Social Saturday is BBQ Day V3 - How big is your meat?

[Rob Battisti]

After going Traeger it’s hard to go back. I still have my offset cook days, but the ease of the pellet smoker is unbeatable. And no matter what anyone says, you still get a great smoke flavor profile.

 

[usmctanker242]

After going Traeger it’s hard to go back. I still have my offset cook days, but the ease of the pellet smoker is unbeatable. And no matter what anyone says, you still get a great smoke flavor profile.

I love you buddy, but I absolutely 100% disagree with you. There's a reason so many people with pellet cookers are using pellet tubes and trays to try and get some actual smoke flavor into the meat. No doubt a pellet grill will give a great smoke ring, but there is no taste or flavor at all from the smoke on a pellet grill. Just a couple of weeks ago I attended a Traeger Workshop because Diva Q was teaching it, and of course they were cooking on the Traeger Timberline (1300 model I think). She did a pizza that was cooked at 400° so I wasn't surprised there was no smoke flavor because of the high heat. Then she did some rib-eyes (SRF wagyu) and they were amazing! Not a hint of smoke, but still the best steaks I had ever had. The steaks were smoked for over an hour on the Traeger and then seared...not a hint of smoke flavor. Finally she did baby-back ribs and she said they spent 2 hours on the Traeger "Super Smoke" setting, and then were finished at 250°. Not even a hint of smoke flavor.... nothing! Mind you the class was full of Traeger owners (I was the only one who didn't own one) and everybody around me was saying the same thing about a lack of smoke flavor.

Finally, as I've posted on here before, I'm part of the "GrillaGrills" family via my kamado (now sold) and at least 20% of the posts on the owners page is people saying there is no smoke flavor no matter what they do. Common suggestions are along the lines of "cook at a lower temp" or "use a pellet tube/tray" and then there's always the caveat : "Well, it is a pellet grill, so the smoke is going to be mild and balanced as compared to an offset."

I've had food off a Yoder pellet grill, a now a Traeger, and so far I can't find even a single iota of smoke flavor on that food. I totally understand the allure of something like a pellet grill due to the ease of use and the beautiful smoke ring, but no way in hell do they give you any smoke flavor and certainly not anywhere comparable to an offset.

 

[Rob Battisti]

Whoa!

I can’t be in more opposing camp! I run a mix of oak and mesquite or cherry depending on what I’m cooking, but I always get a good smooth smoke flavor.

Is it overpowering? No. Can you get a heavy smoke from pellets? No. But I prefer the balance between rub, smoke and meat.

100% though I get good smoke on the reg from my Traeger Pro series.

Also, I just moved back to Texas so I am going to be smoking way more now. Going to invest in something more heavy duty very soon.

 

[Madmick]

Costco stopped selling them around here sometime in the last two years, but my favorite Tri-Tip to buy has always been the famous Morton's (of Omaha).

It appears Costco still sells them online, but not locally. This has been a major disappointment. I hope this contract gets restored ASAP because all the replacements are quite good, but not spectacular. These are the listed ingredients on the package:

INGREDIENTS

• Beef
• Water
• Potassium Lactate
• Seasoning
  • Dextrose
  • Salt
  • Burgundy Wine Powder
    • Maltodextrin
    • Burgundy Wine Solids
    • Potassium Sorbate
    • Sulfur Dioxide
• Dehydrated Garlic and Onion Spices
• Spices
• Sunflower Oil
• Citric Acid

RUBBED WITH:

• Dextrose
• Salt
• Burgundy Wine Powder
  • Maltodextrin
  • Burgundy Wine Solids
  • Potassium Sorbate
  • Sulfur Dioxide
• Spices including Mustard Seed
• Dehydrated Garlic and Onion
• Caramel Color
• Sunflower Oil
• Citric Acid

Epicurious offers this marinade recipe supposedly via Morton's of Chicago:
Estimated Times
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 0 min
Servings: 8

MARINADE INGREDIENTS

• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp. whole thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Place meat in a pan, add marinade, let stand for 2-3 hours. Remove from refrigerator one hour prior to grilling. Good for 3 pounds of steak.
2. Tips from the experts at Morton's of Chicago:
3. The first element of successful grilling is to select the right cut of beef. The ideal steaks for grilling are the Porterhouse, New York Strip, Rib-eye and T-bone.
4. When choosing meat from the supermarket or a local butcher, always look for steaks that contain marbling. Marbling is the intermuscular fat that runs through the meat giving it flavor.
5. Whatever steak you choose, thickness is the most important element in grilling. The steak should be at least one to one and half inches thick.

