Best and Worst Feedback You've Received When Cooking Q For Others (or giving them leftovers)

[wire-it-up]

Bob C Cue's thread about best and worst barbecue accessory purchases got me thinking about the things that have been said to me about the Q I've cooked for others, or given away as leftovers.

I've really only had 2 negative things said, and one was by a 2 year old, LOL. That time, it was pork steaks, and the bark did LOOK burned. When he saw them, he yelled out "Burnt!". OK, I admit it, they were darker than they should have been, but we ate them anyway. I probably deserved that one for cooking them too long.

The other one was friends in another state, who we had over for pulled pork. They arrived just before it was done. So, we chatted for about half an hour until it reached 200 internal. When it did, I took it off and shredded it by hand. At that time, I was too ignorant to let it rest. Plus, we were all pretty hungry. Even without the rest, the meat was tasty and moist. It was two 8 pound butts, for only 7 people (5 of them female), so we sent them home with a lot of leftover pulled pork.

The following weekend, I made pork steaks, and had several left. I offered them a few for a quick easy dinner they could heat up after working all day, and the man of the house said "No thanks, you've given us enough pork." I wasn't sure how to take that, so I just said "OK". I don't think I ever offered them Q again. Not trying to be spiteful, just didn't know if they liked it or not.

Everyone else I've ever had over for Q, or given leftovers to, has been very gracious and grateful, even when I was first starting out. Maybe they were just being kind if the first samples from the Weber were questionable. Some told me to open my own Q joint. Some recently have asked me to cater events for them (will be doing that on a very small scale soon).

Anyway, I thought stories from the brethren on this subject could be interesting and perhaps humorous. Thanks in advance if you contribute.

 

[BillN]

I once got a "only one rack" when I brought over a rack of Baby Backs to a couple of old ladies. They woofed them down in front of me and they had just finished dinner. I guess in some way it was compliment.

 

[Happy Hapgood]

Folks down South are just too polite sometimes. Back in another life I attempted a low cost brisket on the gasser and had ribs with grill marks. Did not know about this fine site at the time. While they were knawing on that shoe leather, I asked How is it? With almost tears in their eyes they said Good and then went back to making their jaw bones sore.

There! I said it! :tsk:

My how times have changed since joining this Fine Site! :thumb:

 

[wire-it-up]

Now, that literally made me laugh out loud! "jaw bones sore" (killing me!)

 

[wire-it-up]

By the way, without saying too much in case the gentleman I "gave enough pork to" would somehow read this, that was when we lived down south. That family was from out east though. Don't know if the culture up that way was for folks to be blunt or not.

 

[mrbill]

best - toss up between (1)a guy i worked with at the time said my bbq was the best he'd ever had and said i'd missed my calling and (not sure how serious he was) offered to front some $$ for me to go pro (2) cooked some meat for a couple guys leaving my section at work who said mine was better than the successful competitor we worked with

worst- well, as they say you are you're own worst critic, so i've had some cooks i wasn't proud of

 

[Free Mr. Tony]

Best-
I made wings for taste of the royal at the American royal (public pays to go around to team sites to taste a couple bites). I had a lady seek out the cook, and she said it was the best chicken she had ever tasted. And said they had chicken at almost every stop, and nothing compared. Pretty nice to hear from total stranger.

Recently, a new neighbor happened to be coming home right at the time I was pulling some ribs off. I took a half rack over to him. I didnt see him for a couple weeks after that, and then I saw him at the mailbox. He came up and told me he lived in Kansas City for 10 years, and that those ribs were the best BBQ he'd ever had.

Worst-
Made pork at the American royal once. Had a couple guys taste it, and asked if it needed anything. One guy just shrugged, and the other guy paused and said "it needs something". That was an experimental rub and sauce that I never used again.

 

[Turkey]

Best: I've had a few people say that they wagyu briskets that I've cooked for them are the best meat that they have ever had. I can't take any credit for that, Wagyu brisket is almost foolproof and practically cooks itself.

Worst: too many to choose from. I have BBQ'd about 3 times a week for many years and my wife and 2 sons have unanimously liked what I cooked maybe 3 times. They all have very different tastes and at least one of them doesn't like any given meal (junior would be happy eating lasagne 3 meals a day, 365 days a year).

 

[Smilerb]

Not necessarily the best but is the most memorable from 15 years ago, I’d cooked a beer can chicken in a really hashed together smoker, the fire box was an old filing cabinet draw with an adapted tea urn (I’m British!) as the smoking chamber I’d thrown some sort of rub together and cooked it over apple wood, we had it with our dinner but the next morning I caught my wife eating it for breakfast, all my chickens are still compared to the “breakfast Chicken”. Even the one I did last weekend, apparently I’m getting closer……….
Worst I’ve had a few most caused by bad timing, with out doubt this site is making me step up and has really helped me improve.

 

[offshore_SoLA]

Best:

I went outside an established BBQ joint not far from my home with ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. I eventually took the line away from the place and shared some of the profit with the property owner. In reality ..I was making a point about a request about a cooking method this particular place to which he arrogantly ignored. That was the moment I had decided I'd cook for profit.

