Hold Fast: Tanktimus Sticks to What is Working

[Mr_Willes]

11 hours ago, iatetheyeti said:

 

I imagine it'd be like trying to get haggis over your way! I think maybe I'd have to try and do it myself...

 

 

In my search for different things to BBQ (yes Tank, no grilling, low and slow with some flavored wood to smoke) i learned that there are different ways butchers cut up a animal. The regular parts available in Texas for BBQing are (were) not available here. For example a piece of shoulder/neck of a pig is often used to make pulled pork. But our shoulders get cut up in much smaller parts, and a couple of years ago the butchers (over here at least) did not know how to, or were not willing to cut it up differently.

 

Nowadays i just order my meat online, makes picking it out much easier, price is about the same. But a few weeks i went to a local butcher and got the perfect piece for pulled pork. The Dutch BBQ community has grown significantly the last few years, so there is much more information readily available at the moment, but when i started, i spend a lot of time translating names for cuts of meat.

 

If you would like the exquisite taste of low and slow prepped meals you only have to research the  type of meat you can get your hands on. And just use the oven. You will miss the smoke flavor, but investing in a BBQ/smoker to cook low and slow with added smoke flavor could be pretty pricey. The only thing i think you should invest in would be a core/meat-thermometer. And they can be pretty simple and cheap.

 

If you really want help with cooking something up, i would be more excited to help you, i did a lot of trial and error the last few years.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

5 hours ago, Mr_Willes said:

 

In my search for different things to BBQ (yes Tank, no grilling, low and slow with some flavored wood to smoke) i learned that there are different ways butchers cut up a animal. The regular parts available in Texas for BBQing are (were) not available here. For example a piece of shoulder/neck of a pig is often used to make pulled pork. But our shoulders get cut up in much smaller parts, and a couple of years ago the butchers (over here at least) did not know how to, or were not willing to cut it up differently.

 

Nowadays i just order my meat online, makes picking it out much easier, price is about the same. But a few weeks i went to a local butcher and got the perfect piece for pulled pork. The Dutch BBQ community has grown significantly the last few years, so there is much more information readily available at the moment, but when i started, i spend a lot of time translating names for cuts of meat.

 

If you would like the exquisite taste of low and slow prepped meals you only have to research the  type of meat you can get your hands on. And just use the oven. You will miss the smoke flavor, but investing in a BBQ/smoker to cook low and slow with added smoke flavor could be pretty pricey. The only thing i think you should invest in would be a core/meat-thermometer. And they can be pretty simple and cheap.

 

If you really want help with cooking something up, i would be more excited to help you, i did a lot of trial and error the last few years.

In the spirit of what Wille said, here are resources for you @iatetheyeti:

https://www.bbqgourmet.co.uk/

https://www.smokeguys.co.uk/

 

And for our Continentals:
https://www.yodersmokers.eu/offsetsmokers.html

[TheGreyJedi-Ranger]

11 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Do you have a setup where you can slow-smoke the meat? I'm not trying to be snobby, but real Texas BBQ can't be reproduced by other means. In fact, people who are snobby about Texas Brisket will insist you can't use BBQ sauce, it's all about the dry rub and the smoke.

Today I learned that I prefer Texas BBQ despite growing up like 10 miles from the NC Line. 

 

I don't like vinegary BBQ sauces, and I prefer VERY LIGHT sauce on my BBQ if any. I've had some truly atrocious BBQ though, and it's scarred me a little. I'm super picky about it overall. 

 

But Texas style sounds UH-mazing

[RhiaWolfe]

12 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

 

Do you have a setup where you can slow-smoke the meat? I'm not trying to be snobby, but real Texas BBQ can't be reproduced by other means. In fact, people who are snobby about Texas Brisket will insist you can't use BBQ sauce, it's all about the dry rub and the smoke.

