TasunkaWitko
01-12-2012, 01:47 PM
howdy, folks -
yesterday, a friend from college asked me for some general information on barbecue. as it turns out, she and her husband bought an electric smoker (not sure of the brand) and they did a chicken for their first project and loved it. now she wants to branch out, starting with big hunks of meat and going to ribs from there.
she's a bit of a foodie, and already has cooking basics down pretty well - she's also quite well ecducated (a few of you will know what i mean when i say she's a jimmy!) and so is very capable of understanding the basics of barbecue, she simply needed some direction and fundamentals.
here's what i gave her, based on my own reading and experiences. i know we all have slightly different individual views on what barbecue is and what it means, but i do believe that i gave her a decent account of the fundamentals without making them overly involved, and left plenty of room to grow from there. i deliberately chose not to get into the nitty gritty, because my feeling is that discovering the nitty gritty is half the fun of the barbecue journey - so no need to delve too deeply, just to give a basic outline with a few suggested starting points that she can use to enter the gate.....
anyway, please take a look, and let me know there are any glaring errors or omissions.
thanks in advance -
hi!
i'm assuming it's a smoke cooker (such as a masterbuilt electric or similar), which heats up to 250 degrees or greater, rather than an electric smokehouse (such as a little chief or similar), which does much lower temperatures?
going from there, big hunks o'meat are definitely a great choice! here are some fundamentals. this is going to be long, but hopefully thorough and versatile to most basic situations.
usually, whether beef or pork, the "fattier" cuts (such as boston butt (which is actually the upper shoulder) or picnic (lower) shoulder for pork, or the brisket or chuck roast for beef) are best, due to the fact that their large mass and fat content are perfect for the long, low-and-slow cooking that gives the best smoker results. the fat renders, basting the meat inside-and-out, and the connective tissues (collagen, which is basically gelatin) melt, giving moist, tender flavourful meat from these "inferior" cuts of meat which are actually very flavourful. so, for that type of smoking/barbecue those four cuts mentioned above are my first choice. here's an example and some information/pictures:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=60&title=tasunkawitkos-method-for-pulled-pork-barbecue
it's based on a pork shoulder, but the fundamentals work for all of those types of meat mentioned, beef or pork - adjusting seasonings etc. to suit the meat.
smoking temperature: 225-260 degrees; estimate 30 minutes per pound, but it can go much longer than that. the temperature of the meat will tell you when it's done. somewhere between 140 degrees and 180 degrees, there will be a long "plateau" where the temperature of the meat moves very slowly or not at all - sometimes even backwards a little - this is normal and is the period of time where meat transorms into art, and there's no way to rush it, so keep the temperatures steady.
recommended "finished" internal temperature: 185-190 for slicing, 195-200 for "shredded" or "pulled" meat.
ribs are a whole other story, but here is a good, basic, versatile method:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/tasunkawitkos-method-for-spare-ribs_topic52.html
for leaner cuts, such as tenderloin, fear not! they can still be effectively smoked, you just need to adjust for the lack of fat. a couple of things you can do are wrap/lard with bacon, brush with olive oil or melted butter. also, you can inject it with an oil- or butter-based marinade.
smoking temperature: pretty much the same as above, maybe at the lower end of the range.
recommended "finished" temperature: definitely nowhere near as high as the cuts above, or it will dry out. as i recall, the "new" safe temperatures for pork are the same as beef, so 150-155 is probably good - i'd be comfortable with 155. slicing is the recommended serving suggestion.
basics for any meat: prep it the night before. brush lightly with a thin coating of yellow mustard (trust me, even if you don't like yellow mustard, the results are great. it works with the rub and turns into something wonderful - a crusty "bark" that i can't describe and tastes NOTHING like mustard!), apply the rub generously, but not excessivey to all surfaces, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. where rubs are concerned, there are hundreds of choices, home-made or store-bought. my absolute favourite for pork is durkee's st. louis style. for beef, most people like something that pushes it in the direction of the american southwest. my own preference is simply sea salt, cracked black pepper, and granulated garlic/onion, with maybe a little crushed red pepper flakes. durkee's makes a good kansas city steak seasoning that is beautiful for this.
the next day, set up the smoker and bring it to the high end of the temperature range, then toss the meat in (some folks say fat-side up for basting, others say fat side down to insulate it from the heat. either works, and since i turn the meat over a few times during a cook, i don't think it matters). now, the hard part: leave it completely alone. go have a beer, take a walk, read a book or watch tv for a couple of hours. after that, disturb it as little as possible, except possibly to mop once an hour with a thin, oil-based mop or spritz. a good one to use is 1/3 cup olive oil plus 1 cup juice or pop (your choice of variety) plus 2/3 cup low-sodium soy or teriyaki sauce. run it through a blender before you use it to temporarily emulsify the oil, which provides a basting effect.
