What exactly "Real" barbecue?

Many people think that barbecue is any meal that is cooked in the open air over a fire. That is an error. What most people do outside when they think they’re grilling is actually “grilling,” which is cooking over an open flame. If you’re standing in front of your gas grill with an apron around the debris, a 3-foot spatula in hand, and burgers on the grill, you’re grilling. Not to say that’s not a good thing. But, that’s not barbecue. Comparing grilling to “real” barbecue is like comparing a man painting a ceiling to Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel. Both are painting, but with totally different results.

True barbecue (and I’m not going to mess around with semantics here, BarBeQue/Bar-B-Que/BBQ all mean the same thing) is slow-cooked meat, over low heat, with smoke. The meats that are traditionally considered barbecue are, and in no particular order, pork ribs, shoulder (or tenderloin), brisket, and chicken. These meats are slow cooked in what is known as a smoker until they fall off the bone, have a deep smoky flavor and are delicious.

What is needed to make Real BBQ? First, you need a smoker. There are basically five general types of smokers.

1. Offset Smoker– An offset smoker is the most popular type of cooker used in most barbecue competitions. An offset smoker has the firebox on the side of the unit and not directly under the meat. A small starter smoker can be purchased for around $100 at any of the big box home improvement stores, outdoor equipment stores, or even Wal-Mart.

2. kettle rack– Almost everyone has one of these on their deck or patio, the style of cooking made famous by Weber. You can set it up to use as an offset smoker by simply placing the coals to the side and not directly under the meat.

3. Vertical Smoker– An upright smoker is easy to use and has the heat source at the bottom of the unit, a water pan directly above the heat source, and then racks to hold the meat above the water pan, all lined up vertically . Variations of the upright smoker are the insulated smokers, the “Big Green Egg” and the Fast Eddy.

Four. Gas grill– A gas grill can be used for smoking if it has more than one heating element. One element can be set to low, with smoke-producing wood chips, and the meat is placed on the cooler side of the unit, with the lid closed.

5. good old fire pit– You can build a three-sided box structure with refractory bricks and build a fire inside the box. The meat is smoked on racks over the fire, as has been done for centuries.

Second, you need meat. Depending on what you intend to serve for barbecue, you need Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt is best), Spare Ribs (Pork Ribs, St. Louis style trimmed is best), Chicken, or Beef Brisket. Get them where you normally buy good quality meats.

Third, you need a smoke source. There are many options of what wood to use to smoke the barbecue. There are many regional preferences, based on what is available in that region. The South primarily uses Hickory and Pecan, the Texans primarily use Mesquite, and the Northerners use oak, maple, and fruitwoods. There are also options to use whole logs, wood chips, charcoal, wood pellets, etc.

Fourth, you need marinades and dressings. Most competitive barbecue chefs treat their meat to a nice rub with a marinade and spices. There are thousands of recipes for marinades and dressings. Choose the one that suits you.

Fifth, you need a finishing sauce. There are a few different sauces that are regional preferences that you should use to finish your barbecue. These sauces are much like a glaze and are brushed over the meat as the cooking process is finished. You must use the appropriate type of sauce for the region of the country in which you are competing. For example, if you are racing in Memphis, you would use a red tomato based sauce. If you cook in Kansas City, I would use a sweet red tomato based sauce. If you cook in eastern North Carolina, I would use a sauce made from vinegar, spices, and red pepper. There are many different recipes for these regional sauces. Pick a few of the many and tailor your own sauce just the way you prefer.

Using these few simple items, almost anyone can make an amazing smoked barbecue. Fire up the smoker, rub the meat, smoke it, sauce it and eat it, the process is pretty simple. Of course, there are plenty of tips and tricks of the trade.

A helpful tip is that many competitive barbecue kitchen teams use off-the-shelf products as the base for their marinades, seasonings and sauces and “doctorate” these products by adding their own ingredients, giving your barbecue a unique flavor and, with Good luck, prize winner. . You too can become a barbecue expert and start cooking at barbecue events or just surprise and wow your family in your backyard. All that is required is a smoker, some wood, some meat, and some spices. Of course, you also need the knowledge of how to combine them to make that award-winning Q.