Have you ever taken a bite of a piece of meat and right off the bat you were kicked in the face with an overpowering amount of seasoning, or salt, or pepper, or spice? Can a little bit go a long way? Can we have right and wrong seasonings in our lives? Do you add flavor or influence into the lives of others? Continue reading to answer here thoughts on these questions and more!

SEASONING MATTERS:

My wife and I were telling a story to some friends recently. I remember it so well so let me set the stage: picture this, I’m sitting at the campsite, enjoying the beautiful scenery at the lake while laughing with my entire family. There is the sound of laughter and music along with the smell of campfire and outside! It is dinner time and we are having spaghetti. I’m starving. Everyone else has already started eating and I am the last in line. So I finally sat down to start eating my spaghetti. I grab the unmarked bottle of parmesan cheese and shake the cheese on my plate of spaghetti. It is coming out much faster than what parmesan normally does and then I figured out something was wrong. I took a quick taste and I quickly figured out that the newly formed mound on my plate was NOT cheese and instead was…garlic powder. Wow, what a huge mistake. I went ahead and mixed it up and gave it a shot. NOPE, that was horrible and tasted like crap!  I do not encourage anyone to try this. While it was a bad experience, it had a massive impact and influence on me going forward. I definitely make sure I double check what it is I’m sprinkling on my plate of food now!

In a couple of other article posts, I talked about two basic items needed for cooking barbecue - the heat and the meat. Today’s article is about the third most basic item and that is the seasoning. Seasoning is exciting because there are so many ways to season meat and so many ingredients that people might use in their seasoning. We have different seasonings based on the geographical location (Kansas City vs. Memphis vs. Texas vs. Carolina (and that is even North and South Carolina vs. Alabama). Then we have various types of rubs that we find at the store. There are some basic ingredients used in most rubs, brines and sauces such as salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. But some folks like to throw in cayenne, onion powder, ground chilis, red pepper flakes, coffee grounds and more. And of course, all of this is set to your liking: some folks just like salt and pepper such as Texas, and Tennessee pork is usually just the smoke flavor with a little seasoning here and there (maybe some Memphis dry rub).

QUICK HISTORY QUESTION:

• What famous sauce is Alabama known for?

  • Alabama White Sauce used on poultry

• Who made Alabama White Sauce Famous?

  • Robert Lee Gibson, or Big Bob Gibson from Decatur, AL

So as we can see, there are numerous ways to season the meat according to the flavor profiles we like. Each seasoning brings out certain flavors, textures and colors and just like the lesson about meat from last week, the seasonings may be similar but still have differences:

1. Salt is a flavor enhancer, can mask bitterness, bring out sweetness, sour and then tenderize.

2. Pepper adds heat and creates that bark color and texture we love on briskets

3. Paprika - adds a little bit of sweetness and creates that gorgeous red or mahogany color

4. Brown Sugar - well, it does what you think…it sweetens. It is almost molasses or toffee flavored.

5. Just the smoke flavor - allows you to get the flavor of the smoke and retains the flavor of the meat you are cooking so you don’t lose the meat to the other seasonings. And just know that each wood provides a certain aroma and flavoring to your meat. Some are heavier smoke flavors and some are lighter. Everyone has a smoke flavor they like so I suggest you test them out to see what you like better with different cuts of meat. 

And of course, you get into the debate of sauce or no sauce!

I am personally a no sauce man. I mean, I like the flavors of the various sauces out there, but if I spend long hours and energy to provide the perfect meat I don’t want to take away from that with a sauce. I know that is a big debate especially across the south, and because we know that everybody is different and unique, we know that everyone will have their own thoughts and opinions on sauce. That is what makes bbq such an interesting and exciting food experience. There is something for everyone in the realm of bbq.

One thing I would like to point out here is that while each seasoning ingredient is unique and can add the perfect flavor, it can have a negative effect on the flavor of the food as well. Too much salt can overpower the rest of the food and then make the food too salty to eat. Or, you add too much ground chili and it becomes too hot for people to eat. Or, something like cardamom can be used as a versatile seasoning and is used in a lot of foods and recipes from India, Indonesia, Sweden and Scandinavia. It is used as a baking ingredient. You can pair it with cumin and other spices to get a wonderful aroma and flavor profile. When using it while cooking barbecue, you want to remember that a little bit of cardamom goes a long way. If you were to add too much of it to your basic barbecue rub, you would be unpleasantly surprised. The point here is balance. Balancing out the seasonings, and the right seasonings, is key in creating the impact and results you want in your end product.

