"Superstitions" in cooking

[Michael_in_TX]

Many of us discovered this site from Meathead's empirical approach and "busting" those myths of BBQing and grilling. But what about....things that lean more on the superstitious side than the myth side?

I just watched a YouTube pizza making video in which the chef added some yeast to a sugar and water mixture. He instructs one to mix the mixture for one minute, but....you do the first 30 seconds clockwise and the next 30 seconds counterclockwise.

What possible effect could that have? But he presented it as totally normal and rational.

It made me wonder.....what other superstitious actions do we do? By superstitious, I am defining that as an action that has negligible effect on the outcome of a cook or an action that is overly complex or cumbersome that done in a simpler, more straightforward way would have the same effect.

Can you think of any?

[mrteddyprincess]

I believe that volatile organic compounds, like light petroleum distillates, burn quickly and any residue evaporates quickly. So by the time I am ready to cook on my offset, all of the lighter fluid I used to start the charcoal bed fire is gone.

But in the World of BBQ, lighter fluid is almost universally despised. I like my lighter fluid!

[Starsky]

I think that you may want to stay away from the cheaper verities though

[briano52]

I have aways assumed that the bad odors that come from lighter fluid burn off fairly quickly. Nevertheless, I will not use it because it the initial smells of burning petroleum are so off-putting that I don't want to be around it, even for a little while.

[Finster]

briano52
I’m the same way. The first time I used Kingsford starter cubes, they smelled so offensive to me that I threw the entire pack away. No reason to deal with that when there are plenty of other options

[au4stree]

Rinsing off meat. It’s simply isn’t necessary and does not achieve the intended results.

[briano52]

My SO insists on washing meat and chicken in the kitchen sink before cooking. No amount of explaining why that is useless and, in fact worse than useless, has any effect on her. Washing raw meat that will be cooked doesn't accomplish anything other than spreading any bacteria that is present all around the sink and on your hands.

[Porkies]

Best reason to not rinse raw meat would be that ONE TIME you don't notice the nozzle is set to SPRAY and you end up with drops of bacteria water on your face and lips and arms and .........

[Finster]

Proving there is an exception to every rule….
I always rinse/soak flanken cut ribs to make sure any bone fragments are removed.. 🤷🏼♂️

[Mosca]

Well the obvious one is clicking tongs. For myself it’s “shave and a haircut, two bits” when I first touch them. I don’t want to know what happens if I skip that.

[au4stree]

I always, ALWAYS, click my tongs with an odd number. Like in landscaping deal with odd numbers, never even numbers. I don't want any bad ju-ju coming my way.....

[Starsky]

This is not a superstition. It's scientific fact! (:

[DaveD]

Clicking the tongs is an ironclad requirement. Like Starsky said, scientific fact!

[Smoker_Boy]

I believe that volatile organic compounds, like light petroleum distillates, burn quickly and any residue evaporates quickly. So by the time I am ready to cook on my offset, all of the lighter fluid I used to start the charcoal bed fire is gone.

But in the World of BBQ, lighter fluid is almost universally despised. I like my lighter fluid!

Myron Mixon agrees with you.

[captainlee]

Used to frequent a pizza shop and the owner would always sprinkle a dash of Oregano on the pie before going in the oven for good luck. I do it too!!

[DaveD]

But that tastes really good, so it's a fine reason to do it!

[Porkies]

I just watched a YouTube pizza making video in which the chef added some yeast to a sugar and water mixture. He instructs one to mix the mixture for one minute, but....you do the first 30 seconds clockwise and the next 30 seconds counterclockwise.

What possible effect could that have? But he presented it as totally normal and rational.

I don't if it could make a difference or not, but I do know that when stirring the mixture seemingly becomes uniform in movement, and constant. Reversing the stir creates more turbulence, briefly, before falling back to a uniform movement.

[Michael_in_TX]

This is actually a good point....there always seems to be a small grain of truth in these things.

[hoovarmin]

Beer can chicken. Terrible waste of beer.

[mrteddyprincess]

My dog loves chicken that's not completely cooked. And you know the beer penetrates the chicken to give it great flavor, right? :-)

[RiverJeff]

Wait just a minute you leave the beer in the can? I swap mine out with water.

