we do it low & slow” - bahamas local · 2014-04-23 · slow”. meat is cooked at low...

Copyright 2009 – Caribbean BBQ Association – All rights reserved 1

The Caribbean BBQ Association

“We do it low & slow”

www.BBQPR.com

BBQ Slow Smoking Info

May, 2014

Sponsored in part by:

The Smoke Ring web site

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Table of Contents

Theory of BBQ ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4

BBQ History……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4

What is BBQ? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5

Regional BBQ Styles / North Carolina- Memphis-Kansas City- Texas

Barbecue Meat Cuts Beef Chart………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

Pork Chart………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….7

Where Spare, Loin Back & Baby Back Ribs come from………………………………………………………………….………….7

Rib Membrane Removal………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….9

The Science of BBQ / The smoke Ring ........................................……………………………………………………....... 10

BBQ Cookers & Pits…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..11

Grilling & Indirect Heat Cooking on a Weber Kettle ……………………………………………………………………….……...13

Cooking Ribs on a Weber……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….…14

Constructing a Championship Dry Rub /Signature spices………………………………………………………….…….………15

BBQ Rub Recipes……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………...16

Garry’s 180 BBQ Rub / Big Bob Gibson’s Pork Rub / Steven Raichlen’s Texas Brisket Rub / Paul Kirk’s Kansas City BBQ

Seasoning



Constructing a championship BBQ Sauce……………………………………………………………………………………………..17

BBQ Sauce recipes: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17

Garry’s 180 Rib Sauce/ BBQ Sauce A La Jetton / Lexington BBQ Sauce / Western North Carolina Sauce /

Eastern North Carolina Sauce/ Memphis Magic BBQ Sauce

BBQ Fuels………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………21

Smoking Woods / Woods to avoid / Common Smoking Woods

Rules & Judging …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….23

Entry Presentation………………………………………………………………………………………………….23 Cooking Process Chicken…………………………………………………………………………………………24 Cooking Process Ribs……………………………………………………………………………………………..24 Cooking a Brisket ………………………………………………………………………………………………….24 Retail Beef cuts chart………………………………………………………………………………………………26 Pork Primal Cuts……………………………………………………………………………………………………27

www.KCBS.us Kansas City Barbecue Society we site

http://www.kcbs.us/


Theory of Barbecue Barbecue History The origins of barbecue are hazy and controversial. In the US, the first known barbecue was cooked in the colonies of Virginia and North Carolina by the early British settlers. Whole hogs were slow roasted over wood coals. Barbecue sauces were typically vinegar seasoned with pepper. This probably originated from the British fondness for sprinkling vinegar on dishes like fish and chips. These early barbecue sauces contained no tomato products whatsoever. In fact, at the time, tomatoes were considered to be poisonous. The introduction of tomato based sauces came much later, as the tradition of barbecue migrated westward with the new settlers and was influenced by local tastes. Barbecue is believed to have originated in the islands of the West Indies. Because meats spoil quickly in tropical climates, the native Taino practiced two basic techniques for storing meats: "corning" (salting) and drying/smoking. They placed fish and meat on a wooden lattice and roasted or smoked them over an open fire. The Spanish called this grill a barbacoa from which we get the English word barbecue. Slaves brought from the islands took their cooking methods with them to the mainland.

Taino Barbacoa

As barbecue spread throughout the new world, primarily the south, it took on regional flavors and preferences. Today, there is a huge debate about what constitutes “Real” barbecue, and how it should be properly cooked, seasoned and served. The proper use of sauce, and even whether it should be used at all, is another huge controversy. Regardless of the regional variations in its preparation, all American barbecue shares a common heritage. It is prepared from low quality, tough, fatty meats that are made edible through a slow cooking process that renders the fat and makes the meat tender and succulent. Barbecue was developed by the southern poor who couldn’t afford the more expensive cuts of meat and were forced by necessity to make what they could afford into something edible. Now that barbecue popularity has spread far and wide, those cheap cuts are no longer cheap.


What is Barbecue? While there is regional debate about what constitutes “Real” barbecue, there are some characteristics of barbecue that are pretty much universal, although there are exceptions. First off, many confuse grilling with barbecue. This is so common, that the word barbecue has become associated with grills. Grilling is fast cooking at high temperatures over direct heat w/smaller cuts of meat usually more expensive cuts too. True barbecue characterized by the phrase “low and slow”. Meat is cooked at low temperatures, typically 200-250 degrees F, for long periods of time. And the cuts of meat are much larger and less expensive. Spare ribs are typically cooked for 6-8 hours. Larger cuts, like beef brisket or pork shoulder, may be cooked for 12 – 14 hours. This long cooking time at low temperatures causes the fat to render slowly, breaking down the collagen, leaving the meat moist, succulent and tender.

Regional Barbecue Styles

Regional barbecue styles fall into a few major categories:

North Carolina (Eastern and Western)

