Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

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As far as the whole wrapping vs nekked deal, I've done both and it probably depends a lot on what youre smoking on/with as well.

Ive only done brisket once but I made a SPECTACULAR brisket on a Green Mtn pellet cooker, dry rubbed and nekked (i did smoke a few strips of bacon on top of the beef that i pulled off part way through because i wanted to eat em. Tasted like meat candy btw do recommend) Its always nice to have your first time doing something turn out good.

However, that pellet cooker wasnt mine, and i was on vacation. My usual setup is a Ok Joes Highlander offset. Charcoal and wood chunk and i mostly smoke Pork butts.
Ive done about a handful of pork Butts both ways, but i find it easier/better to cook them in a foil pan and Cover that with foil about 150-170 degrees. The pan keeps the foil (when you cover it) off the bark and holds them drippings in, Also gives you a pan for the pork. I take my pork to 190-195 mind you because i like mine pulled.

 

Any of you'uns judge bbq contests?

I am not certified kcbs, i think they call me a 'lay person', but i keep getting invited back to judge the AK state kcbs sanctioned championship.

I have been binge watching 'barbecue with franklin' on Amazon lately. Saw the one where he competed in kansas city, episode nine i think.

I thought his rib and chicken boxes looked great. The butt i would have laid out different.

The main thing is i thought his brisket box looked too perfect. This is cue, not michelin stars or a beauty contest. Looked like meatloaf baked in a pan.

M2c. Ill stop in case i am alone with my thoughts.

 

IMO this is why competitions are a fucking joke.
A. No one can tell me what I like best, everyone’s taste’s are different.
2. Looks have absolutely no bearing on flavor. F. Presentation is subjective.

 

I'm not knowledgeable about different bbq styles much at all really. Don't hate me, but my favorite bbq sauce is Cattleman's doctored up with onions and lemon juice.

 

We've discussed your judging experiences over on the GTO board, so not a lot of new feedback from me. I know "too perfect" sounds like a thing, but in those contests, it really can't look too perfect. Remember, Myron Mixon was killing it with chicken cooked in muffin tins (we did it one year, too), which resulted in perfect little domes of chicken thighs. The next "thing" in chicken was cooking it in mini-meatloaf pans. Similar effect, but more rectangular in shape. One year, a neighboring team told us that they dip a toothbrush in orange juice and scrub the exposed bone on their ribs to get them a little brighter white. Garnish boxes? Meticulously lay down parsley that has been trimmed from the stem and ensure that the bottom side isn't showing on any pieces. Have to do this early so that you can lay a damp paper towel over the garnish and put in the fridge/cooler so that it settles and result in a dense base that looks like a putting green and holds the BBQ up high. It's nutty. IBCA is getting popular and a big reason is that they don't have the appearance score that KCBS does.

You just have to adjust expectations accordingly. It is an attempt to take a subjective activity and give it some objective metrics. For instance, "fall off the bone" ribs are desirable for most people, but that is really not too hard to do, so KCBS puts an expectation for tenderness that is a little more pull than even I care for (and I like a little tug on mine) because the window is much narrower, thus harder to nail. It turns it in to a skills competition, not a food contest, if that makes sense. To be certain, though, we will cook in the same Labor Day weekend event that we have the last 4 years, each year for the foreseeable future. It isn't my favorite way to cook BBQ, but there is some fun to the challenge and the weekend as a whole is great. I encourage everyone to find a local event and try it at least once.

I mentioned in this thread following our last attempt at competition, but the team that was next to us is currently the #6 KCBS team in the country. I was asking them how their cook went and they said something to the effect of "We turned in the BBQ we always turn in." It was odd because, for them, cooking in competition is about repeating a process. The art of cooking isn't really there, it is a well-defined process.

What we (the collective group in this thread) do in our backyards and post on this forum is paint beautiful portraits and landscapes, each different than the one before. In competition, these guys are painting houses over and over; they are just really, really good house painters.

We took 2nd in the People's Choice, which was the people trying all of the entries, in an open category, and voting on their favorite. We took pride in that, even if we sucked in the pro event .

 

A cured pork shoulder, then smoked with Hickory to make pulled ham

 

Pulled ham success!

 

I'd eat it.

 

Looks tasty!

 

Im hungry now

 

Good lord! That looks fantastic.

 

I'd probably slap that on a nice little roll with some mayo. Or a Hawaiian bun.

 

I will be transforming my little smokey joe DIY flat grate smoker into a hanging smoker today for some St. louis rib action tomorrow.

 

They make the Kings Hawaiian rolls in hamburger size!!

 

LOVE those things. I'm not sure what they put in them but they are addictive.

 

Any other people in this thread have a green egg? Sometimes that's like a 4 letter word in a bbq thread

 

I think most would like to have one, but are unwilling to stick the crowbar in the wallet far enough to get a fork lift in to grab enough $$$$.