Smoky's FAQ's Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual

From Our Grills To Yours
Hi {FirstName} & Welcome!      Many of you might be wondering what happened to the July issue of the Smoke 'N Fire Enquirer? Well ... we're not sure ourselves. The summer was a busy one and we have been making a lot of changes to get things spruced up for the fall grilling season. Fall is the time when kids are back in school and the living really starts to become easy.

In about 2 weeks my dad will be turning 80 and is still going strong. In thinking about the years we have had together and the years he cooked outdoors for our family, I am struck by just how often we learn (and swear by) how our dads/moms did things. It is sort of a pride/protection thing to preserve their honor and tradition.

Family traditions are fine, but I wonder how often we really try to learn a better way,... to make a family tradition better. Do we fail to make our own traditions but rather follow our fathers'/mothers'? When do we risk breaking out of "family tradition" and learn a better way to grill, barbecue, roast? That is the focus of Barbecue'n On The Internet. Smoky and I learned from our parents but then went out and discovered better ways to cook outdoors hoping to pass that along, not only to our kids, but to the millions of other outdoor cooks who want better results from their efforts over the grill/pit.

If this is you, then hurry on down to BOTI and get filled up on some great tips and techniques for outdoor fun!

NOTEWORTHY EVENT:  During that first Labor Day parade in New York, one of the banners carried contained the following: "EIGHT HOURS FOR WORK, EIGHT HOURS FOR REST, EIGHT HOURS FOR RECREATION!" When was the last time you had those percentages? Try TWELVE hours for work (don't forget the commute!), FIVE hours for bills, kids, household chores, etc., ONE hour for recreation and maybe, if you are lucky, SIX hours for rest.

We all work way too hard just to try to make ends meet and often don't succeed. Fortunately, most do have SOME time for rest and recreation. Some even skip the work wherever possible. The recreation is the great part. While most Americans consider Labor Day the end of the summer and head to the beaches and other popular resort areas for one last three-day weekend, we encourage you to consider this the beginning of some really cool fall cookouts. Imagine not sweating over the hot coals, but letting them keep you warm during those cooler days!

Drip Drip Drip

More ideas for summertime fun!

Drip Pan Technique:   There has been lots said about the use of drip pans/water pans when cooking during longer periods of cooking time.

Smoky's comments about direct vs. indirect heat: Meat does not care how it receives the heat. What is essential in barbecuing is that the exterior of the meat does not over cook, dry out, burn, blacken or char before the interior reaches an acceptable temperature. This requires that meat receive a constant flow of heat, in any form or forms, at a temperature low enough to permit conduction, within the meat, time to work.

Some believe the water creates steam which helps keep moisture inside the meat. Others believe the water reduces the BTU's thus you consume more fuel when cooking. Other simply believe it helps to keep the pit cleaner. Then there are more that believe in collecting juices from the meat to turn into Au Jus ... or as Smoky prefers "Aw Juice" ... (A French phrase meaning "with juice," most often referring to a light sauce made with pan drippings from roasted meats) or gravy. Even more say that it becomes a balance to maintain pit temperatures at a more constant temperature, sort of like a ballast.

OUR TAKE:

Create Steam: Not really so much. To have effective steam, you would need to have the water directly over the heat like you would a pot on the stove.

Keep moisture in the meat: Hummm. In the mind's eye, we can see this, but in actual use, we belive the moisture in the pit serves a little to keep the meat basted (thus preventing the meat from becoming bitter by keeping a moisture barrier between the smoke and the meat). Actually, basting is the best method of maintaining that barrier. Meat reacts to heat by contracting the muscles thus expelling the juices (sweating) We recommend cooking slowly (for barbecuing) and not over cooking, thus preventing the drying out the meat excessively.

Reduces the BTU's: True. You will be heating the water and having to keep it hot thus using more fuel. We are not sure why you would want/need to reduce BTU's.

Keep the pit cleaner: True, assuming you have it directly under the meat to catch the juices being dropped. Often it is difficult to place the pan just right due to the shape of the pit vs. the meat.

