Vent: Just found out my favorite pitmaster uses liquid smoke in his competition brisket

Ngl I was digging through his YouTube channel from 3 years ago and caught him pouring that stuff in before the wrap, kind of killed the illusion for me honestly has anyone else caught their BBQ hero cutting corners like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

amybarnes26d ago

Isn't that pretty common knowledge though? Most competition cooks I know use some kind of liquid smoke or concentrate to get that consistent bark.

kelly.daniel26d ago

Eh, I mean that's kinda true but not entirely. The thing is, a lot of top competition guys actually don't use liquid smoke for bark specifically. They get that crust from a heavy layer of rub and really controlling their cooker temp over the first few hours. Liquid smoke is more for adding a smoky flavor when you're short on time or using a pellet grill that doesn't put out as much smoke. I've seen more people mess up bark with liquid smoke because it can get bitter if you overdo it, or it makes the outside stay tacky instead of setting up right. So yeah, it's a tool, but it's not the standard go-to for consistent bark.