P: 847-726-0726 F: 847-550-0099
E-mail: info@SmokinTsBBQ.com
Smokin’ T’s Bar-B-Que (847) 726 - 0726 Map & Hours
What is the correct way to spell ‘Que?
Darned if we know. It tastes the same to us no matter how we spell it. We've seen it spelled 'barbecue,' 'barbeque,' Bar-b-que, Bar-B-Que, 'BBQ,' 'Q,' and 'Que.'
What is the best way to learn how to barbeque?
Put the engineering books away. This is cooking meat here. There is far more art than science, more alchemy than chemistry. Get some wood, matches, and meat and go to it. You will learn far more by building a fire and watching the results than anyone here can teach you. There is no instruction book on making good barbeque.
What meats are used?
Beef briskets are favored in Texas, pork shoulders in North Carolina, ribs in Kansas, chicken in Louisiana. Much of the regional favoritism is due to the types of animals raised in the area. Turkey, seafood, lamb, goat and venison can also be smoked in this manner.
Barbeque is an evolution of a cooking technique that involves using the tough, cheaper cuts of meat and cooking them until they are tender. Brisket comes from the breast area of a steer that does a lot of work and tends to be very tough. This is also true for pork shoulders (the forelegs of the pig). These cuts of meat have a lot of fat and collagen, the material that holds the muscle together. Long, slow cooking transforms the collagen from a tough material into a gelatin that dissolves. This can take hours at a temperature of about 160˚F.
What is a rub?
Often, meats are seasoned before cooking by applying a dry rub or a blend of spices and herbs rubbed onto the meat to enhance flavor. There are many variations. Most recipes include salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic and onion powders, and black and red peppers. There is no limit to the imaginative use of spice combinations.
What is a smoke ring?
Smoke rings are produced by a chemical reaction between the meat and the penetration of the smoke. You will see a smoke ring on meat barbequed over a wood fire. It is a pink color that extends from the outside surface into the meat. Its thickness depends on several factors, such as the type of smoke and the duration of smoking. The following two questions provide a more detailed explanation of the chemical reactions involved.
Why is my barbequed chicken pink? Is it still raw?
That pink color is due to the chemical reaction of the smoke with the chemicals in the bone and meat, even though it is thoroughly cooked. Ash is loaded with potassium and sodium nitrates. This reacts with oxymethyglobin to form nitrosaminoglobulins and gives us the pink color of hams, lunch meats, hot dogs, and smoke rings.
When do you use a dry rub and a marinade?
Much depends on your personal choice. A marinade can flavor and moisten the meat. A rub only adds flavor. Many barbequers use a marinade followed by a dry rub.
When do I apply the barbeque sauce?
Finishing sauces, especially those with tomato and sugar, should be applied only at the very end of cooking. If applied too early, they will caramelize, burn and turn black from the heat.
What's a “mop” and when do I use it?
Mops are basting sauces used to add moisture during the cooking process. They usually contain liquids that can take the heat with no ill effects. They consist of one or more of the following: beer, wine, beef broth, fruit juices, vegetable oil and some spices. Apply them once an hour during cooking.
How do I barbeque really good-tasting and tender pork ribs?
Everybody likes ribs, especially baby backs. On the bone side of the rib there is a membrane. From one corner, cut under it with a knife and work it up with your fingers. Pull it off working toward the other side. Then, you can marinate them or you can put a rub on them. Remember, ribs are thin so don’t pile on the rub like you would with a large piece of meat. Just a light coating on each side will do.
Fire up the smoker and get it up to a temperature of 225˚-240˚F at the grill. If you put them on flat, place them fat side up. If you want to save space, use a rib rack to stand them on end or you can roll them up loosely and hold them together with a bamboo skewer. Smoke baby backs for about 3-4 hours, spares for about 4-5 hours. You will see the meat pulling back on the bone when they are done. Use a carving fork and poke it between the ribs. When the ribs are done, the fork will go in easily. Serve with a little sauce on the side. Opinions vary, but the meat should be the star, not the sauce. Sauces are meant to accent the taste of the meat.
How do I barbeque North Carolina-style pulled pork?
True N.C. pulled pork starts with a pork shoulder smoked over hickory coals. You can use either the picnic half or the butt half, as it is difficult to find whole shoulders. Each half will weigh about 7 to 8 pounds. Smoke gently (220˚-240˚F at meat-grill level) until the meat is very tender. This takes from 8 to 12 hours, keeping the meat at or above 160˚F. The meat should be ready to fall apart at an internal temperature of 185˚-190˚F. Pull or chop the meat apart, putting it into a container. Eastern N.C. style uses a sauce consisting of cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Variations include sugar to offset the vinegar. Use about 12 ounces of sauce to six pounds of finished meat. Mix this together, refrigerate overnight so the flavors meld together and serve on white-bread buns, perhaps with coleslaw on the top.
Definition of Terms
RUB- A seasoning that is rubbed onto the meat for flavor before it is cooked.
SLOW & LOW - This describes the cooking technique that defines barbeque. Slow refers to the amount time it’s cooked and low refers to the temperature used cook it.
PULLED - Refers to how the meat is broken down after it has been cooked (as opposed to chopped).
CRYOVAC - A process used to vacuum-pack our meats, sealing in the freshness and flavor
KCBS - The Kansas City Barbeque Society, which sanctions many barbeque competitions.
MR. BROWN, aka the Bark - The crust that forms on the outside of barbequed meat. Also the trade name of a commercial barbeque spice rub.
MOP - A basting sauce used to add moisture during the cooking process.
PIT - A term originally used to describe an in-ground barbeque pit, now used synonymously with the term “smoker.”
ALABAMA WHITE BARBEQUE SAUCE – This is a sauce created in Alabama and is typically used with poultry. It is a mayonnaise and vinegar-based sauce. Try it and you will love it.
What Smokin’ T’s is NOT:
LAZY-QUE - A somewhat-derogatory term used by wood-burning smoker traditionalists referring to those who choose to barbeque by using gas or electricity to fuel their pits and wood chips and or chunks for smoke. The Lazy-Q'ers thereby relieve themselves of the necessity to expend any but the most trivial effort in the act of barbequing.
PSEUDO-Q or FAUX-Q (don't say this one out loud) - Meat that is boiled in water (parboiled) and then finished on the grill and served with a BBQ sauce containing liquid smoke product. Also used to refer to foods cooked in the oven that simulate real BBQ. This is taboo at Smokin’ T’s.
Sample Recipes
(‘cause there ain’t no way we’re givin’ ya ours)
All-South Barbeque Rub*
2 - Tablespoons Sugar
2 - Tablespoons Salt
2 - Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 - Tablespoons Ground Cumin
2 - Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 - Tablespoons Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
1 - Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
4 - Tablespoons Paprika
*Simply mix above ingredients together
Spicy Chili Rub
1 - Tablespoon Black Pepper
2 - Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
2 - Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 - Tablespoons Ground Cumin
2 - Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 - Tablespoon Ground Oregano
4 - Tablespoons Paprika
2 - Tablespoons Salt
1 - Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
1 - Tablespoon White Pepper
*Mix all ingredients in small bowl and store
in a tightly sealed jar in a cool, dark place.
General Purpose Dry Rub
2-1/2 - Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
1-1/2 - Teaspoons Dried Sweet Basil
1/8 - Teaspoon Ground Cumin
3/4 - Teaspoon Ground Coriander
3/4 - Teaspoon Dried Thyme
3/4 - Teaspoon Black Pepper
3/4 - Teaspoon White Pepper
2 - Tablespoons Paprika
2 - Teaspoons Dry Mustard
2 - Teaspoons Onion Powder
2 – Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 - Tablespoons Salt
*Mix all ingredients thoroughly and store
in a tightly sealed jar in a cool, dark place.