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Barbecue Tricks

BBQ Tips and Tricks

beef

January 1, 2019 Featured

Beef Back Ribs

beef ribs

In the South you don’t hear much talk about beef ribs.

Usually the mighty pork spare rib is all the buzz.  But deep in the heart of Texas some say the beef back ribs are a secret weapon of pit masters.   Using hardwood smoke and just a bit of spice and vinegar, the beefy Fred Flintstone ribs are served almost naked and totally delicious.

We wanted to try to take the beef rib a bit further.   Adding the sweet and saucy flavors of the southern pork ribs to heighten the steak on the bone flavor of beef back ribs.

It’s typical to cook pork ribs for around four hours to get them succulent and just right.  But beef ribs are a bit different in nature.   They are best served and eaten with a chewy tug and a bit of fight.    Fall off the bone in the beef world is more akin to pot roast.

We started with two slabs (about 4 pounds each) of nice looking beef ribs from the butcher.  They are also readily available around the country in supermarkets as Beef Back Ribs (not short ribs).  Just opt for the meatiest slabs that you can find.  They will cook down to a more subtle size.

The rib membrane carries a lot of fat and flavor so (unlike pork ribs) we opt to leave this membrane on.  Again with beef ribs it’s ok to have a bit of bone gnawing fight.

When it comes to seasoning the Texas pitmasters don’t do much… but we wanted a more southern BBQ flavor so we rubbed the slabs down with a tablespoon of Tony Cachere’s  Cajun seasoning and an equal amount of Turbinado (Sugar In The Raw) Sugar.  Let the ribs rest overnight in the fridge or at least a few hours.  Then allow the slabs to rest and come to room temperature before placing them on the smoker.

Fuel the smoker with charcoal and mesquite chips to 250 degrees and cover and do not disturb for at least an hour.  Check, and refuel as need and cook for another hour with more smoke.

After two hours and fifteen minutes the beef should be pulling back from the ends of the bones.  a tell tale sign that it’s about time to eat.

Our BBQ Trick is to add one last step:   Wrap the slabs in foil, along with a layer of your favorite sweet sticky sauce plus a good sprinkle of  brown sugar.    Drop the foil wrapped slabs on direct high heat ( we dropped the smoker grill grate  all the way down to the coals to get the meat searing hot.  A few minutes on each side should give you a charred blackened sweet and sticky finish that will make you ready to dig in.  Just give the ribs a ten minute rest on the cutting board before you cut and serve.

Beef Ribs and Smashed Potatoes

In the accompanying video we prepared the ribs with smashed potatoes.   Just leave the spuds in (along with the ribs)  for the 2 hour slow cook.  Then smash and add cheddar and parmesan before the direct heat blast.

The Rub:

2 Tablespoons Tony Cachere’s Cajun Seasoning

2 Tablespoons Turbinado Sugar (also called Sugar In The Raw)

Other Ingredients:

2 Slabs Beef Back Ribs (approx 4lbs each)

Smashed Potatoes:

4 potatoes

1 cup shredded cheddar

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

To Finish:

4 Tablespoons sweet BBQ Sauce

4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

February 1, 2015 Butcher's Guide

Guide to Beef Cuts

A Guide to Beef Cuts for Homemakers

beef cuts

Photo:flickr.com/photos/eprater

By Anne Del Rio

What do you look for in meat especially beef? One is freshness. The other is tenderness. Many consumers go to the supermarket, buy the beef and bring it home in a plastic pack. In most cases, you cook the beef without even knowing what part of the cow it came from. Yet, it is advisable that you know the primary beef cuts. This helps in preparing meals and learning cooking techniques for meat.

For a start, prime cuts especially for steaks are more expensive than less desired parts. A smart cook should also know the techniques in making beef more tender and sumptuous. Nonetheless, some mouth-watering flavors also come from inexpensive cuts such as the flank steak. Simply learn the technique in making the meat soft. Some of the most popular beef varieties are the tenderloin, rib, chuck, shank, sirloin, loin, brisket, and round.

Filet mignon or the small and soft boneless steak comes from the tenderloin. While the name sounds French, this beef cut is a favorite of many nationalities. It is said to be the most sumptuous part with authentic silky-smooth consistency as well as less fat content. Sirloin comes from the cow’s rear beyond the loin. It may not be as tender as the loin but it is still well-liked by beef lovers. You can grill, pan-fry, or broil this meat cut.

Ribs are less inexpensive than the sirloin. However, fat content is higher. Strips of fact can be found in this lean meat. Skip the sauce because of the delicious flavor. Simply put some salt and pepper while cooking. Rib eye steaks are normally cut to one inch and 1/2 up to two inches. In fact, the rib consists of some of the finest cuts like prime, short and rib eye roasts. Cooking should be done longer over dry heat. It is perfect for smoking and grilling.

Shank is located at the front part of the brisket or breast. This particular beef cut has a lot of collagen. It is used in various recipes that require gravy sauce. Shank is normally sold as one whole along with the entire bone. However, it can also be cooked as ground beef. It is perfect for moist cooking. Make sure that the bone is still attached. At times, the shank is seen in a cross cut with the meat attached to it. The fibrous protein is emitted during the cooking process. Shank is usually used in preparing broth and soup.

If you are looking for meat wholesalers in Perth, call the top butchers in Western Australia, McLoughlin Butchers Western Australia, by clicking on this link: www.mcloughlinbutchers.com.au.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Del_Rio
http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Guide-to-Beef-Cuts-for-Homemakers&id=8815261

 

 

March 11, 2013 Featured

BBQ St. Patrick’s Style

corned beefIt wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without Corned Beef and Cabbage.   The beef brisket is the same you’d start with when smoking a brisket Texas style… but then you cure and pickle it.  Or just buy it already “corned.”  That works too.  Take a look at how GrateTV’s Jack Waiboer does it and try your luck o’ the brisket this week.

[button link=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbrbSyGbsr4″]Watch Corned Beef on YouTube[/button]

[button link=”http://blip.tv/gratetv/what-is-corned-beef-brisket-gratetv-6546730″]Watch Corned Beef on Blip.TV[/button]

[button link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gratetv/id369102007″]Watch Corned Beef iTunes Podcast[/button]

GrateTV: New Episodes Every Thursday!

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Subscribe on YouTube (never miss a video!) http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=BarbecueTricks&feature=creators_cornier-

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Check out over 200 videos and recipes at http://GrateTV.com

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GrateTV is a short-form, educational web series focused on making barbecue fun! We release a new episodes every week typically originating from the LowCountry of
South Carolina “the Birthplace of American BBQ.” Each episode is brief – about a beer in length. Our focus is on fun but easy barbecue tips and tricks plus
entertaining information.

Category
Food Home & Garden Learning & Education
Starring:
Jack Waiboer and Bill West
Written by:
Waiboer/ West

 

 

 

April 14, 2012 Butcher's Guide

Here’s The Beef 101

Beef 101Where’s the beef?  Here’s the beef!  A new info graphic guide to what 25 percent of American’s eat daily.  Stats… nutritional info… cuts… take a look and soak it up!  More in our Butcher’s Guide.

Beef Infographic

Source: FrugalDad

Beef 101

September 24, 2011 GrateTV

Pulled Beef GratePlate and Avacodo Leaves

The GrateTV BBQ and grilling show hit the backyard and talked about if meat can be “seasonal”  like fruits and vegetables. Plus Jack Waiboer shares his secret ingredient from the plant of the Avocado. Dont miss our viewer GratePlate shot of pulled beef shoulder and spray bottle tips and tricks.

GrateTV is a weekly podcast / TV show distributed online and available free.   Hosts Jack (three time SC State BBQ Champ) and Bill West (editor BBQ Tricks.com) covers BBQ  from backyard to competition  – featuring viewer mail, competition info, secret ingredients and grilling gadgets.

Subscribe via iTunes or via your email address:


Subscribe via iTUNES 
Subscribe to GrateTV by Email 

April 24, 2011 Featured

Three Tips For Tenderizing

Three quick tricks for London Broil and tenderizing beef. Step through the process of preparing this easy and fantastic grilled feast.

London Broil Can be a tough cut of beef.  Here are three simple tricks to maximize tenderness in the beef for your next barbecue with friends.  It always starts with a nice clean looking London Broil.  This method and recipe below also works great with a flank steak or skirt steak for Fajitas.

Tip/Trick 1 – Whack It

First use that hammer thingy you’ve seen around kitchens for years.  The good old fashioned way to beat the raw beef into “submission.”   You’re almost pre-chewing it… but in the end your BBQ will still look pristine.   The thicker the cut the more you can

London Broil

hammer it.  Another trick  I show in the video is to wrap the slab in plastic to avoid shirt staining splattering.

Tip/Trick 2 Marinate

Secondly, use a nice marinade to soften the newly damaged fibers.    Some grillers may choose to use a high acid marinate to boost the tenderizing effects.

Tip/Trick 3 Go Against The Grain

Third, let the cooked meat rests for ten minutes or so (it’s pretty important but usually people get in too much of a hurry).  Carve your London Broil AGAINST the grain of the meat fibers or perpendicular to the strands of beef in pencil thin slices.     It’s another level of  jaw grinding your guests don’t have to deal with and the presentation is awesome.
The Not So Secret marinade here relies on a dose of smoke but it’s super easy.

August 8, 2010 GrateTV

Slicing Brisket and Rotisserie Gadget – GRATETV

Just wrapped another episode of BBQ’s favorite Podcast. The smokin’ episode is titled: Rollin’ with Rotisserie, Slicing Brisket and a Tearfull Secret Ingredient. Click through to the video or head over to iTunes and subscribe to the feed.

