I don't know what great BBQ is

[Bludawg]

GO HERE http://www.amazingribs.com/
AND HERE http://bbq.about.com/
Between these two sites the Brethren some road trips to the BBQ regions NC, TX, TN, KC, hitting a few select joints in each you''ll know.
The best advice I can give you is to take Baby steps keep your cooks simple & uncluttered. Season simplely, learn to get the meat right by controlling your fire on a consistent basis. Once you have mastered this. Then twist it how you want playing with flavors. Remember the meat is the star so let it shine everything else should just add to it's performance like back ground singers( the Spice). Less is more!

[gtr]

Originally Posted by Phubar

I'm from the Netherlands...nuff said.

I've learned about 90% on the Brethren forum...now I can say that I'm 3 times Dutch BBQ champion in a row and got an invite to the Jack.
...but still I don't know if I cook "really good" BBQ.
Don't care really...my guests like it,my Moms and I as well.
Just buy you some meat,season it and throw it on the grill and see what happens.

Based on what I've sampled, I'd say it's more like "Pharking amazing BBQ"!

Anyway, to the OP - if you like it, and your friends and family like it, it's great BBQ. It's always good to see what's out there and try new things and get new ideas, but if you and your loved ones like it, I don't see that much more is needed. Obviously it's different in the vending/catering/comp worlds, but that's a whole other subject.

There's a saying that's something like "The worst BBQ you've ever had is somebody else's favorite, and your favorite BBQ is the worst somebody else has ever had." That said there are basic standards and parameters (needs to be tender, balanced flavor profile, etc.).

[ICDEDTURKES]

Originally Posted by Bludawg

GO HERE http://www.amazingribs.com/

If you have not dove into this site be prepared to be glued to your laptop for the weekend.. Site is awesome and my go to when I need an answer.

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

I have eaten at many of the "great" BBQ joints in the so-called top BBQ regions in the country over the past 50 plus years. In my experience, what you can learn to cook at home using no more information than you can easily glean from this forum, will be better than 95% of what is called Great BBQ. Even the very top joints miss the mark from time to time.

I'm guessing you have already produced some great BBQ and just haven't realized it yet.

[DeepElemCue]

Trust me, upstate NY isn't known as a BBQ hotbed, but with some help from books, youtube and the Brethren, I took 2nd in ribs in my first ever competition using a Weber Kettle. You should have seen the look on the guys with the expensive tow-behinds faces when I took the stage :) Chances are there will be some that love your cue and some that don't, just as long as you like it, who cares?

[Lake Dogs]

Originally Posted by Gore

This is a really tough one. I've known people who've been exposed to BBQ for years, even members on this site who've been cooking for years (no names) and eating for years who've never actually had great BBQ. Unfortunately, there's a lot of bad BBQ, some good BBQ, and very little great BBQ out there. All I can say is that when you eat it, you know it. When people say things like, "I don't know what the big deal is about ...," then you know that they've never had it made right. In my experience, everything has a sweet spot. Trying to find it is the mission and different things work for different people. That's part of why we're here.

+1 above.

I'm not saying you cant get great BBQ different from how I did, but I certainly fit right in the mold that Gore described above. I'd had PLENTY of bad BBQ, plenty mediocre BBQ, and some good BBQ, but that was rare. The best BBQ that I'd ever had was at a few select restaurants that do a pretty good job. I had not known (and did not know) truly fantastic BBQ. It was when I began judging sanctioned competitions that I really got to get fan-farking-tastic slap-ya-mama almost-better-than-fantastic-sex BBQ.

Mind you, not all competition BBQ is this way, but it was the first time (and the only time) I'd had Q that farkin' good. I learned to make ribs that taste and are as tender as the MiM winner that year. Now, like on Saturday, when people hear that I'm cooking, they come out of the woodwork. What was 6-8 people over is within a few days and only by word of mouth probably 30 people. Looks like I'll be cooking 2 cases of baby backs, not just 1 case...

Literally, I've had women whisper in my ear: "these ribs are orgasmic"

Chicks dig BBQ. So, rather than purchasing and cooking $140 worth of ribs, I'm looking at more like $280-300... ****

;-) I guess when I meet my maker, at least I'll be remembered......

My point, be it very long winded, is that there IS BBQ out there that is so awesome that you wonder about all things in life. It can be that dawg-gone'd good. Seek it. Restaurants can be very very good, but it's unlikely to be anything like that freshly pulled Q straight off the butt, or those ribs only moments off the smoker. Frankly, go get it this good, you'll either have to hang out closely with someone who can and does this, or you'll need to learn to do it yourself.

