# BBQ - How does your Region Define it?



## Admin (Aug 5, 2013)

How does your region define BBQ? In Texas it's beef, little to no sauce, a good rub, smoked for a few days. 

Where are you at and what do you do?


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## oldognewtrick (Aug 5, 2013)

I'm in middle Tennessee and we cook just about anything that walks, swims or crawls...:banana:


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## Chris (Aug 6, 2013)

I'm in CA so I copy the rest of the country and their styles of smoking. We do more grilling out here than smoking but I try to keep the tradition alive.


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## Admin (Aug 6, 2013)

Why the emphasis on grilling over smoking? We grill down here, but not much.


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## oldognewtrick (Aug 6, 2013)

Grilling is usually quick at higher temps. Steaks, burger, chicken all can be cooked with that great outdoor flavor, even on a gas grill. Quick, easy and cleaner. Charcoal takes a longer prep time. 

Tougher meats like brisket, chuck roast, pork shoulders and butts benefit from longer, slower cooking at lower temps. This allows the tough tissue to break down and become tender. Smoking meats on a smoker takes a commitment in time, usually in the neighborhood of 1-1/2 hours a pound.


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## Chris (Aug 6, 2013)

CA we are all in a hurry all the time. We don't know what a slow pace of life is, we want it and we want it now! 

Really there are very few people that smoke out here. At least that I run across, I hear people saying they want to but it never goes through. Out of everyone I know I am the only one that smokes.


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## Admin (Aug 7, 2013)

That's odd. People in Cali don't have 16 hours to cook dinner?


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## Chris (Aug 7, 2013)

Nope we only have 12-14 so smoking is out.


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## nealtw (Aug 8, 2013)

Chris said:


> Nope we only have 12-14 so smoking is out.


 Smoking is the problem, they get the munchys and forget about the meat.


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## mudmixer (Aug 8, 2013)

Obviously, it depends on where you are.

Around here, BBQing is a generic term for anything cooked over coals outside. Most common is on a grill (covered or not) followed by smoking in a covered heat source.

Smoking or slow cooking is good for sitting around outside, drinking beer and tending to the cooking although it is very rarely looked at if you have controls and thermometers.

My friend does a lot of smoking/BBQing and in the case of big chucks of cow, pig, venison or moose, he starts it before going to bed with the right amount of chips in a pan in a electric grill that has good controls and is heavy. He looks at it somewhere in the early morning to add anything necessary and schedules it for afternoon eating.

Smoking of fish like salmon, whitefish is popular, but a little cooler, and some people check it by the calender instead of a clock(LOL).

If you get caught smoking a good fish like good, small walleye might get you arrested, but that is local tradition.

Dick


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## Admin (Aug 9, 2013)

We don't eat a lot of fish in Texas, and to BBQ is sacrilege. 

I will be giving it a try this weekend. I'm a rebel. I don't eat fish but my wife and kids do. 

I'm also thinking of doing a pork butt. We don't do a lot of pork in Texas, but I'm tired of beef. 

I might get shot for saying that.


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## TrevorS (Aug 20, 2013)

I'm a smoked with a good dry rub kind of guy. Nothing beats it.


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## WindowsonWashington (Aug 20, 2013)

We are all over the place.

In my house...the wife like dry rub...I like it just barely wet but not too sweet.


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## Admin (Aug 21, 2013)

I like it all. I don't like the idea of BBQ fish though. That makes me gag thinking about it.


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## Chris (Aug 22, 2013)

I used my new smoker over the weekend and made some of the best pulled pork I have ever had.


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## Admin (Aug 22, 2013)

Recipe? Which one did you get?


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## Chris (Aug 22, 2013)

I built it. not quite done but it works great! I used the same recipe I always do except I made a Carolina style mustard BBQ sauce that was pretty great.


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## Admin (Aug 23, 2013)

I've never tried it but it can't be bad.


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## deckman2 (Sep 8, 2013)

Austin said:


> We don't eat a lot of fish in Texas, and to BBQ is sacrilege.
> 
> I will be giving it a try this weekend. I'm a rebel. I don't eat fish but my wife and kids do.
> 
> ...



Since I've lived in Texas since '75 and have eaten BBQ during all those years I find it odd you say it's mainly beef & we don't do a lot of pork. Most all BBQ joints I've been to here offer, brisket, sausage (which is usually pork), ribs more often pork than beef, & chicken. Many will do other birds, mainly turkey, and some will do cabrito (baby goat for you yankees). 

