i'm from FAR west tx and there a b b q means hotdogs and hamburgers on a backyard grill.
moved to south tx in 2001 and found out what a smoked brisket was. was never willing to get up every 4 hours or so to feed a smoker more mesquite. plus the endless discussions/fights on how to do it right turned me off to trying it.
few weeks ago was at daughters house in austin and my idiot son in law served one of the best briskets i ever ate. ever. he had bought a MASTERBUILT chimney fed charcoal smoker. said he loaded it with charcoal, set em on fire, threw the brisket on the grill at 225 deg and walked away. came back in 13 hours, took it off and we ate it. knowing him, i called BS. SO... i utubed it, researched it, said to hell with it and went to caballas and bought one. we got a small 7 pounder, trimmed it, threw a lotta salt and pepper on it (thats ALL you do to a tx style brisket i learned), fired it up and 8 hours later took it off, rested it for an hour wrapped in butcher paper and towels in an ice chest, and opened it up. i was stunned. it was great. my son had come by and he and i and my wife stood at the kitchen island and gorged ourselves. i'm sure all this is nothing new to most of you but it is to me! i've learned a lotta new terms like FLAT, STALL, BARK etc. soon as the wild hogs return..............!

I'm guessing "FAR west Tx" must have meant "California". I'm from Odessa, and we did brisket over Mesquite 45 years ago.

A few definitions:

West Texas = Odessa
Far West Texas = Van Horn

Cook-out = Hot Dogs & Hamburgers
BBQ = Brisket, or Ribs, or Pork Butt

Good to hear you got "religion" though, even at this late a date. It's never too late to come to worship BBQ.

One more thing, don't ever say BBQ "MACHINE" again..........ever. Some things are sacred.

FAR WEST TEXAS= EL PASO. as in i could climb on my roof and see mexico 1.5 miles away and new mexico 3 miles away, give or take. actually lived 20 miles outside el paso in the desert. we raised rocks.
now i say smoker instead of b b q machine. wifes family here from colorado had never ate tx style brisket and said they are never going back to the old ways again. did a 14 lb angus brisket. salt, pepper, chubacabra for seasoning. let it rest in ice chest under towels for 3 hours. put it on cutting board and it started falling apart. little too fatty for me but they loved it.

I went to junior high, high school, and college in Las Cruces.

Where I admit to food ignorance, was seafood, especially shrimp. Didn't have a clue growing up. I ate my first two boiled shrimp with the shells on. Like eating a light bulb. Like Tom Hanks along about the 1:30 mark in BIG. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX4fSP9x4ng I was just a kid....like 23.

Funny, I have a brisket on a Masterbuilt 560 right now - Saturday. And yes they are everything everyone says about them. Amazingly goof-proof and versatile. You can't go wrong with it. But do watch the video on first time use and seasoning. It does matter.

The only complaint is lack of parts should the controller or fan pack in and some seem to fail early. But after 5 months of almost continual use I am more comfortable the thing will last for awhile. But I have my trusty Smokeshak as a backup - they are bulletproof.

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
I went to junior high, high school, and college in Las Cruces.

Where I admit to food ignorance, was seafood, especially shrimp. Didn't have a clue growing up. I ate my first two boiled shrimp with the shells on. Like eating a light bulb. Like Tom Hanks along about the 1:30 mark in BIG. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX4fSP9x4ng I was just a kid....like 23.

really? the exit where we got off I10 to our place was at the 1 mile mark between texas and new mexico. our place was between canutillo and anthony. going west on I10 about a half mile before you got off you could look towards the river and see our windmill.been in cruces many many times. loved to eat chili rellenos at that old place by stahman farms that had the parrots inside squacking all the time. supposed to be where billy the kid hung out or something like that. mesilla plaza? been too long.

the grates on this smoker are heavy duty cast iron. how do you reccomend getting em cleaned of all the residue burned on meat and grease. i'm tempted to just set em on the ground and letting the dog eat it off. i have an old brush/scraper but.....! bristles be worn out. might just heat it up again empty and let the heat burn it off? it can get up to 700 deg in like 15 minutes. says the manual.

I leave the carbon/crud/oil/etc on until I am ready to smoke again - this also keeps them from flash rusting. Then heat the smoker to 400 for a few minutes and scrub what's left over.

I use a scrubber like this - https://www.amazon.com/Grill-B...id=1602438222&sr=8-3

Once the grill has cooled to my smoking temp, I coat the grill using a sprayer with Avocado Oil. I may clean again, but usually not needed.

