WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

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WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby Boots » Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:25 pm

This article will do nothing to cool off the age old debates about what constitutes authentic "barbecuing", dredging all the old arguments about injecting, computerizing, etc. For those that do not subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, my apologies, I could not find the article replicated elsewhere for free. But for those that do, an interesting read. Illustrates very well what it takes to be competitive on the big time competition circuit. I understand and respect the opinions of those that will say, this is what it takes to win and also produces the "best" possible eats (?); on the other side of the fence (where the dinosaur that is Boots resides), I also look at the ingredients that go into this stuff and ask myself "Would I wanna eat that for feed it to my kid" and also ask myself, at what point does this transcend from real cooking skill to simply automating (or over-automating) a process? Somewhat similar to the argument of whether Einstein would have been as great a thinker if he had had an Texas Instruments calculator all that time.

At the end of the day, the discussion would be amongst the two camps, those that maintain that ends justifies the means, and other side saying that to do so sells out the creative soul. I think it's an interesting, but unresolvable discussion.

Now, that doesn't mean we need to start throwing rocks at each other. Marquess of Queensbury Rules at all times.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-yankee ... 1535119032
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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby TwoGuysBBQ » Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:41 pm

Interesting read, Thanks for posting.
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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby txsmkmstr » Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:03 pm

Definitely an "unresolvable discussion" - at least until these techniques are not permitted in competition. Of course, once they're forbidden the hunt will be on to detect them and you'll have the whole Tour de France (and other competition similes) saga at your licking fingertips. :banghead:

Still, makes for an interesting read even if it's not for me. :chef:
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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby rms827 » Mon Aug 27, 2018 5:11 pm

Sounds like an interesting read... Meat glue though? No thank you. On that level, it's alot like the wine industry. Some of what goes into a bottle of wine to give it the specific flavor would gross you out. Fish scales and such (no joke).

As far as not throwing stones though... I think people have gotten too afraid to take a POLITE stand on things nowadays. Key word there being polite. There's nothing wrong with standing up and saying "not in MY grill" (in this case). It's stuff we wouldn't feed our kids, it's artificial, and there's a legitimate question of fairness as well. Can't compete on an even playing field against people who have worked their pork butts off (lol) to perfect their skills? Use a bunch of artificial flavors and an automated cooker. :tdown: Even with my Rec-Tec, I can turn out some amazing food, BUT I'm still going to give more credit to somebody who can turn out just as good food on a stick burner. It takes more skill and work.


I think for me, a bigger issue with the article is the anti-Southern bias I see in the media nowadays. That was a subtle undertone there; the Northerners did it better. Food Network is REALLY bad this way anymore. The first entire season of Michael Symon's show "Burgers Brew and Que" spent most of the season highlighting NYC barbeque, and never once got as far South as North Carolina or any further West than Cincinnati. Alot of their BBQ shows are like that. Their current season of "Chopped: Grill Masters" was blatantly anti-Texas. It's a BBQ famous spots cook off this time. Kansas City, Carolina, Memphis and Texas. The other 3 areas got softball baskets of ingredients; all easy to use and well known ingredients in their region's BBQ. Texas, in it's initial round to decide who goes to the finals where all 4 areas compete against each other, gets MEAL WORMS in it's basket as an ingredient. Want evidence it's totally scripted too?? ALL FOUR Texas competitors couldn't cook beef short ribs and served them almost raw. Only the guy eliminated in the first basket even had a Texas accent too. The winner for Texas was some guy with a low cut mohawk and a man bun. Last I checked, a man bun was a get a rope offense in Texas, at least outside of Austin, LOL.

I see the same kind of things in other shows on other networks too. If I kept citing examples though, this post would be 10 pages long. Make no mistake; Southern values are under attack by the media (and not just the news). Texas in particular because with it's large electoral count, it's a major factor in national elections.

For the folks here who are West Coasters like me or are Northeasters... No problem with any of y'all. :mrgreen: My beef is with the media elites that think they know better than everybody else and have the right and duty to tell everyone else how to live their life.
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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby Sailor Kenshin » Mon Aug 27, 2018 5:25 pm

I can't read it---paywall, y'know, but----MEAT GLUE? :shock:
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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby rms827 » Mon Aug 27, 2018 5:26 pm

Sailor Kenshin wrote:I can't read it---paywall, y'know, but----MEAT GLUE? :shock:


Google it... Just have a barf bag nearby.
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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby woodenvisions » Mon Aug 27, 2018 5:41 pm

Unfortunately this has been around for a long long time. Its almost like the concept of using not just a bonding agent, but as a filler as well. Its not just in Meats, but Dairy as well. If you dig deep enough into the history of this crap you will see a connection to the company that gave us the AS Aspartame which itself has bad intentions surrounding that sweetener..
Coming from a restaurant supply background, we used to get tired of trying to find a meat product label that Didn't have its nasty binders listed.