Memphis

Texas

Kansas City North Carolina Barbecue North Carolinian’s are convinced that barbecue originated in their state and that their method of cooking barbecue is the only true, traditional way. Even in North Carolina, however, opinions vary between the eastern half of the state and the western. The only thing they have in common, is that both east and west cook pork barbecue over wood that has been burned down to coals and shoveled under the pork. After cooking, the pork is chopped and seasoned with a vinegar based finishing sauce, or dip. In the east, they cook whole hogs. In the west, they cook whole shoulders. While the easterners groan about the westerner’s use of tomato based sauce, while the sauce used in western North Carolina has a small amount of ketchup added, just enough to turn it red, it is mostly vinegar and bears no resemblance to the thick, sweet, tomato based sauces used in other regions. Found east of Raleigh, North Carolina, Eastern Carolina sauce is made with vinegar, salt, black pepper crushed or ground cayenne, and other spices--and nothing else. This is a very thin, acidic sauce that penetrates deeply into the meat. Unlike with tomato/sugar-based sauces, this sauce does not "burn" on the meat. It can be applied throughout the cooking process for a tender, melt-in-your-mouth experience. Western Carolina sauce is the same basic recipe as Eastern Carolina, with the addition of small amounts of ketchup, molasses, or Worcestershire sauce and, perhaps, some spices. Found west of Raleigh, in the Piedmont belt, this vinegar-based sauce has great flavor, works extremely well as a marinade on chicken, shrimp, pork and beef, and has a nice afterburner kick. Memphis Barbecue In Memphis, ribs are king. Ribs are prepared two ways, dry and wet. Dry ribs are seasoned with a barbecue rub and are not basted with sauce while cooking, or afterwards. Sauce is served on the side. Wet ribs are also seasoned with rub but are basted with sauce while cooking or dipped in sauce afterwards before serving. As with most barbecue subjects, there are religious fanatics devoted to both styles. Memphis-style barbecue sauce embraces all three of the major ingredients– vinegar, mustard, and tomato. Kansas City Barbecue Pork and beef are seasoned with a dry rub or wet marinade and then cooked over hickory wood before adding extra sauce. KC’s barbecue sauce is thick and sweet, with a tomato and sugar base. It is the basis for many of the well-known national brands, including Kraft, Heinz, Hunt’s, and K.C. Masterpiece, & Cattlemen’s.

Texas Barbecue

In Texas, barbecue is mostly beef (brisket and ribs) but pork is now commonly found as well. Sauces range from thick, spicy, tomato-based sauces to thin, hot-pepper-based sauces, to thick and dark sauces that have a south-of-the-border flair.


Barbecue Meat Cuts The debate about the definition of true barbecue extends to the cuts of meat used. Throughout most of the south, barbecue is considered to be made from pork. In Texas, however, barbecue is mostly beef. Cuts traditionally used for barbecue are pork or beef ribs, beef brisket, pork shoulder, chicken, and in Eastern North Carolina, whole hog.

Beef

The beef cut most commonly used for barbecue is brisket. Beef brisket comes from the chest of the cow. Since the chest muscle is constantly exercised as the animal walks, brisket is one of the toughest cuts of beef. It is also one of the most difficult cuts to barbecue properly. In Spanish, the cut is known as pecho. For barbecue, buy a whole, untrimmed brisket still in the vacuum packaging. This is referred to as "packer cut" or "packer trimmed" brisket. A whole brisket is comprised of a flat portion and a point portion. Every brisket is unique--no two are identical! The flat is just that: Sort of a flat, rectangular piece of meat that makes up the majority of the whole brisket. This is the portion that is cut across the grain into slices and served on a plate or in a sandwich. You've probably seen the flat in the meat case at the supermarket, separated from the point and with most fat removed, ready for braising in the oven. The point is a lump of meat that partially overlaps one end of the flat. It is quite fatty on its surface as well as within the meat. It also contains a lot of connective tissue between the meat fibers. It can be sliced, but its loose texture after cooking and makes it a better choice for chopped brisket sandwiches. The flat and point are separated by a very thick vein of fat running between them. This fat extends over the entire surface of the flat, becoming thinner at the end opposite the point. This layer of fat is sometimes referred to as the "fat cap". Thick fat may also wrap around one edge of the brisket flat, especially near the point. From an anatomical perspective, the brisket flat is the "deepest" portion of meat and is attached to the rib cage, while the brisket point sits on top of the flat and is nearest the surface.


Pork

The portion of the pork shoulder, known as the picnic ham, is the lower portion of the hog's foreleg. The shoulder contains the arm and shank bones and has a relatively high ratio of bone to lean meat. It is one of the toughest cuts of pork. The Boston butt is a square cut located just above the picnic ham. It’s interesting how this cut came to be known by its name. In pre-revolutionary New England and into the Revolutionary War, some pork cuts (not those highly valued, or "high on the hog," like loin and ham) were packed into casks or barrels (also known as "butts") for storage and shipment. The way the hog shoulder was cut in the Boston area became known in other regions as "Boston Butt." This name stuck and today, Boston butt is called that almost everywhere in the US, except in Boston. The loin is cut from directly behind the Boston butt and includes the entire rib section as well as the loin and a portion of the sirloin area. It contains a portion of the blade bone on the shoulder end, a portion of the hipbone on the ham end, all the ribs and most of the backbone. Loin back ribs are ribs that are trimmed from the loin. Loin back ribs are often sold as baby back ribs, a term used to describe the size of a Loin Back Rib. Unfortunately, many times the term is applied to any size Loin Back Rib. A true Baby Back Rib is 1 3/4 lb. or lighter. Spare Ribs are the intact rib section removed from the belly and may include costal cartilages with or without the brisket removed and diaphragm trimmed. Both the Loin Back and the Spare Rib have a skin on their interior. This skin is heaviest at the back bone and becomes very fine at the belly end. The membrane's density has much to do with the age and size of the animal. St. Louis Style Ribs originate from pork spareribs and are prepared by removing the brisket bone approximately parallel to the rib side, exposing cartilage on the brisket bone side. Skirt meat is removed.

Where Different Ribs Come From

Pork Loin, Country-Style Ribs Country Style Ribs are prepared from the blade end of the loin and include no less than three and no more than 6 ribs.

Pork Loin, Back Ribs Back Ribs, also referred to as Canadian Back Ribs and Baby Back Ribs, originate from the blade and center section of the loin. Back ribs contain meat between the ribs called finger meat, and shall contain at least eight ribs.

Flat Bone - Button Ribs Small circular in shape, flat with varying amounts of meat.


Pork Spare Ribs Spare Ribs are the intact rib section removed from the belly and may include costal cartilages with or without the brisket removed and diaphragm trimmed. Spare Ribs shall contain at least eleven ribs.

Brisket Bone (Rib Tip) Rib Tips are small, meaty pieces that have been cut from pork spare ribs during the trimming process when making a St. Louis Rib.

Pork Spareribs, St. Louis Style St. Louis Style Ribs originate from pork spareribs and are prepared by removing the brisket bone approximately parallel to the rib side, exposing cartilage on the brisket bone side. Skirt meat is removed.

