Jeff Stehney's Competition Barbecue Tips
By Jeff
Jeff Stehney and his wife Joy have led one of the most successful
competition barbecue teams, The Slaughterhouse Five, in recent years. The
team won the Kansas City Barbecue Society's Team of the Year Award in 1993.
Merle Ellis interviewed him and provided the following tips techniques and
recipes in his newspaper column, Cooking Around the Country:
1) Stehney's group uses a competition model Oklahoma Joe smoker with a
smoking chamber 30 inches in diameter and 9 feet long which permits him to
cook at temperature ranges of 180 to 400 F. all at the same time. Comparing
his smoker to most barbecue grills is somewhat like comparing a race car to a
Model T but the results can be duplicated on equipment which permits cooking
with indirect heat and smoke and temperature control.
2) Although it sounds obvious, taste is the most important consideration
when barbecue is judged. The most heavily smoked food doesn't win; the food
that tastes the best wins. For that reason, Shehney uses charcoal as a heat
source and adds small logs or chunks of wood for smoke flavor. Oversmoked
food is the enemy of a lot of backyard and nonwinning competition cooks.
3) You can use any combination of available hardwood with the following
guidelines:
a) Unlimited combinations of oak, pecan, apple, cherry, alder and maple.
b) Limited use of hickory or mesquite. Both are quite strong and if too
much of either is used a heavy, bitter flavor may result.
4) The cooking times Stehney uses allow the meat to absorb good smoke
flavor and develop a nice smoke ring. The extended cooking times on some
cuts like brisket and pork butt allow for natural flavors to develop without
a need to wrap in foil. By using charcoal as a low heat source with limited
wood smoke for flavor, the meat is allowed to tenderize naturally and not
oversmoke. Stehney says it is impossible to smoke a brisket for 12 to 15
hours with wood only and not ruin it with too much smoke.
Smoke-Cooking Temperatures and Times
Meat Weight Temp. Time Int. Temp.
Brisket 9-12 lbs. 220 14-18 hrs. N/A
Pork butt 5-7 lbs. 220 10-12 hrs. N/A
Pork loin 4-6 lbs. 250 3-5 hrs. 155
Whole hog 75-90 lbs. 250 18-22 hrs. 165 (ham)
Pork spareribs 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 375 2-3 hrs. N/A
Pork loin ribs 2-1 1/2 lbs 375 2-2 1/2 hrs. N/A
Turkey, whole 9-12 lbs. 200 10-12 hrs. 165 (thigh)
Chicken, whole 2 1/2-3 1/2 lbs. 325 3-4 hrs. 165 (thigh)
Recipes
* Exported from MasterCook *
Jeff Stehney's All-Purpose BBQ Baste
Recipe By : Jeff Stehney
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bbq Smoked
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
Mix and apply to meats during BBQ process. Stehney doesn't like vinegar
bastes for beef. Apple juice is a good accompaniment to brisket, chicken and
pork.
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* Exported from MasterCook *
Jeff Stehney's Cowtown Barbecue Sauce
Recipe By : Jeff Stehney
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :1:30
Categories : Bbq Smoked
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 1/2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
= Jack Daniel's whisky (splash)
Combine all ingredients except whiskey and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often.
Add splash of Jack Daniel's and cook 30 minutes more. Serve with cooked
BBQ.
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NOTES : This sauce may be sweet for some tastes. If so, reduce the amount of
sugar. This sauce was the winner of a Jack Daniels sponsored BBQ contest.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Jeff Stehney's Pork Rub
Recipe By : Jeff Stehney
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bbq Smoked
Pork
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon MSG
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Mix and apply to large pork cuts such as butts before barbecuing. .
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* Exported from MasterCook *
Jeff Stehney's Slaughterhouse Rib Rub
Recipe By : Jeff Stehney
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bbq Smoked
Pork
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon MSG
1 tablespoon pepper
Mix together. Rub on ribs before barbecuing. Jeff Stehney likes this rub on
ribs; feels lack of sugar permits cooking ribs over medium-high heat without
burning.
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* Exported from MasterCook *
Jeff Stehney's Slaughterhouse Rub
Recipe By : Jeff Stehney
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bbq Smoked
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons MSG
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne