Hitting the Road

Well, the time has come.  The last practice is over and it is time to see if we have improved our entries for the 2014 BBQ season.

No more early morning practice cooks.  The trailer is clean, stocked, and ready to go.  So, if you live in the Annapolis area, stop on by and say hi this weekend.  Naptown, here we come.

Naptown barBayq Contest and MusicFestival, May 2-3, Anne Arundle County Fairgrounds
www.barbayq.com

More on how we did next week.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

The Perfect Competition Rib? A Primer of Sorts

What is the perfect competition rib?  Spicy?  Sweet?  Fall off the bone or should the meat still be pull off the bone?  Well, here is what the judges look for:

1.  Layers of flavor.  Teams rub their racks, spray with concoctions of apple juice and other flavors, then wrap in foil with blue bottle squeeze margarine, mounds of brown sugar and honey.  Then, finish up the racks with a thin glaze of sweet sauce.  I've been told by teams, if you think your ribs are sweet enough, make them sweeter.  I always wondered why.  I was told by the KCBS representatives that taught our judging class that sweet is better because spicy is one of the first tastes you loose as you get old.  Logical I suppose.  A perfectly sauced rack of ribs should shine with all of the added sugar.

2.  Meat should not be fall off the bone, nor should it have too much tug.  The standard for judging is that you should be able to bite through the rib meat and pull away, leaving a clean bite and leaving the surrounding meat still on the bone.  The meat should release easily, but not be mushy.  Mass produced chain BBQ ribs?  You know, the kind you can strip the meat off of the bone in one swift movement?  Nope, won't work.  Here is a perfect bite.

We have always had problems finding that right combination.  But, our friend over at Mad Meat Genius may have come to the rescue.  Instead of low and slow or a cook temperature around 250 F, he suggested 270 F for a cook temperature.  2 hours on the rack, 1 hour in a pan foiled.  So, we gave it a try and turned out some of the best ribs we have ever made.  We have also made a few other changes.

1.  Oakridge Dominator Competition Rib Rub.  Good stuff.  We always used their Secret Weapon Pork and Chicken Rub.  Good stuff, but it had a bite to it that did not seem to score well with judges.  The Dominator rub takes out that bite, but has a nice sweet and savory flavor.

2.  We are adding brown sugar now.

3.  We have removed the Blues Hog Tennessee Red BBQ sauce from our rib glaze.  I thought it added a nice acidic taste to our rib.  But, it may have been hindering us.

4.  Allow the rack to rest before slicing.  Then, dunk in sauce, give an application of touch up rub, and put back in the cooker for ten minutes to set the glaze.  Here are some pictures from our last practice cook.

We even found some spares with straight bones.  They look pretty good if you ask me.

So, those are the changes for this year.  Hopefully the changes will help us improve our rib scores.  Maybe they won't.  But, that is my story and I am sticking with it...

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Perfect Tri-Tip and Grilled Artichokes

My butcher get in some of the best looking tri-tip roasts.  We have also done well in any grilled beef competition serving our grilled tri-tip.  So, a few weeks ago, we took the opportunity to practice our tri-tip cook.  At the same time, our local grocery store had artichokes on sale, so I decided to try my hand a grilling a few.

First, I took my tri-tip and tenderized on both sides, then I placed the meat in a plastic bag with a bottle of Stubbs beef marinade.  I then placed everything in the refrigerator to get happy for a few hours.

While the tri-tip was getting happy, I started on the artichokes.  I started by cleaning them.  First I removed the outer layer of leaves from the bottom and rinsed well.  Then, I cut the artichoke into quarters, leaving the stem intact.  

I placed the artichokes in simmering water and let them simmer for 15 minutes.  Then, I removed them from the water, and cleaned them further by removing the hairy part where the leaves meet the stem.  The is the "choke" part, just above the heart.  Once this was complete, we were ready to roll.  

I seasoned my tri-tip with some Oakridge Black Ops Rub and allowed the meat to come to room temperature by sitting out for an hour.

To the artichokes, I added olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh ground Parmesan cheese.  When you add the oil and cheese, be sure to work the mixture down into and under the leaves for maximum flavor distribution.  

I fired the grill up and made a nice bed of coals.  I placed my tri-tip over the coals on direct heat and we were off to the races..  Once the tri-tip hit 135 F internal, I brought the meat inside to rest under some foil for 10 minutes and took the artichokes outside to grill.  

I placed the artichokes on direct heat for five minutes a side.  You only want to grill them long enough to warm them up, put some grill marks on them, and to brown the Parmesan a little.  

When done, I brought them inside and sliced the tri-tip.  

Perfect medium rare!

We served this tri-tip with the grilled artichokes and some oven roasted crispy Parmesan zucchini chips. 

Good stuff.  Hope liked the artichokes, so we can have them again.  The tri-tip was flavorful, juicy, and tender as always.  The zucchini chips were good as well.  We like these better than fried.  Just a touch of olive oil, salt, pepper, panko bread crumbs and grated Parmesan.  In the oven at 450 F for 20 minutes.  They are sweet, crunchy, and not drenched in frying oil.  They are actually good for you.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Brisket Burnt Ends: A Canvas for a Hearty Omelette

We are always looking for new and creative ways to deal with leftover BBQ.  This weekend, after our last practice cook for the upcoming competition season, we had a decent amount of burnt ends left over.  So, I was wondering, what can I do with these?  While they are tasty eats the next day, I was looking for something different.  After scouring the refrigerator for ideas, the contents of the frig spoke to me.  Omelettes...

For those of you who don't know what a burnt end is, let me tell you.  A burnt end is the fatty end of the brisket (the point).  Once the brisket is cooked, the point is removed from the flat and cubed into 1/4" pieces.  The cubes are seasoned with more rub, then either BBQ sauce or the au jus from your brisket cook is added to the cubes in a pan.  Once mixed up, the pan is placed back into your smoker for another 15-30 minutes so that the rub and sauce/au jus can set and make a nice, crispy bark.   They are the best part of the brisket in my opinion.

To start, I cubed some burnt ends, along with some red onion and sweet red pepper.  As an afterthought, I added one fingerling potato, finely diced.

I place the above into a sauté pan with just enough olive oil to prevent sticking and to promote caramelization of the pepper and onion.  I sautéed on low for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until I had the level of caramelization I desired.

I removed from the heat and added one tablespoon of Blue Hog Tennessee Red BBQ sauce for a bit of tangy flavor.  Then, I set aside.

Next, I whisked two eggs and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Add your beaten egg to a heated pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Once the egg starts to firm up, add your burnt end filling and top with the cheese of your choice.  Flip your omelette over in half, then flip the half over to finish cooking the other side.

I served with sriracha sauce on half of my omelette for a little spice.

Breakfast for dinner is the best.  This was outstanding.  The burnt ends mingled nicely with the caramelized onion and pepper.  The Blues Hog added the right amount of acid as a counterbalance to the fat in the beef.  Finally, the potato added just the right amount of crunch.  I would highly recommend that if you have some leftover burnt ends in your future to give this a try.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill