That time a pitmaster in Kansas City told me to stop using lighter fluid

I was at Arthur Bryant's last summer watching this guy work the pit and he asked what I use to start my fire. When I said lighter fluid, he just shook his head and said 'you're paying for smoke, not gasoline flavor.' Has anyone else made the switch to a chimney starter and actually noticed a difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordan_anderson9012d ago

Bryant's is legendary no doubt. But I've been using lighter fluid for 15 years on my offset smoker and my ribs got 2nd place at a local comp last fall. The key is letting it burn off completely before you add your wood chunks - I wait at least 15-20 minutes till the coals are ashed over. Chimney starters work fine but I can't taste any difference in the final meat.

daniel85711d ago

Drove past that old school pit in Kansas City a few years back and saw a guy pulling pork with his bare hands through the smoke like it was nothing. Reminded me of my uncle who swears by starting his fire with a half can of beer tossed in the coals before any fluid or chimney. He got a call from a buddy who runs a food truck saying his brisket tasted like cheap light beer that one time, but uncle just laughed it off and said the alcohol burns clean anyway. I guess people get real attached to their weird rituals whether it's fluid or beer or whatever they grew up using.