"Steve Pope" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
jmcquown said:
Quoted message said:
much of the Tennessee/Carolina Q I've seen is so moist that it could have been a pot roast. I can envision a less-moist style of pork shoulder that I'd prefer.
Quoted message said:
I'm not sure what Q you've had but the pork shoulders I've tasted (Tennessee) are moist but certainly not like a pot roast. Of course,
I've
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
also run into people who slather the cooked Q with sauce (or mix it all
up
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
in a pan *for* you) rather than letting you add a little dab of sauce for yourself. This turns it more into pulled pork sloppy joes and is a
definite
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
turn-off for me.
I'm referring to the pulled pork itself, not anything involving sauce. I'm sure I haven't had the best but this includes branches of Corky's. It's really, really moist and the pot roast description fits. As though they had a pan of water in the smoker, or something.
Steve
IMHO Corky's is not a standard by which good Pork Q should be judged any more that say....... Waffle House could set the standard on a quality steak. (Theirs isn't bad at 03:00 when your all liquored up....but still not the best I've ever had :-P In all honesty, I may be somewhat persnickety/picky/biased because I do a lot of Q myself and have a pretty decent following amongst those who've had it.....but I have never had pulled pork at *any* chain restaurant that I would rate above mediocre and only one or 2 experiences where I've had brisket or ribs that would receive even a passing grade.
also run into people who slather the cooked Q with sauce (or mix it all up in a pan *for* you) rather than letting you add a little dab of sauce for yourself. This turns it more into pulled pork sloppy joes and is a definite turn-off for me.
Maybe for you, but that exact style used to be quite popular in TN. When I was in the service in TN back in the late 60s, the most popular bbq for miles around was Rooney's BBQ, out of Murfreesboro. Every restaurant, cafe, truck stop, church social, large picnic, almost everywhere for a 50 mile radius, was catered/supplied by Rooney's. In fact, his bbq, both pork and beef, still defines what constitutes good bbq for me. I was in seventh heaven when I found a place in Santa Clara CA (Kal's) that served what is essentially a perfect knock-off of Rooney's. I'll eat just about any style bbq and love it, but gimme that sloppy joe stuff anytime.
I'm not sure what Q you've had but the pork shoulders I've tasted (Tennessee) are moist but certainly not like a pot roast. Of course, I've also run into people who slather the cooked Q with sauce (or mix it all up in a pan *for* you) rather than letting you add a little dab of sauce for yourself. This turns it more into pulled pork sloppy joes and is a definite turn-off for me.
I'm referring to the pulled pork itself, not anything involving sauce. I'm sure I haven't had the best but this includes branches of Corky's. It's really, really moist and the pot roast description fits. As though they had a pan of water in the smoker, or something.
I'm referring to the pulled pork itself, not anything involving sauce. I'm sure I haven't had the best but this includes branches of Corky's. It's really, really moist and the pot roast description fits. As though they had a pan of water in the smoker, or something.
Quoted message said:
IMHO Corky's is not a standard by which good Pork Q should be judged any more that say....... Waffle House could set the standard on a quality steak.
Okay, I'll agree I never encountered the real stuff out there, but it all seemed very moist. Whereas if I buy Q locally here in California (say, at T-Rex) the pulled pork while moderately moister than the brisket or ribs is nowhere near as soggy.
I'm sure I haven't had the best but this includes branches of Corky's. It's really, really moist and the pot roast description fits. As though they had a pan of water in the smoker, or something.
Quoted message said:
IMHO Corky's is not a standard by which good Pork Q should be judged any more that say....... Waffle House could set the standard on a quality steak.
Okay, I'll agree I never encountered the real stuff out there, but it all seemed very moist. Whereas if I buy Q locally here in California (say, at T-Rex) the pulled pork while moderately moister than the brisket or ribs is nowhere near as soggy.
I suspect there's a regional difference.
Steve
I suspect it's Corky's (or any other "chain"😉 originating out of Tennessee that lays claim to pulled pork shoulder. It's more like the meat is steamed, not long and slow smoked. The quality degraded and so did what visitors from out of town came to expect. Now people who go there think, "Oh, this is Tennessee pulled pork." It's not! It's slop.
