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There are two critical objectives in cooking barbecue;  meat cooked to perfection,  and meat packed with  flavor in every bite from top to bottom. 

A key process in cooking great barbecue involves infusing wonderful tastes and flavors from the skin to the meat deep in close to the bone on whatever cut of meat you are cooking. This is called flavor profiling. This applies to cooking a small piece of meat like a steak or chicken thigh to a whole hog. The process is not simplified or shortened because the piece of meat is smaller. 

The layering process involves the use of brine, rubs, marinades, injections, sauces and glazes. I refer to these as blocks used to build the flavor profile. Each of these has a specific purpose and is designed to achieve a specific outcome. The many of the ingredients that make up these blocks are similar, but used in very different combinations for each category and type of meat. 

The trick is to find a combination of ingredients in the flavor profile that are balanced, complement each other, complement the meat, and add distinctive flavors to the finished product that are pleasing to the pallet. One block of the flavoring profile is the type of wood to be used that will complement the spice profile and the cut of meat. Wood flavoring is covered in another chapter, but I mention it here because it must be taken into account when the flavor profile is developed. 

Since taste is subjective, few rules apply, but the profile must compliment the cut of meat. Elements of the profile should not conflict, and the overall profile including the wood type and must complement and enhance the meat. 

Flavor Profile Blocks 

Brine – Brine is a salty water-based solution that adds moisture, enhances flavor, and contributes to tenderness. Muscle fibers absorb the liquid through osmosis and adds moisture to the meat during the cook. Brine will typically include salt, sugar, herbs, spices and the meat will be completely submerged for a period of about twelve hours or more. Brines will be used on lean meats, fowl to include chickens and turkeys, fish and pork. 

Injection- Injection is a liquid mixtureinjected into the meat to get flavor deep into the meat below the surface.  A big challenge for the pit master is getting flavor deep into the meat, this profile block is designed to achieve this. Injection is a liquid solution that containing spices, juices, vinegar, water and sauces that is injected deep into the meat with a large syringe type injector. In addition to adding a flavor profile deep into the meat, the injection will help keep the meat moist during the smoking process producing a more tenderproduct. The injection can also contain ingredients that help break down the fibers of the meat contributing to tenderness. Injection is can be made of many types of ingredients and truly limited to your imagination however they should enhance the flavor of the meat and not change its natural flavor. 

Marinades- Marinades are used to tenderize the meat by breaking down the fibers in the meat which is helpful in cooking tender barbecue, and adding a flavor profile. They work fast.  Marinades are acidic or enzymatic mixed with oils, spices, and herbs for flavor. Meat is submerged in the solution similar to brin. Use glass or stainless steel, if the meat is in the marinade for over an hour, refrigerate. Some meats like brisket for example are marinated overnight, some for only on hour or so like fish.

Rubs-Rubs are typically a combination of dry ingredients including spices and sugars that are mixed together, sprinkled on the meat and rubbed in to insure total coverage. Rubs accomplish a few things when they are applied to meat and barbecued at low temperature. They add a distinct flavor profile to the outside of the meat. They add a burst of flavor to the meat. Many rubs contain some type of sugar that caramelizes on the meat during the cooking process and helps to form a crust on the meat, what we call bark. This bark has tremendous flavor and forms a seal that helps to maintain moisture in the meat keeping the meat from drying out.  Rubs do not penetrate deep into the meat, so they mostly impact the outside, however, when you cut or pull the meat apart and mix in the bark with the rest of the meat it spreads the flavor around. On ribs which are thin cuts of meat the bark is very distinctive and a part of every bite but on a pork shoulder, brisket, or turkey the amount of bark in the total cut of meat will be a small percent yet contribute significantly to the total flavor profile of the meat. 

