Barbecue Superstitions


 

Chris Allingham

Administrator
Staff member
I had the pleasure of attending Harry Soo's BBQ Pitmaster class in Alameda, CA last February. During the class, Harry mixed up a huge batch of Slap Yo' Daddy All-Purpose BBQ Rub and used it on some of the meats cooked that day. At the end of class, he divided the leftover rub into ZipLoc bags and sent each of us home with some.

I used most of that rub on various things and really liked it a lot. When I had just a few teaspoons left, I mixed up a new batch using the recipe from Harry's class and I dropped in those remaining teaspoons of old rub. As I stirred it all together, I felt like I was infusing that new batch of rub with the BBQ love of Harry Soo and the wonderful memories of that class.

And here's where the superstition part comes into play...every time I make a new batch of SYD rub, I follow that same process. I add in the last few teaspoons from the previous batch, thinking that as long as I do that, some portion of the original rub will be carried forward into the new batch. I can't stop doing it.

Am I crazy? Wait, don't answer that. But tell me this...do you have any barbecue superstitions you're willing to share?
 
Sort of like making sourdough bread. You have to mix in some of the starter. :eek:
 
Last edited:
No superstitions, per se. However I do have certain patterns such as having the grill prepped (including charcoal in the chimney) and tools and dishes ready well in advance of starting a cook. I have a few OCDs.
 
I never clean my smoker. Since the first smoke years ago to the one tomorrow only ever have I cleaned the water pan and grates. I feel the love from the first smoke to the next one carries over. Like the rub from Harry you have.
 
Chris,
Like Vern said, the first thing I thought of was a sourdough "mother dough"
Personally, I think what you're doing is very cool!

For me, it's turning in a circle three times, spitting three times over the deck rail, and moon walking back to my grill while singing Three Dog Night's Joy to the World!
Seriously!!!:)
 
I crank my ancient boom box, which has two cassette decks, and try to get my dogs to dance with me while the coals light. linda
 
If I have a really delicious cook, be it chicken, pork butt, burgers or whatever....I don't change my underwear until I've had a bad cook.
 
If its a good cook and I know it, I like to use the coals from the cook to light the outdoor fire pit and eat watching the flames.
 
My superstition is that if I have any food left over after cooking it I'll have bad juu juu on the next cook so I make sure to eeeet it all.
 
If I had a bad cook I used to howl three times at the moon, but had to stop that because the dog kept running over and peeing on my leg.
 

 

Back
Top