Can anyone BBQ?

[Kevin]

I know anyone can BBQ, Grill, cookout, smoke meat etc.

But can everyone do it well?

I’ve been wondering about this since last week. We grilled burgers for July 4th. They were ok. I also grilled some jalapeño’s wrapped in bacon. Again, ok. Sort of average really.

This was on a propane grill. Actually the one I asked about how to fix here. It works so thanks for all the feedback on that. It’s a pretty awesome grill actually.

So I know the food would be better over wood fire.

But I’m just wondering out loud if cooking food outside is learned or do some people have the magic touch. Like cake decorating. I think with 10 years experience any cake I baked and decorated would still look like doggie throw up. Ya know?

And then equipment? It seems some people can take make a masterpiece without any special equipment. While others buy an uptreen thousand dollars grill and still make burnt on the outside raw in the middle food.

Any thoughts?

 

[WAYNO]

Grilling, BBQ'ing, whatever, is a learned skill, and I don't think anyone ever stops learning. Basic BBQ'ing is really pretty easy, but fine tuning the spices, the times, the heat, the wrap, etc., is only learned by a lot of trial and error. And then when you think you've got it figured out, you end up with a cut of meat that doesn't cooperate.
I use my Traeger nearly every day, and I am well pleased. I also have a gas BBQ (yes an oxy-moron) next to my Traeger for overflow duty. I used it exclusively for many years, with a pan of wood chips over a burner for smoke, and although it worked well, it does not in any way compare to a pellet or other wood/charcoal appliance.

But there are times, where even a gas BBQ is a better choice. Foods requiring a hotter and faster cook, or sear, benefit from a gas BBQ. Hamburger and steak, in my opinion, benefit from much more heat and a faster cook. A pellet grill works very well for a long cook on ribs or roasts, but steaks and hamburger tend to dry out on the slower pellet grill, and they never achieve the desired look that hamburgers or steaks deserve.
I still use my Traeger, nearly exclusively for steaks and hamburgers and I put up with the pathetic look of the final product as long as it tastes okay.




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[MaxMan]

Ask this guy

I think you just keep trying.
My son has worked on it and everything is really good. I cook burgers and hotdogs and its. its burgers and hotdogs.

Sometimes it helps to cook for really hungry homeless people. Thy don't complain much if they are hungry enough.

 

[eveled]

I find a quick hot sear, on both sides to seal the meat, then drop the heat, or even go to indirect heat. Works for me.

My Mom used to par boil sausages and chicken then my Dad would grill it. It always came out good.

Lots of trial and error.

 

[Gator89]

I find the critters I scorch on my Big Green Egg to be quite deeeelectable.

 

[WAYNO]

I think too, BBQ-ers are critical of their own work. Me especially included.

During summers, when my wife would be out of town, I would double smoke a ham on the Traeger. And I'd always invite my neighbor for dinner, or dinners.
I thought my ham was certainly edible, but my neighbor would rave about my ham and often asked when I'd be cooking another. That very much boosted my confidence.



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[Dan in MI]

First BBQ and grilling are two different animals.

Either way both require some skills and willingness to experiment. Anybody can cook over fire, but you have to want/like to cook to create something special. As with any endeavor skill levels range from mild to wild.

 

[ned]

Funny thing about tastes....I often cook baby back ribs. Some friends love them; one won't take a rack as a gift and prefers the ones from Frys.
My recipe is attached if you want to consider it

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Not to brag ...but everyone begs me to make my smoked pork ribs, smoked bacon wrapped chicken thighs, and especially my smoked pork belly and especially my pork belly burnt ends. I'm glad pork belly is inexpensive for large slabs. On the grill everyone wants my monster double cheeseburgers, Pollack Johnnie's Sausage (a Bal'more thing I learned as a kid....hun ), peppered venison backstrap, corn in the husk and jalapeno dove poppers. I sort of get bored doing the same stuff for everyone but they love it......and it only costs them a 30 pack of Miller High Life or a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 . Honestly my favorite thing to smoke is fish (especially trout/salmon) and game hens but it's never requested.

