Total Overhaul - Page 2

The Giggler · 08-30-2007, 09:38 AM

Guy,

With all the great products out there, we have found that experimenting with commercial products has been good. I had to get over the pride thing too b/c initially I thought that if you weren't using your own stuff you couldn't lay total claim to the victory. That's all BS. Of course, we add things too. Heat, sweet etc.

We are fairly new to this competition thing, and the only sauce that has been our own is the recipe we use on pulled pork. Everything else is some variation of a bottle brew. Rubs are another thing all together. We have a Mild Rub that is used for catering. In the past it has been successful with cayenne added for pulled pork, and brown sugar added for ribs.

In no way do I feel qualified to offer advice, but every now and again we get it right and take a trip to the stage. The best advice I received was to layer flavors, and make sure that the rub and sauce compliment each other.

You guys were nice to meet @ Harpoon. Wish we could have spent more time talking about cooking. Thanks again for the tour of your battle wagon and the Spicewine. You've got me thinking....

Mike
Giggling Pigs BBQ Co

Sawdustguy · 08-30-2007, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledneck

Thats no joke, i eat the hen and hog rub straight up

Word Up! When we recieved Jay's Hen and Hog Dust I tasted it and quickly put it somewhere where Michele couldn't find it. The next time she went out I got me a spoon and went to town. When she returned she went sniff, sniff and asked what the hell I've been eating. She said I reeked of Garlic. I took some abuse for eating it all but it was all worth it. That stuff is primo.

Sawdustguy · 08-30-2007, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Giggler

Guy,

With all the great products out there, we have found that experimenting with commercial products has been good. I had to get over the pride thing too b/c initially I thought that if you weren't using your own stuff you couldn't lay total claim to the victory. That's all BS. Of course, we add things too. Heat, sweet etc.

We are fairly new to this competition thing, and the only sauce that has been our own is the recipe we use on pulled pork. Everything else is some variation of a bottle brew. Rubs are another thing all together. We have a Mild Rub that is used for catering. In the past it has been successful with cayenne added for pulled pork, and brown sugar added for ribs.

In no way do I feel qualified to offer advice, but every now and again we get it right and take a trip to the stage. The best advice I received was to layer flavors, and make sure that the rub and sauce compliment each other.

You guys were nice to meet @ Harpoon. Wish we could have spent more time talking about cooking. Thanks again for the tour of your battle wagon and the Spicewine. You've got me thinking....

Mike
Giggling Pigs BBQ Co

Mike,

It was our pleasure. You had quite some setup yourself. Hopefully we can get some of this stuff sorted out during the winter. It would be nice to become competitive. Even if we don't, we have the greatest time at contests. It has brought my brother and I closer together. Now, if I could only get him to go easier on the beer.

DawgPhan · 08-30-2007, 12:17 PM

I make a lot of my own sauces and rubs and have had some limited success with it, but I started using the homebbq.com beef rub on my briskets and my scores have gone up about 30 points or so...from 129's pretty much every time to 159 the last time I turned it in.

What I really need to pick up is a good sauce for pork because what I like and what the judges like are 2 totally different things.

The Giggler · 08-30-2007, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sawdustguy

Mike,

It was our pleasure. You had quite some setup yourself. Hopefully we can get some of this stuff sorted out during the winter. It would be nice to become competitive. Even if we don't, we have the greatest time at contests. It has brought my brother and I closer together. Now, if I could only get him to go easier on the beer.

I know what you mean, my brother and I used to race sailboats together. We had a great time, and usually finished last (picture the final scene in Tommy Boy:). He's a valuable member of the team. Harpoon was the first contest he missed.

Drink less beer at a brewery?!?! Good luck with that. Actually, restrained myself to focus on cooking Friday night. Nice to see the sun break without a headache....

