Number 2): As parta my childhood, I was taught to make good BBQ
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Last edited by Mr. Bones; June 6, 2021, 10:43 AM. -
Dad use to always cook chicken quarters on a brazier-type grill after mowing the lawn on Sundays. We ate them because we were hungry after trimming, raking, etc. That was the only thing I remember him cooking.
We went to visit some friends in Andrews, Tx. and the man was a wealthy oilman. He cooked T-bones on a Char-Broil grill and I watched and asked questions. He used only Worcestershire, salt, & black pepper, turning them several times. I thought they were fantastic! I cooked just like that when I got married and never had a complaint.
Now, we all try to 'improve' and make it more complicated.Comment
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Ain't Broke, Don;t Fix it, Sez I, Oklahoma...
Some of us still cook th Same Way...quite content with th product, else, reckon I'd change...
Reckon this Here Ol Cowboy's more closer to a 'One Trick Pony', truth Be Told...
If'n yer wantin more complimicated, why, they's quite th folks, rye cheer, what can deliver on that desire an then some...plus, a side of fries
Last edited by Mr. Bones; June 7, 2021, 10:32 PM.
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As a little kid growing up in the 50's, I don't think I was aware that a thing called BBQ even existed. We didn't own a grill and my dad literally couldn't boil water indoors or out (he was the quintessential 1950's Dilbert-character engineer ... flat top, black plastic glasses, short sleeve white shirt (with matching socks), and a pocket protector). I discovered grilling at about 14 when I built and taught myself to use (for burgers and dogs) a ground-level "grill" out of a single layer of concrete blocks and a piece of welded steel "grill grate" found behind the barn. As an aside, that was the same age at which I learned that gasoline is NOT a good choice for lighting briquettes (my leg hair eventually grew back). I got into something like BBQ after getting married in my late 20's and purchasing a crappy Brinkman bullet smoker to complement a little Weber kettle. Been at it in one form or another ever since ...Comment
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Growing up my folks were not much into outdoor cooking. They had a grill but only used it a couple times a season at most. And when it was used, it was to cook the crap out of chicken or maybe some burgers and brats. They'd get the grill screaming hot and cook whatever until it was a hockey puck. I became a "griller" in my mid 20's. I started out mimicking what I had learned growing up. In other words, hockey pucks. I slowly learned and evolved into a pretty good user of a gas grill and turned out what I think was more than acceptable the basics of steaks, chicken, burgers and the like.
Fast forward to 2009 when my career forced a move from Milwaukee to Charlotte, NC. Although I had experienced "real" BBQ on business trips to Kansas City, Memphis, etc, I really didn't know anything about how you cook it. That all changed in NC. Everybody has a smoker there. Few are grillers. So I got my first smoker, a Smokin-It #2 electric, read some BBQ books, talked to many backyard pitmasters, and set out to learn how to Q. Now I have 9 outdoor cookers and think I can turn out some pretty respectable BBQ. I cook out about 4 days a week year round now. Every day is a learning experience for sure and I think my Q keeps improving. Long way to go and much more to learn but the AR site and membership sure helps every day.Comment
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On the deck at My buddies cottage in Bala in the Muskoka’s.
My father had always Q’d, rather tortured, meat on an old habachi so he was no help at all.
My buddy had a Weber and a gasser before gassers we’re mainstream.
His dad owned restaurants and this family knew how to cook.
I still use the pointers I picked up from them some 45 years later.Comment
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Just the way they cooked. To my mother spices were salt and pepper, we never put garlic or onion powder/salt on anything. Meats were broiled, unless my father took revenge on it so as an 18 or 19 year old finding out what seasonings and properly cooked meat of a Weber tasted like was life altering.
The pointers I speak of are probably what some have known all your life depending on your up bringing.
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Around 1964 my Dad was stationed at an Air Force base in mid-Alabama. Just out the gate and a couple of miles east was an old wooden BBQ shack. Screened in porch with picnic tables and a walk up window. Drinks came from one of those old Coke ice coolers. My Dad took us there on occasion for chopped pork sandwiches served in those wax paper plastic baskets.
What a treat.Comment
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Great question….. given the choices, I would have to say #3. I grew up with Daddy grilling (scorching) hot dogs, burgers and steaks on the grill. NO KETCHUP!
Or chicken with Open Pit original sauce. Such memories. I kept thinking Open Pit was the end all. Then I saw the ingredients.
My first "real bbq" was Spring Valley BBQ? in Richardson/Garland, TX off Central Expressway. Not sure if it is there anymore. (Lived in Dallas for 4 years, graduated North Mesquite HS). I have always loved cooking on the grill. My very first BBQ book was The All American BBQ Book (Davis and Stein). It is about regional styles. I studied every page. Over time, I just kept cooking. Then I found AR. Lurked for several years and finally joined last year. My BBQ game is much stronger now. Looking forward to getting even better.Comment
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I guess I'm closer to #3. I don't remember my dad ever grilling when I was growing up. We did have one actual BBQ experience, but I didn't recognize it for what it was at the time. We raised a handful of goats on our farm, and one year my dad had the idea to do a pit BBQ with one of the young male goats. He apparently had seen it done when he was younger, or read about it, or whatever, but he seemed to know the basics. We dug a pit behind the house and built a fire in it. When the fire burned down to embers we put the goat in, cut up in pieces wrapped in burlap. My mom and sisters prepared the meat, so I didn't see what happened there. When it came out, it was some of the tenderest meat I've ever had. That was a one-off experience, though, and I never thought to try to duplicate it.
