More stuff i've been meaning to post from Smoke & Fire Enquirer. A heated debate on foiling. I wanted to post the prelude from last month, but they took it down. I know alot of us use foil, i do too. As a tool, not a crutch, but this Smokey dude is adament that his is the only way. IMHO, BBQ is not a textbook, but a laboratory. Experiment, do whats right for you and yours and if theres no leftovers, ya did a good job.
Just some more reading gentlemen.
***snip
Ah, Smoky.
I'm relieved to find that the coast to coast tales of your arrogance are not unfounded. And, it's somewhat of a relief to know that no matter what I say, short of our Lord coming down and judging at the American Royal, Jack Daniels or Memphis in May and proclaiming to His q'uing children that "this is good barbecue," nothing will convince you that any method that varies from yours is evil. In fact, you'd probably argue with Christ Himself. Although I doubt He eats pork.
TEAM NAME OMITTED of Blue Springs, MO dominates the American Royal year after year. They cook with foil, Smoky. TEAM NAME OMITTED of Leawood, KS won Jack Daniel's cooking with foil. The list of smaller contests won by teams using foil is too long to list, and bull-headed "My Way or the Highway" types like yourself wouldn't bother with all that proof anyway. KCBS teams using foil win every weekend, all over the country. If that fact causes you some indigestion, stay away from KCBS contests. You can judge how you like, but please warn us if you are going to judge, because while I have no doubt you have good taste, I am positive your anal-retentive, self-absorbed attitude about barbecuing would benefit no one at a sanctioned contest.
Smoky, I've never turned-in mushy pork ribs. I don't know where you're getting these mushy ribs, but they weren't from anyone taught by the teams I listed above. Now, I've had some amazing meat cooked without foil. And I've had amazing meat cooked with foil. I've had Texas boot leather cooked without foil, and I've had mush cooked with foil. The spirit is in the different people trying different things, and having a great time together.
I know there are some who are "unable or unwilling" to try methods different from how they did things 50 years ago, and I pity them. Because there are many roads to take when making kick-ass barbecue, and people like yourself who see new methods as blasphemy are really missing out. Your brand of "purist" rigidity has nothing to do with the Spirit of Barbecuing. The Spirit of Barbecuing isn't only in the process - it's also in the fun. The idea that our process is inferior to yours because we throw our butts in foil when reaching a certain temperature is just more chest-thumping baloney. Our process takes no less work than yours - I've done plenty of meat without the foil. I like my recipes better. Sometimes the judges agree, sometimes they don't. But the KCBS rules are simple, and the playing field is quite level. Apparently the Big Book of Smoky's Definitions has a different meaning for the word 'level,' too.
You're talking about the Spirit of Barbecue? The spirit isn't in how the food is cooked, Smoky it's in the heart that goes into it. When I stand in the rain at 4:15 am and adjust a baffle by an eighth of an inch because the pit temperature is just a touch high - that's the spirit of barbecue. When my team trades piles of meat, cold brews and secrets with people we met just a few hours before - that's the spirit of barbecue. When I fatten my family up on brisket and send a stranger home with a half a rack of ribs better than he's ever had in his life, that's the spirit of barbecue.
If you're in KC, I'd be happy to let you sample some of our barbecue. In fact, most teams will be happy to give you samples - some with foil, some without. That's the spirit of barbecue. Our bbq won't involve skillets, crock-pots, or KC Masterpiece (although Rich Davis did more to get people cooking in their backyards than you ever will). But, what I feed you will have touched foil. And, I will take your self-righteous abuse with a smile, because all I want to do is have a good time - surly old bulls won't slow me down. But, I suspect you won't go for that, so put your meat where your mouth is: The American Royal is the first weekend in October. Compete.
Have fun.
Pat
Pat, it is so good to find that we agree on at least two things.
We both agree that the essence of barbecue is the sharing of time, our most finite resource, food and fellowship with others. If you had read either of my books or minimally perused the web site without the myopic, opto-rectal, foil-focused fixation, you would have discovered that.
And, we both enjoy pot roast. There are days that just call for a hearty pot roast. A good piece of meat, seared, then sealed to simmer in its own juices until it almost falls apart and served up with potatoes and carrots makes a delicious, nutritious and satisfying meal. (I don't cook in foil, however, because aluminum is unhealthy for the human body). Folk say that I do a pretty good pot roast but it would never occur to me to try to pass it off as barbecue.
But you malign me. I have never claimed to have discovered barbecue nor originated its definition. I do claim to have read the definition, understood it and am willing to accept that definition as accurate and authentic. A truth does not change, regardless of time. What was barbecue 300 years ago, is still barbecue today. What was pot roast 300 years ago is still pot roast.
From recorded history, those who were unwilling to accept the truth have always attacked the messenger. Could it be because they, themselves, deep down, have contempt for what they are doing? So, if my refusal to accept pot roast as barbecue causes me to be called arrogant by those who will not abide the truth, I willingly bear the stones.
Every year there are millions of dollars of counterfeit currency passed upon the naive as real. But, in truth, each bill is still bogus. If every winner of every KCBS contest for the next millennium cooked in foil it would still be pot roast, not barbecue. In human history, there have always been those who dealt in bogus goods. I suppose it should not be surprising that there are those who deal in bogus barbecue. But the dark, onerous burden that every counterfeiter carries is the knowledge that what they are producing is bogus merchandise.
