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.