Have you ever noticed that you can have multiple pieces of the same meat on the smoker and yet they do not all cook and finish up the same way or at the same time? It is a strange thing, but it happens. And you’ve probably noticed that not all of us as men are the same and we do not all respond and react the same way or at the same time. That too, is a strange thing. That uniqueness makes the cook and life interesting and we will be talking more about that today. As always, I will give you a tip and a call-to-action near the end of the episode, so keep listening to hear more!

Meat is Unique:

In last week’s blog, I wrote about how one of the most basic needs for cooking barbecue is the heat. And I said that it isn’t just any type of heat, it is “consistent heat” because that is what helps produce the best product. This week, I want to write about the second most basic item you need for cooking barbecue and that is…the meat. Obviously we can smoke almost anything right, but for this blog’s purposes, we are talking about meat. And there are multiple types of meat, and then there are even multiple grades of meat.

For instance, you can find “select” brisket at grocery stores, “choice” grade brisket at places like Sam’s and Costco, then you can get “upper 2/3rds” grades at places like Sysco and then there is “prime” grade which is considered the top grade by USDA standards. The grading is based primarily on the marbling of the meat. Then, take it further and you get the Wagyu beef standards in Japan which is then translated to the American Kobe beef here in America. We could get into the depths, layers and explanations of all that but we won’t today. At some point I will walk you through choosing the best meat for the cook. But not today.

We can see that there are different levels of meat. There are also various types of meat and each region is known for a certain type of meat used in cooking barbecue. Of course, everyone likes certain cuts of meat more than other cuts. There are some people who are allergic to red meat because of the tick disease Alpha Gal. If that is you, then I am deeply sorry. Then some of you out there just don’t like meat at all and, well, there simply are no words. May the Lord still show His favor to you and show you the correct path?? I’m just kidding!

You have probably heard of the common meats associated with barbecue which are:

1. Chicken

2. Turkey

3. Sausage (typically a mixture of meats)

4. Pork

5. Brisket

6. Ribs (beef ribs, pork spare ribs and baby back ribs)

7. Some of the other meats not as common include:

   1. Tri-tip

   2. Pork Loin

   3. Prime Rib

   4. Lamb

   5. Bologna

   6. Mutton (goat meat)

   7. Small game and birds

   8. Alligator? Hmmm?? Tastes like chicken!

   9. What about Spam? Can you consider that meat? It’s technically a meat product? I guess you could smoke it and it would be alright!

I have created a free downloadable PDF for you called the “Regional Meat Guide”. This guide provides some images of the names of the different cuts of meats on the cow and the pig, along with the various bbq regions, their seasoning and sauce types and the meats they are known for. You can download that at www.lifearoundthepit.com/regions.

So you have the different types of meat, then the different grades of the meat and then the different textures and leanness of the meats. For example, chicken might be tough if it was harvested at an older age, etc.

One example of how the differences in meat plays out during a barbecue cook is with pork butts. If you line up 4 pork butts across the grate of your cooker, you’re not gonna get the same result in the cook. Why? Each piece has its own fat content, its own tenderness based on the animal it came from and the food it ate and amount of movement it had along with its own weight and its own size and shape. So when I’m cooking 4 pork butts in a row, they will each cook differently. They will:

1. The split of the fat cap will happen at different times on each piece.

2. The split of the fat cap will split at different locations on each piece.

3. The meat will start to char at different spots on each piece.

4. They will cook to temp at different times for each piece.

5. Two in that row may come off and then the other two still need to continue cooking.

All meats, not just the pork, respond to the consistent heat differently.

Men are Unique:

It blows my mind how that works with cooking barbecue and that leads us to the main point of today’s blog. Each individual cut of meat will be totally unique and different from the next and in the same way, we as men, are just as unique or different as each cut of meat is from the other. None of us are exactly alike. Yes, of course we have similarities; we are men, we have minds, we like challenges, we like adventures, we like fun, we take pride in our work and we want to succeed and we all get tired. But none of us are the same in any of the areas. We are not clones of each other..

We all have different upbringings and experiences in life. We all have our own stories. My experiences are different from your experiences. My story is different from your story. The way I see things and respond to things and the way I work is different from how you respond and think about things. The way these life lessons from bbq speak to you will be different from the way they speak to me. And that is fine! That is good. That is right. That is the way it should be. That’s what makes life interesting.