From http://GrateTV.com Viewers ask about carving beef brisket and hosts Jack Waiboer and Bill West unveil another secret ingredient. This is episode 9 of GrateTV with hosts Jack Waiboer and Bill West.

January 3, 2010 Featured

Beef Brisket Step By Step

BBQ Beef Brisket worth the all day cook.

BBQ Beef Brisket worth the all day cook.

It was a wet Christmas Day but nothing would get in the way of an appointment I had with a 6.5 lbs. beef brisket set to feed family visiting for the holiday.

The key to brisket – I determined – is simply time.    Cook’s Illustrated (a favorite reference) writes about how to trick the process and only truly “smoke” the beef on a grill or smoker for a mere two hours and then finish off the brisket (wrapped in foil) for an additional number of hours at 300 degrees.   They say two hours is all you need to provide the smoke infusion.

We love a good BBQ trick or two but this day we kept to tradition. Low and slow over charcoal (we mixed hardwood lump and Kingsford Hickory 70/30) and used water soaked Jack Daniels Whiskey Barrel Oak Chips for smoke. (However Mesquite is a brisket favorite and a better choice).

The process began the night before the cooking by preparing a simple rub and rubbing down the brisket.   Feel free to trim down the fat cap.  There’s no need for more that about a quarter of an inch of a layer of fat.   But you do want some.     We opted to rub the seasoning on/in the fat too.   Then in the refrigerator ’til morning.

The Brisket Rub ( to cover 7 to 9 lbs. Brisket)

1 Packet Taco seasoning (1.25oz – Publix Generic brand)
2 tbl. Garlic Pepper mix (Tone’s)
5 tbl. Brown Sugar
5 tbl. Paprika
5 tbl. Tony Catchere’s Creole Seasoning

Brisket has a “flat” side and a “point.”    The flat looks similar to a flank steak with a long grain.  The point is on top of the flat with a later of fat in between.   The grain runs in a different direction on the point (something to remember when slicing).  We used what would be considered a small  6.5 lbs brisket that was mainly “flat.”     Typical of what you would find in a major supermarket but not mega cookout sized (you can find the biggies -8 pounds and bigger – at Sam’s, Walmart’s, or a butcher).

Time is the big issue.  We put our 6.5 pounder on a Brinkman Smoker at 9:00 am Fat side up.

You don’t want to open the lid of the smoker more than you have to at this point.  Adding chips in the small side door is fine.   Some say every time you now lift the lid you’ll have to add 15 minutes to your cook time.   We added wet wood chips to the coals through the side door every 40 minutes or so until 11:30am.

At 11:30 we raised the smoker off the bottom and added some additional charcoal (1 chimney already hot / white ash) and wood chips, plus added water to the drip pan.

Smoker Temperature should stay between 225 and 275.   The Brinkman smoker has a reading of “Ideal” and I tried to stay at that level until about 1:50pm.  Then CAREFULLY wrap the brisket in foil.    Seal it as much as you can to retain drippings and return to the smoker for two to four hours until the brisket reached an internal temperature of about 207 degrees.  The thermometer will slide right in with very little resistance.   207 degrees sounds crazy to some that find a rare steak (130 degrees) the most tender… but there’s different chemistry happening.    The tissues in the tough brisket (collagen) only begin to melt at around 180 degrees.  You’ll just want to watch that the meat doesn’t dry out (keep it wrapped) and that the smoker isn’t too hot.

We pulled our brisket off at about 4:30pm with a reading of 206 and let it rest in a  cooler wrapped in paper bags (new trash compactor bags work well) until a half hour before time to serve.  The internal temperature will still rise when resting.   Give yourself plenty of time in the planning – we used all eight and a half hours (including an hour to let the meat rest before cutting).

Remember to carve against the grain into pencil thick ( quarter inch) slices if possible.  Our results were so tender we had to cut a bit thicker.    Electric slicers come in handy here.

Total cook time – about nine hours.   Process starts the night before.  Our experiment was with 6.5 pond brisket.

Serves about 12 to 16 (WITH 6.5 LBS.)

August 30, 2009 Butcher's Guide

Butcher’s Guide

A good butcher shop  is hard to find these days. Most Butchers are slinging it our in the super store groceries way in the back.    Use these small guides to determine just where that steak or chop comes from:

Beef

Beef Cuts

Pork Cuts

Pork Cuts

Butchering on Foodista

February 23, 2009 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.

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Hey Y'all... Thanks for stopping by. I'm Bill West. I blog about BBQ and occasionally country music. When it comes to BBQ I try to find solid time saving tips and tricks to make the grilling life a bit easier. It's life hacking for the backyard cooker. Read More…

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