Burnt Out Monday

Sorry folks. No BBOM today, just burnt out. Long tough weekend that started with breaking a tooth on Thursday and totaling my car on Friday. I'll be back later in the week.

The secret of good barbeque

Here's a great article from the Galveston County Daily News about the secret of Barbecue - The RUB.

The secret to good barbecue is in the rub
By Linda Fradkin
Correspondent
Published February 22, 2006

When it comes to barbecue, the secret is not in the sauce, but in the dry powder rub, the smoker, the wood and, of course, the technique.

That’s the flame-cooking philosophy promoted by League City’s Robert Ruiz.

Ruiz should know. After all, his Valero Gasoline Alley Cookers have been participating in barbecue cook-offs for more than 20 years.

This week, Ruiz and his friends are headed for one of the prime cook-offs of the year: the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The event takes place Thursday through Saturday at Reliant Center.

“Some people stick to the same recipe — or at least a similar recipe — year after year,” Ruiz said. “As a matter of fact, the only major change I’ve noticed in recent years are the formulations for the ribs. It seems to me the entries are much sweeter than before.”

Otherwise, as far as the longtime contestant is concerned, most of the teams taking part in the brisket contest seem to adhere to recipes extremely similar to the ones they’ve created in past years. That means covering the meat with dry ingredients like pepper, paprika, minced garlic, chili powder and kosher salt.

“The only difference I notice from year to year is they frequently change the proportions of the spices they use,” Ruiz said.

The Gasoline Alley Cookers are faithful to a preparation technique that calls for coming up with a concoction of spices, hand rubbing that mixture into the meat, wrapping the meat in plastic wrap and refrigerating it overnight.

“You have to be careful not to over-season the meat since what’s most crucial to the judges is the taste of the meat coming through,” Ruiz said. “The only time I was aware of a cook getting carried away with spices was when I tasted a slice of brisket that had way too much cayenne.”

Once the seasoned meat is out of the refrigerator, cooks turn their focus to their custom-made pits, the wood used as the heat source, the temperature and the amount of smoke produced.

“It’s really a matter of practice,” Ruiz said. “We used to go out of our way to find white oak. Now that’s not very accessible, so we just use whatever oak we can get in Galveston County.”

A cooking time of eight hours (of course, the timing depends on the size of the brisket) at a low temperature of 250 F to 300 F seems to work best. WHITETRASH NOTE: In Texas, they seem to cook their brisket at a higher temp than most BBQ cooks. I would cook brisket at 225 F to 250 F. It will take longer, but the final product will be more tender.

“What you’re trying to do is produce enough smoke so you create a smoke ring around the outside of the meat, giving it a smoky — but not overly smoky — flavor,” Ruiz explained. WHITETRASH NOTE: We need to talk more about the smoke ring. In another post I'll expose the truth behind the myth.

To provide the meat with sufficient moisture, the team wraps the brisket in foil for about the last two hours. Other teams do a barbecue sauce mop while the brisket’s cooking, but not the Alley Cookers.

Then, when it’s time for the final judging — whether it’s brisket, chicken or pork spareribs — the entry must be literally the cooked meat out of the pit. No sauce is allowed.

“There have been years we’ve placed in the top 25 teams for ribs and for brisket,” Ruiz said. “We look upon that kind of win as a real victory since almost 400 teams compete each year.”

And speaking of RUB - did you know that Paul Kirk's RUB - Righteous Urban Barbecue restaurant is sponsoring NYC's first BBQ contest - Grillin On The Bay on March 25th? See you there.

The Smoking Car #4 - BigMista - The Survival Gourmet

Well, it's that time again; we're riding The Smoking Car all the way out to California and who's that sitting next to us? Why, it's our good buddy BigMista - The Survival Gourmet. Mista's one of the Los Angeles area's best caterers and has just formed his own competitive barbeque team with a few other bloggers, but let's listen as BigMista tells us his barbeque story....

I thought Barbecue had always been a part of my life.

