OT: BBQ Nerds Unite
- Thread starter PooPopsBaldHead
- Start date
I don't have any specific tips, but if you're looking for some experts that do a really good job of putting a lot of good bbq through consistently that people love, you could do worse than checking out these guys: Mash Here
Now there's something I'd pay to see.
Ran into him at Walmart in Hernando a couple months ago. I just recognized him from his YouTube stuff but it was funny how he seemed surprised that he was recognized. Seemed like a real good dude just like on his show. I told him I was a huge fan and followed him and Matt at Meat Church. He said him and Matt were good friends.
It's different in a touristy place even with pizza. On Friday an Saturday nights in July and August we are usually booked out for the night by 5:30 or 6 PM. We can only make so much dough and cook so many pizzas on a given day and when our population in town swells from 4K to 40K on a summer weekend there's no keeping up. Our dough is almost like a sourdough, it rises in a proofing cabinet throughout the day. After about 6-8 hours it falls flat and needs to be thrown out. So our goal is to sell out or get very close and chunk a few dough skins everynight if necessary.
What that has taught me is that similar to those top BBQ joints that are willing to run out. Quality and freshness are more important than maximizing those last few sales by "never running out." You can repurpose some BBQ items (turn brisket from yesterday into chopped brisket today sorta thing) but generally speaking leftover BBQ is crappy.
So we are going to cook 2 briskets, 12 slabs of ribs, and a couple dozen sausages on day 1. We'll probably run out by 1 pm. If we do, we'll cook a little more the next time and tell folks to get here earlier. Scarcity is something we are targeting. I have enough of a local following with my regulars that I don't even know if we'll get many tourists in the door to try it.
It's easy for me to be willing to run out since the BBQ is just incremental business bolted on to my cash cow pizza biz. Starting from scratch in its own entity would be scary as all get out to try to figure out how much to make, yet still wanting to run out.
Agreed. If I go to a BBQ place and they are closed an hour early because they ran out, i understand. Now if they do that a bunch, they need to forecast better.
I used to competition BBQ and made friends with a guy who owned a restaurant. One night I asked him how he serves something in 15 minutes that takes 10 hours to cook and it still taste fresh. He invited me to his place so I went. He smokes everything and then vacuum packs it in serving size portions. When you go in and order a sandwich he pulls out a sandwich size portion pack and throws it in a big pot of boiling water for ten to fifteen minutes, cuts the pack open and you have fresh bbq. Ribs he quarters, halves, and packs whole. Brisket and chicken quarters are done the same. You honestly can't tell its not fresh off the smoker. I now do the same and freeze it, it just takes about thirty minutes in the boil pot to be ready from frozen. My freezer stays full of ready made meals and my smoker is always full when I cook.
I'll take 92, 1,000,000 times out of 100. I hate cold, anything under 80 is cold to me. Jxn, MS is too cold for me. I've survived summers in Kuwait and Qatar.
Work on scarcity, food cost loss is what kills bbq restaurants
I can't remember the name of the processor in MS that does the pineapple jalapeno pepper jack smoked sausage but that stuff is amazing. Maybe you can get his recipe - but it works great with elk and probably bison. That with the suggested pimento cheese and some fry bread would be a nice appetizer.
I would add the BBQ bologna. I cross score mine, rub with mustard and recently changed to using Meat Church Hickory rub. It doesn't even need sauce. The wife never liked BBQ bologna before and she eats it now.
I see Malcolm in his store from time to time. Heath Riles is who usually see in the wild at the butcher in Southaven, or Kroger in OB.
Heath Riles garlic jalepeno rub is my favorite base rub.
I've always thought good slaw is a more important part of a memorable BBQ meal than many give it credit. The spicier the better for me.
I have been vac sealing and using sous vide for my BBQ leftovers at home for 4-5 years now. Not quite the same as freshly smoked, but very close The problem is now with all the red tape from health departments. As soon as you say vac seal you have to come up with what's called a HACCP plan in most jurisdictions. Its apparently a turd to get them approved.
What most of the top joints are doing now is hot holding above 140° in a commercial food warmer. This is above the danger zone and allows you to wrap your proteins during the cook and let them rest indefinitely. I'm using this method since I have a couple of pizza warmers laying around.
I agree, but I probably like slaw more than most. It’s gotta have more vinegar than mayo, though. I don’t like “goopy” slaw.
I think @dorndawg found it online somewhere too. I probably modified it a bit. But it's legit. Supposedly won best at the State Fair of Texas some years back.
I’ve seen in a few places using a warmer at 150 on brisket is a big secret to nailing it every time. Take it to 195. Wrap. Place in a pan. Add a little water. Cover with foil. Keep warm at 150 for about 12 hours. All the fat renders out, and the meat is always tender and juicy.
I saw a video on one of the top Texas joints that said they do their brisket one day and hold at 140 in a warmer for 24 hours and serve it the next day.
Smoked sausage is always an easy addition for me. I also like adding stuffed jalapeños.
Did this Thursday. Went in my warmer at 11:30PM. Cut into it at 11:30 am the next day. This was the result.... Completely rendered fat.
I did it in the crockpot with a hunk of brisket*
Can confirm: 10/10.
* I’d absolutely play this version of Clue
I bet that’s the best brisket in a 500 mile radius. So that’s out of like, what, a few thousand folks?***
Seriously though, that’s too-tier looking Q. Bravo. I’ve found that when I do a hold of 4 hours or more at home, the brisket is always better than whatever I’m expecting. I wouldn’t be scare of going all the way to 12 hours, even though my oven only holds 170. V jealous of those of you who can hold 150.
Boy, when you start pushing 60 staying up til 3am is the equivalent of drinking a fifth of tequila when you're 25.
Two ideas for you PooPop... both courtesy of my local favorite here in Nashville (Edley's). It won't win all the big awards, but it's a solid "all-'rounder"
1) Their banana pudding is to die for... and they share their recipe here
2) Use some of that brisket and the pineapple / jalapeno slaw to make brisket tacos. Edley's makes them with fried jalapenos and a jalapeno ranch sauce and they are some good eatin'. Can only imagine taking it to 11 with some pineapple and jalapeno slaw.
Sadly, "PooPop's Meats for your Mouth" won't bring in customers so you'll need other ideas in the names dept.
1) Their banana pudding is to die for... and they share their recipe here
2) Use some of that brisket and the pineapple / jalapeno slaw to make brisket tacos. Edley's makes them with fried jalapenos and a jalapeno ranch sauce and they are some good eatin'. Can only imagine taking it to 11 with some pineapple and jalapeno slaw.
Sadly, "PooPop's Meats for your Mouth" won't bring in customers so you'll need other ideas in the names dept.
"The Hilton Garden Inn bbq platter" reminds me of the Marriott's 9/11 Memorial:
