Dear Friends Up North - we got your postcard of the latest blizzard that's kept you homebound the last week. It's 72 here and we're grilling pizzas outside so suck it. - Sincerely, Texas.
20lbs - 6 racks of ribs coming out of the smoker.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Weekend BBQ: Brisket and Pork Shoulder
TCU Horned Frogs played OU this weekend in Fort Worth which meant lots of mouths to feed. Brisket is always a crowd pleaser for tailgating but pork shoulder can also be great and goes a long way for the money. I prepared the brisket with my typical salt and pepper rub and for the pork shoulder I used the brisket rub plus garlic, cayenne, paprika and brown sugar. I smoked both with hickory for about 15 hours.***
Both meats turned out great! I had 1/2 lb left over from the 24 lbs I cooked. Couple of lessons learned (there are always lessons learned):
1. My smoker temperature is too low: Sometimes (either as a result of fuel, low ambient temperature, wind, etc) your smoker won't keep the temperature you want/need. Despite your best attempts to add more fuel, use a welder's blanket, whatever the technique - you just can't keep the temp you need. In cases like this - best to move indoors and finish your cook in the oven. Word to the wise though - use an oven thermometer that is seperate from your oven as most oven's are off from their stated temp. Mine is about 40 degrees off. That's a huge difference (that needs to be fixed by the way).
2. Brisket stall: Briskets will stall (meaning they stop climbing in internal temperature) at about 160 - 180 and will remain at this temperature for hours. Many novice BBQ'ers will freak out wondering what is happening and ruin their cook by applying more heat. Learn about the stall and learn how to control and manage it.
3. Don't use a serrated knife to cut brisket: I forgot a good knife and the only one I had in my tailgating bucket was a cheap, serrated knife. My meat was so tender that the knife shredded it (notice the pulled/shredded apperance). Still tasted great and was moist but didn't have the pretty brisket slices I wanted.
*** Tips for Cooking Brisket and Pork Shoulder - especially when things go wrong: For some reason my smoker had a hard time keeping temperature about 9 hours into my cook. I tried adding more fuel but that didn't work. I had a 10am hard stop and was concerned the meat wouldn't cook fast enough so I removed both the brisket and the shoulder and placed them in the oven at my desired cook temp. I watched the internal temperature like a hawk but it wasn't climbing (even after tenting with foil to expedite getting through the stall). Come to find out my oven thermometer is about 40 degrees off. Heck of a time to find that out! I cranked up the oven temp to hit my target temp and finally got the meat to 198 degrees (my internal temp target for both).
Both meats turned out great! I had 1/2 lb left over from the 24 lbs I cooked. Couple of lessons learned (there are always lessons learned):
1. My smoker temperature is too low: Sometimes (either as a result of fuel, low ambient temperature, wind, etc) your smoker won't keep the temperature you want/need. Despite your best attempts to add more fuel, use a welder's blanket, whatever the technique - you just can't keep the temp you need. In cases like this - best to move indoors and finish your cook in the oven. Word to the wise though - use an oven thermometer that is seperate from your oven as most oven's are off from their stated temp. Mine is about 40 degrees off. That's a huge difference (that needs to be fixed by the way).
2. Brisket stall: Briskets will stall (meaning they stop climbing in internal temperature) at about 160 - 180 and will remain at this temperature for hours. Many novice BBQ'ers will freak out wondering what is happening and ruin their cook by applying more heat. Learn about the stall and learn how to control and manage it.
3. Don't use a serrated knife to cut brisket: I forgot a good knife and the only one I had in my tailgating bucket was a cheap, serrated knife. My meat was so tender that the knife shredded it (notice the pulled/shredded apperance). Still tasted great and was moist but didn't have the pretty brisket slices I wanted.
*** Tips for Cooking Brisket and Pork Shoulder - especially when things go wrong: For some reason my smoker had a hard time keeping temperature about 9 hours into my cook. I tried adding more fuel but that didn't work. I had a 10am hard stop and was concerned the meat wouldn't cook fast enough so I removed both the brisket and the shoulder and placed them in the oven at my desired cook temp. I watched the internal temperature like a hawk but it wasn't climbing (even after tenting with foil to expedite getting through the stall). Come to find out my oven thermometer is about 40 degrees off. Heck of a time to find that out! I cranked up the oven temp to hit my target temp and finally got the meat to 198 degrees (my internal temp target for both).
TMBBQ Pitmasters: Bo Phillips from Cooper's BBQ in Llano
Love me some Cooper's BBQ in Llano! Always interesting to hear how each Pitmaster executes his craft.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Hinze's BBQ Fire Destroys Wharton BBQ Institution
A Wharton icon has been destroyed. Hinze's BBQ has been a staple in the community for 40 years, but on Monday night a fast-moving fire gutted it.
