Steve Petrone
TVWBB Platinum Member
A couple of decades ago, I might smoke BBQ 3 or more times a month. Now not so much. I doubt that I averaged once a month this year. Vac-U bags have helped with that. Not having kids in town makes a difference too.
Now I enjoy slow BBQ. No schedule is best. No dinner with guests to feed at a given time-give or take 30 minutes. So what does Slow BBQ look like?
Today I started early in the afternoon purchasing 2 bone-in butts and a couple of baby backs. After a plumbing emergency at one of the shops, I returned home to make a rub. Typically, I'll look at K Kruger's Butt Rub for Jane for a start and improvise from there. It is a joy to take whole dried peppers of multiple variety, cut them up and toss em around in a hot cast iron skillet-bringing them back to life. That smell is wonderful. Not as good as hickory in the WSM but close. They are the base that will include salt, sugar, black pepper, coriander, cumin, celery, garlic, onion, cinnamon, allspice and finally sage. Making the rub is a part of BBQ for me.
Around 5.30-6pm the butts went on under the ribs. 250 +/- 5*. Yard grown wood tonight including oak, maple & dogwood. Dogwood? Why not. Finally, I thew some hickory chips on the fire for good measure. Seems like hickory is a requirement.
Life is good till I have to do something with the ribs.
Now I enjoy slow BBQ. No schedule is best. No dinner with guests to feed at a given time-give or take 30 minutes. So what does Slow BBQ look like?
Today I started early in the afternoon purchasing 2 bone-in butts and a couple of baby backs. After a plumbing emergency at one of the shops, I returned home to make a rub. Typically, I'll look at K Kruger's Butt Rub for Jane for a start and improvise from there. It is a joy to take whole dried peppers of multiple variety, cut them up and toss em around in a hot cast iron skillet-bringing them back to life. That smell is wonderful. Not as good as hickory in the WSM but close. They are the base that will include salt, sugar, black pepper, coriander, cumin, celery, garlic, onion, cinnamon, allspice and finally sage. Making the rub is a part of BBQ for me.
Around 5.30-6pm the butts went on under the ribs. 250 +/- 5*. Yard grown wood tonight including oak, maple & dogwood. Dogwood? Why not. Finally, I thew some hickory chips on the fire for good measure. Seems like hickory is a requirement.
Life is good till I have to do something with the ribs.
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