Spritz and Mop Sauces- Spritzes and mop sauces are liquid recipes applied to the meat with a mop baster or spray bottle during the smoking process after the rub has had a chance to set and prior to wrapping in foil. The meat will need about an hour in the smoker to set the rub into a bark, after that with spritz and mop sauce it applied. The purpose of spritz is to keep the meat form drying during the smoking process in addition to adding a flavor profile on top of the rubs applied during pre-cooking preparation. The sauces are unique to the type of meat being cooked and will be made up of a combination of ingredients and spices that enhance the meat being cooked. It should be a balanced recipe that adds a layer of flavor complements the meat. 

Glazes-Glaze is a finishing sauce applied at the very end of the cook. It adds character and an additional flavor profile. It also helps seal moisture into the meat. It typically is high in sugar or fruit to caramelize on the meat making it shine and the meat look beautiful and attractive. Sugar is subject to burning, so it is applied late in the cook so it has a chance to set, and only when smoking temperatures are below 260 degrees. It can be applied after the cook, but when applied after the cook it will not have a chance to caramelize and the benefits that caramelization brings to the meat. There is a fine line between caramelizing and burning, burning the glaze on the meat is never attractive and detracts from the taste and will easily happen if the glaze is applied on temperatures over 260 degrees.  

Sauce-Sauce is a condiment served on a finished product. On barbecue, it is applied over or as a side on pulled or sliced finished meat. Sauce’s, for better or worse, make a big impact on the meat and will be the first thing tasted. Sauces tend to fall into a vinegar, mustard, tomato-based variety. From these bases are added spice, sour, sweet, and heat. Lemon, lime, mustard and Worchester for sour. Sugar, brown sugar, and molasses for sweet, cayenne or other type of chili for heat. Your spice rack unique combinations for spice.

You just purchased a new smoker and want to cook the king of barbecue, the brisket. You are not confident on how exactly to go about it and you don’t want to mess up you first cook. Don’t worry, this article will explain how to cook a perfect brisket on your first try. 

First you will break in the new smoker by lighting a fire and heating the unit to at least 350 degrees and maintain it for a few hours. During this process practice keeping the heat steady because when you cook the brisket it is important to keep the smoker at 275 degrees consistently for several hours. If it is difficult to maintain temperature, repeat the process until you are familiar with how to operate the dampers and add fuel to maintain even heat.

For your first cook, I would purchase a brisket on the smaller side. Trim the brisket by removing most of the excess fat. I leave about ¼ inch or less of fat on the bottom of the brisket that will mostly render off during the cook and add flavor to the meat. 

Now mix your rub which consists of salt, and pepper at a minimum. Brisket does not need additional spices and in some parts of the country that is all that is used. If you want additional spices paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and cayenne will make a wonderful rub. When making rub you are free to use your imagination, but I don’t recommend using much more that what is listed on your first cook. Mix the rub in a bowl and apply the rub over every inch of the brisket, and using your hands, rub it into the meat. Now place the brisket in the refrigerator overnight or perhaps two nights so the spices have a chance to set into the meat. 

On the cook day let your brisket come to room temperature and heat your smoker to 275 degrees. Do not place your brisket on the smoker until the smoker is stable at 275 degrees, and control the smoke so only a light thin blue smoke is exiting the stack. Now place your brisket in the smoker. If you have a direct heat smoker (fire is under the meat) place a pan with water between the fire and the meat to keep it from burning, if you are using an indirect smoker this is not necessary. Maintain temperature and smoke flow for half of the cook. Only open the smoker to add fuel, resist the temptation to look at the brisket during the cook, you will let heat out of the smoker and drop the temperature. Brisket will have to cook for at least an hour a pound and maybe more. After half of the cook, wrap the brisket in either foil or butcher paper and place it back in the smoker. Finish the cook maintain constant heat.

The brisket is done when the internal temperature is 205 degrees. Always check the internal temperature of all your barbecue with a thermometer prior to serving.

Remove the brisket from the smoker and allow it to rest in the kitchen for at least 30 to 40 minutes.  Always allow your barbecue to rest prior to slicing. Slice it in ¼ inch slices cutting against the grain. Serve and enjoy! You will now be confident cooking brisket, but remember, practice makes perfect. 

