[ccarter]

So I found that just finding the meat around my area isn't the easiest thing to do...

I checked my local grocery stores and no one had a whole packer (they had some small flats at $6/lb). Then I went to the local butcher shop. I tend to avoid that shop because I always leave paying too much. He wanted $5/lb for a packer and the smallest packer he had was 13 lbs. I wasn't up for paying $65 for my first attempt at brisket that only needs to feed 3-4 people. So I bit the bullet and went to Wal-Mart. Choice cut packers at $2.48/lb. Not a bad price, and they had a range of sizes from 7 lbs to 15 lbs. I got an 8.4 lbs packer that looked great. It's hard to tell much about the point, but the flat looks pretty nice.

I need to get my Sam's club membership going again. That's about the best bang for the buck for backyard smoking.

I think I'm going to go with the Montreal Steak seasoning, maybe modify is slightly with more pepper as y'all have suggested. How long should I let it sit after it's rubbed? I don't think overnight will be good given the salt quantity. I'm thinking rub the packer, start the smoker, and by then the rub will have set for a good amount of time.