The shape and size of a rib bone can tell a lot. It's all in the shape. (Both examples are from the center of the rack)

To remove the membrane from the bone side of ribs, insert a dull bladed knife between the membrane and the bone. A screwdriver or clam or oyster knife also work well.


Grasp the membrane and peel it from the bone. A paper towel can be used to help get a better grip on the slippery membrane.


The Science of Barbecue Meats are made of muscle, connective tissue, fat and bone. Muscle contains proteins and glycogen. As the temperature of the meat increases, glycogen, a long chain sugar, is reduced to simple sugars. This caramelizes and is responsible for one of the flavor components. Proteins (flavorless) are denatured to amino acids which not only have flavors themselves, but undergo Maillard browning reactions which adds another flavor component. While bone adds no flavor itself, the marrow is rich in methyglobulin and other proteins. This reacts with smoke nitrites to give us the smoke ring. You may have heard that the sweetest meat is next to the bone. The proteins are reduced to amino acids. NutraSweet is an amino acid. Fat is very simple cells which breakdown to sugars, fatty acids, and triglycerides at low temperatures. Collagen is proteins that have lots of side chain bonds. This makes them elastic. It takes more energy to denature them than the simpler proteins of muscle tissue. Energy in the form of heat will denature these proteins into the flavorful amino acids. If the temperature is too high, the water in the muscle cells and the fat is rendered out before the collagen melts. This results in dry, tough meat. Too low and you risk bacterial activity. Tough cuts of meat like brisket and pork butts benefit from low temperature cooking as the collagen adds flavor to the meat. Less tough, more expensive cuts do not need this phase and can be cooked at high temperatures for shorter periods. That is why ribs take only a few hours and briskets take 12 or more.

Smoke Ring One of the results of smoke cooking is the formation of the pink smoke ring. Its intensity, depth and its effect on flavor are within your control. What causes a smoke ring? The cause is the reaction between nitrates and myoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein in muscle tissue. Nitrates have been used to cure meat for thousands of years but not on purpose. Sea salt contains nitrates as naturally occurring impurities. The nitrates incidentally cured meat that was salted for storage. When nitrates, through further reactions, combine with the myoglobin the result is the pink color of ham, hot dogs, and other cured meats. The resulting ham-like flavor adds one more layer of complexity to our carefully tended meats. Nitrates also are responsible for the killing the botulism spores. But since we are not getting them in high enough concentration from smoke, smoke cooking is not a preservative. Where do the nitrates come from? From the wood ash being carried by the smoke. That's why using an electric or gas smoker or cooking in an over without wood chips will yield no smoke ring. Gardeners will confirm that ash is loaded with nitrates. In fact, ammonium nitrate, one of the components of gunpowder, was made by combining pig urine with wood ash. So don't let your pig pee on the fire. How can I maximize the depth of the smoke ring? It is a temperature dependent reaction. Bacteria are needed to change the nitrates to nitrites. Bacteria are active between 40 and 140 degrees F. Once the meat reaches 140F the ring formation stops. So to maximize the extent of the smoke ring, put the meat on right out of the refrigerator and start out cooking at a lower temperature. Also, above 140F proteins start to denature and the myoglobin is no longer available. With small cuts, like baby back ribs, the smoke ring will go all the way through. Heavier smoke early on will affect the depth and intensity of the smoke flavor meat.


Why is the smoke ring sometimes purple or red? That has to do with the myoglobin in the meat. Technically, the oxidative state of the Fe ion, but the older the meat, the more purple the ring will be. The fresher the meat, the more it will tend to be pink. The handling of the meat during and after slaughter will also affect the color. Are nitrates safe to eat? Nitrates and nitrites occur naturally in many foods including onion, pepper, celery, spinach, beets, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant and tomatoes. There is no evidence of increased cancer rates with dietary nitrates.

Barbecue Cookers (Pits)

While just about any metal container of any shape or size can be turned into a barbecue cooker, there are a few standard barbecue designs used for commercial cookers.

Horizontal Offset The horizontal offset cooker originated in the Texas oilfields when welders constructed barbecue smokers from the large diameter pipe they had available. They consist of a long horizontal food chamber with a firebox on one end and an exhaust stack on the other. Some designs have a vertical cooking compartment on the exhaust end for cooking at lower temperatures or holding meats and keeping them hot. One drawback to this design is that the end near the firebox tends to be hotter. This can be offset through the appropriate use of baffles and tuning plates that circulate the heat to avoid hot spots.

Vertical Cooker There are a number of vertical barbecue cooker designs. Vertical cookers have the heat source at the bottom and food racks above. Some vertical designs have a water pan in the bottom to provide humidity and moderate the temperature. Other designs have a double internal wall so that the heat and smoke travels up through the walls and enters the cooker at the top, exiting through an exhaust at the bottom, circulating over the meat as it goes.

Water Smoker The barbecue cooker that provides the most bang for the buck, is a vertical water smoker. These cookers have a charcoal pan in the bottom with a water pan above the charcoal and two cooking racks above that. They are sometimes referred to as R2D2 due to their shape. There are several brands of inexpensive water smokers at around the $30 or $40 price range. I strongly advise against these since they have no adequate way to control ventilation, air flow and temperature. While it is more expensive, around $250 retail, the best water smoker available is the Weber Smokey Mountain. It has 3 adjustable vents in the bottom and one on the lid that lets you control the air flow and thus the temperature. Once the temperature has stabilized, these cookers will stay rock solid for at least 4 hours or more without touching them.

Weber Kettle Grill While it is generally considered to be for gilling, not barbecue, a Weber kettle can be used to cook offset by placing the coals on one side of the grill and the meat on the other. Weber has an optional charcoal basket that can be used to contain the charcoal on one side. A competition team in California has won Grand Championships cooking on nothing but Weber kettles.