Perhaps it is this burden that causes foilers to react so violently to the simple truth: pot roast is pot roast; barbecue is barbecue.
Have fun,
Smoky
***end snip
Just some more reading gentlemen.
***snip
Ah, Smoky.
I'm relieved to find that the coast to coast tales of your arrogance are not unfounded. And, it's somewhat of a relief to know that no matter what I say, short of our Lord coming down and judging at the American Royal, Jack Daniels or Memphis in May and proclaiming to His q'uing children that "this is good barbecue," nothing will convince you that any method that varies from yours is evil. In fact, you'd probably argue with Christ Himself. Although I doubt He eats pork.
TEAM NAME OMITTED of Blue Springs, MO dominates the American Royal year after year. They cook with foil, Smoky. TEAM NAME OMITTED of Leawood, KS won Jack Daniel's cooking with foil. The list of smaller contests won by teams using foil is too long to list, and bull-headed "My Way or the Highway" types like yourself wouldn't bother with all that proof anyway. KCBS teams using foil win every weekend, all over the country. If that fact causes you some indigestion, stay away from KCBS contests. You can judge how you like, but please warn us if you are going to judge, because while I have no doubt you have good taste, I am positive your anal-retentive, self-absorbed attitude about barbecuing would benefit no one at a sanctioned contest.
Smoky, I've never turned-in mushy pork ribs. I don't know where you're getting these mushy ribs, but they weren't from anyone taught by the teams I listed above. Now, I've had some amazing meat cooked without foil. And I've had amazing meat cooked with foil. I've had Texas boot leather cooked without foil, and I've had mush cooked with foil. The spirit is in the different people trying different things, and having a great time together.
I know there are some who are "unable or unwilling" to try methods different from how they did things 50 years ago, and I pity them. Because there are many roads to take when making kick-ass barbecue, and people like yourself who see new methods as blasphemy are really missing out. Your brand of "purist" rigidity has nothing to do with the Spirit of Barbecuing. The Spirit of Barbecuing isn't only in the process - it's also in the fun. The idea that our process is inferior to yours because we throw our butts in foil when reaching a certain temperature is just more chest-thumping baloney. Our process takes no less work than yours - I've done plenty of meat without the foil. I like my recipes better. Sometimes the judges agree, sometimes they don't. But the KCBS rules are simple, and the playing field is quite level. Apparently the Big Book of Smoky's Definitions has a different meaning for the word 'level,' too.
You're talking about the Spirit of Barbecue? The spirit isn't in how the food is cooked, Smoky it's in the heart that goes into it. When I stand in the rain at 4:15 am and adjust a baffle by an eighth of an inch because the pit temperature is just a touch high - that's the spirit of barbecue. When my team trades piles of meat, cold brews and secrets with people we met just a few hours before - that's the spirit of barbecue. When I fatten my family up on brisket and send a stranger home with a half a rack of ribs better than he's ever had in his life, that's the spirit of barbecue.
If you're in KC, I'd be happy to let you sample some of our barbecue. In fact, most teams will be happy to give you samples - some with foil, some without. That's the spirit of barbecue. Our bbq won't involve skillets, crock-pots, or KC Masterpiece (although Rich Davis did more to get people cooking in their backyards than you ever will). But, what I feed you will have touched foil. And, I will take your self-righteous abuse with a smile, because all I want to do is have a good time - surly old bulls won't slow me down. But, I suspect you won't go for that, so put your meat where your mouth is: The American Royal is the first weekend in October. Compete.
Have fun.
Pat
Pat, it is so good to find that we agree on at least two things.
We both agree that the essence of barbecue is the sharing of time, our most finite resource, food and fellowship with others. If you had read either of my books or minimally perused the web site without the myopic, opto-rectal, foil-focused fixation, you would have discovered that.
And, we both enjoy pot roast. There are days that just call for a hearty pot roast. A good piece of meat, seared, then sealed to simmer in its own juices until it almost falls apart and served up with potatoes and carrots makes a delicious, nutritious and satisfying meal. (I don't cook in foil, however, because aluminum is unhealthy for the human body). Folk say that I do a pretty good pot roast but it would never occur to me to try to pass it off as barbecue.
But you malign me. I have never claimed to have discovered barbecue nor originated its definition. I do claim to have read the definition, understood it and am willing to accept that definition as accurate and authentic. A truth does not change, regardless of time. What was barbecue 300 years ago, is still barbecue today. What was pot roast 300 years ago is still pot roast.
From recorded history, those who were unwilling to accept the truth have always attacked the messenger. Could it be because they, themselves, deep down, have contempt for what they are doing? So, if my refusal to accept pot roast as barbecue causes me to be called arrogant by those who will not abide the truth, I willingly bear the stones.
Every year there are millions of dollars of counterfeit currency passed upon the naive as real. But, in truth, each bill is still bogus. If every winner of every KCBS contest for the next millennium cooked in foil it would still be pot roast, not barbecue. In human history, there have always been those who dealt in bogus goods. I suppose it should not be surprising that there are those who deal in bogus barbecue. But the dark, onerous burden that every counterfeiter carries is the knowledge that what they are producing is bogus merchandise.
Perhaps it is this burden that causes foilers to react so violently to the simple truth: pot roast is pot roast; barbecue is barbecue.
Have fun,
Smoky
***end snip