Purists? Bah humbug
Dalton Breaux
pragmatists....is it ok to parboil, is it ok to finish my brisket or pork
butt off in the oven, can I wrap my brisket in foil in my pit, etc, etc.
The purists slam the pragmatists with something like this: "Yeah, you can do
that but if you want to really be an expert barbecuer then ignore the Texas
crutch (aluminum foil)" In my humble opinion it's all mishmash and
yada-yada. Do whatever it takes to get your meat to the taste and texture
you want. For heavens sake, this is the 21st century!!!! What worked for
my grandpa who didn't have the technology available to him may not be the
best route for me. Take the advice of the purists but in the long run cook
to your own desires. Just my 2 cents!
Dalton
buzz1
"Dalton Breaux" <dbr...@hot.rr.com> wrote in message
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> Take the advice of the purists but in the long run cook
> to your own desires. Just my 2 cents!
>
Buzz
remove the rope to reply
pavane
"Dalton Breaux" <dbr...@hot.rr.com> wrote in message
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pavane
Edwin Pawlowski
news:dQ8m7.555753$lq1.11...@typhoon.austin.rr.com...
> you want. For heavens sake, this is the 21st century!!!! What worked for
> my grandpa who didn't have the technology available to him may not be the
> best route for me. Take the advice of the purists but in the long run
cook
> to your own desires. Just my 2 cents!
>
> Dalton
I somewhat agree, but you still have to have an open mind and try the other
methods. Many of the "purists" used the boil method at one time and then
found salvation.
To say you like boiled ribs is OK, but there is something better out there.
Unless you try, you will never find the ultimate method. Sort of like
saying sex is OK by yourself, but then you find out it is much better with
the opposite sex.
Ed
e...@snet.net
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
.
Dalton Breaux
> I somewhat agree, but you still have to have an open mind and try the
other
> methods.
I think that is precisely what I meant when I said, and I quote, " Take the
advice of the purists but in the long run cook
to your own desires." To paraphrase: Try different techniques and when you
find one that works for you stick with it and your critics be damned.
> To say you like boiled ribs is OK, but there is something better out
there.
I never said I liked boiled ribs and I don't boil mine. But I can honestly
say that I've tasted delicious tender ribs that WERE (dare I say it)
parboiled before being tossed on the grill.
> Unless you try, you will never find the ultimate method.
My real point was that there is no single "Ultimate Method" which is why
there are literally hundreds of recipes for a single cut of meat. I readily
give tips and accept them from others, but if I cook a brisket differently
than the self pronounced expert and it tastes great what's his beef (pun
unintended)? For example, I cook my briskets in a trailer offset pit for
12 - 14 hours depending on the weight....using wood only. Then I wrap
tightly in foil and finish off in the oven for another 10 or 12 hours.
Comes out with the texture of pulled pork which is how I like it. I've
settled on this particular method after years of experimentation. I sell my
wares every Saturday and thanks to my loyal customers I never come home with
extra meat. I recently visited a web site that mentioned this technique and
the author self righteously announced that it was not the correct way to
cook brisket. Who died and pronounced him the BBQ Guru?
>Sort of like saying sex is OK by yourself, but then you find out it is much
better with
> the opposite sex.
Ed, I hope I clarified my point, but how did this conversation lead to sex
anyway? Hehe....just a joke!
Leonard Lehew
wrote:
Most of the arguments against parboiling are not based on some
abstract notion of purity but rather on the fact that parboiling robs
the meat of flavor and results in an inferior end product. Boiling
meat extracts much of the flavor into the cooking liquid. Indeed this
is how stocks and broths are made. In making stocks and broths,
however, the boiled meat is generally discarded.
The techniques you mention are not usually done to improve the flavor
of the end product. Parboiling is a short cut used to get tender ribs
without the long, slow cooking time required otherwise. All of us make
trade offs of quality vs. convenience. For example, we do so when we
buy a loaf of bread at the grocery strore instead of making the bread
ourselves. To me, the speed and convenience of boiled meat is not even
close to being a good trade-off against the taste and texture of ribs
cooked slowly over wood coals, so I always take the time to cook ribs
the latter way. Obviously some people view this trade-off differently.
I live in North Carolina. One of the reasons that I am a "bit
sensitive" on this general issue is that, over the years, I have seen
so many formerly excellent barbecue places switch from cooking over
wood coals to cooking with gas. During the same time, I have seen
"amateurs" go from using home built pits and wood coals to commercial
"pig cookers" using charcoal. Now the most used equipment seems to be
a gas-fired commercial pig cooker. Did they do this to take advantage
of modern technology to produce better barbecue? Of course not. They
did this because it is easier.
Most people are unwilling to expend the time and effort to produce the
best product they can. Apparently, this anemic, gassed meat is "good
enough" for most people. Similarly, it seems, boiled ribs are good
enough for most people.
On a philosophical note, perhaps this is just the way of nature.
Natural selection does not generally favor the "best" adaptation, but
rather one that is "good enough." Perhaps it is inevitable that
barbecue slow cooked over hardwood coals will fade into oblivion, but
I shall fight this as long as I can!
Cheers,
Leonard
Wayne Sircoulomb
Besides, the real test is at the table, and not at the pit or the oven. I
tend to do what it takes to get to the meal with good meat. I really don't
parboil much but I have and the results were fine. To me "variety is the
spice of life". Besides the more variations I try the more I learn and
develop my own style. And to me that is what cookin' is all about.
Wayne
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Barbqueman
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