Frankly, not only does that marinade not taste anything remotely like the Morton's Omaha variation, but that recipe is bland crap.

So on the 4th I tried out a recent new marinade. I wasn't even trying to emulate the Morton's this time, and yet it came out tasting about as close to the flavor I remember that I have ever tasted (it has been over a year or so). No, it doesn't make sense, because little here lines up with the label ingredients, either, but give it a shot. It's delicious. Ingredients aren't obscure.

Mick's Morton Tri-Tip Marinade Copycat

• ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ¼ cup Lea & Perrin’s Worcestshire Sauce
• 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce (or Basque Norte)
• 1 Tbsp Heinz Ketchup
• 4 Tbsp McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• ½ tsp Onion Powder
• ⅛ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp Minced Horseradish (jarred/bottled is what I used)
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice (ReaLemon is what I used)
• 1 tsp Meat Tenderizer, Unseasoned [i.e. Bromelain]
• ½ tsp Red Wine Vinegar
• ¼ tsp Liquid Smoke
• 1 dash Hot Sauce (Sriracha is what I used)

I might have used 1 tsp or more Red Wine Vinegar. I didn't measure.

Directions:

1. Combine into a food processor and blend until all the ingredients are smooth. Add it to the meat.
   
2. I think the longer the better with just about any Tri-Tip or heavy cut marinade. Best of all is if you have your own vacuum sealer. You could buy your tri-tip, then mix it with this marinade, and let it sit for a week to tenderize the meat like the Morton's do as they sit during shipping and waiting to be bought. True "wet marinade", there.

You could add a teaspoon of mustard, I suppose, since mustard is part of the Omaha recipe, and it's missing from my marinade, but I didn't put any in.


What are you favorite Tri-Tip marinade recipes?

 

[Brom Bones]

Antifreeze. Has a sweet taste to it. You should try it. Highly recommended!

 

[Madmick]

BTW, here is our sticky on Grilling. I'll probably merge this thread to it once it falls off the first few pages:
Saturday is BBQ Day V3 - How big is your meat?

 

[OverCoronavirus Pressure]

Costco stopped selling them around here sometime in the last two years, but my favorite Tri-Tip to buy has always been the famous Morton's (of Omaha).

It appears Costco still sells them online, but not locally. This has been a major disappointment. I hope this contract gets restored ASAP because all the replacements are quite good, but not spectacular. These are the listed ingredients on the package:

INGREDIENTS

• Beef
• Water
• Potassium Lactate
• Seasoning
  • Dextrose
  • Salt
  • Burgundy Wine Powder
    • Maltodextrin
    • Burgundy Wine Solids
    • Potassium Sorbate
    • Sulfur Dioxide
• Dehydrated Garlic and Onion Spices
• Spices
• Sunflower Oil
• Citric Acid

RUBBED WITH:

• Dextrose
• Salt
• Burgundy Wine Powder
  • Maltodextrin
  • Burgundy Wine Solids
  • Potassium Sorbate
  • Sulfur Dioxide
• Spices including Mustard Seed
• Dehydrated Garlic and Onion
• Caramel Color
• Sunflower Oil
• Citric Acid

Epicurious offers this marinade recipe supposedly via Morton's of Chicago:
Estimated Times
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 0 min
Servings: 8

MARINADE INGREDIENTS

• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp. whole thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Place meat in a pan, add marinade, let stand for 2-3 hours. Remove from refrigerator one hour prior to grilling. Good for 3 pounds of steak.
2. Tips from the experts at Morton's of Chicago:
3. The first element of successful grilling is to select the right cut of beef. The ideal steaks for grilling are the Porterhouse, New York Strip, Rib-eye and T-bone.
4. When choosing meat from the supermarket or a local butcher, always look for steaks that contain marbling. Marbling is the intermuscular fat that runs through the meat giving it flavor.
5. Whatever steak you choose, thickness is the most important element in grilling. The steak should be at least one to one and half inches thick.