The Primo Grill / Smoker The Primo is a grill made of modern heat holding ceramics. The original design of the Primo Grill / Smoker traces its roots back over 3000 years, to ancient China. The Japanese adopted it, and called it "kamado," which means oven, stove, heater, or fireplace. The ceramic walls are heavy and thick. This insulating quality cooks foods with an amazingly small consumption of charcoal. The Primo is a smoker, a grill, and an oven. They can sear steaks at 2,000 degrees or slow cook under 200 degrees. www.promogrill.com for information & prices call Mike Compton 787-319-9410 Primo PR603 Features: Teak Table for Extra Large Oval Grill.

Teak Table for Oval XL Ceramic Grill

Teak wood construction

Wheels provide easy movement

For use with Oval XL Ceramic Grill

Dimensions: 61" W x 25" D x 32" H

Primo PR603 Description:

This beautiful Primo Teak Table for Oval Extra Large Ceramic Barbecue Grill is the perfect way to outfit your Primo ceramic grill. This unfinished teak table is designed not only to perfectly accommodate your Primo ceramic cooker, but also enhance how you use it.

With this table you elevate your grill, allowing for the proper air flow that accounts for the remarkable cooking versatility of this kind of grill. You also get extra places to set all of those tools, spices, and other extras that inevitably come with an afternoon of outdoor cooking. The wheels at the base of the table also allow you to easily move your ceramic grill to the most convenient cooking area in your backyard on any given day.

The perfect ceramic grill deserves the perfect home. If you have a Primo ceramic grill, then this is the home that was specifically designed for it. Do your Primo ceramic grill and yourself a favor by adding the Primo Teak Table for Oval Extra Large Ceramic Barbecue Grill to your outdoor cooking routine

http://www.promogrill.com/


Grilling and Indirect Cooking on a Weber Kettle Some foods taste better when grilled over direct heat, while others benefit from hours of slow roasting.

Direct Grilling is ideal for tender, lean, thin cuts of meat or

fish, such as steaks, pork chops, swordfish, and salmon steaks, or fast-cooking vegetables, such as zucchini, broccoli, and corn. The searing heat quickly causes the surface to become crispy and caramelized, producing a flavor and a texture that are impossible to duplicate in an oven.

Two-zone direct Grilling When you build the fire, spread

one layer of coals evenly across the bottom of the grill and a second layer of coals across half the first layer. Also, leave a small area coal free. This allows you to move items from high to medium or low heat as they become done.

Indirect grilling (or barbecuing) is for thick, fatty, or

tough pieces of meat, such as pork shoulder, leg of lamb, whole chicken, and brisket. Classic barbecue is quite slow (225 to 275 degrees F for 10 to 12 hours in the case of an 18-pound brisket) and requires either a barbecue pit or a special smoker to maintain the steady low temperature. Most people don’t have either of these. Nor, frankly, the patience to cook all day. Fortunately, there is a less time-consuming method of barbecuing that can be accomplished on a basic kettle-style charcoal grill. First, carefull push the hot coals away from the center so they’re piled on either side of the firebox. (Add wet wood chips for added smoke) Next, place a pan in the center to catch dripping fat. Finally, set the food on the grate and cover the grill. It will now function as a roasting oven, with all the heat and smoke swirling up and around the food. The ideal cooking temperature for this kind of barbecue is 325 to 350 degrees F. You’ll cook a whole brisket in 5 to 6 hours, a leg of lamb in 1 ½ to 2 hours, and a chicken in about 1 ½ hours. You can wait that long can’t you?

Gas versus Charcoal – If you’re serious about grilling, you’ll want a charcoal grill. That’s not

to say you can’t make a good steak on a gas grill. And gas grills are convenient on a drizzly day, not to mention in winter. But gas grills are incapable of re-creating quite the same burned-edge, charcoally, wood-smoky flavor. Many people have both kinds of grills. The best charcoal is the hardwood-lump kind, like Carbon de la Matta. Use a chimney style, or a non-petroleum based fire starter, never lighter fluid.


Cooking Ribs on a Weber Kettle

Buy one or more whole racks of ribs (end-on or "St. Louis Style" -- ask your butcher) and coat lightly with olive or vegetable oil using your hand or a brush. Sprinkle lots of "rub" on both sides and ends, patting and slapping it firmly into place. Surface of meat should be completely covered with a layer of rub. Wrap each rib in two layers of plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.

Bank a small amount of coals on one side of the grill and let smoker warm up for 20-30 minutes. Stick a meat thermometer in the top or side of the grill (you may need to drill a hole), and work the fire to stabilize the temperature around 200-300 degrees. Hotter fires will significantly shorten cooking times and not allow slow-cooking of the meat. Soak hickory, mesquite, cherry, apple or other wood chips in a bowl of water for 20 minutes or more, and sprinkle small amounts on the coals every 20-30 minutes or as often as desired.

Optional: Partially fill a small disposable aluminum pan with water and place at the bottom of the Weber or partially over the coals. Fill as necessary during the cooking process.

Place ribs away from the heat source, on the side opposite the banked coals. If you have two or more racks of ribs, use a 'rib rack' purchased at your local hardware store for $10 to help stand the rib racks on their side next to each other. Place rib racks thick side up/bone-end down, so the small ends stay moist.

That's it! Sit back for 4 to 6 hours, watch the smoke rise, and drink your favorite beverage. Don't forget to add soaked wood chips every so often, and keep the water pan half full. You may want to turn the meat in-place to give each rib end or side equal time nearest the heat source. If you're curious whether the ribs are done, try cutting one off and eating it (cook's privilege). The meat should be pink around the edges (called a 'smoke ring'), pull cleanly from the bone and taste nice and smoky.

Before serving or for the last 10 minutes of cooking, lightly brush each rack with your homemade barbecue sauce. Cut between each rib, brush again with sauce if desired, and serve. Make sure you save a few ribs for yourself -- they'll go quickly! You're now a real, slow cooking', wood smoking' barbecue chef.


