Fab B Lite

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thedigitale

Fire Starter
Original poster
Feb 3, 2015
50
22
Anyone using it? I'm doing a trial run with it on Labor Day. Hoping to use it in this month's competition if I like the results. I'm planning on mixing it with beef broth and apple juice for the trial run and using a Plowboys Bovine Bold Rub for the brisket. Not sure what sauce I'll finish with yet. 

Anyone want to share blends that have worked well for them in competition?
 
Because competition cooking is nothing like backyard cooking. The food isn't the same, the taste isn't the same, and most competition cooks will tell you that the stuff they cook for competitions is not the stuff that they serve their family, friends, or restaurants. 

Competition isn't about the best food, it's about making the food that comes closest to the standard.

It's not a crutch, it's a whole different game.
 
What exactly does it do to make the food close to the standard.

I sure would like to hear what JJ has to say about this.

I'm going to PM him.

Al
 
Basically, in competition, you really only have one bite to get the judges attention, so that bite needs to taste like a whole meal. Fab B is a blend of phosphates, MSG, and other flavor enhancers that you inject to boost the flavor of the meat. 

To give you an idea of how different competition BBQ is, when you're preparing chicken thighs for competition, you first remove the skin, then you trim them to all be uniform in size. You then scrape the underside of the skin with a sharp knife until the skin is translucent so that when it cooks, it will be bite through. It's a nasty process, but I don't know anyone who doesn't do it for competitions. 
 
This stuff works to hold moisture. Not that different than a Brine. FAB has other flavor enhancers like MSG and I&G. The the sum of the two is greater than the parts. There are a few different FAB formulas to enhance beef, chicken, pork, fish and general purpose. Phosphate been around a long time. Not a Crutch, just another fancy tool in the box. I believe DaveOmak uses it...JJ
 
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This stuff works to hold moisture. Not that different than a Brine. FAB has other flavor enhancers like MSG and I&G. The the sum of the two is greater than the parts. There are a few different FAB formulas to enhance beef, chicken, pork, fish and general purpose. Phosphate been around a long time. Not a Crutch, just another fancy tool in the box. I believe DaveOmak uses it...JJ
OK, where do you get this stuff? And what is I&G?
 
Thanks for the links, guys! Not looking at competitions, but I've developed a love of briskets this summer and this sounds interesting....
Dan
 
Thanks for the links, guys! Not looking at competitions, but I've developed a love of briskets this summer and this sounds interesting....
Dan
If you're going to try it, go easy. Try it on a small piece of meat first. I'd never use this crap at home. I really don't like the taste of competition meats. 
 
"Let's hold a competition with a bunch of food people won't like! "
Welcome to competition BBQ.

In all fairness, the judges only take one or two bites, and there are a lot of different judges with different tastes. The idea is a flavor packed single bite, with flavor that doesn't offend anyone. When I cook for myself, I like some spice, and I'm not a big fan of sweet sauces (I usually don't sauce my meat at home), but generally sweet sauces and flavor heavy meat wins. I've been dinged in competition for making food too spicy, when I wouldn't have considered it even mild spice.
 
What I don't get....These Judges...Many Smoke meat and are accomplished pitmasters. Many more, at least, EAT at area Q joints that are not shooting all kinds of stuff into meat. So WHAT IN GOD'S NAME, makes a " certified Judge " who knows better, toss  out everything they know about good Q, that which THEY eat regularly, and give higher points for artificial enhancers and loading rubs, brines, meat and glazes with enough sugar to gag a Honey Bee!?!...Makes no sense. Aaron Franklin makes a fortune with Salt, Pepper and Smoke. He Judges as well...Is HE tossing out what HE knows is right for Brisket injected with Worcestershire, Beef Boullion, Honey, MSG and Phosphate with a hint of Peanut Butter and Cocoa???? I don't buy the One Bite argument. I have judged Rib Cookoffs in York PA with teams from around the country. The meat is either GOOD or it isn't IMO. Adding a butt load of sugar don't make marginal seasoned and poorly cooked Ribs better. One Bite is all you need. Heck go to a fancy $400 a person Tasting Menu Restaurant like Alinea in Chicago and ALL you get is One Bite comprised of Sous Vide this with FreezeDried that and a squirt of Centrifuge Foam Extraction and people will write entire Blogs on the amazing layers an nuanced flavor components...JJ
 
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I've actually done tastings similar to judging. After the first 4-5 samples of something, you start to lose your subjectivity, and it all tastes the same. Enhancers like this can smack you in the face when your palette is destroyed and suddenly something tastes good. It's less about taste and more about palette exhaustion. 
 
 
I've actually done tastings similar to judging. After the first 4-5 samples of something, you start to lose your subjectivity, and it all tastes the same. Enhancers like this can smack you in the face when your palette is destroyed and suddenly something tastes good. It's less about taste and more about palette exhaustion. 
So theoretically, If you are in the latter half of the tasting...Your Q could be loaded with Salt, Acid, Ammonia, Sugar and well aged Blue Cheese and you could " potentially " score high or win because your flavor profile is sooo different than all the other Q that bored the judges palette? This is why I have no desire to compete. Hundreds of people have eaten my food and keep coming back or asking for and making my recipes, THAT is REWARD and Recognition enough...JJ
 
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