I have a little rant I’d like to share with you all. I’m the first to admit that I’m a BBQ snob. I know I cook some really good BBQ. I have friends, family, strangers, etc told me that my BBQ is some of the best they have had (not to be polite) and I have a few trophies to back it up. All of the restaurant bbq joints around my town in the Deep South are horrible. And I’m near a lot of the bbq mecca joints but none of our local people can cook; they just can’t; so I prefer my own and will refuse to sit down at these places anymore. What I’m not is naive to think that someone could be better than me. I know a majority on this site can cook circles around me and I respect that. What I don’t do is turn up my nose and say I can’t learn anymore. I have learned so much from every cook(s) on this site that I wouldn’t be a “snob” if it wasn’t for ya’ll. This site and members have helped me take my skills to the next level and the reason for that is the passion we all share in that we want to make good BBQ.
So to get to my rant we were at a Super Bowl party on Sunday. I was asked by the hosts to bring my pulled pork and bbq beans as they all enjoy my bbq. They also told me another couple is coming and the husband is also snobby with his bbq and only likes his own bbq. So I was like cool a fellow brethren lol. So we get there and my buddy told me that this guy is bringing pulled pork too; I was like cool whatever but we’re going to have shiste load of pork to eat. So he shows up with the butt in the foil pan and bear claws in hand. So I think to myself ok this guy seems to be on top of things. He proudly announces to everyone that he’s had the butt on his green egg since 8 the previous night and it took almost 19 hours to cook. He was very eccentric. So my wife goes how low were you cooking the damn thing? He said proudly that he kept his egg at 220 the whole time. I was like huh thinking to myself this guy’s life would change if he cooked at 275. So I follow him into the kitchen to check out his results and curious as a bbq guy to taste his product and to talk bbq with him. So he starts the bear claws and I ask him about his cook methods, etc. Ask if he uses a finishing sauce to which he replied No I don’t need it but I don’t look down upon those who do (ok lol) but I think he thought I meant bbq sauce. I told him I’m a fellow bbq guy and showed him some pics of my 270 smoker and UDS and told him I cook around 250 to 275 which he couldn’t believe. He asked if I use charcoal and I said yes then he said do you use any wood and I said yeah I’m into oak now. He asked about brisket and I said yes I love cooking them when I can and he said he followed a Franklin version his only time. I was like cool have you read his bbq book as its phenomenal and he said Nahhh I don’t want too. Ok.
I take a few bites and yes it was ok. A little dry but I didn’t say anything. I took out my homemade sauce and dipped some more bites and it helped bring out his flavors. I’m critiquing in my head like most of us do. I couldn’t taste much smoke, a little dry, rub/bark is good but overall an ok piece of meat. My meat was vacuum sealed and I told him that this was the way to go for storing your meat, etc. I reheated mine later with some leftover PP juice that I saved. So it finally came time to build a sandwich and I went with mine and dressed it up how I like. I also put a heaping of his on the side with some of my sauce as I wanted to try more. Everyone did one bun his and one bun mine so they could compare. I told him a few times to try mine as I’d like to hear your thoughts. He never did. He did say he loved my sauce though. My buddy told this guy’s wife when they were leaving that hey your husband never tried any of the other pork. She rolled her eyes and looked at me and said I actually prefer yours. I kind of laughed to myself.
I don’t want to come off like a dick but I got offended that he wouldn’t try my pork. Why wouldn’t he?? I didn’t tell him he should have done this or that or say your way isn’t good because there is no reason too; we all have our own methods. I tried his and complimented him; was respectful to him the whole time because you never know I might have learned something. That’s my point. There is always more to learn in this big world of bbq. Apparently this guy is content.
So to get to my rant we were at a Super Bowl party on Sunday. I was asked by the hosts to bring my pulled pork and bbq beans as they all enjoy my bbq. They also told me another couple is coming and the husband is also snobby with his bbq and only likes his own bbq. So I was like cool a fellow brethren lol. So we get there and my buddy told me that this guy is bringing pulled pork too; I was like cool whatever but we’re going to have shiste load of pork to eat. So he shows up with the butt in the foil pan and bear claws in hand. So I think to myself ok this guy seems to be on top of things. He proudly announces to everyone that he’s had the butt on his green egg since 8 the previous night and it took almost 19 hours to cook. He was very eccentric. So my wife goes how low were you cooking the damn thing? He said proudly that he kept his egg at 220 the whole time. I was like huh thinking to myself this guy’s life would change if he cooked at 275. So I follow him into the kitchen to check out his results and curious as a bbq guy to taste his product and to talk bbq with him. So he starts the bear claws and I ask him about his cook methods, etc. Ask if he uses a finishing sauce to which he replied No I don’t need it but I don’t look down upon those who do (ok lol) but I think he thought I meant bbq sauce. I told him I’m a fellow bbq guy and showed him some pics of my 270 smoker and UDS and told him I cook around 250 to 275 which he couldn’t believe. He asked if I use charcoal and I said yes then he said do you use any wood and I said yeah I’m into oak now. He asked about brisket and I said yes I love cooking them when I can and he said he followed a Franklin version his only time. I was like cool have you read his bbq book as its phenomenal and he said Nahhh I don’t want too. Ok.
I take a few bites and yes it was ok. A little dry but I didn’t say anything. I took out my homemade sauce and dipped some more bites and it helped bring out his flavors. I’m critiquing in my head like most of us do. I couldn’t taste much smoke, a little dry, rub/bark is good but overall an ok piece of meat. My meat was vacuum sealed and I told him that this was the way to go for storing your meat, etc. I reheated mine later with some leftover PP juice that I saved. So it finally came time to build a sandwich and I went with mine and dressed it up how I like. I also put a heaping of his on the side with some of my sauce as I wanted to try more. Everyone did one bun his and one bun mine so they could compare. I told him a few times to try mine as I’d like to hear your thoughts. He never did. He did say he loved my sauce though. My buddy told this guy’s wife when they were leaving that hey your husband never tried any of the other pork. She rolled her eyes and looked at me and said I actually prefer yours. I kind of laughed to myself.
I don’t want to come off like a dick but I got offended that he wouldn’t try my pork. Why wouldn’t he?? I didn’t tell him he should have done this or that or say your way isn’t good because there is no reason too; we all have our own methods. I tried his and complimented him; was respectful to him the whole time because you never know I might have learned something. That’s my point. There is always more to learn in this big world of bbq. Apparently this guy is content.
