BBQ Detox

I'm back to report. Please excuse the absence, I needed a break from bbq - it's true, one can eat too much of a good thing. After months of ribs and brisket, I felt totally meated out and have been going through a meat detox - flushing myself with fruit and veggies and starting to feel better.

But back to the end. I left Oklahoma and took the long way home to sample even more bbq of various styles. I drove from Tulsa to Little Rock, then to Memphis, Nashville and over to North Carolina before heading north and out of the bbq belt. Along the way, I visited notable, random and sometimes questionable bbq restaurants. The results:

If you're like me, then you're excited to try a special dish in an out-of-the way restaurant that was recommended as having something to it. You'd also go far to get there. It often doesn't matter if the food was good, because psychologically, you'd convince yourself of its worth, justifying your efforts and propagating the quality of your food adventure.

Unfortunately, this was not the case for me with the bbq that I tasted in the southern United States.

I ate bbq in numerous locations in the following states:

Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina and the Virginias.

Frankly speaking, 9 out of 10 restaurants were pretty lousy. The food was mediocre, and in many cases, poor. I visited over a dozen restaurants that touted their BBQ competition championships and found not a single one (with the exception of Head Country), that could back up those trophies with memorable food. Though good for publicity, I believe that restaurants that focus on trophies aren't paying as much attention to consistency and quality at their home base.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, competition bbq food is awesome, but too intensive for a restaurant's daily demands. These restaurants prove that point.

Another category of bbq restaurant is the local joint - the kind that's on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (of which I visited two, both terrific). These places reach outside of their environs through word-of-mouth, the internet and a lack of competition. I believe that last point usually serves as the origin of the reputation, as locals love these places, frequent them religiously, but have little to compare them to, thus a bias stance and overblown reputation.

Having said that, there is some great food out there, I'm just saying that eaters must beware.

Here's a list of restaurants that served quality bbq:

Whole Hog, Little Rock, AR - pulled pork

Pizzitola's, Houston, TX - ribs

Rib Crib (chain with numerous locations), nothing special, but decent for a franchise shop

Smokin' Joes, Davis, OK - ribs, pork

Hard 8, Stephenville, TX - ribs, pork

Hog Heaven, Nashville, TN - pulled chicken and pork

Charles Vergos' Rendezvous, Memphis, TN - this is the best all-around restaurant that I visited - notable ribs and lamb ribs as appetizer

Hill's Lexington BBQ, Winston-Salem, NC - second best - they serve pork only, but do it justice

I was ultimately disappointed by beef brisket everywhere. The local styles see it cut thick, with a dry interior that requires sauce to finish the dish. Montreal smoked meat remains the standard for me to compare quality smoked brisket. On the other hand, Hill Country BBQ in Manhattan serves the best beef brisket in a restaurant setting that I have yet to taste.

BBQ End Game

I'm done with the range and heading home.

It's been a great two months and I'm ready to get my ass in gear and start cooking barbeque for my own customers.

Big thanks to everyone in Oklahoma for having me, teaching me and caring for me. They were great and it was tough to leave, but it's time to get to work.

My partner Jon joined me for the weekend and got to see some of what I've been doing during this meat-filled period (I need a cleanse), and the restaurant gave us the kitchen when they were closed to experiment with more recipes.

Side note.

Duck on the smoker:

All I had in my mind was Barbeque Duck, Cantonese style. One of my favorite foods any day. Though I went to Goode's BBQ in Houston where they served a weak duck, it inspired me to give it a shot.

We seasoned the duck and placed it untrussed on the smoker for two, two and a half hours until it reached an internal temperature of about 170 degrees F. It was good, but needed more. No match for Chinatown. More trials en route. I would truss it next time and consider placing it in a pan, raised, to baste some of the juices on top as it cooks.

Lamb.

I had to special order lamb from Sysco because few in the area ate it and when asked, more than 9 out of ten thought the idea gross. Nevertheless, I sourced some tiny racks (the kind that end up as lambsicles on hors d'oeuvres menus), and marinaded them overnight in a worcestershire-type marinade, then rubbed them in a rub I bought from Super Smokers (a championship bbq restaurant just west of St. Louis). Cooked for two hours and they were great, but could have mistaken them for oven baked. I.e., smoke-less. Don't know why. Same thing happened with mushrooms. I'm perplexed.

Getting back to the road.

After Jon and I worked a couple shifts in the restaurant and played in the kitchen, it was time to say goodbye.

