Ranking the BBQ Meats

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Ernie Rupp

I visit many internet sites during the day and one of my favorites is Deadspin. It is basically a sports website for people with little time to read or short attention spans. They throw some humor in there as well and break stories about imaginary girlfriends and stuff like that. Last week Deadspin had an article which ranked the best flavors of doughnuts. It is not sports related, but I am a fan of doughnuts so I read to find out if my favorite was near the top. Vital information that I could not live without. Little did I know that if this article was a BBQ contest I would be ostrasized for shiggin. Yeah I am stealing the idea ( thanks Drew Magary ) and writing my own article ranking the BBQ meats. I will list the meat first then give my reasoning as to why it is superior to the meats beneath it.

1. Burnt Ends (Brisket point)- This is my favorite thing to order at any BBQ restaurant. I am from KC what do you expect. Tiny little fatty morsels of beefy goodness. If they were smaller I would swear this is what the fairies used for fairy dust. They are sooooo good. Smothered in sauce with extra bark. You just can’t beat them.

2. Brisket (flat) - If burnt ends were Miss America then brisket is a close runner up. When done right it is better than prime rib to me. The fat just melts in your mouth like butter. Most people will have a brisket sandwich. My question is, Why do you need the bread?

3. Spare Ribs (St Louis Cut) - I specify the St. Louis cut because I do not like eating the rib tips. Too much work for me. I like the extra flavor these ribs provide in comparison to the baby back ribs. Ribs are very versatile. You can have them from spicy to sweet and they are always good.

4. Turkey - I already hear the gasps from the audience. Yes smoked turkey. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I could eat turkey any day of the year. Brine it, inject it, rub it and smoke it. Always good.

5. Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt) - I had never had pulled pork till about 6 years ago. My mom always called it a pork roast and roasted it in the oven seasoned with salt, pepper and caraway seeds. Served with dumplings and brown pork gravy. Wow it was good! When I made my first shoulder I was amazed how much more flavor this cut of meat had when cooked in a smoker. This cut of meat is literally a sponge for flavor.

6. Pork Belly/Bacon - Now this ranks this high on the list because of one thing BACON! When I was five years old, I ate a whole pound of bacon for lunch while my mom was visiting with my dad and his golfing buddy. Kind of a badge of honor I think. I have never had the rest of the belly, but hope to remedy that soon.

7. Tri-Tip - This is a nod to all my California buddies I met at the American Royal last fall. This piece of meat is rapidly gaining popularity across the US. It tastes like the best steak at about half the price. My thanks to El Fuego Fiasco BBQ Team for the Santa Maria spice. I have not forgotten that I owe you some Drapers AP Rub.

8. Babyback Ribs – See spare ribs above. These little guys have just a little less flavor than spares or they would be higher on the list.

9. Beef Ribs – Like brisket on a stick. They are juicy and delicious and we fight over them at Christmas after the prime rib is carved. Smoked on the BBQ they are even better.

10. Chicken - White meat or dark meat everyone loves chicken. The trick is to keep it moist and get some flavor into that meat. It rounds out the top 10.

11. Pork Loin - Living high on the hog as they say. You can roast it whole or divide into chops. Stuff it with apples or wrap it in bacon this makes a great dinner.

12. Ham - Most BBQ joints around KC do not cook a whole bone in ham. They cook the processed ham loaf that you can get in any grocery store deli around town. The process of making your own ham is very long. It takes weeks and even months to get the ham cured and smoked. That being said, it would be nice to have bone in smoked ham at a local BBQ restaurant.

13. Pork Picnic - Incomplete. I have never had a pork picnic. Hopefully some day I will travel down south and have some but until then we will have to rate it an incomplete.

Now, this list is not all encompassing. I intentionally left off sausage and went with the cuts of meat vs combined elements of sausage. If I had put it on the list, it would have been pretty high on the list. It is not good for me and I love it. This is my opinion only and does not represent the views of Drapers BBQ ( with the exception of leaving mutton off the list). You know what opinions are like…everyone’s got one. So give them to me. This post is meant to start a discussion. Please post at the bottom of the article and tell me why you agree or disagree with me. Use our new share buttons and get your friends to sound off on the subject or post it to your favorite Facebook group. Lets discuss this cause I am sure pork picnic is too good to be left in the south and burnt ends are too good to be left to KC.