 

 

Not to start in on the Oklahoma/Texas rivalry, but I'd say that I agree with the sentiment of BBQ needs to be cooked a certain way and I'm a bit of a BBQ snob, myself. Here in Oklahoma we cook it pretty much the same way they do in Texas. It's so tasty... We had some employees from Australia come visit the home office here in Oklahoma City a while back and we took them to a BBQ restaurant and they were really impressed. They loved it. When I went over to Australia to visit our branches, I was surprised to find that when they say they're going to have a BBQ it means they're going to grill hamburgers and hotdogs. I was like... "This isn't BBQ!" lol. 

 

12 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

 

Dinner was made in the instant pot, and I used the pressure cooking part this time because I started in the afternoon. I sprayed cooking spray in the cauldron of the pressure cooker. Then I took three red potatoes and cut them in half and then thin sliced them. I put those on the bottom of the cauldron, then added a chopped red bell pepper. Next I chopped about 8 chicken thighs and dusted them generously with smoked paprika and stirred them before putting that on top of the vegetables. Next was a drained can of corn, then a mixture of a can of cream of chicken soup, 1/4 c heavy cream, 1/4 c chicken broth, 1.25 tbsp soy sauce and .25 tbsp lemon juice. I put that in and set the timer for 24 minutes, then quick released the steam. Once I had the lid off I mixed in about 2 c shredded cheddar and let that melt in. It was amazing, the chicken was cooked to perfection and the flavors were of course heavenly.

 

Oh that sounds delicious!!!! I so want to try this now... Luckily I just had breakfast so I'm not that hungry... but YUM!

 

 

 

33 minutes ago, TheGreyJedi-Ranger said:

 

But Texas style sounds UH-mazing

 

It is...

[Rurik Harrgath]

I really need to remember to avoid this thread most of the day. As a matter of fact, I'm seriously contemplating the abuse of Guild Leader powers it would take to edit Tank's title to include a tag solely for the purpose of warning poor folks like me away from popping in here outside of feeding windows 😭

 

All this delicious food talk and I don't get to eat for another 5+ hours...

[iatetheyeti]

14 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Do you have a setup where you can slow-smoke the meat? I'm not trying to be snobby, but real Texas BBQ can't be reproduced by other means. In fact, people who are snobby about Texas Brisket will insist you can't use BBQ sauce, it's all about the dry rub and the smoke.

 

I do not have a set-up, but that is a goal for me at some point down the line. If I'm gonna do Texas BBQ, I'm gonna do it right!

 

 

8 hours ago, Mr_Willes said:

 

In my search for different things to BBQ (yes Tank, no grilling, low and slow with some flavored wood to smoke) i learned that there are different ways butchers cut up a animal. The regular parts available in Texas for BBQing are (were) not available here. For example a piece of shoulder/neck of a pig is often used to make pulled pork. But our shoulders get cut up in much smaller parts, and a couple of years ago the butchers (over here at least) did not know how to, or were not willing to cut it up differently.

 

Nowadays i just order my meat online, makes picking it out much easier, price is about the same. But a few weeks i went to a local butcher and got the perfect piece for pulled pork. The Dutch BBQ community has grown significantly the last few years, so there is much more information readily available at the moment, but when i started, i spend a lot of time translating names for cuts of meat.

 

If you would like the exquisite taste of low and slow prepped meals you only have to research the  type of meat you can get your hands on. And just use the oven. You will miss the smoke flavor, but investing in a BBQ/smoker to cook low and slow with added smoke flavor could be pretty pricey. The only thing i think you should invest in would be a core/meat-thermometer. And they can be pretty simple and cheap.

 

If you really want help with cooking something up, i would be more excited to help you, i did a lot of trial and error the last few years.

 

Thank you! It might be a couple of months before I'm back to normal with the finances and able to pick up decent cuts of meat, but I am definitely keeping this in mind. Might be able to pick up a meat thermometer next month though  

 

 

3 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

In the spirit of what Wille said, here are resources for you @iatetheyeti:

https://www.bbqgourmet.co.uk/

https://www.smokeguys.co.uk/

 

And for our Continentals:
https://www.yodersmokers.eu/offsetsmokers.html

 

And thank you also

 

I will save those links and browse through them tomorrow. After I've eaten!

