What was your biggest BBQ "light bulb" moment?

[synodog]

It’s definitely been the science of salt, two zone cooking and temperature monitoring of the grill/smoker and meat. My wife now uses the thermapen whenever she cooks pork chops or chicken on the stove. No more dry meat! And it’s done too.

[hoovarmin]

That's a great point - learning the science of salt is a game changer.

[hoovarmin]

The first lightbulb moment was watching Alton Brown set up for indirect cooking a leg of lamb, then going out the very next day and buying the exact charcoal grill he used and doing it myself. That opened up a world of possibilities and supercharged my love of cooking with wood and fire. Alton has promoted several food myths, but I still love the guy for helping me identify an itch that needed a scratch.

[Greygoose]

I hope you have moved on from smoking salmon in a cardboard box,,,,
😂🤣😂
Alton is a creative and entertaining guy,,,,,

[hoovarmin]

Greygoose the salmon in a cardboard box episode was indeed a head scratcher

[Potkettleblack]

To be fair, I would smoke salmon for my wife, and not want the salmon smell in the smoker, so the cardboard box smoker made sense.

[DavidNorcross]

Thermometer and this club.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

A. Going to wood splits from charcoal and wood chunks & chips (huge difference in managing th fire AND the flavor profile)
B. Using a thermopro: 1 probe for the chamber and 1 for the meat.....(greatly reduces the frequency of lifting the lid ..much better cook w/ consistent chamber temps)

[bep35]

Had a Cookshack Smokette I used for years and it put out good food. Then I read Meatheads statement:

Electrics make really delicious food. But wood, pellets, charcoal, and even gas make food that is even more delicious.

I never realized how much better meats came out when you have combustion vs. smoldering wood. Understanding the difference in flavor between electric, gas, pellets, charcoal, and wood has been a game changer for me.

[Huskee]

Yes! We used to make pulled pork in our crock pot, and you know what it was DELICIOUS! In a smilar revelation to you, I eventually learned there are different tiers of delicious!

[radiodome21]

Actually taking the time to learn how to properly use my WSM and understand how it works.

[fracmeister]

Before AR, I thought ONE GRILL WAS ENOUGH! many grills and smokers later that seems silly.

[realdocBBQ]

Or one AR-15! lol

[FireMan]

Here, here! One grill & you’re not serious about cookin .

[volsmoker]

This is so true! It is an addiction, I now own a whole shop full of grills and smokers, so much fun to try different things on each one. I even have one dedicated for my son in law who comes to visit twice a year, he uses it to cook on. Each one has its own personality and it is neat to enjoy the food cooked on specific ones.

[gboss]

The first time I had "real" pulled pork, at a buddy's house, cooked on a WSM. Growing up where I did, I did not have any real concept of "BBQ" and mostly used the term to describe grilling/cookout.
I've seen The Light and have been following The Way to try and know The Truth in my stomach.

[Texas Larry]

Well there have been several from the joy of true smoking, to using unsoaked wood chunks, to cooking to temp, but the biggest one many years ago for grilling was the simple gospel of two zone cooking. I grew up with too many charred lumps of stuff they called "barbecue."

[Soonerpop]

I think for me the first one was two-zone cooking, followed closely by the purchase of a thermapen and chef’s alarm to cook by temperature. Of course, the realization "they ain’t all the same" begat the Cookshack, Weber kettles, PBJ, and OG.

[smokenoob]

How long do you cook it?
Till it’s done!
enter instant read meat thermometer!

[Huskee]

When's dinner time? When it's done! Enter 8:15 pm. (My house, many times per month)

[cashelton]

For me, it was letting the meat rest after the cook. I always thought steaks hot off the grill were the way to go. Oh, and holding a brisket in faux cambro for a few hours, that blew my mind!

[Huskee]

I eat my steaks hot off the grill, since to me the second half is resting while eating the first half!

[bmillin]

Hmmmm... Two zone fire, thermometers instead of time both rate right up there. I still recall a flaming ribeye on a gasser when I got started.

[CaptainMike]

What y'all said, plus, as 'ol Dan Johnston would say, soovee do.

[FireMan]

I didn’t start cookin until bout 16-17 years ago. I started with Chinese, due to my wife being an unbelievably great cook. Messed around with the wok mostly for about 5 yrs & then was introduced to Alton, then Raichlen. They got me away from incineratin everything. I would do a fair amount of cookin on a grill, but I cremated chicken, killed burgers & my brats had nice bark to em. Enter AR. Holy Moly! My world changed & I have become an accomplished cook, yessir. AR instilled in me to constantly try to progress. Where do I start, two-zone cookin, reverse sear, seasoning (salt to those in Oconomowoc), the world of BBQ (not just sauce to those in Mukwanago) & the biggie, temperature, as in a Therma Pen and relying on a grill area probe & not the crazy grill thermo. Before I used either a clock or sight, which is why I took the life out of everything I cooked.
Yup, right now I R A pretty decent cook, all due to Meathead & the boys & girls headin the team.
BTW, Thanks!

PS. Ya’ll members have contributed to my knowledge & skill immensely!

[WayneT]

🤣🤣🤣 Great response.

[CaptainMike]

But are yer wibs wurf a cwap?

[Huskee]

The only food of yours I've ever eaten I've come back 2 or 3 times fer seconds, so I'd say yer a good cooker.