If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

Eating out of the Box.

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Ernie Rupp

We all seem to find ourselves in a rut sometimes. Whether it is the clothes we wear, the work we do or the places we go out to eat. Living in Kansas City gives us numerous opportunities to go out for really great BBQ. Literally hundreds of BBQ restaurants are located in the KC metropolitan area. Why is it that we tend to migrate to only 2 of them? When my family goes out for BBQ we tend to go to 2 of the biggest names in KC BBQ Oklahoma Joe’s and Fiorella’s Jacks Stack. We love them both, get great service and terrific food, but what about all of the others? Through Facebook, I got back in touch with a friend from high school. He noticed some of (most of) my posts are related to BBQ. We wanted to meet up for dinner and he suggested a BBQ joint that I had never been to. I did not even know it existed and I drive by the area every day on my way to work. This is not a review of the restaurant, as I did not sample enough off of the menu to give a full review. This is just about the experience of going to a new place and having things that you would normally not have. Eating out of the box and getting out of my rut.

My friend, Mike Anani, and I had been trying to meet up for dinner for well over a month and something always seemed to come up. Finally we found a clear Saturday and made plans. He knew I really liked BBQ and so did he. He actually eats at a lot more BBQ restaurants than I do. He said he had been coming to a new place for a few months and really liked it and wanted to share it with me. Brobeck’s BBQ is the name of the place. Mike said it was in my neck of the woods. My neck of the woods? I had never heard of the place and was very sceptical if I would like it. How could it be any good if I had not heard of it?

Saturday came and I managed to find Brobeck’s. It is not really off the beaten path but is tucked away in the back of a strip mall, hidden from the major road I use to get to work. The parking lot was full. That’s a good sign that the food is good. Mike and I walked in and got one of the last tables available and Mike began to tell me about a Ham Salad appetizer they had there. Ham Salad I thought? Yuck! That sounds like something old people eat. I had never had it before. We ordered some. The waitress who was very very sweet, brought it to the table in a bowl about the size you would use for cereal in the morning. It was a huge portion. The Ham Salad was served with crackers and Brobeck’s very own potato chips that they make at the restaurant. It looked good. So I spread some on the crackers and dove right it. It was fantastic! I did not ask but I think they used BBQ smoked ham in it. It was so good if I could get the recipe, I would make it at home and have it every day for lunch. This was very unexpected. I never wood have thought that I would have liked that.

After the appetizer, the waitress came over to take our dinner order. She explained that they were famous for there ribs. Famous I thought? I have never heard of you but if it is the best thing you make I am all in. I ordered a half slab of spare ribs with beans and fries. The waitress explained that the ribs will come out dry (with no sauce at all) because they are so good you do not need the sauce. This showed me the pitmaster is very proud of his ribs. The waitress stated they had 2 sauces on the table Brobeck’s original which is sweet and tomato based and also Brobeck’s mustard sauce if we chose to use sauce. She continued to say that they had a BBQ sauce bar. Yes a BBQ sauce bar. Brilliant idea. This was a table next to the kitchen loaded with a number of sauces from KC Masterpiece to sauces from many local restaurants including Oklahoma Joe’s and Jack’s Stack. Honestly, even though it is a great idea and I would like to get Draper’s Smokin Sauce on that table, I did not use it because I wanted to try Brobeck’s Original sauce. It was tangy, and sweet with good flavor. Good sauce overall.

Our meals came and my plate was overflowing. Six meaty spare ribs with a serving of beans and a side dish of steak fries. Outstanding. I tried the ribs dry first and the waitress was right, they stood on their own with no sauce. You could taste the smoke and the rub as very mild. Not a lot of heat in the rub. A good solid rib. I tried it with the original sauce and the sauce enhanced the flavor slightly but I preferred the dry rib. What really made the dinner was the amount of meat and the flavor of the rib. Out of the six ribs I could only eat three and took the rest home for lunch the next day. Overall it was an excellent experience for me and I would not hesitate to go back and try other things off of the menu. The Ham Salad was fantastic and I would go there just for that item alone. Maybe get a to go order for lunch during the week. It is really addictive.