I know the grill can get up to 700 degrees, but not sure it helps the fan and electronics. Certainly not the temp probes.

try a shoulder "clod" next time... its a little less fat, a little thicker, less stringy than a brisket... same cooking technique.. basicly the same cut as a pork boston butt, only beef.. i hardly ever do briskets any more.. try it, you'll like it..

quote:

Originally posted by jimatcat:
try a shoulder "clod" next time... its a little less fat, a little thicker, less stringy than a brisket... same cooking technique.. basicly the same cut as a pork boston butt, only beef.. i hardly ever do briskets any more.. try it, you'll like it..

never even heard of that or seen one for sale. do you have to go to an old school butcher shop? or is it under another name? grew up eating a brisket maybe 2x a year my mom cooked in an over. was stringy etc like you said. the two i've smoked haven't been. everyone raved about the large fatty side, i liked the leaner flat. i have never liked fatty meat of any kind. so the idea of a brisket having a fatty half and a leaner half works out. reminds me of the old nursery ryhme " his wife could eat no fat he could eat no lean" or some damn thing like that

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
I leave the carbon/crud/oil/etc on until I am ready to smoke again - this also keeps them from flash rusting. Then heat the smoker to 400 for a few minutes and scrub what's left over.

I use a scrubber like this - https://www.amazon.com/Grill-B...id=1602438222&sr=8-3

Once the grill has cooled to my smoking temp, I coat the grill using a sprayer with Avocado Oil. I may clean again, but usually not needed.

I know the grill can get up to 700 degrees, but not sure it helps the fan and electronics. Certainly not the temp probes.

got one on the way

i usually ask at the "market place" grocery for one... they cut meat ... dont know where you live but go to Smitty's bbq in lockhart and eat,,, its on the highway, cant miss it.. they serve off the pit in the back, if you order beef, theyll ask fat or lean.. fat gets you brisket.. lean gets you the shoulder clod.. the hot links are grat too.. locals or regulars just ask for :hots:..

quote:

Originally posted by jimatcat:
try a shoulder "clod" next time... its a little less fat, a little thicker, less stringy than a brisket... same cooking technique.. basicly the same cut as a pork boston butt, only beef.. i hardly ever do briskets any more.. try it, you'll like it..

I don't mind the clod/shoulder roast, but it is typically leaner than the brisket. I like to purchase the packer as I can trim the fat to my desire. And I separate the tip from the brisket and cook it separately. I get better results cooking them on different smokers.

I find that most grocery stores trim too much fat as it seems to turn off customers. But you need the fat if you're going to smoke. So the packer is a better choice if you don't mind doing some hand trimming.

Awhile back the GF proudly came home with an overly trimmed brisket. So I just draped it with thick cut bacon. Problem solved.

John C. You are thinking of La Posta. https://www.lapostademesilla.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS1IT0h7v9Y

Between Canutillo and Anthony? Are you sure you didn't live a little north of there in La Tuna? https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/lat/

quote:

Originally posted by jimatcat:
i usually ask at the "market place" grocery for one... they cut meat ... dont know where you live but go to Smitty's bbq in lockhart and eat,,, its on the highway, cant miss it.. they serve off the pit in the back, if you order beef, theyll ask fat or lean.. fat gets you brisket.. lean gets you the shoulder clod.. the hot links are grat too.. locals or regulars just ask for :hots:..

i live 10 minutes from lockhart. just got back from eating breakfast in lockhart withe relatives that came in from colorado, staying in a bnb there

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
John C. You are thinking of La Posta. https://www.lapostademesilla.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS1IT0h7v9Y

Between Canutillo and Anthony? Are you sure you didn't live a little north of there in La Tuna? https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/lat/

yes, la posta!
haha! i went looking for residents of la tuna more than once that escaped. could see it from my roof too! used to sit on roof under a shade tree and call in coyotes. coyote can be pronounced 2 different ways. used to see plenty of both too.

And neither is welcome in any community.

John, glad you have something like this to take your mind off your recent loss. I was going to say La Posta in old Mesilla but Ken beat me to it. Yes, they still have the parrots. Was there just a few weeks ago. The other notable restaurant on the square is the Double Eagle.
Like you, I have been reluctant to tackle a brisket as all I have is a Weber gasser and a smoke tube. Which Masterbuilt model did you buy?

i got the 1050 model, the big one. son in law has the 750, the smaller one. so far has worked to perfection. only screw up i did was reading the instructions instead of watching the masterbuilt you tube video.

The instructions are pretty worthless. But there is a wealth of knowledge on YouTube for the Masterbuilt as well as smoking techniques.

You are seeing more and more gravity fed charcoal smokers and less and less on pellet systems.

Masterbuilt had me at 700 degrees

John, I see your 1050 and the 560 on the Masterbuilt site. Guessing the latter is the equivalent of your son-in-law's 750.
I have no experience with the gravity-fed charcoal units, but they look very interesting.
Opus, I used up a Traeger pellet grill back in my Oregon days, or I should say the Oregon weather used it up, though I always kept it covered.
Now off to Youtube for some instruction on these critters. Man, I am drooling for good brisket right now.

https://www.masterbuilt.com/co...harcoal-grill-smoker

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:

Masterbuilt had me at 700 degrees

It will do it, but not confident that the fan, electronics and temp probes will hold up at 700. Seems to be the Achilles heel on them. I just use it to smoke and it works amazingly well in that regard.