I dropped him off at the airport in Tulsa today and headed east towards Memphis and more bbq. This time as a consumer only. I already visited a couple of places, but I'll save the notables for this blog.

Funny enough (not really), as soon as I settled in for the night in a motel in Arkansas, I heard a noise outside, looked, and saw a hurricane out there. The rain was falling in sheets, sideways and the smell of the nearby KFC mingled with the moisture and garbage made me nauseous. I checked the weather and to no surprise, there was a major flood warning in effect.

I'm seriously ready to make my way to higher ground.

Boots and BBQ

I'm in the circuit, so to speak. I judged my first KCBS sanctioned event in Claremore, Oklahoma this weekend. There were about 50 competitors there to deal with lousy weather, but a well-known cook-off. Johnny Triggs was there, from the Pitmasters show and I couldn't help but introduce myself and chat about BBQ (he uses Head Country BBQ Sauce).

He didn't win, but the boys I hung out with at Stillwater and Enid did, Butcher BBQ - well done.

From the horses mouth I have to say that the food was awesome, sort of. The chicken and ribs I tasted were phenomenal, pork and brisket not so much. My table agreed and our scores (when compared after judging), were pretty consistent.

They take the judging very seriously. There's a formal introduction on CD first, reminding everyone of the rules, then we all stand and repeat the Oath. For each group of six judges, there's a table captain (who can also be the judge if they're short). This person has to be certified for the job. At 11:40am they bring in the first turn-ins, Chicken.

Cap'n then opens up one box at a time, informing us of the box number (so we don't know what team it is), and we then allowed to see each up close to judge appearance (no touching). After all boxes have been showed to us, the first is then brought back and each judge takes a piece. This process is repeated for each category.

No talking allowed, facial expressions muted, we then judge each portion and make notes on taste and texture. 2 is inedible, 9 is excellent - 1 is a disqualify. Basically, you're encouraged to be generous when in doubt. The simple way to look at each piece is to ask yourself if looking at makes your mouth water, and tasting it makes you want to eat it all day, then score high.

From wisdom at the table, I ate one to two small bites from each entry and by the time we were done, I was totally full and meat drunk (seriously, I felt like I'd been drinking). That's when they brought in the dessert to judge. Oy! We tasted two entries. One was a small, delicious butter cake with whipped cream that was a perfect end to the meat extravaganza. The other was a monstrous brownie and ice cream cocktail that was too much in every way. It was rich, copious and un-welcomed. Though one bite was delicious, the idea of twenty more....

In summary, the food was better than any I've ever had in a BBQ restaurant, even the stuff I didn't like (in comparison to the best, pretty good is a letdown). I only wish this standard of quality would be feasible to meet in a restaurant, but there's no way. These guys spend almost two days preparing enough food in each category to feed six people. Oh well. I'll have to save that energy for weddings, private parties and birthdays.

Side Note

My First Tornado Watch. There's a big one confirmed about 40 miles southwest of here, moving at 55mph in my direction. How many times have you discussed tornadic activity?

Oklahoma City, about 2 hours south by car, has hail the size of softballs.

Nuts!

Whole Hog!!!

Now that the lesson is over, a couple pics of my first whole hog.

70 pounds, 12 hours to finish at 260 fahrenheit with multiple doors openings (we had to remove the meat for the restaurant's daily needs). Great times.

The hog was shot by a hunter, not farmed. There is a problem with wild herds around here multiplying too quickly, eating crops and gardens, so culling is permitted, even though it's not hunting season.

BBQ Basics 1: Real Basics

I realized that I've been writing almost exclusively about a professional bbq kitchen and thought that some tips for home smokers would be appreciated.

The bad news is there's definitely a difference between commercial and residential smokers. The results are fairly noticeable. The good news is that great food can be made at home if you follow some simple procedures.

The Smoke:

If you have a grill (what most would call a BBQ, like a Weber), then you'll have to either create a smoke pouch with a couple layers of foil, or use a smoke drawer, cheap and easy to find.

If you have a smoker, follow its instructions as the type of wood to use depends on model. Note: I'm not referring to species of wood, but cut - chips, chunks, pellets or split-wood.

Wood Chips: Many varieties are available. My advice is to start with Hickory, it has medium flavour impact and works with the most amount of ingredients. Generally speaking, fruit woods like apple or cherry are used with red meat and more pronounced smokes like hickory, pecan or mesquite are used with the rest (though I'm not a fan of mesquite, it's got a funky flavour to me).

