8/4/2008 12:48:00 PM Barbecue: Practice makes perfect
By LARRY CHAPMAN Retired MHS Teacher
As some of you may know, several years ago I became interested in barbecue and learning to smoke meat for family and friends. My brother, who is a master of the grill, introduced me to whole pork tenderloins slow cooked on a gas grill and basted with a mop sauce rich in vinegar and crushed red pepper. Back home in Ohio, I decided to give it a try and, after several years of practice, have gotten that cut of pork down pretty good.
After attending a class in Memphis and becoming a certified barbecue judge, I decided to broaden my horizons by attempting to smoke (using charcoal and hardwood chips) a Boston butt (pork shoulder) for making pulled-pork sandwiches. From the beginning, I found this fairly easy to do. The key is using indirect heat, keeping the fire between 200 and 225 degrees, and cooking the meat for at least eight hours. Slow cooking renders the fat and collagen out of the meat while creating moisture and tenderness.
I've tried several kinds of wood and since I live in a forest of hardwood, it's not difficult to find some different species. Normally, I use hickory or oak which is readily available but I've also given apple and cherry a try. A couple of years ago, I was in Texas and came upon a fellow selling large bags of mesquite chips so I brought a bag home to experiment with. People make a big deal out of what wood should be used but I can't tell much of a difference.
All I know is that too much smoke, whatever the wood, is not enjoyable to my pallet. For this reason, I only introduce smoke for the first hour of the cooking process.
I recently read that in the Mediterranean area of Europe grapevine is commonly used to smoke meat, seafood and cheeses. Since I have more than a little grapevine growing in my woods, I think I'll give that a try. Besides using wood to create smoke, I've also tossed an apple or a sweet onion onto the coals. I don't know if it helps but it makes a good story.
I've never tried a whole hog and probably never will. I am, however, still trying to master the common sparerib. The first time I ever cooked ribs I did it on a hot charcoal grill and ended up with rib jerky. I hadn't heard of low and slow yet. I've done ribs several times in the last couple of years and they keep getting better. I have learned to easily remove the back membrane, I've got the flavor conquered but I'm still working on getting them tender, yet still moist. It doesn't make sense that simple old ribs should be so difficult, but they are. And I refuse to parboil them, that's the chicken's way out!
And now a few words about beef brisket. I have tried brisket several times and almost gave up on ever trying it again. Brisket is one of the toughest cuts of meat that comes off a cow. Traditionally, it is ground into hamburger or, as the old cowboys did, tossed aside for the buzzards. Somewhere in the early 1900s, a few immigrant German butchers in Texas started slow cooking this cut and discovered a means to tender it up, maintain the moisture, and bring out the flavor. Since then it has become the national meat of Texas. In the Lone Star Republic, barbecue is brisket.
Until recently my typical brisket ended up with a texture akin to latex rubber with a charred edge. I had done a little reading on the subject and talked to a couple of pit masters in Texas but still couldn't get it. Before giving up forever I decided to give it one more try and headed back to the Internet for more research. I finally decided that I wasn't cooking the meat long enough. Earlier research indicated that the cooking process should only require about an hour per pound. Further reading, however, seemed to indicate that the time should be doubled, thus meaning a ten pound brisket would require twenty hours of minding the fire.
Twenty hours hanging around a smoker wasn't in the cards for me so I had to find an alternate means to the end. To be quick, I took the chicken's way out and brazed the meat in an oven. I placed the brisket in an aluminum roasting pan, filled the pan half way up the meat with a solution of water and apple juice, placed it on the grill, closed the lid and boiled it for two hours at 350 degrees.
Once I could stick a fork into the brisket without too much resistance I moved the slab of beef from the grill and put it on the charcoal smoker for approximately eight hours. About every hour, I flipped the meat and basted it with a watery mop sauce made of vinegar, apple and orange juice, onions, garlic, minced jalapeno peppers and other "secret" ingredients. When the internal temperature reached 150, I removed the brisket, let it stand for fifteen minutes allowing the juices to redistribute, and sliced it into thin slices against the grain.