Constructing a Championship Rub Step One: Observe the competition – Beg, borrow, buy, or steal every recipe or label that shows the ingredients for every rub and/or barbecue seasoning that you can find. Step Two: Make a List of the standard ingredients

Step Three: Compare all of the ingredients of each rub Step Four: Construct your championship rub Two main ingredients are salt and sugar. Start with equal amounts (1 cup) of each. Use seasoned salt for ½ of the salt and non-iodized for the other half. While this is the conventional wisdom, for my taste it makes the rub too salty. I have switched to using 1 part salt to two parts sugar to start.

Cane sugar is preferred over brown sugar. I prefer turbinado sugar. It has the molasses taste of brown sugar but without the moisture and caramelizes at a higher temperature. The next most predominant spice is paprika. Start with 1/3 to ½ cup. The next two main ingredients are chili powder and black pepper. Balance the two. Start with 2 – 4 TBS of each. Other spices. Use 1 teaspoon or less

Signature Spices

Allspice Anise Basil Bay leaf Caraway seeds

Chervil Chives Cilantro Cinnamon Citric acid Cloves coriander

Crushed red pepper Cumin Curry powder Dill Fennel Garlic, granulated Ginger

Horseradish powder Jalapeno powder Lemon pepper Lemon powder Lemon zest Mace Marjoram

MSG Dry mustard Nutmeg Onion, granulated Orange zest Oregano Parsley

Rosemary Sage Savory Tarragon Thyme Turmeric White pepper

Less Common Signature Spices Beet powder Brandy pepper Carrot powder

Soy sauce powder Tomato powder Vanilla powder

Vinegar powder Worcestershire powder

Step Five: Use the rub


Barbecue Rub Recipes Garry's 180 BBQ Rub Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method 4 tablespoons Kosher salt 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar 4 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons ground cumin 4 tablespoons Gebhardt's chili powder 2 tablespoons black pepper 4 tablespoons paprika 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves In barbecue cookoff contests I have received a perfect score of 180 points for ribs four times and chicken four times, the highest possible score in a KCBS contest. This is the rub I used. I hope you like it as much as the judges. Mix all ingredients together well. Rub on meat to be barbecued, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. – Garry Howard Big Bob Gibson's Pork Rub Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup paprika 1/2 cup garlic salt 1/3 cup onion salt 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano 1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper 1 teaspoon cumin 2 tablespoons chili powder Big Bob Gibson’s is a well know barbecue restaurant in Alabama. They have won numerous national contests, including Memphis in May. Combine ingredients and mix well.

Steven Raichlen's Texas Brisket Rub Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method 3 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon coarse salt 2 teaspoons black pepper 1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar 1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl and stir to mix. Rub this mixture onto the brisket on all sides.


Paul Kirk's Basic Kansas City Barbecue Seasoning Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method 1 cup cane sugar 1/2 cup garlic salt 1/3 cup paprika 1/4 cup seasoned salt 2 tablespoons onion salt 2 tablespoons celery salt 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons black pepper 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon lemon pepper 2 tablespoons dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Paul Kirk is a championship competition barbecue cook. Sift all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container away from sunlight. To use, sprinkle ribs, brisket, or chicken as if you were putting on heavy salt and pepper. Yields 3 cups Richard Pollock / Dry rub I used last week: ½ cup kosher or sea salt 1 cup sugar (I mix about 1/3 cup natural cane (or turbinado) sugar to 2/3 cup dark brown sugar – I like the molasses taste from this mixture. ¼ cup garlic powder ¼ cup onion powder ¼ cup cumin ¼ cup fresh ground black pepper ½ cup paprika ½ cup chili powder 1 tsp allspice 1 tsp ground clove ½ tsp cayenne pepper ½ tsp oregano This should be enough for 3 racks of ribs with a little left over depending on desired amount of coating. I think wrapping individually in plastic wrap for 24 hours is the best.

Constructing a Championship Barbecue Sauce Kansas City sauce is tomato based with ingredients that add sweetness, sour tang, and spices. Step One: Analyze the ingredients

Tomato Ketchup: mixture of tomato paste, vinegar, sweetener and spices Tomato paste: tomato pulp reduced by slow cooking Tomato puree: crushed or ground tomatoes in tomato sauce Tomato sauce: tomato paste and water Chili sauce: tomato puree with crushed tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and spices Tomato soup: condensed tomato soup


Sweet Sour White sugar – cane or beet Brown sugar – light or dark Honey Molasses or sorghum Corn syrup – light or dark Corn sugar Date sugar Maple – sugar or syrup

Vinegar – cider, flavored, or white Wine Beer Citrus juices – lemon or lime

Other Liquids, for flavor or to thin the sauce Allspice Anise Barbecue Spice Basil Bay leaf Caraway Celery – salt, ground or seed Cinnamon

Cloves Coriander Cumin Curry powder Dill weed Dry mustard Fennel Garlic - granulated

Ginger Lemon zest Mace Marjoram Nutmeg Onion – granulated Orange zest Oregano

Parsley Pepper – white, black, cayenne, chili powder Poultry seasoning Rosemary Sage Savory Tarragon Thyme

Step Two: Define the ingredients list for your sauce

Base Product Amount

Tomato:

Mustard:

Vinegar:

Fruit/Soy:

Nut/Fish:

Sweets:

Sours:

Liquids:

Spices:

Miscellaneous:

Start with 4 cups of tomato, 1 cup of sweetener, 1 cup of sour. Flavoring liquids – Worcestershire or soy sauce ¼ cup. Basic traditional spices include chili powder, black pepper and salt. Start with ¼ cup chili powder and half as much black pepper. Add additional spices, about 1 teaspoon each. Adjust seasonings to taste.