Bill - I have cooked on a pellet grill, but never owned one. They are OK, I just like charcoal better for smoking meat. But I have to say, my Cookshacks here in the US and Nam get a LOT of use.

wife brought home a big heavy rack a ribs and wants em smoked on it. turns out......its 3 racks of pork baby rack ribs. crap. i had already defrosted em so had to smoke em. i use Aron Franklins videos on you tube to go by as my daughter and others have waited 4 plus hours in line to get some b b q from him in austin. hes a legend there. and not the bad kind! he smokes about 160 briskets a day he says. started out 16 years ago in his backyard as a kid smoking for the neighborhood. anyways...........will see what happens in about 4 hours from now.

I think I need one of these machines, only question is what size.

John, eagerly awaiting your report. I, too, put a lot of stock in Aaron's Youtubes, and also have his book.
Opus, at the price points, I hope those Cookshacks are workin' for ya!

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
John, eagerly awaiting your report. I, too, put a lot of stock in Aaron's Youtubes, and also have his book.
Opus, at the price points, I hope those Cookshacks are workin' for ya!

didn't know he had a book out! on amazon? PM ur email or text # (again) and i'll send ya a pic of what they look like. just hope they taste as good as they smell. my dogs been laying in front of the smoker for about 3 hours now staring at it.

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
I think I need one of these machines, only question is what size.

truth be told, they lie their asses off about how much you can put in em. i don't know that for a fact, but from what they say i really doubt it. since i never anticipate smoking more than two briskets at a time i don't worry about it too much. but.....i doubt i could get two 15 pounders to fit without some squeezing. a 13.5 pounder took up a whole lotta space. son in law says no way he could get 2 big uns in his 750.

I am wondering which cooks better. I can’t see needing to cook something larger than a pork belly or two tri tips or 4 racks of ribs or one large turkey. Would the larger one cook a large turkey better?

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
I am wondering which cooks better. I can’t see needing to cook something larger than a pork belly or two tri tips or 4 racks of ribs or one large turkey. Would the larger one cook a large turkey better?

a whole turkey? big one? probably. i'll measure the distance from grill top to warmer wires tomorrow.

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
I am wondering which cooks better. I can’t see needing to cook something larger than a pork belly or two tri tips or 4 racks of ribs or one large turkey. Would the larger one cook a large turkey better?

The larger units burn more fuel. So unless you are wanting to cook a bunch of meat at one time, the 560 is pretty darn versatile.

But watch the videos and you can get a good idea what size you need.

Bill - The Cookshacks are worth every cent and then some. If I had to have one smoker, hands down it would be the Cookshack.

well, the verdicts in. for MY taste, they were a little too dry. these were not the juice dripping down your chin ribs. they were the lots of damn tasty bark (crust) and good smoked to the bone ribs. so for a texas style rack of ribs everyone gave em a 98 out of 100. i gave em a 89. my son used to cook for the grist mill, outback and a few other meat places and rated it 98 as did the wife. i think a different cut (?) of rib other than a baby back which these were would have more marbling and been a more juicy rib. but they'll make a turd for sure.

Forced air/convection smokers/cookers will do that. They require a lot of basting and moisture.

I wonder what our beloved and departed friend Gatogordo would have thought, God rest his soul.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
I wonder what our beloved and departed friend Gatogordo would have thought, God rest his soul.

i didn't get here in time to meet him, but probably something like " this idiot with his new b b q machine has no fukkin idea whats he's doing!

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
I wonder what our beloved and departed friend Gatogordo would have thought, God rest his soul.

Bill - Gato and Randal were both old school. If it worked 75 years ago... why change now.

There was a hell of a lot of wisdom between the two.

I agree; I miss hearing comments from them both.

https://youtu.be/xyECHczU4x4

Watch these videos...there is a great upgrade package for the masterbuilt and a water tray to keep it moist inside as well.

https://youtu.be/_wfmcTeqCFI

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Forced air/convection smokers/cookers will do that. They require a lot of basting and moisture.

saw some mods to make it burn less charcoal by adding wires to the grate to make the holes smaller for the burned up coals to drop through.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
I am wondering which cooks better. I can’t see needing to cook something larger than a pork belly or two tri tips or 4 racks of ribs or one large turkey. Would the larger one cook a large turkey better?

The larger units burn more fuel. So unless you are wanting to cook a bunch of meat at one time, the 560 is pretty darn versatile.

But watch the videos and you can get a good idea what size you need.

Bill - The Cookshacks are worth every cent and then some. If I had to have one smoker, hands down it would be the Cookshack.

I want the excuse that I need this for the Thanksgiving turkey
Women tend to have your money spent before you earn it

quote:

Originally posted by john c.:

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
I am wondering which cooks better. I can’t see needing to cook something larger than a pork belly or two tri tips or 4 racks of ribs or one large turkey. Would the larger one cook a large turkey better?

a whole turkey? big one? probably. i'll measure the distance from grill top to warmer wires tomorrow.