JAMBO cookin......excessive PRON warning!!!!

[Wampus]

Saturday I had one simple thing in mind......to completely load up the Jambo and see how it did.


The short version.....I achieved what I set out to do.


Now for the long version......:becky:



The setup......
http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/IMG_5324-06122012224351000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/#IMG_5324-06122012224351000000.jpg)

http://upix.me/thumbnails/T8v5ZU/IMG_5326-06122012224355000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/#IMG_5326-06122012224355000000.jpg)

Due to a soccer championship for my 8 yo son that turned in to TWO games, I got started REALLY REALLY late. Oh well....

The Jambo got fired with a whole chimney starter of K-Blue and a couple of logs of white oak. After only probably 20 minutes, there was PERFECT thin blue smoke coming from the stack. The pit was pegged at 300 on the dial (which according to the oven thermos that we used at the last cook) told me that the side closest to the stack was about 25 degrees hotter (325) and the side closest to the FB was about 25 degrees cooler (275). I cracked the exhaust vent open a touch to get the dial temp to about 325.

I had 8 butts, each weighing an average of about 8 lbs each. I trimmed the heavy fat cap off of each of them, leaving a thin layer. They were all injected with Chris Lilly's pork injection with 1/2 the amount of salt that the recipe calls for. Here's what I used:
Modified Chris Lilly's Pork Injection (single recipe - 2 butts):
3/4 C apple juice
1/2 C water
1/2 C white sugar
1/8 C table salt
2 TBS worschestershire sauce
NOTE: I quadrupled the recipe to do 8 butts.

They all got rubbed with a layer of Big JT's pork rub and a thin layer of Simply Marvelous Sweet & Spicy.

When it was time for the meat to go on, the fire was stoked with a mixture of red oak and apple wood. Those were the wood selection throughout the cook. Red oak predominately for the first several hours, then more predominately apple toward the end.

Here's what they looked like when it was time to put them on......
http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/IMG_5329-06122012224357000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/#IMG_5329-06122012224357000000.jpg)

I already knew how much room I'd need for the two briskets, so the butts went in the middle of the bottom rack:
http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/IMG_5330-06122012224359000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/#IMG_5330-06122012224359000000.jpg)

Then it was time for the two briskets. Two whole CAB packers from RD weighed in at about 15.5 lbs and 17 lbs.

I barely trimmed the briskets at all. Just took off that gray looking end of the flat. They all got injected with a recipe I got from Brother Boshizzle (THANKS AGAIN BO! :clap:):
Brisket Injection:
14 oz beef broth (the can was 14 oz)
2 oz water (to make 16 oz of liquid)
1 tsp worschestershire
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
NOTE: this is for 1 brisket.....I doubled this recipe

Pumped the briskets then they each got a good layer of Simply Marvelous Sweet & Spicy and a lighter layer of straight up black pepper.

They went in on close to the stack, fat cap UP and point toward the stack. I also neglected to get any photos of the raw, rubbed briskets before or on the pit. :tsk:

UP NEXT: YARDBIRDS! 8 of em!

Before I went to bed on Friday night, all 8 yardbirds got dunked into my typical go to (simple) poultry brine:
1 gallon water
1/2 cup table salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1 palmful (probably 1.5 TBS) whole peppercorns
1 palmful of rub

They went in the brine for 8 hours, then I took them out of the brine at about 8 am, rinsed and then got trimmed up a bit to remove all the extra flaps of skin and fat and take off the wing tips. Then they sat uncovered in the fridge for a few hours to dry out and let the skin firm back up. When ready, they all got a generous rub (inside cavity as well) of Simply Marvelous Sweet & Spicy rub (I know I know......but I had about 3 lbs of the stuff. I didn't realize until I dug into the spice cabinet how short of rub I reall was, especially quantity of any one rub).

Here they are ready for the smoke:
http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/IMG_5331-06122012224401000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/#IMG_5331-06122012224401000000.jpg)

The briskets were coming along well (at this point, about 40 minutes in)
http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/IMG_5332-06122012224405000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/#IMG_5332-06122012224405000000.jpg)

6 of them fit on the top rack of the pit (which typically runs 75-100 degrees hotter than the thermo dial, so about 400-420). The other 2 had to go right next to the FB on the bottom rack, which is still a hot spot since that's right where the heat blasts into the smoke chamber.

Exactly 1 hour later:
http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/IMG_5337-06122012224416000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/T8v5ZU/#IMG_5337-06122012224416000000.jpg)






OK.......




I shouldn't have started this so late.......I'm farkin tired.

I'll post the rest of this thread tomorrow....sorry.......:tsk:

[retired trucker]

You guys haven't eaten for a while I guess? Maybe the cooks for a bunch of teen aged boys? Looks scrumptious!

