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FAB BBQ
Marinade
Frequently
Asked Questions, Tips and How-to
for FAB meat enhancers
  
Click to buy
FAB is used by top competition BBQ teams...
FAB is the choice of
champions. FAB users have won too many barbecue competitions to
list (we wouldn't give away their secrets, anyway) with Grand
Champion and 1st Place wins in all categories, including the
American Royal, Jack Daniels and numerous regional competitions.
What is FAB?
FAB was designed by Joe Ames,
Sr., a retired food technologist and member of the
IFT (institute of food technologists).
Joe was a US Navy cook and a master chef.
With more than 50 years of
experience, Joe Ames designed FAB using state of the art meat enhancers
and only the highest quality ingredients, sourced from his connections
in the food industry. FAB is the best blend to improve the taste and
texture of your BBQ and home cooking, as judged by certified judges in
numerous sanctioned competitions.
FAB has only a mild flavor on
its own, similar to bullion, but it's much more than bullion.
FAB is designed to enhance
the natural flavor of the meat, as well as the spices, rubs, etc. that
you add. In taste tests, most people had a hard time identifying what it
was about the fabbed meat they liked, but the overwhelming majority said
that "it tastes meatier".
FAB helps to retain natural
juices and improves slicing. It increases yields and improves the
texture of meat.
FAB returns flavor...FAB Makes it Better!
Remember when meat had real
flavor? When chicken tasted like chicken, and beef like beef? Modern
farming techniques bring meat to market faster than ever, but those same
methods have robbed meat of its flavor.
The use of growth hormones, selective breeding and other techniques have
made meats more affordable, but they’ve lost something. The average
chicken you buy in the store is only six weeks old, and a report by the
Iowa State University in 2008 states that faster-growing pigs have lower
juiciness and tenderness than their slower-growing counterparts. This
confirms what many of us have known all along—meat just doesn’t taste
like it used to.
FAB brings back that flavor through innovative use of select ingredients
and flavor enhancers, matched in perfect balance. FAB enhances the
natural flavor of meat, but it doesn’t overpower it. FAB complements and
fortifies the natural meat flavor, and in taste tests, the number one
comment is that ‘fabbed’ meat “tastes meatier”.
Simply put, FAB makes meat taste like it should, like used to...but
there’s more to FAB than flavor. FAB also improves the texture of meat,
making it juicier, more tender and easier to slice. It increases yield,
too, by as much as 10% or more. By helping to retain the natural juices
of meat, FAB locks in flavor.
How do I use FAB?
FAB can be injected, or it
can be used as a soak, tumble or vacuum marinade.
The ratio of liquid to FAB is
a personal choice. Some folks like more, some like less. Mix FAB
anywhere from 2:1 to an 8:1 ratio of liquid to FAB by weight, for best results.
For a 2:1 mix, for example, mix 2 cups
(453 grams) of water or other liquid with 1 cup (139 grams) of FAB.
For best results in meat over
2 inches thick, inject slowly, every two-three inches, until you've
injected the entire piece of meat, or roughly 10% of the weight of the
raw meat before injection. Avoid pockets, where FAB can pool up inside.
As a soak, cover the meat
with FAB in a container of your choice, stirring or shaking occasionally
to ensure even distribution. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours to allow for
complete marinating.
As a rule of thumb, inject
brisket, pork shoulder/butt, ribs. Soak chicken breasts, wings and ribs.
Ribs can be injected and/or soaked, as you prefer. It really depends on
how meaty they are. With ribs, always remove or score the membrane,
since FAB (and darned near nothing else!) can penetrate it.
Note: FAB holds onto juices, which will alter cooking times.
You may need to adjust your cooking time or temperature when using FAB.
Generally speaking, FAB increases required cooking times. If you are a
"time and temperature" cook, bear this in mind. Also, FAB will magnify
certain flavors, such as salt and some peppers. You may need to reduce
certain ingredients in your flavor profile to compensate.
FAB has only a mild flavor on
its own, similar to bullion. It is much more than bullion, though. It is
designed to enhance the natural flavor of the meat, as well as the
spices, rubs, etc. that you add. In taste tests, most people had a hard
time identifying what it was about the fabbed meat they liked, but the
overwhelming majority said that "it tastes meatier".
FAB uses powerful flavor
enhancers, along with other ingredients that aren't commonly found in
the kitchen. Because of this, you might find that it's a bit finicky in
some situations. If you have a bad experience with your first trial of
FAB, please write to us and we'll help you figure out the problem.
