Myron Mixon has won more barbecue competitions than anyone else in the world, including four world championships and 11 national championships. So naturally, the Unadilla, Georgia, native (and mayor) gets asked a lot of questions about grilling and smoking meat.
鈥淧eople want to learn, I mean everybody鈥檚 very interested in barbecue. It鈥檚 amazing how many folks really haven鈥檛 done it yet. And as popular as it is, they haven鈥檛 tried it yet,鈥� said Mixon, who opened in Alexandria, Virginia, in 2017.
All these questions are what prompted Mixon to write his fourth book, 鈥�,鈥� which walks readers through the basics of barbecue, covering everything from equipment, to rubs and sauces. On a recent trip to his Alexandria restaurant, Mixon stopped 蜜桃视频app to share some highlights, just in time for the summer season:
You don鈥檛 need expensive equipment
Grills and smokers with all the bells and whistles can cost a fortune, but you don鈥檛 need to break the bank to get good barbecue.
鈥淭his is not a rich person鈥檚 game. Barbecue was originally done to be simple,鈥� Mixon said.
He recommends something that has a 鈥渄ecent amount of grill surface鈥� 鈥� about 18-inch round grates. If you鈥檙e able to spend a little bit more (but still under $300), Mixon said look for a smoker that has a water feature, which puts moisture into the cook chamber.
The most important thing is to 鈥済et to know鈥� your grill or smoker well before you use it to entertain.
鈥淟earn every in-and-out of it. Learn what it can do very well; learn what you gotta do to finesse it,鈥� Mixon said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to wait and buy a grill on July 3 and fire it up on July 4 when you鈥檝e never cooked on it.鈥�
You do need a meat thermometer
One piece of equipment you should invest in is a good meat thermometer, Mixon said.
鈥淭hat way you won鈥檛 ever undercook, you won鈥檛 ever overcook your product. It will be perfect every time,鈥� he added.
The dark part of chicken (legs and thighs), he said, should be cooked to 180 degrees; chicken breasts are done at 160. For a whole brisket, Mixon said you want to hit 205; pork butts should reach 200, and baby back ribs are perfect at 207 degrees.
Speaking of baby back ribs 鈥�
Mixon is well-known for nearly every type of barbecue 鈥� and especially for his baby back ribs. What鈥檚 his secret? He said always start with a thick cut, and don鈥檛 overthink the prep.
鈥淚f you got a good rub and you got a good sauce, you can make it happen,鈥� he said.
Smoke the ribs at 275 degrees for two hours, then 鈥減an them.鈥�
鈥淚 set them down in a pan, put one cup of apple juice in there, seal it with foil and cook it for about another hour at 275,鈥� Mixon said. 鈥淣ow I鈥檓 tenderizing it; I鈥檓 going to get 鈥榚m done.鈥�
Check the temperature of the meat, and when it hits 207 degrees, the ribs are ready.
The sides
Mixon said there are three sides that are nonnegotiable for backyard barbecues. The first is beans, and one of his favorite recipes is for .
鈥淚t鈥檚 got peach pie filling in it; they鈥檙e awesome and they鈥檙e very simple to make,鈥� Mixon said.
He also said coleslaw and potato salad are also a must. If you really want to go above and beyond, try Mixon鈥檚 . 鈥淚t鈥檚 Keto,鈥� he joked.
