My BBQ setup

Welcome to my BBQ site:

Brand new Bullet style smoker BBQ

This blog has information based on my research and experience using my WSM BBQ. My model is the 22.5", which allows plenty of room for a mess of ribs or big hunks of pork shoulder or beef brisket. Also nicknamed 'The Bullet' in reference to its shape, this design works extremely well in cooking authentic BBQ. A lot of what I am posting here will apply to any smoker BBQ or even a gas grill where indirect heat is being used. I have successfully smoked ribs on a gas grill using smoke boxes or wood chips/chunks wrapped in foil with a few holes poked through. In the end, it's the meat that you're using and the slow and low technique that makes it all taste good.

I had looked at getting a decent smoker BBQ for a few years before deciding on this model. My only experience with real BBQ was on my Natural Gas Grill, using cast iron wood chip boxes or having soaked wood chunks wrapped in foil and having the meat teetering in a pan over indirect heat. Temperature control and smoke loss were the big limitations. There's a big difference between barbecue and grilling, all to do with temperature. BBQ uses lower temperatures and way longer cooking times than grilling. Grilling is all about searing and sealing whereas BBQ counts on the flavour of the smoke to penetrate and permeate the meat. You can actually finish ribs on the grill once they've been given a good slap of sauce on them so that they caramelize a bit for true BBQ taste.

Another feature of low and slow cooking is that relatively inexpensive cuts of meat that are usually tough become as tender as the most pricy tenderloin. My first pork shoulder was so tender after 20 hours in the smoker that the blade bone was pulled out from the hunk of meat with no effort at all.

There are other BBQ setups available on the market, including bullet style smokers, offsets, the ceramic 'eggs', or just a large kettle BBQ where you simply pile the heat source to one side and the food on the other. Each will work well once you get to know how to use them.

Some smokers, like the one that I have, benefit from some sort of initial 'seasoning' before the first smoking session. There may be a factory residue left on the interior metal that needs to be burned off in order to avoid any nasty industrial flavours. Some folks, however, don't bother with seasoning. After a few sessions, the smoker will have accumulated a nice layer of smoke and grease which will not only give food some extra depth of flavour, but allow better control of internal temperature as the shiny, reflective interior no longer a factor.

Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt) & Sausages

Temperature - Monitor and Control

Stock BBQ Thermometer

Temperature control is an extremely important part of the BBQ process. The idea is to attain and hold the ideal temperature for an extended period of time. In order to do this in the first place, you are going to need an accurate device to measure the temperature inside your grill or smoker in order to make any adjustments necessary. Ideally, for smoking, you want to stay in the 200 - 250 degree range and a good thermometer will be invaluable in knowing where you're at.

The thermometers that are standard features on most grills and smokers are notoriously inaccurate. In fact my smoker's temperature gauge doesn't even work after only a few years of gentle use. There's a very good model (Tel-Tru) that's on my wishlist. Although it's a bit pricey, you really do need a good unit. The reason that I haven't bought one yet is that I did acquire a remote device that tells me the temperature of the cooking area as well as the internal temperature of whatever I'm cooking. A lot of people use an insertion type instant-read thermometer for internal temperature.

To do something like a turkey on a grill, there is a great deal of temperature monitoring required. Every time you open up the lid to baste the bird you lose a great deal of heat quickly. Use a remote grill/meat thermometer to keep an eye on the temperatures throughout the entire process and adjust the gas to keep the temperature as consistent as possilbe. Although the turkey can be somewhat forgiving for a lot of variations, you don’t want to burn the roasting pan due to a lack of dripping liquid under the bird, so keep an eye on it if the temperature gets up too high.

For my bullet smoker, I can control the temperature mainly through the use of the 3 vents at the bottom, which reduces or increases the amount of oxygen feeding the fire. They say that the top vent should be wide open, but I've found it necessary at times to close it to slow down the temperature.

Another factor is the type of fuel being used. I have found that regular charcoal briquettes most frequently used on a hibachi style unit get hot fast and then die off quickly, which means that I have to add more briquettes - all the while struggling with temperature fluctuations. I started using a premium briquette designed for competitions which has been far more consistent in maintaining a level temperature. I also mix in some lump charcoal to get the same result.

Rubs and Brines

Prepping cuts of meat for slow and low BBQ usually includes using some sort of spice rub on the meat beforehand. I have added rubs just prior to putting the meat on the smoker, but generally it is recommended to add the rub the day before. The theory is that that the salt and spices have an opportunity to infuse their magic into the meat to some degree. But more importantly, what happens is that the rub ends up creating the characteristic 'bark' surrounding the meat, which is where a whole bunch of the great taste of BBQ is found.

Brisket with a Salt & Pepper-based Rub

Rubs will vary depending on the type of meat that you're cooking as well as the flavour profile that you might be trying to achieve. Here's what I know based on personal experience and from what I've learned from the masters of the pit.

Beef: Keep it simple. Dalmatian rubs based on mostly salt and pepper are the norm.