[colonel00]

Looks great. I can only hope to someday have enough people to cook for to justify that mass amount of meatage and that sweet cooker.

[LoneStarMojo]

Off to a great start! I'll be tuning in for the REST of the story tomorrow! By the way, I love the rock veneer on your home.

[T-Man]

Which model is it .?... It looks good...

[tortaboy]

How much did you say your grocery bill was?:wink:

[eddieh70301]

That's a sweet looking rig and a chit load of grub. I need to get a stick burner one day.

Is that chicken on top of brisket? Never seen that before. I was always told to put chix on the bottom.

[NorthwestBBQ]

Pron is good.

[nexpress]

Looking good :mrgreen:

[J_Don]

That's what I call a post. Thanks for all of the pron and recipes. I'm getting ready to try my hand at a brisket again and try some of the things I have learned from the Brethren. Pron and food looks great. Wish I were there to help eat some of it. :thumb:

[Norm]

Wow is about all I can get out with all the slobber running down my chin!

[SmokinAussie]

Holy Cr@p, that thing looks good! First time I've seen a Jambo up close. That's a BIG Firebox!

Nice smokin' so far!

Cheers!

Bill

[Boshizzle]

Great looking pron and nice looking smoker! Doesn't BBQ cooking on an oak fire smell incredible?

[Jaskew82]

Holy crap that all sounds and looks delicious! Great job! Can't wait to seen the finished product.

[Big Bears BBQ]

That has the look of a great BBQ coming up, nice work ......

[superdan]

Wake up and finish the story!!! The suspense is killing us ;)

[Big Bears BBQ]

What's the name of your smoker ???? I like that ....

[Big Bears BBQ]

Duh ................. never mind I got it .......

[New Pal Frank]

Will all that hold in the Cambro till Saturday turn-ins? lol Just kidding. Looks Great. Can't wait to see finished pr0n. ( Drooling on keyboard )

[gtr]

I am loving this - I'll bet you one happy farker working that pit!

The top shelf in my cooker is one shelf all across, but I really like how yours are split - I guess they'd have to be since you have 2 doors, but it'd be nice to have the option of just one top grate for when I cook bigger cuts so I don't lose the top shelf completely when I do that.

[Big George's BBQ]

Beautiful Pit Lots of food What is happening

[ThatsWhatSheSaidBBQ]

That is sexy!

[jgbmgb]

Awesome looking grub! Nice Jambo too!!!

[New Pal Frank]

I'll bet poor Wampus done went into a food coma.

[fingerlickin']

Hey Wampus, is it done yet? Don't tell me you had to go to work today or something. :razz: Everything looks great, can't wait to see how it all turned out! :thumb:

[bigkahunaranch]

Oh man, should not have viewed pics just before lunchtime. :cry:

Wonderful looking pron, hope to see finished product.

[deepsouth]

nice. i totally missed my invite.

[landarc]

Yowza, that's a lot of meat. Nicely partially posted you slacker!

[likeadeere]

Awesome! Look forward to the rest of the pics! How many people you cooking for?

[Wampus]

I am loving this - I'll bet you one happy farker working that pit!

The top shelf in my cooker is one shelf all across, but I really like how yours are split - I guess they'd have to be since you have 2 doors, but it'd be nice to have the option of just one top grate for when I cook bigger cuts so I don't lose the top shelf completely when I do that.

Actually, there is only 1 shelf on the left side. The hottest part of the smoke chamber is on the side nearest the firebox up high since the chute of the Jambo's directs that heat straight up out of the FB. There's really no reason to put a shelf there because it would be like a farkin BLAST FURNACE. In fact, you almost need to put on full length welding gloves to check meats with a thermopen on the right door. It's HOT HOT HOT!!!






To all.....sorry for the delay. I did this cooking last Saturday. I've been having trouble with photobucket and photo uploads and just started falling asleep at the keyboard last night as I was posting this. I'm at work now and am as busy as a one-legged man in an arse kicking contest.

I promise.....the rest of the pron is coming. Sorry again.....someone's gotta make the donuts! :becky::rolleyes:

[fingerlickin']

Dude, you made doughnuts too! You're too much brother. I like mine glazed.

[enasnidx]

Can't wait for more pron! I think I'm addicted to pron, but my wife is ok with it.:wink:

[firefighter4634]

Great looking cooker, great looking Q. I just hope you have tons of friends to eat all the that!

[MattG]

That is very nice cook. Nice Job

[Wampus]

OK.....so here goes....I'll see if I can stay awake for the rest of this....:becky:


Here's a shot of the birds above the briskets on the top shelf....
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5333-06132012232051000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5333-06132012232051000000.jpg)

Here's a shot of the two on the right side of the butts....the only space left!
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5334-06132012232055000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5334-06132012232055000000.jpg)

And HERE it is.....the shot of the whole cooker stuffed to the gills!
So that's 2 whole packers, 8 butts and 8 yardbirds!
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5335-06132012232057000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5335-06132012232057000000.jpg)

Now it was time to close it up and manage the fire.
But not for real long.....the chickens were done in just over an hour. We gobbled up two of them for dinner (8 of us did - my neice spent the night with a friend). 2 of them were given to a neighbor and the other 4 got pulled and vacuum sealed and into the freezer.

