Brisket and rubs

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Just looking to see how you guys use rubs when smoking brisket.

How long ahead of time do you rub the brisket?

Do you use a wet rub? Do you combime wet and dry?

Thanks,
 
Hi ScoMac and welcome!

I always try to rub up all my meats the night before....or if doing a contest...as soon as the meat is inspected.

I will also add more rub just prior to placing in pit. If I am foiling the meat, then I put more rub on just prior to wrappping in foil.

That makes 3 applications of rub.

Here is my brisket rub........

Country Bob's All Purpose sauce OR A1 OR your favorite steak sauce.

Slather that on first, then take some of your favorite rub and sprinkle generously. Once the rub is on, slather on lots of horseradish and finally, top with more rub. Let that sit overnight or for several hours and before placing in the smoker, add some more rub.
 
Ever since I first tried that and got a 3rd in brisket I was hooked! Of course, I have never scored well in brisket since then!! LOL

Yes, I also keep the juices and baste with them just before turn-in.

How's things?
 
Stogie,
On the surface, it has been a good competition year thus far. Of eight entries at two cookoffs, I placed in the top 10 four times, and was 6th overall at Kings Mountain, NC out of 38 teams.

However, I also placed around 15th in three categories this past weekend in Mt Vernon, out of 27 teams.

As I mentioned in another post about ribs and briskets, my tenderness was missing--as I rushed my cook and misjudged the size of my ribs.

In fact, this week, I am scientifically conducting a taste test of 3 variables in 4 slabs of ribs at work. Eight folks have volunteered to be the samplers. The variables are two different marinades (both from your archives, Stogie), two rubs(yet to be determined), and foiled versus unfoiled.

Using a process called Multi-variate testing (MVT), I can isolate which variables produce positive results without having to run 8 different samples (permutation of 3 variables times two alternatives). Don't make me explain it all as I am still learning all this from our marketing research team which is volunteering their tastebuds in exchange for some "real world" test experience.

I don't know where you find your mini-ribs, all I ever see are bronto-ribs, it seems. Sometimes, I find babybacks in the 2.5 pound range, but that is rare.

Hope to see you and your gang at one of these cookoffs soon.

Dale
 
Hi Dale!

Sounds like you have been doing pretty good. How was Mt. Vernon as far as the contest itself? Looks like your chicken was a hit..anything you care to reveal???

You are taking this testing stuff MUCH too seriously!! LOL Let us know what you find out!

Sam's Club has baby backs that weigh exactly 2 1/4lbs./slab. VERY consistent on the weight. The price is the best around as well.

As far as cook-offs.........I have decided to take this year off. My son is reaching the age where he is able to enjoy the outdoors, so we have been fishing and camping and plan on doing lots more this summer. He will only be young once, so I need to savor that before it is gone. Besides...I can now practice my cast iron cooking techniques!

I will see you around....I may pop in one of these events and judge. Good luck the rest of the year...keep us informed!
 
Stogie,
I hope we can convince you to at least compete at Madison. Would not be the same without you there.

Secrets for chicken? Marinated thighs 6 hours in Italian dressing, injected with straight apple juice. Applied a rub for which I will dig out the recipe for you one of these days, and cooked in a dry WSM at 250 for 2.5 hours. Basted with apple juice every 30 minutes, with a final baste of maple syrup/mustard glaze and a final touch of BBQ, also later forthcoming with that recipe.

Took off at exactly 170 degrees--which makes for very very juicy chicken.

Dale
 
Results of "scientific" rib test.

I cooked 2 slabs of baby backs and 2 slabs of spares, each with a different "recipe". The clear winner was spares, foiled, but not marinated.

Actually, the test was to determine which recipe factors influenced the judges the most in the standard criteria of appearance, taste, and texture/tenderness.

The strongest factor turned out to be the marinade, or more correctly, the lack of it in determining the results. Not sure why, as that seems counter intuitive. You would figure that marinade would add flavor, etc rather than detract from it, but the judges favored the ribs that were NOT marinated. Go figure.

Second most important factor was spares--which I always knew that spares taste better, but tenderness of baby backs is supposed to be better.

One thing I learned--do not mix ribs during tests or cooks. I think the baby backs got overdone trying to keep cooking process the same for all. I did not ignore them, just that they cook a little faster, which caused some drying out.

Dale
 
Dale,

A question about your chicken recipe...how crisp is the skin? Have you ever tried that recipe on the "boneless-skinless" breasts that you can get at Sam's or Costco?
---------------------
Mark WAR EAGLE!!
 
Wow ...it's easy to see why you guys are pro's... The chicken and ribs sound delicious ... Where can you find a list of where the cooking contest are held..and information on them?

Cheers! /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

bugg
 
Mark,

Last step in my cooking process, which was not explicitly stated is that I raise the temp in WSM as high as it can get for last 15 minutes to crisp up the skin. Usually will take out water pan, maybe add a chimney of hot charcoal, open wide the vents, whatever it takes to get the temp up. Ideal would be 350+

I have tried the boneless, skinless, and somewhat flavorless chicken that you can purchase just about anywhere. Some competitors swear by them, as portion control, etc makes cooking a little easier. I would brine/marinade with lots of oil, etc to avoid drying them out.

Watching Jim Minion and Jack Rogers at the Royale a couple years ago, the only way to go in comps is with skin on. Make it look pretty, slice it clean and sharp, and arrange carefully for best scores--at least in appearance. I've yet to see skinless or boneless do that. When I cook breasts, I cook with skin and bone, even if I later debone for presentation. It is not really that hard to do once it is cooked.


Bill, we are hardly "pros", just like to experiment and we also learn a lot from reading the posts here on VWB.

As for list of events, check out www.kcbs.us for list of upcoming events.
 
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