I know everyone has a favorite BBQ joint to go to but with all of the great ones out there you may be missing something special just down the road. Something you drive by everyday and would never know it was there if someone would not have told you about it. Look around, slow down and stop and smell the smoke once in a while. Get out of your BBQ rut and try someplace new. You may find a hidden gem or a diamond in the rough.

I would be neglecting my duty if I did not give you some info for Brobeck’s BBQ. Their website address is http://www.brobecksbbq.com/. Their address is 4615 Indian Creek Parkway Overland Park, KS 66207. If you are in KC, check them out.

If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

Introducing Sean Bardwell of Tatoos N Que

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Ernie Rupp

If you don’t “like” him on Facebook or follow @SBQue on Twitter you may not recognize this pitmaster. His name is Sean Bardwell and has a competition BBQ team called Tatoos N Que. I have been following Sean for most of this year and have been really impressed by some of Sean’s creations. He shows them regularly on Facebook and they all look very tasty. I had the pleasure of talking to Sean about his recent activities while he was doing a practice cook for an upcoming contest last week. Sean has big plans for the future and a game plan to get there.

Sean was raised on BBQ. His best childhood memories were being with his father cooking on an old Weber kettle grill. BBQ was a treat. Sean spent summers in Arkansas with grandparents who also fed his BBQ cravings. To this day, BBQ reminds him of his childhood. Currently, Sean is kitchen manager of a chain restaurant called Smokey Bones in York, Pennsylvania and has held this position for 4 years. He started as a line cook and has worked his way up the ladder. Sean wants to own his own BBQ restaurant one day and is working very hard to achieve that goal. His goal for the next year is to get a food truck to be used for a catering business and to take on the competition circuit.

Sean has many BBQ idols. He attended the NBBQA Convention in South Carolina last year and got to meet the likes of Ray Lampe, Chris Lilly and the person Sean states he owes the most to, Danielle Dimovski of DivaQ BBQ. He stays in touch with Danielle via twitter and says she gives him a lot of advice. He also credits ,Prince of Q, Jay Prince and Stephen Hartsock of Sock’s Love Rub with inspiring him as well. At the MBBQA Convention, everyone told Sean that if he wants to open a restaurant he needs to first compete and get your name out there. This inspired Sean and his Tattoos N Que BBQ team to enter the New Holland Summerfest BBQ contest last weekend. Tattoos n Que competed against 72 other BBQ teams. Tattoos N Que did not win any awards at New Holland but they did not finish last in any category they entered and met Myron Mixon and Tuffy Stone. Sean considers this a success.

Sean also has a variety of rubs for sale on his website, sbque.com His rubs come in Original flavor which is an all purpose rub, Savory which is used a lot on poultry, Sweet for ribs and pork and is developing one called Tattoos N Que which is a competition style rub. All the ingredients used in Sean’s rubs are also smoked before they are combined. This gives Sean’s food layers of smoke flavor. I found this to be very interesting and I cant wait for the sample Sean is going to send me. Sean also makes his competition sauce from scratch using all smoked ingredients. He joked that he can never do anything simple.

If all of this was not enough, Sean has published his very own e-cookbook. It contains 17 original recipes all created by Sean Bardwell. It is a free cookbook so feel free to download it here http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/296973-sbque-recipes . When you get done with the cookbook you will ask yourself, ” Is there any food Sean won’t smoke?”

Sean has a passion for BBQ. He shows this in all that he does. From rub creator, cookbook author, competition cook and his daily job they are all examples of how dedicated Sean is to perfecting his craft. Sean is a very goal driven individual and I have no doubt that he will leave his mark on the BBQ world. Check out his website, order some rub and get that cookbook. You will be glad you did.

If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

Newbie Guide – Recommended Resources

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Shane

In the past few years since purchasing our Tucker Cooker I have been on a mission of barbecue information gathering, learning, practicing and the overall betterment of myself as a pit master and cook. I have noticed from talking to other Tucker owners that, even though the Tucker is a larger pit, it is often the first real pit / smoker they have ever owned. With those things in mind, I thought it would be helpful to put together a resource guide to assist people in their education process. The lists contained here should not be considered a complete work, but rather a starting point. These are just my favorites and my personal recommendations. Take the time to explore and use these resources to find your own favorites.

