Greetings all from the great state of South Dakota! I pleaded for a 2D smoker for Father's Day, and low and behold, my wonderful wife agreed to spend the extra money on the SI compared to everything at the local sporting goods store.
Man, do I love this thing . . . and so does she and so do our two young boys who used to refuse to eat ribs and brisket.
First smoke was chicken legs and thighs. Everyone was correct about the rubbery skin. Second smoke was a Boston Butt. A little over 10 pounds and took a good 23 hours at 225. Third smoke was some straight up spare ribs (no foiling, no juice, just a great rub, great hickory wood and a temp of 225)--haven't had ribs this juicy since we lived in the Texas Hill Country! Our third smoke was a nice little five pound brisket. I do think it was just a tad dry for my tastes, so I may attempt to foil it for an hour or two when it gets to the stall the next go round. I suspect that if I simply went with a full brisket and didn't trim too much, it'd turn out much more moist. I may give that a go as well.
Anyway, I love my 2D and am of the Texas old school where you simply let the rub and the smoke do their work. Ain't nobody got time for brine and foiling and basting!
Any recommendations on vacuum sealers out there for our left overs? Clearly, the smokes seem to work better when you go with a full cut instead of a trimmed cut, so I'd rather vacuum seal and freeze leftovers for the weekdays when I can't smoke.