The Green Egg

I know several people that own Kamado grills that claim they are superior smoking and grilling cookers. I have also watched several BBQ programs on various TV shows where the pit masters also claim these type smokers are highly efficient. In the past I was not interested in owning one because they are expensive, have small cooking surfaces and not as portable as other type cookers. But the BBQ bug bit, and I began to read and study the Kamado smokers in more detail and carefully read testimonials and soon realized the versatility of this kind of cooker which has been around for a long time. It is believed that this type of smoker was developed in the orient over a thousand years ago.

So… I bought one, a green egg, and this is my experience. In a nutshell I am impressed, and everything I had heard and read is true. These are remarkable cookers and amazingly efficient. They are simple in design, heavy duty ceramic with an air intake at the bottom and a vent at the top. Unlike all my other cookers, this unit can be at 600 or 700 degrees in ten minutes, or quietly conducting a slow cook at 225 degrees for hours on end. It can be used for direct cooking or long slow and low cooks for large cuts of meat. The cooker is heavy so I bought a cradle with wheels to make it more mobile, and the cooking surface is smaller than my other smokers but comparable to my grills. This is an outstanding cooking unit if you have space constraints for a cooker as they come in different sizes. 

Not surprising, a unit that can get to 700 degrees in a matter of minutes will take some time to master and learn to control, and sure enough after several types of cooks I continue to learn. I have grilled on it which is not complicated, conducted direct and indirect medium term cooks and longer term (over 8 hours) cooks and temperature control is amazing with these units. I would say the easiest of all my cookers. The unit has a ceramic plate that fits inside for indirect cooking. 

My biggest concern with a kamado cooker when smoking a long cook was the inability to access and tend the fire and add fuel or wood for smoke. Fuel is added from the top, and then the indirect plate is installed and the grill on top of the plate. Sure enough, when you fire the unit up it is difficult to access the fire because everything is now hot. However, I found that it is not necessary to tend a fire in these units, at least for the 8+ consecutive hours I have cooked on it. The fuel placed in the fuel basket is sufficient to smoke on the unit for well over 8 hours. This is simply not possible on any of my other smokers. 

While you can use charcoal briquets, lump charcoal is recommended as it creates much less ash. Additionally, at the end of the cook, simply close the air vent and exhaust stack and the fire will extinguish in a matter of several minutes. For the next cook, remove the grate and fire the fuel remaining from the prior cook and the unit will be back at temperature in a matter of minutes. 

My bottom line, this kamado is a remarkable grille and smoker and highly recommended. 

Since I wrote the article above, I have also purchased a green egg mini max. it is a smaller version to the larger unit with all of the features I mentioned. It is a heavy unit, thick ceramic, air flow from bottom to top. This smaller eggs is more portable than the larger one, and I do take it camping. It burns less fuel than the larger one and more convenient to use. It is much smaller in two key ways that the Pitt master will be concerned about. first the grilling area is much smaller, and secondly the cooking surface is much closer to the fire on the mini.   The second is key, because it is much more sensitive and requires more attention than the larger egg. Air flow and steady temperature are more difficult to control. This unit also has a heat shield for low and slow cooking, and I use it more frequently  on the smaller egg because the grill is closer to the fire. 

Scott Lomeli's comments to our readers regarding his win cooking baby back ribs at the 2022 Pig Jig.

First, the night before I got the sauce ready.  I don’t measure anything just kind of throw things together, mix it up, and see how it tastes.  Started with “Sweet Baby Rays” BBQ  and added Italian dressing, a little bit of Tapatio and Siracha, some Worcestershire sauce, squeezed lemon which I leave the peels and left overs in the sauce, and a few spoonful’s of apricot jelly.  Heat the mixture up until it starts to boil, stirring occasionally, then turn it off.  Once cooled transferred it to a jar and placed in the fridge until the next day.  The sauce is ready to go.

The morning of the BBQ I prepped the ribs by removing any excess fat and the membrane.  I lathered the ribs in Worcestershire sauce as a binder and then used a simple dry rub of Lime Pepper and Black Pepper and let it rest for about 20 minutes before putting it on the grill.  I tried to maintain a grill temperature somewhere between 250-275 the duration of the cook.

