Secret to Keeping Meat Juicy and Flavorful

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January 12, 2006 | Issue 18

If you have ever had a problem with "too dry" meat then this newsletter is just for you..

Good day,

Welcome to the January edition of the Smoking-Meat.com monthly newsletter. I am your host Jeff Phillips and I am excited about this month's topics and I know you will be too so let's get right to it with no further ado!

 

Coming up in this issue:

• Give the Meat a little R&R after Cooking
• Feb/March BBQ Competitions
  
• Joke of the Month - from SmokingMeatForums.com

  

Give the Meat a little R&R after Cooking

This is something that we have not covered (as far as I can remember) in any of our newsletters.. and it needs to be covered since it is such an important issue. I think this may be something that will solve some problems for some of you who have complained to me about the meat being too dry.

 

To give you a little scientific knowledge on this.. when meat is cooked and reaches around 110 to 120 degrees the protien strands begin to shrink forcing the moisture out of its hiding places much like squeezing a balloon. The air just moves somewhere else.

 

In meat the juices tend to move to the cooler areas in the center of the meat and stay there throughout the larger portion of the cook time until: 

1. You puncture the meat with a knife, fork, thermometer probe, etc.
2. You slice the meat when the meat is done cooking

Both of these are not good and will cause you to lose much of the moisture in the meat resulting in a really dry piece of meat.

 

So if you cannot puncture the meat how do you check the doneness of the meat or insert a thermometer probe? Well.. you do it very carefully.

 

The proper way to avoid moisture loss is to insert the thermometer probe to the center of the meat at the very beginning of the cook. You do not poke, puncture or cut the meat after that until after the meat is done and has rested for a certain period of time.

 

At what point does the meat return from the center of the meat back to its' original location throughout the meat? Well I am going to explain that in detail right after this commercial break..

 

Short Commercial break...

 

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This website and newsletter is made possible by all of you who support the site by making donations and ordering our products.. the best product that I have is my rub and sauce recipes which sell as a package deal for only $18.95 and they are so worth it.. I am so sure that you will like them that I make a guarantee that if they are not the best you have ever eaten then I will gladly refund your money.. it is a win-win situation. I simply want every one of you to be successful and my special rub and sauce recipes have the potential to make you both famous and successful.

 

I have folks email me daily telling me how my recipes have made them so popular at family get togethers, in the neighborhood and even in the competition venue and you can be next by ordering today!

 

Read Testimonies | Get the Recipes 

 

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 Ok.. back to the article now:

 

We have solved part of the problem of losing moisture by learning not to poke or puncture the meat while it is cooking but now we are going to learn how to allow the juices to return/redistribute throughout the meat before carving, slicing or pulling.

 

Every meat is different in how long it takes the juices to return but for the most part I like to wait for at least 15 minutes and usually 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the meat.

 

Ribs, chicken pieces, and other smaller pieces of meat need to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting.

 

Larger pieces of meat such as pork shoulder, whole chicken or turkey, and brisket should be allowed to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing, carving or pulling.

 

For the larger pieces, more is better and I recommend a full 30 minutes if possible for maximum juiciness.

 

If you follow these instruction to the letter, you will immediately notice a more juicy and flavorful piece of meat and you family and friends will vote you in as backyard chef of the year!

 

 

Some Really Great Articles.. 

We have some really good articles at the website that I would like to draw your attention to..

 

How to Smoke Brisket

How to Smoke Ribs

Smoked Meat Loaf Recipe (outstanding!)

Pulled Pork Recipe 

 

Be sure to also check out the all new sitemap just added to the website.. it lists all of our articles, tutorials, old newsletters, recipes, etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February/March BBQ Competitions

This is a new section in the newsletter.. to keep everyone abreast of the upcoming competitions I will scour the various calendars for the KCBS and other barbecue associations and list all of the events coming up in the following month.

 

If you have knowledge of an upcoming event sanctioned or not by one of the well know BBQ associations then I will be happy to list it as well if you will send me the information.