I can remember eating burnt hot dogs cooked on a grill and loving them because they were slathered with BBQ sauce and they were “crunchy”. I can remember going to the park with my family and getting to light my first fire in the old brick pit that they had there. I can remember friends and family coming to our house for backyard barbecues every year in spite of the “mashed potato salad incident.” (That’s a story for another time.) I can remember the best BBQ in Galveston, TX coming from Mom’s. It was only available on the weekend from 5pm until Mom ran out. (I later found out that Mom’s was a house of “ill-repute”. It was still good barbeque, though.)

When I moved to California, I started throwing my own backyard barbecues. Everybody loved my ribs. I made a great barbeque sauce and the meat was tender. Basically, I would marinate the ribs in Malt Liquor overnight and then stick the ribs in the oven, marinade and all, and cook them for a couple of hours. After that, I would put them on the grill to “get some smoke” and finish them by dunking them in my world famous BBQ sauce. People raved about my barbecue. Then again, I was in Southern California and there wasn’t really anything to compare it to except Tony Roma’s boiled…oops, I mean BBQ ribs.

I was convinced that I knew everything about Barbecue. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I was actually put on the path to BBQ Nirvana by Alton Brown of Good Eats. Go figure. I watched him Q a pork roast inside a flower pot and I knew right then that I needed to learn the real deal about barbecue.

So I started doing some research on the internet. I found out that what I had been doing was grilling and that real bbq is cooked low and slow in a smoker. I went out to Lowe’s and bought a Chargriller smoker. My wife helped me put it together (Gotta love that woman) and we put it out on my balcony. I was ready to start smoking and I probably would have made 1000 mistakes on my first cook, but during my research, I bumped into a guy named Bill from Chicago in a Yahoo Group. He invited me to a place where I could learn more about Q and be surrounded by BBQ enthusiasts who actually share their secrets and enjoy nurturing newbie BBQ chefs. That place is www.bbq-brethren.com.

The guys there walked me through my first cook step-by-step. Some even called me to check on my progress. My first cook was a success and I have been turning out good Q ever since. The guys on this site are a permanent part of my BBQ journey and a permanent part of my family now. I can call on them for anything and know that they will be there for me. They have taught me why you need sugar in a rub. They taught me about brines and injections. They taught me about foiling meat to get it past the sticking point. They accepted me without reservation and gave me all of their secrets (ok most of their secrets). Barbecue builds that kind of camaraderie.

Ok I know I kind of went on a tangent there. Moving on.

I have been perfecting my technique, rub and sauce. I can get sweet blue smoke at will and I have acquired the patience to cook low and slow (beer helps!). I think I am ready to start competing this year. BBQ is my hobby right now. Soon it will be a way of life.

This is my BBQ story.

Well there he goes. We’ll talk to you soon Mista. Be sure and check out BigMista's blog - The Survival Gourmet for some of the best recipes on the net and news of his new competitive barbeque team.

BBQ Burn Out Monday #4 - Sweet Nick's

SweetNicks was supposed to be our guest today on Barbecue Burn Out Monday, but unfortunately, she had a gall bladder operation over the weekend which took her out of commission. She's home now and recovering nicely as her husband cooks dinner AND cleans the kitchen afterwards. What a nice guy. I don't mind cooking, but I usually leave the cleaning to someone else!

Please take a moment and say a prayer or send some good thoughts to my friend, SweetNicks for a speedy recovery. SweetNicks has a special place in my heart. When my wife was burned making dinner last year, SweetNicks led the charge for prayers over the internet for her. I hope I can return the favor.
Welcome to BBQ Burn Out Monday #4 - SweetNicks. Through the magic of the internet and a little cut and paste, SweetNicks is with us in spirit. I hope she doesn't mind, but I went back over her blog and took a recipe at random and posted it here. I know that she'll be OK with it. SweetNick has NEVER missed a day blogging. Even while she was in the hospital, her (the) mother, the husband and even the neighbor, kept her blog going. Take it away SweetNicks

Sweetnicks Beer and Cheddar Soup

4 starter servings

2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
12 oz. beer
2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2-1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Melt the margarine in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and carrots in margarine, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add flour and stir to coat vegetables. Gradually stir in beer, broth and salt. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in sour cream and cheese; continue stirring until cheese is melted. Serve.