Barbecue Sauce Recipes

Garry's Howard’s 180 Rib Sauce Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method 1 large onion -- chopped 4 cloves garlic -- chopped 1 28 ounce can tomato puree 1 14 ounce can whole tomatoes 1 1/2 cups ketchup 1 cup Apple cider vinagrar 1/2 cup turbinado sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 3/4 cup cheap yellow mustard 2 tablespoons Gebhardt's chili powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon mace 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup Barbados molasses 1 Tablespoon paprika 1 cup orange juice 2 chipotle chile canned in adobo In barbecue cook-off contests in my first summer competing, I won first place in ribs three times with a perfect score of 180 points, the highest possible score in a KCBS contest. This is the sauce I have been using. I hope you like it as much as the judges. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until golden brown and soft. Add all dry spice ingredients and stir for about 1/2 minute. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on very low heat for four hours. The long cooking time is needed to remove the acidity from the tomatoes. Puree the sauce in a blender or food processor. It is now ready to use. – Garry Howard Barbeque Sauce ala Jetton Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method 1 cup Tomato ketchup 1/2 cup Cider vinegar 1 teaspoon Sugar 1 teaspoon Chili powder 1/8 teaspoon Salt 1 1/2 cups Water 3 Stalks celery -- chopped 3 Bay leaves 1 Clove garlic 2 tablespoons Onion -- chopped 4 tablespoons Butter 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Paprika 1 dash Black pepper


Walter Jetton was Lyndon Johnson’s personal cook at his ranch in Texas. This is a true Texas style barbecue sauce. Great on brisket! Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain. This is a table sauce to be served with beef, chicken or pork. Do not cook things in it. (Makes about 2 1/2 cups sauce) Lexington Barbecue #1 (Western NC Sauce) Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method 1 gallon water 1 qt. ketchup 1 qt. vinegar (amber 4% acidity) 10 oz sugar 8 oz salt 4 oz black pepper 4 oz crushed red pepper

Pinch ground red pepper (cayenne)

Lexington #1 is one of the most popular barbecue restaurants in western NC. This is their finishing sauce, or dip, as it’s known there. I got this recipe from Alan Hege, the pit master. Preparation: "Combine all ingredients into a 1.5 gallon stock pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Spoon the piping hot dip onto the prepared meat just prior to serving. This is a very thin sauce, but it is the same formula that has been used around here for generations." Allen Hege Dennis Rogers Eastern NC Sauce Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method 1 gallon cider vinegar 1/4 cup salt 2 tablespoon red pepper 3 tablespoon red pepper flakes 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar or 1/2 cup molasses Preparation: Mix them up together and let stand 4 hours. Rogers is a popular columnist for the Raleigh, NC News & Observer and self-proclaimed "Oracle of the Holy Grub". NC Vinegar Dipping Sauce: 12 oz of tomato paste (two small cans) 1 pint cider vinegar ½ cup natural cane sugar ¼ cup salt (table salt works fine) ¼ cup black pepper ¼ cup red pepper crushed flakes 2 tbsp onion power ½ gal filtered or fresh spring water (without chlorine) 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste, depending on the guests). This is just right for me but I use less for the family crowd. You can always add it last after preparing the sauce.


To prepare: Put all the spice (except cayenne, if adding last) in a blender with about a pint of water and blend well. This will break up the spices and provide more flavor. Add blended mixture to remaining water in a pot large enough to bring mixture to a boil. Bring to a boil, stir well, and reduce to a simmer for a few minutes. Add cayenne to taste, if holding out for the crowd and let cool. This can be store for a week without loosing its flavor. Also, it can be used at room temperature as we did last week or can be reheated and served hot with the ribs. Enjoy, and have a great day of cooking! Richard Pollock Memphis Magic Barbecue Sauce Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup minced onion 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup tomato sauce 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne dash Tabasco sauce This is one of my favorite Memphis style barbecue sauces. The center of mid-South barbecue, Memphis offers a range of sauces that take the high middle ground between Eastern and Western styles. Like this version, they are often medium-bodied mixtures, moderate in sweet, heat, and everything else except taste. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn golden. Stir in the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the mixture thickens, approximately 20 minutes. Stir frequently. Use the sauce warm. It keeps, refrigerated, for a couple of weeks.

Barbecue Fuels Barbecue is cooked with some form of wood product, never with gas or electricity. If the heat source is gas or electricity, it’s an oven, not a barbecue pit. Some barbecue pits are suitable for burning wood, while others will produce better results using charcoal. Charcoal can successfully be used in pretty much any cooker. Fist sized wood chunks may be mixed with, or placed on top of, the charcoal to produce flavoring smoke. Do not use an excessive amount of flavoring wood chunks. Excessive smoke can cause foul tasting deposits on the meat creating a bitter flavor. Smoke is one of those things where “if a little is good, more is better” doesn’t apply. You should only have a slightly visible, thin blue smoke coming from the exhaust on your cooker. Not all charcoal is created equal. Avoid charcoal briquettes. They are produced from scrap wood that is ground to a powder and held together with a clay compound. They also contain other impurities such as coal dust. For barbecue, you should always use natural hardwood, lump charcoal. It is made from natural wood and contains no additives. The charcoal sold by Carbon De La Matta is excellent for slow-cooked barbecue. The flavor of the barbecue can be modified by using wood chunks for additional smoke flavor. One or two chunks added to the charcoal every couple of hours is plenty. Don’t overdo it!


Smoking Woods Generally speaking, you want to use only hardwoods from fruit-bearing or nut-bearing trees. In my experience, fruit woods tend to impart a lighter smoke flavor, while the nut woods produce a stronger smoke flavor. If I could choose only one smoke wood, it would be apple, which seems to complement most everything I barbecue. I also like pecan wood a lot, but it is difficult to find.

acacia

alder

almond

apple

apricot

ash

bay

beech

birch

butternut

cherry

chestnut

cottonwood

crabapple

fig

grapefruit

grapevine

guava

hackberry

hickory

kiawe

lemon

lilac

madrone

manzanita

maple

mesquite

mulberry

nectarine

oak

olive

orange

peach

pear

pecan

persimmon

pimento

plum

walnut

willow

Some cooks like to soak wood chunks in water prior to using. Based on my experience, I don’t feel this is necessary, and in fact I think better results are achieved if the chunks aren’t soaked. Water soaked chunks tend to smolder, rather than burn, and produce an unpleasant smoke.

