BBQpalooza!

[Krieg]

Doesn't matter if it's about the smoke, or about the sauce, or the brine, or whatever.

As well meaning as your post is, in this instance it is unfortunately, inaccurate.

Barbecue is by definition a device used for smoking meat. The term barbecue is derived from the word "barbakoa" (of Arawak origin) which means roughly "frame of sticks". Said frames were used to hold meat in place while it was smoked.

Roasted, grilled, charbroiled and braised meats are all wonderful. However, if they are not smoked they are not barbecued.

It isn't a matter of "mine is better than yours", it is a matter of correcting improper (regardless of how common) terminology.

Now, if my intention were to discuss which style of barbecue were correct I would of course be talking about the advantages of a dry rub on pork. Sauce is meant to be used as a dipping sauce (if that) only and certainly not slathered over the meat.

(FWIW that is the essence of the Texas vs Memphis River barbecue debate...ie beef vs pork & rub vs sauce.)

 

[Dark Jezter]

Just a couple of more tips I forgot to add earlier...

• Only flip your burgers and steaks once. Flipping them repeatedly will drain the juices.
• You can flip chicken and ribs as often as you need, but remember that you'll need to re-baste them every time you flip them.
• With steaks and other solid cuts of beef, buy them 2-3 days before you BBQ and place them in your fridge. This will allow the enzymes that break down connective tissue to do their job, making the meat more tender.

 

[the Jester]

Y'know, I learned all about this barbeque debate during my adventures around North America (hi Alsih2o!)

Personally, I prefer it saucy, but to each their own.

 

[Ranger REG]

What are you guys doing? A test run before the 4th of July?

 

[Umbran]

As well meaning as your post is, in this instance it is unfortunately, inaccurate.

Barbecue is by definition a device used for smoking meat. The term barbecue is derived from the word "barbakoa" (of Arawak origin) which means roughly "frame of sticks". Said frames were used to hold meat in place while it was smoked.

I know the word's origins. They are irrelevant.

Words are defined by how they are used. The final arbiter of propriety is the public at large. Even the folks who run the OED and Webster's dictionaries recognize this. While at one time the word may have had more limited and specific scope, at this point it means something else in the common parlance. Your failure to accept that won't change the fact that the US has more things called barbecue than France has types of cheese.

 

[diaglo]

Barbecuing is a passion of mine, and during the summer months I leap at every chance to fire up my Weber grill. I cook steaks, burgers, hot dogs, fish, et cetera. <SNIP>

i posted a recipe for my sauce. that, of course, as others have mentioned is not the whole of it.

what Dark Jezter posted is the key part to real BBQ.

it is all in the ground work. you have to get your grill set up right. get the coals and/or woodchips right. and choose the right meats.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I think I'm going to take some of our wedding money and go out and get a charcoal grill this coming weekend.

Thanks ENWorld! It's threads like this that make me love this place!

 

[Piratecat]

You can get a R2D2-style water smoker at Home Depot for something like $35. I also have a Texas-style barrel smoker which I love, but the little one gives great results as well with a minimum of fuss.

The pulled pork was really good; it took about six hours and came out perfectly. General consensus is that the mustard vinegar sauce was superb (anyone want the recipe?), and definitely better than the other vinegar sauce. The jerk country-style pork ribs came out well, but I'm not thrilled with the jerk chicken; I think there must be better recipes out there, so I'm going to keep hunting. Jerk marinade is a pain in the butt to make, so I'm not entirely convinced it's worth the effort.

Avoiding the obvious jokes -- one of my problems when making pulled pork is getting the shreds of meat small enough. Right now I'm just ripping it apart with my fingers. Is there a better way, or am I just not patient enough?

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

You can get a R2D2-style water smoker at Home Depot for something like $35. I also have a Texas-style barrel smoker which I love, but the little one gives great results as well with a minimum of fuss.

Thanks, I'll look for that. We don't have a Home Depot here, but Lowes has almost the same exact stuff, so they probably have the same one there.

The pulled pork was really good; it took about six hours and came out perfectly. General consensus is that the mustard vinegar sauce was superb (anyone want the recipe?),

Sure, I'll take the recipe. Do you want to post it here?

 

[Krieg]

I know the word's origins. They are irrelevant.

Improper usage of terminology is far from irrelevant. Popular usage does not denote proper usage. Not all tissue is "kleenex" despite the common defacto usage. Just axe any scholar.