Sterling Smith is a celebrity pitmaster with hundreds of national and global awards under his championship belt. In addition to being a world barbecue champion, Smith has led numerous teams in competitions to titles and taught countless classes in-person and virtually.
But this success didn’t come without some stumbles. Smith isn’t shy about admitting that his first attempt at smoking a pork shoulder 15 years ago was an epic fail.
“I over-smoked it. It was the worst piece of meat,” Smith confesses. “Smoke is an ingredient, like salt and pepper. If all you can taste is smoke, it’s too much. You want to taste the protein first. That’s the star of the show.”
While grilling involves cooking over direct high heat in a somewhat expedient fashion, smoking requires more nuance and patience, as meat gets happy in a very opposite low-and-slow hours-long process.
Smith has perfected the art of both. His accolades sparked Loot ’N Booty BBQ, Smith’s line of original rubs, sauces, and merchandise. He’s also authored two cookbooks and has a set of online how-to videos on BBQChamps.com.
A Navy veteran, Smith served for four years as a sonar technician on the guided missile cruiser U.S.S. Chosin, based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His international travels influence his recipes today.
Whether you’ve got an old-school smoker that needs babysitting and feeding throughout the process, or one of those new versions that take out the guesswork—Smith likes a wood pellet smoker from Green Mountain Grills—here are some tips straight from the expert to get you going.
Big Meat
Hit the grocery store for a large piece of protein in the form of brisket or pork, although chicken works, too. Smith prefers a good-sized pork shoulder, which is an economical cut and perfect for smoking.
“There’s a lot of fat, which is great for going low and slow,” he says.
'SPG'
When it comes to seasoning, Smith recommends starting with liberal use of salt, especially on big cuts of meat. His go-to starter combo is salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. From there, he recommends adding ingredients like brown sugar or paprika for color.
Advance Prep
Seasoning your pork, beef ,or chicken for hours before it hits the smoker is vital. Smith lets it sit overnight in the fridge, covered with foil or in a huge zip-top plastic bag.
“The seasoning needs time to be accepted into the protein, so give it time,” he says.
Crust is a Must
When there’s a deep color resembling bark or a crust formed on the outside of meat, take it off and wrap it tightly in foil or butcher paper. Put it back on the smoker until, as Smith says, “it probes like butter,” i.e., a thermometer slides in with little to no resistance. That’s when it’s ready to come off for good.
Time to Rest
Put the meat in an oven or empty cooler and let science do its thing. An 8-10 pound pork shoulder or brisket can hold for 4-5 hours before it’s ready to shred and slice like a dream. Not letting the meat sit long enough is perhaps the most common error people make but it’s crucial to getting moist and succulent barbecue, Smith says.
For Non-Carnivores
“Anything from the sea can be smoked,” Smith says. Rainbow trout, shrimp, and lobster tails will be done in about 15-20 minutes.
Don’t Fear the Burn
“I wasn’t afraid to burn something because I wanted to learn,” Smith says. “I had to burn a lot of meat, and a lot of my successes in barbecue came from failure.”
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Trim 12 to14 pounds brisket of excess fat.
Apply slather of mustard and apply rub (equal parts coarse ground pepper and kosher salt).
Adjust smoker so it is burning clean smoke at 275 degrees.
Place brisket on smoker, fat side up.
Keep lid closed for the first 3 hours, then check every 30 minutes for dryness on the surface. If dry, spritz with apple cider vinegar.
The brisket should have a decent darkly colored bark at around 6 hours. At this point, remove, wrap in butcher paper, and return to smoker.
At about 10 hours, start feeling for tenderness. Internal temp will be anywhere from 190 to 205 degrees, but tenderness is the key. When tender, it’s done.
Remove from smoker and let rest fully wrapped (I place in a towel and put in a cooler) until temp comes down to 140 to 45 degrees (about 1 to 2 hours).