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

4 hours ago, TheGreyJedi-Ranger said:

Today I learned that I prefer Texas BBQ despite growing up like 10 miles from the NC Line. 

 

I don't like vinegary BBQ sauces, and I prefer VERY LIGHT sauce on my BBQ if any. I've had some truly atrocious BBQ though, and it's scarred me a little. I'm super picky about it overall. 

 

But Texas style sounds UH-mazing

That just warms my Texan heart. So do you prefer beef BBQ to Pork? That's another important distinction, although any Texas BBQ place worth it's salt is gonna have a great pulled pork where we relax the "rules" about BBQ sauce a bit. Texas style BBQ sauce on pulled pork is *Kissfingertips.jpg*

4 hours ago, RhiaWolfe said:

 

Not to start in on the Oklahoma/Texas rivalry, but I'd say that I agree with the sentiment of BBQ needs to be cooked a certain way and I'm a bit of a BBQ snob, myself. Here in Oklahoma we cook it pretty much the same way they do in Texas. It's so tasty... We had some employees from Australia come visit the home office here in Oklahoma City a while back and we took them to a BBQ restaurant and they were really impressed. They loved it. When I went over to Australia to visit our branches, I was surprised to find that when they say they're going to have a BBQ it means they're going to grill hamburgers and hotdogs. I was like... "This isn't BBQ!" lol. 

 

 

Oh that sounds delicious!!!! I so want to try this now... Luckily I just had breakfast so I'm not that hungry... but YUM!

 

 

 

 

It is...

It's crazy how many Americans refer to BBQ as grilling hotdogs and hamburgers.

2 hours ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

I really need to remember to avoid this thread most of the day. As a matter of fact, I'm seriously contemplating the abuse of Guild Leader powers it would take to edit Tank's title to include a tag solely for the purpose of warning poor folks like me away from popping in here outside of feeding windows 😭

 

All this delicious food talk and I don't get to eat for another 5+ hours...

I put a "Don't Come Here Hungry" tag on there last night. 

1 hour ago, iatetheyeti said:

 

I do not have a set-up, but that is a goal for me at some point down the line. If I'm gonna do Texas BBQ, I'm gonna do it right!

 

 

 

Thank you! It might be a couple of months before I'm back to normal with the finances and able to pick up decent cuts of meat, but I am definitely keeping this in mind. Might be able to pick up a meat thermometer next month though  

 

 

 

And thank you also

 

I will save those links and browse through them tomorrow. After I've eaten!

 

Don't look at them hungry or you'll be sorry. I hear Scotland has amazing beef, I bet you'd get really good results BBQing some Scottish Brisket.

[iatetheyeti]

5 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Don't look at them hungry or you'll be sorry.

 

I figured as much!

 

5 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I hear Scotland has amazing beef, I bet you'd get really good results BBQing some Scottish Brisket.

 

I would for sure be trying the Texas method with some quality Aberdeen Angus beef, that's why I'm waiting for financial stability before properly delving in!

 

[RhiaWolfe]

34 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

 

It's crazy how many Americans refer to BBQ as grilling hotdogs and hamburgers.

 

 

Really? That's just... that's just wrong. That's a cook out, not a BBQ. Unless you got pulled pork and/or brisket, don't call it a BBQ. 

[foxinthenorth]

11 minutes ago, RhiaWolfe said:

Really? That's just... that's just wrong. That's a cook out, not a BBQ. Unless you got pulled pork and/or brisket, don't call it a BBQ. 

It's because on the West Coast we use the word "barbecue" to refer to the grill itself, not the cooking method (or at least, not just the cooking method).  I get that this may be technically incorrect...but referring to any soda other than Coca-Cola as "coke" is also technically incorrect so we're not the only region with this problem.  

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

47 minutes ago, RhiaWolfe said:

 

Really? That's just... that's just wrong. That's a cook out, not a BBQ. Unless you got pulled pork and/or brisket, don't call it a BBQ. 

