How do you barbecue (Bar-B-Q, BBQ)?

**CingularDuality** · 06-05-2009, 05:50 AM

Everyone does it a little bit different. What does it mean if you say that you're going to BBQ some chicken, or if you're going to barbecue a brisket? Do you have your own sauce or rub? Wood, gas, or charcoal? Direct heat or smoker?

Me? I use commercial sauces and rubs. I should play around and make my own rub, but I just haven't done it. I used to cook over charcoal, but now use gas for convenience. I've been thinking about building or buying a smoker. My technique varies, but usually involves long, low heat.

**stickyjeans69** · 06-05-2009, 05:57 AM

Charcoal Grill/smoker, Commercial rubs/sauces, Sometimes home made - Carne asada for example.

typically Direct heat, Unless its a special occasion

Smoked turkeys for Thanksgiving

.

**Bandaid** · 06-05-2009, 10:16 AM

Gas Grill with Jack Daniels Honey BBQ sauce.

**MrShawn305** · 06-05-2009, 10:45 AM

oak lump charcoal with some mesquite wood from out back of the house, in a combo grill/smoker, usually direct heat unless special occasions, commercial rubs/sauces but usually dont use them.

**kin3** · 06-05-2009, 12:08 PM

For ribs I boil them 20 minutes then on to the grill to finish off. This makes them real tender. Whatever sauce I have handy.

I like to smoke ribs, chickens, salmon, etc. when I have the time.

**Ferris Bueller** · 06-05-2009, 03:07 PM

My first job was working for a butcher (who had a sandwich/barbecue shop attached), so I'm heavily biased when it comes to barbecue. I spent 3 years working the smokers and the grill, constantly being watched and checked by the bossman. So I got schooled really well in old fashiioned southern barbecue.

The method of doing it really comes down to what you're grilling and how big it is. You're obviously not going to fire up a 6 hour smoke for a pack of hot dogs. Similarly, you're not going to try and cook a 2 pound pork butt on a charcoal weber. It just makes sense.

For the basics, I use charcoal. I'm talking steaks, tenderloin (small), hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. For anything larger, its going in the smoke for as long as it needs to. Ribs, chicken (anything larger than pieces, usually half chx or full birds), larger hocks of meat. The smoker prep consists of a charcoal bed for initial firing, then wood heated to temperature and maintained by wood alone. Wood type depends on the flavor you want in the meat. Everyone raves about hickory smoked meat, personally i prefer cedar short smoke on an oak base.

For my prep, I always make my own rubs and marinades. Depending on my mood I'll either make my own sauce (which takes several hours) or i'll break into my stash of pre-made sauce (not by me, local-commercial stuff) from back in florida. Thats the only off-the-shelf sauce i'll use. Most of the general sauces out there like your "kc masterpiece" and whatnot have a distinct plastic and sugar taste that drives me up the wall.

I really am a barbecue snob. Guess thats what happens when you learn the right ways to do it at 14.

**8 bits** · 06-05-2009, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by kin3

For ribs I boil them 20 minutes then on to the grill to finish off. This makes them real tender. Whatever sauce I have handy.

I like to smoke ribs, chickens, salmon, etc. when I have the time.

I have never been able to get ribs right by boiling first... I must not be doing something right...

I prefer charcoal, but you just can't beat the convenience of a gas grill.

I like to flame broil hamburgers and steaks. Keep the flame high and the meat moving. Let it stand still too long and it's burnt! I rub them with whatever seasonings I'm in the mood for (usually salt and lemon pepper with minced onions or garlic) and cover in worsestershire (is that spelled right?) after each flip...

For ribs, I cook over direct heat on the grill until they have the desired color and texture. Afterward, I rap them in aluminum foil and move to indirect heat for about 2-3 hours. They come out so tender you can literally chew through the bone as if it were bread. I usually rub with mustard, lemon pepper, onion or garlic powder and add a little coca-cola to the mix during the wrapping stage (helps to tenderize them faster and adds a little more flavor). Never use salt on pork, it's salty enough on its own and the salt just dries them out...

Man, that's making me hungry...

**ScratchMonkey** · 06-05-2009, 03:50 PM

So tell us about your sauce, Ferris: What goes into a "good" sauce?

I recall watching some show on the Food channel (Good Eats?) explaining that there were 3 distinct schools of American BBQ, including eastern, southern, and Texas, and they're very different.

**kin3** · 06-05-2009, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by Ferris Bueller

My first job was working for a butcher (who had a sandwich/barbecue shop attached), so I'm heavily biased when it comes to barbecue. I spent 3 years working the smokers and the grill, constantly being watched and checked by the bossman. So I got schooled really well in old fashiioned southern barbecue.

The method of doing it really comes down to what you're grilling and how big it is. You're obviously not going to fire up a 6 hour smoke for a pack of hot dogs. Similarly, you're not going to try and cook a 2 pound pork butt on a charcoal weber. It just makes sense.

