This Is What Barbecue Means To Me

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It's quite erroneous to assume that simply introducing wood into the cooking process of a piece of meat constitutes as barbecue.

The following methods may produce something that you enjoy eating, selling or entering into cook-offs. But none of them produce classic American barbecue!
Lump Charcoal

Although it is technically hardwood coals, lump charcoal is not going to exactly duplicate the traditional taste imparted by hardwood burned to coals. On the bright side, it is usually made from 100% hardwood. We'll reluctantly label this method "The Best Way to Do It Wrong". However, we feel that many proponents of this fuel tend to exaggerate it's relevance when comparing it to other incorrect fuel sources.

It seems like fairly sound logic to assume that if something isn't being done right, then it's probably being done wrong!

Lump Charcoal with added raw wood

Adding raw wood to lump charcoal in a covered cooker of any size is going to take you completely away from any authentic or traditional taste in your meat.

I don't care how rampantly this technique is used or how often it is recommended -- it isn't going to impart anything close to the correct taste in meat, from a traditional standpoint.

Gas/Electric

Simply put, using gas or electricity, in any capacity, cannot be considered barbecue from a traditional standpoint because neither were available for use in our original barbecue. But if you're going to do it wrong anyway, why not make it easy on yourself?

Gas/Electric with added raw wood

Here we go again. We've sailed around the fruit loop and taken something that was not right to begin with and turned it into something even more obviously wrong. Once the smoke from raw wood is introduced, you've imparted very obvious flaws in both taste and appearance, from an authenticity standpoint.

Live Fire

In an enclosed set-up, this method imparts about the same incorrect flavor as the other methods using raw wood. Uncovered, a live fire will not impart any meaningful smoke flavor or smoke ring into meat. Live fires would have been impractical to use for cooking pigs in early primitive set-ups for a variety of reasons, the most notable being the increased likelihood of grease fires.

Charcoal Briquettes/Liquid Smoke

Both of these are too ridiculous to discuss, but are still commonly used
 
Uncle Al said:
So what exactly does constitute Classic American Barbecue??????

This right here is what constitutes a Classic American BBQ!

Larry Wolfe said:
I made the best BBQ the other night in the microwave! Here's the recipe.

1 5lb Boston Butt
Liquid Smoke
Yellow Mustard
McCormicks Seasoned Salt

Liberally coat the roast with LS, Yellow Mustard and then MSS in that order
Cook at 25% power, test for tenderness every 15 minutes until the roast pulls with little effort and internal temp reads 195*
Mine took a little over an hour and 15minutes

Very good for a quick dinner!

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
I for one am glad that I can look at things with an open mind. If it tastes the way I like, my family likes it and my friends like it, I don't care if Ludi don't like it! I'd bet money that there are people on this board, that cook with any of the above methods that Ludi doesn't like, that could cook just as good, if not better than Ludi! But it is nice to see other OPINIONS about bbq.
 
Guess your reading comprehension Is not too great. Read it again. See where it say's " the traditional taste imparted by hardwood burned to coals" :roll:
 
Sad, But true Larry, Nick, I agree with you. I'm just old school. I was only sharing my opinion.
 
Ludi, I happen to agree with you 100%. You will never sway most folks though and it really doesn't matter. I know that many folks win double blind contests using many forms of charcoal driven apparatii. I doubt very seriously if you , or I could taste the difference between BBQ well done on a WSM or $50,000 log pit. From the BBQ cooks point of view, I believe that the best experience comes from tending a log pit. It "connects" the cook to the product, the history, and the romance of the art. It is the reason I went with a traditional Klose log pit as opposed to a boxy, industrial looking Southern Pride, or Old Hickory one. The fact is, most folks cannot afford, or do not want to spend the money on a $1000+ log burner for their backyard use. To truly do it right, without having to fool with countless modifications, I believe that you really need to go with a quality , .25" thick log burner. Otherwise, you are trying to maintain a fire in a breadbox and that is work! Other folks, don't want to deal with the time involved in tending a fire all day. I could not leave my old 20 x 36" pit for more than 1/2 hour during a cook. I don't care though. I have to run around and tend to ******** all week. Twelve hours sitting in a chair and watching a fire on Saturday suits me just fine!
I have known at least 4 guys who bought Klose pits, along with the charcoal basket and, once they tried to do it with all wood, and learned the method, became converts who now, only use charcoal in a pinch. If I have to run up to the store or some other task, I'll throw a couple chimneys inn to keep her going myself!
In my new mobile, I added gas assist. I'll try not to use it, but if it's 3:00 am, and I get tired at a cook site, I'm switchin it on and catchin some ZZZZZZZZ's and I guarantee, nobody, including you or me, would be any the wiser.
You are arguing semantics here. You can make your point, but you aren't going to convince anyone who cooks on a WSM that he isn't making "Real BBQ." Don't stress over it brother! Have fun! WOOD-man
 
