[oldschool1982]

Well today we did. Actually yesterday I started to marinate the pork shoulders in my NC (vinegar) BBQ sauce and rubbed the 13 slabs of ribs.

We were able to get the ribs smoked today, which was a miracle in and of itself (smoker and a couple other issues) and was hoping to get the shoulders done tomorrow. There was a minor setback in that as I was opening the door to the smoker to pull the ribs it friggen fell off. I was able to apply a small amount of "MickeyMouse Engineering" to remedy that but now the rain is moving in tomorrow. Need a full 10hrs for the shoulders so it looks like saturday is the day.

I apologize for not having any pictures to show ya'll but when the door came off the smoker there was a minor issue with the camera. The door fell on the camera . So maybe I can borrow the DD's mini digital and we'll get some shots of the food at time of service.

So how many of ya'll out there prepare "Q" for the holiday and what else?

[MaryB]

Ordering 2 cases of ribs and a case of butts tomorrow. Pick them up next Friday to cook on Saturday. I do most of my prep right before food goes on the pit. A long marinade doesn't seem to affect the final flavor that much. A clean burning fire is more important to me.

This was 4th of July a couple years ago.

[allie]

I have no idea what we're doing this year. Usually we either make bbq or grill something. If it's "q", then we cook boston butts and pull, maybe a whole chicken, fatty, and abt's, then coleslaw, baked beans, and potato salad to go with it. If it's burgers, then we have about the same menu. lol I make a salad called a Creamy Fruit Fluff often for cookouts. It's nothing fancy but everyone loves it.

We love spring, summer, and fall, when we can fire up the smoker!

Sorry to hear about your camera! Oh, I'd cry if that happened to mine!

[food-macro]

What holiday you cooking for?
MarryB those ribs look absolutly awsomness i want one ill travel back in time to get one !

[oldschool1982]

Originally Posted by food-macro

What holiday you cooking for?

Memorial Day weekend is next weekend here in the States. Not to insult anyones intelligence so for those of you that do not live here nor have experienced it, It is the un-official Start of Summer and one we mark with cook-outs and BBQ's in honor of.

Last year was our first Memorial Day in the new neighborhood and we inherited a block-style party when we moved into the house. Actually it's hard to have it on the street with all the permitting that is needed so we offered our back yard and with a bit of effort it's turned into ample enough space for everyone to enjoy themselves.

Just hope we break this rain on the weekend trend.


MaryB, That's a nice Rig you've got there.

As far as the marinade goes, It's just thinned out NC BBQ sauce. Since I do the NC Style Pulled pork I don't use a Rub on the shoulders. The spice residue (basically 3 types of pepper in my recipe) plus the vinegar flavor from the NC sauce adding a bit of spicey/smokey tang when the process is complete. All I do then is add a bit of fresh sauce to the pulled shoulders and it's ready to go. I had offered a slice shoulder as well and that one did receive rub with no marinating, but we always ended up shredding that one for pulled Pork and my rub is not condusive to the NC sauce. Pulled pork is the way to go in these parts anyhow.

No brisket this year. Couldn't find the nice whole briskets at any of the local spots. It seemes everyone is splitting tham now and they want an arm and a leg for it. Last I saw it was 4.49lb. Then again....Brisket isn't as big here in Virginia as let's say Kansas City.

Now all I have to do is to remember to order the Keg today

The camera? Thanks for the thought Allie. Interesting what a 25-30lb smoker door can do to a camera. I've always wondered what those digital ones look like inside. Could've waited on that tho

[Gummy-Bear]

What are y'all's favorite barbecue sauce recipe. I wasn't going to do anything but seeing those ribs on that grill have motivated me to do something. What do you guys do for rubs and bastes.

[allie]

I have been making a ketchup based sauce for years. My mom made a similar one and I've kind of modified it and am still perfecting the recipe. I've started working with tomato sauce as a base instead of ketchup and add things like brown sugar, honey, cane syrup, maple syrup, caramelized onions in a bit of butter, cracked black pepper, hot sauce, yellow mustard, worcestershire, etc.

I've also tried some vinegar sauces, and a bourbon sauce, as well as mustard sauce. I still prefer my thicker, sweeter version of everything I've tried so far.

Les has been working on a rub for a couple of years now. He started with spices we enjoyed on pork and now has a rub that can be used for almost any kind of protein. I use it even when cooking inside now.

One day, we'd like to compete with our bbq so I won't share my exact recipes.

[MaryB]

I have been using a commercial rub (Smokin Guns Mild) for years. They are a competition BBQ team and their rub is outstanding. It also pairs well with the NC vinegar/ketchup based pulled pork sauce.

[boar_d_laze]

Mary,

I'm with you. Long "marinades" in dry rub don't seem to make much difference compared to applying the rub on top of a slather a few minutes before cooking.

My family goes for pork, beef and fish along with Caesar salad, sides and pies. We're going to do some spares in our little smoker (BBC Offset with an "Afterburner" for heat) over maple and pecan, some tri or top sirloin "Santa Maria" style over oak coals -- even though everyone else has been agitating for truffled smoked-brisket, my mom wants steak; and things being what they are I can't do enough to please here. We usually do salmon, but I've found a great fish market so I'll stay loose and pick up whatever looks best the day before, brine it and smoke it over alder the morning of. Every thing's easy as can be except finding seasoned live oak -- may have to settle for red or white.

