BBQ the Best Pork Ribs

Colin@FlaPanhandleBBQ.com

OK, people have asked me in the past how I make those mouthwatering ribs. Remember barbequing should be fun. You invite your family and friends over for some home-cooked goodies — but how do you know your barbecue is going to turn out good? What if it’s not as good as the last time you made it?

Even for seasoned Barbecue vets, getting your meat consistently good is something that can be more than a little tricky. Well I’m here to tell you that it’s totally doable, and here are eleven tips that will help:

1. Purchase ribs that are evenly covered in meat. In other words, don’t buy a slab that is fatty on one end and fleshy on the other. Avoid slabs that have exposed bones!

2. Allow for one pound of ribs per guest. This is a generous helping but for more impressive appetites, make it two!

3. When preparing the meat, make sure you remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs with a sharp knife. If you don’t it blocks the flavor intake. Check-out the FPBS website (BackYard Tips Page) for directions with this.

4. Always marinate your ribs in the refrigerator.

5. If you just have to pre-cook your ribs before slapping them on the cooking grate, try steaming your slabs instead or boiling them as this will help lock the flavor in.

6. Before placing your ribs on the grate for Barbecuing or smoking, make sure you coat the metal with a generous helping of olive oil.

7. Barbecuing demands constant attention! As soon as it goes on your grate, stay close by and keep an eye on it. Watch the cooking temperature and avoid going above 250 degrees Fahrenheit — the best ribs are cooked slowly over indirect heat for about five hours.

8. Always use tongs to handle your meat once it’s on the grate. Why pierce the meat and let the flavor ooze out if you don’t have to?

9. If you’re going to baste during cooking stay away from anything with sugar in it. Your best bet is to use vinegar and/or water-based products only.

10. Only lay on the BBQ sauce in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. Any sooner than that and the heat will cause the sauce to caramelize and burn your meat.

11. Let the ribs cool for 10-15 minutes before you serve them up. This is just a courtesy — you don’t want to singe your guests’ mouths with smoking hot sauce! You could lose some friends.

Now the only thing left to do is to go out and implement these tips. Happy barbecuing!!

 

HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED BBQ JUDGE

By Colin Richards

Have you ever watched a BBQ cook-off on television, or gone to one of these live events and thought that judges at these events had the best job in the world? Well they do. However, to get one of these coveted non-paying positions you have to become a Certified BBQ Judge.  

If you compete or are thinking of competing in a BBQ competition, you can learn what goes on in the judge’s tent. Learn what is expected from your turn-in plate and how to prepare to better prepare yourself. If you are a BBQ enthusiast like me, you can learn more about traditional American barbecue. What can be better than spending some quality time with other folks who also enjoy BBQ? Let me be the first to tell you it is so much fun, I have been a judge for over a year now and have judged in nine events. All of the events were in around the Florida Panhandle area. More and more events are being formed so they will need judges.        I

The Florida Barbecue Association is holding a BBQ judging class on February 16th (7pm) at Southeast Region Pigfest BBQ. This is being held in Tallahassee, Fla… on the east side of the Panhandle. I made it down a couple times in 2011 for barbecue events. It’s right on I-10 so you can get there within a couple of hours, it’s not too far. These BBQ judging classes don’t come around too often… the last one that I know of was held in Dothan Al. last April. I can’t recommend these classes enough. Official FBA reps will conduct the class and do the instruction. More info on this seminar is on the Florida BBQ Website Link:  http://www.flbbq.org/judgeapp.htm  

Some of the Benefits of the class/seminar

• You get to eat some pretty good BBQ during the class
• You learn about BBQ from some of FBA’s best Q’rs
• You meet and mingle with other BBQ enthusiasts
• You can sign up to judge on the following day (if there is room) or any other FBA sanctioned BBQ competition
• You become an Official Florida BBQ Association (FBA) Judge… this alone is worth the price of admission.

Note: Read the preceding Post by Kerry Ferrall 

My First BBQ Competition Judging – By Kerry Ferrall

I took the FBA judges class several months back (well, 9 months ago to be exact) and finally managed to judge my first contest in Elba at the Foggy Bottom BBQ Festival.

One would think that eating great BBQ all day long would be a dream, and it was at first. I was so happy and the great smelling BBQ had my appetite fired up so I was pumped up to get started. The first turn in- chicken- was pretty good and I tasted all my samples… then I accidentally finished off my plate. Yup. I ate 4 pieces of chicken thighs.

In class they tell you to pace yourself. “Don’t eat too much early, because by the end you’ll be miserable if you do.” I didn’t listen- or the smoky BBQ had my brain confused because I did just that. I ate too much.

Ribs came next and I was doing well to only take one bite from each of the boxes at my table. Unfortunately, when they opened it up for “grazing” people were saying, “hey- taste that one!” or “this one’s really good”. So I ate a few more ribs at noon. I ate 4 bites then ate 3 entire ribs.

Then the pulled pork/ shoulder came out at 1:00 pm and I ate more. And  more. Then the brisket arrived at 2 and I was just about cooked. The food was up to my throat, I think, but I completed my task and judges everything put before me.

I will say that I learned a LOT. I learned from the judges, the table captain (Thanks, KEVIN!) and the teams. One box in particular stands out in my mind. The table captain opened the box, and I was almost afraid to try it because it was kinda ugly, and not a pretty color. But when I put that meat in my mouth, it received the highest score of the day from me! So never judge a book or a box by its cover!

Teams-don’t underestimate the power of a good presentation, either. It’s 1/3rd of your score!

Kerry Farrell< Dothan Al. (FPBS Member) 

4th Annual Foggy Bottom BBQ Bash Elba, Alabama 11/12/11

By Colin Richards

The Foggy Bottom Bash BBQ Cook-Off kicked off on Saturday the 12^th of November at Miller Memorial Stadium in Elba Alabama. This is one of the Alabama stops for the Florida BBQ Association. Although we had some cold weather come into the area on Friday night Saturday was very pleasant fall day.

The festival included some local bands and arts and crafts shows , entertainment, food and lots of activities for all ages. The Saturday morning Pancake Breakfast started at 7 a.m. which was great and got the big day going!

This event had the big names attending like Myron Mixon and the Jacks Old South Team, Big kahuna BBQ, Forrest’s Fine Foods and Bub-Ba-Q showed-up for some great competition. I have come to expect the best competition at a Florida BBQ Association sanctioned cook-off.  This event was also for the Alabama state Championship for 2011. So a lot was at stake their in Elba on the second weekend of November.

Myron was a big hit on Friday when this white pick-up with the famous logo appeared on the scene. There was a gathering; it seemed like all day around the Jack’s old south cooking trailer. I wondered over myself to meet the first godfather of BBQ. He had time for everyone and I enjoyed listening to him.  He has a great story to tell!

If you have been around the Florida BBQ scene for a few years or so like I have. You have heard of Mr.Dilmore and his fine foods. Forrest is one of the fine gentlemen of the FBA. What a rig he has got, he didn’t have to come out to put his meat on smoker he had is smoker in the back end of the trailer and believe me it was smelling good over there.

Big Kahuna BBQ was the grand champion at this year’s event, with 770.83332 total score.  Bubba-Q came in second (Reserve Champion) with 765.78334 total points.

We had a great Backyard competition with some good local teams among the teams were Grand Pa’s Pride ranked 1^st with a grand total of 730.73333 points, Second place belonged to Bug City BBQ with 724.41688. Coming in 3^rd was Cracker Bob’s with 714.65000 points.

Great Day in the Park

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On Saturday October 15th we had a small but great BBQ cook-off at the Chautaqua Vineyard in De Funiak Springs Fl. My Grand Son Dominic and  my Wife Ida spent the day on the grounds of the Winery. Some great BBQ and a little wine makes for a great day.

