hi it's my first post here! the smoke from the wood chips got really harsh, ashy and sooty so I stopped after 30mins of smoking. maybe they got too burnt? and the meat smelled ashy too afterwards I was afraid it would be inedible. then I cooked in a low oven slowly for about 2 hours till 83c internal, then wrapped in foil and back in until 91c, then turned off the heat letting it carry over to about 93 and rested for another hour before slicing. the unpleasant smokiness became more mellow and slightly more bearable, maybe even pleasant If you like smoky flavours. but the meat was quite dry and tough although the flavor was on point. any tips for me?

Crispy, smoky, and packed with heat!

Slow-smoked Jerk Pork Belly rendered to absolute perfection over Duraflame charlogs with sweet wood smoke. Here is how to make it:

Ingredients

Whole pork belly (skin-on)

Wet Jamaican Jerk marinade

Dry Jamaican Jerk seasoning

Wood chunks (mesquite, post oak, or pimento wood)

Instructions

Prep & Marinate: Cut slits into the meat side of the pork belly to allow maximum flavor penetration. Generously coat the meat side with wet Jamaican Jerk marinade. Seal using the vacuum sealer marinate mode and rest overnight in the refrigerator.

Setup the Grill: Prepare a Weber Kettle for indirect cooking equipped with the LavaLock FireDial. Light one full chimney of Duraflame charlogs, then place unlit charlogs on the grill along with your choice of wood chunks to set up a slow burn. Target a dome temperature of 300°F–350°F.

Remove the pork belly from the marinade and season the skin side with dry Jamaican Jerk seasoning.

Place the pork belly meat side down over indirect heat. Flip the belly every 20-30 minutes, completing 3 full flips (1.5 hours total cook time).

Wrap the pork belly tightly in peach butcher paper. Return it to the grill for another 30 minutes (or until probe-tender).

Let rest briefly, slice or chop into thick slabs or bites, and enjoy!

Tri-Tip on the Lodge Sportsman

Local grocery store had porketta seasoned shoulder roasts on sale and grabbed one to roast at home. Opted for smoking it instead and it came out incredible. Very savory without being overly salted or too heavily smoked. Still could taste the fennel and other rub ingredients.

Smoked with a roto-q 360 and used Thermoworks RFX to track temp.

Finally made it to Terry Blacks in Fort Worth. I feel that it was fairly good BBQ. Wasn’t blow me out of the water, but good. Had Brisket(moist), Pork Ribs, and Jalapeno/Cheddar Sausage. Brisket was not dry, had good flavor to the bark, and very tender. Ribs were very good! Sausage was not very spicy, at all, but good flavor. I prefer it a little more dense than theirs, but overall good. Tried all three sauces. All three had good flavor. The spicy was my favorite. I really don’t like to use sauce, rather let the meat speak for itself. I would not hesitate to go back or recommend to someone. I still prefer Panther City BBQ.

Mt. pleasant, TX
Only $19.

Finally made it to Terry Blacks in Fort Worth. I feel that it was fairly good BBQ. Wasn’t blow me out of the water, but good. Had Brisket(moist), Pork Ribs, and Jalapeno/Cheddar Sausage. Brisket was not dry, had good flavor to the bark, and very tender. Ribs were very good! Sausage was not very spicy, at all, but good flavor. I prefer it a little more dense than theirs, but overall good. Tried all three sauces. All three had good flavor. The spicy was my favorite. I really don’t like to use sauce, rather let the meat speak for itself. I would not hesitate to go back or recommend to someone. I still prefer Panther City BBQ.

Hey BBQ friends!

I’m flying into DFW this Thursday and heading to Bedford, TX. I’m looking to hit an amazing BBQ spot somewhere between the airport and Bedford, or somewhere nearby that’s worth a little detour.
I’ve been to Terry Black’s and Hurtado BBQ on previous trips, and both were absolutely phenomenal!

I’m considering Original Roy Hutchins this time, but wanted to get some opinions from the locals and serious BBQ enthusiasts.

I’m all about amazing brisket, ribs, and burnt ends. I’m looking for the kind of BBQ that’s worth going out of your way for.

If you could only pick one spot in the area, where would you go?

Appreciate any recommendations!

Using the super smoke feature at 225° yields an amazing smoke ring and one of the best tenderloins you’ll ever have. Choose whatever flavor on the outside and every once in a while, given a little squirt of apple cider vinegar for the bark. In this case, the bite is much better than the bark.

Cool bit on Texas Top 50 Helberg BBQ out of my hometown of Waco. Thought it was worth sharing!

Smoked these over the weekend. Dry-rubbed with no binder and smoked at 225. Started for 3 hours with an apple juice spritz uncovered, then wrapped in foil for 80 minutes with butter, honey, brown sugar and some more rub. Ended unwrapped for about 20 minutes until the remaining season from the wrap tacked up some. Absolutely delicious.

I liked the Raleigh location better. The chopped pork had a unique smoke flavor I couldn’t pin down. Had a sweeter smoked taste to it. Anyone else noticed this?

For those that have tried both locations, what stands out as different? Thanks.

$36 with pop (Dr. Pepper, of course)

Does anyone use hot sauce instead of yellow mustard? I think it would go better with my flavor profile than mustard.

Lockhart Tx

Lb Brisket, qp Turkey, ribs, garlic sausage, Mexican boudin, cornbread, poblano spaghetti, charro beans, potato salad.

~$120 and all the free beer you want as long as it’s Lonestar

My younger brother is turning 30, so I’m putting together a backyard spread for him here in DFW. This is the plan so far:

1. Brisket: Keep it simple with salt and coarse pepper, then smoke it over post oak around 250–275°F. I’m thinking butcher paper once the bark looks right, followed by a long rest. It’s the main event, so naturally it’s also the thing most likely to ruin my sleep.
2. St. Louis–style ribs: Dry rub, mostly unwrapped, with a light glaze near the end. I want some bite left in them instead of having the bones fall out when somebody picks up a rack.
3. Jalapeño-cheddar sausage and smoked queso: Put these on later as easy food for everyone to snack on while the brisket rests. More importantly, they might stop people from asking me every ten minutes when the meat will be ready.
4. Sides: Beans, vinegar slaw, pickles, onions, and white bread. The idea is to have something acidic and fresh to balance out an irresponsible amount of smoked meat. Banana pudding, beer, and sweet tea will handle the rest.

That’s the plan in my head, anyway. What would you add, change, or prepare differently?

Appreciate the help. Go ahead and roast the menu now so my family doesn’t have to do it while I’m slicing a dry brisket.

Pork Belly smoked at 250 for 6 hours👍

Going to be visiting the Richmond VA area and woukd like to find good BBQ that does NOT have vinegar based sauces. Last time I visited all the places had runny vinegar based sauces and I wasn't impressed.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Picked up this American Wagyu brisket from H-E-B. Had to separate off the point due to a larger blood clot running though the fat line. Seasoned with 2 Gringos Chupacabra plus a little extra black pepper, then slow smoked over post oak for 10 hours at 180° before wrapping in butcher paper and finishing at 300°. Rested for an hour before carving. Came out perfect! Also made smoked tallow from those trimmings. Can't let that good fat go to waste!