Collecting juices: True. See the comment directly above. You should start out with just a little water in the pan. About 1/4 inch deep. This will keep initial juices from burning.

Becomes a ballast: True. But this is the lazy man's method of maintaining pit temperatures. Simply watching the temps, using a good pit thermometer and enjoying the process are much better for the spirit of barbecuing.

Yours for tender, moist, flavorful barbecuing!

Gas Grill Recall

Smoky keeps his eyes pealed for your safety. He reports this recall: Description: Great Outdoors Gas Grills (Horizon Model) with model number GH450SBP and GH450XBP. The recalled grills have the words "Horizon" and "Great Outdoors" on the control panel. For more information, please see: THIS LINK which includes an image of the grill.

SPECIAL NOTICE: Smoky has just advised us that his Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual is now in its second printing. That means he has HARDBOUND copies for purchase once again. It has been two years since they were last available. His book is one of the books we recommend, which sells 10 to 1 over all of our books. This book is now available only at The Barbecue Store. You can purchase the HARDBOUND version or the PAPERBACK. Smoky takes you to new cooking levels, safely and with tons of humor.

Old Smokey Contest Winner

Winner of the Old Smokey Electric Smoker

Each month we give away one heck of a smoker to one of our lucky readers. By far, this is our largest selling backyard smoker because of its durability and ability to produce great tasting food. If you would like to know more, please feel free to read about the Old Smokey Grill - #18!

We have 33547 registered for The Smoke 'N Fire Enquirer and, if you are receiving this newsletter from us, you are automatically entered for this contest. There is only one winner each month! So, without further delay, the winner of this month's Old Smokey Grill - #18 is the honorable:

   James Poppy    

Hey James, if you will send us the email address used when you signed up for the Smoke 'n Fire Enquirer, we will validate your address (just in case there are two of you out there!) and get your brand new Old Smokey Grill - #18 out right away so you can fire it up on Labor Day! Congratulations! For you other great folks, don't give up. We'll have a new contest next month and be drawing from the same list you are on!

The ABCs of Getting More Thrill From Your Grill

Get the most from your backyard grill or pit!

Smoky has completed his Alphabet Soup Series on making the most of your outdoor cooking. Here he offers the last of the alphabet for total dominance and enjoyment in the backyard. If you ever need to contact him, you can give him a shout at cchale@telapex.com

This time: “The rest of the alphabet”

If you missed or would like to review the first half of the alphabet, you can see it here

Never get in a rush     Think ahead, plan. Know what you are going to do with a flare up or when the grill catches on fire.

Opportunity     Remember that cooking outdoors is an opportunity to enjoy the process and the company. Seize it gently but firmly.

Pursuit of excellence     Keep note of foul ups and failures. Think through what went wrong. Continue to refine, but when you find the sweet spot, return.

Quiet     Listen to the sizzle. Hear the fat vaporize on the coals.

Repertoire     Expand your menu. “Variety is the spice of life.” Try new foods, dishes and techniques. Experiment with new spices and herbs.

Savor     Savor the time, the tastes and textures. Develop your palate. Learn to identify flavors of minute ingredients.

Tranquility     Peace at the grill. Banish all disconcerting thoughts.

Unwind     Make a habit of coming to the grill leaving “cares of the day” behind.

Veggies     Use more vegetables, different varieties cooked with different seasonings and techniques. Try everything in season.

Wake up your senses     Bring all your senses to the peak of arousal. Relish the smells and sounds and textures.

eXpectations     Create “great expectations” in your mind when planning and preparing. Enjoy bringing them to fruition.

Yield to the moment     Become absorbed. Mark it in your memory.

Zest     Zest in all things, but especially at the grill.

Have fun,
Smoky

Doin' it the Right Way!

If you're not learning, you're probably dead

When you have passion around something (like BBQ!), learning something new makes all the difference. For example, you probably learned something new when you reviewed Smoky's ABC's. Another jaunt through the learning curve will take you to ...

