So here we are doing our second entry into the blogosphere. Does this make me a 'pundit'?
Someone told me early on that consistency was a key factor in restaurant success. I have come to appreciate those remarks to a degree I never would have thought possible the day I first heard them.
Our customers are quite discerning. They know if the brisket or ribs or any other thing is 'right' or not. In my opinion, there is no 'getting by' for us. It's either right or not. Let's look at some of the variables associated with consistency in BBQ.
First, there's the meat. We use certified Angus beef for our brisket, and top quality suppliers for ribs and pork buts. Also we use jumbo Halal legs for our chicken and what we feel are the best links locally made. But that's not all. We hand select our ribs by weight so that we can have uniform size, as far as possible.
Next there's the prep. That has to do with how I make the rub and if my prep cooks are doing things they way they have been trained to do them. This affects the amount of fat on the brisket, the composition and evenness of the rub, the size and shape of the ribs and the moisture or lack thereof in the pork butts.
Then comes the cooking. Since we're cooking with natural fire, there are more variables in this part of the process than almost anywhere else. First, the wood has to be appropriately seasoned. We use a slightly greener wood than most in order to get enough smoke on the meat. Dry wood just won't lay as much flavor down. Wood supply is not all that consistent in this regard, so we have to manage that as best we can.
Next is the ambient and internal temperatures. Is it cold or hot outside? Are the smokers running hotter or colder? Are they holding temperature? Fortunately, we now cook on the finest smokers God has allowed man to cook meat on. Not cheap, but they hold temperature perfectly and require little in terms of watching the temperature gauge. The also have the side benefit of burning less fuel.
After that, there is the critical judgement call of pulling the meat when it's done. Not before, not after. Just at that sweet spot. There are various tests we use for the cooks. I can eyeball it and get it right most of the time. But we have multiple shifts and a number of people now responsible for this task. I've seen my senior guy have it right for months and months, then lose it, pulling the meat when it's overdone. It requires constant vigilance and training. And each piece of meat is a test. Each one has to be perfect for us to have perfect consistency at the plate.
With BBQ, we don't cook to order, obviously, since our minimum cook time is 90 minutes for the chicken and upwards 12 to 16 house for brisket. So, how we hold the meat is another challenge altogether. It must be warm, but not to the point where the food continues to cook. A real balancing act because we never know how many folks are going to come in and which items are going to move the fastest. This is also why BBQ joints run out of food. If you get a run on something, there's just no recovery. If you're out by 6 PM, your out for the night. 4 1/2 hours to get ribs back.
Also, this meat cools off really fast, so, once it's plated it has to go to the table immediately, where it continues to cool. This caused us a lot of grief for some time until we mandated that the bell has top priority. Now it's better but still an issue to a degree.
With all the challenges, we thrive on managing the variables as best as humanly possible to bring you the highest quality meal we can, each and every time. We humbly recognize we are all too human and we will fail from time to time. Should that happen, we sincerely hope you will bring it to our attention and allow us to remedy the situation.
Thank you for reading and for being a loyal customer!
Paul
