smoking BBQ discussion
- Thread starter Dilyida
- Start date
Love, patience, and experience.
To clarify:
You really have to love it because it's tough, and you can easily be discouraged. If you are not serious about it, it will be evident in the cook.
You have to have patience because it is low and slow, and sometimes slower than you expected (stalls, etc.). When you try to rush things, or get impatient, that's when you get a bad result. Plan accordingly and enjoy the entire process. This comes back to love. If this process does not sound fun, and more like a chore, then it will show in your cook.
Experience comes with cooking, so just do it! Read the forums, read the web, ask specific questions on here before you cook, and learn from your mistakes.
You really have to love it because it's tough, and you can easily be discouraged. If you are not serious about it, it will be evident in the cook.
You have to have patience because it is low and slow, and sometimes slower than you expected (stalls, etc.). When you try to rush things, or get impatient, that's when you get a bad result. Plan accordingly and enjoy the entire process. This comes back to love. If this process does not sound fun, and more like a chore, then it will show in your cook.
Experience comes with cooking, so just do it! Read the forums, read the web, ask specific questions on here before you cook, and learn from your mistakes.
Dilyida said:
I'm happy to take a little piece of information and make all sorts of assumptions based on it ...
I have a suggestion, based on knowing almost nothing ...
Wait longer to cook over your coals, once they are mostly ashed over - white ...
If it's propane, turn it down, or cook on the opposite side ...
You won't overcook your meat if you use a thermometer, so using a Maverick is smart, but you can get away w/ some diligence and one of these while you are getting going: http://www.mygrillgrate.com/Compact_Digital_Thermometer_Maverick_DT_09_p/dt-09c-red.htm
If it's beef, start from the basics ... salt, pepper, and maybe a little garlic powder ...
You have to work to make pork taste bad, it's really easy ... it wants to taste good ...
But I bet it's that everything is coming out charred, worse yet, charred on the outside and perhaps not cooked enough inside ...
You have to figure that water is dense, meat is primarily water, and you can't get temperature to move from the outside to the inside quickly ...
Lots of BBQ'ing is about using two zones on the grill ... one zone is hot for searing the outside, Google Maillard reaction ... the other zone is low temp, for slowly cooking to the center ...
You can do some Googling with this thread and improve your Q, I promise ...
Lower heat, longer cook, guided by instruments ...
All you have to love is good BBQ, and if you keep trying, you'll find it ...
Post pictures ... then you'll get more constructive ideas ...
Now I have to go back to work ...
- monitor heat
- use quality charcoal or coco briquettes
- make your own rubs from good recipes from pit master
- buy quality meat
- don't forgot vegetables! Grow your own hot/sweet peppers, zuchini, tomato etc. Filled and grilled they make perfect side dishes.
- TIME (wait for your meat to brine, wait for your meat to marinate, wait for your meat to slow cook.. wait until your wife left for groceries, to light the coals)
- Don't be cheap when using aluminium foil
Please note that meat is like chili; it comes in tons of varieties. Ask your butcher what bred the animals was, remember it to develop your taste. Drive a bit further than your local butcher, look online for butchers that breed specific breds. This is usually already a sign that they are more serious about their product. At the store, ask them what they like.. They are more than happy to talk about their expertise and nothing is better than to have a butcher as a Friend. They usually can recommend cheap cuts that are as good or even better tasting than prime cuts, but just look less apealling.
For example, there is a very tender strip of muscle behind the lung (beef) which makes a killer lomo el trapo. They usually make ground beef with it as it looks ugly. I don't know the english word for it, but I bet your butcher knows what I mean.
- use quality charcoal or coco briquettes
- make your own rubs from good recipes from pit master
- buy quality meat
- don't forgot vegetables! Grow your own hot/sweet peppers, zuchini, tomato etc. Filled and grilled they make perfect side dishes.
- TIME (wait for your meat to brine, wait for your meat to marinate, wait for your meat to slow cook.. wait until your wife left for groceries, to light the coals)
- Don't be cheap when using aluminium foil
Please note that meat is like chili; it comes in tons of varieties. Ask your butcher what bred the animals was, remember it to develop your taste. Drive a bit further than your local butcher, look online for butchers that breed specific breds. This is usually already a sign that they are more serious about their product. At the store, ask them what they like.. They are more than happy to talk about their expertise and nothing is better than to have a butcher as a Friend. They usually can recommend cheap cuts that are as good or even better tasting than prime cuts, but just look less apealling.
For example, there is a very tender strip of muscle behind the lung (beef) which makes a killer lomo el trapo. They usually make ground beef with it as it looks ugly. I don't know the english word for it, but I bet your butcher knows what I mean.
Nothing is impossible when you have a bit of ingenious. I'am Argentine and did I can it
Patience... Don't let hungry guests force you to pull you meat early. Get your meat on the grill with some buffer time. You can always hold the finished meat wrapped in towels and placed in a cooler to stay at temp. Its better to rest it a little longer than to pull it early and rush the resting time.
Good meat does help for flavor of course. But good meat can also be defined by the grain in the meat, the marbling etc.
Good meat does help for flavor of course. But good meat can also be defined by the grain in the meat, the marbling etc.
Dilyida said:
Dil please check out the smoking meat forums. THP is a wonderful resource and community designed around all things hot. The SMF are similar but solely focused on all things BBQ. Over the past five years I have learned a LOT from that site, and the knowledge gained has helped me improve my BBQ substantially.
Good luck!
That is a great site and I also use this one.SmokenFire said:
http://amazingribs.com/
@Dil...
Anything is possible
Godzilla!!!!!JoynersHotPeppers said:
Bacon wrapped smoked gator...heaven is in that smoker!