The fire started Monday at around 7 p.m. as a grease fire in one of the pits. Employees tried to put it out but their fire extinguisher ran out and the fire spread. read more on Hinze's BBQ fire...
THE TEXAS BBQ AESTHETIC
Texas-style barbecue seems to be taking over the world, and that doesn’t just mean you can find smoked brisket on the menu in Seattle and New York. There’s an aesthetic to presentation that has permeated these places deeper than post-oak smoke... (
http://www.tmbbq.com/the-texas-bbq-aesthetic/)
Metro Port A Pit BBQ Chicken at Keller Farmer's Market
I heard this purveyor at the Keller Farmer's Market was cranking out some proper que in the form of half and whole smoked chickens. Rumor had it they often sell out before noon. I decided a visit was in order for Metro Port-A-Pit.
Arriving about 10:45am, what I found was a large, portable, stainless steel pit wrapping up from the morning's cook. Under a small tent, three people were pulling chicken halves out of coolers just about as fast as they could. The chicken looked well smoked but I was cautious - how many times have you thought "this chicken looks beautiful" only to find something inside akin to rubber?
The chicken appeared to have been oiled and then rubbed with a dry rub that was savory and salty. I would imagine their blend of spices was something close to a poultry spice mix. The taste profile was pleasing - not too salty, not too smokey. The skin was cooked till it was tender but didn't pull away from the chicken completely when you bit into it (that's a good thing per KCBS BBQ rules).
While the dark meat was juicy and tender, the breast definitely suffered from the time spent in the cooler. It was dry and a bit rubbery. However, it was definitely edible and there was not a morsel of meat left on the bone after we devoured the entire chicken.
I definitely recommend this place if you happen by the Keller Farmer's Market. They also cater which might be an interesting option.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Salt and Pepper Brisket
Black and white, dalmation, zebra. What ever you call it this simple BBQ rub is beautiful! 1.5 cups Kosher salt to 1 cup coarse ground black pepper.
Applied to a 15lb. Prime whole packer.
Weekend BBQ: Mayo BBQ Smoked Chicken
When I attended the Foodways Texas Barbecue Summer Camp (review coming soon!) held at the Rosenthal Meat Center at Texas A&M University this summer (June 6-8, 2014) their esteemed poultry expert Christine Alvarado from the Department of Poultry Science showed us a recipe using chicken legs and wings dipped in mayonaise and BBQ'd in a smoker. I'll admit - I'm not a huge chicken fan to begin with and the thought of chicken being plunged into mayonaise turned my stomach a bit. However, after trying the final product I can vouch for this cooking technique - it produces a delicious, juicy and flavorful product that I'd be proud to serve me friends and family.
So, this recipe is on the roster for TCU Football tailgating for the 2014 schedule. I'll be executing a practice cook this weekend to make sure I have the recipe, cook temperature, cook time and holding times right.
Mayo BBQ Smoked Chicken Recipe:
Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken legs, wings or thighs
4 cups of mayonnaise (or enough mayonaise to provide a thick coat on each piece of chicken)
Spices to coat
Instructions:
1. Select your spices in advance and place in a flat dish. We tried two versions at BBQ Camp: jerk and salt/pepper. Both were excellent. The jerk spices were not as hot as I expected - I think a majority cooks off so go heavy on the application of spices. Basically, anything that goes well with chicken should work - but something with a little salt will be better.
2. Take each piece of chicken and apply a thick coating of mayonaise. When I say thick, I'm talking thick! Basically - submerge each piece of chicken in mayonaise and pull it out. Whatever sticks is how thick it should be - don't scrape anything off. Remember, most of this will cook off in the smoker.
3. Once coated in mayonaise roll each piece of chicken in the spices you have selected until there is a good coating.
4. Once your chicken has been dipped in mayonaise and coated in spices it's ready for the smoker.
5. Heat your smoker to about 225 - 250 degrees, apply your favorite wood for smoke, and wait for the TBS ("thin blue smoke") to appear.
6. Cook till internal temperature is 165 degrees as measured with a thermometer. (I swear by my Thermoworks Thermopen in TCU purple!)
So, this recipe is on the roster for TCU Football tailgating for the 2014 schedule. I'll be executing a practice cook this weekend to make sure I have the recipe, cook temperature, cook time and holding times right.
Mayo BBQ Smoked Chicken Recipe:
Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken legs, wings or thighs
4 cups of mayonnaise (or enough mayonaise to provide a thick coat on each piece of chicken)
Spices to coat
Instructions:
1. Select your spices in advance and place in a flat dish. We tried two versions at BBQ Camp: jerk and salt/pepper. Both were excellent. The jerk spices were not as hot as I expected - I think a majority cooks off so go heavy on the application of spices. Basically, anything that goes well with chicken should work - but something with a little salt will be better.