For the grill smokers: Soak the chips for around an hour, drain and place a fat fist-full of chips in heavy foil with a sprinkling, or up to 50% dry chips to encouraging quicker burning. Close the foil snugly around the chips and poke holes throughout to allow for air flow and smoke exhaust. Place the pouch near the heat source, or directly on it (just make sure the pouch is well made or the burnt chips will spill out in the grill when removed). It will take a bit, maybe 20-ish minutes for smoke to emit, then if your pouch is securely made, smoke will be produced for around 40 minutes. If you're not done cooking, remove the pouch and replace with another - repeat until finished.

Note: Don't worry if there isn't a steam bath worth of smoke at all times. The smoke should add subtle, not overt flavour, so 3 hours of billowing smoke is NOT the goal.

Additionally, if using a grill, you will likely need to ignite only one element - you will NOT be cooking over it, so use one off to the back or side. And start off at the lowest level of heat.

Temperature is everything.

Make sure your grill or smoker has settled at a desired temperature before adding the food. Real barbeque occurs, for the most part, between 225 and 275 degrees fahrenheit (100-135 degrees Celcius). This is huge. Smoking takes time, anywhere between 2 and 16 hours, so get comfortable.

Note: While the temperature settles, you can add the smoke drawer or pouch to save time.

Meat:

Let's keep this super simple. Sorry if you've heard all of this before, but this is essential, basic stuff.

First, preparing meat in advance helps a lot. That means adding rub, brining or marinading and placing it back in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. I'll get into specifics for each on another post, but suffice it to say, don't unwrap the meat and put it on the smoker, plan ahead.

Second, start cooking the meat at room temperature. This is a basic cooking fundamental, not just for bbq'ing. A big cut like a 7 pound brisket could take over an hour on the counter to get to room temperature. It's not going to go bad, do it. Size matters, so again, think ahead.

Remember, place all meat on the side of the grill that is NOT ignited, we want an oven effect, no grill marks desired.

Ribs: Place ribs bone side down on the grill.

Chicken: Meaty side up

Beef and Pork: I like fat side up, debatable. If you're cooking something without a definable dimension, like tenderloin, then it doesn't really matter.

Fish: Skin side down for fillets. Whole fish, doesn't matter.

Sausage: First, make them. They're awesome on the smoker. Secondly, they should come out straight, not curled, if you're smoking them properly.

Open the lid to the smoker or grill as little as possible to keep temperature consistent.

Note: Thermometers are a NECESSITY. Get one. The best (for big cuts like briskets), are remote digital ones that you can leave in the thickest part of the meat and close the cover. You cannot overcook meat if you monitor the internal temperature.

Ribs have too little meat to use a thermometer in, so here's some tips to ensure you remove them when ready. Place tongs lengthwise, about 60% down the rack. Lift gently, perpendicular to the grill. If the ribs sag to around a 45 degree or more angle, they're probably done. If the meat on the end of each ribs begins to recede, exposing dry bone, they're probably done. If there's a blackening, charcoaly look - get them the hell off there.

Fish: Don't cut into it. Use a fork, and place it in the meatiest part of the fish without going through it. Wait 5 seconds and remove. Place fork flat above your top lip, beneath your nose (assuming you're clean shaven and a hairless woman), if it's cold, it's not done. If it's warm, then it's on the underdone/way fish should be cooked side. If it's hot, then it's cooked through, get it off quick. Depends how you like fish done.

Chicken: Use a thermometer. Place it in the thickest part of the chicken, between the leg and breast. 165 degrees F (74 C), is bacteria free. A few degrees over won't be overcooked.

NOTE: Smoking produces a pink tint to meat, and chicken, in particular, is quite nicely hued. It is NOT undercooked if pink. If the temp reads over 165, it's cooked.

Cooking Times: Totally vary. Baby Back ribs should take 3-4 hours at 225 F. A 7 pound brisket at 250 can take up to 8 hours. ALL grills and smokers will maintain their temperatures differently, so it depends on how consistent your machine is, if it's insulated and how often you opened it. When in doubt, refer to oven times for the same cuts - that is essentially what you're doing.

Like I said, I'll go into details for each meat and veggie later, but that's enough of basics to get started. Buy rubs and sauces to start. Don't bother making your own.

