My dad finally admitted he liked my brisket

I was at his place last Sunday, just grilling some burgers, and out of nowhere he said my last brisket was 'actually pretty good, not dry at all.' I mean, this is a guy who's been smoking meat in his offset for like 30 years and never says anything nice about my cooks. He usually just points at the smoke ring and grunts. It hit different because he didn't give me a tip or correct my method, he just said it was good. I've been chasing his approval for maybe 5 years now, trying different rubs and wrapping times. Has anyone else had a moment like that with a family member who's way more experienced?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna_ross191mo ago

Honestly sounds like you're overthinking a simple compliment. I mean it's just brisket, not like he handed you the keys to the family business. Maybe he was just in a good mood that day.

kim8191mo ago

Oh man, that reminds me of my uncle who would give these huge, dramatic compliments about the smallest things. He once told my cousin her store-bought potato salad was "a gift from the heavens" just because he was happy his team won. You're right anna_ross19, sometimes a compliment is just a compliment. People read way too much into casual stuff. It's like when someone says they love your shirt and you wonder if they're hinting your old one was ugly.

the_eric1mo ago

It's wild how much second guessing happens over nice words. We've turned casual talk into a minefield where every phrase gets picked apart for hidden meaning. My friend spent a week worried her boss hated her old reports because he said the new format was "clean." Sometimes a potato salad is just potato salad, you know?