This time of year folks will be doing dove wraps and when deer season starts deer sausage & whole wild pigs. Those would not be sold at BBQ joints tho but, at home BBQ's. 

Personally I like doing up fish too, mahi mahi on the smoker for fish tacos, redfish on the halfshell and the trout I catch down on the guadalupe river during trout season. If I manage to catch one over 18" and it's a holdover that's a real treat on the smoker, very much like smoked salmon. Had grilled tilapia caught in Lake Travis last thursday for lunch, yum.


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## nealtw (Sep 8, 2013)

deckman2 said:


> Since I've lived in Texas since '75 and have eaten BBQ during all those years I find it odd you say it's mainly beef & we don't do a lot of pork. Most all BBQ joints I've been to here offer, brisket, sausage (which is usually pork), ribs more often pork than beef, & chicken. Many will do other birds, mainly turkey, and some will do cabrito (baby goat for you yankees).
> 
> This time of year folks will be doing dove wraps and when deer season starts deer sausage & whole wild pigs. Those would not be sold at BBQ joints tho but, at home BBQ's.
> 
> Personally I like doing up fish too, mahi mahi on the smoker for fish tacos, redfish on the halfshell and the trout I catch down on the guadalupe river during trout season. If I manage to catch one over 18" and it's a holdover that's a real treat on the smoker, very much like smoked salmon. Had grilled tilapia caught in Lake Travis last thursday for lunch, yum.


 You have to forgive Austin, he lives a sheltered life.


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## deckman2 (Sep 8, 2013)

You know what they say. Variety is the spice of life. 

I'm fortunate to live by the two top BBQ joints in Texas, #1 Coopers in Llano & The Salt Lick in Driftwood which is my favorite. They actually sell their BBQ online, vacumm sealed packed in dry ice. The menu is limited tho, brisket or smoked turkey breast along with their rubs & sauces.


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## Admin (Sep 9, 2013)

We did that at a pizza place I managed. No one ever bought them.


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## deckman2 (Sep 13, 2013)

Austin said:


> We did that at a pizza place I managed. No one ever bought them.



That's not surprising. Was it exceptional pizza?


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## Admin (Sep 16, 2013)

Not really. It was rare for the area as they served a traditional Chicago pie. They also did a number of things wrong towards the end there so their once robust mail order business fell flat. 

Don't sacrifice quality. That's the last thing you need to do when pinching pennies.


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## Admin (Sep 24, 2013)

It's finally cooled off in Texas so now the fun really starts. Standing at  pit in 110 heat is bad. When it's 80 though it's a joy.


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## oldognewtrick (Sep 24, 2013)

80* is cooled off? 57 here this morning and a high if 78...


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## Admin (Sep 25, 2013)

80 is a little slice of heaven. So nice out at 80.


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## Chris (Sep 25, 2013)

80 is perfect jeeping weather.


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## nealtw (Sep 26, 2013)

...................................


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## Admin (Sep 26, 2013)

Chris said:


> 80 is perfect jeeping weather.



Tell that to my buddy with the Jeep. I tried to get him to haul me around in it yesterday but he was to busy. 

I miss my XJ.


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## Chris (Oct 4, 2013)

I miss my jeep to. It has a dead battery sitting on my rv pad.


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## Admin (Oct 7, 2013)

When is the last time you took it out?


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## Chris (Oct 7, 2013)

A couple months ago.


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## Admin (Oct 8, 2013)

That's been too long. I make Keith start his up when I'm over there. I want it ready for camping this fall.


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## Chris (Oct 8, 2013)

I am going to charge the battery today, I may take it hunting this weekend.


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## Admin (Oct 15, 2013)

Did you do it?


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## Chris (Oct 15, 2013)

I charged the battery and started it but ended up taking my truck instead, something about 19 degrees with no top, doors or heater that swayed me away.


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## Admin (Oct 16, 2013)

It's getting cold down here now. 55 and raining.


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## Admin (Nov 19, 2013)

I did a pulled pork over the weekend that was amazing. I know as a Texan I'm not allowed to say it, but pork is so much better than  beef!


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## Chris (Nov 19, 2013)

I'll take a good brisket over pulled pork any day.


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## oldognewtrick (Nov 19, 2013)

I'm with ya on a good smoked butt Austin, hard to beat.


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## inspectorD (Nov 22, 2013)

oldognewtrick said:


> I'm with ya on a good smoked butt Austin, hard to beat.



Geez...you sit on one woodstove at a party.....


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