Nothing like a pandemic to......

[Birdbuff]

Yes brisket is a challenge for sure. Charcoal bbqs like the green egg and Weber performer are a lot easier to manipulate than a wood grill/smoker. Seems like these days everything is all about speeding up the process. The “hot and fast” method for example. But honestly, wtf? I like bbqing just to be outdoors doing something productive. Don’t care if it takes 12 hours. As long as the drinks are plentiful and a good conversation is at hand, then let it go.

[MarkB]

I agree. At first, when I saw my buddy taking even 4h to cook something on his BGE, I thought he was nuts ... like I was used to cooking stuff in under 30 minutes. LOL. But then I got a Napoleon Prestige Pro 665 grill, and it came with a smoker box (interesting feature, can replenish chips/pellets without opening the lid). I tried to smoke a few things ... and gradually learned to do the low and slow, eventually graduating to a long cook ... the brisket (on the Napoleon on first attempt). I realized the satisfaction of the long cook ... you just cannot beat the flavor and tenderness of low and slow.

So that same buddy came by one day and started talking to me about the benefits of the BGE over the Napoleon ... I literally decided that afternoon to jump into a BGE. It's been one of the best investments I've made ... cooked more briskets, rib roasts, ribs, pork shoulders (for pulled pork) ... just amazing, and I love it ... so much pleasure when everyone is talking about how incredible it tastes.

I still use my Napoleon 665 gas grill for shorter cooks. I especially like to use the rotisserie, like for roast whole chicken (which is exactly what I'm doing this weekend). A couple of weekends ago, I cooked rib eyes in a cast iron grilling skillet with butter/garlic sauce, then did a 600F direct on grill sear for a few seconds a side to finish ... WOW!

The beauty of it all is there are just so many recipes out there ... and variety of foods ... so it's cool that you can experiment with different methods and recipes and just keep the taste buds delighted.

With COVID, it is especially nice to give thought to what the "big cook" will be for the upcoming weekend ... and preparing for that ... it just gives you something positive to look forward to. It's funny, I was the guy in the house push all this, for instance what I was going to cook on the weekend. Now, the family is asking/telling me what to cook ... I'm getting the pull from them ... which is nice ... I know now they are hooked, and can never do without me! HAHA.

[BurlyGirl]

A Traeger smoker arrived yesterday and the experimenting began last night. Two types of bacon and a small beef roast were the first items to christen the new addition. My dad's best friend was a butcher by trade, so I touched base with him to get some insight on doing some brisket -- where to get one, what to ask for and what to consider, etc. Looking forward to many meals good thing I have the labradors to keep me mobile and out and about to work off the amazing food!

[MarkB]

A Traeger smoker arrived yesterday and the experimenting began last night. Two types of bacon and a small beef roast were the first items to christen the new addition. My dad's best friend was a butcher by trade, so I touched base with him to get some insight on doing some brisket -- where to get one, what to ask for and what to consider, etc. Looking forward to many meals good thing I have the labradors to keep me mobile and out and about to work off the amazing food!

@burlygirl watch this video ... even though they use a weber, they have great preparation tips, and the cook temperature, time, and what to do is all very good info. If you follow this ... it will turn out great. Keep the temperature LOW, 225F dome temperature ... and wrap it in FOIL (get the wide foil because you want it sealed with one seem at the top) once it hits the stall (around 150F to 160F) ... AND when you get to 195F internal, start poking it with a toothpick through the foil. When you feel the toothpick probes with NO resistance, like going into warm butter ... it is done ... pull it (will be somewhere between 195F and 205F internal. Then wrap it in towels and put it in a cooler to slowly cool for at least 1h ... then serve.

https://youtu.be/azwKFQKAqxs