Brisket, Butts, and Chicken Cook 4 October 2024

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Is this thing still on? 

I noticed our freezer stock of BBQ was looking a bit bare.  So, last weekend, I fired up my big smoker to smoke a brisket, two pork butts, and some chicken. 

Here are some notes from that cook. I hadn't been cooking a lot so this time, I was trying to use up a lot of products that I had on hand.

Meat Prep

• Brisket - 
• Meat - It was a 17.44 lb USDA Choice brisket that I wet aged for 28 days. I prefer CAB briskets but with the cost of beef these days, I buy what I can get for a decent price that looks good.
• Trim - Minimal trimming, just enough to get the fat cap about 1/4" thick and to achieve an aerodynamic shape so the smoke flows over it. If I was cooking this on a Big Green Egg I would have gone with the competition trim and split the point and flat sections.
• Injection - I used Butcher's Original Brisket injection. I used that mostly for competitions. At home, I'll often just use seasoned stock or nothing at all. 
• Seasoning - I gave the whole trimmed and injected brisket a 12-hour dry brine. I used Four 41 South's Fat Henry's Classic and Gentry's Beef Brigade. I put that on a tray and rack, covered it with a plastic food bag and stuck it in the fridge.

BBQ Chicken Legs featuring Christie Vanover’s Chicken Rub

[FTC Standard Disclosure] I received no compensation for this post and paid full price when purchasing the rubs.

My childhood memories of BBQ chicken are always about a drumstick cooked on the grill and then abundantly sauced with a tangy tomato-based sauce. It was never truly BBQ chicken as much as grilled chicken with BBQ sauce, but that's semantics. Serve this to most people and they will call it BBQ chicken. It has been a while since I have made any, so I whipped up a batch using Christie Vanover’s new chicken rub and two different sauces.

The legs were cooked with two different sauces for a taste test.

Christie Vanover is the culinary genius behind the BBQ and grilling blog, Girls Can Grill, and she is the pitmaster of the BBQ competition team of the same name. Alexis and I first met Christie in Nashville a few years ago at the Certified Angus Beef Annual Conference. Since then, she and I have attended several events together, such as the CAB BBQ Summit, Cooking with Smithfield World Championship, The Jack Daniels BBQ Invitational, and more. Christie is a creative chef and a fierce competitor, so when she announced her line of BBQ rubs through Spiceology, I knew I had to order a set. 

The cook was simple and straightforward. The only advance prep that I did was to put the chicken legs on a rack and pan in the refrigerator for an hour to air-dry. This dries the surface of the chicken, promoting browning and a crispy crust. 

Putting chicken on a rack/pan like this in the refrigerator lets the cold, dry air circulate around the chicken, removing the surface moisture.

Sriracha-Peach Glazed Boneless Country Style Ribs

[FTC Standard Disclaimer] I received a complimentary review copy of Mastering The Big Green Egg from the publisher. The link is an Amazon Affiliate link, so I do get a small percentage if you buy the book.

I'm not usually a big fan of peaches. I don't care for peach ice cream, peach Snapple, or peach Jolly Ranchers. But when you put peach on pork in the smoker or grill, it magically transforms into delicious sweet porkiness that I can't resist.

BBQ country-style boneless pork ribs, poblano mac and cheese, and BBQ beans - yum!

This recipe comes from Craig Tabor's book, Mastering The Big Green Egg, which I mentioned in my 2020 BBQ/Grilling Books Preview.  Craig's recipe is for double-thick bone-in pork chops, but those weren't available due to the pandemic interruptions.  The store did have some country-style, boneless pork ribs, so I went with those.  

This will be an excellent Father's Day gift or buy it for yourself to shake things up on your kamado grill this Summer.

Smoked Green Chile Brisket

Reginald asked about my Smoked Green Chile Brisket last week on Twitter:

Green chile brisket? Do tell....

— Reginald T. Skinner (@regskinner) April 23, 2020

I was going to send him a link to the recipe but was shocked to find I had not posted it before.  That is surprising because Green Chile Brisket is a staple at our house. It is tender, savory, juicy, slightly earthy, and has a mild kick.  We use it in just about everything.