Sweetnicks Note: One of our favorite tummy-warming soups. Great for chilly nights, and easy meal for busy weeknights.

Hopefully, SweetNicks will be back up to speed soon and willing to resume posting on BBQ Burn Out Mondays. Feel better friend!

Tomorrow, I'll update you folks on Grillin on the Bay -- NYC's first BBQ contest. If you are interested in competing or judging, please send an email to Grillin On The Bay. Spaces are filling up fast!

Bloggers Unite!

I just heard from my friend Neil over at The Survival Gourmet, that he and Luis from The BBQ Junkie have united to form a new competitive BBQ team, name to be determined later. That's farking fantastic. I wish them all the luck in the world. Any team with the two of them should prove hard to beat.

Be sure to check out both of their incredible blogs. Visit Neil at The Survival Gourmet and Luis at The BBQ Junkie and tell them I sent you. Both are on my list of daily must reads.

I just wish they were here on the East coast so that they could compete in NYC's first BBQ contest - Grillin on the Bay on March 25, 2006. See you there!

The Smoking Car #3 - The Hampton Smoker

Welcome back to the Smoking Car. This is our third trip in the Smoking Car and who do we meet today? Well, looky here, it's Matt from The Hampton Smoker. Good to see you Matt. So what's up with you?

"Well Robert, I just bought myself a new pit, a custom built Klose Backyard Chef. Damn she's nice, but I still miss my old ECB.

Whether you call it a grill, a pit, a smoker, or by a proper name (my Klose is called Wubby), each cooker that you choose becomes a part of your family. People will think I'm crazy, but like a pet, my smokers have each had a personality, and have aged (rusted, warped) right alongside me.

You can be sure that, although secret rub and sauce ingredients may be closely guarded secrets, most pitmasters will showcase their pit like a proud parent attending a child's recital. By the same token, lay a hand on someone's pit without their permission, and you're in deep trouble. The pride runs deep.

When I first purchased my ECB (El Cheapo Brinkmann-- Brinkmann is a manufacturer) for $30 bucks at Kmart, I thought I had really scored. Well, yes and no. It was a poorly designed, R2D2 looking thing that had little to offer in terms of function. But, I made do and ate some fine bbq. Soon after, I was pulling cobwebs out of the ECB and cooking on the Char-Griller Smokin' Pro, another cheap-o cooker, but at least one looking like a smoker-- with a box on the end for burning wood.

She was my pride for many years. At first she was shiny and tight fighting, but soon she was a gritty, rusted, warped warrior, turning out 'que that defied the odds. She's sitting there, a wobbly, cardboard propped up, blocking the wind to fight off massive temperature fluctuations, shell of herself. She sits back now, and watches me cook on my new Klose, my Wubby, which is a more substantial smoker. She's retired for the foreseeable future, but I know she's still got it."

Well, we've reached another stop and Matt's heading home. Thanks for the story Matt. Talk to you soon. You'll be hearing a lot from Matt over the next few weeks. He's my co-conspirator in putting together NYC's First BBQ Contest - Grillin On The Bay!

Grillin on the Bay! NYC's first BBQ contest

Ok - where have I been? Where's this week's edition of BBQ Burn Out Monday? Well folks, your humble blogger has been bogged down working on putting together NYC's first BBQ contest - Grillin On The Bay!

Matt AKA The Hampton Smoker and I are putting together a one day grilling contest to be held in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn on Saturday March 25, 2006.

In a nutshell.....

It's an one day, New England Barbeque Society sanctioned grilling contest - March 25, 2005, held in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn to benefit the St. Mark Sports Association. This event is being sponsored by Paul Kirk's RUB Restaurant.

St. Mark Sports is a non-profit/non-sectarian based program. We provide boys and girls from the ages of 5 to 16 the opportunity to play basketball, be cheerleaders, or swim competitively. We also host a Special Olympics basketball team.