Requirements….or are they?

There are just a few real requirements in the barbecue game. They aren’t difficult, but they are undeniable. First and foremost, you must have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. That is the single most important thing you can bring to the table and will serve you better than any other trait. Second, you must be willing to tinker with things, such as recipes and cooking methods. Be willing to take these things and see if you can make them work, adapt them, change them and call them your own. Finally, keep a note pad and pen handy and take copious notes. In hind sight, this is probably as important as the thirst for knowledge. Jotting down times that meat goes on the pit, what temp, how long it cooked, at what temp/time you injected, etc will prove to be invaluable as you grow. The sooner you adopt the idea you must take notes about everything, the faster you will improve.

Having noted all of these requirements, I am reminded that this crazy culture of barbecue was built by men and women who have accepted that there are really no actual rules, but a lot of strongly suggested folk lore. This lore, as with most things of legend, is meant to be tested, challenged, changed and changed again. So, I think my greatest suggestion must be to find what works for you. I can only hope some of the things I mention here aid you in finding the magical combination of things that will help you become a true pit master.

The Wide World of Web Info

The Internet is always the first resource I recommend. It is a pretty obvious one given the age of information we live in…not to mention it’s free. Anything and everything you need to know you can usually find online. The real question then becomes where to find the best, most helpful info. Since the sheer amount of information on the web can be overwhelming, to say the least, the majority of the hints here will help start you on the right path to finding the information you want on-line.

Seek and Enjoy

You can, of course, go with a search engine like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. You just have to be willing to type a question into the search engine and see where it takes you. General questions like “best internal temperature of a pork shoulder” typed into Google will keep you reading for hours, if not days. The drawback with this method is that you may well find yourself flooded with too much information. It may also turn you onto 15 great sites that you become a long term fan of. Be patient! Pick a site that looks interesting to you and see where it takes you. User mileage may very, but never underestimate the power of the almighty search engine.

Finding Your Forum

Forum’s are probably the single best source for the new barbecue pit master. These jewels of the Internet are loaded with nothing short of experts in the field and you can learn a lot in a very short amount of time. Be warned though, as with most activities with a learning curve, most forums have little patience for newbies asking the same question over and over. Take the time to read the FAQ sections of all forums before posting questions. Be sure to use the search functions of the forum to help find answers. Take the time to post an introduction telling everyone who you are, where you live, what cooker you use and what you like to cook now. The barbecue community is, by and large, chock full of friendly, helpful and knowledgeable folks who are more than happy to help. If you follow these few tips you will find yourself welcomed and the volumes of information available to you vast.

Here are two I personally recommend (although there are literally hundreds to choose from):

BBQ Brethren - Probably the most comprehensive barbecue forum on the Internet. A vast source of information, a wide ranging cast of characters and a lot of bantering.

BBQ Bug - A fantastic resource that includes tons of step by step instructions for just about everything you can think of in barbecue.

Blog Jam

I really love a number of blogs and read them daily. What I find so compelling about blogs and newsletters is that they are typically written by fans turned experts. You get several levels of expertise; everything from someone who has never barbecued who just wanted to write about their experience to actual experts who have been brought on by a company to write for them. Each type of writer has things to bring to the table and each is worth reading. Blogs and newsletters are great because you can subscribe to them and have every updates emailed to you as they are released. This allows you to catalog the information and recall it at will. Some of the resources I subscribe to are:

Amazing Ribs

Big Wayner’s BBQ Blog

Listener Supported

Lately, my favorite source for barbecue information are Internet radio shows, also known as podcasts. These shows are hands down some of the best entertainment for the barbecue pit master. I know, it sounds a little bit odd at first using your computer to listen to the radio, but just think of these shows as Pandora for barbeque. Then there is the whole idea of listening to a show about barbecue. Doesn’t it seem a little bit self indulgent? Well maybe, but the shows really are a great way not only to learn, but to get a real feel for the whole barbecue culture. I understand this may not be for you but I still suggest you give it a try. Like me, you may find yourself addicted to it. I love that I can listen to these resources live and participate in the audience or I can download the podcast of the show later and listen on my phone while driving to and from work.