If you are interested, send me a PM with your address, I'd be glad to send out some rub for you to try. As a matter of fact, I just picked it up @ the spice grinder last week.

cmcadams · 08-30-2007, 03:49 PM

I think a 5th overall, depending on the competition, is great after 7 comps. We've had a 4th overall, and the same number of comps. I'm still doing my own, except for Fab products, too. I plan to continue for now. I don't think it's cheating not to use your own; I just want to come up with my own.

What I'm doing differently though is going for a core flavor profile, and then adding something a bit extra. We've taken a 2nd in brisket against some strong teams, and everything else is moving up, too.

ique · 08-30-2007, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sawdustguy

From now on we are going to use commercial sauces and rubs.

I think this is a good move. I believe that more than a few of the top national teams use one commercial rub and one commercial sauce on all four entries. Its a safe call to go with say, Head Country rub and sauce and maybe some honey. You just aren't going to bomb your flavor scores using tried and true classic competition ingredients.

I see a lot of newer teams spend a lot of time thinking about various rubs and sauces. Lotta Bull and Pellet Envy don't win because of their rub and sauce selections. They win because the can consistently cook all four meats perfectly. Perfectly cooked meat wins contests not rubs or sauces. I know you didn't ask for advice

, just my .02

Sawdustguy · 08-30-2007, 10:24 PM

No problem Chris. We take all advice seriously. I whole heartedly agree with what you are saying. I also think getting the flavors right helps. I guess if we want to be competitive we will need to hit on all cylinders and do it consistantly. One good showing does not make us a competitive team. We are starting anew. The only definite we have right now is our spicebox purring like a kitten. We will build on that. We also know it's not gonna happen overnight.

The Giggler · 08-31-2007, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ique

I think this is a good move. I believe that more than a few of the top national teams use one commercial rub and one commercial sauce on all four entries. Its a safe call to go with say, Head Country rub and sauce and maybe some honey. You just aren't going to bomb your flavor scores using tried and true classic competition ingredients.

I see a lot of newer teams spend a lot of time thinking about various rubs and sauces. Lotta Bull and Pellet Envy don't win because of their rub and sauce selections. They win because the can consistently cook all four meats perfectly. Perfectly cooked meat wins contests not rubs or sauces. I know you didn't ask for advice

, just my .02

So is the HC rub and sauce w/ Honey how you edged us out by .0002 to take first in Chicken @ Harpoon?

ique · 08-31-2007, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Giggler

So is the HC rub and sauce w/ Honey how you edged us out by .0002 to take first in Chicken @ Harpoon?

I can't quite remember

but I think that was blues hog rub, head country sauce and maple syrup.

The Giggler · 08-31-2007, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ique

I can't quite remember

but I think that was blues hog rub, head country sauce and maple syrup.

I am having a great time experimenting with different products. The refridgerator contains more 1/2 used bottles of sauce, than beer. Gotta work on that.

Any new products out there worth giving a try?

ggriffi · 08-31-2007, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Giggler

I am having a great time experimenting with different products. The refridgerator contains more 1/2 used bottles of sauce, than beer. Gotta work on that.

Any new products out there worth giving a try?

You got 1/2 used bottles of beer in the fridge????????

gary

LostNation · 08-31-2007, 11:04 AM

Damm, I guess the cat's out of the bag about using Maple syrup in Vermont!!!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ique

I can't quite remember

but I think that was blues hog rub, head country sauce and maple syrup.

mds2 · 08-31-2007, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony76248

I have made my own sauces but realized long ago that there are widely accepted sauces out there, therefore why buck the system, plus it's a lot of work and time and money making your own.

I found this out the hard way. I spent a full year trying to make a sauce that I really love, but I could never pin it down.

So I decided to take a commercial sauce that I really like and dress it up a bit. By just adding a couple ingredients to a sauce that I already liked I made exactly what i was looking for.

SmokeInDaEye · 08-31-2007, 01:04 PM

Good luck experimenting, Guy. I'm messing around a little with my flavor combos in pork as well.

