Recent content by jonestrada

A couple of weeks ago my best friend called me on a Sunday and asked if I wanted to do his church's bbq competition on Saturday. I agreed because I figured I've catered parties of 120+, so a small church competition shouldn't be a problem. WRONG! Turns out this event had around 700 in attendance...

Why did you avoid the cooler and towel method? I usually have the opposite problem and I'm trying to hurry the cooking time up. Not sure what I would have done, but these are my ideas of approaching the problem. I would have started with the cooler and towels until the IT came down into the...

I had never heard of Alabama white BBQ sauce until my dad and I were watching the episode of Man, Fire, Food where they went to Big Bob Gibson's. I was intrigued and decided to give it a try. Thanks to Malcom Reed's channel on YouTube, I was able to find a sauce recipe that I could replicate. I...

I use very little post oak compared to hickory, mesquite and apple wood I've used in the past. I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but I find it to burn slower and smoother for me. Hickory burned too fast and mesquite seemed to over-penetrate and overpower the meat. I usually throw a...

Riding the high of success and at the suggestion of several friends, I offered my services to all of my social media followers for Super Bowl Sunday. I was able to sell two briskets and two pork butts. Not one to mess with a good thing, I cooked these the same way I've cooked all the others and...

A friend of a friend found my Instagram and after recommendations from the aforementioned friends, she offered to pay me to cater her husband's graduation party. The brisket and pork butt were seasoned with course black pepper and course Kosher salt over post oak at around 265 degrees...

Here are some pictures of the finger ribs I did the other day.

On Tuesday we had our family's delayed Christmas party since a lot of our family members were working on Christmas day. My mom volunteered me to cook so I did a brisket and a ham. I started with a 16.5 lb brisket and probably trimmed it down to 13-14 lbs. My rub was simply Kosher salt and...

Figured I've learned enough on these forums, I might as well check in; my name is Jon and I'm addicted to smoking. I'm a former high school teacher and home brewer so the patience required with smoking is something I'm all too familiar with. Since graduating college in 2008 I've been on a hunt...