Frankly, not only does that marinade not taste anything remotely like the Morton's Omaha variation, but that recipe is bland crap.

So on the 4th I tried out a recent new marinade. I wasn't even trying to emulate the Morton's this time, and yet it came out tasting about as close to the flavor I remember that I have ever tasted (it has been over a year or so). No, it doesn't make sense, because little here lines up with the label ingredients, either, but give it a shot. It's delicious. Ingredients aren't obscure.

Mick's Morton Tri-Tip Marinade Copycat

• 
  
  
  • ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • ¼ cup Lea & Perrin’s Worcestshire Sauce
  • 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce (or Basque Norte)
  • 1 Tbsp Heinz Ketchup
  • 4 Tbsp McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • ½ tsp Onion Powder
  • ⅛ tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tsp Minced Horseradish (jarred/bottled is what I used)
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice (ReaLemon is what I used)
  • 1 tsp Meat Tenderizer, Unseasoned [i.e. Bromelain]
  • ½ tsp Red Wine Vinegar
  • ¼ tsp Liquid Smoke
  • 1 dash Hot Sauce (Sriracha is what I used)

I might have used 1 tsp or more Red Wine Vinegar. I didn't measure.

Directions:

1. Combine into a food processor and blend until all the ingredients are smooth. Add it to the meat.
   
2. I think the longer the better with just about any Tri-Tip or heavy cut marinade. Best of all is if you have your own vacuum sealer. You could buy your tri-tip, then mix it with this marinade, and let it sit for a week to tenderize the meat like the Morton's do as they sit during shipping and waiting to be bought. True "wet marinade", there.

You could add a teaspoon of mustard, I suppose, since mustard is part of the Omaha recipe, and it's missing from my marinade, but I didn't put any in.


What are you favorite Tri-Tip marinade recipes?

I regret that I have nothing to add other than good thread, good OP, and fuck you for making me ravenous for delicious steak so early in the morning

 

[Pliny Pete]

Do you guys have a Kinders around there?
They got several shops between the Bay and Reno and they sell the best marinated tri tips and ball tips you ever tasted
I prefer the ball tips (no homo) cause they got more fat and are way more flavorful, theyre perfect for grilling over indirect heat

 

[Madmick]

Do you guys have a Kinders around there?
They got several shops between the Bay and Reno and they sell the best marinated tri tips and ball tips you ever tasted
I prefer the ball tips (no homo) cause they got more fat and are way more flavorful, theyre perfect for grilling over indirect heat

Oh, I'm a little homo for Ball Tips. No need to be uncomfortable, my friend.

There's one in Chico. I never go down there, anymore, but I'll hit it up next time I visit my bro in Sac, or request he stop and pick one up the next time he comes up to visit. Thanks for the tip.

 

[AznTrojan]

i grilled a couple tri tips rubbed montreal steak seasoning for the 4th...

 

[Pliny Pete]

Oh, I'm a little homo for Ball Tips. No need to be uncomfortable, my friend.

There's one in Chico. I never go down there, anymore, but I'll hit it up next time I visit my bro in Sac, or request he stop and pick one up the next time he comes up to visit. Thanks for the tip.

I'd tell him to pick up a couple bottles of their award winning BBQ sauce too, that stuff is so frickin good

 

[blaseblah]

Fred's. Not sure what's in it. If you live in the bay area it's a must try.

 

[usmctanker242]

So I'm doing my first lunch service tomorrow for my business. I'm serving abord a Marine Corps base and according to the reps who set this whole thing up they say there's usually 50-100 people to serve between 11am - 1pm for lunch. So I'm doing 4 briskets and 6 pork butts, along with coleslaw and baked beans. I'll try and get some pics of everything, but I'm going to be fucking swamped. I've only got 1 other person helping me out so it's going to be kind of a shit show, but hopefully we can create some synergy and make it work out well.

