On Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:46:07 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Apr 12, 12:26 pm, Denny Wheeler
wrote:

SNIP

[1] 'squunch' is a highly technical term. Somewhat like 'squeeze'
only different.

Occasionally, my SO uses the term "tump". This means to turn over.
So something can "tump over" be "tumped over", etc.

'Tump' isn't just your SO's word. It's colloquial in the South, per
my sources. (I was thinking it might have been a form of 'tumpline'
but it isn't)

Being in construction, a universally understood term is "wongo". This
can mean anything from not straight to tragically screwed up.
Strangely, everyone around here understands it.

I like it. Anywhere from 'just out of whack' to 'fubar'.

As far as the brisket goes, just a couple of thoughts. I don't put
sugar on beef except on rare occasions. If then, only a touch.
White sugars seem to burn very easily, and that could be what you are
tasting on your meat.

Brown sugar--I use the same rub on ribs and butts, with never the
first hint of bitterness.

Since you are starting on this road, I would take a step back and
start over. Try your brisket with a simple rub of 1 part salt, 1 part
coarse ground black pepper, and 1/2 part granulated garlic. Don't put
anything else on it, and cook it that way. Build your flavors from
that start point.

I damn near went that road--as I said to frohe, that's how I season
steak.

You will be surprised how good your meat will taste with only those
ingredients.

Bet I'm not (see comment about steak). g

Since you are cooking on propane, take a look at your flavoring wood.
Is it really seasoned? I have heard that green wood in the right
hands can be a good thing, but that isn't my experience by a long
shot. Make sure the wood is seasoned well, and the smoke that comes
from it is gray/blue, NOT white. White smoke will kill your meat by
covering it with creosote and other bitter resins.

WAY seasoned. The cherry and maple I got from Dave Bugg 2 years ago.
Can't detect any sign of greenness about the hickory. As to the color
of the smoke, on this cook I never did see the color--was on for dark
when I put the meat on, and didn't bother adding wood after daybreak
today.

Personally, I think folks put too much wood into those gas cookers to
compensate for the lack of wood or charcoal. It just isn't needed.
If your wood is seasoned, cut the amount back, and try one wood at a
time before you start mixing.

I have been known to get billowing smoke...

By a smaller brisket so you can smoke during the day and keep an eye
on the temps, the amount of smoke, the outside temps, the breeze or
wind, and anything else you can think of that might affect your
cooking.

This was the smallest I found. Well, it was the only one the store
had, actually. But 10 1/4 lb is pretty small for a packer, yes? For
sure I'll be cutting the next one up--aside from the 'fit the pit'
issue, there's the "it's only me and that's a lot of meat" issue.

As for your brisket that doesn't taste quite right to you now, if you
can't live with it, now is the time to get out the sauce. (Don't use
sauce on brisket unless it tastes bad to you.) This is your
opportunity to make some good, sloppy chopped beef sandwiches. Invite
a couple of buddies over, and they will wipe it all out fast.

The buddies I could invite over either are online friends, or people
who have problems with what they can eat.

But, having all this, and wanting to improve it, gives me a chance to
try various things on/with it.

Good luck on the next one, Denny. I like pig, ribs, and everything
else that comes off the pit. But to me the brisket is still the king,
worth every minute of time you put into learning how to make one that
you like.

Brisket's good, don't get me wrong--but for me, the #1 bbq meat is
spares.

"Every single religion that has a monotheistic god
winds up persecuting someone else."
-Philip Pullman
--
-denny-
(not as curmudgeonly as I useta be)