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Today, Monday, December 15, 2015, I made a trip to our local supermarket with the intent to purchase a brisket, as I've been wanting to smoke a brisket for years. While browsing the beef section, my eyes wandered over to the pork section, and I noticed that pork roast was on sale for $1.49 a pound; about half the price of brisket, per pound. So I switched gears, and smoked a pork roast today, and I'm glad I did.
Photo: I purchased a 4-pound bone-in pork roast for $1.49 a pound from our local supermarket, which is a savings of over a dollar pound, so brisket was out of the question. Anyway, it wasn't hard for me, as I love pork, especially a pork roast. I rubbed the roast with Pappy's Choice, which is manufactured in Fresno, and is a very "Santa Maria style" barbecue rub. I'm "salt concheous," so I use the 50% less salt version. Pappy's is my go-to rub and seasoning, for just about anything.
Photo: Since Monday Night Football was to be played tonight, so I had the smoker fired up, and the meat and potatoes in the smoker by 0930. I use an Oklahoma Joe's "Highland Offset Smoker," which I purchased on sale for less than $200.00 last summer. I "tricked it out" by sealing all of the cracks, installing clamps to keep the cooking chamber tight, fireplace lining on the cooking chamber and the firebox, and lifted the grate in the firebox by four inches. The smoker is large enough to smoke a small hog, and the sealed firebox will allow oak to burn for hours, so I use very little wood for a 6-hour smoke. No, I'm not Einstein, as I just "Googled" the modifications, and took it from there. I smoke exclusively with oak wood, as oak trees grow everywhere around Roseville, the wood is free, and it provides a good smoke taste, very similar to hickory, but perhaps a bit milder.
Photo: As the meat and potatoes were smoking, I made barbecue sauce. Of course most of the time I use barbecue sauce from a bottle, but when I smoke, I prefer to cook my own. My favorite is Texas "Red Eye" Ranch Barbecue Sauce; the recipe is readily available on the web, but I've tweaked it to the way I like it, and I think this is the best barbecue sauce I've ever eaten. It takes time and effort to make, but the results are well worth it. I've published this recipe on my web site. Click on this link for the recipe.
Photo: After 5-hours of smoking, the potatoes are finished, and the roast will be ready in about an hour. Since I made barbecue sauce, I didn't save any of the dripping for gravy, which I sort of regret.
Photo: Tonight's dinner is smoked pork, smoked potato, Mexican-style corn, and "Red Eye" barbecue sauced, served on the side, Texas style, along with an ice-cold beer. The dinner was delicious, and it worked out well.
Photo: A couple of nights later, I used the last of the pork to make a pulled-pork sandwich. I chopped up the pork, mixed the remaining barbecue sauce with it, and spooned it on a large bun, garnished with sweet dill pickle relish. As a side dish, I enjoyed a baked potato, garnished with sour cream, green onion, and bacon bits. An ice-cold beer completed the meal. Fantastic! The pork, and the potatoes turned out fabulously. Total cooking time was about 5 hours. When you're doing a smoke, there is no reason to rush anything, as the protocol calls for kicking back, enjoying a beer or two, and just taking life easy. Copyright(c) 2015 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002. Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custon photography for any occasion...
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