AZ Barbeque.com
BBQ Related Topics => Welcome, Please Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: VisionQuest220 on October 21, 2006, 05:02:31 pm
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Hi Folks. I'm new to this board but not new to BBQ or to discussion boards. I've been outdoor cooking since I was just a wee beastie and prefer charcoal to propane every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Convenience is one thing (propane) but real outdoor cooking is done with real fire made from real wood.
I've been a long-time Weber Kettle owner and have used my trusty kettle to cook just about anything and everything. I direct grill steaks, chops, burgers and the like but what I really love about my kettle is how well it performs using indirect heat. I started off slowly by indirectly cooking things like chicken and sausages but moved up to pork tenderloins and whole turkeys before too long. I dearly love that old kettle of mine and it has served me well. I always used a bit of smoke wood chunks for those indirect cooks but nothing like what I moved up to last summer.
In July 2005, the Smoker Bug bit me and I decided to buy a dedicated smoker. I was immediately drawn to the Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) vertical or "bullet" smoker due to the success I had with a Weber Kettle. I researched that product to the best of my ability, trying to understand its pros, cons and limitations. In the spirit of being thorough, I decided that I should also seriously consider the offset smoker option and see what I could learn about that type of equipment. In the end, I decided that the WSM was just too much like my kettle and that I should go with an offset.
Now I'm not the type of guy who's going to drop a couple grand on gear until I know whether I really like what that gear can produce. I took the entry level route and bought a Bar-B-Chef offset from Barbeques Galore. I brought it home, put it together, seasoned it and then cooked in it the next day. By nightfall of my first smoke I was hooked. Although I had produced some wonderful food with a kettle, offset smoking is a totally different art. On that first cook, we smoked a bone-in pork butt and a whole brisket and they both turned out better than I could have hoped. Call it "Beginner's Luck" because I know that's just what it was. The pork and the beef were both tender and juicy and loaded with flavor unlike anything I had ever cooked before. Like I said, I was hooked.
Since that weekend in July 2005, I've learned a lot about barbeque from hard experience (can you say "dry brisket"?) to books and websites to barbeque forums such as this one. I've tried to share my experiences with others in the hopes that they don't make the same mistakes I have and also to learn from the experiences of others so that I don't make the same mistakes they have. One thing is for certain: If you don't have patience, stick to grilling because barbequing will wear you out. The fun thing is that I still have a lifetime left to learn new things and hopefully get better and better.
I'm a backyard cook and don't really aspire to be anything else. I like to cook for my own pleasure and for those who join me at the table so you won't be seeing me behind the counter at a "mom & pop" BBQ shack anytime soon. My "Lady Fair" and I decided to enter the Lake Pleasant BBQ Cook-Off just for fun. We figure we'll meet some new people, learn a little, teach a little and maybe make some pretty good barbeque in the meantime. If you happen to be at the event, stop by and say "hello". We're the "Casa di DiVQ BBQ Team" and we'll be the ones with the backyard gear.
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VQ, Welcome to the site finally, it has been great talking with you. I'm really looking forward to meeting you out at Lake Pleasant.
Hope you enjoy the site, we have a bunch of really great members on here and one bad one.... I'm sure you will find out who that one is very quickly... ;) ;D ;D
Post some pictures of your BBQ when you get a chance so we can all enjoy it.. :)
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Welcome VQ!! ;D ;D
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Post some pictures of your BBQ when you get a chance so we can all enjoy it.. :)
Just remember, you asked for it...
Tri-tip Before and After
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Smoker/TriTipPrep.jpg)
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Smoker/TriTipRing.jpg)
I do my best to get the most out of my Bar-B-Chef offset. Here are some untrimmed spare ribs and the previously seen tri-tip. Well, I did take the membrane and the flap meat off of the racks and, as I recall, that flap meat was a tasty little snack.
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Smoker/SparesTriTipGoIn1.jpg)
Then again, the spares were pretty good too!
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Smoker/RibsAreDone.jpg)
Believe it or not I can fit four pork butts and a point cut brisket in that little rig all at the same time.
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Smoker/ButtsBrisketGoIn.jpg)
Here are the same 5 hunks-O-meat at Midnight, about 6 hours into the cook
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Smoker/ButtsBrisketAtMidnight.jpg)
And again later the next morning.
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Smoker/ButtsBrisketPlateau.jpg)
A couple of brisket and pork butt beauty shots.
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Smoker/BrisketSliced.jpg)
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Smoker/ButtShreds.jpg)
This little photo share wouldn't be complete without paying homage to my trusty Weber Kettle with the rotisserie attachment in action.
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Weber/ClosedGrill.jpg)
Rotisserie chicken is pretty good stuff.
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Weber/OnTheSpit3.jpg)
And finally, meet my BBQ Supervisor. She keeps an eye on me while I'm tending the fire and takes her responsibilites quite seriously.
(http://www.arizonahorselesscarriage.com/personal/Weber/Supervisor.jpg)
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Awesome pictures, now I'm hungry for some BBQ. Those looked awesome....
Keep them coming..
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Welocome VQ. My wife and I will be out there at Laker pleasant teamed up with Ddog. See ya out there.
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Glad to have you VQ. Those pictures of your cook are awesome. I will come by and see you when I am at the event. My team is the Laveen BBQ Company.
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Looking forward to it. Between the cooking, the meeting, the greeting and the eating I'm certain that there will be little time for much sleeping.
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SLEEPING, what is that???
If you come to this thinking you will get more than an hour or two sleep, you are crazy...
When I was at the Taylor contest, the best time I had was at about 3 am in the morning when Bear and Cindy made up some great ABT's, we were all playing Spades and everyone was coming by to say "Hello". That is what I truly will take away from that contest.
I'm sure there will be a lot of that out at Lake Pleasant as well. It will be a bit cooler, so make sure to bring some warm clothes and such.
Looking foward to seeing everyone out there. ;)
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Considering that I've been cooking brisket for the past two weekends, I know for sure that there won't be much sleep being done. At least not by me.
I've always been a real "night owl" and so I enjoy the peace and quiet of the small hours of the morning. I'll bet the stars will be quite bright out at Lake Pleasant. Too bad I won't have time to set up my telescope.
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I am thinking I will bring the foldout poker table and this cool chip and card set a good buddy got me.
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I really needs to get me one of those coleman coffe makers
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I am thinking I will bring the foldout poker table and this cool chip and card set a good buddy got me.
He must have been a really good buddy.... ;)
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mike slept the most i believe 2 hours HOG!!
please bring that table bear atleast i can win some $$$ >:D
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I am thinking I will bring the foldout poker table and this cool chip and card set a good buddy got me.
Count me in for a little pocker for sure.
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I didn't sleep the most, DDog and Bear were already asleep when I went to bed and still asleep when I got up.... Geez..
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I blame Tex-a-que for not bustin with thier coffee ::) Think I may bring me some energy drinks or somethin to keep me awake. I did have an alarm clock going off every 30 minutes tho. The team behind us would walk by with a time update for Thom..."sun will be up soon Thom", " sun is coming up Thom", "it's morning Thom", "Contest is almost over Thom"
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I blame Tex-a-que for not bustin with thier coffee ::) Think I may bring me some energy drinks or somethin to keep me awake. I did have an alarm clock going off every 30 minutes tho. The team behind us would walk by with a time update for Thom..."sun will be up soon Thom", " sun is coming up Thom", "it's morning Thom", "Contest is almost over Thom"
;D ;D ;D Too funny, I remember that....
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i recall not sleeping at all :P hmmmm lot's of stars out but thom snores jeez!!
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::) ;D >:D
We are trying the Quick and Hot Briskey this weekend