Brisket Nachos (or tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, chimichanga, )

Green chile brisket, fire-roasted corn, diced tomatoes, black olives, green onion, jalapenos, shredded Colby-jack cheese, and our homemade queso.

Breakfast Tacos

A slice of green chile brisket with creamy scrambled eggs, jalapeno, diced tomato, shredded Monterey-jack cheese, and chipotle crema.  It was supposed to be a corn tortilla but flour works.

Brisket with Pimento Cheese Grits 

Stone-ground grits loaded with our homemade poblano-pimento cheese and a couple of chunks of green chile brisket.  So good it will make your tongue slap your brain out of your head.

Stuffed Potatoes

A couple of small baked Russett potatoes stuffed with cheeses, green chile brisket, green onion, butter, and BBQ sauce.

The OMG Brisket Slider - aka Ooey Mooey and Gooey

[Standard FTC Disclosure]  I received my Oklahoma Joe's Rider DLX at no charge.  I am sponsored by Certified Angus Beef® Brand.

Tonight is the college football championship between LSU and Clemson - GO TIGERS!   (Boy, way to commit, Chris.)

I have the perfect Game Day food for you - the Ooey, Mooey, Gooey Brisket Slider - or for short the OMG Brisket Slider.

Why yes, that is deliciously smoked brisket with pepper jack and sharp cheddar on a "grilled cheese" made with a freaking Krispy Kreme donut! 

• Ooey - As in, you are walking through the office, spot a box and say, "Oooo donuts!"
• Mooey - Smoked beef brisket
• Gooey - A blend of your favorite cheeses

The OMG Brisket Slider works too, since the first thing you exclaim when eating it is OMG!

So that's the short version, here's the detail.

The folks at Oklahoma Joe's gave me a killer Christmas gift this year - one of their new Oklahoma Joe Rider DLX pellet grills.  It is the biggest pellet grill I've had, and I couldn't wait to try it out.  I have a full review post coming soon, but this is a BBQ beast.  

The Oklahoma Joe's Rider - DLX -  The famed offset smoker manufacturer has entered the pellet grill market with 1,234 square inches of BBQ goodness.  Full review coming.

How I Choose My Briskets

Competition Style Brisket on a Kamado Grill

[FTC Disclosure]  This is NOT a sponsored post.  However, we are sponsored by the Certified Angus Beef® Brand.  We have personal relationships with the owners/operators of Flame Boss, Kick Ash Basket, and Albukirky Seasonings.

Brisket is my strongest category at KCBS BBQ competitions.  We aren't a team competing at 20+ events a year, but we almost always get a Top 10 "call" in the brisket category. This isn't the only way to cook a competition brisket, but it is what works for us.

We now use a Deep South Smoker GC36 for competitions and large cooks, but this is how we do the brisket on kamados using the same process.

Selecting A Brisket

Timing is critical because I like to wet age my briskets for 28 to 32 days before smoking them.  The average time that beef wet ages before selling in retail is 12.7 days, so I typically need to wet age my briskets for about another 15 to 19 days.  I always ask my butcher for the harvest date to be sure.

Unboxing a Humphrey's BBQ Smoker - Battle Box

[FTC Disclaimer]  We have no affiliation with Humphrey's BBQ, and John paid advertised pricing.

My neighbor and BBQ teammate, John, took delivery of his new Humphrey's BBQ Battle Box this morning. It is the Wounded Warrior Project version of the Battle Box which means 10% is donated to the Wounded Warrior Project and it comes in this cool dessert camo color scheme.

The Humphrey's BBQ Battle Box is an insulated box-style cooker.

The smoker made its way from Limerick, Maine, where Humphrey's BBQ is located, to Knoxville, Tennessee packed well in a crate.

You can see that the unit was well protected.

Smoked BBQ Wings

[FTC Disclaimer]  I will be doing content work elsewhere for Oklahoma Joe's Smokers this year, so they have sent me their smokers to use.  But any content appearing on NibbleMeThis isn't their sponsored content, just my personal use. I have no affiliation with Academy Sports.  We are personal friends with both Big Moe Cason and Trace Scarborough who's rubs appear in this post.

