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Page 1 FAQ OF THE INTERNET BBQ LIST Version 1.0 Date of last update: 9/21/97 This document is a compilation and summary of frequently asked questions and answers posted to the Rick Thead BBQ List. We hope this list of questions and answers will help you improve your barbecue skills. This FAQ was edited by Bill Wight. Please direct comments, corrections or suggested additions to: [email protected]. (C) Copyright 1997 William W. Wight. All rights reserved. The contributions of the individual posters contained within this document remain their property. You may copy and distribute this document as long as the contributor's names and this copyright notice remain intact. I have given credit for each answer provided in this document where the author was known. Special thanks for extra effort goes to Ed Pawlowski, Harry Jiles, Danny Gaulden, Jeff Lipsitt aka the Boston Butt, Billy Maynard aka Belly, Rodney Leist, Kit Anderson, David Westebbe aka EskWIRED, David Klose, Rick Otto and Garry Howard. Special thanks also go to the BBQ List FAQ Team which gave me guidance, criticism and a lot of support in putting together this document: Ed Pawlowski, Lloyd Carver, Tom Kelly, Garry Howard, Rock McNelly, Rodney Leist, Dan Gill, and The Bear. The Mini-FAQ is mainly the work of Ed Pawlowski. My thanks also to the FAQ proof readers, Jon McCoy and my wife, Mary Wight. This FAQ is dedicated to the memory of Phil Wight, one of the original BBQ List members and a regular poster to the rec.food.cooking newsgroup. Phil was always ready to share his knowledge, his ideas, recipes or the time of day. Phil passed away on June 7, 1997. We'll miss him. Page 2 Table of ContentsContents 1. Introduction to the BBQ List 5 1.1. Who we are 5 1.2. What we do here 5 1.3. Charter 5 1.4. Definition of terms 6 2. What is barbecue? 7 2.1. Our definition 7 2.2. What is the "correct" way to spell it? 7 3. Administrative 8 3.1. How to get on the list 8 3.2. How to get off the list 8 3.3. Posting guidelines 8 3.4. Front porch rules apply 9 3.5. Digest vs. individual messages 9 3.6. Where can I find the archived digests? 9 3.7. Where can I find the recipe archives? 10 3.8. Are there other barbecue lists? 10 3.9. Is there a newsgroup about barbecue? 10 3.10. Confessions of a newbie to barbecue 10 3.11. How can I get updates and different formats of this FAQ? 11 4. Tell me about barbecue in general -- The Mini-FAQ 11 5. Hardware--Smokers 19 5.1. Home smokers 20 5.1.1. New Braunfels Smokers 22 5.1.2. Brinkmann Corporation 25 5.1.3. SnP Pro vs. the NBBD and Hondo 26 5.1.4. BBQ Pits by Klose 27 5.1.5. Oklahoma Joe's Pits 28 5.1.6. Weber Grills 29 5.1.7. Char-Broil 30 5.1.8. Cookshack Ovens 31 5.2. Homemade pits This section under construction 31 5.3. Brick and block pits 31 6. Hardware--accessories 31 6.1. Thermometers 31 6.1.1. Pros and cons of thermometers 33 6.1.2. Where should I measure the temperature? 34 6.2. Tools 34 7. Tell Me About Using Smokers 36 7.1. Most common mistakes made by beginners 36 7.2. Smoker modifications 38 7.2.1. Modifying charcoal-burning bullet water-type smokers 38 7.2.2. Modifying the Hondo/NBBD or SnP Pro smokers 39 7.3. Smoker maintenance 42 7.4. Smoker temperature control 44 7.5. Smoker fire control 46 Page 3 7.6. Using chips and chunks for smoke 52 7.7. Wood vs. charcoal 53 7.8. Briquettes vs. lump charcoal 53 7.9. Gas-fired smokers 55 7.10. Electrically-heated smokers 55 8. Wood for smoking 55 8.1. Types of wood suitable for smoking 55 8.2. To bark or not to bark 59 8.3. Pre-burning wood 59 8.4. Green or seasoned? 