Don't forget Ribs.

35 minutes ago, foxinthenorth said:

It's because on the West Coast we use the word "barbecue" to refer to the grill itself, not the cooking method (or at least, not just the cooking method).  I get that this may be technically incorrect...but referring to any soda other than Coca-Cola as "coke" is also technically incorrect so we're not the only region with this problem.  

BBQ Pit is a proper term for certain kinds of grills as some can be used either for direct heat or indirect heat. We don't refer to "sodas" as cokes because they were never sodas in the first place, they were cokes  

[Scaly Freak]

4 hours ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

I really need to remember to avoid this thread most of the day. As a matter of fact, I'm seriously contemplating the abuse of Guild Leader powers it would take to edit Tank's title to include a tag solely for the purpose of warning poor folks like me away from popping in here outside of feeding windows 😭

 

All this delicious food talk and I don't get to eat for another 5+ hours...

 

I once tried to be smart about this, and visited Tank's thread on my phone while eating dinner. It was great, since I could simply take a bite every time I got hungry from one of the posts.

 

One and a half serving later I realized that while I was no longer hungry, this thing known as "portion control" had entirely stopped existing for me.

 

So now I come here right after eating instead.

[Rurik Harrgath]

1 hour ago, Scaly Freak said:

So now I come here right after eating instead.

 

Undoubtedly, you are wise beyond measure, dear friend  🤣

[RhiaWolfe]

1 hour ago, foxinthenorth said:

It's because on the West Coast we use the word "barbecue" to refer to the grill itself, not the cooking method (or at least, not just the cooking method).  I get that this may be technically incorrect...but referring to any soda other than Coca-Cola as "coke" is also technically incorrect so we're not the only region with this problem.  

 

I say soda even if people around me say "coke" . lol. 

 

1 hour ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Don't forget Ribs.

 

 

Yes, ribs. Always ribs. 

[foxinthenorth]

2 hours ago, RhiaWolfe said:

I say soda even if people around me say "coke" . lol. 

I tried to hang onto "pop" for so long after I moved to LA but eventually they got to me and I switched to "soda"...

[Rinna]

On 10/21/2020 at 1:39 PM, GoodDoug said:

I need to find that mug for my daughter

Pottery Barn   I got my honey the you’re my lobster one.....

 

4 hours ago, RhiaWolfe said:

 

Really? That's just... that's just wrong. That's a cook out, not a BBQ. Unless you got pulled pork and/or brisket, don't call it a BBQ. 

Well, it depends on if you going to do it or eat it.  But we always said cook out.
 

4 hours ago, foxinthenorth said:

It's because on the West Coast we use the word "barbecue" to refer to the grill itself, not the cooking method (or at least, not just the cooking method).  I get that this may be technically incorrect...but referring to any soda other than Coca-Cola as "coke" is also technically incorrect so we're not the only region with this problem.  

Lawd, I actually remember this happening to me.  I ordered a coke in Utah.  They gave me a coke. 🤪 I wanted a Dr. Pepper.   In Texas, when I was young, you ordered a coke, and they asked what kind.  But dammit , do not ask me is Pepsi is okay. It’s so.....not okay. 🤢

 

4 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

. We don't refer to "sodas" as cokes because they were never sodas in the first place, they were cokes  

 

Amen.

[Heidi]

7 hours ago, iatetheyeti said:

. If I'm gonna do Texas BBQ, I'm gonna do it right!

For me, this means "in Texas at Tanks house, on the porch with Sea. Tank and tea." 

Y'all.

[Rurik Harrgath]

I came across THIS today

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

5 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

I once tried to be smart about this, and visited Tank's thread on my phone while eating dinner. It was great, since I could simply take a bite every time I got hungry from one of the posts.

 

One and a half serving later I realized that while I was no longer hungry, this thing known as "portion control" had entirely stopped existing for me.

 

So now I come here right after eating instead.

Fair enough.

5 hours ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

 

Undoubtedly, you are wise beyond measure, dear friend  🤣

Agreed.