Colin’s All Day Chicken Affair By Colin Richards

Colin@FlaPanhandleBBQ.com

The barbecue season wouldn’t be complete without the smoky goodness of grilled chicken. And the best and cheapest way to do that is using whole chickens. Whole birds often run for less than $1 per pound, which is considerably better on the ole pocketbook than prepared cuts, such as boneless, skinless breasts or thighs. All you have to do is cut them in half, not so hard to do. You take a little time the day before you grill them to cut them in half.
Half chickens also often fare better on the dry, intense heat of a grill than do individual parts. The breasts, for
example, quickly dry out. And even when properly cooked, those smaller cuts spend too little time on the grill to develop much flavor from it. Because half chickens are cooked slower at a lower temperature, you get a moist bird and a smoky flavor you could never achieve indoors.  Colin’s All Day Chicken Affair Barbecue Chicken slowly and barbecue only half chickens. When I go out
to cook chicken for my friends, it is an all-afternoon affair. First I ice down some adult beverages (Beer) and
some cokes also. Then I get my Half Chickens the ones I have been marinating in Italian dressing in the cooler all night. I get my charcoal and fire-up the ole grill. I get me a nice light to medium fire going then comes the chicken and the first beer.
Now one thing you must make sure of is that you have a comfortable chair and some shade. Like I said this is an all-afternoon affair. You put the chicken on the grill breast side down first this will give it a little more time in this position. By starting in this position the Brest is kept juicier. The chicken cooks for at least 3 hours on a light to medium fire. Don’t hurry the chicken. To give you something to do other than drink beer; turn the chicken over every 40 minutes or so. Check with your thermometer the temp if the thick part of the Breast has reached
150 degrees you are getting close. The birds Breast must be at a hot 170 degrees when it’s done.

Now in the last 30 minutes of cooking, get you some good barbecue sauce. Now this is a subject in its self, barbecue sauce is personal. I like a sweet and a little spicy sauce. Email me if you like some suggestions in this area colin@flapanhandlebbq.com. Now the afternoon has been great all your buddies have been looking over the fence and tiring to get invited to test your creation. You are just about ready to bite into this great smelling and tasting chicken. So you get some fixings, some potato salad and beans and chow down. So next time the slow chicken barbecue – you will love it! I would like to thank everyone for their feedback. This column in the Gulf Coast News is for your enjoyment. If you have a comments send them to me at: colin@flapanhandlebbq.com.

Grilling Seafood – We have a good supply of fresh fish here in the Panhandle

Fresh seafood is meant to be grilled, is quite flavorful and juicy.  Here in the Panhandle we have the luxury of getting our hands on the freshest fish. The best way to cook seafood is by direct heat it cooks fast, easy and without removing moisture. Get that barbeque really hot. If using a charcoal grill, use plenty of charcoal to build a really good fire that will retain plenty of heat. Let the flames die down until you can see that the charcoal has become white and you have a medium fire, it can take up to an hour – this is where many people make a critical mistake. You know what they say – Patience is a Virtue – or in this case Patience will help you cook food that you can eat, not the usual burnt offerings!

The number one rule about grilling fish is to make sure it doesn’t stick. When the grill is well oiled it won’t stick (I like to use Olive Oil). Of course, it helps if you don’t poke it and move it around every few minutes. Wait until the flesh is seared before turning it over. Only turn it over once. The best utensil for this is a wide, thin spatula; big enough to lift the whole fillet in one go.

Make sure that the grill is clean. There’s nothing worse than old bits of food burnt on the grill bars, not only does it leave a horrible taste but it will make the
fish stick.

Grilling fish is easy and fast, you can literally get fish off the grill in a matter of minutes, thus making fish the perfect after work meal. Once you know how to barbecue fish the correct way you’ll love cooking and eating fish and seafood on the barbecue.

First off, the best type of fish to cook on a barbecue is firm textured fish and seafood such as salmon, grouper, shrimp or lobster. As long as you’ve prepared the barbeque properly it won’t fall apart. The hardest part of grilling fish is knowing when it’s done. When fish is cooked the meat will flake easily with a fork and will appear opaque all the way through. If any part of the meat is still glossy and partially translucent then it’s not done. Generally, you buy fish either whole or in fillets or steaks. Fillets will give you the most trouble because they
tend to fall apart a little easier.

When grilling fillets with skin on one side, cook fish skin side down for the first part of the cooking time. The skin protects the fish from burning and drying out. It also can provide natural oils to your grill, so when you flip the fish it will not stick.

Keep some fresh lemon juice handy while you are grilling. You can brush this on as you grill to add flavor and keep the fish moist. I love dripping lemon juice over
fish while I grill it.

For more information on grilling fish check-out the following website: http://www.bralowsfish.com/grillingfish.html

Make your own Barbecue Seasoning

You really enjoy getting out and barbecuing when you can. You know what makes the food much tastier. Of all the spices you use which spices do you enjoy the most?

The most common is crushed pepper. Crushed pepper really enhances the flavor of your grilled food. A close second is salt, I recommend that you watch the salt you put on the food before grilling salt brings moisture to the surface of the meat, and the water sits on the surface as you cook. This, you are basically steaming the meat. I know that we salt before cooking, but trust me use very sparingly – the result will be juicy, delicious entire to serve your family and guests! Salt after the meat is cooked to your liking, has rested the required time, and just before serving.

