Barbecue Tricks

BBQ Tips and Tricks

Bill West

Cook

Steak Done? An OK Handy Method

If you like your steak Well-Done (like me) or Rare (like many) the fool proof way to know “when it’s done” is use a dependable instant read thermometer. After reading this you’ll probably be frustrated until you get one. Here’s some recommended beef “doneness” temperatures:

Blue rare 120°F
Rare 125 to 130°F
Medium-rare 130 to 135°F
Medium 135 to 145°F
Medium-well 145 to 150°F
Well-done 150 to 155°F
Really well done 160°F plus

Bookmark our: Temperature Guide

So… what if you forgot the handy meat thermometer? There’s a handy barbecue tip that’s been around a long time. “Hand”-y as in Hand. You can test your steak’s done-ness using the OK handy method. It’s easy. Massage, stretch, and shake one hand loose so that your thumb and it’s muscles are fully relaxed.

Touch the round base of your thumb on the relaxed hand. This soft resistance and feel is similar to the texture of a very rare thick steak.

Now – make the “OK” sign (don’t pinch… just close your thumb and forefinger together) and again touch the base of your thumb. This texture is similar to a medium-rare steak.

Next, touch your thumb to your middle finger. This firmer resistance is similar to the texture of a medium steak.

Press your thumb to your fourth finger. The semi-firm texture at the base of your thumb is similar to a medium-well steak.

Finally, touch your thumb to your pinky. The very firm (some would say tough) texture at the base of your thumb is close to a well-done steak.

Competitions

BBQ Competition Edisto Island

Who eve said barbecue was easy! I was lucky to be able to get into the Carolina Pitmaster’s Training before the big SC Championship “Palmetto Barbecue and Brew Fest” a few weeks back… Ithelped a ton! But even with the award winning advice the first go at such a complex competition can really be tough!

The BBQ ricks Team (thanks Michael Bultman and Tyler)ended up taking 9th in the blind tasting/judging in whole hog. Pretty good considering there were forty serious teams competing. Unfortnately we were unprepared for the on-site judging. It was something we really knew nothing about but counted for a third of the score. That brought down ribs, shoulders, and overall.

Congrat’s to the overall winner (Grand Champion) in this case a team called “Fat Back and Flaming Pig.” I always admire the rib champs too… “Smoke Shack” from North Augusta.

(Check out the pix of the Smoke Shack rig compared to our camp below! Out of our league!)

So… As a service to others undertaking a first or second cook off… here’s my top ten things to remember next time!

  1. Know your rules/competition. I knew just enough but there’s a lot of detail in all the competitions. KCBS (Kansas City), SCBA (South Carolina BBQ Assoc.) and Memphis in May all have different rules ( garnish or not?). Know what’s expected. We needed to know how on site worked.
  2. Keep your cook site pristine. When you have “on site” judging make it a point to clean the soot of the inside of the grill before you start.

  3. Organize. Use a checklist before you go. I left a bottle of vinegar at home. I think there will always be something… you just don’t want it to be too big a deal.
  4. It takes a team. I was lucky enough to have two strong buddies on the team. That could have been perfect, however our grill takes two to reload with charcoal. Hard to manage sleeping.

  5. Know your cooker. You should have practiced the process more than once. Hard to do when you’re talking about 150 pounds of meat.

  6. Take detailed notes for next time.

  7. Get to the contest as early as possible. This will also give you an advantage if the contest allows you to choose your meat off the truck. You can cherry pick.

  8. Back time everything and give yourself extra time for resting the meat. It’s a lot better to keep it hot than turn it in undercooked.

  9. Watch flame ups

  10. Have dependable equipment. I used a cheap Brinkmann smoker and the cheap thermometer never got past “warm” despite being at optimal temperature. It confused us for a while but it simply didn’t work. You’ll want to be able to double check temperatures.

Competitions

BBQ Cooking Class With Class

Last weekend I had a chance to learn the ins and outs of competition Barbecue from some experts in the field. Carolina Pitmasters in Summerville SC have created a really cool once a year class to get everyone from the Low Country geared up for BBQ season. It’s a total good ole boy seminar and tons o’ fun. Over two laid back days the teachers – guys like expert Jack Waiboer and Russ Cornette (local creator-of Smokin’ Coles Sauces and Rubs) walk through the minutia of competing in BBQ championships like next week’s Palmetto BBQ and Brew Feston Edisto.

The class took place on the lake next to a picture perfect lake by Dorchester Shrine Club. Weather was perfect and everyone was willing to talk. Believe it or not cookers traveled from as far away as Chicago and Canada for the session. It’s international!

