“Famous” Dave Anderson is a family friend, and I thought this sub might be interested in his thoughts about comp BBQ
Sorry in advance if this type of post isn’t allowed, or if it ruffles feathers. He’s a pretty opinionated guy, but he certainly has some authority to speak on the matter.
by IronicHyperbole
25 Comments
Broad_Minute_1082
I mean, he’s right about tinfoil wrap and steam. Anyone who’s done foil wrap vs foil boat can tell you there’s a big difference.
The rest is a bit much for me and frankly those ribs look mid.
swakid8
He right about the foil, but those ribs need some milk! lol
clownus
If you get delicious ribs that have the same profile as the other variant of cooking ribs then it makes no difference. It just comes down to whether or not if there is truly a distinguishable complexity that exist between the two cooking methods. If this isn’t his competition then the overall more popular method is just a logical way of approaching the competition.
Meatbank84
Wrapping ribs with a bunch of butter and sweet/spicy glazes sauces is unfortunately the meta for competition.
nachos4life317
I like ribs that way, but try a KCBS comp without wrapping ribs and be prepared to be near the bottom of the list most likely.
beachgood-coldsux
I’m team no wrap no sauce all the way.
Rhythm_Killer
Page 1 – “yep yeah I also like them without wrapping”
Page 2 – “preach, I like to have them without sauce too!”
Page 3 – “oh…”
vagrantprodigy07
I’ve been saying no wrap on everything for a while, and been doing it for nearly 20 years. I’m glad to find someone who agrees with me.
rdcisneros3
Over live fire? Yeah OK. I’ll continue doing my foil-wrapped ribs on my Traeger that come out delicious.
Aggravating-HoldUp87
I met him once when he was put in charge of BIA schools- all I remember was we had a BBQ and I was wondering why tf Bush put a BBQ guy in charge of Indian schools (I was a student at one).
Disassociated_Assoc
I’m sorry, but those ribs look both dry, and tough. I don’t take issue with the no-wrap philosophy, but cooking over live fire will be challenging to keep from overcooking the exterior before the interior is at the right temperature. Not saying it can’t be done, but there will be a lot of failures along the way. There’s a reason the vast majority of competition pitmasters use an indirect cooking method at low-and-slow temperatures.
InevitableSquirrel64
Preach Brother! The rub comes out better live fire. It’s like your seasonings “pop” off your meat with every bite. Season vets don’t even rub, they let the seasonings sit “on top” of the meat. It creates a really good bite every time you bite into the rib.
seriousspoons
I do no wrap, no sauce ribs over an open fire at home because I think the meat should be the star and should be able to stand on its own. I grew up in a BBQ restaurant and I’ve always liked them that way. But I agree with others that say the competition meta isn’t geared towards that kind of rib. Yes they’re better, but you’ll lose any competition you join with that type of cook on them because judges like that smokey sweet glaze and sauce forward rib.
Beginning_Orange
No wrap gang rise up
morganlandt
SPOG, no foil, no sauce, smoke tube on a Camp Chef for four hours at 225 with a spritz of 50/50 apple juice/apple cider vinegar at hours 2 and 3 and they’re a hit every time.
blindtiger17
250F with dry rub and no wrap is the best way to go imo. I don’t understand the desire for mushy ribs that wrapping can create.
rorschach2
Dave Anderson is mid at best when it comes to smoking meats. He’s also a liar and a bad person.
Debatable_Facts
There’s a few popular techniques that aren’t optimal, but when you share your experiences you get stoned to death, usually followed by the statement “Well Pitmaster_X does it this way and he obviously knows more than you!”
I’ve been saying for years people try to mimic competition or restaurant techniques in the backyard and they’re counter-productive.
dcutts77
Just let people enjoy what they enjoy. What I cook is great, and I use foil. It’s easy, I don’t want to watch my food. I’m busy.
Ok_Suit_8000
Maybe this is why barrel smokers are winning in the circuit. There is no diffuser plate if you’re hanging your ribs. You’re basically cooking directly over the coals. It results in a different smoke flavor than offsets for sure.
vtown212
I’ll do butcher paper for an hour, sometimes I go without
Eloquent_Redneck
I feel like in the cooking world, chefs are always trying to come up with convincing sounding reasons why they always do things a certain way. I think its just a preference. I prefer texas pit style over a fire with no wrap like he describes, but all this extra stuff he says is iffy. Its just a preference, but yeah those ribs definitely look a little dry lol no foil is definitely easier to screw up but faster and gives the texture and flavor I prefer, but I’m not gonna say the foil wrapped competition way is bad, there’s lots of different ways of doing things
Drum_Eatenton
At the end of the day, I’m the one eating my ribs, I don’t care about other people’s opinions on the method that’s superior. It’s all subjective.
aetweedie
If there’s one person whose BBQ advice I don’t want it’s this guy’s. That restaurant is gross.
ccagan
The best rack of baby back ribs I’ve ever cooked in my life was over charcoal on one of those park picnic grills. In McCurtain County Oklahoma on the shores of Lake Broken Bow about 30 miles north of Idabel, Oklahoma.
