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Ask Dr. John
John Raven, Ph.B. answers your questions about traditional Texas fare |
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Ask Dr. John
John Raven, Ph.B. answers your questions about traditional Texas fare |
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Handy substitutions, equivalent measurements and metric conversions
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David writes:
Hey David: Using newspaper is a new one on me. First of all, eye of round is a more tender cut than most barbecue fare. That's the first plus. I would suppose your friend seasoned the meat and then wrapped it. Keeping the paper damp with a baste would create a sort of steam cooker which will tender things up even more. If you are going to try it with paper, don't use newsprint. Get some of the big, brown bags from the grocer. A long time on the smoker is also a plus for tender meat. That's about all I can tell you about it. The old technique of cooking in a dug pit involved wrapping the meat in damp canvas, which is essentially the same procedure, except in the Islands where the pig is wrapped in damp banana leaves and called a Luau. Thanks for writing.
Missie writes:
Hey Missie: Check out www.nbsmoker.com There are several models to look at there. These all use round main body parts. Round is not necessarily better, square will work just as good. If you want to get one built, find a metal fabricator and take him a picture of the model you like. More than likely he's already built one. I don't have plans for building one. That's something I need to work on when I get time.
George writes:
Hey George: Right off the top of my head I can think of two things to check.
1. Do you use whole brisket in cryovac wrap or trimmed for market? You gotta have the fat to get taste and tenderness. 2. Someone is selling you old rodeo stock. Change butchers for a while. If that don't help, try raising the temperature about fifty degrees and use less cooking time, you may be dehydrating the meat and making jerky. Lemme know what happens so I can keep score. Thanks for writing.
Paul writes:
Hey Paul: This is a good 'un. I agree that all you are doing is steaming the meat. Can't have much flavor, but there is not much labor involved. There is so much meat involved that I would hesitate to have you change methods without first running a small-scale trial.
Let me suggest this: Construct a pit (or is that dig a pit?) about three feet by four feet, four feet deep. Rig up something to hold the meat on top of the pit -- maybe some iron pipe with chicken wire or expanded metal if you can afford it. You want the rack about three feet above the coals, no less. Build a good fire in the pit and let it burn down to coals. Season the meat. I would suggest equal parts of salt, black pepper, onion powder, and sweet paprika, and half a part of garlic powder. Rub this into the meat real good. Put the meat on the rack over the coals. Turn it occasionally until you get a uniform good color. You might want to daub it a few times with clear mop of equal parts water and vinegar with some cooking oil added. Season the mop with onion and lemons. Just chop them and heat them in the mop.
When you have the look you desire, cover the meat on the rack with damp canvas or burlap and then something to keep the dirt off, and cover the whole mess with dirt or sand. You will have to guesstimate cooking times. I would guess four to five hours. I would check after three. You may want to leave one corner where you can access the meat to check for doneness. This is about the way they do it at the big ranch barbecues here in Texas. If you run this experiment, let me know how it works. Thanks for writing.
BFG writes:
Hey B.F.G.: There appears to be as many recipes for Kettle Beef as there are fund raising dinners. The basic recipe would be beef boiled along with vegetables de jour. Amounts would vary according to size of pot or kettle. The method would be to put the beef in the kettle first and season with the usual, black pepper and salt. After the beef has cooked a while, start adding the vegetables according to how long they take to cook, i.e., carrots first, potatoes, celery and whatever. Don't forget the onions. Onion, carrots and celery are the base seasoning for any boiled meat or fowl.
I ran across a recipe that varied in that it called for the beef to be boiled in a beer/barbecue sauce, then the meat is shredded and served on a bun with coleslaw and sauce ala pulled pork sandwich. It was called Texas Kettle Beef. Experiment. You may find THE recipe. Thanks for writing.
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