World Championship BBQ P1By: W.G.WilsonIn BBQ circles, I'm unique. I have attended the training schools of four(4) World Champions: Paul Kirk (7-time champion), Myron Mixon (5-time champion), Johnny Trigg (2-time champion), Tuffy Stone (1-time champion). I rank these schools/classes by two factors: 1- The amount I learned from the instructor. 2- The amount of fun I have while taking these classes. The second element is just as important as the first, maybe, more-so. If there's one thing I noticed while taking their classes, it's the ability a World Champion develops during his/her tenure in BBQ. It enhances both elements. Listed in the order of knowledge vs. fun:1- Jack's Old-South BBQ Cooking School. 2- Smokin' Trigger's BBQ Cooking School. 3- Paul Kirk's BBQ Cooking School. 4- Tuffy Stone's BBQ Class. Let's begin with Jack's Old-South BBQ Cooking school. It was founded, and it's taught by 5-Time World Champion Myron Mixon. JOS was my first BBQ School that I attended, and the 3 days I was there with my fellow BBQ club members from the BBQ-Brethren, was one of the best experiences of my life. A gentleman who also lived in the same state as I did, agreed to share the ride, which consisted of an 800'some mile journey from Gaithersburg, Maryland to Unadilla, Georgia; quite a haul. Several other Brethren members would meet us in Unadilla, and were staying at the same hotel where we too, were staying. The first night(Friday) consisted of a meet & greet, and Myron took this opportunity to get acquainted with the class. If memory serves me correctly, I believe I counted about 65 people in all, attending the class, and Myron made his way to each and every table, where he posed with each and everyone who brought their camera. And, these people were from all-over the USA. Myron advised the class to get a good night's sleep: we would all need it. Saturday morning was a bright, sunshiny August day, and make no mistake, August in Georgia is extremely hot! Adding to our discomfort was the fact that Georgia had experienced an abundant peach crop, which resulted in what seemed like a giant wall, filled with gnats. So many gnats, that the only prudent course of action was to keep our mouth's shut, lest we end up with a mouth filled with bugs. YUCK! Georgia's mosquito crop was nearly as bad as its gnats. Worse, these gnats and mosquitos were water-starved, and when they weren't trying to get in our eyes and noses, they were seeking out our ears. At lunchtime, we made a quick trip to a local party store to procure a large can of Cutter's insect repellant; it was our only defense. Myron is a good host, and a continental breakfast, of sorts, is provided. This consisted of honey buns and all the coffee you can drink. Being a coffee junkie, this was all I needed, as we began our morning by having breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel. Preparing The Whole-HogWhen everyone was satiated with their morning comforts, the class began: the preparation of a very difficult task: whole-hog, which is, arguably, the most important course of the World BBQ Championship. To me, this was the highlight of the entire weekend. Allow me to draw you a picture, so-to-speak. I once worked for a gentleman who was a great admirer of violin virtuoso, Niccolò Paganini. This man noted that Paganini was equipped/born with huge hands. So large, in fact, that Paganini was able to play the solo pieces he (Paganini) composed, that could never again be played by a single violinist. If you weren't alive during Paganini's lifetime, you would never hear these pieces played in the manner that they were meant to be heard.  Niccolò Paganini Watching Mixon work his way around the whole-hog, I realized that, like Paganini, if you were not lucky enough to witness Mixon's preparation, you'd likely never see its like, again. Such is the mastery of Myron Mixon!  Whole-Hog - Note: Myron's Signature Rib-Cut Myron developed his signature rib-cut so he could easily break off a rib bone and present it to a judge assigned to tour the JOS cook-site. The cook-site tour is another element in team judging that can make the difference between winning, and losing, a competition. A clean and well organized cook-site cannot be under-emphasized; it all goes toward enhancing the judge's experience. Clearly, Myron put a lot of thought into this. It's critical to get the hog dressed and seasoned, and on the smoker early (even though Myon uses a Hot & Fast system), as it takes nearly an entire day for the hog to reach an interenal temperature of 190 degrees, and to be ready to wrap, and rest. Myron has developed and marketed his own brand of sauces and rubs. He uses these almost exclusively, and did so during the 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) he demonstrated his cooking techniques. As with any World Class Pitmaster, Myron will adjust, and vary his choices of rubs, in relation to feedback/results fron various competitions. The month that I attended JOS, his "Honey Money Cluck Champion Pitmaster" rub had just been released. This particular rub is one of my personal favorites, joining his Hickory and Original rubs, in his Champion Pitmaster arsenal. Good stuff! Note: The organizer's of these competitions will make the various meats (including whole-hog) available to the various cooking teams. This enables convenience as well as freshness in your various meats. Team's also avoid last-minute grocery trips; a real life-saver in a competition. Once the whole-hog was placed on the smoker, Myron moved on to prepping the brisket. Brisket TechniqueWe learned his method for selection and butchering, the former involves choosing a brisket with good 'marbling' (ensuring there are visible lines/small clumps of fat throughout the brisket), the latter of which involves removing excess fat from the outside of the brisket while leaving a top 'fatcap'. The fatcap serves a dual purpose: it protects the meat during the cook, while allowing the meat to remain moist after reaching a 190 degree internal temperature. A slight cut can be made to mark the area of the brisket that is 'against the grain.' This is the direction you'll want to slice the brisket in. Slicing it in the wrong direction will leave you with tough slices of brisket. Note: The fatcap is the area that you'll cut your 'burnt ends' (A.K.A: meat tips) from, as demonstrated in the construction of the 'turn-in box.' (see below) Note 2: Excess injection can also be poured into a spray bottle that can be used to spray the meat in the turn-in box. This is more for the visual effect; giving the appearance of moisture. Remember: Before a judge can physically taste your meat, he/she will taste... with their eyes, so-to-speak.  