[Oak Smoke]

I’m such an outlier. I swear I can taste the difference.

[Huskee]

Not sure if this is superstition, perhaps to some... but that you should use apple or cherry wood for something sweet like KC-sauced ribs. Bugs me when it's stated as fact that apple and other fruit woods have a sweeter smoke. Smoke is not, nor will ever be, sweet. It obviously smells different per type, might be mild to you, tastier to you, likely due to confirmation bias and the cycle of positive reinforcement, but it's not sweet. You rub and sauce are sweet.

[realdocBBQ]

I can smell the 'sweetness' of apple chunks burning and can smell maple when I'm running those chunks or splits, as well. I'm sure that's the nature of the sap in those woods burning off - not sure it imparts anything special to the meat. Although, burning sugars might impart some specific compounds (think, creme brulee odor??), but I've never noticed it as far as taste on the food. But I can sometimes smell that sweet smell. Especially with those two, apple and maple.

[briano52]

Well, the fruit woods may not produce "sweet" smoke in the traditional sense of what sweet means in cooking. However, fruit woods in my experience do give off a noticeably lighter flavor of smoke than say Hickory, Mesquite or Oak. I think we have called the fruit wood smoke sweet to distinguish it from the heavier, bigger, sharper flavored smoke of the other woods.

[Huskee]

briano52 Yes, that's what I'm saying, different woods smell and taste different of course, but it's the use of the word sweet because it was an apple or cherry or maple tree that isn't correct and grinds my gears. Then you smoke pork with sweet rub and sauce and the reinforcement tells a person the sweet wood did it.

[Smoker_Boy]

Not sure if this is superstition, perhaps to some... but that you should use apple or cherry wood for something sweet like KC-sauced ribs. Bugs me when it's stated as fact that apple and other fruit woods have a sweeter smoke. Smoke is not, nor will ever be, sweet. It might be mild to you, tastier to you, likely due to confirmation bias and the cycle of positive reinforcement, but it's not sweet. You rub and sauce are sweet.

Stumpy doesn't agree with you.

[Huskee]

Many don't agree with me, but smoke is burnt wood chemicals, there is no sweet. Only varying aromatics.

[Smoker_Boy]

Huskee - No kidding??

I was referring to Stumpy from BBQ Pitmasters.

[Huskee]

Cool.

[shify]

A lot of asian dumpling recipes specify to mix the filling by stirring in one direction. It always seemed strange to me to read a recipe that states to only mix in one direction and I assumed it is an old wives tale or tradition that somehow bled into a written recipe but not sure. I'm also not sure I actually do that when I make dumplings

[DaveD]

You mean I don't need to wrap my head with a blanket, spin around three times, and shout OOOGA BOOGA BOOGA! at the top of my lungs every time I fire up a cooker? Who knew!

[Michael_in_TX]

No,no… of course you should still do that. Don’t be silly. Remember, the effect on the flavor of the food is most pronounced when you use a camera.

[Huskee]

Ooga booga = good.

[Draznnl]

You should start the thread here of everyone doing their own Ooga Booga.

[bbqLuv]

Have Traeger, Will Traegerize

I ain't got no "Superstitions"
Don't need no "Superstitions"

[Porkies]

bbqLuv - Doan need no stinkin' superstitions!

[bbqLuv]

Porkies I stand corrected, Don't need no stinkin' superstitions!

[DaveD]

Best thing about this thread is it put this classic tune in my head... so I'm gonna put it in yours

[realdocBBQ]

Stevie's a genius. Saw him live a few years ago, gosh-DANG what a show. That guy... man. One of my favorite concerts ever.

[Michael_in_TX]

Well, that certainly transported me back a few years.....

[DaveD]

Total genius! His run of albums starting with this one and up through Songs In The Key Of Life was just incredible. One of my musical heroes.

[PGH_RAM]

I realized this morning that I always burn my snakes clockwise. Going counterclockwise just feels...Australian.

[HawkerXP]

Wine corks?

[PGH_RAM]

HawkerXP Sure looks like it in the pic. They're scrap hickory dowel ends I got from a woodworker.

[Spinaker]

Hahaha, you know what.......I do the same thing and I never realized it.