Jon651
Member
Thanks for posting this. For years I've toyed with the idea of getting a fryer or smoker. Figured the smoker's versatility, in terms of different meats I could smoke, would be best, but wasn't sure what type or brand to get. I watched the video you linked as well as several others, and I'm sold on the Orion. Too late for T-day this year, but maybe I'll pick one up to do ribs for New Years.
I am a big fan of the Orion and have owned one for over a decade. I have won awards for my smoked brisket from it. My number one piece of advice is: Once you start it, DON'T OPEN THE LID UNTIL IT'S TIME! The Orion is time-based, not temperature-based so let it do its thing.
The easiest basic recipe for ribs I always recommend is to use St. Louis style pork ribs with a liberal amount of Montreal Steak Seasoning on them and cook them for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Use hickory or apple wood chips inside the cooking chamber. The Wally-Mart brand of quick-lighting charcoal is cheapest and best for the Orion, and the 11.5-13 lb bag will last longer than you will need. If you can find them on sale, then fill the Orion up with 6 slabs. It takes just as much time and fuel to do one slab as it does 6, so you might as well fill it up! Whenever I do this I give a slab to each of our local friends and we are popular for another year

If you are feeling froggy, have three whole chickens coated with the same steak seasoning ready to go when the ribs come out. Put all three in the Orion right away and seal it up again for another hour and you will have enough mouth-watering smoked ribs and chicken to feed an army in no time.
Hope you enjoy it!