Lonestar Grillz el Patron First Cook

Lonestar Grillz new el Patron hotbox style smoker just arrived!
Here's my first cook on it, thing's a little hooligan! It's a versatile little box!

[@buzzindsm3380]

Happy to see someone else doing videos on the El Patron. I was looking forever for something that made sense to me. As soon as i saw the El Patron, i ordered.

[@evilTexanBBQ]

I've got some larger smokers but they're so big I can't use them for much more that catering. This is great and looks like it's going to be tons of fun.

[@damnitjanet9450]

He’s Back!! 🔥 “It’s a hooligan!”

[@evilTexanBBQ]

And better than ever 😂

[@bigvisk1125]

Looks good. I've been considering one of these.

[@TOMGARVEYtheKETOCOOK]

Happy New Year Will.... Good to see you ... Nice Pitt...

[@evilTexanBBQ]

Hey Tom, good to see you! How the hell are ya?

[@papajoecooking4425]

I have a Lang Reverse Flo. In the fire box I made a heavy duty charcoal rack using 1/2” round steel on a 1/4” angle iron frame. It is kinda difficult to get the hot charcoal in the burn box. I bought the large wand propane weed burner. I load the charcoal on the rack the fire the coals up with the weed burner. Once they get going good I place hickory or oak logs on the. Wait for the cook chamber to come up to temp! Awesome looking “Grow Up Man Grill” 😂😂😂😂 Get your cook on brother!

[@handsydirector4862]

Of love to see more videos of your thoughts and use of the El patron

[@solangecolia6524]

Yay! I missed your vids 🔥

[@evilTexanBBQ]

Heeeeey Sol

[@solangecolia6524]

@@evilTexanBBQ Hey E 😀

[@BullseyeMetalWerks]

When doing direct heat smoking/grilling I find using lump and wood chunks to be better option. Wood splits need more airflow to combust for that good smoke flavor (more air flow higher temps). When lighting your lump you don't have to light a whole lot 1 maybe to fist fully of coals will do it. As you saw opening the door while cooking gets temps really going so you want to minimize that to avoid overly charring your meat. I built my own little direct heat cooker after using my weber smokey mountain for years and once you get it down just nothing really beats cooking over a live ish fire.

[@evilTexanBBQ]

Yeah this is a new style cooking for me so I've got to rething fire management!

[@BullseyeMetalWerks]

@@evilTexanBBQ yep. You'll get it different style and flavor than offset. Brisket and maybe pork butt on the offset but I like everything else direct style smoking. A lot of people don't get it and think it's just grilling (and some don't like the flavor of the juicies and grease hitting the fire brings) but I love it. Looking forward to more videos. Subbing.

[@evilTexanBBQ]

@@BullseyeMetalWerks Got you back. Looks like a lot of fun actually, quicker cooks too

[@dsquebackyardbbq217]

Very fancy! Initially with my bad eyesight I thought that you had an ABS Pitboss sitting behind you (being eyeing those) I feel you. I've been kind of the same way vid wise on top of being a little busier than normal. Got a ton of my buddies vids to go through Good to see you my guy. Happy New Year

[@evilTexanBBQ]

Hey D, finally getting back to people LOL (We got a project going that took a few months(

[@dsquebackyardbbq217]

@evilTexanBBQ similar. Kids and job has had me busy. Feels like I have a thousand vids to catch up on from folks that I watch

[@kevingray3938]

On your long bolt handle, just back out the nut holding the spring a bit more. It will shorten the amount of threads going through the door.

[@evilTexanBBQ]

I realized that shortly after I said that LOL

[@tommyknockers_8608]

You sir get to keep your BBQ Man card.. I heard those test fire clicks when you first picked up the tongs. :) and that chicken looks really good, I love me a dry crispy skin.