Well, even though I'm not making "REAL" BBQ pn my WSM...it tastes ok to me! :D OH, that's my thick skin talking!!
 
Hey WoodOffset,
I'm not trying to stir the pot anymore than it is. Don't think it needs it. You guys will keep this one going without me.
But I don't think Ludi would be including you in there either. You're not cooking OVER coals burnt down from hardwood.
 
My guess is Ludi isn't cooking traditional BBQ either, that is unless he is digging a hole in the ground each time he cooks (Taken to its ultimate extreme, some would label stick burners as crutches). Now that's traditional old school BBQ but I don't wan't any part of it but I wouldn't mind partaking in the fruits of someone else's labor who has done it that way.

Hey it's the 21st first century. Time to embrace both the old method with the new. My guess is BBQ today is better than it was 200 years ago. Just my opinion though.
 
TexLaw said:
LudiChris,

Without a doubt, you are a highly experienced and old school cook. You have a great deal of experience that I hope you are willing to share with the rest of the forum. Maybe you can even pick up a few things from the rest of us.

While we appreciate that, we all also know that you have quite a hair up your hiney about cooking methods. You've shared your opinion on the matter more than once over here, already, and you know full well the audience you're talking to.

As Woodman alluded, just about everyone else on this board has at least one reason why we cannot or will not cook with hardwood coals we burned down on our own. Whatever the reason is, whether time or expense or available cooking area, that reason is real and it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. From time to time, we may get a wistful, far away look and wonder what might be if we could cook like you do. However, the fact is that we all enjoy our time and make an excellent product that pleases us and those around us.

Please allow me to state that again - We all enjoy our time and make an excellent product that pleases us and those around us. That is what barbeque means to me.

Now, if you would like to stop preaching and start teaching, I would be honored to learn from someone with your experience and your unusual, fortunate circumstances that have allowed you to gain that experience. However, if you would rather continue your condescending muckraking, then you're just about to read my last word to you.


TL

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Chris Finney said:
Hey WoodOffset,
I'm not trying to stir the pot anymore than it is. Don't think it needs it. You guys will keep this one going without me.
But I don't think Ludi would be including you in there either. You're not cooking OVER coals burnt down from hardwood.

What????????? In that case, THIS IS WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Woodman said:
Chris Finney said:
Hey WoodOffset,
I'm not trying to stir the pot anymore than it is. Don't think it needs it. You guys will keep this one going without me.
But I don't think Ludi would be including you in there either. You're not cooking OVER coals burnt down from hardwood.

What????????? In that case, THIS IS WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LETS GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
 
LMAO!! It's "Let's pound on LudiChris" these last few days ~ Who's it gonna be next week??? :shock:

:LOL: :p :LOL: :p :LOL:
 
What a load of crap!!!!!!!!

"opinion" according to Webster:

A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof.

So, what LudiChris is saying is, that you must use hardwood, burned down to coals, to do "traditional barbcue". But,then he says "hardwood lump (which is hardwood burned down to coals) is the best way to do it wrong,"I must be a real dumbass.

Al
 
Uncle Al said:
What a load of crap!!!!!!!!

"opinion" according to Webster:

A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof.

So, what LudiChris is saying is, that you must use hardwood, burned down to coals, to do "traditional barbcue". But,then he says "hardwood lump (which is hardwood burned down to coals) is the best way to do it wrong,"I must be a real dumbass.

Al

Yeah I heard he was a Yankee fan too! :shock: :LOL:
 
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