Which techniques did you inherit?

[sparctek]

Growing up I remember my father always cooked for my family's birthday parties. Always using open wood fire with a simple 3 x 6 foot grill over the fire/coals. Always a freshly slaughtered kid goat or small pig, with all the Mexican rice and charro beans to go with it.

Very fond memories for me. I do the cooking now when I visit my parents, usually beef ribs (tablitas), chicken and pork ribs but always over an open fire like my dad did, and the same sides of rice and beans.

I love smoking brisket, ribs and everything else I can get my hands on in my offset smoker. But, when I start remembering those time with dad I cant help but pop open a cold one, build a fire and throw some meat on the grill. :grin:

 

[McSpazatron]

My dad made a good steak on a Weber. Always remember them being the best. I still have a love of Webers because of that association.

But my strongest memories are the early years growing up in the sticks in Puerto Rico. Still have vivid memories of family parties with lechon al carbon, and taking turns at the steering wheel on the spit. I remember going along to buy sacks of charcoal and seeing those huge mounds of steaming "dirt", and wondering how the heck they got charcoal out of that. And the smell of that steamy smoke was unforgettable. I think that memory is what still makes me choose lump charcoal to this day for anything I cook. My first "all nighter" was when I was 12 or 13. I got to go along to get the pig, watched as the guys mounted it up on the spit, then we walked it funeral procession style down the road to where the fire was being set up.

My second "all nighter" was last year when I cooked up my first pig on spit in my backyard along with my best bud (he has the same pig roasting memories, only in German). My dad, brother in law, and a few other guys came to watch us prep it, and stopped by the next morning to give plenty of "advice" as we cooked. Good times...

Although I will say that it's a lot more stressful running the show yourself, especially since I spent most of the time worrying about how well we tied it on to the spit, that the fire was way hotter or way colder than it needed to be, and wondering when done was done.

 

[cheez59]

Dad was a chef for well over 50 years. He owned three restaurants and managed several more. He never did any outdoor cooking so no BBQ experience was handed down. He did however teach me about planning a meal and making frugal purchases of food and food related things. These skills have proven invaluable to me over the years.

 

[QQQ]

I inherited onion soup mix burgers...that's it for BBQ related stuff.

same for me. most people turn up their nose when they hear onion soup mix burgers but they can't believe how good they are once they try them. bbq for us growing up was also grilling. we didn't eat alot of steak but when we did my dad would get some filet's in a teriyaki/italian dressing marinade. lots of chicken wings and thighs with saucy susan.

 

[landarc]

My parents were incredible cooks, as was my grandmother. Everything I do comes from them in one way or another. Control your heat, taste what you're cooking, love what you're doing, use great ingredients. I also had great mentors who taught me how to cook 200 pounds of brisket at s time, to roast 1500 chicken halves in a day, and his to stage an evening dinner service. It's all inherited in some way.

 

[aawa]

My parents are came from the Phillipines and their BBQ is mostly pork.

The most common is pork butts/shoulders sliced thin and marinated in soy sauce, garlic, onion, and coca cola (or any soda) Then skewered and cooked hot and fast direct over coals.

The special occassion bbq is whole hog called Lechon. It is spit roasted, traditionally using coconuts as the sorce of fuel. It is also basted with a some sort of liquid. I am not 100% sure what the liquid is.

 

[DownHomeQue]

My dad only cooked with Gas Grills.. when I was 12 I bought my first Charcoal grill Chargriller Offset Smoker and have fully converted him now.. and I still occasionally use LIGHTER FLUID to start charcoal now still I have a weber Kettle at work I start with a little Lighter fluid and then let burn for about an hour then add wood and my food.. Lighter fluid gets a bad rap.. Sometimes in my offsets I use it also But I do have a weedburner I use most often.

 

[Yendor]

This is rather eye opening to me, but I suppose it all makes sense. Very few of us learned the art of que from our elders. I guess that explains the "noob" questions that appear here. I know there are a lot of great cooks on this forum, but I think that our overall talent comes from us sharing ideas and secrets with each other here. I think that is fantastic!!

 

[Smokey Lonesome]

My dad was the 'King of the Grill', a title conferred upon him by his sisters and brothers-in law. Forth of July and Labor Day parties centered around him tending the grill and cooking whatever meats were brought by the families. Fancy seasoning? No. Likely salt and pepper and not 'sea salt' or fresh ground pepper either. Maybe garlic powder in a more creative moment. Spritzes were available to keep flames at bay. Chicken skin was typically on the crispy black side and would be considered burned by today's standards. If I burned chicken that badly today on a routine basis, most would consider my grilling skills highly suspect. Every now and then a piece does got over done and I keep that piece for myself and not my guests. The taste of the burned skin is sort of a comfort food taste, bringing back memories of what it used to be a long time ago. I do miss him so.

