Changes to your techniques of cooking

[tbob4]

My biggest change was the move from marinating- which I did between about 16 - 35. Afterwards I exclusively rubbed (which includes salts). Unfortunately, the thing that hasn’t changed is writing down recipes. I miss some of the old marinades which always included a bit of soy sauce and usually some ranch dressing. I used red wine sometimes - a bit of vinegar, too. I had them all in my head. Maybe I need to go to the county fair to find that stage hypnotist to get them back. I don’t mind having to stand up in front of a crowd making elephant noises to make it work

[CHNeal]

I’d probably still have a Weber kettle as my only cooker.

I don’t see the problem here….

[Panhead John]

😂😂

[mrichie1229]

I love my Weber kettle as well.

[Skip]

There are so many things that have changed for me, different Styles of Cookers, Direct and Indirect, Sous Vide, Seasonings, Several Recipes, Paprika Software, Thermometers instead of time, etc. I really don't know where to stop listing things. Lots of advice from all of you and this great site are probably the ways I have upped my technique the most.

[troymeister]

I have learned so many things since joining the Pit in 2014. I have learned so many things. Probably #1 is cooking with thermometers. Some friends and family make fun of me because I even travel with my Thermapen.

#2 Is learning how to use and manipulate heat on various cooking devices.

#3 Is the Slow n Sear...Game Changer there.

#4 Is the Dry Brine and the use of salt.

#5 Is having fun doing it all. It's so much easier now.

[smokenoob]

hmmmmmm…….dry brine, thermapen, rubs, reverse sear, and smoke are all new since I came here. I can see paprika software and a chimney starter in my future…….😁

[Redwng]

I now dry brine beef every time and probably the biggest for me is I have upped the temp I cook stuff to 250-300 where it used to be 225 all the time. Now my cooks don't take as long and there is no change in the quality.

[synodog]

Other than what was said by everyone else, another one for me is smoking with charcoal instead of gas. The gas smoker was fine and adding wood chunks helped with smoke flavor but charcoal added another dimension I think. Since I used a cooker thermometer to monitor temps holding at a desired temp was doable too.

[Clawbear57]

Well I knew nothing before coming to AR. I just listen to FB groups and tried what they tried. Now I can figure out when my smoker is running hotter which is almost always. I've learned about bringing, dry brine, using a thermometer and still learning. Thanks teachers!

[bbqLuv]

I used to but stopped boiling ribs before finishing on a gasser with BBQ sauce.

[Panhead John]

Why’d you stop? 🧐

[bbqLuv]

I grew up in BBQ Years--LOL
Low and slow is the way to go, so I stopped the boil, and now I foil.

[HawkerXP]

Like everyone above, AR has made me what I am today. Well, outdoor cooking wise anyway.

I got all high tech when I "borrowed" my wives ladybug 🐞 egg timer so I could remind myself to go check the meat I was most likely burning on my Weber.

So yes, Weber kettle (7) Thermoworks equipment, SnS (4), Vortex (2), PBC ...... I've come a long way since the ladybug days in quality and quantity. 🐞

I spread the word whenever someone talks about grilling / smoking.

[RlsRls]

Never heard the term "Minion" before joining this site! To me, "snakes were only non-poisonous or poisonous! Have recently begun using those techniques in lighting my PK, with mixed results, btw. My Father in law introduced me to chimneys about 40 years ago! ( I was strictly a lighter fluid guy before that.), and I use those most of the time, mostly to speed things up for weeknight cooking. Love my dual probe thermometers, smoking tube for cheeses, both of which I wouldn't own if not for this site. I think my next venture will be diving into the world of motorized fans for extra-long cooks, but gotta admit, not crazy with the idea of having a live fire outside overnight while we're sleeping, but I could be talked into it! Oh, and one more thing, love the ongoing debate obout Lump vs briquettes!

[tstalafuse]

This is in general something I have been kanoodling on for a while now and even more since the post went up.

In the pre-AR days it was all about the art of cooking. There was no tech, no science, no nothing. I didn't have access to CAB, Prime, or Waygu. I had Wal-mart 99 cents/lb select and on a good day it was on sale for 79 cents/lb. I didn’t have a quality cooker, it was a COS. No temp probes, just the analog temp gauge that came with the cooker. No spices or dry brining other than just SPOG that was applied while the cooker came to temp. After practicing the art for a long while, I learned how to select the best select brisket, how to pre-tenderize it, how to season it by looking and not measuring, how to set the fire, and cook it by touch and smell until it was tender, moist, and full of flavor. It was truly an art and a labor of love. Emphasis on a lot of labor.

Since coming across AR, I have leaned more into the STEM side of cooking because I am much more of STEM person than an art person. I now cook with all sorts of tech, better cuts of meat, different styles, a more exacting style of cooking, and with much better equipment. The results are typically on par or much better with a lot less effort (emphasis on less effort), but I also have more failed cooks than my pre-AR days. I think the fails are because I lean way too much on the tech, the label on quality, the better equipment, and not enough of the art in selecting, prepping, and cooking that I had previously learned.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no desire to go back completely to my pre-AR days or labor. I just need to remember that even though it is labeled CAB/Prime/Waygu while using the best techniques, science and equipment, the brisket still probably came from a mean, mad and ornery cow while doing a better job of incorporating and balancing the STEM for ease and the arts for quality.

[Purc]

I remember growing up in the 1960's in Chattanooga TN, my dad grilling on a charcoal grill with a water bottle to squirt out the flames as he cooked. No low and slow, no indirect, just over open flame charcoal started with a lot of lighter fluid. This is how I learned to use a grill. For true BBQ, we went out to a small BBQ joint in town called the Sportsmen BBQ. We never cooked BBQ at home. We didn't have the knowledge, desire or the equipment that we do today.

[CHNeal]

We had them same upbringing

[HawkerXP]

+2