When I asked my wife what type of celebration she wanted for her 50^th Birthday; she said it had to be with close family and friends. Oh yea, everyone’s favorites smoked meats. We found country pork ribs and skinless/boneless chicken thigh-drums. Sides are spiral mac salad with pepperoni and sausage, and from scratch green/red coleslaw.

She decided to try Heinz Carolina Vinegar Style Tangy BBQ Sauce. It does NOT have HFC and is 100% natural. I did the bag mix method to speed up getting the meat covered evenly with sauce.

I am using apple wood chips for today’s smoke because it adds a sweet light flavor to chicken and pork.

The smoker filled and ready. The guests are arriving at 11:30 am so I started the smoker at 7:00 am with 3 scoops of apple wood chips and the temperature set at 200*F. I just set the time to 6 hours because I know the smoke won’t take that long, but I don’t want the smoker to shut off too early. I left the water pan empty and the air vent on top 3/4s closed. Having it cracked open a little allows for the smoke to draft up past the meat.

After 1 hour I added another tray of apple wood chips. Remember that an electric smoker can trap all the smoke so you don’t have to go heavy with the chips. Electric smokers don’t have the burned propane taste of gas smokers.

At 9:00 am I closed the air vent to hold in the moisture because the meat is not thick. This method does not allow bark to form on the meat so every bite is all completely tender.

I pulled everything at 11:15 am. As you can see, the sugar in the BBQ sauce glazes on the surface of the meat at 200*F. It takes 225*F if you are using a non-sugar base sauce or rub. The picture was taken after everyone filled their plates. I served in an electric roaster set on the lowest setting to keep the meat warm.

My wife is still smoking hot 31 years after she married me. She definitely does not look 50 years old. I baked the 4 double vanilla cakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting.