If you can cook and serve bbq to others then....

[gtr]

However a cook goes, few things make me happier than looking across my yard and seeing people enjoying food and each other's company. I just want my kids to grow up with memories of tables surrounded by people eating and laughing - with awesome music in the background of course. We are all fortunate to be in a position where we can cook for others who are willing to eat what we make.

Of course I always am looking for ways to improve and I critique everything I cook, but I don't make a big deal of something if it turns out bad. I usually cook enough so that I can kinda shuffle something off to the side for chili if I have to. :heh:

I realized awhile back that if someones says your food is good, you just say "thank you" regardless of how you feel about the result - otherwise you are disparaging their judgement.

 

[Cack]

I do some "large" cooks (about 50lbs of butts so not really THAT large), and will sell bags of pulled pork to friends to make a little side money. The batch before last I didn't have all of my ingrediants for my usual injection, and I used a different rub that I normally do. The pork came out nice, but I just wasn't thrilled with the flavor. I apologized to every person that bought some from me, because it wasn't to my typical standard and most of them texted me saying how great is was and put in orders for the next cook.

I'm with you, you expect perfection and nothing less will do ... that's a good standard to have though, I think.

 

[deguerre]

Yes, but you grew up in the wrong Grand Division so your reasoning is suspect, gtr...






















:bolt:

 

[Grimm5577]

Being in the creative field I've learned to love criticism, and get annoyed when people aren't critical enough. I often make a meal and critique my own work with my wife. My wife will say "I think it's perfect" mean while I'm picking out the things I should have done differently. It's not that I think my food sucks, but there is always something you can improve upon.

 

[Fat Cap]

I think that wanting the "perfect" slab, or brisket, etc. will always be the goal of most BBQ guys. It doesnt always happen for me. But I always get told that my food is awesome. IWhat I mean to say, is that the "perfect" whatever it is, depends on the person who is eating it.

My hang up seems to be that I am always second guessing myself. Did I make enough of this or that? Should I put the meat on a little earlier/later. Always turns out well, but I just worry too much.

Dont be hard on yourself.

 

[gtr]

Yes, but you grew up in the wrong Grand Division so your reasoning is suspect, gtr...






















:bolt:

Grew up in the right Grand Division, and more importantly, the right state. :boxing:

I will grant that my reasoning tends to be indefensible however. :tsk:

 

[slow-smoker]

The compliments I look for are folks going back for seconds and sometimes thirds. When the food is on the table, I don't consider silence to be awkward, especially if I hear yummy noises. :mrgreen:

 

[tnjimbob]

We must remember that cooking competition 'que, or cooking/catering for more than your family requires some serious next level effort to achieve consistent success. What we do is way above the average backyard burger burner, and striving to constantly improve is what separates us from most backyard cooks.

If you don't believe me, start talking about your process improvement and watch their eyes glaze over. I had a friend from church tell me that I intimidated him when I asked him to help cook some leg quarters on our big church grill. When I asked why, he said because he never put as much thought into a whole cook as I did about seasoning.

Now that's next level. :-D

 

[Bamabuzzard]

We must remember that cooking competition 'que, or cooking/catering for more than your family requires some serious next level effort to achieve consistent success. What we do is way above the average backyard burger burner, and striving to constantly improve is what separates us from most backyard cooks.

If you don't believe me, start talking about your process improvement and watch their eyes glaze over. I had a friend from church tell me that I intimidated him when I asked him to help cook some leg quarters on our big church grill. When I asked why, he said because he never put as much thought into a whole cook as I did about seasoning.

Now that's next level. :-D

Yep and yep. Now days the "average" backyarder doesn't even bbq ribs. They throw some hamburgers, hotdogs, smoked sausage and the occasional chicken breast on the propane grill and scorch the hades out of it. Though the popularity of bbq has increased there's still A LOT of folks who haven't got a clue how to do it.

I've had the same thing happen to me. People know I do a lot of bbq'n and cooking on the grill/smoker. So when we are at a function that I'm not the one having to cook and am one of the by-standards just hanging out beside the grill. I get that.