Usually, I like to grill or fire roast my chicken wings in one of my kamado grills.  But every now and then I like to smoke wings on a pit.  I did two versions a couple of weeks ago.

I have been excited about working with Oklahoma Joe's because offset pits are the first type of smoker that I used to learn the craft of BBQ.  To this day, I still love working a black iron offset smoker, it makes me nostalgic.  

On this day, I chose to use the Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn Reverse Flow.  I'll do a review post sometime soon, but I am enamored with this pit.  

Just some smoked BBQ ribs

Here are some ribs that I smoked a couple of weeks ago, just to practice.

I was very disappointed in the ribs that I bought.  They were from one of my two trusted, longtime suppliers and they weren't cheap at $18+ per rack.  I can get ribs a LOT cheaper, but I pay the premium price to avoid problems like this.  

Both racks were racked with shiners.  Shiners happen every now and then, it's inevitable.  But when I'm paying $6.99 a pound, I sure as [bleep] don't expect to get SEVEN SHINERS on just 2 racks of ribs.

What's a shiner?  A shiner is where the meat on the spare rib has been trimmed too closely, so the bones are "shining" through. This means the ribs aren't very meaty because the meat was trimmed off with the pork belly and it also causes appearance issues.

The yellow lines show 3 shiners where you can see the rib bones poking through.

Four more shiners on this rack.  These definitely are not premium ribs, they below in the discount bin.

I cooked these ribs on my Deep South Smokers GC36 while I was also cooking a couple of briskets and some wings.  But my process differs little between whether I'm cooking on a kamado, bullet smoker, an offset pit, or an insulated box cooker like the Deep South.  On all types, I cook at 290°f. Differences include:

• Kamado grills (Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, etc.) - I use an adjustable rig with an oblong heat shield to protect the ends of the ribs. I use lump charcoal with wood chunks mixed in. Kamados don't smoke as much so for competition ribs, I foil them later in the process, based on color.
• Offset pits (Oklahoma Joe, my "Warthog") - These really lay the smoke down, so I foil earlier in the process.  
• Rack and sheet pan - In kamado grills and bullet smokers, I put the ribs right on the grill grates.  For offsets and box cookers, I put the ribs on a rack over a sheet pan just because it keeps the smoker cleaner.
• Spritzing intervals - Kamado grills and box cookers both retain moisture like a sponge so I'll spritz less frequently - maybe 1x an hour.  Offsets and bullets run drier so I spritz more regularly and might add a water pan in the mix.

I finally tried some Kamado Joe Big Block charcoal in the Deep South, because Alexis found it at Costco.  Man, that charcoal ran superbly in this cooker!  Easy to light and clean burning.  I had my Flame Boss 300 (sponsor) running the pit, and temps stayed steady and recovered quickly after opening doors.  I'll be buying Kamado Joe charcoal as long as I can keep getting it.

An example of the rack and sheet pan that I use in the Deep South or my offset pits.

I've updated my rib process this year, incorporating bits from 2 classes and adjustments from my own experience.

Here are the ribs before going into the foil wrap.  If they start getting too dark, I'll wrap them a bit early.  If they aren't getting dark enough, I'll switch to cherry wood.

Ribs fresh from the foil wrap, before being glazed.

After smoking and braising (the foil rap), the ribs get sauced and go back in the smoke for 10-15 minutes.  

Then it is just a matter of slicing the ribs.

The ribs turned out juicy, smoky, sweet and tender.  Very good but I always could use more practice.

Hawg Back BBQ Stuffed Potatoes

One of my favorite ways to use leftover smoked pork or brisket is to use it for a loaded baked potato.

Cheesy, smoky, salty, and sweet - a Hawg Back will fill you up.

This dish appears on the menus of many BBQ joints because they are delicious and filling.  The biggest reason is that it helps them "re-work" leftover BBQ into a new dish, minimizing product loss.  

The might just be called "BBQ stuffed potato" or "BBQ loaded potato."  But many joints come up with names to set them apart, such as; The Heavyweight, The Big Poppa, or a Chop Baker.  The first one that I ever had was from Buddy's BBQ in Knoxville.  They call theirs Hawg Back Potatoes and that name has stuck with me.

