Squeeze Butter


 
It's margarine. It's disgusting. It's not surprising to see at comps, just one of the several reasons I dislike so much of what is passed off as "flavor" of comp Q.

As it is mostly a cheap oil blend it won't "burn off". Certainly not at typical cooktemps.
The sugar simply melts into whatever - butter, clarified butter, another fat. Parkay not required. Very easy to just make a glaze ahead of time - do any necessary melting first - and apply at the end of cooking.

Clarified butter is a dream as are the wonderful flavored butters you can make - slices of rosemary butter on pork loin - to die for. That said, if the judges want margarine, either lose trying to convince them otherwise or go along to get along. Now that the different techniques have been discussed, time to figure out what you and your guests like best. "Disgusting" is a subjective term, not an inappropriate opinion on the board, but warning you can chose to heed or not. Not sure that adding butter or margarine to bbq meat really makes a difference as to whether or not it is "healthy" - another subjective term.
 
So.....are some of you guys saying that the reason I get the poops after I make ribs is because I'm using squeezey butter? Dammit! But the ribs taste so good!
 
PeterD,

I hope you cook at least a rack of competition ribs. It's a great experiment to see what is truly involved in cooking 'one bite' competition ribs.
 
I'd sure like to try it, that's for sure. I'm especially interested to try Trigg style. I'm doing two racks later today in my usual manner but this time layering sweet and savoury rubs from Butcher's BBQ, and a honey-spicy sauce glazed on post-foiling. So far the wife and I adore the ribs that come off my smoker and nothing I've ever eaten at a restaurant comes even remotely close to what my WSM chuggs out on any given smoke. The only things I have never done were the squeeze butter application, tiger sauce and a finishing glaze. The latter two shouldn't be a problem.

I doubt I'm going to change up my cooking methods all that much since my results are both good and consistent but I'd still like to have a very tangible A/B test between back yard "whole meal" ribs and competition "one bite" ribs.
 
I'd sure like to try it, that's for sure. I'm especially interested to try Trigg style. I'm doing two racks later today in my usual manner but this time layering sweet and savoury rubs from Butcher's BBQ, and a honey-spicy sauce glazed on post-foiling. So far the wife and I adore the ribs that come off my smoker and nothing I've ever eaten at a restaurant comes even remotely close to what my WSM chuggs out on any given smoke. The only things I have never done were the squeeze butter application, tiger sauce and a finishing glaze. The latter two shouldn't be a problem.

I doubt I'm going to change up my cooking methods all that much since my results are both good and consistent but I'd still like to have a very tangible A/B test between back yard "whole meal" ribs and competition "one bite" ribs.

I got really into smoking after seeing a few episodes of BBQ pitmasters and when I cook ribs, I guess I cook them to competition standards as learned from watching the show. Anyone who has eaten my ribs raves about them. And like you, restaurant ribs can't hold a candle to anything that comes off my smoker. I say try the squeeze butter and Trigg's tricks. You just might like them!
 
Mike, I'd love to try it except I can't find any of the stuff, which is why I started this thread in the first place. My local grocer does have Tiger sauce (I'll get some next time) but not Parkay or really anything resembling it.
 
Mike, I'd love to try it except I can't find any of the stuff, which is why I started this thread in the first place. My local grocer does have Tiger sauce (I'll get some next time) but not Parkay or really anything resembling it.

Seems the Walmart in Boonton sells the stuff. "Parkay: Vegetable Oil Spread Squeeze, 12 Oz" Here's the Walmart item number... 0002900065150

Model No.: 65150
Shipping Weight (in pounds): 1.23
Product in Inches (L x W x H): 1.23 x 1.23 x 1.23
Walmart No.: 009053545

Tried the Shop Rite near you, but nada...
 
I've tried 3 WallyWorlds but not that one. Next time I'm out that way I'll stop by and see. Shop-rite, Fairway, Pathmark and Stop-n-shop near me don't carry it.
 
