Barbecue Tips from Boston Chefs

Get a look at the smoker if you can. Keep in mind, gray smoke is dirty smoke. What you want to see is a clean blue line. A heavy amount of smoke will give the meat a bitter taste.

John Delpha
Chef de cuisine, Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar; member of IQue, which won the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue in 2009

You don’t want to end up with a dry product, so you want a piece of meat that has a significant amount of marbled fat in there. That’s why we’re talking about pork butts, pork shoulders. I’ll corn it, or brine it, and then I’ll smoke the fattier part for greater success.

Tiffani Faison
Chef-owner, Sweet Cheeks

Barbecue gets less and less perfect each second it’s out of the smoker. The key to maintaining it is a CVap oven. Winston Industries created it for Colonel Sanders. Using that technology, we’re able to keep our briskets juicy without losing that beautiful bark we worked so hard to get on there.

Andy Husbands
Chef-owner, Tremont 647 and the Smoke Shop; IQue team member

I don’t like a lot of age on my wood because it burns hotter and you get more of that metallic, creosote aroma on the meat. It’s not as desirable. I prefer a greener hardwood because it imparts a unique flavor. You can actually taste the fruit in the wood.”

Joshua Smith
Chef-owner, Moody’s Delicatessen, the Backroom, and a soon-to-open barbecue joint in Waltham

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