As posted before, here they were done.....the only finished chicken photo (sorry :oops:)
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5337-06132012232059000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5337-06132012232059000000.jpg)

THEN.......

After a flip of the butts when I pulled the chickens off (they'd been on at that point for about 3-4 hours and were getting nice and dark on top).....

I went out about 9:00 (so just about 5-6 hours into the cook) and found THIS....
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5338-06132012232101000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5338-06132012232101000000.jpg)

:becky: :clap: :becky:

Temps on the butts were averaging about 160 at this point (STALL) and the briskets were sitting at just about the same as I recall.

Time to wrap!
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5339-06132012232104000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5339-06132012232104000000.jpg)

Everything got double wrapped with butcher paper and went right back into the same place (butts that were a little further along went back in closer to the briskets and the ones that were still more firm went closer to the FB).
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5340-06132012232106000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5340-06132012232106000000.jpg)

At just about midnight, the briskets were nice and tender and came off.
After a rest.....
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5344-06132012232109000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5344-06132012232109000000.jpg)

OH YEAH BABY!!!!

These smelled GREAT!
The points came off and got trimmed and cubed. Hmmmm.....wonder what those are gonna be? :rolleyes:
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5346-06132012232113000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5346-06132012232113000000.jpg)

Sauced and went back on the smoker for a couple of hours....
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5348-06132012232116000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5348-06132012232116000000.jpg)

Briskets were both sliced. Here's one that was sliced sized for the vacuum sealer:
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5353-06132012232124000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5353-06132012232124000000.jpg)

http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5350-06132012232118000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5350-06132012232118000000.jpg)

[/URL] http://upix.me/files/8gwoVh/IMG_5351-06132012234425000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/QIxqOI/#IMG_5351-06132012234230000000.jpg)

The butts got pulled somewhere in there and now it was time to play with THEM!

Here's what the first one looked like out of the wrapping.....
http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/IMG_5354-06132012232126000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5354-06132012232126000000.jpg)

YEP.....it was nice and tender.....so were the other 7......
http://upix.me/files/8gwoVh/IMG_5356-06132012234422000000.jpg (http://upix.me/files/8gwoVh/#IMG_5356-06132012234422000000.jpg)
[URL="http://upix.me/files/bPnM2i/#IMG_5354-06132012232126000000.jpg"]

I was up late pulling my pork :tape:.


And I just realized that I have NO photo of finished burnt ends! :sorry:


All in all, it was a great cook. I got started a LOT later than I wanted to, and the cook went longer than I expected, but it turned out great.

All the pork got pulled and vacuum sealed into 2 lb bags.
1 brisket was vacuum sealed and one got reheated and eaten on Monday night! (or at least part of it did....part of it is still left overs....:becky:.....brisket sammies for lunch all week! :thumb:)

I really like Chris Lilly's pork injection. I think I'll bump up the salt just a tad, probably 3/4 of his original recipe instead of 1/2 like I did this time.

The brisket injection was perfect. It didn't at all change or overtake the flavor of the meat. I could JUST BARELY taste the worschy and garlic in the meat, which was perfect.

When I went to drain the pit from the big gate valve on the bottom and was really surprised to see that I 1/2 filled up a farkin bus tub with drippings! They sure smelled good though! :becky:





Thanks for lookin y'all and sorry for the delay!

[Tommyboy48]

That is some serious cookin!!

[SmokinAussie]

No muckin' around there... That was a serious smoke!

Awesome!

Cheers!

Bill

[LoneStarMojo]

THAT, is how you do brisket. Very nice cook Wampus.

[Hook_Line_and_Sinker]

Totally awesome ! Great post , excellent pron!

Was one wheelbarrow of wood enough?

[New Pal Frank]

WOW!!!!!! worth the wait. See you soon.

[Wampus]

Was one wheelbarrow of wood enough?

Oh yeah....I didn't even use half of it. The rest I got just for this weekend's comp. Only used probably 10-12 logs the whole time. Jambo's are SUPER efficient for stick burners.

[Shiz-Nit]

DUDE!!!!! That is one nice cook on a super sweet looking smoking machine!!

[Big George's BBQ]

Very Nice Congrats Awesome cook Looks like that Jambo is a keeper
Any pics of the donuts and BTW I would love to see that one leg man in that arse kick contest
Bet that pit would do a great job on your beans

[pike51]

Awesome cook! I'm jealous!