My next real BBQ experience was on my honeymoon. We stopped at a place called Mo's BBQ in San Luis Obispo. The owner of the joint had spent some time traveling around the BBQ Belt, learning from pitmasters along the way, and knew his stuff. That was my first introduction to pulled pork (we didn't eat pork when I was growing up). I thought it was pretty awesome, but didn't think it was something I could do at home. I did try grilling some in our early marriage years, but my efforts were mostly medicocre at best.
Then one day several years ago, my wife bought a slab of ribs for me to cook. I searched the web for the best way to cook them, and discovered AR. There was no turning back after that. Now, thanks to what I've learned here and on the free site, people still talk about ribs I made years ago. Granted, the bar for good BBQ is pretty low in this part of California, but I think I can turn out some pretty good BBQ now.Comment
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Growing up we had a charcoal grill that was usually used as a bird bath. It was one of those round flat grills where the coals were maybe 4 inches under the grate. Like most others, we mostly cooked at home since small town Iowa didn't have much in restaurants anyway. Anyway, one day my dad brought home a John Deere gas grill. The thing was a monster and from then on we grilled lots, however, no real low and slow BBQ.
Fast-forward to college and I meet by bride-to-be and go visit her in Kansas City. Her father took me out to lunch on one of those visits to Arthur Bryant's (where I got to meet Arthur as my father-in-law and he were acquainted with one another). Had the sliced pork sandwich, burnt ends, ribs, sausage, and brisket. I was hooked. Still some of the best BBQ I have ever had.Comment
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I grew up eating VERY WELL DONE meat mostly from a frying pan or indoor oven. Later on my Folks got a gas grill, that also turned out some VWD meat. Don't get me wrong we ate well and my Mom was a very good cook and baker. My Dad made toast sometimes. How times have changed. I got hooked on cooking both outdoors and indoors about 25 years ago and am still learning. My successes are posted on the SUWYC thread and the disasters are not recorded. Thanks to AR.com I'm getting better! (I think?)Last edited by Skip; June 6, 2021, 01:30 PM.Comment
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Grew up an apartment dweller throughout my childhood and my 1st 5 years after I moved from New Jersey to Massachusetts. First house in 78'. My 1st experience was on an Hibachi I bought. Eventually I got a charcoal grill, I don't remember the brand. I evolved to the 3 burner Weber Silver B. Had that for many years, like 13. Moved to Western Mass. in 15' It came here. In 17' I retired and my wife got me (sort of) my Weber Genesis II LX 3 burner. I've added the 22" Kettle and Smokey Joe since then. Now I wait to win the Grand Prize for the monthly give away. I'll decide which way I'll go once my name is announced.Comment
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As a kid growing up in north AL I’ve been spoiled. Big Bob’s was right down the road from us. My first memories were dove hunts on opening day and the owner of Big Bob’s bringing a fresh pork shoulder(s) to the fields. We all piled under a shade tree, with white bread in hand and plucked our own pieces of pork until we were full. At that time Big Bob’s sauces weren’t sold in stores or in bottles, so we all had to dunk our sammiches in whatever Don brought. I always wanted to BBQ after that, it’s what brought people together, no matter what was going on in the world.
The men went over to play poker and the younger ones went on to hunt.Comment
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Just want to give a shout-out to STEbbq for starting this thread. It's been such a blast to read and I'm betting I'm not the only one enjoying the memories, both my own and the ones people are sharing.Comment
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Anybody know those tubs of Lloyd’s Pulled Pork in the grocery store? Yeah, some of that nuked to oblivion was my first taste of what technically is "BBQ". We made ribs a few times as a kid, once on a gas grill but this was before a lot of cooking information was on the internet so you can probably guess the results of that.Comment
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Been grilling and cooking outside for as long as I can remember. Backyard, hunting camps, backpacking, etc. Upped the game a bit when I got old enough to help with the fire department fundraisers, then went to work for the FD and added to the experience, but it was pretty much just grilling. Then about 10 years ago we went to a friend's place for dinner and he did some L&S Saint Louie ribs that I thought were about the best thing I ever ate. I was determined to learn how to do that myself and lo and behold I eventually stumbled upon Amazing ribs. Now I'm sitting here in Rockdale, Texas after, as Loren said, flying halfway across the continent to experience and learn great Texas BBQ. A fantastic, wonderful journey of learning, indulging in MCS, and striving to improve my skills. Thank you Meathead and all of you for what you bring to our awesome, growing family!Comment
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