And the differences in our experiences and stories create in each of us our own:

1. Values and beliefs

2. Biases

3. Strengths

4. Weaknesses

5. Passions

6. Likes and dislikes

7. Personalities

8. Ideas

9. Value that we provide to each other and to the world

Let’s tie all of this back to last week’s blog. We ALL respond to the consistent heat differently. You line four men up in a row in a stressful situation and we will all have four different ways of responding and stepping up or out of the situation. Each of us will

1. Stress out at different times or

2. Have different ways of responding: anger, frustration, calm and relaxed or

3. Push through it to succeed or

4. Give up and quit or

5. See it as a failed experience or some of us see it as a learning opportunity for growth.

Well what do I do with this info Tony? Since this is true, then we each get to use our own unique experiences and different responses as opportunities to provide assistance, encouragement and value to others in this world…in our own ways. So let’s get real for a second: some of you might be able to relate, understand and work with a drug addict in a way that others can’t because you yourself are a recovering drug addict. Some of you may be able to help someone else walk through the loss of a parent with a deeper empathy and compassion because you have lost a parent or parents yourself. Some of you may be able to provide advocacy for those in abusive situations because you have made it through that in your own life. Some of you can tell others that you really are gonna miss this time in your children’s lives because you now have older or grown children of your own. Some of you can coach and guide others in finding their passion or purpose because you lost yours along the way and had to work to find it again. And then some of you can tell us through wisdom that most of the things we are striving for really do not matter in the end and not to waste our time. These are just some examples of how you, your experiences and your stories can make an impact. Let people hear your story because you never know who needs to hear it. And remember this, your unique difference as a man is God’s way of using you to add value to those you experience life with!

Tip of the Week: This week’s tip of the week is: BE INTENTIONAL IN THE UNIQUENESS! What do I mean by that and how is that a tip?

• What are some ways to handle the various cooking times when smoking meats?

  • Pay attention to each individual piece of meat. Don’t assume they are all cooking the same.

  • Cover the meats that are cooking faster with foil to slow the outside cook down

  • Rotate or swap the location of the meat on the cooker…take the smaller ones and move them to the back while moving the larger ones up in their place or by moving them to different positions in the line.

• What are some ways we can focus on the uniqueness of us as individuals?

  • Write it out - write out or build your values and beliefs list for yourself - don’t use someone else’s beliefs and values. Make them yours!

  • Ask some close friends or colleagues to tell you what they see as strengths and weaknesses AND be ok with their responses (cause you asked for it)

  • Take and learn from some of the various personality tests that are available to us:

    • Enneagram

    • DISC

    • Strengths Finder

    • REALStrengths

    • The Positive Intelligence Saboteurs test

I understand that it is hard sometimes to stand out from the crowd or to really but as I said earlier, your unique difference as a man is God’s way of using you to add value to those you experience life with! So be intentional in the uniqueness.

Call-to-Action: And as always, I want to make sure I end each blog with a call to action so that you can be thinking AND taking action over the course of the next week. This week, I would like for you to do a couple of things for me:

1. I’ve put together a free informational resource that gives you the different types of cuts of meat on the cow and the pig and a breakdown of the various bbq regions and what they are known for in each region. You can download that at www.lifearoundthepit.com/regions and that link is in the show notes.

2. I’m working on getting the final details in place for the new Pitmaster DISC Assessment that will be available on the website. This assessment will show you the type of pitmaster you are in life and will be a valuable tool when living an intentional and connected life. It lets you know how you respond and communicate with others as well as examples and guidance on developing and adapting to your unique personality. I used this tool for years while working in management in the corporate world and continue to use it in my current state of life. I encourage you to sign up for the waitlist as we will be releasing this tool for purchase very, very soon. Sign up for the waitlist at www.lifearoundthepit.com/pitdisc to ensure you are working towards intentionality in your life.

Check out the full podcast episode related to this week’s blog over at www.lifearoundthepit.com/pit008 or you can listen to us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart, Spotify and any of the other places you listen to podcasts. Have a great week.

Remember: BBQ is known for being low and slow cooking that produces a fantastic reward. Life as a pitmaster is the same. You have to put in the low and slow efforts to produce the fantastic reward: a legacy of impact! Until next time: season some meat, start a fire, and make an impact!