Noticed a lot of folks oversmoking their ribs at the local comp last weekend

I was walking around the circuit at the Franklin County BBQ Showdown last Saturday and kept smelling this harsh, acrid smoke coming from maybe 4 or 5 rigs. People were throwing on fistfuls of hickory and mesquite together, thinking more smoke equals more flavor. But I've learned after 3 years of this that if you can't see the meat through the smoke, you're just coating it in creosote. I mean, good ribs should have a clean pink ring, not a black, bitter bark that tastes like an ashtray. A buddy of mine actually used cherry wood and a clean fire and took second place while those heavy smoke guys didn't even place. Has anyone else noticed people going way overboard on the smoke at your local competitions?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenixk6419d ago

Cherry and apple are way easier to dial in than hickory or mesquite, a lot of new folks just don't get that less is more. Clean fire is the real game changer though, not the wood type.

cole_murphy19d agoMost Upvoted

60% of new folks overcomplicate it.

young.ryan19d ago

I was actually reading an article from Meathead over at AmazingRibs.com about this exact thing last week, and he was saying how most competition cooks actually use way less wood than you'd think, like maybe 2 or 3 chunks max for a whole cook. I think what cole_murphy and phoenixk64 said about clean fire being the real game changer is dead on. The article broke down how dirty smoke from smoldering wood just puts a gross bitter layer on the meat, and that pink smoke that smells sweet is what you're after. It's wild how many people still think billowing white clouds means it's working, when really you want that thin blue almost invisible smoke.