How do I inject a marinade?
There's a special technique,
and you need to be using the right kind of injector.
We've got a special page about
selecting
and using marinade injectors, here.
How many teams have won using FAB?
Many! FAB is the choice of
champions.
We take our customers'
privacy seriously, so we don't announce who is and who isn't using FAB,
but over the last ten years, the number of teams "in the money" is
simply amazing. Our sponsored teams are a small fraction of our customer
base. Frankly, we've lost count. Let's put it this way: if you want to
be in the money, and you're not already there, you should use FAB.
FAB users dominate the calls,
with big wins and the biggest competitions. When BBQ Pitmasters was
airing, we heard a lot of calls for FAB users. FAB users include World
Championship (Jack Daniels) Grand Champions, American Royal winners
(open and invitational), and top ten finishers in the KCBS points run
going back for a while. FAB simply dominates a lot of regional contests.
Can I freeze FAB?
Yes. Either dry or mixed.
Once it's mixed with liquid, treat FAB like you would chicken or beef
stock. If it's come into contact with raw meat, discard it after use.
How long does FAB last?
If kept in a cool dry place,
FAB will last a long time, unopened. How long, we just don't know, but
it's a long time! They are quite different, but think of FAB like
vegetable oil. FAB will last about as long as vegetable oil in your
cupboard, perhaps a bit longer.
Once opened, keep FAB dry. If
clumps develop, no need to worry. Run them through a sieve and you're
good to go. In extreme circumstances, we've had good results with a
cheese grater. Freezing FAB will greatly extend its shelf life.
Once mixed with liquid, treat
FAB like you would chicken or beef stock. You can even freeze it.
Once in contact with raw meat
juices, discard any unused FAB. For this reason, it's best to mix only
what you need. When injecting, keep a separate container available for
the needle to avoid cross-contamination.
As always, follow common
sense with FAB. If it seems "off", smells bad, or you just don't trust
it, discard it.
I'm getting dark streaks in my brisket. What
do I do?
This happens to some of our
customers using FAB B, but not all. It's the reason we developed FAB B Lite. Use
FAB B Lite for brisket if you've had problems with streaking. FAB B Lite has a
lighter color, and slightly milder flavor, but contains all the flavor enhancers
of FAB B.
Can I use a single hole injector?
No. FAB needs to be
distributed evenly throughout the meat, so you need an injector with
holes on the sides. Inject slowly. We have seen people on TV
desperately, madly injecting brisket like it's a rabid animal they're
stabbing. Don't do that.
I'm sensitive to MSG. Can I use FAB?
Use FAB Free! FAB free
has no added MSG. We say "added" because MSG is naturally occurring, and
there might be traces of it in certain ingredients. The simple answer is
no, there is no MSG in FAB free, but the lawyers make us say, "added
MSG".
I ran out of FAB B, can I use FAB P
instead?
Yes! The flavor profile of FAB is
relatively mild, compared to the meat enhancers, so you get the same benefits
from any of our FAB mixes, with only a slightly milder flavor.
Is FAB kosher?
Yes! It's made in a certified
kosher facility and it's certified kosher.
Is FAB vegan-friendly?
Yes! There are no ingredients
that would offend even the most discriminating vegan. If you think you
might be, please contact us with your concerns.
I tried FAB and I didn't like it. What's
up with that?
FAB uses powerful flavor
enhancers, along with other ingredients that aren't commonly found in
the kitchen. Because of this, you might find that it's a bit finicky in
some situations. If you have a bad experience with your first trial of
FAB, please write to us and we'll help you figure out the problem. We're
certain that after a few tweaks, you'll be satisfied!
Can I use FAB in other things?
Sure! Use FAB just like bullion,
but be careful to adjust the salt and seasoning until after the FAB is in the
pot. FAB makes salt taste saltier, and you might end up with too much if you add
it afterward.
Can I get bulk rates for my catering
business?
Yes! Drop us a line and tell
us about your business. We offer FAB in 50# bulk containers, and we can
work out custom arrangements for special requests.
The other guys say they have all the same
ingredients as FAB!
No they don't.
Truth in packaging laws allow for
a bit of wiggle room, which allows companies like ours to maintain trade
secrets. There aren't many people who know the secret formula for FAB, and none
of us are telling!
My question isn't answered here...
Drop us a
line or ask us on
Facebook.
Become a fan of
FAB on Facebook!
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