Some really good looking tri-tips in here lately.

 

[usmctanker242]

So I've got a couple of weeks of doing lunch service under my belt and I've learned a shit ton. Fucking food costs are kicking my ass but I'm working hard to reduce them to actually turn a decent profit. Shitty thing is everybody takes a piece of the pie.. the military base takes 10% of all sales for a commission, Uncle Sam gets ~8% sales tax, my credit card processing company takes ~4% (monthly surcharge + interchange), and I have to pay my cashier.

It has been a ton of fun and I do have days like today...smoked up 4 chickens, a pork belly, and made some brisket chili. Food cost for me was about $65 and I ended up doing close to $300 sales in less than an hour. Other days I had $200 in brisket and did $150 in sales. Something I had kind of forgotten about was the military pay-day and how the young guys/gals live paycheck to paycheck. Those last few days before payday (1st and 15th) I may as well not even bother. I did OK last pay cycle by just doing a couple of chickens and a pork shoulder, but man...it's tough when military officers are talking about being broke. haha

I will say that my propane assist hog smoker is a fucking godsend. I smoke everything on my offset smoker for about 6-7 hours, and then I wrap it all and transfer it to my hog smoker and turn on the propane and get some sleep while everything finishes tenderizing. Without that thing I wouldn't be physically capable of driving due to exhaustion. My first couple of days were 16-hour days due to prepping the meat, making the rubs, sauces, getting everything for the food trailer, and cooking all night long.

Kind of rambling now but life is good...I haven't had a job in about 3 years since I graduated from college and this venture has been a long time coming. I get to wake up everyday and cook BBQ for a living. It's an absolute metric fuck-ton of work but I'm enjoying it for the most part. It's awesome to see peoples faces light up when they taste well-smoked brisket for the first time. I've got a couple regulars who often come to my truck twice during the same lunch service and order an entire 2nd tray. I'm doing combo-trays where they get 2 meats, 2 sides, and a drink for $10. It's kind of a sampler and it has been really popular.

Anyways, this thread is kind of dying, so I'm just going to keep posting every so often for shits and giggles.

 

[DesignedFailure]

So I've got a couple of weeks of doing lunch service under my belt and I've learned a shit ton. Fucking food costs are kicking my ass but I'm working hard to reduce them to actually turn a decent profit. Shitty thing is everybody takes a piece of the pie.. the military base takes 10% of all sales for a commission, Uncle Sam gets ~8% sales tax, my credit card processing company takes ~4% (monthly surcharge + interchange), and I have to pay my cashier.

It has been a ton of fun and I do have days like today...smoked up 4 chickens, a pork belly, and made some brisket chili. Food cost for me was about $65 and I ended up doing close to $300 sales in less than an hour. Other days I had $200 in brisket and did $150 in sales. Something I had kind of forgotten about was the military pay-day and how the young guys/gals live paycheck to paycheck. Those last few days before payday (1st and 15th) I may as well not even bother. I did OK last pay cycle by just doing a couple of chickens and a pork shoulder, but man...it's tough when military officers are talking about being broke. haha

I will say that my propane assist hog smoker is a fucking godsend. I smoke everything on my offset smoker for about 6-7 hours, and then I wrap it all and transfer it to my hog smoker and turn on the propane and get some sleep while everything finishes tenderizing. Without that thing I wouldn't be physically capable of driving due to exhaustion. My first couple of days were 16-hour days due to prepping the meat, making the rubs, sauces, getting everything for the food trailer, and cooking all night long.

Kind of rambling now but life is good...I haven't had a job in about 3 years since I graduated from college and this venture has been a long time coming. I get to wake up everyday and cook BBQ for a living. It's an absolute metric fuck-ton of work but I'm enjoying it for the most part. It's awesome to see peoples faces light up when they taste well-smoked brisket for the first time. I've got a couple regulars who often come to my truck twice during the same lunch service and order an entire 2nd tray. I'm doing combo-trays where they get 2 meats, 2 sides, and a drink for $10. It's kind of a sampler and it has been really popular.