Timing of the class was perfect for me as I’m tackling “Whole Hog” for the fist time at Edisto and that, as Waiboer put it, is “the Mount Everest o competition barbecue.” Other topics covered were chicken, ribs, shoulder, and overall judging with some enlightening advice from actual SCBA (that’s South Carolina BBQ Association) judges. Did I learn any real bbq secrets? I Think so… there were still a few gems that were held back but I did some really valuable tips that you can only find out from a lot of trial and error (or a class such as this).I learned that the key to the BBQ judges heart is “bark” – that charred caramelized shell of goodness shingled on the outside of really good barbecue. I learned that pork has a moment in the cooking process called the “stall” that can be torture to a cook in a hurry. The slow increase in internal temperature of the meat stalls… and stops rising for a while. It will rise again. Just takes time and patience. Opening the lid just slows things down even more!I also learned turning in a hot box to the judges will help your scores… so try to be either one of the first in or one of the last in. There’s typically a ten minute turn in window.

Gadgets

Filet Knives – Picking the right Selection


Choosing a Filet KnifeBy Daniel Kraus
Filet knives are one of the most important knives in your kitchen arsenal. They vary in length from 4 inches to 9 inches and provide a great tool for preparing poultry, beef, pork and, of course, fish. There are a few tips and guidelines to follow when choosing a fillet knife to ensure you find the right knife for you.

First, look for corrosion resistant stainless steel; not all stainless steel is corrosion resistant. Yes, stainless steel is stainless but not stain proof. This will make the purchase of the knife a bit more expensive, but it will also increase the life expectancy of the knife and provide a better cutting edge over time; look for a carbon steel blade as they tend to last longer than other materials and have great durability.

Next, you will need to determine what you will be filleting; this determines the size of the needed blade. If you are a novice or beginner chef choose a versatile length around 6 or 7 inches. For those of us who are more experienced using blades and fillet knives choose the length best suited for your endeavor. Small fish and tenderloin cuts can be achieved through the use of a smaller 5 inch blade; large fillet mignons will need a longer blade as they are thicker and will provide a good weight for cutting the thick meat. Ultimately, the decision should apply to your needs.
While length is important, the blade needs to be flexible as filleting requires thin and oftentimes cramped cutting. Fillets are perhaps the most artistic cuts found in the kitchen and the flexible blade helps to ensure their presentational qualities. This is fairly simple; the thinner the blade the more flexible it is. Keep in mind that thinner blades are also more prone to bending if you are cutting foods like beef, pork and game animals such as venison.

The handle of the knife should be comfortable and easy to grasp. Typical or average blades have a wooden or inert plastic handle which is good for decreasing the weight of the knife. These materials are also more prone to becoming slippery when wet and can lead to a knife slipping. Rubber handles, found more often in fish filet knives, are great for reducing the slipping effect. Remember that the blade first and foremost needs to be comfortable for you; a carver using a less than comfortable blade is a recipe for an accident.

Daniel Kraus has worked in the food service industry for over 15 years as a manager, bartender and server captain in four and five star restaurants from St. Louis to Nashville.
Daniel writes for the cookwareatysk.com
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Featured

Burger Made Better Trick

I saw one of those Food Network stars making burgers last week and I saw one tip you have to try. The chef claimed that when you make your own hamburger patties of ground beef for grilling you could use his trick to keep the thick – disk shaped – patty from turning into a fat – ball shaped – patty.

The advice is to make your patty with an indentation in the center (see photo). That way when the center of the beef patty swells or plumps when you grill it, the burger will revert back to a normal / flatter patty shape that will nicely accommodate a soft bun. Simple enough.

We tried the technique in the BBQ test kitchen and must say were surprised at how well the “indentations” on the test patties disappeared. We probably could have made the dent evendeeper (or on both sides). The control patty (“test” or “not concave” is on the left in the photos) indeed DID expand in the middle… But honestly not enough to bother me.

Another recommendation would be to control yourself and keep from pressing the burger down on the grill with the spatula. I don’t know why guys do this but I see it done all the time.

All-in-all the tip is worth while and is good general practice for the next time you’re pressing patties.

Tricks

Grill Seasoning Tips

Grill Seasoning Tips – Home Made is Healthier Than Bottle, Make Your Own

By Natasha Marks

You want to go barbecuing, therefore you start preparing. The list in your mind or on your paper should include the grill, the meat, the corn on the cob if you are in love with it, and of course the grill seasoning. Some people prefer to grill their meat after having added to it only pepper and salt as the flavor of grill seasoning mixtures takes the deliciousness of the barbecue away, they say. Others however, can not have a barbecue without the grill seasoning as, having gotten used to it, they consider the meat cooked without it tasteless.

Why Homemade Grill Seasoning Is Healthier than Bottle Seasoning

There is a great number of recipes for the grill seasoning, each to appeal to various types of people and each to go with a certain kind of meat. The shelves in supermarkets are full with bottles of seasonings and mixtures of spices and herbs, yet many people prefer to make their own grill seasoning at home. One reason for this is that these seasoning bottles contain a lot of unhealthy ingredients which, even though make the meat very tasty, should not get into our habit of regular buying. However, if you insist on buying grill seasoning, then checking for additives and unhealthy ingredients before going to the store would be a good recommendation. The next one would be to read the label, check what the main ingredients are and also avoid choosing from the cheapest of the products.

Grill Seasoning Recipe

In case you are interested in making your own grill seasoning, then you should know that it is so easy to prepare it yourself. All you need is to mix is:

1. Pepper 2. Salt 3. Onion 4. Garlic powder 5. Coriander 6. Red pepper flakes.

Recipes are all over the internet nowadays so it will be much cheaper for you to Google search than to buy recipe books. The recipe mentioned above is very simple and it very much resembles what you usually add to a nicely home made steak. Usually when making a steak at home, you want it to have the best of flavors. And of course you tend to add garlic and onion at least beside the salt and the pepper.

Storing Grill Seasoning

As for storing the grill seasoning, they recommend keeping the mixture of spices in an airtight container and in a place that is not very warm. In case you follow this tip, you will ensure that your grill mixture will preserve all its qualities for the next-to-come grill.

Here are some secrets of cooking with seasonings and how it can help you lose weight A Beginner’s Guide To Cooking With Seasonings

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Misc

BONE SUCKIN’ SAUCE INTRODUCES NEW ADDITIONS TO AWARD-WINNING PRODUCT LINE

We’ve seen the “Bone Sucking” sauce out a lot and it looks like a great product. They must be doing something right as their line is now expanding with a bit of South Carolina mustard style. This is the press release BBQ Tricks received just yesterday…

Seasoning & Rub Gets Spicy while the Mustard Takes a Sweet Turn


Raleigh, NC (June 24, 2009) — Ford’s Gourmet Foods, purveyors of the internationally acclaimed line of Bone Suckin’ Sauces, today announced the introduction of a HOT version of their Seasoning & Rub and a sweet version of their Mustard.

Bone Suckin’ HOT Seasoning & Rub
A cayenne kick is the perfect addition to the proprietary blend of brown sugar, paprika, garlic and spices in the original. This perfect combination of spicy, salty and sweet brings just the right amount of heat to this versatile new product.
“What we love about our Seasoning & Rub is that our customers use it not only for grilling, marinating and BBQ, but also as a seasoning on everything from popcorn to potatoes, and even salads,” said Patrick Ford, vice president of Ford’s Gourmet Foods. “Now, our customers can enjoy that same great flavor with a little extra spice – enough to be noticed, but not so much that they can’t enjoy the food.”

Bone Suckin’ Mustard
There are no jalapenos in this sweet combination of brown sugar, molasses and paprika, but you can expect the same great taste of the spicy original.
“People really like the flavor of our Sweet Hot Bone Suckin’ Mustard, but have told us repeatedly how much they would enjoy that sweet taste without the heat,” added Mr. Ford. “So, the new Bone Suckin’ Mustard product is truly an example of listening to our customers and giving them what they want, and we think they’re going to love it.”

Both the HOT Bone Suckin’ Seasoning & Rub and the Sweet Mustard are going to be introduced as part of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade’s (NASFT) Summer Fancy Food show in New York City June 28, 2009 where they will be available for wholesale.

ABOUT FORD’S GOURMET FOODS
Ford’s Gourmet Foods creates some of the world’s greatest tasting all-natural, gluten free foods including Wine Nuts and Fire Dancer Jalapeño Peanuts, Earth Family Organics and Naturals, and the internationally acclaimed Bone Suckin’ Sauces – the ONLY barbecue sauces rated #1 by Newsweek, Food & Wine and many others. A fourth generation, Raleigh, NC-based family business, Ford’s is known to make only the best.

For more information, visit us in Booth 5500, Calling us 919-833-7647


Cook

Poultry’s Recommended Internal Temperature: Is It Done yet?

Looking to safely cook chicken or turkey, without having it come out dry and flavorless? The USDA says to cook until the juices of the wings and thighs run clear. The only way to do it is use a thermometer (see below), and remember the wings and thighs reach a higher temperature faster than the breast. Here are some simple guidelines for safe internal temperatures that will keep your poultry tasting great! All measurements are Fahrenheit.