Once I’ve placed the meat on the grill I let it cook one hour before checking it’s internal temp, and then I would check every half hour or so again afterwards.  Once it’s internal temperature hit about 165 I took the ribs off to wrap them.  It took about 2.5 hours to reach that temp.  I did not spritz or spray during this cook.

On the foil I laid out a mixture of brown and white sugar, sprinkled with diced Jalepeno’s, about a stick of butter sliced up and placed evenly across the sugar, and lines of honey squeezed over it.  The meaty side of the ribs placed in the sugar and then wrapped with it going meat side down on the grill.

About an hour later I checked the internal temp looking for about 200 degrees.  This ended up taking about a 1.5 hours.

At this point the ribs are done but they still need to be sauced so I unwrapped the ribs and applied my sauce that I made from the night before.  I gave the sauce about 15 minutes to caramelize and set before removing the ribs from the grill. 

At this point I would typically take the ribs off and let them rest for another 15 minutes or so before cutting into them but I got into a bit of a time crunch and had to slice them up right away to turn in.

And that does it.  My secret Pig Jig Winning recipe.

Scott Lomeli

Serving as a Pig Jig judge

Bill  Reeder has competed in the Pig Jig cook off for a few years, this year he served as a judge. Below are a few comments he offers on the experience.

Bill, you have cooked in this competition before, describe your experience going from a cook to the judges table, what if anything did you learn and did anything surprise you about this experience?

I learned a lot about the judging requirements that I wasn’t even aware of and what makes a highly successful (or unsuccessful) rib.

The Pig Jig competition is baby back rib competition where ribs are cooked using fire. The ribs are judged using Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) rules. What was your experience tasting and judging ribs using this set of rules, and the categories of taste, tenderness, and appearance?  

One thing that I was not aware of was that spiciness is not a judgable factor as taste is subjective.  Some of the judges were adamant about whether they preferred or disliked spicy ribs, but if you don't you can't hold it against the cook. You have to judge what the cook presented, at it pleased the senses and had a good profile or it did not. Tenderness was another area in which I thought I knew but based on the rules, my ribs would have been over-done.

KCBS judging rules are rigorous with regard to process and conduct, describe your experience tasting and judging in this environment.  

As we followed all of the rules for KCBS, we weren’t allowed to discuss any of out opinions regarding the factors involved in judging with anyone else.  I believe that helps keep favoritism to a minimum.

You are an experienced rib cook and have experience cooking in competitions. Now that you have experience judging, will you do anything differently in the next competition as a cook? 

I will absolutely do a few things differently.  One is that I learned that what I thought was a perfect bite was, in fact, an overdone rib.  Also, the ribs I scored higher included a sauce, so dry-rubbed ribs took a major deduction. 

Describe the favorite rib you tasted in this competition, and what did you learn from tasting your least favorite rib in this competition?  

My favorite rib had a great bite (according to KCBS rules), had a pinch of spice as well as a sweet tangy sauce that was caramelized on the rib.  My least favorite rib was tough and had a dry rub.  

What were three things you took away from this judging experience?  

I liked being able to judge the folks I normally compete against and compare them with my own efforts.  I also now have a better understanding of how ribs are judged and where I can make improvements to my ribs to enhance my chances of winning.  

Would you recommend that competition cooks experience the judging experience, and explain why or why not? 

I would absolutely recommend judging to my competitors.  This would help them see how they are being judged and make improvements to their ribs which would make the competition even closer.

What other comments would you offer? 

 I had a great time judging and learning what constitutes a winning rib.  Definitely enhanced my awareness and skill set.

The “Caboose CA-4“ is a tool box with a cutting board on top that I purchased at a local big box store. It is used to store all of my barbecue tools in the garage. It is wheeled out to the smokers when it is time to cook. This arrangement saves multiple trips to the kitchen at barbecue time, consolidates everything in one convenient place that can be positioned at the cook site, and frees up a lot of cabinet space in the kitchen.