I'm 51 years old, and still play with my food...

[TIMMAY]

I wouldn't say I adhere too strongly to the classic BBQ rules (heck I probably don't know many of the classic rules) but use them as a guideline and adjust it to my equipment. Well... I can't really say I am adjusting a classic style to my equipment cause when I fire up the kettle and pinch off the intake, it rides where it wants to ride and I cook. The temp might be 270, 300, whatever. Not exactly a classic smoking temp there...

[Mo-Dave]

Full circle back to old school, with a few adaptations. No fancy gadgets, except an analog gauge for cooker temps and hand held digital for internal temps, never use to use anything for that. No fancy handcrafted rubs or sauces, even though from time to time well make my old school sauce. Salt, pepper and garlic most times for rub but I do buy some if it looks interesting, same goes for sauces. I don't do any slathers or injections anymore.

Major difference is back in the day, chicken, ribs, pork butt and brisket were all I ever smoked, now I really try to mix it up with all kinds of things and will experiment to that degree. I still get all the raves about my food with a lot less hassle.

Makes me chuckle when reading a post and someone is reinventing the wheel. Every once in awhile they hit on something worth taking a look at but not that often these days. Now this old dog can learn new tricks now and then, that is why I come here.
Dave

[wnkt]

Im a cook who learned by watching Mom or other family members and I wasnt taught recipes and to follow them to the letter....if we didnt have a particular spice or something we left it out or tried something else..
So if I find a recipe here that may have a lot of hot peppers...I leave them out because Im not chili-head...

I dont stick to bbq temps like "Gotta Keep it under 250"...mostly because my smoker temps are all over the place and if Im holding temps that low something is wrong ........and Im impatient


About the only thing I keep track of is safety issues...like internal food temps to keep from getting sick.

[deguerre]

Um, I'll have to ask Redhot. BRB...

























Seriously though, we're both always game for trying new things and methods in the kitchen and on the patio. I have done the traditional, and still like that approach sometimes, but over the last two years have gone to higher temps and also hot n fast.

[captndan]

I had a reply this morning but it was getting too scientific so I dumped it. The consensus here is for traditional ways. But if everyone thought that way it would put most of the equipment manufactures and gadget makers out of business. The BBQ Brethren would dry up for lack of a few funnies. Besides I like seeing how the others come up with ideas. KISS

[The_Kapn]

Other than food safety, there are no "rules" nor "consensus" or any "right" or "only" way to cook BBQ.

That is what makes it so great and fun to do!

As long as a lot of money is not involved, I love to try new techniques, flavors, and variations.

TIM

[Lake Dogs]

Shake up the BBQ world: BBQ NAKED!!!!

[deguerre]

I vogue at my pit. Does that count?

[chad]

My style varies depending on who I'm cooking for, how much time I have, how much I'm cooking, etc. When doing groups (like pork for 300) it's my Hot and Fast stickburner. Small things like a few slabs for pastor appreciation day, Masterbuilt electric with Todd's maze, and 275 for 3-2-?. WSM is usually 300 for whatever depending on what I'm cooking. I use my 5 burner gasser with IR for steak, chicken, pizza, other outdoor cooking chores. I also do seafood boils and turkey fry jobs. Tradition is what I learned...then competition and catering taught me efficiency. I love it all and have been a kitchen professional - I'm 60 y.o. so I'm trying to not be too cranky about what's right/wrong. If YOU like your food and the ones that you feed love it -- screw what anyone else thinks!! I love the discussions that start "I've been using xyz and love it BUT...". Try new things but don't expect the "silver bullet" for each problem. Be flexible and enjoy what you do.

[chad]

Originally Posted by deguerre

I vogue at my pit. Does that count?

That's disturbing...on several levels!

[1911Ron]

Tradition used to be going over to a friends Church and having Thanksgiving dinner and playing football! That is no longer the tradition, why? friends moved, we grew up.... New tradition started this year cooked a turkey fatty with stuffing and hanging out at home.

Point being times change traditions, new traditions have a root in old traditions, just some changes is all.

[TY~DY]

I'll eat almost anything that's not raw. So for me it's a mixture of both. Old school gives me a baseline to work from. If I don't get it right - I try again.

[Tack]

I prefer the traditional ways myself but am open to trying new things. As far as BBQ evolving I have to say yes!! Look at all the new style cookers compared to 25 years ago, injecting almost never heard of years ago, cupcake chicken and the list goes on and on................

[Fo Sizzle My Nizzle]

Originally Posted by Lake Dogs

Shake up the BBQ world: BBQ NAKED!!!!

Is it bad that Deguerre's voguing picture came to mind when I read this and then he mentions it? Scary what this place is doing to me.

But I'm always game for learning new techniques and recipes. It's one of the simple pleasures I find myself enjoying more as I get older. I've been inspired by many on this board to try new things. Not sure I'm ready for fish lolipops or spam brownies but ya never know!

[landarc]

I am a BBQ heretic, I cook how I cook.

I am a stickler for technique, I do not like sloppy knife work, I care about how things are cut and prepared, I pay attention to the science and art of cooking. I have studied and continue to study all things food and cooking, I search out knowledge and challenge convention, all with a goal of understanding what I do.

Then I stand tradition, as it were, and authenticity, if it exists, on it's ear and do what I think produces the best food. I am rapidly tiring of the mentality that there is one right way for anything, BBQ is whatever the person talking to me wants it to be, it is whatever I want it to be when I am talking. I cook hotter or colder, based upon what I think will work, not what I am told I must do to be authentic.