The All Things BBQ Thread

Going to start a thread to discuss BBQ. Not grilling hot and fast over direct heat, but low and slow indirectly using smoldering hardwoods. We can argue proteins, rubs, mops and sauce (wood terroir as well )

Pork

Today I have two racks of St. Louis cut pork ribs. Both weighed in at a tad under four pounds each. I removed excess fat, the membrane and a little left on skirt. Rub as described below with a spritz of peach nectar and apple cider vinegar once bark is set. Using half pecan and apple chunks for smoke. Plan is three hours on the Ranch Kettle and oven finish at 225 deg F until done.

Rub:

1/4 Cup Malabar Pepper, coarse grind
1/4 Cup Sea Salt, medium crystals
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 TBS Spanish Sweet Paprika

I like your rub for pork Bill, I use almost the same combination with the addition of white pepper and dry mustard for a little “twang”.

Rub applied and rested in reefer for four hours.

I like to play with ingredient for sure. Tonight just going with KISS to get the smoke and pork flavor.

Halfway there.

Done

Those look legit. My smoker died and it’s time for a new one. Looking at an upright like backwoods smokers or Johnson smokers.

I smoked a whole 12 lb prime Costco brisket on Friday. It had been in my freezer for almost 2 months in the original Costco cryovac. Simple salt and pepper rub. Smoked on my WSM with lump charcoal and mesquite chunks for about 5 hours, wrapped in foil and finished in a 250 degree oven for another 4+ hours until it hit 198. I didn’t take any pictures, but it ended up with a nice smoke ring without much of a bark, but very tasty. After a couple days of nothing but brisket, I sliced up the remaining chunk, and packaged a few 1 to 1 1/2 lb packages and froze them. Maybe not central Texas good, but I was very happy with the results, my first time with a whole brisket.

What temp for your spareribs? Mine tend to be a little greasy. I’m wondering if the heat isn’t high enough and I’m not rendering enough fat out? Odd part is I get good results when doing shoulders. The place up the street does spares far better than I ever have. Brisket and baby backs are my most frequent productions. Planning on moving in a couple years and putting in a large brick smoker and wood fired pizza oven. I want to see a smoked wagyu prime rib next…

I like to do pork of all sorts at 250. These ribs looked and smelled great, but frankly they sucked. They had been previously frozen and I don’t know if that affected them or not. Taste was bland and texture was very mushy and fatty. Bark and seasoning was good, but it did not translate to the meat. Live and learn on purveyor.

Chuck, for that central Texas flavor, you have to go big on the black pepper and use post oak. I am pulling away from mesquite now that I have found a good source for oak as it is way sweeter and nowhere near as harsh and bitter.

Whole hog, low and slow. Mop with apple cider vinegar and crushed red pepper. Pull or chop the pork, chop and include the crispy skin.

No tomato product within 100 miles.

Anyone who would put ketchup in the sauce they feed to innocent children is capable of anything.

No seasoning?

Bob, one other thing about my “back away” method is the drippings from whatever meat is being “barbecued” that can then be made to use as sauce if one so desires. If the meat is seasoned correctly, then the drippings will be also. This is the essence of the meat in liquid form if one wants to use a sauce for additional flavoring. Nothing sweet, nothing tomato - just meat flavoring. Cannot be made over coals unless one includes a drip pan between the meat and coals. Much easier in the oven.

Try it. You will be pleased.

Unless you’re using the technical definition of “seasoning” (salt), I don’t understand the question.

Whole hog won’t fit in my oven, sad to say.

Seasoning? - salt and pepper. Don’t be coy.

I believe you have mentioned previously that you cook pork shoulders and briskets. If they do not fall under the umbrella of barbecue, what do they fall under according to your definition thereof? I would suspect that whole hog falls out of the purview of most of the posters on this thread, hence most of the “all things BBQ” that I referred to as it relates to most of the posters.

How often do you cook “barbecue”, according to your definition? How often do you cook beef/pork that falls out of your definition? If the latter does not meet your definition of barbecue (a.k.a. - whole hog), what does it fall under? Inquisitive minds want to know.

Pecan. Cook your ribs at 200 deg. Why cook at a higher temperature once they have reached the desired temperature for the correct amount of time? For example, sous vide. For example, pork roast in a warming drawer at 140 deg. For example, …

I use to cook a lot, now if I fire up the smoker once a month I feel lucky. Never liked beef much in a smoker but love pork. I tried all temps and found 275 was my ideal mix on the flavor, time scale.

I try very much to stay away from lots of sugar in my rub and love Roberts no tomato products within 100 miles approach. I am very much an eastern NC sauce kind of guy.

I know its not pork, but still love doing briskets during the summer. Usually, just a salt and pepper rub works for me, but sometimes I’ll venture down other paths. Sadly, never had great success with just the flat, so usually go for the whole thing.

I have been using the Kampot peppercorns for a few years now. Highly recommended.