From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Huntsville route question
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 09:53:48 -0500
Message-ID: <oqs5u2pr4hsig53e4bvhlf3l3h4c9u5dri@4ax.com>

On Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:38:13 -0600, Ronnie <ronnier@charter.net>
wrote:

>On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 11:37:38 -0600, "iradi8" <sloanpb@bellsouth.net>
>wrote:
>
>
>>Since you know the area...  any good restaurants that you would like to
>>recommend or any to stay away from:)  We have two young children and will
>>probably eat out 2-3 times while we're there.
>>
>Huntsville is the third most populated county in Alabama.  That said
>all the "chain" resturants are available, mostly on Hwy 231 or
>University Drive (Hwy 72).  If you want home style cooking (meat and
>2-3 veggies) Mullins Resturant is where I would head.  Go down the Mt.
>on Bankhead, turn right at Hardee's and it's about two blocks on the
>left.  Come early during lunch its the businessmans hangout. Great
>cornbread muffins.  The girl in the store can give you lots more
>ideas.

THE best BBQ in Alabama now that Mr. Woodall (Woodall's, Decatur) is
dead is Gibson's #2.  Located at the corner of Jordan Lane and Bob
Wallace Ave (GPS: N34° 42.7930', W86° 37.5917') at one of Redstone
Arsenal's gates, it is one of the oldest in town and certainly the
best.  It's a dumpy little joint (aren't all good BBQ places?) with a
huge indoor pit and basically standing room only.  Not to be confused
with the other Gibson's in town.  There was a split in the family many
moons ago.  #2 is all that remains of the original group.  The other
Gibsons aren't nearly as good.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: RV Cooking
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:53:39 -0400
Message-ID: <561d93pb9p2ssi0ojmjk72p7u5kdudv0jn@4ax.com>

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:24:07 -0400, GBinNC <GBinNC@xgmailx.com> wrote:

>On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 22:49:26 -0700, "Just plain \"Dusty\""
><RV_phixer@innerREMOVETHISlodge.com> wrote:
>
>>If you like authentic southern BBQ, try this one:
>>http://www.innerlodge.com/Recipes/Meat,Fish&Eggs/Pork/PulledPork.htm.  Made
>>some for the crew on the 4th...and they're still fighting over the crumbs...
>
>My wife has created her own method over the years and does a really good
>job with it. However, I've saved this link for her and we'll see what
>she thinks. Always willing to refine and improve, if possible.

That actually sounds pretty bad.  I suppose if one hasn't had really good BBQ...

Mistakes:

Boneless butts - the bone contributes a bunch of flavor.  It's a sacrilege to cook
the roast boneless.  Loin is both expensive and rather tasteless when BBQ'd.

Dry rub - the sugar will guarantee a nicely burnt-tasting outer crust.  The outer
crust should be savory and tasty and not something to throw away.  The ketchup in the
"mop" will similarly burn unless it's applied just before removing the meat from the
pit.  Good meat and the proper fire doesn't need any help from goops.  Just put the
meat on and let 'er cook.  Put the seasoning in the sauce.

Liquid smoke - Ughhhhh, need I say more?  Just drag the butt down your fireplace
chimney to get the same "taste".

The ingredients mixed together to make a sauce would not be bad.  It's missing one
critical ingredient - coriander.  That's the secret ingredient for great sauce.  The
amount is critical.  A little too much and it tastes like coriander.  Too little and
it doesn't contribute anything.  I spent months working out my recipe and most of the
work centered around coriander.  Also, I don't like the taste of cider vinegar in
sauce.  I use good ole white vinegar.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: RV Cooking
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 21:12:31 -0400
Message-ID: <2ijd93d4tc4oa1ud865d18um3bqr2kv5ci@4ax.com>

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:10:18 -0400, GBinNC <GBinNC@xgmailx.com> wrote:

>On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:50:19 -0700, "Just plain \"Dusty\""
><RV_phixer@innerREMOVETHISlodge.com> wrote, to Neon John:
>
>>What's this?  You can only post a recipe if you grew up on it?  I grew up in
>>post-war Germany & America.  I do the best I can...  As I said in the
>>pre-amble, there are thousands of similar recipes...what makes you so sure
>>that only yours is "it?"

Ummm, that's easy.  BBQ was a hobby long before I opened a restaurant.  I've traveled
all over the South, hitting every BBQ joint that I've come to.  I've had a few others
that were as good as mine but none better.  The reason is simple - if I ever found
one that I liked better than mine then I'd figure out how to do it that way.  Simple,
really.

The ultimate was Woodall's in Decatur, Al.  I was lucky enough to befriend Mr Woodall
enough that I had the opportunity to be his student when I lived there. Unfortunately
he's dead and the joint is long gone.

Gibson's #2 (totally different from the Gibson's chain in the area) in Huntsville, AL
is a close second.  I love their 'Que.  Third is Williamson Brothers in Marietta, Ga.
They cook the same way I do but their sauce is a little different.  The two brothers
are good friends and gave me a lot of help when I was first getting started in the
business.

There are a couple more that I'll stop at when I'm passing by but I'd not go out of
my way.

There is no accounting for taste, of course.  Some forks in NC and SC actually smear
mustard sauce on their pig.  Euuwwwwww.  There used to be a joint in Charleston, SC
that did fine meat but used that mustard crap.  I ate there a lot when I was working
for the Navy but I brought my own sauce.  Then there are those strange people that
slather mayo on BBQ.  Gad, what a travesty.

There is the school of thought that BBQ has to be slathered with all sorts of rubs,
sauces, mops and so on, so that when it comes off the pit it's crusted in stuff.  You
see a lot of that at the BBQ competitions such as Memphis in May.  Some of that is
pretty tasty but it's not BBQ, at least not in my book.

>Trust me, Neon John's recipe is not "it." I've eaten his barbecue,

Really?  That'd be a stunt since to my knowledge we've never been in the same area at
the same time.

John