5 hours ago, RhiaWolfe said:

 

I say soda even if people around me say "coke" . lol. 

 

 

Yes, ribs. Always ribs. 

There is nothing wrong with saying what you learned growing up.

3 hours ago, foxinthenorth said:

I tried to hang onto "pop" for so long after I moved to LA but eventually they got to me and I switched to "soda"...

"Pop" sounds so much more foreign to me that "soda." When I was a kid folks around here would sometimes say "Soda Water" which may be why Soda sounds somewhat more familiar.

2 hours ago, Rinna said:

Pottery Barn   I got my honey the you’re my lobster one.....

 

Well, it depends on if you going to do it or eat it.  But we always said cook out.
 

Lawd, I actually remember this happening to me.  I ordered a coke in Utah.  They gave me a coke. 🤪 I wanted a Dr. Pepper.   In Texas, when I was young, you ordered a coke, and they asked what kind.  But dammit , do not ask me is Pepsi is okay. It’s so.....not okay. 🤢

 

 

Amen.

I remember taking a trip to Michigan Spring Break of my Freshman year (Not that kind of trip, it was a Mission Trip to preach in churches up there). We got Pepsi all the time and they were not diplomatic in telling me they had no Dr. Pepper. This was back when I drank regular cokes (generic term rather than specific) and Dr. Pepper was my jam. First thing I did when we got back to Texas was get a real Dr. Pepper.

1 hour ago, Heidi said:

For me, this means "in Texas at Tanks house, on the porch with Sea. Tank and tea." 

Y'all.

I'm sure you're not unfamiliar with the concept given the time you've spent in the south, but Tea here, especially when outside in the heat, often is iced. Having said that, no one will prevent you from firing up our electric kettle and making some tea.

13 minutes ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

I came across THIS today

 

I'm bout to smite me some evil.

 

 

Today is a good day. I had a good time with our daughter. She was in a good mood most of the time and we had fun. One of the cute things she did today was bring her books to me and insist I read them to her, sometimes more than once. Another cute thing she did was when she was sitting on the recliner with me. She was almost to the footrest between my legs and turned around and started climbing up. I couldn't figure out why then she gave me a kiss.

Earlier that day, I was tired so I laid down on the floor while she played and I drifted in and out of sleep. At one point, she woke me up with a kiss.

 

In the afternoon I did Kettlebells, and did a couple more reps than on Tuesday! Dinner was really good. The sides were mashed sweet potatoes (pre-made from the refridgerated section, I just nuked them) and frozen steam-in-the-bag green beans. I love the look and taste of the orange and green veggie combo on a plate. For the main course I seasoned a couple of flank steaks with himalayan pink salt, pepper and olive oil and let that set in for a bit. I cooked them in butter in a cast iron skillet. The first one I cooked medium for Sra. Tanque and Little Bit, the second was rare for me. The star was a sauce I made with butter milk, mayo, parmesan, horse radish, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. I whisked everything together and let the flavors sit with each other for a while before serving. It was really good. I picked up our grocery order and put them away.

 

[Snarkyfishguts]

Omg, my heart melts when you talk about father-daughter time. It's so great how much she loves being around you.

[Rinna]

1 hour ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Fair enough.

Agreed.

There is nothing wrong with saying what you learned growing up.

"Pop" sounds so much more foreign to me that "soda." When I was a kid folks around here would sometimes say "Soda Water" which may be why Soda sounds somewhat more familiar.

I remember taking a trip to Michigan Spring Break of my Freshman year (Not that kind of trip, it was a Mission Trip to preach in churches up there). We got Pepsi all the time and they were not diplomatic in telling me they had no Dr. Pepper. This was back when I drank regular cokes (generic term rather than specific) and Dr. Pepper was my jam. First thing I did when we got back to Texas was get a real Dr. Pepper.

I'm sure you're not unfamiliar with the concept given the time you've spent in the south, but Tea here, especially when outside in the heat, often is iced. Having said that, no one will prevent you from firing up our electric kettle and making some tea.

I'm bout to smite me some evil.

 

 

Today is a good day. I had a good time with our daughter. She was in a good mood most of the time and we had fun. One of the cute things she did today was bring her books to me and insist I read them to her, sometimes more than once. Another cute thing she did was when she was sitting on the recliner with me. She was almost to the footrest between my legs and turned around and started climbing up. I couldn't figure out why then she gave me a kiss.

Earlier that day, I was tired so I laid down on the floor while she played and I drifted in and out of sleep. At one point, she woke me up with a kiss.

 

In the afternoon I did Kettlebells, and did a couple more reps than on Tuesday! Dinner was really good. The sides were mashed sweet potatoes (pre-made from the refridgerated section, I just nuked them) and frozen steam-in-the-bag green beans. I love the look and taste of the orange and green veggie combo on a plate. For the main course I seasoned a couple of flank steaks with himalayan pink salt, pepper and olive oil and let that set in for a bit. I cooked them in butter in a cast iron skillet. The first one I cooked medium for Sra. Tanque and Little Bit, the second was rare for me. The star was a sauce I made with butter milk, mayo, parmesan, horse radish, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. I whisked everything together and let the flavors sit with each other for a while before serving. It was really good. I picked up our grocery order and put them away.

 

Toddler kisses! I miss toddler kisses.

[foxinthenorth]

4 hours ago, Rinna said:

Lawd, I actually remember this happening to me.  I ordered a coke in Utah.  They gave me a coke. 🤪 I wanted a Dr. Pepper.   In Texas, when I was young, you ordered a coke, and they asked what kind.  But dammit , do not ask me is Pepsi is okay. It’s so.....not okay. 🤢

 

Even the real sugar kind? 😂It's weird how Pepsi and Coke are the same category of drink but people tend to like one over the other.

 

2 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

"Pop" sounds so much more foreign to me that "soda." When I was a kid folks around here would sometimes say "Soda Water" which may be why Soda sounds somewhat more familiar.

I remember taking a trip to Michigan Spring Break of my Freshman year (Not that kind of trip, it was a Mission Trip to preach in churches up there). We got Pepsi all the time and they were not diplomatic in telling me they had no Dr. Pepper. This was back when I drank regular cokes (generic term rather than specific) and Dr. Pepper was my jam. First thing I did when we got back to Texas was get a real Dr. Pepper.

 

I recently discovered I like Dr Pepper and it's the only soda I will buy now. "Pop" sounds weird to me now, too, 12 years after moving to LA, but growing up in Seattle that's what we called it. "Soda" sounds more sophisticated to me, like I feel fancier asking for "soda" than "pop," and I think that's also because of the "soda water" connotation. (Which I like, incidentally. I'm one of the rare breeds that likes plain unflavored soda water.)

[Elastigirl]

Awww, sweet Li'l Bit kisses.

 

I should check out our fridge section for premade sweet potatoes

[iatetheyeti]

10 hours ago, Heidi said:

For me, this means "in Texas at Tanks house, on the porch with Sea. Tank and tea." 

 

I mean, I wouldn't object!

 

8 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Today is a good day. I had a good time with our daughter. She was in a good mood most of the time and we had fun. One of the cute things she did today was bring her books to me and insist I read them to her, sometimes more than once. Another cute thing she did was when she was sitting on the recliner with me. She was almost to the footrest between my legs and turned around and started climbing up. I couldn't figure out why then she gave me a kiss.

 

That is absolutely adorable

 

[TheGreyJedi-Ranger]

18 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

That just warms my Texan heart. So do you prefer beef BBQ to Pork? That's another important distinction, although any Texas BBQ place worth it's salt is gonna have a great pulled pork where we relax the "rules" about BBQ sauce a bit. Texas style BBQ sauce on pulled pork is *Kissfingertips.jpg*

I've had both. I'm less picky about brisket, but I don't think brisket needs sauce. Pulled pork kinda does though, just.. not much. 

 

I really need to come visit Texas. It sounds like a fun and delicious place if you can get around how hot it is there xD