Mike, I'd love to try it except I can't find any of the stuff, which is why I started this thread in the first place. My local grocer does have Tiger sauce (I'll get some next time) but not Parkay or really anything resembling it.
I've tried Tiger sauce. It's nothing special. Cholula is better in my book, I just like the flavor better with BBQ. Tiger sauce is more of an asian-style hot sauce.
 
Mike, I'd love to try it except I can't find any of the stuff, which is why I started this thread in the first place. My local grocer does have Tiger sauce (I'll get some next time) but not Parkay or really anything resembling it.

You could just melt some butter in a pan, then transfer to a plastic squeeze bottle, and use that. I know it's not exactly the same thing they do on Pitmasters, but it should be really close. And if you can't find Parkay near you, this might be your best option.
 
I use the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray that I transferred to a plastic squeeze bottle. Works great, tastes good and it's made with soybean oil.
 
I don't know him personally, but he doesn't live all that far from me. Might be a little awkward though, "excuse me sir, I'm from the Internet and we'd like to spend a week asking you some questions..." :)
 
I don't know him personally, but he doesn't live all that far from me. Might be a little awkward though, "excuse me sir, I'm from the Internet and we'd like to spend a week asking you some questions..." :)

just lead in with your respect for his achievements and no-compromise attitude. then get straight to the point.."i'm part of an online community of bbq'ers who would love a quick interview from you they can read. I have the questions here and you can read them before making a decision if you wish" then present the pre-printed questions to him. he'll either say yes or no. I remember in season 1 or 2 of pitmasters where he pretty much gave Paul(I think) the keys to the kingdom by giving him a 1on1 at a comp. i'm sure there were things held back from the camera, but if he's open to that, maybe a few questions wouldn't be unthinkable.
 
Hi everyone! Peter D's wife here, reporting that I found this abominable stuff at our local ShopRite this morning. We now have a squeezy-bottle of it. Heaven help us. :p
 
Arwen,

Excellent. Just remember why it is used and what it's use brings to the table, so to speak. ;)
When cooking the ribs competition style, follow the methods closely making sure the goal at each 'stage' is reached before proceeding onward.

Wish you a very delightful cook with excellent results.
 
Out of curiosity, do you guys really think these very seasoned competitors- with quite a bit on the line when they go through the time, massive expense and trouble to compete- are giving up their deepest darkest secrets to the masses, royalty free and just out there for anyone to use, mess up, bastardize, or perfect, at their will? Ever try some of these awful recipes? Myron's glazes and sauces are some of the worst I've ever tasted. And his rubs were so salty we couldn't eat the test meats that were prepared to try them out.

There is little doubt in my mind that he doesn't compete with any of those concoctions. I'd be willing to bet it's just something he came up with to publish. I can't prove it, so I don't profess to knowing this as gospel, but I'm a competitor who has followed the recipes, exactly, and even procured the ingredients that he noted as specific, and they just didn't taste good and had an odd aftertaste. My chicken does well, but if I turned it in with that sauce my scores would tank in short order.

We use squeeze clarified butter, and just keep it in a bottle warmer in some water. Never any issues, and it works great. Margarine is indeed man-made and hard for the body to break down, but for the purposes of wrapping your life story up into one bite, I wouldn't not use it just because of the long-term potential for health issues.

Anyway, not meant to rattle any cages, just some thoughts offered as a contrarian view. Great discussion.
 
I've often wondered that too Randy. As for BBQ guys, I would guess they never really give up the whole story but a lot of what they do is known partially because people see them do it. Exactly what is in rubs and that sort of thing I suspect are probably witheld.

That said, with chili competitors, once they win at a certain level, they have to publish their recipes. I met a guy that competes and he gave me his recipe for green chili and I made it. It sucked. :eek: But that wasnt because his recipe was bad, it just wasnt good in my hands. I made some tweaks that made sense to me and it was much better. Sometimes, it isnt the recipe that wins, it is the cook.
 

 

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