Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And for fans of food cooked over flames there’s nothing more captivating than gathering around the hallowed hot embers to listen to an expert reveal recipe secrets. “It’s dangerous knowledge to cook really great ribs,” says Sam Huff, chef and owner of Sam’s BBQ1 in Marietta. “People will beat a path to your door.”
Huff’s popular Pork U classes where he shares BBQ know-how gained during a decade of competition cooking fill up pretty fast. But I didn’t meet him in Marietta. I sampled Huff’s lip-smacking food and attended his BBQ cooking demo in Montana. Huff was one of five featured chefs at the annual Montana Master Grillers event held at the Resort at Paws Up, near Missoula. Billed as a 37,000-acre backyard barbecue, the weekend of Montana ranch meets fine food and drink included activities such as fly-fishing (with Napa Valley winemaker Dennis Cakebread), trails rides and even a cattle drive.
Among the meaty lessons: Chef Joe Davidson of Oklahoma Joe’s in Kansas City, Kan., led guests through the art of butchering while chef Danny Fischer of Baby Blues BBQ in Venice, Calif., showed how to properly pepper a beef brisket. Huff told his audience, “Only rich folks ate high on the hog. Barbecue was for the tough meat cuts with long protein strands so poor folks had to figure out how to cook them slow and low.”
Huff likes an average cooking temp of no more than 240 degrees F over indirect heat and a lot of patience. “If you’re looking, you’re not cooking!” Another tip for tender meats is placing a pan filled with liquid in the cooker. “It adds flavor and stops the dripping fat from causing flare ups,” say Huff. “I use whatever compliments. With pork I’d use apple juice, beef maybe some red wine and with chicken I use chicken stock.”
Avoiding the black char caused by flare-ups is important for good health, too. When proteins in meats are cooked at searing temperatures, carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) can form. Registered dietitian, Sarah Krieger says, “Emerging research suggests marinating meat for at least 30 minutes can reduce the formation of HCAs.”
Montana Menu
A Montana-inspired dinner prepared by chef Brian Howard of Comme Ca restaurant in Las Vegas perfectly captured the “glamping” spirit at Paws Up with grilled and smoked oxtail and fire-roasted elk short loin with grilled ramps and caramelized onions. For dessert? Marshmallows and s’mores enjoyed under the stars and toasted over the campfire, of course.
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