BDL

[MaryB]

I am hoping 2/3 of a cord of mixed white and red oak get here before Memorial Weekend. I don't have a large choice of wood out here on the prairie

[oldschool1982]

Originally Posted by MaryB

I am hoping 2/3 of a cord of mixed white and red oak get here before Memorial Weekend. I don't have a large choice of wood out here on the prairie

Fingers crossed for ya.

You mention the selection? Not sure if you like to use the chink at all but there's several varieties available on-line and most have (or used to) free shipping when you get to the 100.00 mark.

As far as my choices....I've played around with many different mixes and additions to the mix but always seem to end up back with Hickory especially for pork This is not to say that you won't find bags of pecan (wood and shells), apple, cherry, maple, oak, etc and every now and then mesquite chunks and chips on the shelf during the season

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

Mary,

I'm with you. Long "marinades" in dry rub don't seem to make much difference compared to applying the rub on top of a slather a few minutes before cooking.........

BDL

I can't say that I buy into the "establishment" regarding the use of rubs but...... There are time that when you put the effort into them they do provide a taste and texture that really adds to the BBQ experience. The problem I have is that people don't try and match a rub with a sauce if that's how they eat. I personally like the sauce and spent some time developing one and have learned to enjoy a rub and took an equal amount of time to develope a rub that worked well with the sauce.

My only problem with "Q" is the overbearing tones of Molasses you get. Believe me when you judge a comp you start to get a buzz from the amounts of smoke and molasses.

It's been years since I competed but like Allie I can't really share anything since I'd like to try an market my stuff but............ there are a couple out on the site that can give testimonial

Mary, please forgive me in asking this but what is your definition of a clean burning fire? That's not something I've heard before but it's not like I haven't missed things before.

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by oldschool1982

As far as my choices....I've played around with many different mixes and additions to the mix but always seem to end up back with Hickory especially for pork This is not to say that you won't find bags of pecan (wood and shells), apple, cherry, maple, oak, etc and every now and then mesquite chunks and chips on the shelf during the season

Hickory is always a favorite with pork, but honestly I find it somewhat cliched. I try and match smoke with application, of course. That said, my favorites with pork are maple, pecan, and most fruit woods with peach and citrus in the lead -- depending on final saucing.

I can't say that I buy into the "establishment" regarding the use of rubs

???

but...... There are time that when you put the effort into them they do provide a taste and texture that really adds to the BBQ experience. The problem I have is that people don't try and match a rub with a sauce if that's how they eat. I personally like the sauce and spent some time developing one and have learned to enjoy a rub and took an equal amount of time to develope [sic] a rub that worked well with the sauce.

I suspect most good pitmasters do the same.

My only problem with "Q" is the overbearing tones of Molasses you get. Believe me when you judge a comp you start to get a buzz from the amounts of smoke and molasses.

It's partly regional, partly the fault of the the judges themselves who tend to score against the wildly different -- no matter how good; and score for the familiar -- if it's very good. And of course, partly the fault of the competitors. There are lots of people who can't cook very well at most local comps. And the better competitors learn pretty quickly what wins and what doesn't. If molasses wins, you see a lot of molasses. A few years ago it was all apple with pork.

It's been years since I competed but like Allie I can't really share anything since I'd like to try an market my stuff but............ there are a couple out on the site that can give testimonial

Cool.

Mary, please forgive me in asking this but what is your definition of a clean burning fire? That's not something I've heard before but it's not like I haven't missed things before.

Mary can correct me if my definition is different than hers, but a clean burning fire is one that gives a thin stream of blue smoke instead of billowing clouds of white (moisture) or grey (creosote).

BDL

[MaryB]

Thin translucent blue, and it smells sweet. A dirty burning fire smells nasty and thats what your food will taste like. My pit is a wood burner only so no ordering supplies online I burn fireplace length split oak, apple, and maybe some hickory is I ca find it.

[oldschool1982]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

????

BDL

Okay I'll try to explain in an edit but I was just told we're running late to the DD's soccer game.

I'll explain when I get back

So much for getting the pork shoulders on without a mid-night clean-up.

[allie]

We have tried rubbing the night before and just minutes before putting the meat on the smoker. It doesn't seem to make much difference either way. What has made a big difference is mixing some of the rub with apple juice and injecting the meat. We love it that way!

My sauce uses some of the rub in the seasoning so they do match. I agree that there has to be something in common between the rub and the sauce for it to work and I think that's why I haven't cared for some of the other sauces we've tried in the past. While some people just want the meat, I am definitely a sauce person. No molasses taste here! I have only bought molasses maybe twice in my adult life and I think that was for some kind of dessert or something. lol Just don't care for it.

We mainly use hickory just because we can usually get it for free around here. We have the woodburning offset Brinkman Smoking Pit Pro so can use big chunks. We've also bought some cherry chips and really like chicken cooked on the grill with someo f those chips.

Yep, like Mary said a clean burning fire makes all the difference. The first time we used our smoker, we didn't have that and the meat wasn't good. Since we've learned how to use it, the meat isn't overpowered by the wood smoke and that comes from a thin blue smoke out of the stack.