AMERICAN BARBECUE: Old School vs. "Cheating"
I love food. I really love American barbecue. Come take a ride with me and talk about it...
There are a lot of misconceptions in what American barbecue is. Some people grill meat on a crazy hot outdoor appliance and call it barbecue. This is just wrong. Barbecue is a labor of love. It takes time and commitment. To truly barbecue something in the American style, you need wood smoke and a low temperature (200-250 F). Usually this involves large cuts of meat or sausages.
There is a big debate among American barbecue aficionados about how barbecue is done. Some use old school offset smokers that burn traditional firewood. Others "cheat" using electric or propane fired grills that burn compressed wood pellets. The difference in the product is minimal in the hands of the right person, but the effort involved it VERY different.
With the "cheating" method, you have much more control over temperature and burn rate. Everything is controlled electronically. Check this video out on it:
With the old school method, you are the control unit. You must monitor the fire and temperature like this:
I'm not saying the old school way is better than "cheating". In fact, if I had one of the fancy "cheater" grills, I would probably use it. However, barbecue is about more than the meat - it's also about the experience. I can tell you that I REALLY enjoy meat that I've spent a lot of time on - rather than using the "set it and forget it" model.
What do you all think? What is your favorite style of barbecue?
im feeling hungry now
Slow smoked rarely, if ever, disappoints. However, brisket with the right sauce and sides, gets no complaints here :+).
Peace.
Couldn't agree more! Except, if brisket is done right, no sauce is needed at all!
So truth! ✌
one should cook and try its really great
Yes you should! I've even used a small propane grill and some wood chunks. Not as good as a stick burner, but it'll get the job done.
Beautiful brisket in the first picture. Did you cook it? I agree with you in that the "old school" method is better. The experience of bar-b-queing is as important as the end product. For many years I spent my Saturdays cooking on the outdoor grill (charcoal and wood chips) the meat for the coming week. Then each day all I had to do was warm up the daily selection and feed my family. Great time saver, and flavor producer too. Excellent post.
is the top picture a nice brisket?
Yes, the top pic is a brisket with a very pronounced smoke ring. The pink is not raw and is the effect of the smoke on the meat. Seeing that deep of a ring means someone did a very good job on the smoking.
one of my favorite cuts of meat! Yes have to admit, i'm drooling over here..hehe..