The Army Navy game is a holiday in my house and I host a lot of folks.....some of them have been coming for over 20 yrs. Same old requests. First is usually how many deer did I get and do I have any dove left over. I don't hunt much anymore so the sausage and pork belly ends are most requested now....it gets cold out there at times in Dec.

When my Son was stationed in DC he'd bring shipmates/jarheads here that couldn't make it home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I always oven roast a bird and smoke a bird. The smoked bird goes fast.....so when he would call and ask if he and some his buds from base could come up for the weekend....I'd be smoking turkey for them even in summer...along with everything else. Those boys could chow down!

 

[4896worker]

Go to YouTube there are thousands of people making B-B-Q. Find the kind you like and use their technique and try to duplicate. With that said it’s not rocket science I think and have made great B-B-Q on everything from a stock Webber charcoal grill to traeger grill and my favorite is a home made ugly barrel smoker that cost 50.00 to build. I like solid fuel cooking not gas but others will disagree try them all.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

With that said it’s not rocket science

I agree with that statement. Everything I do was either passed down to me or it's from a book.

 

[krw]

To Me, BBq'n is an art that can be learned with trial and error. Digital meat probes took a HUGE part of the guesswork out of it. BUT Brisket. I can smoke 10. 2 are excellent, 5 are ok, 3 need to be chopped up for sandwich's. Same routine for all, I blame it on the brisket's themselves. A Pig was put here for smoking, BBQ'n, and grilling. The extra fat gives you a wide margin of error

 

[Jeepnik]

I'm pretty good. But I'm a bit of a snob. If it ain't charcoal or wood, it ain't BBQ/grilled/smoked or whatever else you want to call it. Those pellet fed critters are on the cusp of acceptability.

 

[blume357]

I've always found just about any meat... steak, burgers or BBQ of any type always taste better when someone else has cooked it.

 

[Gwitness]

Do what suits you and makes you happy.....I use a Traeger for the ease of smoking, and we're happy with the results, I use a small gas grill for grilling steaks, again, we're usually happy with the results, I have an Oklahoma Joe charcoal smoker I use from time to time, that works for us. stop worrying about the so-called BBQ authorities and do what you like.

 

[gnappi]

My experience with pork and beef meat in general today is it's tasteless.

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[Gator89]

My experience with pork and beef meat in general today is it's tasteless.

.

In beef flavor comes from marbling, aka fat. Buy grain fed ribeyes and porterhouses, along with ground chuck and you should have a tasty meal in the near future.

Pork no doubt has been cross bred and fed diets to produce leaner meat. I buy pork steaks cut from Boston butts and they grill up.quite nicely due to the presence of fat in the cut of meat.

 

[Kevin]

My experience with pork and beef meat in general today is it's tasteless.

.

I wonder about this as well. I remember when I was in grade school and high school back in the 1980’s. My dad grilled chicken and it was so good.

it definitely had a different flavor than chicken today. Same with the burgers.

But who knows, it could have been a combination of different things. Is Kingsford Charcoal the same as it was back then? What about the bbq sauce? Or the cheese he used?

The sauce was KC Masterpiece. But has their recipe changed over the years?

Anyway. This has been an interesting thread. I appreciate all the input. It gives a different perspective on how people approach cooking outside.

I used to help my wife’s company when they sponsored the March of Dimes walk. We would bbq all night so the morning walkers would have lunch.

We smoked about 40 briskets. But also a whole hog on one of those wooden fire boxes. A La Caja China set up. Pretty cool. Anyway. One guy insisted on nothing being added to the pig. No spices or anything. So the pork flavor would be best.

The years he wasn’t there the other guys would add all sorts of spices. It was much much better.

