BBQ tricks

Y

Y Sanchez

250+ Posts
What are the little tricks or techniques that make your BBQ what it is?
-I use brown sugar and cumin in my dry rub

-Spritz with red wine vinegar during cooking

-welding gloves are awesome things to have

-Spring loaded tongs are great for helping move the wood in the burn box.

-I start my fire with a foundation of charcoal, gets a good base of coals going right off the bat. Plus if you are cooking all night you can add charcoal around midnight and not have to worry about the fire going out before 6-7 in the morning.

-I use a plumbers acetylene torch as a fire enhancer (ten bucks at Lowes)

-NEVER use starter fluid I don't care if you start a fire and don't put the meat on ten hours later you can still taste kerosene.

-I quit trying to create the perfect method of cooking ribs and use Hornians instead..

-IF you MUST have sauce (borderlinhe communist) The Alton Brown episode where he makes bbq sauce out of the juice from the wrapped up packet of ribs is pretty dang good.
 
1) I always use a chimney starter. I am also, it seems, an evangelist for chimney starters when I camp, cook out with friends. They are amazed at how well it works with non matchlight coals and without lighter fluid. Some are still idiots and continue to use lighter fluid. Before I started using the chimney starter, it would be a total crapshoot how long it would take to get my coals going. Now it is like clockwork.

2) If I am grilling for ~4-6 people, I use 1 full or slightly less than full chimney starter. I then throw on a 1/2 of a log of mesquite of hickory.

3) I have used Hornian's 3-2-1 also and it comes out great.

4) I prefer cooking ribs over brisket at this time. Main reason is I am married with no kids (currently but one on the way) so brisket is just too much meat. Even with a few friends over. Ribs are ideal.
 
Second the motion on the chimney, greatest invention EVER.

Here is a good tip for picking out a good brisket. Find the most flexible brisket in the display case, ideally you grab each end of the brisket and make them touch each other. Learned that from a butcher who was also a competition bbq'er and it is money for finding the most tender brisket available.
 
My dad told me that secret years ago. He says it is because fat (when cold) becomes very hard. Brisket is already a very fatty piece of meat so you don't need it to be even fattier.
 
Learn to cook a good chicken. The ladies will really appreciate this. If you don't know how, ask.

Always throw on some jalapenos (I de-seed and cut in half) when smoking something. In about an hour, you have some awesome smoked jalapenos. Great for making homemade salsa or migas. They are delicious, and I'll put them in almost anything for the next week.

Use hornian's ribs recipe, but only if you don't mind people bugging you as to when you're going to make them next.

Try not to breathe in too much smoke from the smoker. You'll feel kinda crappy, and your food won't taste as good.
 
I have this one trick where I pull a fully-smoked brisket outta my *** . . . but if I show anyone, they never want to eat my brisket again.

So I keep that one to myself. Until now. Crap.
biggrin.gif
 
I have a basket made from expanded metal that fits into my firebox. Ten pounds of lump charcoal will fill it to the top. Lasts about eight hours or just slightly more than double the time if I put it in the firebox directly in my 24" .

I haven't gotten out of bed to check the fire in years because I needed to.
 
Fiesta brand rub (brisket/rib/pork) + Montreal Steak Seasoning is an allsome rub. I use it all the time.
 
I smoked a turkey and put an aluminum drip pan directly under the turkey. After taking all the meat off the carcass after it was cooked, I strained the juices in the drip pan, added the bones to a stock pot, and boild the juices and bones for stock.

Oh my God, the stock was darker and had a smoky flavor. It was awesome to use as a base for soups, stews, and even rice.

I am sure you can do the same with brisket, pork shoulder roast, and even drippings from ribs.
 
I go to HEB, get a precooked brisket, pop it in my oven for an hour or so, then put it on my grill right before my friends come over for a football game on TV. I act like I've been slaving over the grill for hours and make them feel guilty, to the point that they bring all the beer and offer to take me to dinner at some point in the future.

And everybody says i make the best brisket they've ever had.

wink.gif
 
Make a soup while you smoke. Cut up some vegetables (carrots, corn, cabbage, onions, etc.) and put them in a cast iron skillet with some salt, pepper, chile powder, and cilantro. Put water in it, and put it where it will catch drippings as you smoke. Saw this on Primal Grill.

It makes a nice starter while you are letting the meat sit.
 
I know this is more of a 'grilling' thing rather than Q, but to test the done-ness of a decently thick steak, don't bother poking it or (gawd forbid) slicing into it - give it the "wiggle test" by using some tongs solidly clamped onto it, then see how well it wiggles. The stiffer it is, the more done it is.

After a few times trying this out, you'll get the hang of what's well / medium / rare, etc.

Note: This has zero to do with internal temperature... you're on your own for this one, bub.

As for 'general Q' stuff, I only use Oak Lump & will often do a steak semi-directly over the coals:
Get your heat up & running, then take ONE section of split Oak or Hickory & lay it across the top of your coals. Place the grill on top like normal & the steak directly over this.

Lightly smoked, no flareups.

texasflag.gif
hookem.gif
texasflag.gif
hookem.gif
texasflag.gif
 
Brine chicken and turkey, drain brine, rinse birds, pat dry and let 'dry out' in fridge for at least 6 hours. Will get crispier skin and much better color than if you don't let it dry out.
 
The stock posts kind of got us off topic but what the heck, for an awesome stock take the bones and roast them in the oven for about an hour before "stocking". I have never used bones from smoked meat to make stock but I dang sure will in the future. Great idea.
 
There are people that say that "my recipe" for whatever is the best they have ever had. And I never claimed to invent anything.

I have never seen Hornian take anything that I would take to be credit for discovering his rib recipe. But I got it from him and as far as I am concerned it is his.

We are not talking about plagarizing the Declaration of Independence here people.

It's a recipe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top