Woods To Avoid The conventional wisdom is that cedar, cypress, elm, eucalyptus, liquid amber, pine, redwood, fir, spruce, and sycamore are not suitable for smoking. Some people say that sassafras is also inappropriate for smoking, yet it is available from some mail-order wood suppliers. I’ve never tried it, personally. When in doubt about a particular smoke wood, play it safe--don't use it until you confirm with a reliable source that it's OK for use in barbecuing.

Common Smoke Woods Alder - Alder is commonly used with fish, but also works well with pork and poultry. It has a light, slightly sweet flavor and is not overpowering. It is much less dense than other smoke woods, and reminds me a little bit of cedar in it's look and smell. Apple - Apple has a light, fruity, slightly sweet aroma and is commonly used with pork and poultry. I especially like to use it with pork ribs. It can be mixed with other smoke woods like oak and cherry with good results. Cherry - Cherry is one of my favorite woods to use with chicken. It has a slight red color and a subtle, sweet, fruity flavor. It goes well with beef, pork, and poultry and can be mixed with oak and apple. Guava - Guava, a member of the Myrtle family, is a fruit wood from Hawaii and other tropical regions. Its semi-sweet aroma goes well with beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and fish. Hickory - Hickory is probably the most popular smoke wood used in barbecue. It has a strong flavor that complements all meats. Some people find that hickory alone can be overwhelming, especially if too much is used. I never use hickory alone, but mix it with oak. I use two parts oak to one part hickory. Kiawe - Kiawe (pronounced key-ah-vey) is indigenous to Hawaii and is related to mesquite. It's sweet and strong and works well with beef, fish, or poultry. The wood is very dense and heavy with a dark, smooth, thin bark. You won't find kiawe in stores...I am fortunate to have a friend who brings me this wood from Hawaii. Give it a try if you're able to acquire some. Mesquite - Mesquite is the official smoke wood of Texas barbecue. Its strong, hearty flavor complements beef, but it also works with fish, pork, and poultry. The wood is dense and dark red/brown in color with a very rough bark. Personally, I


don’t like to use mesquite for slow-smoked barbecue because it tends to give the barbecue a strong smoke flavor. It is great for grilling, however. Oak - Oak is a favorite smoke wood. It goes with just about any barbecue meat. It has a medium smoky flavor that is stronger than apple and cherry, but lighter than hickory. As a result, it mixes well with these three woods, but also works great by itself. It has a dense, tight grain and a color ranging from almost white to yellow to red.

Pecan - Pecan is great with beef, pork, and poultry. Its flavor is described as sweet and nutty. It can be used by itself or mixed with oak. I especially like it with chicken and ribs. Wine Barrel Chunks - When wine barrels reach the end of their useful life, they're often cut into chunks and sold as smoke wood. These oak chunks show the dark stain of red wine on one side and the natural oak grain on the other. They have the same aroma you experience when you visit the cellars at a winery. Do they provide a unique flavor to your barbecue? Hard to say, but they're fun to try if you have the chance.

Rules and Judging While the rules vary from one sanctioning organization to the next, most use some judging criteria that ranks entries based on their appearance, tenderness and texture, and taste. Typically, taste is considered the most important criteria and constitutes most of the score. In KCBS events, taste is a little over 50% of the total score. In competition events, judges do not rank entries relative to one another, saying this one is best, this one is second best, etc. Rather, they score each entry on its own merits using a scoring system established by the sanctioning organization. As with a lot of things, since they consider themselves a separate country, Texas does things differently. The rules are generally much simpler. IBCA scoring, for example, doesn’t differentiate between appearance, texture and taste but merely assigns a score of 1 – 10 for each entry. Meat is placed on a sheet of aluminum foil inside a Styrofoam box. No garnish is allowed, and sauce may not be brushed onto the meat after it is cooked. While most events outside Texas try to use certified BBQ judges, Texas events pull people from the street to judge and the number of judges may vary. The emphasis in Texas is on beef brisket, although they also have pork ribs and chicken categories. All organizations use a blind judging method to prevent judges from knowing whose barbecue they are judging. Teams are assigned a number that is placed on their entry boxes. Entries are typically submitted in a 9”x9” Styrofoam container. When the entries are turned in, a sticker with a different number is placed over the original number. Only the head judge or contest rep knows the mapping between the original team number and the judging team number.

Presentation In most events, presentation of the meats is important to your overall score even though it doesn’t count as much as taste and tenderness. In KCBS contests the only garnish allowed is green leaf lettuce and parsley or cilantro. In CBBQA contest no garnish is allowed, we don’t eat the garnish we eat the meat, it isn’t a competition about how you dress the pig it is all about the taste, how does that pig taste? Most cooks make a bed of lettuce in the turn-in box, arrange the meat on top of the lettuce and then place a few sprigs of strategically placed parsley. Use parsley sparingly. You don’t want to cover up the meat with parsley. However, sprigs of parsley can be used to hide flaws in the meat, such as a jagged piece or irregular slice. KCBS rules require a minimum of 6 identifiable pieces in the box, The CBBQA calls for at least 8 pieces. That means at least 6 or 8 individually cut ribs or pieces of chicken. Include more if possible. When presenting ribs, arrange them so that some of the ribs show the surface and some expose the sliced edge so the judges can see the smoke ring. Do not brush sauce on the sliced edges, only on the surface. For chicken, most competitors cook thighs. They are easier to work with, stay moist and provide a lot of flavor when the judge bites into them. Arrange the thighs in the box with as much of the surface as possible exposed, minimizing the overlap. This is difficult if the thighs are very large. Place parsley sprigs to fill any gaps between the thighs.