My favorite shows? That’s easy, check these out:
BBQ Central Radio Show - This show is also live every Tue, 9pm EST on the Outdoor Cooking Channel Greg Rempe does a great job of balancing fun and barbecue information and is considered the pioneer in barbecue radio shows.

BBQ Super Stars - Darryl Mast has many shows on his network and does a live call in, free format sort of show that allows anyone to call in and talk Q. BBQ Super Stars as a site is much more than just a radio show though, check it out as it is a great source for all sorts of barbecue information. Check out the Tucker Cooker section on the main site, there are some videos there that were shot during the last Memphis in May.

Whiskey Bent BBQ’s “In The Pit” - Is one of the shows on the BBQ Super Stars network. This show is headed by Chad Ward of Whiskey Bent BBQ, a fantastic up and coming competition team out of Florida. Chad’s main focus is competition barbecue and the show is always informative and entertaining.

Birds of a Feather…..Twitter Together

What makes the barbecue community so powerful is the sharing of information and the direct access we have to the “stars” of our field. It’s impossible to be at every event, competition or show with your favorite barbecue star but if you have a Twitter or Facebook account you have what almost amounts to a 24hr backstage pass with them. Not every star has or maintains their Twitter or Facebook feed, but the one’s who do are fantastic sources of information. I suggest you follow them and don’t be afraid to interact with them and ask questions. A word of advice: Remember that these are real people, with real lives, real families, real jobs and real problems. Be polite, be real, be courteous and, above all, be a friend, not just someone who is trying to gain something from them. If you do that, you will go a long way towards making some great friends. In fact, some of my closest barbecue relationships started on Twitter and grew into real world friendships that I consider invaluable.

So who do I follow? All the people I have mentioned in his article have websites, Twitter and Facebook accounts. Take the time to look them up even if I don’t explicitly list them all below. I follow and recommend these folks because they are great at Twitter in particular, all links are to Twitter, but you can find links to Facebook from there:

Brian Henderson

Danielle Dimovksi (aka DivaQ)

Neil Stawder (aka Bigmista)

Ray Lampe (aka Dr. BBQ)

Wilfred Reinke

There are many, many others. You can do a search in Twitter for #bbq or #barbecue and see what turns up. Don’t be afraid to Follow someone for awhile to see if you like their content. If you don’t you can always Unfollow them later.

Reading Is Fun-da-mental

If more traditional sources are your cup of tea, there are, of course, tens of thousands of barbecue books out there for you. I really like barbecue books because they are as much instructions manuals as they are recipe books. Some include a bit of history, behind the scenes access to legends and some fun tall tails. One of my first barbecue books was by Ray Lampe. His book was an integral part of inspiring me to start making my own barbecue sauces. I would recommend reading much more than just barbecue books though. Be willing to expand your purview and find inspiration from many types of books. One of my favorite things to do is find a recipe that has nothing to do with barbecue and take it, rework it and make it my own by putting my own barbecue slant on it.

I have included a few of my personal favorite books in the list below. One of which was written using a Tucker (Championship BBQ Secrets). Each are great books in their own right and for different reasons. Check them out, cook along with them and see where they take you.

BBQ Makes Everything Better

Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food

Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook

Peace, Love and Barbecue

If you are looking for a great list of barbecue book reviews, check out AmazingRibs.com. Meathead Goldwyn does a good job reviewing some of the best books available.

It’s All Perspective

While I find myself writing “rules” or “recommendations” for the new barbecue fan, I have to admit there are no actual rules. Every time a rule has been created in barbecue it has been challenged, changed, rewritten or reinvented. Some will swear by low and slow while a new breed of pit master is all about hot and fast cooking. Some will say you can only get great flavor by burning wood while the next guy is steadily winning with charcoal or pellets. In the end, my earlier premise holds true: this culture of barbecue was built by men and women who have accepted that rules are made to be broken and the folk lore is meant to be tested, challenged, changed and redone. There is, however, one truth that we cling to:. No matter what you cook on, cook with or how long the cooking takes, when the meat tastes great, you have cooked with love and passion. Remember that, and you will have a great dish every time.

If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it: