Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling

The sauce might be a dip, I would need to check the book. However, Meathead refers to it as a sauce and dip (I guess to make everyone happy). Ribs are next for this week-end!

I would say that it's a good book. Less of a how-to compared to Franklin's book but more of a myth busting reference with a bit of how to and some recipes. The lamb rub is pretty awesome and the Memphis dust are great.

simon1 said:

I've heard that in New York City they also call their BBQ sauce a dip, but they left out that there descriptor word before dip...sheep. .

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It's no surprise the New York City bbq scene can be described in two words- it stinks. Yeah, I know the hipsters are trying to embrace and push it, but they'll likely abandon it the moment it's no longer trendy and move on to their next project (hopefully something I'm not interested in).

Still, we did have one very respectable joint that had a good run from the early 90s until the turn of the century. The proprietor was, of all things, a British hairdresser. He made the fatal mistake of moving from a wrong side of the tracks location in Long Island City, Queens to an expensive Upper West Side area (which I advised him not to do). Soon after opening, a kitchen fire (which I had no part of, honest) wiped him out.

Of all my favorite styles of bbq, I would put Texas at the very top.

If you need further proof that Food Network is full of hipster nimrods who are one Paula Deen moment away from selling nonstick pans on the Shopping Channel, look at their list of "Best. Ever. BBQ."

No Kansas. No Memphis. No Carolinas. One Texas (Franklins). One Georgia (some Asian fusion sandwich).

auk1124 said:

If you need further proof that Food Network is full of hipster nimrods who are one Paula Deen moment away from selling nonstick pans on the Shopping Channel, look at their list of "Best. Ever. BBQ."

No Kansas. No Memphis. No Carolinas. One Texas (Franklins). One Georgia (some Asian fusion sandwich).

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I can't watch the Food Network anymore. It's 4 full evenings a week of Chopped or Cupcake wars.

auk1124 said:

If you need further proof that Food Network is full of hipster nimrods who are one Paula Deen moment away from selling nonstick pans on the Shopping Channel, look at their list of "Best. Ever. BBQ."

No Kansas. No Memphis. No Carolinas. One Texas (Franklins). One Georgia (some Asian fusion sandwich).

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WHAT????

It's all good. I'll have to look up that Food Network best bbq thing.

It may be time to put our little regional bbq quibbles away and unite on this assault.

DoctorShavegood said:

Cupcake.

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You posted while I was typing Aaron. I think you nailed it.

Edit: Ooops, commas can be important.

You posted while I was typing, Aaron.

You posted while I was typing Aaron.

Let's eat, Dad.

Let's eat Dad.

The only thing I have seen correct on Food Network, besides Giadda with the sound turned off, is Michael Symon's opinion of the Polish Boy.

Not to hijack the thread...sorry Luc, but the Food Network list is just....

The only Classic places listed are Georgia and Texas, but I do give a nod to our neighbors in New Mexico. Not saying that the other places have bad BBQ...ah hem, but this is just all kinds a wrong. Must be one of those "Everybody Gets a Ribbon" kinda thing.

RESTAURANTS FROM THIS EPISODE

4505 Burgers & BBQ
705 Divisadero (at Grove St), San Francisco, CA 94117

Heirloom Market BBQ
2243 Akers Mill Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30339

Eight Korean BBQ
863 Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90005

Franklin Barbecue
900 E. 11th, Austin, TX 78702

Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse
7500 State Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19136

Podnah's Pit
1625 NE Killingsworth, Portland, OR 97211

Mighty Quinn's
103 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

State Park
1 Kendall Square, Building 300, Lower Level, Cambridge, MA 02139

Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque & Pirate Bar
423 Main St S, Stillwater, MN 55082

Smoque BBQ
3800 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60641

Cowgirl BBQ
319 S Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Again...sorry for the hijack Luc. It looks like you are turning out killer Q, but that list just leaves out the classics of K.C., Memphis, the Carolinas, etc.

A shameless copy and paste:

The core region for barbecue is the southeastern region of the United States, an area bordered on the west by Texas and Oklahoma, on the north by Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. While barbecue is found outside of this region, the fourteen core barbecue states contain 70 of the top 100 barbecue restaurants, and most top barbecue restaurants outside the region have their roots there.[SUP][1][/SUP]

I don't see Maine in that list. Clearly someone doesn't like BBQ clams, oysters or crab.

simon1 said:

Not to hijack the thread...sorry Luc, but the Food Network list is just....

The only Classic places listed are Georgia and Texas, but I do give a nod to our neighbors in New Mexico. Not saying that the other places have bad BBQ...ah hem, but this is just all kinds a wrong. Must be one of those "Everybody Gets a Ribbon" kinda thing.

RESTAURANTS FROM THIS EPISODE

4505 Burgers & BBQ
705 Divisadero (at Grove St), San Francisco, CA 94117

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Since burgers got brought up, and some of us are in striking distance of Waxahachie, if you end up there try Pop's burgers. I have had a lot of good burgers in my day- none have compared to Pop's. Pop seems like a real nice guy, too. He was very nice to my 2.5 year old granddaughter.

DoctorShavegood said:

I don't see Maine in that list. Clearly someone doesn't like BBQ clams, oysters or crab.

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I've had some killer lobster in the Mexican Caribbean, but they were grilled. Had some awesome oysters in Savannah, but they were broiled. The best oysters though are fresh shucked, and accompanied by the red sauce an oyster bar employee showed me how to make in New Orleans. I do like smoked lobster though...I'll have to do that again.

Thanks Aaron...you gave me an idea for next weekend!

oc_in_fw said:

Since burgers got brought up, and some of us are in striking distance of Waxahachie, if you end up there try Pop's burgers. I have had a lot of good burgers in my day- none have compared to Pop's. Pop seems like a real nice guy, too. He was very nice to my 2.5 year old granddaughter.

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I go through Waxahachie from time to time...I'll be sure to stop at that one. I love a good, greasy burger where the grease runs down your arm and drips off of your elbow into silvery, shimmering pools on the table cloth. I also love the smoked sausages at the Smokehouse in New Braunfels....

Luc, if you're ever in this area (yeah, right) stop by the Pittsburgh Hot Link Restaurant in Pittsburgh, Texas. The ones I have had at the restaurant in Pittsburgh were a little "mushy" as they are cooked in an oven, but they are a staple at bbq joints and backyard cookouts here, and are great on a grill or smoker. You can get them in stores here, and they sell them online but I don't know if they ship to our northern neighbors.

And yeah Owen...I'm lookin' at you. You are only a day trip away from the original Pittsburgh Hot Links restaurant.

Aaron...your not out of the woods yet for a weekend road trip.

I wonder how Meathead would cook these. Anything on those type of sausages you've came across yet Luc?

Interesting list!
[MENTION=27468]simon1[/MENTION], I would need to check the book again but there are a few sausage recipes in there. I will report back here when I access the book again. I don't know if he mentions cooking them like the Pittsburgh Hot Link Restaurant.

NYC??? Like in New York City??? Cambridge, Mass.?? Near Haaavaaard Yahd?? San Francisco??? Oh come on....

Where's Tennessee?? Kansas City?? Sorry guys...this don't fly, at all!!

Now, just to attempt to salvage somethiing from this thread..I offer you the chance to look upon some of the finest BBQ in Eastern Tennessee...slowly, patiently absorbing all the goodness from a mixture of apple and hickory, rubbed down with a one-off version of Meathead's Memphis Dust and getting a baste from some locally produced apple juice every 45-60 minutes or so. Temperature has been holding a steady 230-245. Uh huh...this'll be a legit butt.

Here's an offering from W.E. Coyote BBQ. Located in the historic Copper Basin area of Tennessee.."Damn Skippy it's Good!!"

Still has about 6 hours to go....slow and low.

It may sound silly, but I have had good BBQ in northern cities like Cleveland. The Great Migration brought a lot of people to the north that were well versed in the art of BBQ.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Migration_(African_American)

mKay, back to the book...

There's a burger and sausages chapter but it's short. There's more explanations on each type of sausages than actual recipes. I think the only recipe is about a tailgate sausages. I was not expecting a lot of ways to cook a sausages as it's pretty much heat source and take off when it's cooked. Try not to poke holes.

On the burger side, it's a bit more interesting but it's pretty much a regular burger recipe that your local burger/hotdog shack would have. Maybe a bit better.

I know Franklin's lands on almost every best BBQ list, TV show, and even the President visits, but driving out to Coopers in Llano, Texas gets you to THE BEST BBQ in Texas. As you approach town all you see (and smell) is the smoke from the pit.

Nomad1600 said:

I know Franklin's lands on almost every best BBQ list, TV show, and even the President visits, but driving out to Coopers in Llano, Texas gets you to THE BEST BBQ in Texas. As you approach town all you see (and smell) is the smoke from the pit.

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I like it when you drive into a small town and all you see and smell is BBQ smoke.

I'm told Smoque, in Chicago, is legit, but I never went there before moving away

Ribs for this week-end. They were a bit dry but that's my fault. I wrapped too late as I was running around to do so work around the house. I will do this again on Friday. So here's the picture [MENTION=26026]djh[/MENTION] and [MENTION=79047]fordfather[/MENTION], with my new meat hook!