 Smoky's Glossary of Barbecue Terms  

It seems folks are always using the wrong term for this or that kind of outdoor cooking. The best example is the over use of the word "Smoking". There is hot smoking, cold smoking, barbecuing, roasting, curing and the list goes on. If this has you confused, please take some time and learn to call what you do by the proper term. It will make you more credible in the eyes of someone who really knows the proper cooking techniques.

Recipe: Eastern NC Basting Sauce

As old as barbecue, The Mother of All BBQ Sauces

This sauce is as old as barbecue and, like barbecue, has not changed for over 300 years. It may not perfectly fit your palate, but this is truly "The Mother of Barbecue Sauces." In the place of its birth, this is still the only barbecue sauce. In the beginning, no water was used. Vinegar, these days, is brought to a consistent 5% acidity. In the old days, vinegar was homemade and of variable strength so that the recipes called for pure vinegar. Current palates may find pure current vinegar a tad on the tart side.

Presented from Smoky's Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual

 1 Qt Water
 1 Qt Vinegar
 3 Tbls. Salt
 2 Tbls. Cayenne Pepper
 1 Tbls Black Pepper

This, by the way, is also the Eastern North Carolina finishing sauce, which is poured or sprinkled on the pulled or chopped barbecued pork.

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Labor Day Weekend Is Next Weekend! The Barbecue Store has FREE BASTING MOPS! The last time we offered these free mops, it was a clean sweep. Now, and for a limited time only, we are offering the opportunity to receive a free basting mop. (Regular Retail Value is $8.50) Once you have placed a minimum of $25.00 of items in your shopping cart, look for the link to claim your free mop! It's as simply as that. We STRONGLY encourage you to act quickly as we have lots of mops, but they do go fast! www.barbecue-store.com The Best Barbecue'n Products in The World The Safest Shopping Experience Everything You Need 701 TEMPERATURE DETECTIVE BBQ THERMOMETER This is our most popular thermometer. It offers the finest in high tech and complete control of your outdoor cooking. This breakthrough offers the ultimate in cooking convenience. A MUST HAVE ITEM! OLD SMOKY ELECTRIC SMOKER If you love electric smokers and have not yet cooked on an Old Smokey (formerly known as the Redi-Smoke Cooker) then you have been working way too hard for less flavorful meals. This smoker is clearly the leader in electric smokers! A MOST POPULAR GRILL RECTANGULAR AND FISH BASKET SYSTEM The Rectangular and Fish Basket System is the ultimate in grilling baskets. It has a non-stick rectangular basket, a non-stick fish basket and removable handle. This system will take care of all of your grilling needs. A VERY POPULAR ITEM! OUR VERY BEST SELLER LIST EQUIPMENT: Cajun Grills, Bradley Smokers, SoJoe Fire Pits ACCESSORIES: Chicken Sitters, Hooks, Paws & Tongs, Buckaroo Barbecue THERMOMETERS: Remote Thermometers, Digital Thermometers, Pit Thermometers FLAVORING: Bone Suckin' Rib Rub, Holy Smoke BBQ Sauce , Wine-Garlic Spray Glaze WOOD & PELLETS: Western Hardwood Charcoal, Wood Chips, Smoking Pellets OTHER STUFF: Smoky's BBQ Manual, Rosewood Grill Brush, Smoke Cooking School PIG TAIL FOOD FLIPPER SET - WOODEN GIFT BOX A quick flip of the wrist and the food is turned over. Pigtail can handle almost anything from an 8 lb.rack of ribs, to hot dogs, steaks, chicken, bacon, French toast, shrimp, vegetables, you name it! COMES IN AN ATTRACTIVE WOODEN CARRYING CASE! BEERMAN BBQ BASTER The BeerMan BBQ Baster is the neatest thing since sliced brisket! The Beer Can Baster is a self-contained basting brush which easily and neatly snaps onto any standard size beverage (read beer!) can. Simply mix your own sauce or marinade right in the can! Mix it, snap it, baste it! GET ONE FOR ALL YOUR FRIENDS! WE HAVE MORE NEW STUFF! BRAND NAMES: Patio Classic . Bone Suckin' Sauces & Rubs . The Spice Hunter PRODUCTS: Aprons, Aprons, Aprons . Hardwood Charcoal . BBQ'rs Delight Gift Set GREAT NEW PRODUCTS FOR YOUR OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE GRATE CHEF GRILL WIPES Grate Chef Grill Wipes are perfect for cleaning your grill's cooking grates for longer life, cleaner cooking and better grill marks on your food. Follow the simple 1-2-3 steps on the back of the Grate Chef Grill Wipes package to effectively clean your grill. A SMARTER WAY TO CLEAN YOUR GRILL!

