Alexander Kelly - BBQ&A with Myron Mixon

For my fans.

With my Jacks Old South crew: Bill Wheeler, TJ Wehunt, Michael Mixon, Tracy Mixon, Tim Bolliger, Ed Harris, and Bobby Harman

Got a burning question about barbecue? From all Ive seen in my twenty-five years as a professional pitmaster, I know you have at least one question thats bugging you, at least one nagging issue that comes up every time youre getting ready to barbecue in your backyard. Well, you have come to the right place.

Yall know what an F.A.Q. is, right? Its that list of questions and answers that could be about any topic, and all of the questions are supposedly the ones that are the most commonly asked. You see an F.A.Q. in a new-product guide or in an online forum, and you see them on websites when you need customer service and support. Sometimes those questions are about very basic stuff, and other times they are super specificbut they just go to show you that explanations are necessary for just about every facet of American life these days. All of us consumers appreciate additional well-organized information about the topics that interest us. Weve come to expect that we can get all our questions answered whenever we want to.

Barbecue is no different. Believe it or not, even the winningest man in barbecuethats me, Myron Mixonhas a list of frequently asked questions. These are the things people ask me over and over again... when Im on the road competing in contests, or attending events to do smoking demos, or teaching barbecue cooking classes. Sometimes people shout these questions at me during barbecue contests. Other times they post them on my Facebook page or tweet them. And just like the questions in many instruction manuals, they range from ).

As a barbecue champion who travels all over the world for cooking competitions, TV appearances, and other events, Ive kept track of all the various issues that come up over and over again for my fans. I want you to think of BBQ&A as my ultimate F.A.Q. For the first time ever, Im going to answer the questions I commonly receive and provide exactly the recipes and instructions you want all in one place. In the upcoming pages Ill be answering more than a hundred of the barbecue-loving publics most frequently asked questions of mein the process of offering up my smoking techniques and methods, barbecue flavors and meat preparations, and my best recipes and formulas.

Why am I doing this? BBQ&A is for all the people living what I call the barbecue lifestyle. If you are from the South, where Ive lived all my life, you probably already know what this means. Down here, barbecue is a career for some and a hobby for most. Its also a way of living. If you drive down a street in a suburban neighborhood like mine, youll see in damn near every driveway or backyard a smokerwhether its a big old rusty barrel, or a ceramic green one, or one of the sophisticated chest-style ones that the pros use. That smoker might be next to a fishing boat, or a pickup truck, or both. Over the years our barbecue way of life is something that has been catching on throughout the country, and now throughout the world. This book is for all of you in the growing army of folks out there who care deeply about making the worlds best barbecueIm one of you. I know that we do it for a number of different reasons: to feed our families and friends, to win a contest, or just because its what we do.

I told you that I hear from folks about their own barbecue efforts all the time, but it happens the most when Im in my element competing in a barbecue contest. Especially at a big barbecue event, like one of the larger contests sponsored by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) or the Memphis Barbecue Network: Ill have people come up to me and say that the reason they got into barbecue is because of me. I love that. Heres why: Most folks assumecant blame them, its because of what they hear me say on TVthat Im just into competitive barbecue for the paycheck. Believe me, I do love that paycheck. But what gets me going, and the reason I still cook barbecue after all these years in the first place, are those comments from my fans, those pats on the back they give me when they tell me, Your barbecue is the best damn barbecue Ive ever put in my mouth. Thats the greatest feeling in the world, right there.

Unadilla, Georgia

No matter what our jobs are, I think all of us love to feel respected and appreciated. We are all looking for our next Atta boy! So we pitmasters are always striving to get that next pat on the backfrom our friends, our families, our judges... hell, even from our enemies. We want that great job from anyone and everyone who eats barbecue. Make no mistake: Every pitmaster, from the backyard warriors on up to the grand champions, seeks the confirmation that ), and I would be fine. But Im not doing that. Im as hooked on the barbecue lifestyle as the people who just bought their first smoker.

This book is for my fans, because their affirmation that my barbecue is the best ever is what has kept me going all these years. I love yall.

Disclaimer: This book contains my answers to the questions most frequently asked of me, Myron Mixon. I am not a professional nutritionist, a home economist, an academic historian, or a scientist. I am a barbecue champion. What I can tell you is how I got that way, and how you can make food at home that tastes a lot like what I go out there every day and win contests by cooking. This is not the ultimate guide to barbecue thats going to tell you all about how they cook meat in Alabama versus how they do it in Thailand. This book is the ultimate guide to Myron Mixons style of championship barbecue. And that ought to be enough to at least get you started.

Before we get into the meat of the book, here are some questions and answers about my time on the competitive barbecue circuit.

Q:

A:

The Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle in Washington, DC, is a damn fine time. Why? Youre cooking right on Pennsylvania Avenue, right down the street from the White House. No matter who you voted for, when you cook barbecue on Pennsylvania Avenue youre doing it near the president of the United States, which is pretty cool. The contest organizers shut down six blocks, and the pitmasters get to stand right on the street and smoke our hogs, pork shoulders, and briskets right there in full view of the U.S. government. Ive had the mayor from DC come down, along with all kinds of Congress people. Im just waiting for the president to show up someday.

Q:

A:

The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is the one thatll net you the most money.