Brisket Turn-In Box w/ 'Burnt Ends' - Note: The Use Of Kale To Line The Box Myron answered a question about the remaining fat in a manner that I found to be profound. He said that the fat he was the most concerned with was the fat that was 'already inside the meat.' I made sure to make a note of this in my cooking instructions, which are included in the full World Championship BBQ document. Myron then provided a demonstration of how to create his signature injection, and allowed various members of the class to observe his 'injection' technique. I noted an important point that was made in regards to the injection: Myron: "The more injection that you can get in to your meats, the more flavor you'll get out." Again: truly profound. Any excess injection is used to pour over the brisket as it's cooking. Interestingly enough, Myron's true secret weapon in brisket (and other meats, whole-hog included) is to remove the brisket when it reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees, and to then 'wrap' the brisket in several layers of mover's blankets, allowing the meat to 'rest' for several hours. Myron keeps a large shelf full of mover's blankets just for this purpose. Note: Should mover's blankets be unavailable, several towels will work well, in their place. Myron: "The rest is more important than the cooking process." The wrap & rest allows the fatcap and internal fat to release moisture back into the meat; the difference between a moist piece of meat, and a dry one. Moving On: St. Louis-Style Spare RibsWe began by removing the membrane from the backside of the rib rack. If you're not comfortable doing this, most any full-service butcher shop is usually happy to do it for you. Note: Team's that inject their ribs will often choose to leave the membrane in place, and will remove it after the rib's are finished cooking. The membrane allows their injection to pool, without leaking out. The next step is to apply a generous amount of rib-rub. Myron makes, and sell many varieties of rib-rub. The Slap Your Daddy's commercial rub is a personal favorite of mine. If your team opts to inject their rib-rack, you'll move on to creating the injection next. The one used for whole-hog will work well, as the St. Louis rib is a pork rib. During the cook, you may want to keep the rib's moist. Myron created a spritz that imparts a surprisingly good taste in to the rib. Start by using an empty spray bottle, such as those available at you local dollar store. Myron's spritz consists of apple juice, a small amount of Louisiana Hot Sauce, and a small bottle (one-ounce) of McCormick's imitation butter (one-ounce of McCormick's-Pure-Orange-Extract in place of the McCormick's Imitation Butter, works well. I would advise you to try both). Feel free to omit the Louisiana Hot Sauce, if your preference is a heat-free spritz. Personally, I am not a fan of heat in my recipes. Spritz 2-3 times per hour, as needed. Cook using the 3-2-1 method (6 hours total). After the first 3 hours are complete, flip the rack over, and return it to the smoker. After 2 hour's more, pour a half-stick of melted margarine over the ribs, and wrap the rack in aluminum foil. Return the rack to the smokers for the final hour. In the final fifteen minute-mark, feel free to peel off the aluminum foil and add a liberal coating of Blues Hog BBQ sauce: the judge's personal favorite. Return the rack to the smoker for the remaining fifteen minutes. The final temperature should be 190 degrees. Wrap, and rest. Cupcake-ChickenIf there's one thing that makes Myron Mixon's chest swell with pride, it's his discovery/invention of Cupcake-Chicken. Basically, it's just what it sounds like it is: using a mold to ensure uniform shape results, while using chicken thighs as your piece of choice. The most important aspect of the chicken course is in the preparation. Clip against knuckle, scrape excess under skin (no more than ¼ inch excess), square-up (soften) corners: You want NO sharp edges! When you're satisfied with the chicken, simply roll back the skin over the bones. You can use a toothpick to 'pin' the skin in place, if it's needed. Next, we'll prepare Myron's signature 'Chicken-Glaze." The recipe/instruction's will yield enough glaze to cover/process 24 good-sized, chicken thighs. Myron Mixon's Signature Chicken-Glaze Blend - heat, until the glaze almost boils. Cooking instructions: Cook @ 300 degrees - 2 ½ hours, total time. Thighs should be 180 degrees, breasts 160-170 degrees. Wash, dry, and place the Chicken in a bowl of regular Chicken Broth - refrigerate overnight. Using thighs: Clip against knuckle, scrape excess under skin (no more than ¼ inch excess), square-up (soften) corners: no sharp edges! Fill a cookie sheet half-full of Chicken Broth - place the Chicken in cupcake pan(s) skin-side up, and place the pan inside a cookie sheet. Fill each compartment half-full with Broth. Return to grill for 15 minutes. Remove, dip each piece in Glaze, and return the pan to the grill for the remaining 15 minutes, allowing the Chicken to caramelize. Wrap, and allow the Chicken to rest, while you prepare the turn-in box. Don't count your Chicken's before they're _____! With recipes this good, there are generally, very few leftovers.  Cupcake-Chicken Turn-In Box - Note: The Use Of Kale To Line The Box Class Price: $895 Per-Person(Group-Rate-Available). Website URL: http://jacksoldsouth.com  |
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