Note: BBQ sauce does NOT need to added, if you want it at all, until the very end of cooking. I'll brush it on one side of ribs and leave it for about 8-10 minutes, then flip and repeat before removing entirely. Less is more with sauce in my books. If you can't taste the meat, you're either using a shit product, or too much sauce, or both.

Enjoy.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at davidneinstein@gmail.com

bon appetite.

Certifiable!

Well, in the tradition of BBQ and getting it on when you can get it on, I got it on. Sorry,... I'm now a Kansas City Barbeque Society certified judge. Last Saturday I went back to Stillwater (home of the OSU Cowboys), and took the course to be certified as a judge for KCBS sanctioned events. It took about six hours, we learnt the rules, the criteria, and now I'm a judge.

I was sitting at the end of my table, at the final section of the afternoon - we raised our right hands and pledged (there were a about a hundred people there, I felt like I was at Tea Party convention):

I do solemnly swear, to objectively and subjectively evaluate, each Barbeque meat that is presented to my eyes, my nose, my hands and my palate.

I accept my duty to be an Official KCBS Certified Judge, so that truth, justice, excellence in Barbeque,

and the American Way of Life may be strengthened and preserved forever.

done.

That wasn't the end. The officials thanked the volunteers who cooked, served.....and gave each of them a OSU oven mitt stuffed with a .... wait for it... bottle of Head Country BBQ Sauce. Then, as I was dozing like the rest of the bbq fed crowd, they called for the Canadian. Dumbass I am, I swept the room looking for the Canadian, thinking how weird that was. It was me. My neighbour poked me and I rose and went up front to receive my applause and oven mitt and BBQ sauce. I was a little taken aback.

They asked me to stay behind and after everyone left, I posed for yet another photo for their newspaper, the BullSheet - photo to come. Unbelievable. I wish I had a better synonym for classic.

So let's move on to the goods. Let's get back to the Q.

The last week was nuts with business. We catered the G.E. job and then the NRA job (I forgot my camera, oy!). By the way, the NRA job was in Ark(kansas)City, Kansas, where Twister was shot, about 20 miles north of Ponca City.

Tomorrow night is a fundraiser with 500 people, I'm cutting ham (literally).

Otherwise, I've been screwing around with the smoker when it wasn't stuffed full for restaurant jobs.

Firstly: I tried to source pork bellies but couldn't find any in the city. So I had to go with a supplier from waaaay out of town. What I got was rectangularish, maybe 8 pounds, and an irregularly shaped morsel.

I first cured it in a mix of sugar and salt for about 3 hours. Then I put it on the smoker for two hours at roughly 260 degrees (I say roughly because they open the doors constantly to remove or add things to the smoker, and when you're talking about 60 or 100 racks of ribs, it takes a while and heat is lost). Then I put it in the oven for an hour (scooping a little of the rendered fat on top), before taking it out. By the way, I put it on the smoker fat-side up, then switched it for the oven.

In the end, it burnt like Paul Reubens in the 90's. I overcooked the crust a lot, but the meat was only slightly overdone. Kind of like medium versus medium-rare. I had to trim the hard crust off, but the rest was great with a bun and some BBQ sauce. Great dish.

If you have a more rectangular cut (cooking way more uniformly), then this dish will rock.

I also tried Prime Rib two ways. I initially asked the Sysco dude for beef ribs. The best he could do was prime rib of about 7-8 bones, with all the meat on it - meaning roughly 20 pounds of goods times four, it cost a bit.

Side note - there are no butchers here. The pork belly, the beef ribs and everything else I'm playing around with has to be specially ordered. There is no where to go and request a cut, like...well, what I want. Everything is packaged and delivered to the markets as is, no exceptions.

So prime rib. I originally just wanted to try beef ribs, but apparently I had to deal with an buttload of meat as well. So I trimmed the beef ribs and kept the meat aside to tie, season and smoke. Here are the results of trial 1:

I marinaded the ribs overnight, seasoned them and then smoked them for 6 hours - they came out a 7. The boneless part was rubbed, rested overnight and smoked for 2 and a half hours, also a 7 (but I was never a fan of prime rib anyway).

Today I did the same thing, except, I kept the bone on for three ribs' worth of meat. Marinade and rub, then smoked for three hours. I finished it with a compound salt of kosher salt, fresh rosemary and black pepper. A 10!

I have the ribs marinading now and the boneless half as well. Results to come tomorrow. I'm pleased though. Remember, the smoker, at peak temperatures, runs at 260 degrees. This is a hot and fast sort of joint.