I still prefer ribs (dry... and very simply patted with oil then dried thyme, granulated garlic, lots of black pepper, salt and a bit of hot paprika). Slow cooked over a nice lump fire on the grill. I don't have a "smoker" but I can approximate one on my Weber kettle using indirect heat and adding some soaked hickory chips to the fire.
Okay, I'll agree I never encountered the real stuff out there, but it all seemed very moist. Whereas if I buy Q locally here in California (say, at T-Rex) the pulled pork while moderately moister than the brisket or ribs is nowhere near as soggy.
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
I suspect there's a regional difference.
Quoted message said:
I suspect it's Corky's (or any other "chain"😉 originating out of Tennessee that lays claim to pulled pork shoulder. It's more like the meat is steamed, not long and slow smoked. The quality degraded and so did what visitors from out of town came to expect. Now people who go there think, "Oh, this is Tennessee pulled pork." It's not! It's slop.
Right. Too bad I didn't know where the real stuff was on my trips through those parts.
(As compensation though, I did have some really good fried chicken in a western Carolina town. Couldn't be sure if it was North or South Carolina, it was so close to the border.)
Quoted message said:
I still prefer ribs (dry... and very simply patted with oil then dried thyme, granulated garlic, lots of black pepper, salt and a bit of hot paprika). Slow cooked over a nice lump fire on the grill. I don't have a "smoker" but I can approximate one on my Weber kettle using indirect heat and adding some soaked hickory chips to the fire.
There's some stylistic issues that could be judged, such as whether the final product is too moist or too dry (I find Memphis and Carolina Q to be too moist -- Texas just exactly right),
Quoted message said:
Carolina and Tennessee (Memphis specifically) 'Q is based around pork, while Texas is based around beef. Proper BBQ'd Pork (shoulders) is moister than BBQ'd beef (brisket).
That's certaily what I've seen, but much of the Tennessee/Carolina Q I've seen is so moist that it could have been a pot roast. I can envision a less-moist style of pork shoulder that I'd prefer.
I've run into that as well, but that ain't the fault of the pulled pork, it's the fault of the holding process. A lot of less-than-stellar 'BBQ' restaurants, including well-known places like Corky's, re-heat previously cooked product. They also use steam to do the holding and reheating which produces the 'pot-roast' taste.
I've also tasted a lot of this at Texas 'Q joints with brisket.
The above desecration is the difference between production-style restaurants which happen to serve bbq, and great 'Q joints which happen to be restaurants. I have tasted great 'Q at Carolina joints and Texas joints, so I just don't agree with broad generalizations of the quality of bbq as an entire region.
I'm referring to the pulled pork itself, not anything involving sauce. I'm sure I haven't had the best but this includes branches of Corky's. It's really, really moist and the pot roast description fits. As though they had a pan of water in the smoker, or something.
Quoted message said:
IMHO Corky's is not a standard by which good Pork Q should be judged any more that say....... Waffle House could set the standard on a quality steak.
Okay, I'll agree I never encountered the real stuff out there, but it all seemed very moist. Whereas if I buy Q locally here in California (say, at T-Rex) the pulled pork while moderately moister than the brisket or ribs is nowhere near as soggy.
I suspect there's a regional difference.
Nah, there's not. I've eaten at plenty of California bbq places and, just as in the Carolinas and Texas, I've had good and I've had terrible.
Folks, try to remember it ain't the region, "it's the restaurant, Stupid." I ain't calling *you* stupid, Steve; I'm just making a general point to a general audience. :-)
also run into people who slather the cooked Q with sauce (or mix it all up in a pan *for* you) rather than letting you add a little dab of sauce for yourself. This turns it more into pulled pork sloppy joes and is a definite turn-off for me.
Maybe for you, but that exact style used to be quite popular in TN. When I was in the service in TN back in the late 60s, the most popular bbq for miles around was Rooney's BBQ, out of Murfreesboro. Every restaurant, cafe, truck stop, church social, large picnic, almost everywhere for a 50 mile radius, was catered/supplied by Rooney's. In fact, his bbq, both pork and beef, still defines what constitutes good bbq for me. I was in seventh heaven when I found a place in Santa Clara CA (Kal's) that served what is essentially a perfect knock-off of Rooney's. I'll eat just about any style bbq and love it, but gimme that sloppy joe stuff anytime.
:-) I have a menu item called "Critter Goop". It is a mix of pulled-pork and brisket that is turned goopy with my sauce. We sell a lot of it.