Entrance fee for the contest is $100. For that you get to cook in all categories. If you want to only compete in one individual category its $75. It's $25 to compete in the dessert only category. You must cook in every category except dessert to qualify for grand and reserve champion.

Of the entrance fee, 50% will go to the sports program and 50% will go to the prize pool. We are working hard to secure more sponsors to jazz up the prize pool. Results of this contest will count towards the NEBS Team of the Year scores!

Categories:

Chicken Wings - whole or segments - Kansas City Barbecue Society rules for presentation and garnish

Fish - Whole, steak or filet. No shellfish or crustaceans. Stuffing allowed. Stuffing to be composed of grain, dairy, vegetable and/or fruits. No additional meat, fish or poultry allowed. - KCBS rules for garnish and presentation.

Pork: Ribs, loin, chop or tenderloin. Bone in or out - chef's choice. Stuffing allowed. Stuffing to be composed of grain, dairy, vegetable and/or fruits. No additional meat, fish, shellfish, crustaceans or poultry allowed. - KCBS rules for garnish and presentation.

Chef's choice: can be anything but an item that would qualify for the proceeding categories. No Desserts. No garnish rules, except if used, must be edible. Entry must be presented in 6 separate and identifiable pieces. It must fit into the supplied container. No side containers. ie: sauce or dipping sauce.

Dessert is fully chef's choice with whatever garnish he/she sees fit. Dessert must be presented with enough to allow 6 judges enough to sample. All dishes used in presentation become the property of the program. Does not have to be cooked on site, must be home made.

Check out the website at http://www.stmarksports.org for more information or to download the rules, cooks packet and contest application.

There may be some slight tweaking of the rules before the event. Feel free to email us at grillin@stmarksports.org if you have questions.

That's it for now. Please forgive me if I'm not here as often as I'd like, but my time is being taken up by a good cause. I promise BBQ Burn Out Monday will return next week. And speaking of future events, Matt AKA The Hampton Smoker - will be taking a ride on The Smoking Car tomorrow. Let's hope he has an interesting story to tell.

The Smoking Car #2 - Lost Nation

The Smoking Car is on the move again. We're making a return trip to Vermont to pick up Rich Decker of Lost Nation Smoke Company. He was telling us the story of his first barbeque competition, but was unable to finish when the Smoking Car came to his stop. Well, we're back and Rich can pick up his story again. Take it away Rich....

So now we were ready, Lost Nation Smoke Company (I live on Lost Nation Road) was going to compete. The drive to Harpoon is about 100 miles and I was nervous and excited to make that drive. While setting up many of the other cooks came by to wish me luck and offer any supplies I may not have brought. As our team assembled our goal was to hear our name called one time. Harpoon gives ribbons to tenth place so we had 1 chance in forty to get a call.

Once we fired up the pit I wasn't nervous any more, a little drunk but not nervous. The cook went great, the pit held temperatures all night with minimal adjustments. All the meat went on at the right times and came off around when I thought they would. The girls were doing a great job with the boxes and we got everything turned in on time. I thought the chicken was good, the ribs were a little tough, the pork was over cooked and the brisket was dry. Even though I was disappointed with the product we turned in I was still hoping for that one call.

A band of bag pipers leads everyone down to the awards tent. I don't think I was ever so nervous as the team names were announced to get their awards. The first category Chicken was announced, no call. As the rib scores are announced we hear “4th place ribs; Lost Nation Smoke Company” We did it!!! All that time, effort and money over the last year paid off with a call. We were still on cloud nine as they called out the pork scores “with a perfect, perfect score, 1st place pork; Lost Nation Smoke Company”. It was beyond my wildest dreams I never thought we would get a first place and one of the cool beer tap trophies. I don’t think I was ever so happy.

After the brisket scores were announced we got down to the Reserve and Grand Champions. The Reserve Champions were The Yahoo’s. Lance is a legendary cook in New England with the NEBS team of the year trophy named after his team. Next came the Grand Champion, the first place winner, Charlie Story announced that the Champion is a home state team and a new competitor.

