Coming in 2010...

We admit that 2009 was kind of a bust for our poor little blog. We BBQ'd rarely and posted about it even less. Festival attendances went unmentioned and taste tests largely forgotten. Another year and the long-dreamed-of BBQ Tour remains just that. The grill currently resides under two feet of snow and I think we are out of charcoal. Santa, if you're listening, that's what I NEED in my stocking.

2010 is going to be different. 2010 is already looking up. Some posts to watch out for in the coming weeks:

1. The Great Cheesesteak Mistake. While not technically BBQ, I think you will appreciate this story enough to let it slide.

2. A review of Charles Vergos' Rendezvous in Memphis, Tennessee!!

3. A Low & Slow Bros brisket made in Florida. South!

4. Finally, what happens when we get our hands on this exciting new piece of equipment? Let's just say that within thirty minutes we had run through all of the bread products in our kitchen and, having little else to work with, seriously considered putting a sausage in the top to see if it came out reconstituted as a whole pig.





With that, Happy Holidays, and see you very very soon!

b + j

One thousand, seven hundred thirty-four words

So, we're about two weeks late with this one...but unlike the other ones...WE DID IT!

Brian: lets get down to brass tacks
Jeremy: yeah. lets write this review.
here. now.
Jeremy: do you have your notebook handy?
Brian: yeah
Brian: git r dun
ok. so.
dan's review should be the headline
"best meat ever in his mouth"
Jeremy: "oh, and on saturday, i went to a BBQ at uma's and had the single best piece of meat that any pig has selflessly given his human overlords, as cooked by jeremy umali. it was a pork shoulder that practically got me high it tasted so good."
Brian: ha
that's quite a quote
Brian: we should also start crediting the butchers
http://www.lospaisanosmeatmarket.com/
Jeremy: So, down to brass tacks.
Brian: thank you los paisanos!
first: the rub
post our secret recipe?
Jeremy: wait
first the meat.
We heard about Los Paisanos from a co-worker. What cuts did you get?
Brian: 9 lb brisket, cut from the thick, fatty end
well, 8.9 lbs to be exact
and a 4.25 lbs shoulder, bone-in, and skin on
Jeremy: (no scale needed, the dude's a pro)
Brian: yeah, he threw it on the scale after one hefty cut and nailed it within 0.1 lbs
also, he was nice
a real paisano
anyway the meat came home with me and sat in our fridge until it was time to do our favorite friday night activity:
rub the meats and make the sauce



Jeremy: ok. so. brian, this time around you were the rub master and created the rub.
you, unlike me, took a very scientific approach.
Brian: yeah, all based on taste testing
with measuring spoons and all
we tasted a bunch of "commercial" rubs too, and sort of took elements of all of them to make our own
Jeremy: And by "commercial" he means local Kansas City Joints previously mentioned.
Brian: so ours was a base of "the trinity" – paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion – plus some other things
do we reveal?
Jeremy: Sure, but leave one out. ha!
and no measurements.




Brian: ok well, let's just say it was very specific and exact measurements (because i'm a nerrrrrd) of black pepper, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and one secret ingredient
that was our "base rub" and went onto the brisket
for the pork shoulder, we used our base rub plus light brown sugar
Jeremy: and i guess half the fun for us, or me at least, is sitting down and figuring this stuff out. what works best to add more flavor or to bring out more flavor of one item verse another.
Brian: yeah that part was fun. if you try this at home, kids, just know that budweiser makes an excellent palette cleanser between taste tests
and everything in life more fun
Jeremy: haha, especially at 2am.
Also, we waited so late because we HAD to watch the end of Big Mama's House 2.
Brian: haha. you never know when big mama might be back.
Jeremy: it's true.
Brian: so anyway, jeremy rubbed the shoulder and i did the brisket
he even removed, rubbed, and reapplied the skin!




Jeremy: it was, by far, one of the weirdest thing i've ever done
Brian: mad skills
i thought he was gonna throw up
Jeremy: well, it was kind of hard to pull back and hold. i am by no means a knife expert
the skin was hard to pull back and hold
since you have the book, i'm gonna depend on you for giving times.
Brian: but we got it done by 2:15 AM, put the meat back in the fridge (wrapped tightly) and slept for 3 hours, 45 minutes while the rub did its magic




Jeremy: really?
that's it?
Brian: no wait, make that 5 hours. and that's only for the brisket
Jeremy: ugh. needless to say brian was up pretty early (6am) and i was up shortly after, around 6:40.
Brian: it took a little while to get the grill going and the beef went on at 7:22AM at a temp of 220 F
Jeremy: and then we took naps.
taking shifts on checking the temps
Brian: yeah i took a long one and j took over the next 2 shifts
Jeremy: but that didnt actually last very long
yeah
Jeremy: Other than getting breakfast, not much happened
Brian: ok, then i'll say that we did our best to keep the temp around 225 all day long
at 11:11AM the grill was at a temperature of 240 F, and we put the shoulder on
which means the pork, weighing 4.75 lbs less than the beef, cooked at the same temp for the rest of the day, side by side
like dead friends
Jeremy: So, we figured the brisket would take about 13.5 hours and the pork shoulder about 7 hours.
delicious dead friends
Brian: redundant. all dead things taste good.
Jeremy: mmmmmMMmmm
ok. so if we fast forward a bit, do you think we hit any bumps?
Brian: according to the journal... no!
Jeremy: i think we did a pretty good job of maintaining the heat between 200 and 250, only going over or under that range a few times.
Brian: we maintained heat between 255 F (our highest) and 190 F (lowest) until they were ready
Jeremy: yeah
anything worth noting before we pulled the brisket off
Brian: average temp seemed to be about 214 F
we used apple juice to baste the meat half-way through
oh also, we injected the pork (friday night) with an apple juice brine
forgot to mention that before




Jeremy: yeah!
Brian: so between the basting, brine, and brown sugar rub... the pork was destined to be pretty sweet
Jeremy: and sweet it was.
Brian: oh yeah, you could tell it was sweeter than anything we'd done before
well let's see, the brisket came off the grill at 7:15 PM, at an internal temp of 200F
just shy of 12 hours
Jeremy: people started showing up about an hour or so prior
and they wanted our meat, like never before
Brian: the shoulder stayed on for 9 hours, and was removed at an internal temp of 180F
our meat brings all the boys to the yard, it's true
so....
it ruled!
i don't know how else to say it
Jeremy: oh, one thing i do remember...first, i like to stick to internal temps more than times...and both meats did plateau...the brisket sat at 180 for a while..and then out of no where it jumped to 200. and then we pulled it off. the pork on the other hand did not reach 195, what i was shooting for, but it still came out pretty fantastic
Brian: maybe dan's quote says it all
yeah the pork was not quite as tender as we aim for, but that's what happens when the temp won't quite get there
Jeremy: lawrence made a good point that i shouldnt take it so hard that the pork wasnt how i wanted...falling apart...
Brian: i even put it directly over the fire for a few minutes, hoping to at least push the internal up to 185 or 190
it just kind of set on fire though
so i took it off right away
Jeremy: he said that "you werent making pulled pork sandwiches or pulled pork, you were making cubed pork"
Brian: (i don't think jeremy knew about that)
Jeremy: haha!
i didnt!
Brian: heh. yeah. whoops.
Jeremy: no worries.
Brian: lesson learned
NO direct heat
Jeremy: anyway, the meat came off the grill and we began the feast
after the brisket had some time to rest i began cutting it.




Brian: it was so good
grease. was. everywhere.
Jeremy: it was almost falling apart and juices were going everywhere
grease was dripping onto the floor
Brian: there's less oil on a bowling lane



Jeremy: i had to put a paper towel on the floor just to stop it.
Brian: maybe i should try that at bowling to keep my balls from going in the gutter
Jeremy: ha! maybe
Brian: overall, which did you prefer? the brisket or the pork?
Jeremy: anyway, i didnt trim the brisket before cutting, i remember it was the fattiest of briskets, i figured most of it would have melted off
and it did.
you know what, honestly. i'm gonna go with the brisket
that's not to say that the pork wasnt good
Brian: i'm still torn
Jeremy: because the pork was AMAZING
ahhhhhhhhhhhh
man
now that i think about the pork
i'm gonna go with the pork
Brian: it was so good and sweet
Jeremy: yeah yeah
juicy
Brian: and i usually prefer salty over sweet. but man.
Jeremy: yeah, i'm going pork
Brian: so it's unanimous
this time around
also, i believe dan was referring specifically to the shoulder when he said it practically made him high




Jeremy: the pork didnt fall apart like i would have liked, but it was still AMAZING. it wasnt tough, it wasnt chewy, it was almost sponge like
soaking up its own juices...and the brine
Brian: mmmmm
Jeremy: but yeah, i think there were a few who liked the brisket better
but i think the majority liked the pork more
Brian: can we start a rating system? or maybe everyone reading this can post a comment about which they liked better
then we'll know
Jeremy: yes.
any after thoughts?
Brian: do it. reader(s), i'm talking to you.
Jeremy: things you would have done differently?
Brian: i think we need to keep more wood on hand
it went really fast
i also would like to say that we're doing a pretty good job of keeping the grill cover closed and reading the temperature through the air grates
so the temp stays consistent longer than ever
Jeremy: yeah, which can get pretty hard at times with smoke billowing in our eyes
Brian: maybe next time i won't tell you if you pass big mama's house on the tv guide
so we can get some sleep
Jeremy: yeah right.
straight up, if it came on again tonight and we were to get up and start smoking meat in the morning...i'd do it again.
Brian: me too.
Jeremy: no no, i'm talking about watching big mama's house.
Brian: and that's all she wrote!





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Also friends, dear friends, if you've read this far and you weren't invited to this bbq, don't worry. We'll have many more - hopefully all winter long. We only have so much space and invite based on how much we cook, so it's not personal. We're working on creating a rotating group. So, if you're not invited for a while, again, it's not personal.

L&SB

Plop Plop Fizz Fizz

I know we've been really bad about posting our own reviews for what we cook - I'm sorry. We've been pretty busy. Here's this to hold you over:
javascript:void(0)


However, coming from two dudes who hail from Florida, covering the most of the state during our collective lives, I will say that Florida is a southern state - ESPECIALLY since anything north of Orlando is kind of like an extension of Georgia.

(Thanks Julianna for sending me the video)

The Big Meat Up in Mass

I drove up to Route 7 Grill, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, last Friday with three friends. It was a 4 hour drive, partially in New York rush hour traffic, partially in the rain, and spent the last hour trapped behind an elderly couple crawling at 5 miles per hour under the speed limit up windy, Taconic mountain roads. Then there was the business of the out-of-order bridge and the major traffic accident, both altering our doomed route. Had you been in our car you would have been privy to some mighty belly aching—literally, due to hunger—about being unfashionably late to the pig roast, begun over an hour earlier, where they were undoubtedly serving up the last of the precious pork at that very moment. We were going to have to eat at Burger King, and I was growing bummed about the prospect of having to blog about a Whopper.

Of course by the time we rolled into the parking lot at Route 7, everything was in full swing and we had beers and plates in our hands within 60 seconds. A cold pint of Sam Adams seasonal—White Ale, I believe—was a nice welcome. We piled our plates high with pork while the carver toiled away on the pig, going on his second hour of adding fresh cuts to the pile. The head, feet, tail and other bits and bobs were also up for grabs, which was a nice surprise, and something I have not seen offered before. The owner, Lester Blumenthal, told me that the kidneys typically go to the highest bidder. One of my friends considered inquiring about the tongue, but alas, never did.



I don’t know about the tongue or kidneys, but if the meat I had was any indication, those parts would be equally fantastic. There was sauce, but I didn’t use it. Just plopped a pile of pig down on top of some baked beans and let the meat speak for itself. It was roasted over an outdoor, open pit for about 11 hours and was tender, juicy and flavorful. I didn’t taste rub, spices or anything really other than what I might say was the freshest, naturally flavorful pork I’ve ever had. If great cheese comes from happy cows then this great pork must come from euphoric pigs.

I would compare the pork at the pig roast to the fish in Seattle or Tokyo. When an animal is raised or caught locally, is prepared fresh, locally, and consumed locally... it just maintains so much more of its true flavor. It’s stronger. It tastes natural. It tastes right. And I have to admit, eating it outdoors, overlooking the mountains, with a cold beer and a shot of lemon-infused bourbon, next to a fire pit as dusk approaches doesn’t hurt the whole experience.



I could go on about the sides, which were more than impressive and just as fresh and flavorful as the pig, but that’s not the focus of this blog. I’ll just say quickly that I’ve never had green beans so green, crisp and bright in my life. I must have eaten an entire bushel myself. And here’s a riddle for you: What weighs more once inside the human stomach... a pound of baked beans or a pound of potato salad?

I also need to tell you about one other thing: the beef rib. I’d had it once before and, in spite of having just consumed our body weights in pork and sides, I easily convinced the guys that they should try this one item. Lester put in the order. A few minutes and a shot of watermelon-infused tequila later we were presented with a perfectly marbled, on-the-bone, no-knife-required, delicious hunk of tenderness, served next to a heaping bed of spicy onion strings and sweet potato fries. Like the pork it comes with sauce, which is also good, but doesn’t need it. The beef is so moist it makes its own sauce. The verdict: this is the best beef rib I’ve ever effing tasted.



Cow? Check. Pig? Check. Chicken? Next time.

Big thanks to Lester for his generous hospitality. We’ll be back.

BBQ and Birthdays

I recently celebrated a birthday and I'm not really sure why, but people seem to think that I'm really into BBQ or something..and by "or something" I mean alcohol. Because I walked away with some really great gifts. Roughly 7 bottles of BBQ Sauce, a bottle of scotch, a nice pair of tongs, hickory chips, smoking bags and a seat at BBQ Pitmaster University with my co-blogger, Brian. Brian and Laura apparently planned it all out and he even lied to me about it. Thanks!


Anyway, Brian and I cooked up some ribs and chicken this past Friday. Here are some pictures from Friday. Enjoy!

Oh, I SWEAR Brian and I are going post reviews from both the bbq pork and the chicken ribs sessions.

Two in One

Today marks my 4th day in Kansas City, MO, but the first day I went to get BBQ (during this visit at least). After much debate with my brother, searches on the internet and previous conversations with my friends I decided to go to Gates BBQ, I guess properly Gates and Son's BBQ.


Besides, it seems that most BBQ places in KC are closed on Sundays and Gates was open. Anyway, I've had friends, coworkers, interns and others tell me that if I'm going to KC, MO I need to go to Gates. All previous visits to KC, MO I never made it. Arthur Bryant's - Check. Jack Stack - Check. Gates? Negative.

Not going to Gates was eating at me, so today was the day. Despite the fact that my brother was nay saying Gates, I had to go.

We got there right after a group large group of kids got there. It set us back in time, but it was ok. We made friends with a few of the kids. They're in town all summer working for a summer camp. The one kid we talked to most was from Memphis and was overly concerned with how his "Combo and 1/2" was going to be sliced. A dilemma we didn't see to and end. However, he did tell us that if we go to Memphis we should go to Rendezvous.

My brother and I decided to order the Mixed Plate (13.95$). The Mixed Plate is comprised of roughly 1/4 lbs of sliced brisket, 1/4 lbs of sliced ham, about 3 pork spare ribs, fries and 3 pieces of bread sliced.



Gates BBQ was very underwhelming to say the least. Maybe it was over-hyped, but all in all, not very good. First is the sauce. I don't mind sauce on the meat, but the meat needs to stand on it's own. This meat, would have had the hardest time standing on it's own, but more of that in a second. The sauce was spicy. All of the sauce was hot, don't get me wrong I like hot, but this was overwhelmingly peppery - too much black pepper? I settled on the Sweet and Mild sauce. The meat was already covered in the Original Sauce, so it was more like a combination of the two.

Now the meats. They all seamed a little undercooked and borderline dry. Is this what the sauce was covering? I've had good brisket: moist, flavorful and tender. Gates' brisket was lacking in the moist and tender department; even though it had flavor, it was nothing astonishing. The ham was a little more flavorful, but also dry and on the undercooked side. Besides it was kind of like a ham you'd eat on Thanksgiving or Christmas. The ribs were by far my favorite thing on the plate. Despite being a bit dry and borderline too salty, they were ok.

The pickles were too sour, but the fries were good.

All in all Gates BBQ was lacking in every department.
Gates Rating: C

WAIT WAIT! I'm not done. We immediately tried to go to LC's BBQ. However, like many of the other BBQ places I looked up, LC's was also closed. So on a totally unnecessary BBQ mission we ended up going Arthur Bryant's downtown.



I've frequented Arthur Bryant's a few times prior and I always left a full and happy man. This time would be no different. With a short line and difficult decision (pork or beef) I opted for the "beef sandwich" (7.95 each) and a Boulevard Pale Ale. I see my server place the butcher paper down, toss a handful of pickles on the paper and then place 4 slices of bread on the paper also. I turned my head while waiting in line and my cutter dissappeard. He didn't really dissappear he was getting more meat out of the smoker. I saw him trim the brisket and I'll tell you what - I immedately started smiling. All of the juices were dripping as he cut and when he tossed the brisket on the meat slicer juices went on the window. He proceeded to cut about half of a pound, which seems on par for their sandwiches, for my sandwich. Rolled it all up and handed it to me.



It was a tender, juicy and flavorful brisket. It's definately one of my favorites. The bread soaks up the excess juices. I don't really eat it like a sandwich, I find the bread a bit mushy to use like a sandwich. I actually set aside a pile of beef on my plate. No matter how you eat it, it'll be good. I added a little salt and then mixed my Sweet and Mild with the Orginal Sauce. All of the flavors come together nicely in your mouth. The only thing I wish was that the beef had a little bit of the cooked crust from the cooking process.

Arthur Bryant's has a great beef (brisket) sandwich, that I will probably visit again next time I visit KC.
Arthur Bryant's Rating: A-

(As a side note, I totally forgot the camera at the house when we left and I stole these images from various images searches. I cheated on pictures of chain bbq joints. Sorry. Thanks to everyone who's picture I "borrowed")

No Joke

We'll post a proper entry about our first pork butt trial—all 13+ hours of it, from waking up at sunrise to grilling through a monsoon—um... soon. In the meantime, I thought I would at least upload a link to some of the photos. More to come...