 

KCBS is showing no competitions scheduled for February so I will go ahead and list the ones for March

 

03/10 - 03/11 2006 Mobile, AL State Championship Mitchell Co. BBQ Championship & Hog Wild Festival Contact: Carl Butler E-mail: butler_carl@msn.com Contact: Lee Corrigan, 3058 Dauphin Square Conn, Mobile, AL 36607 Phone: 251-479-4900 Fax: 251-479-4998 E-mail: lcorrigan@ucpmobile.org KCBS Reps: Ron Harwell, Carolyn Wells, Phillip Brazier

03/10 - 03/11 2006 N. Kansas City, MO State Championship N. Kansas City MO BBQ Championship Contact: Mickey Finn, 1902 Swift, N. Kansas City, MO 64116 Phone: 816-421-4438 Fax: 816-472-0320 KCBS Reps: Rosemary Morrow, Phil Morrow

03/17 - 03/18 2006 Rio Rancho, NM State Championship New Mexico Pork & Brew BBQ Contact: Art Perez, 4011 Barbara Loop #208, Rio Rancho, NM 87174 Phone: 505-891-7258 Fax: 505-892-8328 E-mail: aperez@ci.rio-rancho.nm.us KCBS Reps: Merl Whitebook, Lew Miller, Carol Whitebook

03/24 - 03/25 2006 Rockingham, NC State Championship Smoke on the Rock BBQ Championship Contact: R. Shawn Lewis, 133 E. Main Street, Ellerbe, NC 28338 Phone: 910-995-4092 Fax: 910-997-4321 E-mail: slewis@yourdailyjournal.com

03/31 - 04/01 2006 Stillwater, OK State Championship Stillwater Elks Blazathon Contact: Pat Pittman, 202 E. McElroy, Stillwater, OK 74075 Phone: 800-364-2438 or 405-743-3300 Fax: 405-372-4484 E-mail: patpittman@wilsonchevroletjeep.com

03/31 - 04/01 2006 Hammond, LA State Championship Hammond's Smokin Blues & BBQ Challenge Contact: Deek DeBlieux, 42532 South Range Road, Hammond, LA 70403 Phone: 985-345-1221 Fax: 985-345-2212 E-mail: deek.deblieux@bdk.com KCBS Reps: Phillip Brazier, Carolyn Wells

 

And here are some other competitions/cookoffs I have been made aware of for February:

 

2-03/05 . Navasota, TX Grimes County Go Texan BBQ Stacey Ross     936-825-2020 (T)

2-10/11 . Humble, TX Humble Rodeo Cook-off   Humble Civic Center       http://www.humblebbqcookoff.com Stacy Williams      281-831-5780  Bobby (T)

2-17/18 . Austin, TX "Chilly" Chili & BBQ C/O - VFW 8787 Dee Dee Barton                 512-365-7821  Ronnie Akin (TxBA)

2-24/25 . Mercedes, TX Smokin' on the Rio                       Texas State Championship         $10,000 prize money     www.smokinontherio.com Chuck Sellman        956-975-1254 Jen & Mike (STBA)

2-24/25 . Irving, TX Irving Elks Lodge BBQ David Boedeker   972-579-0005 (TxBA)

 

 

If you have friends, family or coworkers who are not signed up for this newsletter or you feel could benefit from the eCourse, please send them the link so they can take advantage as well.

 

Joke of the Month

Another new section of the Smoking Meat Newsletter.. I want to keep the information fresh and insightful and your comments, ideas, criticism, etc. is helping to do just that and is appreciated. Please send me your joke ideas and who knows.. I may use it sometime.

 

Please note.. it is not our intention to offend anyone. We hope everyone is thick-skinned enough and mature enough to understand that jokes are meant to be funny and should not be taken seriously. 

 

We have a whole joke section at www.SmokingMeatForums.com and if you have not joined up then you are missing out.. here is one from the forum:

 

Dear Vinnie

 

An old Italian man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard.

His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament.

"Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me.
- Love Dad"

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

"Dear Dad,
Not for nothing, but don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the BODIES.
- Love Vinnie"

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

"Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
-Love Vinnie"

 

 

Jeff's Top Secret Recipes

I have two of the best recipes that have ever been known in the barbecue venue.. The rub recipes is nothing short of phenomenal and the accompanying barbecue sauce is the best you have ever eaten.. I guarantee it!

Those of you who have ordered can attest to the fact that these recipes are unbelievable and if you have not ordered then I have to ask.. What are you waiting on?

$18.95 gets you the 2 best barbecue recipes you have ever tasted and that is something you cannot afford to do without.

 

Read Testimonies | Order now

If you have already ordered one of the recipes previously simply go here to find out how to order a single recipe to complete the collection.

 

 

 

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Have a Wonderful Day and Keep Smoking (meat that is)!!!

Jeff Phillips
Pitmaster/Webmaster
www.Smoking-Meat.com
www.SmokingMeatForums.com

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