Another tasty grilled spice is garlic. “I never use garlic salt”, use granulated garlic, even better fresh crushed garlic. Remember when you use fresh ingredients especially garlic it will enhance your barbecue.

Hey, how about making and using your own rub! Would you like to use your own recipe ? You can use the recipe below to help you develop your own general rub by trying new spices into the recipe. Using a rub will enhance the flavor and texture of grilled meat.

BARBECUE RUB

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt, 2 teaspoon ground black pepper,  2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

To Prepare:  Step one is to mix ingredients in bowl and apply rub to the meat at least 4 hours before cooking. Now refrigerate meat for a minimum of 4 – 6 hours to enhance the flavor. This recipe rub can be stored for several months in an air tight container, in a dark and cool place.

Master the Grill

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It’s a long hot summer here in the Panhandle and that means that it’s time to fire up the ole’ grill and enjoy some much needed time outside, just keep kool. It’s a great time for those of us that enjoy grilling out in our backyards with family and friends. To make this time even more enjoyable we need to learn techniques and tips that can turns plain food into delicious barbecued masterpieces. In order to get expert opinions on barbecuing and grilling, the Florida Panhandle BBQ Society has developed a website and this newspaper column to get the inside scoop to you. So let’s get started on a few tips now.

Applying Marinade and Rubs

OK, the first thing I would like to cover is applying a marinade to your meat before grilling. By applying a marinade it adds that extra flavor and makes the
meat you’re cooking even juicier. Always marinate in the refrigerator, never
at room temperature. Never save and reuse a marinade. If a marinade is to be
used later for basting or served as a sauce, reserve a portion of it before
adding the beef, pork or chicken. · To marinate or not to marinate? Whether you
have one hour or 12, marinades or rubs not only infuse flavor but also help the
meat hold in moisture so it comes out tender and juicy.

Most people don’t marinate long enough. To do it right, soak the meat in a marinade for 12 to 24 hours, and keep it in the refrigerator. The general rule is to use one to two cups of marinade for every one-and-a-half to two pounds of meat.

After marinating, you can add a step, to apply some barbeque rub on the meat. Rubs are seasoning mixtures rubbed on meats before grilling to add some extra flavor. My good friend Stewart McCane has a great general use rub he calls “MoonDust” which I use a lot. There are many rubs on the market; or you can make your own. Hey, if you want a basic rub recipe send me an email I will reply with a good one. colin@FlaPanhandleBBQ.com
Trimming the Meat

here is another good tip that I recommend. You should remove excess fat on
steaks, chops, and chicken pieces. The reason for trimming your meat is due to
the fact that excess fat is prone to burning and causing flair-ups while on the
grill. The meat and remaining fat will provide more than enough juices during
cooking to flavor the food.

Grilling Process

Once your meat is marinated and the excess fat is trimmed off; the next step is
to make sure you cook the meat properly. A common mistake that people with
little grilling knowledge make is over-cooking their food and drying it out,
losing much of the flavor and tenderness of the meat.

When grilling steaks, I recommend searing the meat. The process of searing
requires you to place the meat directly on a very hot grill (approximately 500
degrees). When you sear a steak, you are removing the outer layer of water that
is present in the meat while sealing the rest of the juices in the steak. Begin
by placing the steak (1 ¼” to 1 ½” thick) on the grill surface and allow it to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Next, rotate the meat 90-degrees, to obtain professional looking grill marks, and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Finish by turning the steak over and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes.

Another important thing to keep in mind is to determine how long to cook the
meat based on its texture. Naturally tender cut meats, such as steaks and chops, should be cooked faster, at a higher temperature. Meats that are thinner, such as flank steak and brisket, should be cooked longer at a lower heat in order to prevent dryness.

In order to make sure that the meat is fully cooked, an instant read thermometer is an essential tool to have while grilling. Insert your thermometer into the thickest part of the meat for the best results. An internal temperature of a steak should be 140-degrees and a chicken breast should be 160-degrees.

The last critical step in grilling is to remove the steak from the grill and
place a loose fitting foil tent over the steak. Allow the steak to rest for 4
to 8 minutes, depending on size. This process allows the meat to release the
juices throughout the steak.

WEAR ABC 3 :: Top Stories – Maritime Park Project

WEAR ABC 3 :: Top Stories – Maritime Park Project.