OUR INFLUENCE IS OUR SEASONING:

So when I say that balancing out the seasonings, and the right seasonings, is key in creating the impact and results you want in your end product, I am also saying that I believe that to be true in our lives as men as well. Our influence on others, and the influence we receive from others is the seasoning that impacts our lives…and it needs to be the right influences because that seasoning, or influence, can be good or bad for us.

Brian Tracy said “Be selective about your external influences. Your multi-dimensional brain is influenced by everything you see, hear, read, smell, touch, feel or say.”

Walt Disney said “Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.”

What does that mean? Well think about it:

• How many times have you heard:

  • “Oh, he got in with the wrong crowd.”

  • Or, “I just wish he would find some better friends or some different friends.”

  • Or, “I met “x” person and it turned my life around and set me on a better path.”

  • Or, “I started hanging out with this crowd.”

• Or think about how easily we are persuaded by others or situations:

  • Sports teams and events: I don’t even like this team but the electricity at this game makes me jump and cheer as if I’m a lifelong fan.

  • In the example of Jesus, Pilate didn’t want to deal with Jesus but the crowd persuaded to let the murderer go in place of Jesus.

• Or how about all of the studies that have been done relating to the lack of fathers in the home:

  • Crime

  • Men and boys in prison

  • Lack of desire to live

  • Anxiety and Depression

  • Abusive

  • The list goes on and on.

  • Dr. Nicoline Ambe said “As an educator, I’ve seen the positive influence that fathers have on their children.”

This concept is really quite simple - how are you seasoning the lives of others and who or what is seasoning your life? We are constantly bombarded with influential people and items every day and we affect or influence every one we come in contact with.

1. How do you respond to the person that gives you the wrong order in the drive thru?

2. How do you greet your coworker in the hallway?

3. What are you sprinkling into the lives of people on social media?

4. Take it one step further - what are you sprinkling into the lives of your family and friends?

And you know what drives the way we influence or who/what we allow to influence us? The heat and the meat. Are we being changed by and growing because of the consistent heat? Is the consistent heat creating authenticity in ourselves and our beliefs when interacting with others? It all works together fellas! Consistent heat cooks the meat efficiently, the differences in the meat determines the unique responses and the seasoning determines the final flavor that people taste. That’s called barbecue. That’s called your life! What we do and what we say affects those around us and creates ripple effects beyond just us. Our lives aren’t just about us!

Scott Adams said “You don't have to be a 'person of influence' to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me.”

Napoleon Hill said “Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.”

Laurence Overmire said “Each of us should be aware of the energy we are putting out into the world. Are we a positive influence or a negative one?”

So I will say it again: what we do and what we say affects those around us and creates ripple effects beyond just us. Our lives are not just about us! Or better yet, what you do and what you say affects those around you and creates a ripple effect beyond just you. Your life is not just about you.

TIP OF THE WEEK

This week’s tip of the week is short and simple but goes a long way: A mix of salt and pepper (or S&P) is all you need for cooking a great brisket. You don’t want or need to get fancy with your brisket seasoning to make a significant impact. And you do not have to get fancy with your actions to make a significant impact on others.

CALL TO ACTION:

And as always, I want to make sure I end each episode with a call to action so that you can be thinking AND taking action over the course of the next week.

1. Jim Rohn said “You are the average of the top five people you spend the most time with.”

2. So this week, I want you to make a list of the top five people you spend the most time with (and am saying this does not necessarily include your partner/spouse and children). Take some time to think on and determine if you think they are really the right people for you and the correct influence you need in your life. Are they helping you live a life of intention? If you come to the conclusion that they are not providing the influence you want and need, then it is time to have some hard conversations and set up some boundaries. It is time for some change. This is one of those steps that I would consider the “meat that is tough to chew”.

3. If that is an action that you are not ready to take (and trust me, I understand completely), then determine two men that are in your life that you know you can and need to encourage and speak truth into. Then, reach out to them and begin the conversations. You never know what kind of profound impact you will have on their lives by being intentional and connecting with them.

Thanks for taking the time to read today’s article. I hope it brought you some value and that you take us up on the call to action this week. The call to action this week is a tough one but sometimes we have to do the tough things to make the biggest changes.

You can hear this week’s full podcast episode over at www.lifearoundthepit.com/pit011 or you can listen to us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart, Spotify and any of the other places you listen to podcasts.

Check us out on Instagram at lifearoundthepit and Facebook at lifearoundthepittb.

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!