A guy at a cook-off told me my brisket was too salty and he was right

I was at the Bluebonnet Smokeout in Austin and a judge pulled me aside after the turn-in. He said my rub was overpowering the meat, which I thought was just his taste. But then I checked my notes and realized I'd been adding an extra tablespoon of kosher salt per brisket for about six months. I cut that back to just two tablespoons total and let the pepper and smoke do more work. The next one I made was way better, more balanced. Has anyone else had a simple piece of advice that fixed a bad habit you didn't even know you had?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wesley11d ago

Ever notice how we're often our own worst blind spot?

the_jennifer11d ago

Disagree completely. We know ourselves better than anyone else ever could. All that inner talk and private history gives us the clearest view of our own flaws and motives. Outsiders just see a quick snapshot and get it wrong most of the time. Trusting your own gut over someone else's guess is usually the smarter move.

kimmurphy11d ago

My buddy Mike was so sure he was a chill driver until his girlfriend filmed him during a traffic jam. He was yelling at the wheel, cutting people off... the whole thing. It was like watching a different person. Kinda proves @the_wesley's point about blind spots... we can't see our own backseat.