[WvQ]

It's kinda like being the fastest runner on the block or the hometown baseball hero, you might think your great, everyone else in your town might think your great, but the first time you race an Olympic athlete or try out for the majors you realize you got a lot more work to do. I think what I need is a weekend or a week to do my own BBQ pilgrimage heading down south, then I'll know what most people consider Great BBQ. I guess for me that's a trip down the hillbilly highway into Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina. Might be interesting when that time comes to ask on here where I should stop on my route, heck maybe people here should just plan my trip.

[Just BS]

Some really great replies....

Here on the left coast, it doesn't get any better. Actually, I have no doubt its much worse. I thought I was BBQ'ing ribs when I was basting them in beer in the oven and then finishing on the grill with bottled sauce. As I knew it could be better, I began to research. www.amazingribs.com was a great boost. Didn't take long to build a UDS after that. I've created some really good BBQ since then.

Yet, it is troubling to me when I hear someone talking about about Great BBQ ribs that where boiled and are falling off the bone. It's not their fault, they just don't know better. I am now on a journey to educate Californians on what the difference is between BBQ and grilling. I am starting small with family and friends, who claim they will never order ribs again in a chain restaurant. Where will it end? Will I be successful? I don't know and honestly, I don't really care. I have no illusion of saving the world...but I will continue to make real BBQ and hope that someday it will be truely great.

Good luck to you in YOUR travels!

[Bamabuzzard]

Originally Posted by Lake Dogs

Literally, I've had women whisper in my ear: "these ribs are orgasmic"

I'm on my way.

[jasonjax]

Originally Posted by Gore

This is a really tough one. I've known people who've been exposed to BBQ for years, even members on this site who've been cooking for years (no names) and eating for years who've never actually had great BBQ. Unfortunately, there's a lot of bad BBQ, some good BBQ, and very little great BBQ out there. All I can say is that when you eat it, you know it. When people say things like, "I don't know what the big deal is about ...," then you know that they've never had it made right. In my experience, everything has a sweet spot. Trying to find it is the mission and different things work for different people. That's part of why we're here.

Come on Gore! Man-up and give us some names!?!!? Jasonjax? :)

To the OP: Pssst... don't tell anyone ... BUT .....




GREAT Q is the Q **YOU** and your FAMILY and friends LOVE ... that's it end of story. Finito.

If you want to start competing, well that's another subject, but I stand by my statement above. Learn from this place, experiment, taste test, make changes ... find YOUR Q and you have arrived.

[aawa]

Originally Posted by WvQ

It's kinda like being the fastest runner on the block or the hometown baseball hero, you might think your great, everyone else in your town might think your great, but the first time you race an Olympic athlete or try out for the majors you realize you got a lot more work to do. I think what I need is a weekend or a week to do my own BBQ pilgrimage heading down south, then I'll know what most people consider Great BBQ. I guess for me that's a trip down the hillbilly highway into Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina. Might be interesting when that time comes to ask on here where I should stop on my route, heck maybe people here should just plan my trip.

If you make it to South East Virginia Pierce's BBQ in Williamsburg, VA is an institution around this area. They have been open since 1971 and they put out some great pulled pork.

There are some other good bbq joints around but none that have been open for longer than 10 years.

[letdasmokeroll]

if you head down to NC look me up hell we can set around drink some beer and try to make some great bbq

[Maximum Burn]

arent you in the SMOKY moiuntains?

maybe if you can learn about bbq i bet you are in the right place bremthman

[dealm9]

IMHO good bbq starts when the meat does not need a sauce on it to be edible. When you eat a plain piece of meat from a smoker that is moist, tender and flavorful on its own right, then you have started your venture away from the "bbq" that your neighbors enjoy to truly good q. From there you can start to understand what great bbq would be in that it would take those qualities of meat (flavor, tenderness, moistness, etc.) to the ultimate level. For the novice, I would say the best route to experience good q is putting a boston butt on the smoker and following what you can learn here. Pulled pork off my UDS has been my guide to knowing what a cut of meat can truly be transformed into when given the sweet kiss of good smoke and heat and time. Great que undoubtedly comes from quers who have mastered those concepts among others.

[Gr8blsfr]

Sounds like it's time for a career change and open up a BBQ house....