BBQ Life 11
December is here already! This year has flown by.
Since it is the holiday season and gift giving time is here I decided that I would do a list of gifts for the BBQ fanatics out there. Now this list is not scientific in any way. Also some things I will give brand names because I have them and use them some things will be more generic.
10. Rib Skinners
This plier like tool makes pulling the tough silverskin on the back of a rack of ribs super easy. You can find them easily on Amazon.
9. Butcher paper
If you haven't tried cooking brisket Texas style, I highly recommend giving it a shot. It will definitely help get you a great bark.
8. Brisket slicer
What can I say other then get your hands on a good brisket knife. Everyone has their favorite brand of knife victorinox, Wusthof, Gunther Williams and many others. Regardless of your brand get your hands on a brisket slicer you will not be disappointed.
7. Cutting board
It's amazing how many people try to cut meat on way to small of a cutting board. Biggest thing to remember about a cutting board is you want either plastic or some form of wood. Never Ever use glass or stone cutting boards. These will destroy your knifes.
6. Gloves
Specifically cotton gloves and black nitrile gloves. Why you ask? Because when the nitrile gloves are worn over the cotton gloves you will find they work better than any silicone or lined rubber gloves ever has. This combo allows great dexterity while allowing you to handle hot foods (within reason, your not gonna put your hand inside the firebox) so don't things like bend testing ribs or picking up a brisket become much easier. And the black gloves don't just look cool they actually keep you looking cleaner since you can't easily see all the juices and sauces on your hands.
5. A digital Cooker temp probe
What I mean by this is something like the Thermoworks Smoke or Signals or something like an I-Grill. Some way to monitor your cooker temps that is highly accurate and is easy to use. Many of the round gauges used on smokers are either not accurate or not in the proper location. The digital probe style allow you to monitor the temp at grate level near the food. This tells you what is going on temp wise right at your food. Many also have meat probes too.
4. Man Meat BBQ gear
You really didn't think I wouldn't plug some of the awesome shirts and hats sold right here at Man Meat BBQ. We also have tumblers and stickers available! Or maybe hit up our patreon page and help keep the podcast and blogs going. Any of this stuff helps keep us going.
3. Knife roll
No this is not some new sushi dish. This is a handy carrying case to help you transport and protect all your knives. They are super handy to have around. Plus you look bad ass putting it down on the table and opening it up to reveal your hardware, especially that brisket slicer we talked about earlier.
2. BBQ books
BBQ are great gifts to help speed up the learning process of a new bbq'r and to help broaden the repertoire of a seasoned cook. My personal favorites are in no particular order, Smokin with Myron Mixon, Franklin Barbecue, Meathead and The Food Lab. You can learn a ton from these books and there are even more out there to choose from.
1. A good thermometer
Nothing is as important as a good thermometer. We do not cook to time we cook to temperature. Not cooking to temperature is a very easy way to get someone very sick let alone make your food dry and tough. My personal favorite is the Thermoworks Thermapen MK4 this thing is crazy fast and super accurate. It also is backlit and the screen turns depending on your orientation to make it easy to read.
Well that's it for this edition of the BBQ Life. I hope everyone has a great holiday season and a happy new year. Till next time #cowboyup and #keepsmokin
Cowboy Kev
