BBQ Rib Eye on WSM

I'm late in posting these pictures of the of the Drunk and Dirty Rib Eye (see original post below). These 1 lb. rib eye filets sprinkled with black pepper, white pepper, and marinaded for three hours. I cooked them at 225 degrees for an hour and a half and were removed from the WSM at 150 degrees internal. They were medium rare and could have used another fifteen for my tastes, but die hard steak eaters swear by medium rare steaks. (I'm just not one of them.) I solved that problem with 30 seconds in the microwave.

I highly recommend this Smoke & Spice recipe the next time you're craving a big ole' juicy tender slab of beef.

Pictures of Caldera Tall Boy

Here's a picture of my neighbor's Caldera Tall Boy.


It's a nice, well thought-out design with a real "finished" look. The powder coat is real slick and the metal was cut with precision tools made to exacting standards similar to what you'd expect to see in the automotive or aircraft industry.

I know I'm going out on a limb here since I don't own a Caldera or a pellet cooker, but I believe the construction is as good or better than the pellet cookers I've seen.

Based on Linda's reaction to it when she saw it, I think there might be one of these in my future. She likes the knockdown design and lightweight aspects of the construction. I think I'd favor the original Caldera version due to the increased cooking capacity, but for back yard cooking and light competition duty, this one fits the bill.

I'd be proud to add it to my cooker collection.

Here's a picture of the electronic control mechanism that makes the Caldera function in true "hands-off" mode. Just set it and forget it. This unit is called "The Competitor Power Draft". As I understand it "The Competitor" is the middle-of-the-road model sold by BBQ Guru.

BBQ Secrets Revealed, Click Here!

BBQ Beef Tenderloin and Rib Eye

Smoke & Spice, by Cheryl and Bill Jamison, has a nice looking recipe for beef tenderloin I thought I'd try.

Not knowing anything about beef tenderloin, I went to the local grocery store and asked at the meat counter. The butcher pointed to the display of filet mignon in the meat case and said, "Right there." I was speechless for a few seconds, but finally said, "Wow, that's expensive."

I had to pass on the $18.99 / lb. filet mignon, but the butcher suggested that I try rib eye steak as a substitute for $5.99 / lb. I specifically asked for two pounds, but before I could stop him he sliced off two 1 lb. slabs. I'm going to try them anyway.

The Drunk and Dirty Tenderloin is on page 115 of the Smoke & Spice book and calls for a marinade of soy sauce, worchestershire, sour mash whiskey, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic cloves. The rub is a very basic mixture of black pepper and white pepper applied just prior to putting on the smoker.

I'll let you know how the Drunk and Dirty Rib Eye turns out and post some pictures later today.

National Barbecue Month

According to the NBBQA and the HPBA, May is National Barbecue Month.

Barbecuers and grillers around the world are gearing up for summer time cooking. In preparation for the season, I spent some time cleaning my Weber Smoker Mountain this weekend.

It's surprising how a little elbow grease and some hot water can change the inside of a barbecue cooker. Periodic cleaning of your grill or smoker can prolong it's useful life. I use plain old dishwashing liquid, hot water, and a couple of clean rags to wipe down the inside and outside of my smoker. I avoid harch solvents and cleaners because I don't want that stuff near the food I eat.

When all the dirt and grime was gone, I placed the smoker in the direct sunlight for a couple hours to dry before reassemblying the smoker.

Smokenator

If you have a Weber kettle grill and want to use it for low and slow barbecue cooking, the Smokenator makes it easier. The Smokenator is an insert tool for the 22" Weber kettle grill.

You can see it's a sheet metal partition, enclosing charcoal briquettes and shielding the food from direct heat. The other innovation is the proximity of water to the coals. The cooking environment is controllable from 100 percent humidity to completely dry. The unit will hold fuel for 6 hours and will hold 230-240 deg f dome temperature in a steady state condition for hours (210 deg f at the food support grill.) The directions are superb and a complete novice can low and slow cook without much effort saving following the instructions.


The inventor of the Smokenator also provides a 17.75" diameter collapsible grill that effectively raises the total cooking surface to about 550 square inches.

BBQ Trailer for Sale

If you know of anyone looking for a very, very nice enclosed 7 x 16 tandem axle trailer with fold down rear door and concession window, let me know. The trailer has e-Trac, electric trailer brakes, insulation throughout the walls and ceiling, electric outlets throughout, a triple sink, linoleum, wipe-down walls, cabinets, lighting, RV door, spare tire, roof vents, LED brakelights, 6 inches of additional height, and 30 amps that run through a breaker box.