 

[Gator89]

I wonder about this as well. I remember when I was in grade school and high school back in the 1980’s. My dad grilled chicken and it was so good.

it definitely had a different flavor than chicken today. Same with the burgers.

But who knows, it could have been a combination of different things. Is Kingsford Charcoal the same as it was back then? What about the bbq sauce? Or the cheese he used?

The sauce was KC Masterpiece. But has their recipe changed over the years?

Anyway. This has been an interesting thread. I appreciate all the input. It gives a different perspective on how people approach cooking outside.

I used to help my wife’s company when they sponsored the March of Dimes walk. We would bbq all night so the morning walkers would have lunch.

We smoked about 40 briskets. But also a whole hog on one of those wooden fire boxes. A La Caja China set up. Pretty cool. Anyway. One guy insisted on nothing being added to the pig. No spices or anything. So the pork flavor would be best.

The years he wasn’t there the other guys would add all sorts of spices. It was much much better.

You can thank or cuss the American Heart Association.

The beef and pork producers are just responding to market demands for leaner meats.

AHA Recommendations​

• Limit high-fat animal products: Choose lean meats and limit red meat intake.

 

[kentucky yeti]

In my case, Kevin, it is pretty simple. After the first 4-5 days at 10,400 feet in the Rockies, with the closest town an almost 4 hour drive down trails the mountain goats won’t use- anything I have cooked over our open fire is considered by everyone to be gourmet-class, blue-ribbon-at-the- state- fair perfection. When I’m at home, not so much…

 

[drycreek]

I live in Texas, and you ain’t seen a barbecue/grilling snob until you cross the Red River !

I have cooked over wood, charcoal, propane, and now, a pellet grill. In my lazy old age, I prefer the pellet grill. Mine is a Pit Boss, and it’s not the best out there probably but it is passable. I think it’s more about the cook and the seasonings than it is about the method or machinery. Some things I do very well, one or two, not so much. I have never cooked a beef brisket to my satisfaction, but to be honest, a brisket is about the sorriest piece of meat on a beef, and they are too expensive for what they are. I’m not in love with them either !

Pork, I do very well, Boston butt, baby back, or St. Louis style ribs are my game. I also smoke a mean tomahawk ribeye, regular bone in ribeye, or T bone. I use the reverse sear method. I can cook a chicken, (or two), to perfection. I don’t cook much outside in the summer here, too dang hot !

I must give credit where credit is due. When I got the pellet grill about three years ago I searched YouTube for knowledge and gradually figured out that the guy on the Meat Church videos looked to be the best teacher. I bought a selection of his seasonings and now that’s all we use to season meat whether cooking inside or out. Only my wife and I most of the time and it’s hard to beat steaks or thick pork chops she cooks on the Ninja Grill, and I wish we had that sucker twenty years ago. If you haven’t looked at the Meat Church vids or used his seasonings, you owe it to yourself to try them. Use his method on ribs and thank me later. Ditto on the Ninja Grill, especially if you’re cooking for two.

 

[Kevin]

I live in Texas, and you ain’t seen a barbecue/grilling snob until you cross the Red River !

I have cooked over wood, charcoal, propane, and now, a pellet grill. In my lazy old age, I prefer the pellet grill. Mine is a Pit Boss, and it’s not the best out there probably but it is passable. I think it’s more about the cook and the seasonings than it is about the method or machinery. Some things I do very well, one or two, not so much. I have never cooked a beef brisket to my satisfaction, but to be honest, a brisket is about the sorriest piece of meat on a beef, and they are too expensive for what they are. I’m not in love with them either !

Pork, I do very well, Boston butt, baby back, or St. Louis style ribs are my game. I also smoke a mean tomahawk ribeye, regular bone in ribeye, or T bone. I use the reverse sear method. I can cook a chicken, (or two), to perfection. I don’t cook much outside in the summer here, too dang hot !

