Adam Perry Lang or KISS?

[Royalslover]

I have done some of APLs stuff(very complicated with multiple steps) and also done very basic stuff. For instance his brisket was good but lately I've just used dalmatian rub and they have been the best briskets I've ever done. Same thing with pork butt. His process has lots of steps and flavors. I've been using Alton Brown's recipe (simple marinade and rub) and my friends can't get enough of it. Do most of you find one way better than the other?

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

I sometimes wonder if the complex BBQ recipes are designed to sell cookbooks and BBQ shows. It is pretty hard to interest a publisher in just salt, pepper and smoke.

[gtr]

My basic approach is KISS, and that's what I normally do, but once in a while it's fun to dig into a APL or similar type recipe.

[willowrun]

I've tried APL's quenched and scrubbed (or something) chicken that is cooked directly on the coals then smoked. Man it had a ton of steps, but my mom, dad, and wife said it was the best chicken they had ever eaten. That being said, I had never cooked directly on coals, and I think that has a lot to do with it. I just know that chicken was some of the moistest I have ever had. Gonna try one soon with the KISS method with just salt and pepper and see.

[basuraman]

I like variety. Trying lots of different things. So APL, KISS or whatever. Eating the same thing every time is worse if you ask me.

[Bludawg]

When I stared cooking 30 yrs ago I was all about the Kiss, then I found my self on a slippery slope trying all sorts of stupid stuff with all the snake oil that came along. My BBQ changed but not for the better. A few yrs ago I was visiting some family in Fl while there my Cousin dropped a butt and some bones on the pit knowing I loves My "Q". I was dreading the meal he did no prep beyond S&P. After the first bite,the light bulb got jarred and came back on. I was tasting the "Q" I grew up on the best stuff I ever ate. Upon returning home I filed the trash can with all the snake oil. .... Now I concentrate on the texture( tenderness) and the flavor that comes from the smoke and how temperature affects these things. 300 deg seems to be my magic number. Rubs are S&P, Season salt, and Montreal steak, Old bay and the Dirty Dalmatian. injections are limited to Butter( Poultry) and Canola oil(Poorly marbled select briskets) I even quit pealing my ribs. Heat and Meat K.I.S.S.all the way!!

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Originally Posted by Bludawg

Now I concentrate on the texture( tenderness) and the flavor that comes from the smoke and how temperature affects these things.

Yep. Let the smoke do the talking.

[Royalslover]

How were your ribs affected by not peeling? APL actually advocates that. I haven't had the guts to try it yet.

[Bludawg]

Originally Posted by Royalslover

How were your ribs affected by not peeling? APL actually advocates that. I haven't had the guts to try it yet.

I find them to be much moister and as for the membrane it mostly cooks away, I don't wrap either. You have to remember just because the guy does all that "Chefy" stuff it aint law he's selling something, 90 % of them loose to a serious BBQ cook every time. The sad part is folks will buy it and take it as law.BBQ is Simple laid back drink a few beers redneck cooking not Fancy pants fine dining. There are lots of trails from the kitchen to the table.IMO the easy trail is the best one.

[Lake Dogs]

For me, I'm somewhere in between, but honestly I prefer it cooked KISS than a bunch of neveau chef crap. It's BBQ, afterall... I cannot tell you how many times I've cooked something and though "this tastes good [or only OK], but where's the pork (or beef)?". My competition rub has a few small amounts of this n that, but 80% of it is black pepper, a seasoned salt, and paprika. I do inject, but it's VERY simple. I focus mainly on moisture, to me the more moist the better...

[viggysmalls]

I've only been smoking for 8 months. For the first 5 months of those 8, I did all the fancy stuff. I quickly realized I was focusing on everything besides the actual cook - stupid, I know. Mostly out of necessity, I backed off the complexity and put all my energy into KISS. I don't think it's any surprise that over the last 3 months I've become a vastly better BBQ cook than before.

I think there's a time and place for both approaches. But as a general rule of thumb, I believe food should should speak for itself, whether it's meat or not.

[landarc]

I think since I come from this from a more varied point of view, I like to mix things up. Since I learned to cook what you all call 'cheffy', I find that it is fun to try different things. I would say though, some of the best of haute cuisine, is remarkable simple at it's core.

I think that while people grab onto the showy stuff that Adam Perry Lang does, some of the stuff he does is also very simple. Dressing his cutting board for instance, is so simple, yet adds so much to sliced roasts.

I prefer to keep an open mind.

[MS2SB]

Lately I've migrating back to simpler methods. Fewer ingredients in rubs, no injecting, less foiling, and I have been enjoying the results. Every now and again I'll take on a really complicated cook, but it is more for amusement and to prove the occasional theory than anything else.

[Terry The Toad]

When it comes to smoking, I like to keep it simple. I save my energy for the snacks... like ABTs, pig shots, etc. Coring, stuffing and wrapping a couple dozen jalapenos is a lot of work!

[Hoss]

I tried a couple of APL's recipes.NOT impressed.I think it is a salesman's pitch to sell books.I prefer KISS 4 Q.