Just realized most competition pitmasters don't use wood, they use pellets

I met a guy named Tom at a BBQ festival in Kansas City last summer. He had won 3 state championships with a pellet smoker, not a stick burner like everyone says you need. He told me it's about temperature control, not the fuel source. That stuck with me because I had been struggling with my offset smoker for 2 years. Has anyone else found that the purists get a little too hung up on traditional wood?

2 comments

2 Comments

brookefox12d ago

Did you catch the name of the sauce he was using? I went to a competition in Texas once and this old timer was telling me about his "secret" ingredient for brisket. Turns out it was just coffee grounds and brown sugar mixed together. He let me try some and honestly it was pretty good but I couldn't taste the coffee at all. I think people get so wrapped up in the method they forget the meat needs to taste good first.

spencer40712d ago

Wait, so the big secret was basically a fancy rub you could find in any grocery store? Man, I bet that old timer had a good laugh every time someone paid him for that "secret". It's funny how many people think a magic ingredient will save them when really they just need to practice cooking the meat properly. Coffee grounds and brown sugar though, that's a classic combination that works on a lot of things, not just brisket. But you're right, people get so caught up in the show they forget the steak has to actually taste good.