Any self-proclaimed barbecue pit masters out there?

[itsKot]

Having just spent the weekend at home with the parents made me realize how much I can't wait to have a house to call my own for one thing more than others, yup you guessed it barbecuing! Now, being a red blooded American man, I'd tell you the barbecue my family cooks up cant be outdone, all the same that you'd say the same and the next guy too. This weekend's crowning jewel was the best rack or ribs I've ever eaten, and I'm no stranger to good 'cue! I've eaten around here and there throughout most of the south, hit most of the hallmarks that people toss about, Rendesvous, The Interstate, Corkey's, The Salt Lick, Goode Co. and so on, but this recipe my dad and I cooked up was an old recipe we made when I was young back in Alabama -- an overnight marinade in a sauce, dry rub and a nice long, low smoke. It's been years since I've had this kind, and we've tried countless recipes running the gambit of ingredients, coffee grounds, all sorts of spices, different woods, various sauces, and to think we ended up where we started really says something, I'll give you a hint.... The secret ingredient is Dr. Pepper! I was really moved by the memories it brought back from my youth and how much my father, brother and I bonded over a fire and some meat.

Anyway, now that all that's said and done, how about some recipe sharing? I'll get the exact measurements tomorrow probably and post it here if you gents feel like trying them out! What's on your guys' grills and smokers?

 

[jefe1037]

I am a "braise and burn" fan for fall off the bone tender ribs.... bake a few racks in a dish with some serious seasoning and a can of beer (covered) until all the tough stuff loosens up a bit, then get a nice char over some hot coals (gas works with this method too). I do this for country-style ribs too when you want a little more meat and a little less bone. When i first moved to chicago, someone invited me to a bar-b-q and served hotdogs and hamburgers.... something wrong with these people up here. where I learned to cook, bbq means pork shoulder or butt. I like a vinegar sauce. my paw-paw taught me how to cook Pork Steaks. The ones in the grocery store are always too thick for this recipe, so i get the butcher to cut up a boston butt 1/4 inch thick at the most. (bone-in is important for flavor) I use the same beer and seasoning that i use to bake my ribs as a marinade and a baste as I cook them low and slow until the women start asking us "what the hell is taking so long?" and "you didn't drink all this beer, did you?" and give them a brush with some KC style sauce just before pulling them off the grill.

The best cue I have ever had that i didnt make myself was near paw-paws hunt club in nowhere georgia... behind the grocery store, there was a cinder-block shack where two old fellas set a pit in the ground. They heaped you full a paper-plate full of pork with a side of beans for a few bucks and everyone stood around a folding table that had loaves of white bread and plastic forks.... I think about this place every time I go to work (I wait tables in a tuxedo every day and deal with an extensive menu, endless modifications, 6 course meals, $75/lb orders of crab claws, prime beef, private parties with $10k minimums... ETC.)

 

[itsKot]

A backyard barbecue with hamburgers and hotdogs?! That's a travesty! Like you I have a soft spot for pork, it was what barbecue was in Alabama and much of the deep south. Don't get me wrong, a well done brisket is still heavenly, but I always turn back to the pork! Another thing is the vinegar sauce used, I'm not too fond of the mustard sauces, though I still like them, I just prefer the vinegar with maybe a bit of tomato paste for color and a bit of depth. That's another recipe I'm gonna have to toss up here. My grandparents live in Florence, Alabama and one of the churches has the BEST vinegar sauces I've ever had. Deciphering the recipe was a bit arduous, as the church's cookbook simply listed the items as "a bottle of X, a jar of Y" but a few batches later we had it down pretty well, oh not to mention, the original made a huge vat! so dialing it back a bit was another chore!

 

[jefe1037]

Love to have the recipe. I have never made a good vinegar sauce myself.