I must give credit where credit is due. When I got the pellet grill about three years ago I searched YouTube for knowledge and gradually figured out that the guy on the Meat Church videos looked to be the best teacher. I bought a selection of his seasonings and now that’s all we use to season meat whether cooking inside or out. Only my wife and I most of the time and it’s hard to beat steaks or thick pork chops she cooks on the Ninja Grill, and I wish we had that sucker twenty years ago. If you haven’t looked at the Meat Church vids or used his seasonings, you owe it to yourself to try them. Use his method on ribs and thank me later. Ditto on the Ninja Grill, especially if you’re cooking for two.

Thank you for saying that about brisket. But being in Texas, don’t say that too loud our you’ll get run out of town! sometimes i feel the same way.

I’ll look up Meat Church.

 

[WAYNO]

And as we speak...

And 45 minutes later,

I also adhere to the 3-2-1 method for ribs, time adjusted for smaller racks. And I use a thermometer for small meats such as sausages.



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[375hh1973]

Thank you for saying that about brisket. But being in Texas, don’t say that too loud our you’ll get run out of town! sometimes i feel the same way.

I’ll look up Meat Church.

I heard that someone once BBQd a brisket that wasn't dry.

I believe that is a myth

 

[gonepostal]

Funny thing about tastes....I often cook baby back ribs. Some friends love them; one won't take a rack as a gift and prefers the ones from Frys.
My recipe is attached if you want to consider it
View attachment 108705

3,2,1 method absolutely the way to go

 

[Hertervillian]

The key in my opinion is you have to want to learn.
Get a couple reliable thermometers, and find out the correct temperature to achieve your goals.

That gas grill will benefit immensely from the addition of a smoke tube. Some gas grills lend themselves to bbq, some are best suited to steaks and burgers. You can do everything with a big Weber Kettle, not that big of a learning curve either.

Patiently wait for the meat to reach its own finish. If you don’t drink beer might i suggest you start. Traeger are not magic, but they certainly simplify many aspects. A bunch of money for what amounts to an oven with a smoke feature. They do actual disservice to steaks.

 

[jav]

This is my set up propane to the left for everyday cooking left to right pit boss for smoking then charcoal fish smoker only and last my charcoal Weber for steaks . I been doing it for years

 

[WAYNO]

I heard that someone once BBQd a brisket that wasn't dry.

I believe that is a myth

At our local BBQ joint, I also believe brisket to be dry. So, I specifically ask for brisket cap, and then it's much more moist.



.

 

[AJGUNNER]

These have been posted before, but this particular thread is lacking pictures of yummy meat----so here ya go.

 

[jav]

Grilling, BBQ'ing, whatever, is a learned skill, and I don't think anyone ever stops learning. Basic BBQ'ing is really pretty easy, but fine tuning the spices, the times, the heat, the wrap, etc., is only learned by a lot of trial and error. And then when you think you've got it figured out, you end up with a cut of meat that doesn't cooperate.
I use my Traeger nearly every day, and I am well pleased. I also have a gas BBQ (yes an oxy-moron) next to my Traeger for overflow duty. I used it exclusively for many years, with a pan of wood chips over a burner for smoke, and although it worked well, it does not in any way compare to a pellet or other wood/charcoal appliance.

But there are times, where even a gas BBQ is a better choice. Foods requiring a hotter and faster cook, or sear, benefit from a gas BBQ. Hamburger and steak, in my opinion, benefit from much more heat and a faster cook. A pellet grill works very well for a long cook on ribs or roasts, but steaks and hamburger tend to dry out on the slower pellet grill, and they never achieve the desired look that hamburgers or steaks deserve.
I still use my Traeger, nearly exclusively for steaks and hamburgers and I put up with the pathetic look of the final product as long as it tastes okay.




.

Very well put sometimes I use my propane grill for ribs three burners turn off the back two burners mustard rub lite and my dry place rack on front burner rub 2 hours then wrap 2hours and the last hour no wrap and apply sauce very sticky and good try it 2/2/1 I am always learning new stuff