Myron Mixon may conquer the world, but there's no way it's real Texas BBQ

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Myron Mixon may conquer the world, but there's no way it's real Texas BBQ

Gotta love the title of Myron Mixon's new book, Smokin'. One word that conjures a thousand pictures.

And the self-proclaimed "winningest man in barbecue" even weighs in on our recent debate here about wood versus gas.

"Can I smoke food on a gas grill?" Mixon asks rhetorically midway through his opening chapter.

"You bet your ass you can," he answers.

Mixon's credentials are impressive, as he lets you know in a short section called: "How Much Have I Won?" No self-esteem issues with Myron. Of course, anyone who has watched him on TLC's BBQ Pitmasters already knows that.

He cites more than 1,800 total barbecue competition trophies, 3 world championships, 11 national championships and 30 state championships, singling out Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Illinois, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Notice anything missing? Yep, no Texas.

Mixon does offer many good tips and interesting recipes in his 170-page book. Don't open your smoker unless you have to, he says, because of the problems it causes in trying to maintain a constant temperature.

I'm going to try his bacon-wrapped chicken breast soon, though I'll skip the Coca-Cola marinade.

I'll also pass on his "world-famous cupcake chicken," no matter how many contests it has won. Chicken thighs in an aluminum cupcake pan? It just ain't right! And I'll skip the MSG he slips into some recipes.

His brisket recipe -- "preferably wagyu" -- is most revealing. Cook at 350 degrees for about 4 hours, covering with foil just past the midway point. Then let the it rest at room temperature for another 3 or 4 hours. Pour the saved, re-warmed juices over the meat before serving.

Low and slow, the Texas way? Forget about it. For Mixon, it's all about playing to the judges' taste -- maybe that's lack of taste -- and winning.

Anonymous

14 years ago

Myron is all about winning contests. I remember seeing an episode of the original pitmaster show where they showed him competing against the other contestants and he stated that he does "high heat/flash smoking" The more I checked it out I saw that the only thing he was doing was grilling meat. He added a ton of charcoal and flooded it w/ two bottle of lighter fluid. I immediately lost all respect for what was supposedly a BBQ competition especially when he placed pretty high.

Phillip Sharp

14 years ago

And don't forget, if you are going to cook the Old South way, you have to have GREEN wood, not dried out wood. And, you will need to cuss a lot as well...good ole' Myron...

Anonymous

14 years ago

chemical assault! I hear he pumps his bbq with broth & chemical injections, floods the stuff with sauces and glazes, loads his pit with green peachwood (the more resin the better), uses quarts of lighter fluid to start his fires, and does not eat the shi$

its all business and just wants to win at chemical warfare at no expense

Anonymous

14 years ago

he admits, "i don't give a shit using lighter fluid, cause i dont eat the shit".

TK78

13 years ago

I bought this book and have cooked many of the recipes. Some just out of curiosity. Mryon does slip in MSG. Can't figure that out. I have smoked several briskets his way and yep, it ain't TX BBQ but I knew that going into it. You basically inject it with beef flavor to get it the way you want it cooking that fast and not drying out. Kinda funny, I am done with the experiment but my wife likes Mryon's brisket method go figure. I do like the his hog glaze recipe. It'a a good one.

Swanny Q!

13 years ago

I ran in to Mr. Mixon at a local BBQ competition a couple of years back. In the 20 minutes I spent talking with him he was nothing like his television and, I guess book, persona. He was gracious enough to snap a few pictures with me before I left. I did not stick around long enough to try his product or attempt to see any of his techniques. It rained the night before and the fair grounds where the competition was being held was slop. Mr. Mixon was the only competitor there who seem smart enough to have placed his equipment on pavement.

All that being said, I have never tried the "high heat" brisket method. There is a large thread on it on the Virtual Weber Bullet website. It's just not the way I know how to cook brisket.

I am entering my first ever Backyard contests in Ocala, FL at the end of this month. I guess I'll find out how my method, rubbed with no injection and low and slow, work out with the judges.

To me cooking low and slow is challenging. The challenge is not to produce quality, good tasting, beef, ribs, or pork; but rather to be able to consistently repeat the process.

I have had many people ask me to show them how to "cook a brisket". When I tell them "the next time you have 18 hours, let me know" they seem to loose interest.