There's definitely worse ways to spend the Fall and Winter than firing up the smoker!

08-30-2007, 09:38 AM	#16
The Giggler is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 07-31-07 Location: Boston, NY	Guy, With all the great products out there, we have found that experimenting with commercial products has been good. I had to get over the pride thing too b/c initially I thought that if you weren't using your own stuff you couldn't lay total claim to the victory. That's all BS. Of course, we add things too. Heat, sweet etc. We are fairly new to this competition thing, and the only sauce that has been our own is the recipe we use on pulled pork. Everything else is some variation of a bottle brew. Rubs are another thing all together. We have a Mild Rub that is used for catering. In the past it has been successful with cayenne added for pulled pork, and brown sugar added for ribs. In no way do I feel qualified to offer advice, but every now and again we get it right and take a trip to the stage. The best advice I received was to layer flavors, and make sure that the rub and sauce compliment each other. You guys were nice to meet @ Harpoon. Wish we could have spent more time talking about cooking. Thanks again for the tour of your battle wagon and the Spicewine. You've got me thinking.... Mike Giggling Pigs BBQ Co __________________ Mike C. Competitive Cook-Contest Organizer-Promoter of Smoke and Fire Boston Hills BBQ Fest www.bostonhillsbbqfest.com PROUD to support Great Lakes BBQ Supply - www.greatlakesbbqsupply.com

08-30-2007, 03:49 PM	#21
cmcadams Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 02-15-06 Location: Waynesville, Ohio	I think a 5th overall, depending on the competition, is great after 7 comps. We've had a 4th overall, and the same number of comps. I'm still doing my own, except for Fab products, too. I plan to continue for now. I don't think it's cheating not to use your own; I just want to come up with my own. What I'm doing differently though is going for a core flavor profile, and then adding something a bit extra. We've taken a 2nd in brisket against some strong teams, and everything else is moving up, too. __________________ Curt McAdams Livefire Blog Livefire Whisky CBJ, some comps, a few awards, Certified Artisan Steak Taster. XL Big Green Egg, Bubba Keg Convection Grill, Weber Kettle, Charbroil Infrared and mad livefire cooking skillz! :)

08-30-2007, 10:24 PM	#23
Sawdustguy Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 09-14-05 Location: Vernon, Connecticut	No problem Chris. We take all advice seriously. I whole heartedly agree with what you are saying. I also think getting the flavors right helps. I guess if we want to be competitive we will need to hit on all cylinders and do it consistantly. One good showing does not make us a competitive team. We are starting anew. The only definite we have right now is our spicebox purring like a kitten. We will build on that. We also know it's not gonna happen overnight. __________________ Guy (Pitmaster) BBQ Team: Lawn Guyland Smokers Stupidity for Dummies …because sometimes, you just can’t dumb it down enough…

08-31-2007, 01:04 PM	#30
SmokeInDaEye Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 07-13-06 Location: Memphis, TN	Good luck experimenting, Guy. I'm messing around a little with my flavor combos in pork as well. There's definitely worse ways to spend the Fall and Winter than firing up the smoker! __________________ [URL="http://www.bbq-brethren.com"]http://www.SmokeInDaEye.com[/URL] Gen II Komodo Kamado, Pit Barrel Cooker, 3x 18.5" WSMs, 22.5" WSM, modified 18.5" Weber Kettle, 22.5" Weber Kettle circa 1960ish, Weber One Touch Platinum, copper Weber Smokey Joe, La Caja China, Bubba Keg, Bodom Picnic Grill, Weber Genesis

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08-30-2007, 12:17 PM	#19
DawgPhan is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-09-07 Location: Atlanta, Ga	I make a lot of my own sauces and rubs and have had some limited success with it, but I started using the homebbq.com beef rub on my briskets and my scores have gone up about 30 points or so...from 129's pretty much every time to 159 the last time I turned it in. What I really need to pick up is a good sauce for pork because what I like and what the judges like are 2 totally different things.