Yup, gross stuff


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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby Sailor Kenshin » Mon Aug 27, 2018 6:08 pm

rms827 wrote:
Sailor Kenshin wrote:I can't read it---paywall, y'know, but----MEAT GLUE? :shock:


Google it... Just have a barf bag nearby.


Maybe I shouldn't....I have a weak stomach. ;)

As for your other points, I've seen it, I agree... and I'm a Yankee.
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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby rms827 » Mon Aug 27, 2018 7:51 pm

Most folks everywhere aren't the real problem, Kenshin. It's the know it alls in charge of things that want to social engineer and pit everyone against each other to distract us from their nonsense.

As close to a political rant as I'm gonna get here.. Beyond my earlier post, LOL.
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Re: RE: Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby woodenvisions » Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:43 pm

Sailor Kenshin wrote:[quote="rms827"][quote="Sailor Kenshin"]I can't read it---paywall, y'know, but----MEAT GLUE? :shock:


Google it... Just have a barf bag nearby.[/quote]

Maybe I shouldn't....I have a weak stomach. ;)

As for your other points, I've seen it, I agree... and I'm a Yankee.[/quote]Us Yanks have great Pizza and Sweet Corn tho huh Sailor ? Lol

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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby rms827 » Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:55 pm

Yankees can BBQ Wooden, so can us folks out West. I was just a bit offended by the bias, and the implication that they're innovating and changing things for the better; outsmarting stupid Southerners who couldn't do all that.
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Re: RE: Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby woodenvisions » Tue Aug 28, 2018 6:49 am

rms827 wrote:Yankees can BBQ Wooden, so can us folks out West. I was just a bit offended by the bias, and the implication that they're innovating and changing things for the better; outsmarting stupid Southerners who couldn't do all that.
No need to splain rms, I knew what you meant and I understand it as well. I was just taking the opportunity to brag about the Pizza Sailor, PB and I can get our hands on over here :):)

Unless you were hatched here in NY or NJ you wouldn't have the opportunity we have/had for knowing this type of Pizza.

Its funny, my sister moved to Cali 22 years ago and when she comes out here to visit, she slobbers like a bloodhound when we talk about getting a Pizza Pie or 4...

I say to her.....What ?? You don't have Pizza in Cali ??
Her reply is..Of course we do, but it JUST AINT DA SAME......

In 2 weeks she'll be out for a month so im sure we will be getting her her fix :)
I've always been amazed at how different foods and methods differ from state to state.


Speaking of Pizza, I think I'm due for some Stoned Lump Pies very soon.

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Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby Sailor Kenshin » Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:55 am

I admit, we DO have good pizza...but it's been a bad year for corn. The one time we had any this season, it was like feedlot stuff, tough, chewy, non-sweet. Maybe we can grab a few good ones before the season closes.
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Re: RE: Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby woodenvisions » Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:49 am

Sailor Kenshin wrote:I admit, we DO have good pizza...but it's been a bad year for corn. The one time we had any this season, it was like feedlot stuff, tough, chewy, non-sweet. Maybe we can grab a few good ones before the season closes.
There is this farm/market/fruit/vegetable stand called Marshalls that's in Delaware Nj on rt 46 about 10 minutes east of the Nj/Pa border along the Delaware River that's going on 100 years next year that we've become good friends with. Great owners, hard working couple that has their own corn called Afternoon Delight. Its white and Yellow and sweet as Jersey Sweet Corn can be.
The owner Nick was telling me that this year they took a beating on the corn with all of this rain and the Squirrells this year but he still managed to get in quite a bit so we grabbed some a few weeks back.

I feel really bad for these farmers that have to fight every day guessing what kind of crop they will end up with ...

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Re: RE: Re: WSJ Article: Yankee Barbecuers

Postby Sailor Kenshin » Tue Aug 28, 2018 12:28 pm

woodenvisions wrote:
Sailor Kenshin wrote:I admit, we DO have good pizza...but it's been a bad year for corn. The one time we had any this season, it was like feedlot stuff, tough, chewy, non-sweet. Maybe we can grab a few good ones before the season closes.
There is this farm/market/fruit/vegetable stand called Marshalls that's in Delaware Nj on rt 46 about 10 minutes east of the Nj/Pa border along the Delaware River that's going on 100 years next year that we've become good friends with. Great owners, hard working couple that has their own corn called Afternoon Delight. Its white and Yellow and sweet as Jersey Sweet Corn can be.
The owner Nick was telling me that this year they took a beating on the corn with all of this rain and the Squirrells this year but he still managed to get in quite a bit so we grabbed some a few weeks back.

I feel really bad for these farmers that have to fight every day guessing what kind of crop they will end up with ...

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I see that kind of guessing with our own garden, and that's just for fun. And tomatoes.
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