Great BBQ is it the machine or the mind

Rubmybutt · Nov 27, 2011

I was just doin a little thinkin about the time I've been here and how much you've all taught me. I've moved up in BBQ equipment quality, I think, and I just had to ask this question.

Is a person with much knowledge able to cook on almost nothing and end up with award winning eats or if your equipped with really good cookers can a person of minimal background pull ahead of the pack?

How does the Brethren feel about this? And now back to the news! :thumb:

woodbutcher1 · Nov 27, 2011

As with so many other things,i do not think it is the equipment. It is the person tending it. jmo.

Hoss · Nov 27, 2011

A good cook can turn out good eats using any equipment and or supplies on hand.

SmokeOCD · Nov 27, 2011

I can hammer in nails with a rock, use a butter knife to turn screws - but nothing beats having the right tools. The right equipment makes it more enjoyable for the chef and allows the chef to display his talents better. But all you need is a pile of sticks in the back yard, light most of them - put the food on the others and cook away.

colonel00 · Nov 27, 2011

As a wise man once said, "A good craftsman never blames his tools"

With that said, I do have to echo SmokeOCD in the fact that better tools do make it easier.

tortaboy · Nov 27, 2011

Great Thread. I've been wondering the same things.

All things equal, the mind wins out.

But the right toys DEFINITELY make a huge difference.

BBQ Bandit · Nov 27, 2011

There's a saying... "Its the cook, not the cooker"

Altho as a mechanic in my days... its nice to have the right tool for the right job.

Skidder · Nov 27, 2011

Like it's been said a million times "It ain't the cooker it's the cook". Real bbq back in the day was cooked in the ground so take it from there. This is where the word pit came from. Check out the book Smokestack Lightning.

landarc · Nov 27, 2011

I can and have cooked under abysmal conditions and turned out great food, I can and have cooked in glorious conditions and turned out great food, I have also screwed up my share under the same conditions. The tools are great, but, if you don't know how to build a house, the best hammer and saw in the world will not tell you how.

At the end of the day, the best cook is the one who knows how to pair flavors, control and manage both heat and time, organize his operation and make the food look good. He understands that we eat with all five senses and knows how to trigger them all.

Great tools can make an average cooker better, a Guru or Stoker makes heat control more automatic and easier to understand, commercial rubs give you flavor profiles, insulated cookers allow you to walk away for a bit, but, they do not make the biggest difference. It really comes down to the cook and how he uses the tools.

viper1 · Nov 27, 2011

cook

Got to agree! It is the cook and his knowledge! I started with wood, then charcoal and back to wood, then gas and now electric. I've been ridiculed, laughed at and agreeded with. But never heard any one complain about the food. Getting older I love the convienance of electric. When I was younger the wood and charcoal really was nice but required a lot of attention. Which meant we could all sit around and drink cold ones and talk. Nothing beats that. I never tried a pellet but have to figure its a little easier then wood. If I was to do competitions Id probably go back to wood. But These days Im happy. It's not about whats bigger and better. Its a passion for the food and fellow ship as I see it. So like they say "smoke them if you got them" and be happy!

TIMMAY · Nov 27, 2011

A good BBQ cook should be able to adapt and overcome with just about anything he has on hand. Having a cooker that you know and being able to plan for its quirks ahead of time goes a long way to minimize the *adversity* from time to time.

Through the course of my year here I have had to learn a new cooker while cooking for more than just myself on several occasions, to include piecing together working parts in a kettle with a missing grill grate. A couple examples for your viewing pleasure...

Skidder · Nov 27, 2011

My go to saying has always been" bbq isn't rocket science but there is a right and wrong way to do it" and to me it all boils down to temperature control. Shoot you can have all the rubs,marinades and sauces you want but if your product hasn't been cooked correctly then.........you know the rest.

smokingj · Nov 27, 2011

Ask yourself this. Did they have these fancy schmancy cookers and gadgets back in the day?
It's not the equipment but the skill of the cook. One that can improvise with what they have on hand. After all, look at Barbacoa (mexican BBQ) if cooked in a traditional way it's nothing more than a hole in the ground with seasoned meat wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over hot rocks/coals which is covered in the same way as a New England clam bake or a Hawaiian Luau.
I keep saying over and over:
Know your pit, know your fire and know your meat. Master those and you'll be fine.

Skidder · Nov 27, 2011

Some of the best ribs I've ever eaten have been grilled over open fire with absolutely no seasonings at all not even salt. This man knows his pit and his meat. He does have a great sauce but the meat doesn't need it. He gets just the right char on his ribs and he does it consistently.

BigBobBQ · Nov 27, 2011

as everyone above has stated it is all about the cook, I agree good tools make it easier but if you do not know how to use the tools you won't cook anything.

Sledneck · Nov 27, 2011

I think it's the cooker these days and many won't admit it. When is th last time any of you dug a hole in the ground?

Ole Man Dan · Nov 27, 2011

BBQ Bandit said:
There's a saying... "Its the cook, not the cooker"
Altho as a mechanic in my days... its nice to have the right tool for the right job.

I agree that it's the guy in the greasy apron (The Cook) and not the
Frat.boy, jock, who has a new Egg, that will have the best 'Q'.
(nothing against Frat boys,or Jocks... just saying the guy with the experience will likely have the best food)
Now days, the guy with the experience may also have the good equipment.

Skidder · Nov 27, 2011

Sledneck you are so wrong. You can have the best cooker in the world(which is the best who knows) and if you don't know how to cook well............

smokingj · Nov 27, 2011

Sledneck said:
I think it's the cooker these days and many won't admit it. When is th last time any of you dug a hole in the ground?

I do at times. You won't find no guru, stoker, thermapen, etc in or near my pits. But then again I learned from someone 30 years ago how to 'que who had been doing it himself since he was a kid basically in Alabama. You are right that most 'new' folks to 'queing rely to much on the gadgets though. Take em away and and a lot of folks would be lost.

smokingj · Nov 27, 2011

Skidder said:
Sledneck you are so wrong. You can have the best cooker in the world(which is the best who knows) and if you don't know how to cook well............

Exactly. You can spend thousands of dollars on a tool set to work on a car, but if you don't understand the mechanics of how a car runs and all it's components, those tools don't mean chit then.

Great BBQ is it the machine or the mind

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