OK. As if my jones for a Texas BBQ Brisket road trip wasn’t already approaching near unbearable levels, I see this article on a recent Slow Bone Brisket 101 class held in Dallas, TX. As a firm believer that there can never be too many classes on professional grade BBQ cooking … EVER… I love what the folks at Slow Bone are doing here.
See, this Brisket 101 class is just the start. Later this month, they’ll be hosting a similar class but on ribs. Then, chicken, etc. It’s a great format, and perfect for those who just want to perfect a specific protein or who maybe can’t swing a full blown class on all 4 Pro BBQ Competition meat categories.
You can see from the Facebook post above that these classes are popular! Would love to see more of these in our area here.
Slow Bone Brisket 101 Class Overview
According to Sara Blankenship, who took the class and reported on it in the Dallas Observer, Slow Bone owner enlisted the help of Stephen Joseph from Joseph’s Riverport Barbecue in Jefferson, Texas to impart his Brisket wisdom and answer some questions from 50 eager attendees. Also in attendance was the BBQ Snob himself, Daniel Vaughn.
Stephen Joseph @ETXpitboss starting brisket class here @TheSlowBone in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/AihT6WhFVS
— Daniel Vaughn (@BBQsnob) March 10, 2014
Reading up on the way this Slow Bone Brisket 101 class went down, I know a few of my FBA buddies down here in FL would have loved to be there.
Here’s how Sara so aptly put it:
What some might have expected to be a watch-and-learn format was anything but. Joseph and Perkins manned either side of a butcher table and began with a short bovine anatomy lesson and then moved onto a how to select a brisket. Perkins’ former career as a teacher came through immediately, while Joseph’s remarkable experience gave the discussion weight and plenty of fodder for questions.
Slow Bone Brisket 101 – Brisket Prep
OK, just let me say that Sara’s use of the word “fodder” makes her freakin’ awesome in my nerdy cool people book. But it gets better, as the brisket sections being prepped were then compared to breast implants! Yup… that’s right, Dorsey Odell. Fake Titties:
Slow Bone’s meat expert and owner of the best line of the night, Kyle Thornton, demonstrated trimming techniques and offered up a few tips on how to get the perfect fat-to-meat ratio. Joseph described the aerodynamics of his brisket-trimming techniques, peeling away unnecessary chunks of fat and proclaiming in a perfect east Texas drawl, “If I could sell these for breast implant, I’d be a millionaire.
Why BBQ Cooking Classes Featuring Single Proteins Are Cool
The reason the set up of the classes Slow Bone is offering is so great is that they’re approachable. You attend, watch what’s going on with a single protein, eat some, then have a go at home to see if what you learned takes when you try it solo.
I’m not sure they’re true competition quality classes, but I bet they’d put any backyard team on the road to improved scores and maybe a few walks sooner than they’d get there on their own. I do think that more competition BBQ pros who have earned say, greater than 4 Grand Championship wins and a few top places in each category, should offer classes. Even on a small scale.
I know Chad Ward of Whiskey Bent BBQ Supply has offered one off classes in the past at different locations, and I’ve recently spoken to a few other BBQ pitmasters with whom I shared my input about them getting up and running with a class. There’s just no better way to learn than hands on. In any case, I sure would have liked to be in this Slow Bone Brisket 101 class. Maybe I’ll get to one some day!
Have you taken a professional BBQ cook class of any kind? If so, what sort of impact did it have on your results? Leave a comment below to let us know!
Original article source: I Went to Brisket 101 at The Slow Bone and Learned to Love Meat Even More
Photos Credit: Sara Blankenship -The Dallas Observer
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