I have done this twice now and each time it was wonderful. My wife was never a fan of brisket but now she's hooked and the absence of leftovers infers that it's a hit with the family. I'm still going to try learning to cook ribs the hard way but until I become an insomniac, cheating on the brisket will just have to do.
The strangest thing I've done lately is smoking a big chunk of baloney. I knew people did such a thing but I had never tasted any. A truck stop friend and I were discussing barbecue and he mentioned having eaten barbecued baloney and liking it. So, next time I was in Greenfield I purchased a three-pound chunk and gave it a try.
All you need to do is remove the rind and score the surface with one inch squares about one-eighth of inch deep. Rub a little salt and pepper or some Cajun seasoning into the scoring and put it on the smoker. Slow smoke for three hours basting it with your favorite sauce to give it some flavor and create a skin or bark.
Mine ended up at the truck stop along with a plate of sliced homegrown tomatoes and a couple loaves of fresh white bread. Since nothing remained to bring home I can only assume it was a hit.
I've enjoyed my experiences learning to smoke meats and I've enjoyed writing this column. Since there is still lots of good weather remaining I hope I've encouraged you to give it a try as well. Bone-appa-pig!
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Larry Chapman is a retired teacher and a columnist for The Times-Gazette.
Reader Comments
Posted: Thursday, August 07, 2008
Article comment by:
Big Country
Ack! Please tell me the Times-Gazette will NEVER allow Mr. Chapman to write an article on BBQ again! You were doing so well until you shot yourself in the foot! Practice doesn't make perfect...PERFECT practice makes perfect! Fine, if you want to boil your meat, go ahead. But call it what it is...stew. Boiled meat DOES NOT equal BBQ. 20 hours sitting around your smoker for perfect brisket IS BBQ.
Posted: Thursday, August 07, 2008
Article comment by:
Jerry Stark
Sorry to tell you Larry you do not know what you're talking about. Boiling or steaming brisket or ribs is not BBQ. That style of cooking just takes the flavor out of the meat. You might make some type of soup with the stock but you have wasted the meat. I wonder how you got to be a BBQ judge before you even knew how to smoke meat?
You should do a bit more research before giving lousy information to the public.
Posted: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Article comment by:
Diva Q
This article almost brought me to tears. Brisket is one of the best BBQ'ed meats on the planet.
Fat=FLAVOUR. By boiling your brisket you have taken most of the flavour out. It's not the chicken way out that's the flavourless way out. Additionally a brisket should be taken to at least 190-210 F. Never ever lower as the collegens and proteins strands have not broken down sufficiently. Low and slow will get you there everytime. If you have problems with time buy a SMALLER brisket. For all BBQ'ed meat eaters out there google BBQ brethren or BBQ Central and read their forums. They have wonderful advice on their sites on how to BBQ a brisket properly. How to season and how to inject. Out of respect for the cow please do not make any more brisket until you have read these forums.
Posted: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Article comment by:
jeffjenkins1
I feel for you. If you want to make good BBQ, look no further than bbq-brethren dot com. The guys there really are into sharing knowledge. Anyone can learn how to cook ribs, brisket and any other kind of meat.
Posted: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Article comment by:
K.T. Engstrom
How on earth could a certified BBQ judge even entertain the idea of boiling a brisket? I hope he is no longer a judge.I've done briskets and sometimes it's a 20 hour cook.If you don't have the time, don't do it. His food sounds absolutely revolting.Stick with the baloney. Baloney like boiling BBQ.
Posted: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Article comment by:
jerry jones
That has to be the saddest tale I have ever heard. To boil any type of meat is absolutely nasty. To think you have put this in a paper in hopes others will try this is horrific. A brisket is simple. Slow and low. Good things come to those who wait. If you have the right equipment, you would never have these issues. Boiling a brisket. Makes me gag.
Posted: Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Article comment by:
Meathead Goldwyn
Nice article. For more help in your quest, check out http://amazingribs. The articles on ribs, brisket, and pulled pork are especially thorough.
