoker and got them on the grill at 2:00 pm and smoked them until I had an internal temp of 195 which was 10:00 Sat morning.

I did as you said, wrapped them in foil, wrapped with towel and put in a cooler with newspaper for 3 hours. At 1:00 I took them out of the cooler, removed the foil and they practically fell apart in my hands. They were so juicy and tender I was so proud.

I did manage to get a couple pictures of the pulled pork, but I wanted to make up a plate and do it up right but it was eaten before I could get any for myself.

Everybody asked me where I learned to how to make smoked shoulders. Again the answer was easy. “These were done BigIron Style,” the only way I will ever smoke pork shoulders.

Again thanks for helping me make this graduation party one to remember.

Dave

 

Mmmm….smoked shoulder

Pulling the pork for the party

Ahh….the results!


Dave,

This is the nicest letter and I really appreciate you letting me know how it all turned out. Sometimes it’s easy to tell someone how to do something but we all know, sometimes it just don’t work out.

I am very proud that it all worked out just the way the video said it would.

Thank you for the great pick-me-up letter,
BigIron

Read Full Post »

Yes folks, the 1st of March will be wonderful here at the Bigiron.  I have a long smoke in store for a friend of mine that helped me over the winter months.  Here at “the iron”, we still believe that you can barter once in while.  He is one hell of a contractor,  and I know how to smoke a pork shoulder. 

Everybody is happy.

I plan on posting a pic of my Weber gas grill that I bought.  To tell you the truth, it’s been so yucky that I have not even had the camera out to do anything.

Tonight I will be getting the shoulders ready.  Magic dust and mopping sauce will be the order of the day……and the day will start early.  It’s supposed to be in the 60’s on Saturday and I will be taking full advantage of it.

Around 3 a.m. the fun begins and 15-16 hours later………….Whoaaaaa Nellie!  It’s gonna be lip smackin’ good.

Have a wonderful Friday folks. Be sure and email me with your menu ideas for the weekend. 

I know all you grill commandos will be out in full force!


Read Full Post »

Lil’ Iron had to leave this weekend and I have the responsibility of taking care of the house and kids (well, I mean our pets )  As you all know, Riley is still a puppy and he can be quite a handful.

On top of all that, when we had our snowfall this week, our dear neighbor had a slight heart attack while shoveling snow.  I wanted to be sure and have free time in case he needs something.

With no time for a long smoke………..Food Saver to the rescue.  Lil’Iron bought me one of these a few months ago and I have to say it has already paid for it’s self a few times over.  No more throwing away food.  That makes ol’ BigIron happy.

I took some pork shoulder out of the freezer from my last shoulder smoke and placed it in the fridge the night before my wife left town.  It thawed out slowly overnight.  The vacuum seal was really strong, just like the commercial stuff.  

I put the bag in boiling water to heat up.

I opened it up and BOOM:  fresh smoked pork just like the day I pulled it off the rig.  No loss of flavor.  Not dry and really just like I smoked it that day.

I can take care of all the things I need to around the house and home AND still get 18 hour smoked pork.  Yes, technology has come a long way.  I just wish I had bought one sooner.

Uh oh I heard a crash and the pets are running towards me.   See ya soon…………..

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »