Smoking Meat - Do the bells and whistles matter?


 
J

James Harvey

TVWBB Pro
I've been smoking for around 10 years. Started on a gasser and moved to a WSM. Made some good and less good meat (over salted beef ribs was bad, next week's stew was great, you make lemonade). What are your thoughts on the bells and whistles if I can call them that? Brining, injecting, spritzing et al... They are fun and add to the process but do they really make a positive difference?
 
Here you could get a lot of different answers depending on who you talk to. They only make a difference
if you can taste the difference. Try simple and with your bells and whistles, ultimately your taste will be the judge.
 
I have always done pulled pork in a "simple" manner and the results were excellent. However, the last Boston Butt I smoked on the WSM was done following Harry Soo's recipe. This calls for injecting, etc. Well, I followed the recipe and ended up with the absolute best pulled pork I have ever done. I am now FIRMLY in Harry's camp.

I ALWAYS brine chicken and have experienced far better results (moist and tender) compared to doing chicken without brining.

So, I say if a new method appeals to you, then try it and make up your own mind. We all have different tastes (hot or mild, sweet or sour, etc.) and you and your guests are the people who need to be satisfied.

Simple can be good and "foo-foo" can be DYNAMITE (or not:confused:).

Each of us has to eat EVERY day. That leaves a good bit of room for experimenting from time to time. Personally, I have a tendency to stick with the "tried and trued" but sometimes we need to "step out of the box"...

Just a thought or two...

Dale53
 
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Like everyone says , it depends who you ask , and I'll add that with me it depends who I'm cooking for.most often I cook for sweetie n me and our two (grown) boys. When I do wings I always want to try a new glaze or sauce and I love injecting them with hot sauce and all manner of concoctions. Well , #1 son is firmly in my camp. He will try anything once and different is good. Well , sweetie and #2 son want grilled wings with open pit and no "goo" as they call it. So I do everything 2 ways.
Nobody seems to mind brining , so I usually do that to chicken n pork. Of all the techniques , I think brining is the most useful.best benefit for least work n expense.
 
Cooking, including smoking, barbecue, grilling is an art form. Art sometimes is superb when it is simple. Sometimes it is superb when there is a masters extra touch. It is all good and it comes down to what you are trying to create. Simple or complex it is all good as long as you put a little of yourself into it.
And enjoy it why you are doing it
 
I like to brine poultry and some pork -- especially butts. I don't inject or spritz or mop. I just find it too messy. Once I put the meat on the cooker I don't open it until the temp probe tells me to ck for tenderness.
 
Do they make a positive difference... All depends upon who you are cooking for.
On the competition side of things, in our State if you are not providing the maximum effort, you are not winning !
 
I think it’s more about your individual philosophy towards barbeque. For instance, I believe barbeque should be made as authentic and traditional “as possible”. Of course this doesn’t mean I cannot dig a hole in the ground, cover it with twigs and smoke some meat. At least, not for resale and still have the Health Department approve it. But I personally try to avoid such things as foil, injections, automatic temperature controllers, lighter fluid, pellet cookers or anything else that I don’t consider authentic. Of course, this is Just my opinion.
 
I like to inject turkey with a compound butter mixture. I do not believe in spritzing. Not a big fan of brining either. I love rubs and do the occasional marinade. I will mop with the marinade as in Cornell Chicken. I don't cook over KBB, I use lump mostly or all natural briquettes. I almost always use a piece or more of smoke wood. I think my favorite method of cooking is with a rotisserie. Beef, pork and chicken are always great done this way and the juices seem to be more naturally distributed. I fire only one side when I use the rotisserie and keep temps in the 300-325 range. I don't think you can beat a kettle for it's versatility.
 
If it feels right , try it!! I know what I like , but I also experiment to ... The bells an whistles you speak of you may or may not like ...if you don't try it you will never know... Part of the fun for me is a cook out of my comfort zone ... For me , I will never not brine poultry as I love the way it comes out ... Some pork I brine , some I inject, some I spritz .... Some meats I foil , some I wrap in butcher paper , some go necked the whole cook.... Some foods I smoke the entire process , some I finish off on the grill .... Once you decide there is ABSOLUTLY not a wrong way , just try it ....
 
Even though I've had an 18" OTS for about 10 years, I feel like I'm still just starting to scratch the surface of outdoor cooking. I tend to keep my cooking simple, usually just a rub or maybe a marinade. I've never tried to brine anything, not even a turkey going in the oven at thanksgiving, and the thought of injecting is a just little intimidating.

I keep telling myself that I'm going to take my cooking to the "next level" and getting the WSM was part of that process. But since I really only get one day a week (if the weather cooperates) to cook outdoors, I tend to stick with what I know and what I know I like. Hopefully I'll get inspired and start branching out a little more. But only time will tell.
 
IMHO....nope, all the bells and whistles makes no difference in how good BBQ can taste. I've smoked ribs with nothing more than wood smoke, olive oil and salt and pepper that turned into one of the best tasting ribs I've ever done. I've also done butts that were injected and brined in a porter beer brine, seasoned with a homemade rub, and topped after pulling with a beer-BBQ sauce that was absolutely phenomenal.

Its all about what you want to try...seriously that is what its ALL about. Its not about the meat, the wood, the sauce or the seasonings. Its all about what YOU want to try(or not try) THAT is what makes this hobby so incredible, unique, and awesome. You can do what ever you want !!
 
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