Solo-dadding for 3 days while wife is gone, and just took it from a 0/10 night to a 10/10 morning

@anonymous1991 Not person you asked, but my recommendation is to start with a pellet smoker. Mostly set and forget, just make sure the pellet intake (hopper) is filled up enough before starting a cook. Otherwise, you set a temperature, get a good remote thermometer, maybe go out to spritz the meat every now and then depending on the recipe, and you're golden. First meal I made on the smoker (ribs) I thought it was already worth every penny.

Pork is generally easier in my experience, but I've made steak better than any restaurant steak on my pellet smoker. Leg of lamb turns out super good and is always a hit with friends and family, and I'm not a lamb person in general. Brisket still eludes me yet, but someday I'll get it. Chicken/turkey really absorbs the smoke, and was too smokey for my taste, but turned out really moist for sure.

I just smoked a beef roast today, and talking about this now has me wanting to do it again haha. Anyway, TL;DR: get a pellet smoker and remote thermometer, you and everyone around you will thank you for it. After a few years you can probably try an offset and see how that works for you. Enjoy mate.
 
@anonymous1991 It depends on your preferences. Couple questions:
  1. Do you value control or ease more?
  2. Do you want to exclusively smoke, or do you want to be able to do it all?
  3. What do you want to smoke?
  4. Do you enjoy cooking, or is it a chore?
The other poster recommended a pellet smoker, which gives you less smoke flavor and does everything for you. For those who like that, fine, but I'm a guy who prefers manual to automatic. I like building the fire and having the control. And check my history - I do brisket all the time and I will never go pellet.

One final thing: you don't need a smoker to make good BBQ. I made my first brisket on a Webber and it was better than any place around me. But everyone does it differently, so get the smoker YOU want.
 
@chriscb "have plenty of wood pellets and a thawed out cut of pork on hand" was absolutely not covered in Precious Little Sleep, but I think that chapter needs to be added now.
 
@chriscb I was worried for how this would end but was happy to be surprised

Glad it all worked out, also definitely calling my 6 MO a gremlin lol
 
@chriscb The specificity you used when detailing the BBQ region tells me that it's going to be incredible, regardless of the actual style. Well done, my dude!
 
@chriscb My wife is in Portland for 5 days for work. We are on Day 2. 15yo is trying to get his girlfriend over every night to hang out and the 12yo daughter is trying to bankrupt me through the local boba shop.

They know I am the "lets just have fun" parent, but so far, no fights, the dogs are still here and the house looks close to how it did Sunday when the wife left.

Wishing all the Mr Mom’s a good week!
 
@givenmyself2god Of course, but the Michael Keaton movie from 1983 wasn’t call Dads which is all that I am referencing.

We don’t really have gender roles in our household. It’s really just doing all the things.
 
@chriscb way to turn around a bound-to-be-shitty day into something good.

i did a turkey breast and a slab of tofu in mine yesterday am. turkey dry brined in some mystery rub i had made a while back and the tofu wet brined in soy/ lime / evoo, patted down, and then coated in tajin. both are, if i do say so myself, chef kissing fingers good.
 
@chriscb I feel this. Went to bed at 1am last night, which is earlier than usual recently, thinking I’d get a decent sleep. Then the toddler woke up at 3 and wouldn’t go back to sleep until 4, and our 1 year decided to wake up and absolutely scream inconsolably at 6:30am. Also said fuck it and decided to just get up and get them ready and take them to daycare early. Thought ma went out to get coffee, but turned out she went to an appointment and took the car with the car seats in it so we were stuck at home anyway until the usual time lol. Ended up just playing with blocks and eating breakfast with them for a while and it was a nice hang out session.
 
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