In the same day.. the same line actually - A general contractor walked up and picked up the last rack of ribs and a half pound of brisket. He asked me why i didn't have a food truck. I simply replied that 70-80k was quite an investment for a hobby. He said I've always wanted a bbq truck but can't bbq... you sir could make a tire taste good. Needless to say - We are ironing out a partnership for an actual real deal premium specialty meat market and bbq.

Worst- I recently smoked a turkey breast and had my fiance try it. I don't like turkey anyway ..she took a bite and was wiping her mouth out with a napkin. I kinda laughed thinking she was joking.... heylll no.. i was wiping my mouth out too. I used this Hawaiian kona coffee rub she begged me to use... YUCK.

 

[mattmountz94]

Worst. That time i used matchlite for a low and slow cook and the chuckie came out tasting like lighter fluid. No one would actually taste it so i never got feedback. The smell was awful

 

[wire-it-up]

offshore SoLA - How exciting... getting into the business for profit! That's awesome. I'm sure you'll enjoy that.

 

[lcbateman3]

Best -- I once had my best friend sister in law tell me she loved the taste and feel of my meat in her mouth.

Worst -- Her husband said he agreed. :shock:

Seriously though, I've had some great compliments. I had an older gentleman come up to me and say: "Son, I'm 85 years old. I have eaten BBQ all across the country from some of the finest pitmasters to walk this earth. And I will say your's beat them all."

My second favorite was a 8-year-old girl. All she would eat was chicken. We became friends with her family when we lived in Tennesee. They came over for the first time, and I did pulled pork (I didn't know about the chicken thing at the time). The girl devoured the pulled pork. Said Mr. Lionel makes the best chicken ever. Every time they would come over she would ask if we were having my special chicken.

As for worse, not much worse than what I can do to myself. I'm my own worse critic, my wife is my second worse critic (in all the good ways, she lets me know the honest truth)

 

[wire-it-up]

My 15 year old daughter can sometimes be that way about the Q I cook. She claims not to like smoke flavor in ANYTHING. However, if I make ribs and the other 3 of us start chowing down, she'll say "Dad, can you get me some?" Occasionally, she'll even ask for seconds. Even at 15, she doesn't always know what species of animal is on the menu, even after looking at it. Once or twice, I was very tempted to let her continue thinking it was something it wasn't, just so she'd eat it without complaining.

 

[cheez59]

I can't count the number of people who said my BBQ was the best they ever had. Those comments make me feel awkward sometimes.

The only negative comments I have gotten were that sometimes my offerings have been too spicy. One woman got mad at me last year when she said her mouth was on FIRE from some ribs she had. The ribs were lightly sprinkled with Dominator. Go figure.

We love Jah Love and Habanero Death Dust wings. Both of which are quite spicy for people who don't like heat. I always make some mild wings along with the hot ones and tell my guests the difference. It never fails though that the people who hate spice will grab a hot one, take one bite and chunk the rest in the trash.

 

[Macky]

Worst - I was told, "You know the ribs come out even better if you boil them a little"! :crazy:

 

[16Adams]

Best:"seriously, this is SPAM?"

Worst:" seriously, this is SPAM?"

 

[Fatback Joe]

Best: A friend of my daughter came to visit last fall. I had not seen her since we left Florida in 2009. I asked her if there was anything I could make for her while she was visiting. She said "since you asked....it would be ribs. I remember the last time time that I ate at your house in Florida we had ribs and I only ate a couple and that is my biggest regret. I should have eaten more".

2nd....I have a comment card from a judge that says "This was the best chicken I have eaten in a very long time. Keep it up!". Must be the other judges agreed as I got 1st in chicken that day.


Worst: No one thing sticks out, but I know I have made some real clunkers and also have long accepted the fact that you can't be everything to everyone. If someone doesn't care for something I made, I don't take it personally.

 

[wire-it-up]

I took some double smoked spiral sliced ham (Malcom Reed recipe) to church and was giving it to whoever wanted a piece. A buddy told the pastor he HAD to try a piece. He did, and he looked at me and asked when I was going to open a restaurant. My response - "Never, because then it would go from being fun to being work."

I have wondered whether I would enjoy it if I were to quit my job and open a Q joint. I don't think I would. I don't think I would like the hours it would require. I appreciate my job working for someone else, so I can have my weekends off and do the things I like to do when I'm not working.

 

[Beer/Meat/Victory]

Best - My kid who is a real picky eater (think pizza and hamburger all the time if I'd let him) asks me to make Ribs and bbq on the regular now a days.

Worst - Not Q, but a few friends of mine went up to a Cabin near a pond that had stocked Catfish (Channel Cats if I recall). We rolled a keg near the pond and just hammered the catfish...and beer. Around 1am we decided to fry some up outside the cabin (no running water and limited supplies. We found flour and oil and a cast iron pan plus a bit of salt and pepper. Now between the oiliest catfish Ive ever seen, and the cooking oil likely never achieving a good temp (no thermometer) this was the worst fish I'd ever cooked. We were all about 3 sheets to the wind, so it was just laughed off, but man that was some terrible fish.