over time, the meat, especially the larger cuts, will darken and may even turn black, but no worries, it's only advanced carmelisation of the sugars in the rib and mop turning into a lovely, luscious bark. good stuff! google maillard reaction. you might have to periodically turn and rotate the meat - i'm not sure with an electric. you will not need smoke on the meat the entire time; up to 140-degree internal temperature for sure - 165 is fine, too. after that, there's probably not much point.
meat will be done not according to time (which can be half a day or more) , but according to temperatures above. the large, fatty cuts of meat should be done to the point where the bone twist and pulls out cleanly. at about this point, it's nice to apply a glaze, but it is not required. a really good one to use is 1/3 cup each of yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar and dark brown sugar for pork; use catsup instead of mustard for beef. brush on a layer, leave it for 15 minutes or so, then brush on another layer and remove it from the smoker. if you're ready to eat, let it rest at least a half hour before slicing or shredding (use two forks to shred). if you're not going to be eating for a while, double wrap it in foil, wrap the foil-covered meat in towels and put it in an empty cooler for up to 6 hours, or as long as the internal temp remains above 160.
ribs should need no sauce. as for the other meats, it's up to you. if you want a really good one for pulled pork, hit the link above. lots and lots of good homemade or store bought sauces out there.
as you can see, any rub, mop, glaze or sauce will be well-balanced. sweet, salty, spicy etc. this is the beauty of barbecue - and the challenge.
one thing to definitely invest in is a meat thermometer, if you don't already have one. insert the thermometer probe in the thickest part of the meat, away from bone or fat for the most accurate reading. a second one is suggested as well, in order to monitor the cooking temperatures in the smoker at the level of the meat (the thermometer on any smoker is rarely accurate). run the probe through a potato or a corner of the meat, with a couple inches of probe sticking out.
those are the basics! i strongly recommend that you or brian take a look at the bbqfaq:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=35&title=everything-you-need-to-know-about-barbecue
it's an online OR downloadable "primer" that contains the best basic fundamentals, most of which i use with great success. it's a little dated, and contains a long, dry section on types of smokers, but beyond that, it's worth its weight in gold - the fundamentals never change. also, lots of great ideas, most with pictures, in the barbecue section of the FOTW forum:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/american-barbecue-grilling-smoked-foods-and-charcuterie_forum69.html
good luck, and if you have any questions after you narrow down your choices, let me know!
yesterday, a friend from college asked me for some general information on barbecue. as it turns out, she and her husband bought an electric smoker (not sure of the brand) and they did a chicken for their first project and loved it. now she wants to branch out, starting with big hunks of meat and going to ribs from there.
she's a bit of a foodie, and already has cooking basics down pretty well - she's also quite well ecducated (a few of you will know what i mean when i say she's a jimmy!) and so is very capable of understanding the basics of barbecue, she simply needed some direction and fundamentals.
here's what i gave her, based on my own reading and experiences. i know we all have slightly different individual views on what barbecue is and what it means, but i do believe that i gave her a decent account of the fundamentals without making them overly involved, and left plenty of room to grow from there. i deliberately chose not to get into the nitty gritty, because my feeling is that discovering the nitty gritty is half the fun of the barbecue journey - so no need to delve too deeply, just to give a basic outline with a few suggested starting points that she can use to enter the gate.....
anyway, please take a look, and let me know there are any glaring errors or omissions.
thanks in advance -
hi!
i'm assuming it's a smoke cooker (such as a masterbuilt electric or similar), which heats up to 250 degrees or greater, rather than an electric smokehouse (such as a little chief or similar), which does much lower temperatures?
going from there, big hunks o'meat are definitely a great choice! here are some fundamentals. this is going to be long, but hopefully thorough and versatile to most basic situations.
usually, whether beef or pork, the "fattier" cuts (such as boston butt (which is actually the upper shoulder) or picnic (lower) shoulder for pork, or the brisket or chuck roast for beef) are best, due to the fact that their large mass and fat content are perfect for the long, low-and-slow cooking that gives the best smoker results. the fat renders, basting the meat inside-and-out, and the connective tissues (collagen, which is basically gelatin) melt, giving moist, tender flavourful meat from these "inferior" cuts of meat which are actually very flavourful. so, for that type of smoking/barbecue those four cuts mentioned above are my first choice. here's an example and some information/pictures:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=60&title=tasunkawitkos-method-for-pulled-pork-barbecue
it's based on a pork shoulder, but the fundamentals work for all of those types of meat mentioned, beef or pork - adjusting seasonings etc. to suit the meat.
