I have been smoking for 20 years and have always been a charcoal/wood man. I have always been skeptical about "electric" smokers and never ventured down this road.
BBQ is susposed to be hard work.
First we started with a 7 1/2 lb Turkey breast thawed out. I always brine and this year decided to us Smokin Okies holiday brine. Into the brine the breast went and this is what it looked like after 15 hrs.
I used a BBQ Rub consisting of 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 2 TBLs Paprika 1 TBLS minced garlic. 1 tsp salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 tsp cayeene.
I rubbed the breast under the skin and in the cavity about 2 hrs. before start time and put 3 oz. of apple and hickory mix in the wood box. This is the hardest part of these samokers for me to understand, 3 oz of wood, but thats what it takes so away we go.
Here's the cooking times:
1 hr @ 225* internal temp 89*
2 hr @ 225* internal temp 140*
3 hr @ 225* internal temp 156*
3 hr 23 min @ 225* internal temp 161*
3 hr 42 min @ 225* internal temp 165*
I've never had a smoker maintain a temp like this. I always fluctuate +/- 25 degrees of my target temp.
Here's the breast coming out of the smoker.
Here it is all carved up.
And Miss Kentuckly 2017 said it was the best she had ever eaten! She doesn't realize how good a judge of BBQ she is.
Overall I can't believe how easy the Cookshack is. BBQ is not susposed to be this easy. As a child I cooked whole hogs along side my Great-grandfather and it was an all night process. Adding wood, mopping, flipping the hog. He would not believe how easy the process has become.
My results-- the breast was near perfect. I thought the flavors from the brine and the rub were trying to compete a little but the ease of the cooking operation made up for it.
I'm almost sold. I have a catering job for 45 for pulled pork on Thursday, if I can get 14 to say it's the best bbq they ever had then I may be adding another unit to my arsenal.
Thakns to Smokin Okie for his help with the pictures.
Johnny
