BBQ

[guids]

Ok, thanks. I put it together upside down, thats why teh water pan was messed up. I think I got it now. Tomorow, Im going to get some chicken, get the smoker up to 325, cook the chicken, and then kind fo monitor the smoker temps for the next 3 hours after its done, to experiment, Im sure Ill have to add a little more chips because of the turkey eating up the heat. Ill predrill the hole no matter what tommrow so i dont have to use one of the airholes. Im thinking Im going to remove the top grate when doing the turkey, and use the second grate so the I have enough room.

[Stagger_Lee]

You could butterfly or halve it and use both cooking grates as well. I've halved chickens this way and they come out great.

Go easy on the smoke - poultry needs a lot less than pork or beef.

[Phat Mack]

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Agreed. If you have good meat, why pollute it? The only time I like bbq sauce is when I have some leftover brisket and want to make a sandwich. Then it's a layer of meat, a layer of pickles, a layer of raw onions, a layer of Jalepenos, drench in bbq sauce, top with cole slaw. Disintegrates more slowly on a hamburger bun, but is fun to eat on white bread.

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First off, if I recall BBQing was invented to cover up the taste of bad meat, and generally when you're talking about BBQ you're not talking about the finest cuts or something. It's basically junk meat that you have to slow cook for hours to make edible.

Beyond that i's like saying if you're using good meat, why smoke it? The smoke will just cover up the flavor. If you're using good meat, why put rub or spices on it? They'll just cover it up. Good sauce should compliment your meat.

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To me, good meat means flavorful as opposed to expensive. As others have noted, the more flavorful cuts are sometimes the cheapest. Before the fajita revolution (fajitas are a whole different thread), beef skirts sold for about half the price of generic ground beef. Most of America's beef brisket used to be sold in Texas and NYC as it was considered fit only for BBQ and corned beef. (Corning beef is a whole different thread).

I don't know why BBQing was developed, but now it is a legitimate school of cooking. To me, smoking enhances the flavor of meat, while BBQ sauce masks it. That's a subjective opinion. Others may not share it. As others have hinted, different woods provide different flavors that complement different meats. I think my favorite BBQ is pork chops over mesquite, but hickory, pecan, fruit woods, and oak all have their place. (Pork chops shrink so much, and are so difficult to BBQ correctly, that they are expensive and difficult to find. The joint that became the Green Mesquite used to do them on Wednesdays in the 70s. Now I have to drive to Temple.)

jmo

[ChicagoTroy]

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I wouldn't drop a thermometer in the top vent, you are effectively blocking it by 1/3 and this will affect the air flow. This is not a good thing.

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Many cooks have experimented with this, and none have found it to be an issue. You can drop a thermometer in a vent and it isn't enough interference to affect temperature control.

[neuroman]

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Dozier's in Fulshear, TX (about 30 miles west of Houston on FM 1093) is well worth the drive. As good as Salt Lick imo. Great brisket, ribs & sausage. The meat has good flavor and the sauce is very good if you like the thinner Texas-style vinegar-based sauce.

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Dozier's has THE best beef jerky known to mankind. Do yourself a favor and buy some next time you're out there.

Also: in Austin, try the beef ribs at the Ironworks, near downtown @ Red River & 1st street (Cesar Chavez.)

[onthebutton]

guids,

You realize we'll expect a full trip report on your efforts, right?

I almost pulled the trigger on a Smokey Mountain today, but decided to put tires on my truck instead.

[pvn]

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b's barbeque in greenville, nc. best ever.

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I second this.





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This looks like a pretty good place.

In memphis, avoid Corky's/Rendezvous/etc. Go directly to Cozy Corner.

Runner-up: Payne's.

There's a place down the road a ways from Memphis in De Vall's Bluff, Arkansas, called Craig's BBQ. It's pretty good, nothing earth-shattering, but you MUST STOP if you're driving down I-40 between Memphis and Little Rock because of the pie shop.

[guids]

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guids,

You realize we'll expect a full trip report on your efforts, right?

I almost pulled the trigger on a Smokey Mountain today, but decided to put tires on my truck instead.

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I was up at 8am this morning, which is unheard of for a sunday. I had to run to Home depot to get a charcoal chimney, as I have no idea where mine went. Right now, Im trying to stabilize the temp of the weber @ 350, once I can keep it there for 20 minutes or so, the turkey goes on. right now the turkey is sitting over a 5 gallon pot, with the bbq grill on top of it draining, I put a little homeade rub on it, and will put the rest about 10 min, before I start smoking it. Im using apple wood chips, to smoke with. I dont know why, but my digital camera isnt working, Im trying to get the batteries re-rhcarged to see if thats the prob. I brined the turkey over night, in 2 gallons of water, .75 gallons apple cider, 3 cups of kosher salt, allspice, sliced orange, cayenne pepper, red pepper, and some random stuff I thought would taste good.

[guids]

Im gonna do 2 pic posts, the "before" and the after. I dont hvae any shots of the bird, becuase I wanted to get it on teh fire, and the camera batteries didnt charge quick enough:





A shot of the brine, after the turkey was in it



The pot:



The wood, not the logs, cowboy way charcaol and applewood


My sweet ride



Had to make some room in the fridge


The spices


Smoking @ 325, holding steady after an hour or so still (its about 12 degrees out)

[ChicagoTroy]

Awesome. I have three racks of ribs on now, and the goddamn fan on my Guru keeps freezing up. Granted, it's zero out, but that's a pain in the ass. I've got the silver bullet jacket on it so temp control seems to be OK. 225, and all is well.

Quids, make sure you clean the hell out of that pot. Getting a plastic food grade five gallon bucket may not be a bad idea for brining bird.