smoking temperature: 225-260 degrees; estimate 30 minutes per pound, but it can go much longer than that. the temperature of the meat will tell you when it's done. somewhere between 140 degrees and 180 degrees, there will be a long "plateau" where the temperature of the meat moves very slowly or not at all - sometimes even backwards a little - this is normal and is the period of time where meat transorms into art, and there's no way to rush it, so keep the temperatures steady.
recommended "finished" internal temperature: 185-190 for slicing, 195-200 for "shredded" or "pulled" meat.
ribs are a whole other story, but here is a good, basic, versatile method:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/tasunkawitkos-method-for-spare-ribs_topic52.html
for leaner cuts, such as tenderloin, fear not! they can still be effectively smoked, you just need to adjust for the lack of fat. a couple of things you can do are wrap/lard with bacon, brush with olive oil or melted butter. also, you can inject it with an oil- or butter-based marinade.
smoking temperature: pretty much the same as above, maybe at the lower end of the range.
recommended "finished" temperature: definitely nowhere near as high as the cuts above, or it will dry out. as i recall, the "new" safe temperatures for pork are the same as beef, so 150-155 is probably good - i'd be comfortable with 155. slicing is the recommended serving suggestion.
basics for any meat: prep it the night before. brush lightly with a thin coating of yellow mustard (trust me, even if you don't like yellow mustard, the results are great. it works with the rub and turns into something wonderful - a crusty "bark" that i can't describe and tastes NOTHING like mustard!), apply the rub generously, but not excessivey to all surfaces, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. where rubs are concerned, there are hundreds of choices, home-made or store-bought. my absolute favourite for pork is durkee's st. louis style. for beef, most people like something that pushes it in the direction of the american southwest. my own preference is simply sea salt, cracked black pepper, and granulated garlic/onion, with maybe a little crushed red pepper flakes. durkee's makes a good kansas city steak seasoning that is beautiful for this.
the next day, set up the smoker and bring it to the high end of the temperature range, then toss the meat in (some folks say fat-side up for basting, others say fat side down to insulate it from the heat. either works, and since i turn the meat over a few times during a cook, i don't think it matters). now, the hard part: leave it completely alone. go have a beer, take a walk, read a book or watch tv for a couple of hours. after that, disturb it as little as possible, except possibly to mop once an hour with a thin, oil-based mop or spritz. a good one to use is 1/3 cup olive oil plus 1 cup juice or pop (your choice of variety) plus 2/3 cup low-sodium soy or teriyaki sauce. run it through a blender before you use it to temporarily emulsify the oil, which provides a basting effect.
over time, the meat, especially the larger cuts, will darken and may even turn black, but no worries, it's only advanced carmelisation of the sugars in the rib and mop turning into a lovely, luscious bark. good stuff! google maillard reaction. you might have to periodically turn and rotate the meat - i'm not sure with an electric. you will not need smoke on the meat the entire time; up to 140-degree internal temperature for sure - 165 is fine, too. after that, there's probably not much point.
meat will be done not according to time (which can be half a day or more) , but according to temperatures above. the large, fatty cuts of meat should be done to the point where the bone twist and pulls out cleanly. at about this point, it's nice to apply a glaze, but it is not required. a really good one to use is 1/3 cup each of yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar and dark brown sugar for pork; use catsup instead of mustard for beef. brush on a layer, leave it for 15 minutes or so, then brush on another layer and remove it from the smoker. if you're ready to eat, let it rest at least a half hour before slicing or shredding (use two forks to shred). if you're not going to be eating for a while, double wrap it in foil, wrap the foil-covered meat in towels and put it in an empty cooler for up to 6 hours, or as long as the internal temp remains above 160.
ribs should need no sauce. as for the other meats, it's up to you. if you want a really good one for pulled pork, hit the link above. lots and lots of good homemade or store bought sauces out there.
as you can see, any rub, mop, glaze or sauce will be well-balanced. sweet, salty, spicy etc. this is the beauty of barbecue - and the challenge.
one thing to definitely invest in is a meat thermometer, if you don't already have one. insert the thermometer probe in the thickest part of the meat, away from bone or fat for the most accurate reading. a second one is suggested as well, in order to monitor the cooking temperatures in the smoker at the level of the meat (the thermometer on any smoker is rarely accurate). run the probe through a potato or a corner of the meat, with a couple inches of probe sticking out.
those are the basics! i strongly recommend that you or brian take a look at the bbqfaq:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=35&title=everything-you-need-to-know-about-barbecue
it's an online OR downloadable "primer" that contains the best basic fundamentals, most of which i use with great success. it's a little dated, and contains a long, dry section on types of smokers, but beyond that, it's worth its weight in gold - the fundamentals never change. also, lots of great ideas, most with pictures, in the barbecue section of the FOTW forum:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/american-barbecue-grilling-smoked-foods-and-charcuterie_forum69.html
good luck, and if you have any questions after you narrow down your choices, let me know!