The trailer was manufacturered by Doolittle and is one of the heaviest built trailers I've ever seen. The tongue and frame are very well built. You'll have to look far and wide to find a better built trailer.

The trailer is three years old. I am confident that it would cost more than $9,000 to duplicate this trailer today. I will take $6,900 for the trailer.

Currently, the trailer is being stored at my parents' house in Boonville, Missouri.

Kingfisher Kookers - BBQ Smokers

I have been looking for a towable smoker to replace my 7 x 16 enclosed trailer. Kingfisher Kookers makes a nice rotisserie smoker that's rapidly moving up my list of favorites. My choice is between two Kingfisher models: The BT Komination rotisserie and the Commercial Smoker rotisserie. Here are some features of both from the Kingfisher website.

The BT model weighs 500 lbs.

• The smoking chamber is 30 x 34 x 40 and contains four trays.
• The trays are 10 x 37 for a total tray surface of 1,480 square inches.
• Each tray will hold approximately four briskets.
• The smoker has a wood storage box, an integrated work table, and a warming rack.
• Additional cooking racks can be purchased that essentially double meat capacity.

The Commercial model weighs 1,075 lbs.

• The smoking/cooking chamber is 42" x 48" x 48" and contains six trays.
• Seven to nine sides of ribs (3 1/2 downs) can be placed on each tray by using rib racks.
• A tray will hold five to six trimmed briskets.
• Whole hogs, dressed (up to 70 pounds) and trussed can be placed on each tray.
• Trays 10" x 44" create a total tray surface of 2,772 square inches.
• The firebox area is 24" x 16" x 16". The firebox will hold split wood up to 24 inches in length.
• The oven is 9" x 18" x 42", and has a safety latch on the door.
• The top of the oven serves as a warming area for sauces and marinades.
• The available warming surface is 24" x 42".
• There is a work table, 30" x 42", twelve inches above the warming surface, that includes a handle for moving the unit when it is off the towing tongue and on the caster wheel.
• Built on a trailer axle, with springs and tires, towing tongue and caster wheel, is road ready.

Kingfisher has a nice network of dealers too.

Gas Prices Affecting BBQ Contest

When we started competing in bbq contests, the price of gasoline was $1.53 per gallon. This morning gasoline was selling for $3.41 per gallon in the Tampa area. At 12 mpg, we're going to have to reconsider the way we travel to bbq contests and how many extra creature comforts we take along with us.

I've been taking a look at the versatile smoker/grill offered by Tucker Cookers. At under 1,000 pounds, the Tucker can be towed by less than a full sized pick-up or SUV, which should cut down on gasoline expenses. Unfortunately, most small cars will not safely tow more than 1,000 pounds, which leaves no extra room for ice chests, meat, supplies, chairs, tents, etc.

Our Ford Explorer, equipped with 4.6 L V-8, will tow our 7 x 16 tandem axle trailer fairly well, but the extra weight pulls the gas mileage down to 12 mpg from the normal 16 or 17 mpg.

If you know of anyone looking for a very, very nice enclosed tandem axle trailer with fold down rear door and concession window, let me know. The trailer has electric trailer brakes, insulation throughout the walls and ceiling, electric outlets throughout, a triple sink, linoleum, wipe-down walls, and 30 amps that run through a breaker box.

U.S. BBQ Index - Updated!

I am not sure whether I'm the first to coin the term "U.S. Barbecue Index", but I've been tracking some bbq stocks for the past few years. Click here to read some of the other posts.

The column on the left represents the original price in November 2005, when I started tracking them. The column on the right represents the recent price on April 11, 2008

U.S. Barbecue Index
Archer Daniels Midland................$ 24.52, current = $34.47
Clorox Company............................$ 54.29, current = $55.04
Darden Restaurants......................$ 36.09, current = $33.95
Famous Dave's of America...........$ 10.93, current = $10.34
Fleetwood Enterprises..................$ 11.13, current = $3.89
H.J. Heinz Company......................$ 35.70, current = $46.70
Hormel Foods Corporation...........$ 32.62, current = $40.97
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation..........$ 31.97, current = $19.10
Seaboard Corporation...................$1,685.00, current = $1,549
Smithfield Foods............................$ 30.38, current = $24.91
Tyson Foods...................................$ 16.78, current = $16.85
Wal-Mart Stores............................$ 50.49, current = $54.80
Index Total...........$2,019.90, current = $1,890.02

After being up 24% earlier this year this list of stocks is now down 6% since I started tracking them. I guess bbq isn't immune to changes in the overall economy after all.