The ingredients vary somewhat, but the basic is a large baked potato, smoked pork, cheddar cheese, BBQ Sauce, and sour cream.  I consider these to be an entree, not a side dish or appetizer. I made these last night using some of our leftover smoked pork that we froze after a BBQ contest last year.

Hawg Back BBQ Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients

Event: 2017 Lamar Johnson Classic - A BBQ Event Ooltewah, TN

Alexis and I judged the 2017 Lamar Johnson Classic Saturday in scenic Ooltewah, Tennessee.

The Lamar Johnson Classic is a regional BBQ competition held in the foothills town just a few miles North of Chattanooga. The contest is organized by our friend, Steve Ray.  Lamar Johnson was a legendary pitmaster in the area.  I'll let Steve's own words tell you more about the contest's namesake.

Around 1905 to 1910, when Ooltewah was the county seat of James County, a legendary man named Lamar Johnson smoked whole hog BBQ near Mineral Park just off the old hwy that connected Ooltewah to Cleveland. Travelers by train going and coming from Atlanta to Ooltewah to Chattanooga would stop over at the busy Ooltewah Train Depot and make the short trip east on what was then known as Fitzgerald Pass. It was there at Mineral Park where they stopped and sampled the whole hog BBQ of Lamar Johnson.

The Lamar Johnson Classic is a "non-sanctioned" contest meaning they have not gone through a sanctioning body like the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS), Memphis BBQ Network (MBN), World Food Championships (WFC) or other agency.  Sanctioning bodies provide a framework of rules, judging, and processes for consistency.  Here's how a non-sanctioned event like this one differs from the typical KCBS contests in which we normally compete.

• Meat Categories - KCBS events typically require the 4 main meats - chicken, pork ribs, pork, and brisket.  The Lamar Johnson Classic categories are burger, pork tenderloin, and pork ribs.
• Timing - Since the meats are all short cooks (no brisket or butts), these are usually single day contests rather than overnight.  Additionally, the turn in times in KCBS are pretty consistently (but not always) the tight time windows of 12, 12:30, 1, and 1:30.  The Lamar Johnson Classic had turn in times an hour apart.
• Judging - Sanctioning events prescribe specific judging procedures and often require certification for judges.  The Lamar Johnson Classic used a judging style similar to the E.A.T. Methodology used by the World Food Championships because about half of the judges were either E.A.T. certified, KCBS certified, or both.  

Neither style is better, they are just different.  Non-sanctioned events tend to allow for more creativity from the cook teams.  Non-sanctioned events are often more fan friendly since you can see more of the action with cook teams under tents instead of inside trailers.  Sanctioned events usually have more prize money and have consistency so you know what to expect from contest to contest.

Eppy's BBQ used a small black steel off-set pit.  Off-set steel pits are what most people envision when you mention a BBQ pit. They require constant attention but in the hands of a capable pitmaster, it's hard to beat the BBQ off of a wood fired pit.

Event: Tony Stone BBQ Cook-off

This weekend was the 27th and final running of the Tony Stone BBQ Cook-off in Cookeville, Tennessee. This cook-off is a professional BBQ contest sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society and it is held at the same time as the idyllic town's Fall FunFest.  

Last year, we registered for the contest but couldn't attend. Mick Chessor agreed to compete in our place in 2016 as long as Alexis and I competed with him this year.  I just had two heart procedures ten days before this contest and was on limited duty, but I wasn't going to miss the final year of the Tony Stone BBQ Cook-off.  Alexis and Mick just did all of the "heavy lifting"

I didn't take my camera but here are some phone pictures from the event.

The cook-off was well organized and I hate to see it go, but I understand how difficult it is to maintain such an event over so many years.

This was our first contest using a Deep South Smokers insulated box smoker instead of kamado grills (Big Green Egg, Grilla Kong, Grill Dome, Primo, etc.).  Not having to break down and move four 200-lb kamado grills was so much easier and faster.  But with all that red, I might have to buy a Kamado Joe to have on the trailer.

Jackie and Sherry Price's rig for their team, Smoke on This.  They are seasoned pros and win more than their share of these contests.  He uses Backwoods cookers (see them through the window), a drum smoker, and a PK Grill. 

A nice Yoder Smokers pull behind pellet smoker.

June BBQ Giveaway: Praise The Lard - Recipes and Revelations by Mike Mills and Amy Mills

[FTC Standard Disclosure] We received no compensation for this post and paid list price for our copy of the book.  Amy Mills has graciously provided the giveaway package.

June's BBQ give away is a phenomenal one!

I am giving away a great BBQ/Grilling package from the father/daughter duo - Mike "The Legend" Mills and Amy Mills.  They own/operate 17th Street Barbecue, Oncue restaurant consulting, and 3 BBQ World Championships.  

The prize package includes

• A signed copy of Praise The Lard - Recipes and Revelations From A Legendary Life in Barbecue,
• A jar of the famous 17th Street Barbecue's Magic Dust,
• A jar of 17th Street Barbecue Sauce (Mikes Original),
• A 17th Street Barbecue koozie, and 
• A 17th Street Barbecue sticker.

Praise The Lard is their follow up to the hugely successful and iconic Peace, Love, and Barbecue.  I bought my copy as soon as it became available for pre-order but I was just able to flip through it last night.  Initial impressions?  Wow!  I intended to just scan it but ended up enthralled and spent 3+ hours reading sections, marking recipes, and being impressed.

I'll do a full review this month but from all appearances, Amy and Mike have nailed this book. Coming from 3 time Memphis in May Champions, you might expect this to be all high-level, uber -pitmaster stuff. It does have advanced techniques but they did an amazing job at writing this as a "how to" book so the newbie griller will not be lost.  In fact, I think that if you are a beginning or average griller and cook through this whole book, you will end up gaining the full knowledge and experience needed to be grill master.

Praise The Lard will be a greatly appreciated Father's Day gift for Dad.  Or if you order it now, it will help you throw a 4th of July BBQ celebration that will be talked about by your guests for years to come. 

Giveaway Rules

1. Giveaway entry period begins Wednesday, June 7 and ends Friday, June 16th at 11:59pm. Drawing will be held on Saturday around noon (All times are Eastern Time zone).
2. To ENTER:  Leave a comment below.  If using an anonymous comment option, leave me a way to get back to you (email, Egghead or BBQ Brethren user forum name, etc).  For a bonus second entry, you can tweet or post a Facebook entry about this and post a link to that entry in a comment below.
3. Comments will be numbered by order received and random.org will generate a random number for the winner.
4. Limited to residents of the continental US unless you want to pay the additional shipping charges.
5. I am the final judge regarding any discrepancies, interpretations, grievances, etc about this drawing.
6. 17th Street Barbecue, Mike Mills and Amy Mills are just sponsoring this prize package. They are not responsible for the drawing or the giveaway. 
7. Winner must respond and claim the prize within one week of the winning announcement. If a winner does not claim the prize during the specified time, a reserve winner will be drawn from the original entries.

NOTE:  Comment moderation is turned on to fight the bots, so your comment won't appear right away.

WINNER ANNOUNCED
The winner of the giveaway is GrillinBeers who wrote:

I will shoot you an instant message on the BGE forum to get your mailing address and contact info.

Whole Beef Strip Loin Grilling Class

I'm going to be teaching a grilling class at Mannix Pools and Grills in Winter Haven, FL on July the 8th, from 4pm to 7pm.  You can purchase tickets here ($45 per person) or call (863) 326-9656.  (Note: class is 4pm to 7pm, NOT 4am)

Strip Class!

The whole beef strip loin is chuck full of great beefy options – from NY strip steaks to succulent beef roasts.  Chris Grove, author of The Kamado Smoker and Grill Cookbook and publisher of Nibble Me This, will cover what to look for when buying a strip loin, how to break down a strip loin into useful cuts, and several ways to utilize the strip loin, including the following:

Pepper Crusted Strip Loin Roast

Move over prime rib! A strip loin roast can be the epic center of a family gathering or holiday meal.