The mustard sauce is simply a gimmick perpetrated by the Bessinger family, but people love it. (Maurice's if you are ever in the Charleston area, Bessinger's is near columbia off interstate 26, fair warning: the one in Columbia flies the confederate flag, and there are several references to support of a "certain secret society" that dresses like ghosts, and not just on haloween... I am going to leave opinion out so we don't get bounced to the rubber room)

 

[Rob_In_MO]

Other than Pipes and Tobaccos, this is actually my other hobby! :cheers:

One thing you guys left out. When eating pulled pork with a Vinegar Sauce, you have to have a good scoop of Cole Slaw on there too. It just isn't a pulled pork sandwich without the Slaw!

Myself I use a Weber Smokey Mountain. For several years I used to do a lot of smoking (and sometimes still do) on a Weber 18.5" Kettle Grill using the fire brick method. Great for 2 pork butts or a brisket flat. I can get a good 6-hours out of it before having to add more coals, which is also a simple process.

Pulled Pork is a family favorite here, as well as Baby Backs. Although a good Brisket is really hard to beat. Once in a while I get a wild hair and smoke a couple packs of Turkey Drumsticks - like you get at the fair. Those are always a hit too.



Regarding recipes - I haven't found the perfect Vinegar Sauce recipe yet (no Ketchup or Tomato Sauce), but always looking. Have been using Maul's KC Style Sauce here lately and it always goes over well with the wife and daughter, as they're not as much a fan of the Vinegar Sauces. Maybe someday....

 

[jefe1037]

I agree... cole slaw is a necessary side dish. My mom's is still the best.

 

[mark]

I usually use a dry rub on brisket and ribs and let it sit for 24-36 hours, then throw it in the smoker,,mesquite,, on 225 until it falls apart.

Salmon gets a salt/sugar/seasoning brine for a day then a light hickory smoke.

The fire department makes a vinegar/oil/ garlic salt/poultry seasoning sauce that they baste their chicken halves with. Over hardwood.

So many recipes, different in each part of the country

 

[Rob_In_MO]

Here is a link to the thread I did a while back. It was a single Pork Butt on a Weber Kettle Grill. An 8-hour cook using the Fire Brick technique for a long slow smoke on a Grill and the Minion Method of lighting the coals/hickory.

I can give further details if anyone is interested. I just wanted to point out that you don't have to have a smoker to slow cook meats. That darn Weber Kettle actually does a fantastic job all by itself.

 

[Carlos]

I grill all the time. Using a Char-Broil Infrared Commercial that replaced a Holland Grill. I may be going back to the Holland grill at some point.

But that's not Barbequing.

For my 50th birthday I got three 18 pound pork shoulders, deboned, from the local locker plant. A little salt and pepper on the inside and then rolled them and netted them. Took them up to the local Men's club where we have an old fuel oil tank converted into a huge smoker/grill. I like using hard-wood charcoal instead of the briquets for this. Took the grate out and poured a large bag of charcoal on the fire grate the length of the cooker. Lit one end and replaced the food grate for a nice slow fire. I set the shoulders in pans and gave them a local rub. I had several tins of water in with the coals to add some steam. Let them cook for about 4 hours. Removed the food grate and poured another bag of charcoal in. Replaced the meat and let it burn back until the shoulders were 195F or so. About another 3.5 hours. This is still a bit hotter and quicker than many of the real BBQ pros do it. But it works.

Had Sweet Baby Rays on the side in a heated pan. Made for a great pulled pork. Had all the fixings of course.

I would like to have done a vinegar BBQ sauce with a bit of clove and allspice. Something similar that a little local place used. But most of our people don't like that.

 

[mark]

Dry Rub for ribs/brisket
8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno seasoning
1/2 teaspoon smoked paparika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

 

[itsKot]

Sorry I haven't posted any recipes yet, gents. been busy with finals around the corner, so I haven't had much time. I should have some breathing room from this evening till the weekend though, so keep your eyes peeled!

 

[itsKot]

Back home for the Summer, gotta get the recipes from the old man now. Finally have time to take a breather and relax, sorry for the absence!

 

[tech2576]

Pile some recipes on me guys. I bought a smoker a couple weeks ago and need some advice!