This is how it all started for me. A Weber kettle, given to me by my precious wife & daughters for Father's Day a few years ago. I thought I would cook something on it, because "Blackie" sits lonely at the edge of the patio, having been passed over by newer & allegedly "cooler" grills & smokers. I wanted some pulled pork, and it's been a while since I smoked anything, so I thought I would return to how I used to smoke everything - just a basic kettle, charcoal & smoke wood. I used hickory chunks & cherry wood chips this time.
Rather than cooking with two fire bricks close to one side & a Minion method cook, I went with the ring of fire technique, building a layer or two of KBlue briquettes around the charcoal grate, with smoke wood mixed in. Using this method does not require rotating what you are cooking to maintain even heat. **Note to self - build a bigger fire to run hotter next time. Had a hard time keeping temps above 225°, even with all vents wide open. For those of you who have cooked this way, smoking in a kettle is usually an exercise in keeping temps low enough, but this time I had to prop the lid open with a small piece of hickory just to keep temps anywhere near 250°. Here's the setup:
For some reason, this butt had been deboned. Couldn't tell until I removed it from the cryovac 2-pack, so I used a few bamboo skewers to hold it together. I put a half pan underneath to catch the drippings and keep Blackie from getting greasy. Here it is after an hour:
Temp control is easy to manage once you learn your grill. All I use to monitor temps is a Taylor candy thermometer, around $8 at Ace Hardware. This is all you need for smoking in your kettle grill. It will turn out great BBQ, as good or better than your local restaurant in most cases.
Mostly because I wanted some sleep, I made sure that the grill temps were stable after a couple of hours, then I set an alarm and took a nap for a couple of hours and checked it again. After the butt attained the color I wanted, I wrapped it in foil & kept cooking. Once it reached my desired temp, I put it into a cold oven with a little apple juice & let it sit for a couple of hours. Here it is ready to pull:
***Samples may have been taken to insure it was safe to eat. No plated or pulled pics. Since the fam & I have been in pulled pork withdrawal, we began eating it immediately. I bagged up a couple of pounds to repay a favor to a friend from church and froze the rest in 1 lb. packages so we have some on hand.
Kettle smoking is easy once you learn your grill & how it responds to opening & closing the bottom vents. Best way to learn how is to cook on it. Now get out there & smoke something on your kettle!