For the basics, I use charcoal. I'm talking steaks, tenderloin (small), hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. For anything larger, its going in the smoke for as long as it needs to. Ribs, chicken (anything larger than pieces, usually half chx or full birds), larger hocks of meat. The smoker prep consists of a charcoal bed for initial firing, then wood heated to temperature and maintained by wood alone. Wood type depends on the flavor you want in the meat. Everyone raves about hickory smoked meat, personally i prefer cedar short smoke on an oak base.

For my prep, I always make my own rubs and marinades. Depending on my mood I'll either make my own sauce (which takes several hours) or i'll break into my stash of pre-made sauce (not by me, local-commercial stuff) from back in florida. Thats the only off-the-shelf sauce i'll use. Most of the general sauces out there like your "kc masterpiece" and whatnot have a distinct plastic and sugar taste that drives me up the wall.

I really am a barbecue snob. Guess thats what happens when you learn the right ways to do it at 14.

I'll bet yours taste really really good. Sounds like you know how to do it.

**Ferris Bueller** · 06-05-2009, 05:54 PM

I have a variety of sauces that I make. My favorite is my vinegar based sauce. I make it in large quantities, and I've been doing it for a long time so theres no specific recipe for it (i eyeball the amounts from experience), but heres the basic ingredients and instructions:
white or cider vinegar
worcestershire sauce
lemon juice
paprika
chili powder
lots of garlic
onion powder
dill
ground mustard seed
salt
cayenne/red/green/black pepper (variations depend on how hot you want it)
brown sugar
water
heat water to boiling, drop in brown sugar, dissolve. reduce to medium heat, add vinegar, mix until constant. add liquid ingredients one at a time, mixing well. add solid ingredients in desired amounts. slow simmer to reduce to 2/3 total volume. bottle individually, making sure to capture some of the still spices in each bottle.
DO NOT USE IMMEDIATELY. Cap bottles, store at room temperature for 2 days minimum. Move to refrigerator. Refrigerate until chilled to desirable level. Serve over meat product of choice.

That particular sauce is going to be a very very thin sauce, but its one of those things that you dont feel overwhelmed by the sauce being soupy or pasty. Ideally, what I do is take one of the larger bottles and separate it into smaller shaker bottles (i.e. tobasco type bottles) and spritz it on my barbecue. between that and a good rub/marinade, you have tasty meat.

I do have a couple other kinds of sauces, including a tomato based sauce (thick, more "traditional" sauce like what you'd find in the grocery store), but that one is my favorite.

EDIT: oh yeah, with that particular sauce, like I said, i make it in large batches, usually about once every 4-5 months. The bottles that you dont plan to use immediately can be stored at room temperature (i.e. a closet or pantry) almost indefinitely as long as they stay sealed. for this I recommend mason jars. If you dont know how to seal mason jars for long term keeping, let me know and I'll school ya.

**ScratchMonkey** · 06-05-2009, 06:01 PM

How does a gas grill differ from a pan with ridges? Is it the amount of heat? If so, is there any value in "indirect" heat on a grill versus using an oven?

I was watching Good Eats last week where Alton uses the BBQ to cook a pork tenderloin very rapidly to keep it from drying out and apparently here the high heat is what's important.

**ScratchMonkey** · 06-05-2009, 06:03 PM

Ferrirs, is the acid in the sauce enough to keep it from spoiling, or do you "can it" in the mason jars like jelly for preservation?

**Ferris Bueller** · 06-05-2009, 06:08 PM

It entirely depends on what you're cooking and how you want it done. A good example that I like to use is a standing rib roast. You can cook it on the grill (direct heat) using low heat, but you have to check it constantly to make sure the heat isnt burning the thing and that its cooking evenly all the way through. If you do indirect heat (which can be done on almost any grill/smoker if you know what you're doing...easiest way for charcoal type grills is to spread coals around rim of grill, placing a drip pan made of tinfoil in the middle so you dont get flash fires under the meat), you'll get a nice crisp outside and a perfectly cooked inside with minimal checking and maximum beer enjoyment.

Personally, I HATE gas grills. You dont get a real barbecue flavor with them and often have to overseason your meat to compensate for the lack thereof. Same thing would really apply to doing it in an oven. You can still cook some damn tasty meat in an oven, but anytime you have the chance to do it the "right way", i recommend doing so.

As for the sauce, I can it. Takes 10 minutes and will allow it to keep forever after its sealed. Once its in the fridge, it's good for about 2 months, but like any homemade food, no preservatives=lower shelf life than store bought stuff.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 06-05-2009, 06:39 PM

Parents usually are the ones who do the grilling since they want it all done perfectly. We have a nice gas grill and we usually grill 2-4 slabs of ribs, 6 or so steaks (sometimes T-bone), some corn, large chicken drumsticks (using mom's secret sauce), and a few other things.

We don't like the charcoal flavor so our Weber charcoal grill is sitting in the basement gathering dust. Plus we felt it was way too much work to control the fire on the charcoal grill (to cook various things) and it was too small when we had larger gatherings.

**UnDeaD** · 06-05-2009, 06:43 PM

I like the North Carolina sauces, mixed with Texas style BBQ. I love Pork BBQ as well.

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