Being an asador

[MatthewB]

SOUTH TO NORTH: If you're not born to barbecue, try smoking

[fresco]

"They then salvaged a grill to hold the meat several feet from the smoking fire. Robert even salvaged an old Wolf range burner with its own gas jet to help start the fire. He had a lid for the pit made at an ironworks, then added a hoisting system from a block and tackle (found in a marine store) because the lid would become too hot during cooking to lift with pot holders."

One of the reasons that I remain on the sidelines of serious barbecue is a reluctance (okay, inability) to first become a journeyman machinist.

[tanabutler]

A photo sure would be helpful, in that article. I have the hardest time visualizing things in 3-D from written descriptions.

[Stone]

It's an odd article (and poorly written, in my opinion).

The author, Jacqueline Higuera McMahan, never really explains what she considers to be the difference between bbq and smoking. It kind of seems that she's using bbq to refer to grilling.

Then she refers to "cold smoked brisket" and how her husband (who, I take it, could not "bbq") was determined to learn how to "cold smoke". But then, she discusses building a home bbq pit. It sounds a lot like plain old smoking, i.e., barbecue, not cold smoking. That is, the lid of the pit gets too hot to lift even with pot-holders. The recipe for ribs calls for smoking at 200-225 degrees -- not what I consider "cold smoking".

Is it possible that Ms. McMahan and the Chronicle food staff haven't learned anything from eGullet?

Edited August 6, 2003 by Stone (log)

[MatthewB]

Well, maybe she read the "Defining BBQ" thread & realized that even eGullet can turn the simple into something difficult.

[JFLinLA]

The LA Times Food Section did about the same thing at the beginning of July. Here's the link to the digest.

[fifi]

It's an odd article (and poorly written, in my opinion).

You are being too kind. It is just plain stupid.