That’s right the 2003 New England Regional Barbecue Champion was Lost Nation Smoke Company. Whenever you win something you are shocked, surprised and mostly humbled. It took a year of hard work but if it happened to us, it could happen to anyone. The rest of the day and night were a blur but there was a grilling competition the next day. As fate would have it we won the grilling contest also. I don’t know how to explain it except that weekend was the second anniversary of my fathers passing. So I guess as a teacher and coach my dad may have not taught me how to cook but he did teach me how to prepare for a competition.

Well, we've reached Rich's stop once again, there he goes. Thanks for the story Rich. I really enjoyed it. Talk to you soon. Hopefully we'll see you in Brooklyn soon!

On a side note, today I'm cooking in another's kitchen. My friend SweetNick's is on vacation and she's generously offered me the chance to cook on her blog. When you get a chance, take a look at my postings over there for her weeking Husband Cooks Wednesdays section. I hope she comes home rested, because little did she know, when I make dinner, the wife does the dishes!

BBQ Burn Out Monday # 3 - Chef Michele

Welcome to BBQ Burn Out Monday #3. As promised, I am scouring the blogosphere in search of the most interesting and likeable bloggers to guest post on BBQ Burn Out Monday. I'd like all of you to extend a warm welcome to the newest member of the WhiteTrash family, Chef Michele. When you get a chance, be sure to check out her blog which features some of the best recipes to be found on the net. Take it away Michele....

I'm honored to be Robert's guest today, as I was honored to host him as my guest last week! I'm Michele from Chef Michele's Adventures.

Although I do love BBQ, I am not very well versed in preparing it. Eating it, I can do that... (as often as I am able). So when BBQ season comes around here I always offer to provide the accompanying side dishes.

In my humble opinion, there are many things that compliment BBQ very well. Of course there are the usual favorites like cole slaw, baked beans and corn on the cob. But my all time favorite of all has to be potato salad.

When I was growing up, my Dad was the BBQ master. We kids often assisted... My mom brought out the meat, ready to be cooked... But Dad always had on the mitt and held those big BBQ tongs. And my grandmother, she was often in the kitchen preparing her AWESOME potato salad. My grandmother's recipe wasn't exactly a recipe, per say. It was more of a concept. She knew what went in it and how it should look and taste. So, as her small assistant, I learned to prepare it just as she did and still make it the same way. This is basically how it goes...

Grandma Ida's Potato Salad

8 large potatoes
2 boiled eggs, mashed well
2 stalks celery, finely minced
2 large dill pickles, minced
1 large bell pepper, minced
paprika
Best Foods (Hellman's) mayonnaise
French's Mustard
salt
pepper

Put the potatoes, eggs celery, dill pickle and bell pepper into a large bowl. Mix well. Add mayonnaise, one large spoonful at a time and mix in. When you reach a nice creamy (but not too creamy) consistency, add a large squirt of mustard and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well (gently). Sprinkle the top with paprika. Eat and enjoy!

The Smoking Car - Lost Nation

Welcome to the Smoking Car. Every Wednesday, I will be offering various BBQ cooks and legends a chance to become WhiteTrash and post on my Blog. This is where you'll get a chance to meet some of my friends on the Kansas City Barbeque Society competition circuit.

The Smoking Car is named after the infamous old Smoking Car on the Long Island Rail Road. Back in the day of diesel trains and before the witch hunt on smokers, one car on each train was designated as the smoking car. It was always the most popular place on the train, because it was also the bar car. I remember walking into that car and getting hit by a wall of tobacco smoke so thick that you couldn't see the other end of the car. But in the Smoking Car, great friendships were made. I hope and intend that that spirit lives on here. And just like the good old Long Island Rail Road, sometimes it doesn't run on time. It's part of its charm.

So without further ado, please welcome to The Smoking Car, the first new WhiteTrash - Rich Decker of Lost Nation Smoke Company. Rich's entry today talks about his starting out in the world of competitive BBQ, from his first cook to his first contest. It's a great story...