Martin's BBQ Joint

If you've ever contemplated opening a bbq restaurant, bbq joint, or even a bbq concession and catering business and haven't been following along with Martin's BBQ Blog, then you're missing out on a valuable source of information and dare I say -- reality.

In just a few short months Martin's in Nolensville, TN has gone from a remodeled Mexican restaurant to one of the best bbq joints in the Metropolitan Nashville area. He's cooked for the Nolensville locals and served bbq to some of Music City's biggest and brightest, and it's all documented on the blog for everyone to read about.

The restuarant has been written about in the local newspapers and news / advertising magazines with good reviews.

My sister in-law lives in Nolensville and vouches for the quality of the 'que. I haven't been there yet, but I've been following along via the World Wide Web. The next time in Nolensville visiting, I'm definitely going to stop in.

Martin's BBQ Blog documents the reality of borrowing money, choosing a pit, hiring staff, keeping staff, controlling costs, seasonal sales considerations, and installing a Point-of-Sale system to keep track of the numbers.

BFT video

As a long-time F-150 owner and Ford Truck fan, I just had to pass along this video from BFT. I promise it will make you laugh. It's a man thing.

UP Hog Wild BBQ Contest

This morning I received an e-mail from John Bertoldi, president of UP Hog Wild . For the uninitiated, UP stands for Upper Peninsula. (It's a Michigan thing.)

The popularity of bbq contests in Michigan is growing and the UP contest is in its' fourth year.

The UP Hog Wild event is sanctioned by KCBS and is being held in Kingsford Michigan. They will have music, a car show, a big class reunion, and more. Check out http://www.uphogwild.com/ for all the details and a list of teams registered for 2008. They are looking for a few good bbq vendors for the event.

Four Versions of the Same BBQ

MSN City Guides posted an article recently exploring The Four Corners of BBQ. I've eaten bbq in Memphis, but Kansas City, Texas, and North Carolina are still on my list of "to do's".

I've had mustard sauced "chopped" bbq pork in South Carolina, and the combination K.C. and North Carolina-style vinegar flavored bbq that is popular at several out of the way locations in Middle Tennessee. Some were good and some were not so good, but all were distinctive and noteworthy interpretations of this all-American food.

I had ribs at Rendevous a few years ago. For me, Charlie Vergo's place is as much about the "experience" as it is the food. When our friend parked the car and started walking down what almost passes for an alley toward the unassuming entrance, I wasn't too sure I'd follow.

We were there on the weekend of the annual Arkansas vs. Memphis State football game and waited more than two hours for our seat. During the entire waiting period we were treated (or tortured) with the oink, oink, oink that goes with any rowdy gathering of Razorbacks.

I don't really remember many specifics about the ribs, but I enjoyed the visit overall. If you're looking for bbq in Memphis, you have to check out Rendevous.

Weber Smokey Mountain - Bargain Price

During the course of the last three years, I've noticed the price of WSM's inching up little by little on Amazon.com. I purchased my original smoker for $179.99 from a local hardware store in Winter Park, FL several years ago.

Just when I thought the days of cheap WSM's were over, Grill Doctor Online Store put WSM's on sale for $179 -- again. The Weber smokers have a 10-year warranty.

Ceramic Insulation for Your Offset Smoker

Are you looking for a method to increase the efficiency of your offset smoker? Want to use less fuel and hold more consistent cooking temperatures? Ceramic insulation may provide an answer.
In my upright smoker, I have 1 inch of insulation around the entire box -- including the cooking chamber. It really works wonders.

Why not insulate the firebox for your offset smoker? I'm not a welder or fabricator, but I'd bet it's possible to modify the existing firebox with some insulation to improve heat retention.

JR Enterprises Rotary Smoker RS 32-48

JR Enterprises is well known for large bbq pits, but recently the guys from Arkansas introduced a four shelf towable rotisserie smoker that looks very interesting.

The shelves are 10 x 44 inches and, according to the website, are capable of cooking 16 slabs of ribs or 20 pork butts. The smoker has a bottom drain for easy cleaning. Also, I have it on good authority that the smoker weighs 860 pounds and is available with optional 15 inch wheels and tires to make interstate towing a possibility.

You can learn more about it at JREnterprises.com.