60 8.5. What types of wood should I not use? 60 8.6. How much does lump charcoal and smoking wood cost? 60 9. Dry rubs and BBQ sauces 61 9.1. Dry rubs 61 9.2. BBQ sauces 66 10. We're smoking meats here 74 10.1. Pork 74 10.1.1. Ribs 74 10.1.2. Picnics and butts 79 10.1.3. Whole ham 84 10.1.4. Pork chops 84 10.1.5. The Whole hog 85 10.1.6. Bacon 85 10.1.7. Sausages 85 10.1.8. Hot dogs 86 10.2. Beef 86 10.2.1. Brisket 86 10.2.2. Jerky 92 10.2.3. Steaks 95 10.2.4. Short Ribs 96 10.2.5. Roasts 96 10.3. Chicken 99 10.3.1. Breasts 99 10.3.2. Leg quarters 100 10.3.3. Whole chicken 101 10.4. Turkey 102 10.4.1. Breasts 102 10.4.2. Legs 103 10.4.3. Whole turkey 103 10.5. Pheasant 104 10.6. Lamb 104 10.7. Venison 106 10.8. Fish 107 11. Freezing barbecue meat and leftovers 111 12. What goes well with BBQ? 113 12.1. Coleslaw 113 12.2. Beans 114 12.3. Chili 116 12.4. Corn 116 12.5. Potatoes 117 12.6. Cornbread 118 Page 4 13. Barbecue portion size 119 14. Problems while barbecuing--What went wrong? 119 15. Making Lump Charcoal 125 16. Smoking chiles 126 17. Books on barbecue 126 18. Where do I buy this barbecue stuff? 128 19. Other Internet resources on barbecue 131 Page 5 1. Introduction to the BBQ List 1.1. Who we are Why, we're just a bunch of down-home folk, a lot like you. We're carpenters, paleontologists, home- makers, plumbers, farmers, cooks and engineers (and just about everything in between). We're a diverse group that has one thing in common--we like barbecue. 1.2. What we do here We like to sit on the front porch, around the barbecue pit, watching the smoke rising out of the stack, drinking a beer or a Dr. Pepper and having us a real good chat about barbecue, the size of the universe, the meaning of life and other important stuff. We also, from time to time, if the feeling strikes us just right, and we've got a beer or Dr. Pepper in hand, will impart our "Q" knowledge to newcomers to barbecue that will enable them to increase their barbecuing skills to levels unheard of a hundred years ago. So stick around, read the posts and join the fun. Who knows, you might just learn a thing or two about barbecue, the size of the universe, the meaning of life and other important stuff. BTW, if we don't know the answer to your question, we'll just make one up. 1.3. Charter Our Charter-- The BBQ Mailing List was started in early 1996 by Richard Thead to facilitate the discussion of barbecue and grilling. We don't discuss religion, or politics and we post no obscene pictures (provided you don't look at the mugs of some of our members on Garry's Web page-- http://www.tiac.net/users/garhow/bbq/bbqlist/photos.htm). Please don't look--as it's pretty scary and people have left the list after seeing them. We talk about Q here. We answer questions about Q. We fight about Q. We take Q seriously. That's what we do. Sometimes, opinions and prejudices border on religion, but just keep in mind that most of the time a post that sounds critical, or even hostile, is most likely done tongue-in-cheek. Don't take everything you read on this list too seriously, in fact don't take anything you read on this list too seriously! (Except safety.) Here is what Rick Thead used to send to new list subscribers: "I'd like to keep this list fun and informative for everybody. Hopefully, we can keep the flames to a minimum. We all need to keep in mind that bbq means different things in different places. I'm as guilty as anybody of being a bbq snob. However, for this list, anything having to do with smoking, grilling or any other type of 'outdoor' cooking is welcome. The only thing I'd like to discourage is the so-called 'oven bbq,' where you throw something in the oven with a bottle of liquid smoke and call it bbq. There are plenty recipes for that in the recipe archives already, and it has no place here." Rick <[email protected]> Page 6 If you are a new member and discussion topics seem to be wandering, just stick around awhile and see what happens. Many of the list members have been participants for many months and have grown to be friends. Some members even get together occasionally around the country to share barbecue and swap stories (more likely lies). Consequently, other topics of discussion may spring up temporarily but the discussion will come back around to barbecue. Just be patient. -------------------- [I'm new to the Internet and this BBQ List. Just what is a FAQ, anyway?] Jerry Ward-- I will take a stab at letting you in on some Internet etiquette. FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. Most groups on the Internet have a FAQ.