National BBQ Month

According to the National Barbecue Association, May is National Barbecue Month. It's a great idea who's time has come. I urge all of you to get out during the month of May and do you part. COOK! If you need more ideas, you can find them on the NBBA's website.

(Have I posted too many pictures of ribs lately? Let me know.)

I'll be doing my part to honor National Barbecue month, so, I hereby pledge:

1. To post daily.
2. To post about barbecue and grilling only (with the exception of my post about the Taste of Chinatown which I promised you folks.)
3. To cook barbecue and take pictures of it.
   

And to start it all off, here's some BBQ tips from our friends at the National Barbecue Association...

Facts on Types of Smoking Processes:

Cold Smoke:

• Smoking occurs at 70°F to 100°F, imparting flavor without firming proteins. Items may be cold smoked, then finished in the oven. 80 degrees is average in a smoke house. There will be slight dehydration but very little actual cooking.

Hot Smoke:

• Smoking occurs at 160°F to 225°F, imparting flavor and cooking the product. Temperature of smokehouse 160°F for all sausage (casings) 185°F for all solid meats.

Final internal temperature of uncured hot smoked items

• Beef (suitable cuts) 130°F to 135°F for rare

Methods:
Addition of smoke to an item that will be finished by some other cooking method.

Conventional:

• More smoke flavor, the air does not circulate as much.Product must be dry.

Convection:

• Less smoke flavor because the air is being circulated.Product does not have to be dry because of the air circulation.

Pan:

• Pan smoking gives a lot of flavor in short period of time. Can be done with no special equipment.

Key Cooking and Smoking temperatures:

• 103°F Proteins begin to set or denature
• 137.5°F Trichinosis bacteria is killed
• 155°F Federal requirement for cooking pork
• 155°F All meats
• 160°F All proteins are coagulated
• 165°F Federal requirement for cooking all poultry