The above desecration is the difference between production-style restaurants which happen to serve bbq, and great 'Q joints which happen to be restaurants. I have tasted great 'Q at Carolina joints and Texas joints, so I just don't agree with broad generalizations of the quality of bbq as an entire region.
On a FoodTV show of BBQ joints, a pit master when asked how long he stayed open replied "We open at 11am and when we run out of BBQ we're closed, usually by 3pm." Not an exact quote, sorry.
And of course, now I can't remember the name of the place dammit, but I liked his style!!!
Okay, I'll agree I never encountered the real stuff out there, but it all seemed very moist. Whereas if I buy Q locally here in California (say, at T-Rex) the pulled pork while moderately moister than the brisket or ribs is nowhere near as soggy.
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
I suspect there's a regional difference.
Quoted message said:
Nah, there's not. I've eaten at plenty of California bbq places and, just as in the Carolinas and Texas, I've had good and I've had terrible.
Folks, try to remember it ain't the region, "it's the restaurant, Stupid." I ain't calling *you* stupid, Steve; I'm just making a general point to a general audience. :-)
Well then, you try to find me some Oakland-style Q anywhere further than 30 miles from Oakland. 😉
I was in seventh heaven when I found a place in Santa Clara CA (Kal's) that served what is essentially a perfect knock-off of Rooney's. I'll eat just about any style bbq and love it, but gimme that sloppy joe stuff anytime.
There's a Kal's or Cal's on Mathilda in Sunnyvale near where I work. Same people?
The above desecration is the difference between production-style restaurants which happen to serve bbq, and great 'Q joints which happen to be restaurants. I have tasted great 'Q at Carolina joints and Texas joints, so I just don't agree with broad generalizations of the quality of bbq as an entire region.
On a FoodTV show of BBQ joints, a pit master when asked how long he stayed open replied "We open at 11am and when we run out of BBQ we're closed, usually by 3pm." Not an exact quote, sorry.
We do the same. We are scheduled to stay open 'til 7p.m, but many times we're out of 'Q by 5:30. If we do stay open until 7, and if there are any leftovers, we send them to the local men's mission. -- Dave www.davebbq.com
Okay, I'll agree I never encountered the real stuff out there, but it all seemed very moist. Whereas if I buy Q locally here in California (say, at T-Rex) the pulled pork while moderately moister than the brisket or ribs is nowhere near as soggy.
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
I suspect there's a regional difference.
Quoted message said:
Nah, there's not. I've eaten at plenty of California bbq places and, just as in the Carolinas and Texas, I've had good and I've had terrible.
Folks, try to remember it ain't the region, "it's the restaurant, Stupid." I ain't calling *you* stupid, Steve; I'm just making a general point to a general audience. :-)
Well then, you try to find me some Oakland-style Q anywhere further than 30 miles from Oakland. 😉
There's a Kal's or Cal's on Mathilda in Sunnyvale near where I work. Same people?
DOH!! ...did I say Santa Clara? Yes, that's the one, on Mathilda. I should know it was Sunnyvale. Hell, I lived right across the street for almost a year. Their breakfast is killer, too. 😉
> There's some stylistic issues that could be judged, such as > whether the final product is too moist or too dry (I find > Memphis and Carolina Q to be too moist -- Texas just exactly > right),
I've run into that as well, but that ain't the fault of the pulled pork, it's the fault of the holding process. A lot of less-than-stellar 'BBQ' restaurants, including well-known places like Corky's, re-heat previously cooked product. They also use steam to do the holding and reheating which produces the 'pot-roast' taste.
Hell, they sell Corky's pulled pork in the freezer section at the grocery store. How good can that be?! Didn't our esteemed Barb Schaller just point out she bought frozen pulled pork (brand not specified to my recollection) at Cubs up in Minnesota only to find out how much better it is when made at home?!
Quoted message said:
I've also tasted a lot of this at Texas 'Q joints with brisket.
The above desecration is the difference between production-style restaurants which happen to serve bbq, and great 'Q joints which happen to be restaurants. I have tasted great 'Q at Carolina joints and Texas joints, so I just don't agree with broad generalizations of the quality of bbq as an entire region.
I don't agree with the region thing, either. I've had some very tasty beef ribs in Kansas and Texas. I've made some at home from the meaty ribs from a standing rib roast. I definitely wouldn't complain about it.