Test Your BBQ Knowledge

1. What temperature is generally regarded as the "low and slow" bbq method?

a. 300-350 degrees
b. 140-165 degrees
c. 225-250 degrees
d. 450 -455 degrees
e. none of the above

2. What is the most popular type of bbq meat cooked in Texas?

a. pork
b. chicken
c. beef
d. lamb
e. both a and b

3. What temperature should meat be stored at immediately prior to cooking?

a. lower than 50 degrees
b. lower than 45 degrees
c. lower than 40 degrees
d. lower than 55 degrees
e. none of the above

4. When should bbq sauce be applied to the meat during the cooking process?

a. as a marinade prior to cooking
b. immediately after putting the meat on to cook
c. immediately after removing the meat from the cooker
d. during the last 10 - 15 minutes of cooking, as a finishing sauce
e. both c and d, depending on the desired effect

Confident you know the correct answers? Feel free to post a comment.

Improve Your BBQ with Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foil is a valuable tool for preparing bbq ribs, pork butts, and brisket. When used correctly, it helps improve consistency and predictability in barbecue preparation.

Some might call it "The Texas Crutch", but I'm not currently aware of any bbq contest winners that do not use it in abundance. I'm not saying you can't win without it, but I'd wager that 95% of all bbq contest champions are using it when they prepare their contest meats.

Here are some examples of how I use it:

For ribs.....I slow cook my baby backs for 2 1/2 hours at 225 degrees. Then I wrap them in a double thickness of foil with the meat side down with three ounces of apple juice or grape juice or a mixture of both, for 1 1/2 hours cooking at 250 degrees. After an hour, I remove the foil, brush on my favorite sauce, and cook for 30 or 40 minutes until the meat starts to pull away gently from the bones.

For pork butts...I slow cook the pork butts and briskets for 5 hours at 225 degrees and wrap in a double thickness of aluminum foil. I cook them until the internal meat temperature reaches 198 degrees as measured with a meat thermometer.

Using a double thickness of foil prevents the rib bones from puncturing the foil and the juice running out. When cooking bigger pieces of meat like briskets and pork butts, there is a lot of juice and aus jous that collects in the foil. A double thickness helps prevent leakage and preserves the juice for basting the meat later on, if desired.

Demon Pig BBQ Sauce

I completed a pulled pork barbecue test last weekend and tried a new bbq sauce from Demon Pig BBQ.

The Demon Pig bbq sauce is very good. It contains a mixture of catsup, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, tomato sauce, Worchestershire sauce, a little yellow mustard, and a few other choice ingredients.

It's good on bbq pork sandwiches, on plain pulled pork, and I can attest that it's pretty good straight out of the bottle. I think I'd like to try it on chicken also the next time we cook some thighs. I suspect it might just be my new favorite sauce for bbq chicken -- a little tangy, not too sweet, and a hint of Worchestershire sauce.

If you live near any of these locations in Minnesota, Iowa, Maryland, or Wisconsin, you can purchase it direct from the following retailers, or purchase it direct from the Demon Pig website:

Northern Food King, Pequot Lakes, MN
Schaeffer's Foods, Nisswa, MN
Shamp's Meat Market, Pine River, MN
Reed's Market, Crosslake, MN
Pelican Square, Breezy Point, MN
Chef & Company, Baxter, MN
Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe, Rochester, MN
Holmen Meat Maket, Holmen, WI
Northwoods Country Market, Sparta, WI
Gordy's Farm Market, Hermantown, MN
Flamingo Flats, St. Michaels, MD
Theilen Meats, Little Falls, MN
Hawgeyes BBQ, Ankeny, IA
Corner Meats-n-More, Stewartville, MN

I've also tried Demon Pig's Blaze Orange bbq sauce. It's a little hotter than the original and would work well on chicken wings.

BBQ Pork, Beef, or Chicken- It's All Good

A newspaper columnist for the Sun-Sentinel, asked me to join his bbq discussion at Sun-Sentinel.com. Mr. Cruz has a long standing feud with his friend Greg Lewis about the finer points of bbq and whether brisket wins out over pork for bbq supremacy.

Here's a re-print of the e-mail I received today from Ralph De La Cruz:

Hello, Brian.

My name is Ralph De La Cruz and I'm a Lifestyle columnist with the Sun-Sentinel newspaper in South Florida.

I wrote a lighthearted column about a local barbecue place that's trying to create a little peace on Earth by offering a mix of styles such as Texas beef and North Carolina pork.

That led to a fun blog item asking folks to weigh in on which style is best. So, when I came across your excellent barbecue site, I thought I'd invite you and your 'cue-versed readers to take part in the discussion.

If y'all care to educate us on the fine points of Memphis ribs versus Carolina pork or Texas brisket, come to Sun-Sentinel.com/ralphblog and sound-off.

Read my comment here, and feel free to share your own opinion.