25 Comments
I mean, he’s right about tinfoil wrap and steam. Anyone who’s done foil wrap vs foil boat can tell you there’s a big difference.
The rest is a bit much for me and frankly those ribs look mid.
He right about the foil, but those ribs need some milk! lol
If you get delicious ribs that have the same profile as the other variant of cooking ribs then it makes no difference. It just comes down to whether or not if there is truly a distinguishable complexity that exist between the two cooking methods. If this isn’t his competition then the overall more popular method is just a logical way of approaching the competition.
Wrapping ribs with a bunch of butter and sweet/spicy glazes sauces is unfortunately the meta for competition.
I like ribs that way, but try a KCBS comp without wrapping ribs and be prepared to be near the bottom of the list most likely.
I’m team no wrap no sauce all the way.
Page 1 – “yep yeah I also like them without wrapping”
Page 2 – “preach, I like to have them without sauce too!”
Page 3 – “oh…”
I’ve been saying no wrap on everything for a while, and been doing it for nearly 20 years. I’m glad to find someone who agrees with me.
Over live fire? Yeah OK. I’ll continue doing my foil-wrapped ribs on my Traeger that come out delicious.
I met him once when he was put in charge of BIA schools- all I remember was we had a BBQ and I was wondering why tf Bush put a BBQ guy in charge of Indian schools (I was a student at one).
I’m sorry, but those ribs look both dry, and tough. I don’t take issue with the no-wrap philosophy, but cooking over live fire will be challenging to keep from overcooking the exterior before the interior is at the right temperature. Not saying it can’t be done, but there will be a lot of failures along the way. There’s a reason the vast majority of competition pitmasters use an indirect cooking method at low-and-slow temperatures.
Preach Brother! The rub comes out better live fire. It’s like your seasonings “pop” off your meat with every bite. Season vets don’t even rub, they let the seasonings sit “on top” of the meat. It creates a really good bite every time you bite into the rib.
I do no wrap, no sauce ribs over an open fire at home because I think the meat should be the star and should be able to stand on its own. I grew up in a BBQ restaurant and I’ve always liked them that way. But I agree with others that say the competition meta isn’t geared towards that kind of rib. Yes they’re better, but you’ll lose any competition you join with that type of cook on them because judges like that smokey sweet glaze and sauce forward rib.
No wrap gang rise up
SPOG, no foil, no sauce, smoke tube on a Camp Chef for four hours at 225 with a spritz of 50/50 apple juice/apple cider vinegar at hours 2 and 3 and they’re a hit every time.
250F with dry rub and no wrap is the best way to go imo. I don’t understand the desire for mushy ribs that wrapping can create.
Dave Anderson is mid at best when it comes to smoking meats. He’s also a liar and a bad person.
There’s a few popular techniques that aren’t optimal, but when you share your experiences you get stoned to death, usually followed by the statement “Well Pitmaster_X does it this way and he obviously knows more than you!”
I’ve been saying for years people try to mimic competition or restaurant techniques in the backyard and they’re counter-productive.
Just let people enjoy what they enjoy. What I cook is great, and I use foil. It’s easy, I don’t want to watch my food. I’m busy.
Maybe this is why barrel smokers are winning in the circuit. There is no diffuser plate if you’re hanging your ribs. You’re basically cooking directly over the coals. It results in a different smoke flavor than offsets for sure.
I’ll do butcher paper for an hour, sometimes I go without
I feel like in the cooking world, chefs are always trying to come up with convincing sounding reasons why they always do things a certain way. I think its just a preference. I prefer texas pit style over a fire with no wrap like he describes, but all this extra stuff he says is iffy. Its just a preference, but yeah those ribs definitely look a little dry lol no foil is definitely easier to screw up but faster and gives the texture and flavor I prefer, but I’m not gonna say the foil wrapped competition way is bad, there’s lots of different ways of doing things
At the end of the day, I’m the one eating my ribs, I don’t care about other people’s opinions on the method that’s superior. It’s all subjective.
If there’s one person whose BBQ advice I don’t want it’s this guy’s. That restaurant is gross.
The best rack of baby back ribs I’ve ever cooked in my life was over charcoal on one of those park picnic grills. In McCurtain County Oklahoma on the shores of Lake Broken Bow about 30 miles north of Idabel, Oklahoma.
Just thought I’d share that fun little story.