  • Ground Chicken or Turkey 165 degrees
  • Whole Chicken or Turkey 180 degrees (thighs, wings & legs) / 160 – 165 degrees (breast) Note: This should occur at about the same time.
  • Chicken or Turkey Breast 170 degrees
  • Duck 180 degrees
  • Grilled or Roasted Quail 145 degrees

In general, The USDA suggests poultry be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 before serving. This is lowered from a pre-2006 recommendation of 180 for turkey. Many of us have become too dependant on the “factory installed” thermometer that comes in frozen birds these days. These are likely to err on the side of “over cooked.”


Click For Video

It is important to remember that internal temperature will indeed rise a bit while “resting” off the grill.

One universal tip is to watch for the juices to run clear but the best way to really know is by using an accurate instant read thermometer. You may already have an old dial faced version in your gadget drawer. In theory these are just fine and worked for many years; however I almost always find myself questioning the results. We prefer some of the really good digital instant read thermometer now available. In less than ten seconds you’ll really know what temperature you have.

Cooks Illustrated spends a lot of time researching and testing the best of the best and when it comes to thermometers they suggest a model made by Thermapen for about $80 (based on pin-point accuracy and quick respnse time). But there are a few less expensive models.

NOTE: If the thermometer you’re using needs to be “converted” from Fahrenheit to Celsius use this formula: Subtract 32 degrees from the (Fahrenheit) reading, then divide that number by 1.8. The result is the Celsius.

Gadgets

Basting Brush goes High Tech


Have you ever looked at an old wooden handle basting brush and thought, “That CAN’T be sanitary!”

The more you think about the porous wood… the residue in the fibers of the brush… the nooks and crannies that are almost impossible to clean… the more you think there has to be another way. There is; and too many cooks are still skeptical.

Even I never thought the new fangled silicone basting brushes would EVER work as well as my trusty paint brush – type basting brush. It wasn’t the price… you can buy a bag of cheap paint brushes at Lowes for just a few bucks. In fact, I always thought the plastic / silicone basting brushes would just not grab enough sauce. That was before I tried it.

The designers of the BBQ tool (the brush shown is made by Rubbermaid) really thought it through. The individual brush “needles” are textured with hoops and bumps that “grab” onto everything from oil to BBQ sauce. Unlike the old style brush there’s no deterioration, no loose brush hairs, and it’s easy to clean. They feel great in your hand and are easy to manipulate. Best of all they’re relatively cheap, especially considering may brands come with a lifetime guarantee. There are now lots of different manufacturers: see them here.

It’s easy to stick with tradition in cooking, but a silicone brush for cooking this is a tool worth trying.

Tricks

Tricks and Tips For Picking Steaks

Tips For Picking Steaks
By John A. Brooks, Jr

As a third generation butcher at B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli, I’m often asked how to pick out a perfect steak. Here’s what I tell my customers.

Don’t just pick out any steak. That is one of the worst things you can do. All steaks are not the same. Therefore, take your time when picking out a steak. There are steaks that are better for grilling and some steaks are better to slow cook. Generally, if the steak has “chuck” or “round” in the name then it is better to marinate and slow cook. If the steak has “rib” or “loin” in the name it will be a lot more tender and better for grilling. Ask your butcher which types of steaks are best for the way you want to cook your steak.

The thicker the better. Steaks that are cut too thin are easy to over cook. Over cook a steak and you could end up with a dry, tough piece of “leather”. It is easy to tell how thick steaks are at an old-fashion butcher shop. In fact, most butchers will cut thicker steaks for customers who request them. Be careful when buying steaks in packs. It can be hard to see the thickness of all the steaks.

It is important to look for steaks with the most fat marbling and streaking. Steaks with the most fat marbling are generally more flavorful and tender. The most marbled cut is the rib-eye. It is cut from the same piece of meat as the prime rib.

Don’t cut the fat off! A lot of my customers want all the fat cut off the sides of their steaks. I don’t recommend this at all! I tell my customers to leave the fat on while they cook their steaks. Fat helps keep the steak juicy and enhances the steak’s flavor. You can cut all the fat off you want once the steak is cooked.

Knowing what to look for in a steak is as important as cooking a steak. Still not sure what to look for in a steak? Ask your neighborhood butcher. They always like to help ensure you get the best steak for your special occasion.

John Brooks is a 3rd generation butcher for B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli. A neighborhood grocery store that has been family owned and operated since 1922. You can learn more about John Brooks and B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli by visiting their web-site at http://www.bbgrocerymeatdeli.com/

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