I'’d like to say I grew up in a long line of outdoor cooks but it wouldn't be true. My father was a great husband, father, grand father but he wasn't a very good cook. Our picnics consisted of hot dogs or chicken with the sauce burnt black on top of raw, bloody meat. After I got married we bought a Weber kettle then “moved up” to a gasser.

I always loved BBQ but until Peppers restaurant opened in South Burlington, Vermont I never knew what BBQ could taste like. I loved that place but it closed. To continue eating authentic BBQ I decided to buy a smoker and a cookbook. I got an ECB and Smoke and Spice. The food coming off that coooker wasn't fit for humans, and my dog Evan woudn't even eat it. So I bought another cooker and went to a BBQ contest.

The folks from the New England Barbecue Society had a contest at the Mad River Glenn ski area and I went for the day. I ate BBQ better then what was served at Peppers and met some of the nicest people I have ever met and they helped me tremendously with my cooking. My food, although not good, was now edible.

It was a couple years before I could go to another contest but in 2002 I went to Harpoon in Windsor Vermont. Harpoon is the premier event in the NEBS season. The brewery leaves no stone unturned to make the BBQ experience special for everyone. They have strong man competitions, BBQ University taught by NEBS cooks, they let the teams vend and they have awesome beer.

I arrived early (before the gates opened) and was able to talk to some of the cooks before turn in's. After turn in'’s I sampled the best BBQ I have ever eaten and talked to some great people. I wanted to compete. On Sunday I brought my wife down and we both had a great day. On the way home I was trying to figure how to get a team together. First step was to buy a WSM.

A friend gave me a used laptop and I surfed the net to learn everything I could about competition BBQ cooking with the goal to compete at Harpoon. I made lists of everything I thought we would need and started buying things. It i’s surprising that I still use all the stuff I thought I would need.

After the New Year I signed up for a judging school at New Holland and became a certified judge. I wanted to judge as much as I could before I competed. After talking to Rob Richter of Big Island BBQ I bought a Lang cooker. I liked the options of the other cookers I saw but the Lang gave the most cooker for the money besides my friends Jeff and Tom could weld and I have vision..

The day after I got my pit I took the cooking school run by NEBS. Jim McGrath was my teacher and it was run like a contest. I met more people from NEBS and the cooking class filled a lot of the timing issues I was having. Two weeks later I took Paul Kirk'’s cooking school in Philadelphia hosted by Jerry and Linda Mullane. Jerry and Linda are KCBS rep’s and seem to work every contest in the North East. From Paul I learned about how the relationship between the rub and the finishing sauce. Cooking on bad pits really help me develop rubs and sauces, I had to mask the over smoked meat.

After taking the cooking schools I cooked on the new Lang pit every chance I got. Over Memorial Day weekend I cooked for three parties, If someone would buy the meat I'd cook it with the only stipulation that I cooked all the contest meat. At this time I was developing my "“style"” of cooking and modifying my pit to suit that style.

Judging was the biggest learning experience. I think I judged 4-5 BBQ contests before I cooked my first one. From these I learned presentation and the flavor profiles that the judges seemed to like. After the round of judging we would talk about the meat presented to us and from these discussions I learned a tremendous amount. I still try to judge at least one contest a year.

So now my first contest is getting close, I bought all the stuff I thought I'd need to compete. I thought I knew how to cook, but I didn'’t have a team. I begged my sister and a friend to come up and help me, a few others and my wife also were roped into coming to help. I got tee shirts for the team and we were ready to go. The last weekend before I cooked just like a contest, we set the site up in the yard and I stayed up all night cooking using the same turn in times we would need next week. We were able to get all the boxes done and turned in on time.

So now we were ready, Lost Nation Smoke Company (I live on Lost Nation Road) was going to compete.

Unfortunately, we've come to Rich's stop here on the Smoking Car. He'll be back next week to continue the amazing story of his first contest. I can't wait.