 

[KC Smoke]

I still use my fathers rib rub recipe that he used for a first place at the Royal in the 80s. I also use his hand me down smoker also originally purchased in the 80s. Oh and lets not forget my pension for drinking just a lil to much on turn-in days. I learned it from you dad.

 

[Yan can Cook]

I learned how to not cook food on an open flame. My dad would burn everything! Pass the BBQ sauce, LOL!

 

[Imp81318]

My mom did all of the cooking in our house. Her way of making BBQ chicken was to first boil the chicken on the stove (not kidding!), then put it on the gas grill, which had foil on the rack (again, not kidding!), and brush with BBQ sauce.

So I have done my best NOT to learn anything about BBQ'ing from her...

 

[TXBronco]

I add soy sauce to most marinades. My Pop did that too. Ha

 

[Thingfish]

My dad could grill burgers and that's about it. I can say that I learned about flammable liquids and how easily things can catch fire from my dad. My mom was a good cook, but her mom and aunts were great cooks. I learned about southern cooking and delicacies from my mom and her family. Finer cooking I began learning from a stint working in a restaurant and from cook books. BBQ I did not learn until middle age. I am still a student and the internet is my teacher. My teacher knows everything and nothing!

 

[bbqwizard]

I learned very early on from my grandfather, that you should stick a cob of corn up the butt of a roasted pig for moist and juicy corn. I also learned that at almost every pig roast there are squeamish people. Have a little fun with them by putting a whole bunch of link sausage in the cavity, sew it up and when they ask "if it's ready", simply pull the sausage out of the cavity (that now looks like cooked intestines), take a big ol bite and answer "yep, sure is"... The looks are generally priceless.:shock::tape:

 

[SmokinCW]

This is rather eye opening to me, but I suppose it all makes sense. Very few of us learned the art of que from our elders. I guess that explains the "noob" questions that appear here. I know there are a lot of great cooks on this forum, but I think that our overall talent comes from us sharing ideas and secrets with each other here. I think that is fantastic!!

I agree! My family had lots of great cooks but almost no live fire cooking. I have had to learn the art of que myself. The fun thing is that now my kids are learning and practicing the grill arts.

 

[slackdogbbq]

I grew up watching and then helping my Dad smoke fish on a brick smoker that he built in our back yard in 1970 in Va. Beach, Va. I was 7 years old.

It had offset fire chamber and in design is much like my Stump's. Dad used chunks of oak and I use a combo of chips and chunks to get the temp I want.

That is my short story and my Stump's is a cooking machine.

 

[lankster35]

Coming from Yankee North (Mo), the way to BBQ was just that, BBQ and it was good - no -great. You grill the meat and then use BBQ sauce to finish if off. In TX very few people BBQ unless you still believe you are living up North which is sort of a shame. I love smoking ribs, brisket, chicken or pork but every once in a while there is nothing wrong with getting out the grill and BBQing some meat.

The new Hot-n-fast really reminds me more of BBQ than smoking which is hard for me to accept since I have done so much of both in the last 30 years. I have tried it but still enjoy spending the day relaxing, having a beer or three and smoking low n slow.

Thanks to my dad for teaching me how to BBQ. I have now taught him how to smoke and he is the proud owner of an offset.

 

[Bludawg]

Pappy & Pa's tutelage> you can't cook without cold beer, a good smoke, your Stetson and a radio.

 

[THoey1963]

Dad was in the Navy and out aboard ship more than he was home. Dad was no culinary genius, but he was creative, and not necessarily in a good way. Green food coloring with the mashed potatoes and it wasn't St. Patrick's day. When he grilled, it was usually a big holiday, and was always well done burgers, dogs, and thin round steak. I learned to love steak sauce...

Money was tight, so Mom worked too, usually in the afternoons. So, she made a lot of crock pot meals and things like spaghetti that could be reheated. I learned to cook from her.

I learned my love of cooking after I moved out. Learned to grill burgers and steaks other than well done and learned I liked it. Made a lot of burnt & raw chicken at first. That takes talent. Got better at grilling and ventured into BBQ. Now I am considered a very good cook and have even gotten to cook a big meal for the folks and they loved it. They don't have a pit at home, and not worth buying them one, but next trip, I'll need to figure out how to BBQ for them...