[ScoopLV]

There's really nothing to it when it comes to barbecue. The technique is dead simple -- very low heat, smoke, and a lot of time.

Most places aren't willing to do that. They speed up the process to make a little more money. Basically, they're banking on the ignorance of their clientele. (Lookin' at you, Famous Dave.) It's like pizza. So few places do it right, that when someone comes along who does (Settebello/Pizza Rock), they're immediately king of the hill.

[yellowsnow]

Originally Posted by momofvegasgirls

Rollin Smoke is where we go.

Love Rollin' Smoke! Just pull in the parking lot and smell!

[yellowsnow]

We tried the sausages tonight and we agree they are probably the best we have EVER eaten. All I did was pan sear them and cook with kraut. Amazing. All meat, no fillers and now I regret there are only 18 in a package.

[C_A_Braun]

I am going to check out Pot Liquor this weekend. It better be as good as Scoop claims. That means my ribs and pulled pork had better be tender and flavorful but better not be mush. Way too many people think that a great BBQ rib is that which you bite into and every bit of meat just slides off the bone and into your mouth with that 1 bite. That is just disgusting mush though. I need to be able to bite into a rib and have my bite come cleanly off the bone while all the meat I didnt bite into stays on the bone where it belongs. I know BBQ restaurant joints don't cater to a contest judging standarx and usually consider fall off the bone mush to be great BBQ and they expect their customers to want that nasty stuff. Not me. I want my BBQ restaurant experience to be just like I do it at home but without me having to do all the work. And I don't produce mush in my backyard.

[OmegaSupreme]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

There's really nothing to it when it comes to barbecue. The technique is dead simple -- very low heat, smoke, and a lot of time.

For people doing it at home, there's a bit of a learning curve. Yes, some things are super simple (like ribs imo) but others not so much

I think it's in part to our dry air and possibly our elevation (but i may be reaching a bit there)

Also, if you want the best bbq, then you need to start with the best meat (prime, possibly choice)... sure you can have great bqq with lesser cuts, but it won't be "the best"

Brisket is the most challenging imo. There are so many variables that affect the end product and a full packer starts at $40 for the low grade stuff, so experimenting ain't cheap

Originally Posted by C_A_Braun

I want my BBQ restaurant experience to be just like I do it at home but without me having to do all the work. And I don't produce mush in my backyard.

yeah i think most people like that fall off the bone thing when it comes to ribs, i suppose it's a matter of preference... i like my ribs to be tender, but still have some grab to them... as in almost fall off the bone, but not quite

let me know if you find a restaurant that you feel hits the mark... i tend to avoid bbq places here because i don't feel like i get value for money, that and i can usually do better at home

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by OmegaSupreme

Also, if you want the best bbq, then you need to start with the best meat (prime, possibly choice)... sure you can have great bqq with lesser cuts, but it won't be "the best"

Nope. Although I can see your logic.

Barbecue is the food of poverty. Slaves, sharecroppers, indentured servants and the just plain poor who were marginalized in the American colonies were given (or could only afford) the absolute worst parts of an animal when it was butchered. Brisket, ribs, shoulder -- these are tough cuts of meat with a great deal of connective tissue. In addition, they got bones, knuckles and entrails -- and that's where foods like Hoppin' John come from.

When cooked low and slow, the collagen the connective tissue in these cuts melts into gelatin. That's why real barbecue is so lip-smacking good. And the collagen change happens best between 160f and 180f.

There is absolutely no point barbecuing USDA Prime ribeyes. It's a waste of time and ingredients.

Give me the biggest, gnarliest hunk of ribs. Give me five hours. And give me an accurate thermometer, wood chips and an enclosed (and preferably insulated) heat source. And I can make something that will make you swear that ambrosia is real.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by C_A_Braun

I am going to check out Pot Liquor this weekend. It better be as good as Scoop claims. That means my ribs and pulled pork had better be tender and flavorful but better not be mush. Way too many people think that a great BBQ rib is that which you bite into and every bit of meat just slides off the bone and into your mouth with that 1 bite. That is just disgusting mush though. I need to be able to bite into a rib and have my bite come cleanly off the bone while all the meat I didnt bite into stays on the bone where it belongs. I know BBQ restaurant joints don't cater to a contest judging standarx and usually consider fall off the bone mush to be great BBQ and they expect their customers to want that nasty stuff. Not me. I want my BBQ restaurant experience to be just like I do it at home but without me having to do all the work. And I don't produce mush in my backyard.

I've eaten there several times and not once have I received a plate of mush.

Here's a photo of their smoker:



These racks are all on a giant oval carousel. Most of the smoker isn't visible in this photo. And if I'm not mistaken, it's the only one of its kind in the city. The whole thing has digital temperature control. So you can cook meat perfectly with a scale and a clock.

One of these days I'll bite the bullet and buy (or make) a Fast Eddy's Cookshack. THEN I'd like to put my 'cue up against their 'cue. Just for fun.

[OmegaSupreme]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

Barbecue was the food of poverty...
...There is absolutely no point barbecuing USDA Prime ribeyes. It's a waste of time and ingredients.
Give me the biggest, gnarliest hunk of ribs. Give me five hours. And give me an accurate thermometer, wood chips and an enclosed (and preferably insulated) heat source.....

Fixed that for you

A few years ago, you could get briskets at $0.99/lb, nowadays they are anywhere from $3.5-$8/lb (or more)

When I say prime, I mean brisket. The grading very much matters with that.

I've never tried ribeye, but I'm sure a higher graded ribeye roast would come out better in a smoker vs a lesser grade..... Whether or not it's a waste of money, I cannot say... I have tried reverse searing; starting a ribeye in the smoker (to about 110-115), then onto a flaming hot grill, but I feel it's not worth the effort

Every piece of meat is different, even if they weigh the same and are the same thickness

Also, I never use a thermometer to check on ribs. I use time as a guide and various tests to check when they're ready

Similarly, for briskets I check for doneness (using a toothpick) when they hit 195 and keep checking since some are ready at that point, others are ready beyond 200

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by OmegaSupreme

When I say prime, I mean brisket. The grading very much matters with that.

Grading measures intramuscular fat. Fat doesn't help barbecue at all. Collagen content does. That's why knuckles and trotters taste so good -- loads of collagen.

I would gladly cook some USDA prime vs. choice brisket -- trimmed and brined the same way. You're not going to be able to taste any difference. The choice will actually taste better because more intramuscular fat is going to melt out of the meat with the prime. What you want is collagen and temperatures around 165-170f.

[OmegaSupreme]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

Grading measures intramuscular fat. Fat doesn't help barbecue at all. Collagen content does. That's why knuckles and trotters taste so good -- loads of collagen.

I would gladly cook some USDA prime vs. choice brisket -- trimmed and brined the same way. You're not going to be able to taste any difference. The choice will actually taste better because more intramuscular fat is going to melt out of the meat with the prime. What you want is collagen and temperatures around 165-170f.

taste may be the same, but the prime will almost always be more moist and juicy - that's the reason prime briskets sell for more

internet brisketeers and brisketeers I know personally have told me the best brisket they've done was prime. i too was a non-believer at first, but i'm sold now