Anyways, this thread is kind of dying, so I'm just going to keep posting every so often for shits and giggles.

That does sound like a sweet gig.

You ever think of trying to add beef ribs to your menu? Give people something different and not something that every one else does IE pork ribs? Set your self apart from the heard so to speak.

 

[DesignedFailure]

If I was in your shoes I would see what other bbq joints are serving. I would do the basics chicken, pulled pork, cornbread,coleslaw baked beans and collard greens. Those 6 are the norm and pretty cheap.

On days you know you will make money I would do brisket and beef ribs especially if no one else does them. I am talking flintstone style ribs not short ribs. Beef is a risk as it is more expensive but can be a money maker as well. Like I said in my previous post if no one else does it you will be set apart. Could even do a tri-tip sandwich. Just another thing to see and get people to come to you.

 

[usmctanker242]

If I was in your shoes I would see what other bbq joints are serving. I would do the basics chicken, pulled pork, cornbread,coleslaw baked beans and collard greens. Those 6 are the norm and pretty cheap.

On days you know you will make money I would do brisket and beef ribs especially if no one else does them. I am talking flintstone style ribs not short ribs. Beef is a risk as it is more expensive but can be a money maker as well. Like I said in my previous post if no one else does it you will be set apart. Could even do a tri-tip sandwich. Just another thing to see and get people to come to you.

I'm in eastern NC and beef ribs out here are non-existent. Brisket is already at $4/Lb (Costco Prime) so turning a profit on beef is a challenge. Pork is much better and people out here are much more familiar with pigs. For sides I'm doing baked beans, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, coleslaw with some BBQ rub for flavor, mac and cheese, and when I have leftover meat I'll turn it into a chili and serve that.

I'm only a couple of weeks in and my schedule has been changed quite a bit, so I'm still trying to find those days where "I know I'm going to make some money." I thought I had a guaranteed money making day on Wednesday so I did 3 briskets and 3 butts, but it was a huge letdown. Good thing was I had enough brisket to make 2 days worth of chili and people are fucking loving the chili. I'm looking at doing some different things on Fridays...yesterday I did pork belly burnt ends, and I think next week I'm going to do some ABT's and maybe some Pig Shots.

The real trouble is the food costs, but I'm working on going through US Foods or Sysco to help lower the costs without reducing quality. I'm currently buying most of my stock from Restaurant Depot or Costco/Sams.

 

[DesignedFailure]

I'm in eastern NC and beef ribs out here are non-existent. Brisket is already at $4/Lb (Costco Prime) so turning a profit on beef is a challenge. Pork is much better and people out here are much more familiar with pigs. For sides I'm doing baked beans, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, coleslaw with some BBQ rub for flavor, mac and cheese, and when I have leftover meat I'll turn it into a chili and serve that.

I'm only a couple of weeks in and my schedule has been changed quite a bit, so I'm still trying to find those days where "I know I'm going to make some money." I thought I had a guaranteed money making day on Wednesday so I did 3 briskets and 3 butts, but it was a huge letdown. Good thing was I had enough brisket to make 2 days worth of chili and people are fucking loving the chili. I'm looking at doing some different things on Fridays...yesterday I did pork belly burnt ends, and I think next week I'm going to do some ABT's and maybe some Pig Shots.

The real trouble is the food costs, but I'm working on going through US Foods or Sysco to help lower the costs without reducing quality. I'm currently buying most of my stock from Restaurant Depot or Costco/Sams.

Oh I totally understand and get it. I am in upstate NY. I know people don't think of BBQ when they hear NY but my heart and soul were born in the south just body was born in the north lol I love BBQ. My texas style offset barrel smoker shows it.

Not much meat left on the bone for you with beef price that high. I was just throwing that out their is all. $4 a LB is crazy I pay that for organic free range pasture feed beef here.

 

[MisGuidedAngel]

Beef ribs and chicken wings.

 

[Rob Battisti]

Hoping to do some smoking by September. It’s been brutally hot here (104+) every day. Waiting until it’s bearable to be outside