Competition BBQ Secrets

Archive for September, 2008

Hey Bill–

I bought your excellent BBQ book and put it to good use the other day. I made three briskets and fed about 50 people at the  Presque Isle Harbor Association’s annual appreciation dinner (26 SEP). It was a hit!

FYI – We are located at the NE corner of Michigan’s lower peninsula on Lake Huron.  

Bill Valentine

Hi Bill
 I liked your scientific like approach to discovering the best/worst methods for smoking a brisket. Its difficult to conduct such a study on ones own because it costs so much time, money and who can eat so many briskets! I thought your idea of reducing the costs of conducting the study by taking orders for your brisket was brilliant!
 
So would you conclude that method 4 produced the best results for this round of studies? I don’t think you had a Eureka moment, but at least you know that cooking really low and slow doesn’t produce a great brisket, and foiling after 2 hours foils (pun intended)  the creating of the bark.
 
Keep up the good work, I enjoy reading your columns.
Lou

Bill,
 
Enjoyed your review of the 12 briskets.  Notices at the bottom several websites, and one in particular, the one regarding baked beans.  Went over the beans, etc. and have concluded I want to throw in something regarding baked beans.
 
The best beans to use are Showboat beans.  Add onion, sugar, brown sugar, a little hot sauce, prepared mustard, wostershire sauce, cane or maple syrup (can even use suger free pancake syrup if you are a diabetic like me), some garlic powder or fresh garlic, and crumbled smoked meat, either beef or pork.  Stir.  Put in container you can put on rack in smoker under the meat being cooked and allow the drippings to go into the bean mixture. Pork drippings are best.  Allow beans to smoke for at least two hours.
 
Try it, you may like it.  Would like to know what you think.  I will assure you none of Bush’s beans, Grilling or whatever can hold a candle to it.
 
Thanks,
James

Need to send you two photo of my BBQ using the information that you
send to me, Dame, it was nice, everyone wonts to know what did i use to
make them SO DAME GOOD??? have to get you’r book. as you can see, the
kids@ the youth center havening a ball helping me cook

Bill,
Thanks for another great newsletter.  My friends and I are getting ready for our first competition on 10/17 here in Illinois.  We’ve got everything the way we want it except for the brisket.  The problem is that we don’t know which part of the brisket to use for the turn-in.  We’ve tried cooking (a) the whole brisket; (b) just the flat; and (c) just the point [all at least a few different times].  Our results are pretty clear that the point is the most flavorful part of the brisket and definitely remains the juiciest the longest.  However, the flat is more presentable; it seems like it’s used by just about everyone as their turn-in; and when we nail it, it’s pretty darn good [however, just not as good as the point].
 
All of that being said, what do you think of only using the point, as opposed the flat for a turn-in? 
 
Thanks in advance for the input,
Shital

Hi Bill , Jocel and ?
Got a question  in competition  about how much time do U have to run
your brisket ?

DAVE-n- BTTY

Hi Bill
 
The brisket test was very interesting.  I bought your e-book a couple of years ago and it has been the source for everything I Q.  But I guess those of us that are really serious about Q are always interested in a recipe that may produce a better product.
 
I did an 8.5 # brisket last week and donated it to the Thurmond Lake Sail & Power Squadron for their annual auction fund raiser.  I am known for good BBQ in these parts and the brisket with a quart of my BBQ sauce went for $75.  I bought the brisket at Sam’s in Augusta and had less than $20 in it.
 
I use a Smokey Mountain big block smoker/cooker.  It is propane fired so competition use is out but the dead on constant heat and the wood box over the burner produce consistently great BBQ anything.  As soon as I catch a big batch of large stripers (in the next 30 days) that baby will be filled with striper filets.
 
CHEERS
 
DAN from McCormick, SC

Bill,
Maverick ET-73 thermometer, Is it ready to go after you put in the batteries or do you have to pair the base with the sending unit ?
 
Charlie

A belated thanks for your numerous newsletters.  They are very
interesting and helpful!
Paul
Indiana

All the newsletters including this month’s newsletter about by brisket test runs are at
www.bbqsuccess.com

Thanks,
Bill