What the best piece of advice you've received for BBQ?

[CptKaos]

never walk up to the cook with only one beer unless your not drinking

 

[Happy Hapgood]

I was told by a Pitmaster, "You can't even cook Toast!" (my previous screen name) after tasting my grilled fare.


He gave me the best piece of advice indirectly that led me to the BBQ Brethren. They have since moved but still come to visit. Now he is asking me the questions in all things BBQ.

 

[flem0061]

I so rarely am able to do this but try to make time for a shower before you eat. Clearing those olfactory glands will allow you to taste the subtleties of all the effort you put into it.

 

[Chuckwagonbbqco]

famous Pitmaster Mike Mills said in his book "Peace, Love, and BBQ"-----the first thing to load when headed of to BBQ----"take a chair"----best advice ever

 

[dave12b]

The most important ingredient in bbq is patience.

 

[SmokinAussie]

Leave the bloody lid on.

 

[4ever3]

Don’t time the big meats to the minute everyone is suppose to eat. Time them to come off a couple hours early.

If every goes perfect? Not a problem, hold the meat for a couple hours.

If everything goes to chit? Not a problem, you’ve got time to recover.

 

[Dweverett]

All already mentioned but for me the big learnings:

1) cook to feel not temp
2) start earlier than you think, you can hold for a long time and it actually makes it better
3) vacuum sealed leftovers, especially combined with soups vide are awesome. Sometimes better than when fresh.

 

[Neil]

1. Thin blue smoke

2. If your looking, you ain't cooking

3. We'll eat when it's done!

 

[stangman327]

1. Stop chasing temps and let the cooker cook at what temp it wants to cook at.

 

[Mikhail]

Like PatAttack, it's done when it's done. Don't try to force it.

 

[fwdiii]

1) Let your smoker settle in on a temp.
2) Keep peaking to a minimum.
3) Thin blue smoke while cooking.
4) Cook to your audience, not yours.
5) Have plenty of ice cold beer on hand.
6) Enjoy the ride!!!!

 

[jasonjax]

Taste is subjective.

 

[orangeblood]

1. learn how to build and tend a fire
2. rubs, slathers, sauce, injection, marinades, etc. are hocus pocus (dont spend time on this at the expense of learning no. 1)
3. understand what "done" is for everything you put in your smoker

 

[ChrisBarb]

Feel trumps temperature pulling meat

If you change "trumps" to "Trumps" this reads completely different.

 

[Mikhail]

This. Feel your meat and wiggle the bone. If you don't have a bone, just feel your meat.

*snort*

 

[food4thot]

After numerous failed attempts to collect drippings in the kettle for gravy finally asked the question here. 1buckie answered with pictures how to do it.

 

[blackdogbbq21]

The other big one that this board taught me, was that it's okay to have personal preferences. Just because ribs are perfectly bite through, doesn't mean my dad is wrong for wanting them to fall of the bone.

So my main advice, is to cook for your audience. Sometimes your goal is to please yourself-so cook for that. Other times, you want a crowd to be happy-so cook for how they want it.

Yup there are so many regions of bbq, types of cookers, woods, seasoning and methods no particular one is the only way to cook something.

 

[JAKs Q & brew]

After numerous failed attempts to collect drippings in the kettle for gravy finally asked the question here. 1buckie answered with pictures how to do it.

Can you post that link please? I have tried a few different ways, but I'm always open to new ideas.

 

[food4thot]

Can you post that link please? I have tried a few different ways, but I'm always open to new ideas.

Was a few years back. Not clever enough to find the thread. It was a throwaway aluminum tray/chafing pan half full of water covered with HD aluminum foil, depressed in the middle to catch the drippings.