2. Take each piece of chicken and apply a thick coating of mayonaise. When I say thick, I'm talking thick! Basically - submerge each piece of chicken in mayonaise and pull it out. Whatever sticks is how thick it should be - don't scrape anything off. Remember, most of this will cook off in the smoker.
3. Once coated in mayonaise roll each piece of chicken in the spices you have selected until there is a good coating.
4. Once your chicken has been dipped in mayonaise and coated in spices it's ready for the smoker.
5. Heat your smoker to about 225 - 250 degrees, apply your favorite wood for smoke, and wait for the TBS ("thin blue smoke") to appear.
6. Cook till internal temperature is 165 degrees as measured with a thermometer. (I swear by my Thermoworks Thermopen in TCU purple!)
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
TMBBQ Fest 2014 - Tickets Bought!
Bought my tickets today for the TMBBQ Fest 2014. Can't wait to try BBQ samples from an amazing lineup of Texas BBQ institutions including Aaron Franklin's Franklin Barbeque, Tootsie's Snow's BBQ, John Lewis' La Barbeque and many others (see below). The animal carnage will be consumed in Austin on 9/14 which gives me about 1.5 months to prepare my body for the mass consumption of protein.
Here's a list of this year's BBQ participants: (ratings provided by TMBBQ)
Here's a list of this year's BBQ participants: (ratings provided by TMBBQ)
Pitmaster: Kent Black
Rating: 4.25
Rating: 4.25
Pitmaster: Harold "Buzzie" Hughes
Rating: 4.25
Rating: 4.25
Pitmaster: Gerald Birkelbach (since 1982)
Rating: 4.25
Rating: 4.25
Pitmaster: Multiple
Rating: 4.5
Rating: 4.5
Pitmaster:
Rating: 4.25
Rating: 4.25
Pitmaster: Daniel Martin and Glenn Wilke
Rating: 4.25
Rating: 4.25
Pitmaster: Aaron Franklin
Rating: 5
Rating: 5
Pitmaster: Tim Rattray
Rating: 4
Rating: 4
Pitmaster: Kenny Hatfield
Rating: 4
Rating: 4
Pitmaster: Michael Hernandez; Aaron Hernandez (since 2009); and Omar Serna (since 2012)
Rating: 4
Rating: 4
Pitmaster: Tim Hutchins (since 1999)
Rating: 4.25
Rating: 4.25
Pitmaster: Ronnie Killen and Manny Torres
Rating: 4.75
Rating: 4.75
Pitmaster: John Lewis, Francisco Saucedo, and Chris McGhee
Rating: 4.5
Rating: 4.5
Pitmaster: Zach Davis
Rating: 4.25
Rating: 4.25
Pitmaster: Tim McLaughlin and Will Fleischman
Rating: 4.5
Rating: 4.5
Pitmaster: Wayne Mueller (since 2008)
Rating: 4.75
Rating: 4.75
Pitmaster: Dirk Miller and Robert Reid
Rating: 4.25
Rating: 4.25
Pitmaster: Seth Glaser and Marina Sanchez
Rating: 4.5
Rating: 4.5
Pitmaster: Justin Fourton
Rating: 4.75
Rating: 4.75
Pitmaster: Israel Campos
Rating: 4
Rating: 4
Pitmaster: Tootsie Tomanetz
Rating: 4.75
Rating: 4.75
Pitmaster: Nick Pencis (since 2006) and Jonathan Shaw (since 2009)
Rating: 4.5
Rating: 4.5
Pitmaster: Lance Kirkpatrick
Rating: 4
Rating: 4
Pitmaster: Javier Rodriguez
Rating: 4.25
Rating: 4.25
Pitmaster: Tyler Frazer
Rating: 4
Rating: 4
Friday, June 27, 2014
Austin BBQ Crawl 2014
Tomorrow's Austin BBQ Crawl 2014 (ordering Texas trinity (brisket, ribs and sausage) from each spot) for an end-to-end compare:
Blacks BBQ - WINNER (Ribs)
John Muellers
Micklethwait Craft Meats - Honorable Mention
Stiles Switch BBQ
La Barbeque - WINNER (Brisket)
John Muellers
Micklethwait Craft Meats - Honorable Mention
Stiles Switch BBQ
La Barbeque - WINNER (Brisket)
Alternates:
House Park
Franklin's (depends on the line)
House Park
Franklin's (depends on the line)
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Saturday, May 24, 2014
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