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WTF do people consider GOOD Barbecue?

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Beast Drinker

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Sorry I don't post here too much... But.

WTF do people consider GOOD Barbecue? AND WHY? What are BBQ joints selling? I mean maybe before I ASK the brethren, I should say why, Yesterday I cooked up a 10 lb Flat, USDA choice, I was unimpressed, I screwed up the weather report and my smoker stayed between 300 and 275... I thought I dried it out and it was tough by my standard. 185 internal after only 7 hours, no I don't foil, but I mean I GUESS I got the results I wanted, sorta, I usually go way low and slow on Brisket not kinda hot and pretty fast... the boys was like "bangin" "on point" "Incredible". IMO if I'da boxed it it would have been a contender in the worst box thread. Matter of fact I brought sauce that I whipped up cause I thought it sucked so bad, but they only put on sauce cause they liked the sauce and the meat was awesome without it?????.... What the heck... I understand that MOST people aren't used to competition quality Q, but they talk about local Q places I haven't hit in the same manner, I feel a LOT more apprehensive on trying them.. I also put 3 bare naked fatties up for grabs, Jamestown Hot Sausage I think. In all 7 dudes and 13 lbs of meat ( pre cooked) GONE by noon. Makes me feel a LOT less confident in my local BBQ joints. Guess I'll only check out the top ones with most reviews. I admit this isn't a Brisket area, but I KNOW I probably wouldn't have botched pulled pork that bad, I wonder if the review wouldn't have been the same?

this cook woulda been PrON worthy to show you HOW bad I thought it was almost and it knocked 'em dead? Somehow, that somewhat bothers me.

Is our national BBQ IQ too low?
 
We are our own worst critic. There are times at the restaurant that I don't feel what I make is tasting good, but everyone thinks it tastes great. Yes, most people have not had the competition BBQ and if that is what you are comparing it too, it is going to be tough to top that.
 
I don't know how it is for BBQ in the VA Bch./Tidewater area now but when I lived there in the 80's the only good "Q" came off my pit. Most of the general population don't know the difference between Good and Bad BBQ. I never consider Comp Q to be good BBQ it's to busy. Simple seasoning Heat & Meat rules. I Cook all my briskets around 300 IMO the absolute best temp for most meats. YOU CAN NOT COOK GREAT BBQ ON A CONSISTENT BASIS COOKING TO AN INTERNAL TEMP OR BY MIN PER POUND" Probe tender for brisket is the only reliable way to know when it is ready. Cook by feel!
 
I am probably not my own worst critic. I like almost anything. :wink:

I rely on what those who I serve my 'Q to to let me know what think. I generally get very favorable reviews, but I do wonder if the other folks just have not had really good 'Q.

I can safely say that it is getting hard to find a restaurant that serves 'Q that I like as much as my own. SWMBO agrees, but we are both highly biased.

I'll probably never compete because I don't think I want to cook to someone else' standard. I cook for myself (which I suppose is a way of deluding myself. e.g. I wanted it that way. :rolleyes: )
 
Be glad your guests enjoyed the food you made for them. Know that you can do better and push for that. Most folks know what they like, it may be awful to you, but, perfect to them. I never trust anyone else's opinion about food but my own, and a very select few oft friends. I think our national IQ on BBQ is fine, just far too varied.
 
You have to remember that many people do not have the passion for good "Q" and many have never tried to make real bbq.

To the those who have never experienced the taste of bbq from a true craftsman, even what we consider the worst of ours, will probably be the best they will ever have.

Many so called bbq restaurants put the emphasis on sauce as the only bbq factor, and forget about meat texture and flavor.

Be happy they enjoyed your "Q" and use what you consider to be "not your best" as a learning experience to make improvements on your next cook.
 