[@evilTexanBBQ]

Ha, I guess it's just second nature LOL

[@tommyknockers_8608]

@@evilTexanBBQ I've seen plenty of youtuber BBQ channels pick up tongs and just grab food.. no clicks... my OCD makes me twitch LOL

[@tommyknockers_8608]

sorry if this is a little long winded. Background: I don't own and have never cooked on a offset stick burner. I have gas, charcoal and pellet cookers because here in the Seattle area it's difficult and expensive to find hardwoods (post oak, hickory, pecan etc) but I have watched many hours of BBQ videos from people with offsets. It seems like they mostly agree that the chimney open full and a good airflow over the meat is important since wood produces more smoke than coal. Chris was saying the El Patron cooks like a stick burner if the top vents are wide open and the door is used for oxygen flow and pit temp. But if you use coal then close the door and use the door vent and upper vents as needed for oxygen and temp control. Do you find this is true? If I'm using the El Patron like a Weber kettle or Chudbox or UDS it's pretty straight forward. It looks like it can do those things pretty easy.. It's the long cooks I'm really wondering about. How well can it replace my Weber Smokey Mountain or produce BBQ close to an offset with indirect? Thanks for your video and any information you can share. :)

[@evilTexanBBQ]

I'm learning this pit so honestly I don't have good answers yet, but I'll get there. Important to note that this should NOT be cooking like an UDS and that it should have a flame... it's a lot more like a Chudbox in that regard. Somewhere in the middle of an offset and an ugly drum is what I'm going to go for next cook!

[@charlesbirchfield5066]

As long as the fuel ( the lump or wood) is in a basket there should be no difference than using a WSM or a drum. It’s the same style or method of cooking as those direct heat cooking. With the flames jumping up once he opens the door tells me it’s just as air tight as my drums or close.

[@mefobills279]

Long cooks build a coal bed, preferably on the bottom. Then, add small splits of wood every 30 min or so. The coal bed depth you can figure out by trial and error. For flare-ups, use a flat blade shovel and pat the flare zone. If you have to throttle it way down, you used too much fuel. Door wide open will cool not heat with the smaller fire and continuous monitoring. Here in Texas the hot box was used by the Czech immigrants and the offset was by Germans. Fire management was wood embers shoveled into the firebox.

[@BBQROCKSTAR178]

Hey there Wil….haven’t seen you in awhile….welcome back man.

[@evilTexanBBQ]

Hey John, sorry haven't been on YT much. How're you doing over there?

[@BBQROCKSTAR178]

@@evilTexanBBQ I am doing OK brother. Thank you for asking. I’m just taking one day at a time, enjoying this Texas spring weather. I hope you and your family are all doing well brother. Hope to catch up with you sometime this summer and do some cooking.

[@evilTexanBBQ]

@@BBQROCKSTAR178 Definitely, I can make the trip up there no problem. Or vice versa 👊

[@jodyandmichelle1]

Great video! I am thinking about the el patron grill. What are the options you went with on yours? It looks fully loaded. Is that the larger wheels?

[@evilTexanBBQ]

I got most of the options, one thing I didn't get (wasn't offered and I didn't think of it) would be the hanging rod for ribs!

[@EastTexPrepping]

Nice.

[@evilTexanBBQ]

Catching things on fire over here!

[@buzzindsm3380]

When doing 300, I'm kind of torn on what level to use. The fire basket on the bottom with a few heat shields seems to work good.

[@evilTexanBBQ]

Haven't gotten to the fire basket yet!

[@kevingray3938]

I did 2 rotisserie chicken Sunday building a fire on the adjustable grates. I kept it at its lowest level. I was able to hold 300-350 pretty easily with both vents about half open.

[@stevieg2755]

Walmart has a grill like this for 90.00

[@smallwake1976]

Your video will not play

[@alexandermayer2026]

You cooked chicken thighs over direct heat with charcoal. Looks like the skin is burned to me. Any grill can do this. Weber created indirect cooking methods that can do this much better. Your fire management/ temperature issues don’t exactly make me want to run out and buy one. What was the point of this purchase and video?