Cooking Process / Garry Howard

This is the process I use for chicken and ribs in competition. Chicken I always cook thighs for competition and most other cooks do as well, at least those who win. I marinate the thighs overnight. Some cooks brine them. Either will add flavor and keep the meat moist. I have had good luck with a marinade available from Head Country in Oklahoma. www.headcountry.com They have a restaurant and have won numerous contests. They also have an excellent sauce. I have won first place in chicken several times using their rub and sauce. I marinate the chicken thighs overnight. The next day, I sprinkle rub on them. Don’t put the rub on too heavy, it can be too overwhelming or make the chicken too salty. I put the thighs into the cooker skin side down. I usually smoke the thighs for around four hours. After two hours, I turn the thighs over with the skin side up. After the first hour, I baste the thighs with a mixture of 50% apple juice and 50% barbecue sauce. During the last half hour, I baste them with pure sauce. After removing from the cooker, I brush on a glaze of warmed honey. Ribs For the rib category, you must make a choice between spare ribs and baby back (loin back) ribs. Many competition cooks swear by baby backs, but I have had good success with spare ribs, including many first place wins and several perfect scores. I prefer spares because they have more meat than baby backs. They are a little more difficult to get right, but a perfectly cooked spare rib is a beautiful thing. The night before, I remove the membrane from the ribs and trim any excess fat. Ribs should also be trimmed to St. Louis cut. That is ribs that have had the brisket and chine bones removed. After trimming, I apply rub. Again, do not use an excessive amount of rub. Sprinkle the rub onto the ribs, rub it in and then shake off any excess. There should be just a thin coating of rub on the ribs. Rib meat is thin and has a lot of surface area compared to large cuts like brisket and pork butt. Put into large zip lock bags and place in a cooler overnight. In a Weber Smokey Mountain, spare ribs will cook in about 6 hours. About halfway through cooking, I baste the ribs every half hour with a mixture of 50% sauce and 50% apple juice. The last half hour I baste with 100% sauce. You can test the doneness of ribs by pushing a toothpick between the rib bones to judge tenderness, or pick up the rack of ribs with a pair of tongs to see how flexible they are. If you think they are done, remove a rack and slice off a rib from one end and try it. Competition ribs should not be cooked falling off the bone. They should be tender and still cling to the bone but come cleanly from the bone when you bite into them. If the end rib is not quite done then the rest of the rack is definitely not done. I usually cook 6 racks of ribs and sample a rib from the end of each rack to determine which one is the best. Believe it or not, there can be a lot of variation in several racks of ribs all cooked at the same time on the same rack at the same temperature. For turn-in, you want to turn in the ribs from the center of the rack. These are the meatiest and least likely to dry out. Use a very sharp knife to slice between the rib bones. Try to leave the same amount of meat on both sides of the cut. If the knife isn’t sharp, you won’t get a good, clean edge, it will be ragged and you will lose points on appearance. Brush the surface of the slices with a light glaze of warmed honey. Sometimes I also use a mixture of 50% honey and 50% sauce. Do not brush sauce on the sliced edges. Arrange the ribs in the box so that some of them show the surface and some show the edges. This way the judges can see how well the ribs are cooked and it exposes the smoke ring. How to slow smoke a brisket. A beef brisket is intimidating to cook; however if cooked right, it can be a tender, delicious piece of meat. According to brisket fancier Billy "Belly" Maynard, the brisket was not highly regarded until 1950, when two German brothers barbecued a piece of the meat and served it to customers at their meat market in the Texas Hill Country. Maynard says the customers loved the taste of the tender meat, and the brisket has been a standard part of Texas barbecue ever since. However, the true origins of barbecued brisket are unknown, and stories about its origin vary widely from state to state.

http://www.headcountry.com/


Barbecue is a way of slow-cooking food, sometimes with a savory rub or sauce basted on the item regularly. A whole beef brisket makes an excellent candidate for barbecue as it benefits greatly from the long cooking time and the flavor and aroma of smoking wood. Beef brisket comes from the chest of a cow, and has layers of fat that tenderize the meat as it cooks. The best brisket for home barbecue is a USDA choice grade cut. Instructions

1.

Remove the brisket from its wrappings and place it in a colander in the sink to drain. Move the meat to a cutting board, trimming back any fat over ½-inch thick. Use your knife to score the fat layer, making cuts about ½-inch apart from each other crisscross on all sides of the meat.

Marinate the brisket using a dry or liquid marinade. These help create the barbecue flavor for your brisket. Dry rubs include ingredients like garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, salt, and smoky paprika. Wet marinades effective on brisket include ingredients like apple juice, red wine, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Note that if you're using a wet marinade you can inject it into the meat too. Place the marinating meat into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Soak your smoking wood in water, beer, wine, or juice for one hour. Three excellent choices for smoking wood are apple, hickory or maple. Drain the wood before placing into your grills' wood receptacle.

Turn the grill up high to get the wood smoking, then reduce the temperature to 225 degrees. Turn the brisket every half hour, basting it with your favorite sauce or apple juice to keep it from drying out. When the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 180 degrees on a meat thermometer, remove it and let the meat rest for a full half hour before serving.

Smoking the Brisket

Generally, a brisket should be cooked one hour per pound between 220 and 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, times will vary depending on the size, density and quality of the brisket, as well as the smoker you're using. If you're using a water smoker, the steam itself will prevent the brisket from becoming dry. However, if you're using a standard pit smoker, to prevent drying, wrap the brisket in foil about five hours before it's finished smoking.

If you're using mild chips, such as apple, use two or three additions of chips. However, if you're using stronger woods such as hickory, oak or mesquite, use less chips to prevent bitterness.

Don't Lose the Juices

When the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, it will be ready for serving. At 195 degrees, it will shred easily, ideal for pulled sandwiches. It is important, however, to avoid slicing the meat as soon as it comes out of the smoker. Slicing the brisket prematurely will cause the flavorful juices to flow out. Instead, wrap the brisket in aluminum foil and set it aside for about an hour. Juices will then absorb back into the meat.


Pork Meat Cuts

we do it low & slow” - bahamas local · 2014-04-23 · slow”. meat is cooked at low...

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