I agree with several who have already responded. I am ALWAYS finding an area to improve with every cook I do. Whether its the sauce, rub, what I put in the foil when I wrap, how I trim/prep, etc. My wife will rave about whatever comes off the smoker - God bless her, but it's not much help when trying to find the extra inch of improvement. But, I do know this - I have fun every time I fire up the smoker. To me, that is MOST important. Enjoy the time spent with friends! Heck, I even look forward to the days I can spend outside by the smoker alone!
 
I think you pulled the brisket to early. 185* is usually a little low IMO. Did it probe like butter or still have resistence?

As far as your feeling about restaurant 'que, most is dissapointing...especially in your area.

Regarding comp quality 'que...have you done any contests yet to have a baseline to draw your opinion from?
 
Well, I'm glad they ate it hell they crushed it. I shouldn't have really expected much from that particular cook. I don't do enough briskets to really have a feel for them. It's a treat just to pull one outta the cryo and wrassle it for me. The fatties were good, but I'm gonna try another sausage brand next time too salty. But like I say if I'm firing up the pit to cook anything I throw a fatty or preferably 2 in there, so I got a feel for them.

I wasn't proud of my effort, but it did get the results. whether I would call it an "A" cook. I didn't hide the meat under sauce, it wasn't THAT bad.
 
CarolinaQue said:
I think you pulled the brisket to early. 185* is usually a little low IMO. Did it probe like butter or still have resistence?

As far as your feeling about restaurant 'que, most is dissapointing...especially in your area.

Regarding comp quality 'que...have you done any contests yet to have a baseline to draw your opinion from?
Click to expand...

I actually pulled it when the probe went in like butter. I didn't pay attention to the internal when I took it off.I hit 185 and I knew I was gonna be close and poked it later on. I thought I missed just a hair on juicy ness of the meat.
 
Where I tend to get hard on myself is when I try something and it doesn’t turn out the way I want the taste becomes secondary to me. I get good comments and empty plates but I focus on what I messed up or what I could do better.
Another thing I noticed is when I cook competition style – like a test at home – people fill up quickly because the BBQ is so rich. I notice that my daughter can put away almost a whole rack of ribs when I cook them plain with rub and sauce but when I throw the brown sugar, honey – wrap etc. she can only eat 3 or 4 bones before she gets full.
One last comment was from this weekend. We traveled to Memphis and got a chance to eat a Neely’s Interstate BBQ. It has a big following and the parking lot was full at 11:15 am. They had reviews posted on the wall and pictures of celebrities who ate there. People were scarfing it down and we ordered the sample platter to try everything. When it came I can’t tell you how it tasted because it was drowned in sauce. The sauce was good but I did not need a gallon and I could not tell you what the meat tasted like. When I looked over the restaurant every dish was like that. IMO when you use that much sauce you are hiding something.
 
I did a big cook two plus years ago for my daughter's engagement party. Did ribs, chicken, sausage & brisket for 50 guests in my backyard. IMO, brisket was fair, ribs pretty good, sausage was sausage, and chicken was a bit over done from holding on the corner of the pit. Everybody raved about the brisket and ribs, my future in-laws declared me the world's greatest BBQ chef, and there were no leftovers except the half rack of ribs I saved for lunch the next day. I guess we are our own severest critic so we just have to keep working to improve in our own eyes and be happy others enjoy our efforts.
 
Saw an elderly lady camped out at one of the vendor stands at Sam's one day. I actually heard her say, "if it's free take three".
 
I agree with everyone who said that we are our own worst critic. I don't think I have ever enjoyed what I cook nearly as much as the people eating it. That said, there is one trick I learned from the brethren that has helped me enjoy my BBQ more though...

After your cook and before eating, take a shower, wash your hair, brush your teeth and tongue, use a neti pot, and change into some clean clothes. Probably one of the reasons your BBQ doesn't taste as good to you as it does to others (other than being perfectionists and very self-critical) is that you have been surrounded by smoke for so long that you cannot taste it! Since I have started making it a ritual to do these things, I find that I am enjoying my own Q more than I used to (although I am still pretty critical).
 
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