What's your opinion?

[funk]

I decided that I need some Q so I took an early lunch and went to one of the more popular joints in the area. While waiting for my ribs (not that great) I was talking with the waitress and she told me that the pulled pork and brisket are cooked the day before and then reheated for the next day service. The also use a commercial smoker fueled by gas. So my question is 1.) Is this true Q? I say no because the food is cooked the day before, except the ribs because it is more convienient (quote from the help) and use gas as the main fuel source. They do use hickory to smoke with. Wha is your opinion?

 

[dirt guy]

For me, it's still Q. I tend to cook large quantities when the smoker is going. Eat some, put some in the fridge, put some in the freezer. Right now there are parts of two fatties, a half pork loin, and (I think) one more rack of ribs in the freezer. When it is thawed out and re-heated, is it still not Q?

 

[chefrob]

what's the difference if use my gasser and serve you a PP sammy from yesterday's smoke.

 

[tlzimmerman]

I am not a purist, and use a gas smoker....and I call it barbecue....but to each their own. Sure there is some magic using a stickburner, but at the end of the day good cue can be turned out lots of different ways.

If I ran a bbq joint, all the pulled pork and such would be cooked the day before or in big batches and frozen and reheated....not sure how I would do brisket would have to experiment. In fact, I think my pulled pork gets better sometimes after its been vacuum packed and sat awhile.

Whether or not you consider it barbecue is nothing but your opinion, but I think its just fighting over words. Great food can be cooked lots of ways, I have seen guys with stickburners turn out some nasty stuff, and another guy with an electric makes you wanna slap your mamma its so good.

 

[chisoxjim]

good question.. but Im not gonna touch it with a 10 foot pole.

cant wait to see the debate.

 

[mballi3011]

Well if it's not Q I'm in a world of poop very soon. I have about 60lbs of pulled pork in my freezer right now for a big Beast Feast this saturday. I always have a ton of Q in my refrig or freezer. Heck the wife demands that I have certyian cuts and always some ABT's ready for a quite defrost and re-heat.

 

[triplebq]

Still Q just never will be all that good for retail business . The heat source is always a debate , lump coal , gas , watt burner , wood .. it's Q as long as there is THIN BLUE SMOKE it's "Q" .. heat is heat , the wood adds the flavor . just my two cents

 

[deltadude]

What you have encountered is the real story behind a lot of BBQ joints. Most BBQ joints just don't have enough daily business to turn over fresh Q coming out of the pits. So the challenge is how to manage HOLDING the smoked meat, and still make it appear fresh and taste great. You would think a percentage of the Q would be daily cooked and served, but some places just cook big batches and hold, if you happen to walk through the door when the batches are fresh, your experience will obviously be better than someone that comes at the end when the product has been sitting or frozen.

That being said, you can still serve great Q the next day, the places that know how are famous and then there is all the rest.

I have tried 4 BBQ places withing 10 minutes of my house and none serve fresh Q. I have walked in around 5 or 6 PM on a week night and have been disappointed every time. In each case I believe it was a staffing issue. The 3 of the owners had other restaurants or bars, and were not regularly at their BBQ joint.

 

[billm75]

I don't see the big debate. If it's prepared as 'Q, then no matter WHEN you eat it, it's still 'Q.

It may not be fresh outta the smoker 'Q but that wasn't the question originally asked either. LOL

I like charcoal and wood. It's not a purist thing with me, it's simply a preference. I always know how much fuel I have on hand and can tell before I start if I'm going to need more to finish the cook. That's primarily my reason for steering clear of propane. I had way too many occasions where the tank would run empty or simply stop putting out, ruining my day's grilling.

 

[funk]

good comments and i admit I did not think of some of the supporting statements and after reading them, I have to get past the fact that Q does not have to be from lump and cooked that day. I can understand the larger chain places or high volume places cooking ahead of time. This was a small place with seating for maybe 15 at a time. I thought with being a smaller joint it would be feasbile not to cook ahead for PP and Brisket. Thank you for the discussion.

 

[ddave]

Q should be judged by the end result, not by the method.

Except for boiling ribs.

That's just wrong.

Dave

 

[gnubee]

DDave; Its not wrong if you pour on the liquid smoke and or boil it right in the BBQ sauce in a hot oven for an hour or so.

For exeptionally tough pieces just cut out the rib bones then use a meat mallet to tenderize it for some melt in your mouth Q.

Also Pliers can be utilized for tenderizing boiled pork Butts.

 

[travcoman45]

I don't have a problem cookin stuff ahead a time, do it lots fer caterin an will when I get the concession rig up an runnin.

Cookin with gas don't bother me alot niether, long as the smoke is comin from wood, after all, many of us have gas smokers as well as charcoal an wood.

Personally, I try to do as much a my stuff over charcoal (an eventually wood) as I can, but I can see how some places can't do that.

Now if yer boilin them ribs, ferget it, all ya created was dog food. Now if yer goin inta a bbq joint an there servin oven cooked ribs, I think I'd be puttin a big X on it.

Just my two coppers worth.

 

[carpetride]

Still Q but I burn really small sticks :)