Everybody likes a new toy. It’s okay to admit it… in some form or fashion, we all like to have a new gadget. I’d like to introduce the newest member of my outdoor cooking arsenal – the 22 1/2” Weber Smoky Mountain smoker!
The WSM was a prize in the Sting-Kill BBQ Without the Buzz Kill Giveaway random chance drawing. I quickly assembled it in my garage, but I did not have the opportunity to properly break it in until the day before I had to travel for work for 4 weeks. So needless to say, I was really excited!
One of the perks of being a BBQ blogger is getting to try new products. Some of these products are items that are commercially available. And some of these items are items that are pre-production. One that I’ll mention today is a BBQ rub from Hog Heaven Foods out of California. Ira was kind enough to send me two different prototypes of a new BBQ rub – one was saltier while the other was sweeter. While the two had very similar flavor profiles (garlic, sweet/salty, a touch of cinnamon), we both agreed that the sweeter version had the edge.
Try out a new gadget… try out a prototype BBQ rub… kill two birds with one stone!! I loaded the smoker up, prepped the meat (I also cooked a second pork butt as well as a pot roast later on in the day), and started cooking! My wood of choice: pecan.
I have to say I was pleased with the rub and how it worked on the cooked butt. Normally I would wrap the butt at about the 4-5 hour mark once it achieved the desired color. But this time, I decided to leave the butt unwrapped. The rub gave the butt a nice crusty bark and a great flavor! The smoke was a bit strong in the pork, though. Next time, I think I’ll wrap the butts like I usually do. The prototype rub from Hog Heaven, however… I will be using that again!
