BBQ Tip: How Not to Trim a Brisket

After spending last weekend surrounded by awesome pork shoulder at the Kentucky BBQ Festival, I was ready for some brisket this weekend.  So I was up and at it early on Saturday morning, trimming 3 packer cut briskets for the Backwoods cooker.

Just as I was finishing up the last one, the knife slipped and got into my left thumb.  Now I'm not saying that I "sliced" my thumb, it was really more of a chopping blow when the knife slipped.  I jumped up, said a few choice words, and thought, "I'm sure it's just a flesh wound".  But when I bent my thumb and saw the gaping wound, I knew I was headed for the hospital.

A quick double-check with my wife to confirm my own diagnosis and a panic text to my neighbor and fellow pitmaster to finish up the brisket, and I was off to the ER.  I walked into the ER slightly before 7:30 in the morning and by 9:00am, I had 4 stitches and a tetanus shot.

So here's my advice to all you BBQ'ers.  Slice "away" from you when trimming your BBQ meats.  Here's the proof that I know what I'm talking about.

Before treatment During treatment The final result

 The good news is it was a sharp knife and a clean cut.  I should be healed up and ready to cook for Thanksgiving, but unfortunately my career as a hand model is over.

Cheers,
Braddog 

The Most Important Ingredient for Great BBQ

While I've always appreciated good BBQ, I haven't always been able to create good BBQ.  Over the years, I've tried my hand at it with a variety of different BBQ pits.  My failures usually left me thinking that it was an equipment problem.  Finally, after going through a couple of ECB's (El Cheapo Brinkman water smokers) and an off-set cooker, I finally decided that maybe the common denomenator was the guy running the show.

I began to read a lot of the BBQ forums on line and decided to give it one more shot.  My folks had a gas powered, bullet smoker that they'd never used.  I pressed it into service and applied the techniques I'd read about and much to my surprise, I turned out some awesome pulled pork.  I finally realized the most important ingredient that I'd been missing in my previous attempts.

You see, I'd been following the FDA guidelines regarding safe temps for food preparation.  You know, those numbers printed on the back of meat thermometers and such.  I'd always pulled pork shoulder off of the cooker when it reached 165 degrees.  What I failed to realize is that while no one will die from eating pork cooked to 165 degrees, that doesn't mean it's done.  In fact, the magic is only starting when pork shoulder hits 165 degress.

The ingredient that I'd been missing all along wasn't a rub, a sauce, or a cooker.  It was patience.  It turns out that you can't rush good BBQ.  You can't cook by your watch.  You have to cook by temperature (for the most part) and pork shoulder isn't done at 165 degrees, it's done at 195 deegrees.

So grasshopper, now that you know the secret.  Be patient, cause great things come to those who wait!

Cheers,
Braddog

Tip: Avoid burns from the Bubba Keg

I must be in the slow class, cause I only burned myself about 3 times before I learned this technique. The last couple of times I've cooked on the BKCG, I've burned my forearm when opening the lid straight up. I finally discovered that you can avoid the rush of escaping heat if you stand to the side of the grill and open it from 3:00 to 9:00 (or vice versa). Opening it straight on from 6:00 to 12:00 exposes your arm to that rush of heat that can (& will) burn the heck out of your forearm.

I've had a couple of close calls and been left with a slight burn a couple of times, so use this tip and my experience to avoid a nasty burn on your forearm.

Cheers,
Braddog