Roanoke Smoke, the dome thermometer shows the temp inside. the outside (ceramic) is generally cooler.grate temp varies with set-up and depending on how long the fire has been going. i don't go by temp at the grate, but rather just follow dome temp.it's only the tip of the thermo that measures the temp...
Roanoke Smoke,If the thermometer is calibrated, I would say the temp in the dome would be.....225°.But, I'm guessing that you are asking about the actual cooking temp at the grate. Depending on conditions like amount and weight of food and size of fire, the cooking grate temp can be around 30° lower. Get yourself an oven thermometer, the kind meant to sit on the rack and fool around with it until you figure out the relationship between dome and actual temps.~thirdeye~
Here is the kind I use. I failed to mention that some Eggs will have a hot spot toward the back (by the hinge) It's good to know if yours does, so you can position food or rotate food as needed.An old timers trick for determining evenness of pit temp is to take a large pan and a tube of biscuits (in the case of an Egg a pizza pan would work fine). Get a steady fire going. Spread the biscuits around the pan and put it in the cooker for 8 minutes or so. Take it out and they should give you a good idea of what's happening inside and where it is hotter.~thirdeye~
Roanoke Smoke,I use a slightly twisted Eastern North Carolina mop on pork. It's also good as a sop. The picture above are some finished loin ribs, the picture below are some about 2 hours into the cook. I baste after the first hour, about once an hour. Cherry is my favorite wood on pork.Here is a finished pictureENC Mop2 cups cider vinegar 1 cup apple juice 3 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon wooster For loin ribs only add a little olive oil. Simmer to dissolve the salt.Here is a traditional recipe for a ENC mop, it's about as old as barbecue itself. Some folks omit the water completely. You can see the changes I made.1 quart water (optional) 1 quart vinegar 3 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons cayenne 1 tablespoons black pepper~thirdeye~
Charred Remains,As a minimum, I use salt, pepper and garlic powder. But just about any rub you favor will work on pork. I have never figured out if the rub makes pork good or pork makes the rub good. Here is a link to my rub page with a few starter recipes.I do take some of the mop mentioned earlier and thin out some yellow mustard with it. I paint a thin coating of this mixture on the meat side of ribs after seasoning. Then top with a sprinkle of black pepper.~thirdeye~
Here is a finished picture
ENC Mop2 cups cider vinegar