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Reader's Quips, Questions & Comments

Pat from KC takes issue with Smoky ...

Gentlemen,

Chicken Sitters

For many, many years, 'ol Willie used a simple beer can filled with recipes of beer, wine, sherry, herbs and spices to flavorfully smoke-cook his chickens from the inside out. Occasionally, one of those suckers would turn over and he would have to take time and refill it. So Willie make one that won't turn over! Willie's Chicken Sitters Oven-Grade Ceramic Easy to Use Steams Inside Roasts Outside Succulent Roasted Chicken

You continue to preach against foil, yet every single weekend, at least half of the winning ribs, butts and briskets in KCBS competitions were wrapped. Ditto sugar. Why not just come out and write, "My way is the only way to cook it, no matter how it tastes." Sorry, but the proof is in the trophies, the prize money, and the meat: Your method simply is not the only method. Telling new cookers otherwise isn't helping them.

Pat

Hi Pat,

Actually, Pat, over 50 years ago, when I started barbecuing, the technique which defines barbecue had been in existence about 300 years. Barbecue was then and is now defined as "Meat cooked in the dry heat of wood coals at around the temperature of boiling water." That's not my definition, that is barbecue. Always has been, always will be. Meat cooked in moisture in a container, no matter the thickness, is pot roast. Always has been, always will be.

In any field of endeavor, there are always those who are unwilling or unable to learn how to compete on a level playing field. They are really losers in more ways than one. Those who think the proof of barbecuing skill is in ribbons and trophies, miss the whole idea and spirit of barbecuing. I pity them.

Having probably judged a few more contests than you and from the Carolinas to the West Coast, I would have to disagree with your contention that "at least half of the winning. . ." entries have been cooked in foil. That may have been true for a short time in the past, at small contests with naive judges, but not any more. At the tables that I have judged in the KC Royal, and other well-judged contests, pot roast has never even gotten close. Any judge who cannot immediately, by appearance, identify the grey, washed out, thickly-sliced pot roast, doesn't deserve to be a judge. And those who cannot distinguish between the texture of the muddy, mush of boiled beef brisket from barbecue ought to hang up their teeth. On my card, pot roasts get 4s in appearance and texture.

Anyone who has ever eaten a real barbecued rib, properly done, is offended by the mushy texture of steamed pork ribs - unless they prefer boiled pork.

My effort is to teach those, who want to learn, to cook real barbecue, not how to chase trophies by pulling a fast one on naive palates. In addition the books and articles I have written on the subject, I have answered over 50,000 questions e-mailed to me. The overwhelming response that I have gotten is "Thanks for teaching me how to really barbecue."

But this is a free country, you can take a brisket, brown it off in a skillet and throw in the crock pot with a bottle of KC Masterpiece, loaded with liquid smoke, and go back to watching TV. You can call it barbecue, but we both know that it won't be.

Meanwhile, I will still be teaching people who want to learn how to barbecue, not how to win at all costs.

Have fun,
Smoky

			Available

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Well, we've got to go back to work now, so enjoy the site and keep those comments (good and bad) coming along!

Keep Those Fires Hot!

Well, {FirstName}, we've done it again, come to the end. We hope you enjoyed this SPECIAL EDITION of The Smoke N' Fire Inquirer. Keep on SSSSsmokin'. . . . . Again, if you have any comments, please send them to ..............

Charlie @ barbecue@nottingham.com

Sincerely,

Your Barbecue'n hosts,
Charlie McMurrey (a/k/a/ "PC") & And Smoky
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