Pork: Benefits from a wide variety of ingredients as well as some form of sugar.

Poultry: Both wet brines or a dry rub will work to infuse flavour as well as act as method to ensure a moist final product. Subtle herbs such as rosemary, sage, or thyme are useful additions to the brine.

Some BBQ cooks like to add a thin layer of olive oil onto the meat before adding the rub. The idea here is that many spices dissolve into the oil which acts to 'transport' their flavours into the meat. Others say that the simple presence of salt, for at least two hours before throwing the meat onto the BBQ, will have the same effect. Another thing to note, especially for pork ribs, is to remove the thin membrane (which is an effective barrier) that covers the bones before adding a rub.

Here are some rub recipes that I've used and found to be pretty good. For each recipe, mix all the ingredients together thoroughly and keep it in a tightly sealed jar in a cool, dark place. For poultry, check out my blog post on chicken and turkey which will include brining.

Basic Beef Rub (beef ribs and brisket)

6 T. coarse black pepper

4 t. garlic powder

4 T. kosher salt

4 t. dry mustard

4 t. pasilla or ancho chili powder

1 t. chipotle chili powder

2 T. turbinado sugar

2 T. onion powder

1 t. cayenne powder

The chili powders can be found in any supermarket with a decent Latin American section or better yet from a Mexican grocer. Whenever I travel to Mexico I keep a sharp eye out for the various type available there. 

Spicy Texas Pork Rub (baby back ribs)

2/3 c. dried ancho pepper powder

1 1/2 T. Kosher salt

2 T. garlic powder

2 T. ground cayenne pepper

1 T. ground cumin

This is enough for 4 full racks pork back ribs. Instead of cayenne, you could substitute some chipotle chili powder for the same heat profile but with a smokier finish.

Basic Pork Rub (pork shoulder, St. Louis style side ribs)

1 T. ground black pepper 

1 T. dried oregano

1 - 2 t. cayenne pepper

4 T. paprika 

2 T. chili powder 

2 T. kosher salt

2 T. ground cumin 

1 T. ground white pepper

3 T. turbinado sugar  

I've been using smoked Spanish paprika lately instead of the Hungarian product. It comes in either 'sweet' or 'hot' modes.

Kansas City BBQ sauce - make it yourself

Commercial Products vs Home-made

Far too many of the BBQ sauces that you find on supermarket shelves are of poor quality. Various forms of not-so-healthy sugars and starch-based fillers make up the bulk of the ingredients fount in the products available commercially. When you go to a real BBQ joint, however, you'll find that more often than not, they offer at least a couple of sauces in their condiment selection that are made in-house. The reason is that they are far better tasting and the pit-boss can control what's in there to align with the specific style of BBQ meats offered at that particular establishment.

That being said, there are some good brands of sauces out there but you really need to pore over the ingredients list to make that judgement. One of the worst things you'll find on that list is any sugars derived from corn, especially 'high fructose corn syrup'. That stuff is deadly - quite literally. Research has shown that it is directly responsible for an increase in obesity rates, heart disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease, inflammation, etc. and, because it's an artificial sugar derived from corn, has no essential nutrients tagging along for the ride like regular glucose has.

Cane sugar and turbinado sugar are slightly better products, from a health point of view, in that they contain trace amounts of essential nutrients or even antioxidants, although of minimal value. Either way they are more natural and less harmful than the corn syrup products.

Here's a recipe for my home-made Kansas City style BBQ sauce. You can source out a cane-sugar based ketchup to try to eliminate any corn syrup:

Kansas City Style BBQ SAUCE

2 c. ketchup

2 c. tomato sauce (passata)

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

1 1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. unsulfured molasses

1 t. onion powder

1 t. cayenne pepper

1/2 t. chili powder

2 t. hot smoked paprika

1 t. celery seed

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

2 T. butter

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. garlic powder

2 t. coarsely ground pepper

4 t. hickory-flavoured liquid smoke

Heat molasses in warm water before starting. Add molasses to a large saucepan over medium heat, then mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, liquid smoke, and butter; bring to a boil. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary. Brush sauce onto any kind of meat during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Poultry on the Grill

About ten years ago I decided to do the Thanksgiving turkey on my grill, replicating the temperatures of the oven indoors but with the added bonus of infusing some smokiness using wood chips throughout the process. I have never gone back indoors. The gravy that results is 94% of the reason, truth be told. Although this method is technically not 'low and slow' BBQ, the subtle smoky flavour is pretty damn close to real BBQ. I've also done chicken on the grill with the smoke boxes with excellent results. The real advantage here is that you don't need to have a smoker style BBQ and any regular patio-style grill will work just fine. You will, however, need to have an accurate thermometer to gauge the temperature of the cooking space and, more importantly, the internal temperature of the bird. It isn't safe to eat poultry that isn't cooked properly. Plus it will reassure you as you eat the final product as quite often the smoking process makes the meat appear to be 'pink' and uncooked when in reality it is, according to the thermometer. (Check out my blog post about determining accurate temperatures).

Turkey on the Grill

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