How to Make Beef Tallow

Don’t throw away those scraps when trimming a whole beef strip loin, ribeye, or brisket! Save them and make beef tallow – an excellent clean cooking oil with a relatively high smoke point. 

The Manhattan Filet

A great way to serve smaller portions but still get that thick, juicy steak.

Steak and Cheese Sandwiches on the Griddle Q

One portion of the strip loin isn’t as great for steaks but it is ideal for shaving thin and cooking on a griddle for steak and cheese sandwiches.

Reverse Pan Seared NY Strip Loin with Roasted Garlic and Bourbon Sauce

This modified technique gives you the best of reverse sear grilling and pan searing steaks – super tender, perfectly medium rare steak with a gorgeous crust and lip smacking pan sauce.

Reverse Pan Seared NY Strip Steak with Roasted Garlic and Bourbon Sauce

So if you're in the area - come on out to have some fun and enjoy some great food with us on July 8th in Winter Haven, FL at Mannix Pools and Grills.  Don't forget to get your tickets!!

2017 Memphis In May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest

The Memphis In May International Festival is a month long celebration of music, food, and culture. It's a big deal featuring:

• The Beale Street Music Festival - featuring both established and up and coming recording artists.
• The International Salute to each year's "host country" includes performances, exhibits, lectures, films, and food from the celebrated country.  This year the theme was Columbia.
• The Great American River Run - A half marathon and 5k.
• The 901 Fest is a tribute to the culture, food, and music of Memphis.

But of course, the part that I am always most excited about is the Memphis In May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest.

• Memphis In May is one of the four "majors" when it comes to the world of BBQ contests.
• Each year there are about 250 teams and 100,000 visitors that come to Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi River for the smoke showdown.
• It's not the biggest it terms of number of teams but it certainly has the most grandeur and the most excess.  Compared to other contests, Memphis in May is just bigger, crazier, and bolder.
• It's a World. Freaking. Championship.  

I am fortunate enough to be a cook on the Grilla Grills Pro Team.  Here is an inside look back of our crazy week at the 2017 Memphis In May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest.  

Monday and Tuesday - Load In and Set Up

The first days are what most people never see.  It is chaotic and hectic but it is a vital part of getting the job done. 

It's an almost 6 hour drive plus we had a smaller site, so we didn't take our trailer. We fit our Grilla Grill, hot boxes, coolers, and gear into our truck and headed due West.

Due West on I-40 until we hit the Mississippi then we're basically there.  Battery Park and the Hernando de Soto bridge viewed from Tom Lee Park where MIM is held.

Getting through the park on these days can take a long time.  Traffic is one way but the narrow path is blocked routinely as trucks have to back in smokers, scaffolding, tents, and equipment.  Vehicles just have to sit and wait for that to clear.

Pick ups as far as the eye can see in either direction.  It's like the first day at a freshman college dorm, everyone is trying to get loaded in at the same time.

Some over achievers are fully set up by Tuesday, like Pork Illustrated.  You're making the rest of us look bad, guys.  Mix in a break or two! ;) 

Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Honey and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce

[FTC Standard Disclaimer] Char-Broil is an official sponsor of Nibble Me This and I receive compensation from them in exchange for recipes and content.  Any opinions stated are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by Char-Broil.

One of my recent posts for Char-Broil was these Baby Back Ribs with Honey and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce. The sauce for these ribs has brown sugar and local honey, so to counter the sweetness and boost the flavor, I added a good bit of roasted garlic paste that we make at home.

Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Honey and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce

The full recipe is over on Char-Broil's site but here is some B-roll footage from that cook.

I got the idea for the platter from this Burnt Ends-n-Ribs combo that I bought at Famous Dave's BBQ a few weeks earlier.  Their combo uses spare ribs but I had baby backs, so that's what I used.

To remove the membrane for baby back ribs (aka loin back), I find it's easiest to use a blunt knife to start a gap in the middle of the rib and then work a finger into that gap. Then I just wiggle two fingers across the rib as shown and left the membrane straight up and off.  For spare ribs I just start at the end, but for back ribs, this is easier for me.