Barbecue Championship Series on TV

The Barbecue Championship Series sponsored by Kingsford begins October 22 on Versus (used to be OLN Network) featuring some of the biggest names in competition barbecue including Ray Lampe, Ed Maurin, Mike Davis and many others. Contestants compete for a chance to win $75,000.

Schedule of Episodes on Versus

10/22/2006
10:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Round One: Ray Lampe vs Ed Maurin & Lee Ann Whippen
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

10/23/2006
1:30 am - 2:30 am
Round One: Ray Lampe vs Ed Maurin & Lee Ann Whippen
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

10/24/2006
12:30 am - 1:30 am
Round One: Ray Lampe vs Ed Maurin & Lee Ann Whippen
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

10/25/2006
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Round One: Ray Lampe vs Ed Maurin & Lee Ann Whippen
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

10/27/2006
11:30 pm - 12:00 am
Round One: Ray Lampe vs Ed Maurin & Lee Ann Whippen
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

10/28/2006
12:00 am - 12:30 am
Round One: Ray Lampe vs Ed Maurin & Lee Ann Whippen
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

10/29/2006
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Round One: Ray Lampe vs Ed Maurin & Lee Ann Whippen
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

10/29/2006
10:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Round One: Mike Davis vs Joe Davidson & Hillard Pouncy
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

10/30/2006
2:00 am - 3:00 am
Round One: Mike Davis vs Joe Davidson & Hillard Pouncy
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

10/31/2006
12:30 am - 1:30 am
Round One: Mike Davis vs Joe Davidson & Hillard Pouncy
In the opening rounds, three cooks face off over three distinctly different dishes. As the day wears on, the clocks wind down, and the judges are getting hungry. All that's at stake is a berth in the semifinal round and a shot at $75,000.

BBQ

Barbecue Wood Supplier

Unless you live in a rural community or have family that does, it can sometimes be difficult to find a source for bbq smoking woods.

The next time you're looking for a new source of some of the harder to find woods for bbq, check out Barbecuewood.com . They appear to have ample supplies of apple, alder, pecan, hickory, white oak, orange, peach, pear, and maple. Hold on to your pocket though and brace yourself for the price.

As I've always said, bbq is not for the faint of heart, faint of mind, or folks who are on a very tight budget. The shipping costs for wood will eat you up if you have to buy your wood for an offset like a Lang or Horizon.

For most folks that don't have access to a readily available or economically feasible supply of bbq wood it's probably best to stick to charcoal burning cookers and then add chunks of your favorite wood for smoke favor.

Another alternative is to find someone locally that sells firewood and then cut it into chunks your self as you need it. A pickup load will last a long time and save you a bundle in shipping expenses.

BBQ

Taylor Digital Oven Thermometer/Timer

No bbq cook should be without a reliable digital temperature gauge when cooking thick cuts of meat like pork shoulders, beef briskets, tenderloins, hams, or pork butts and picnics.

This temperature probe manufacturered by Taylor will do the trick. It also makes a great gift idea.


Product Features

• Remotely displays food's temperatures and time elapsed while it's cooking
  
• Programmable control panel for cooking by precise temperature or time
  
• Alarm sounds when cooking time or desired temperature reached
  
• Stainless-steel probe goes into food, 4-foot cord leads to thermometer
  
• Folds flat for compact storage; magnetic back for mounting on metal surface

Don't Mess with Texas

If you ever have a hankering for an offbeat, out of the way, but kind of fun bbq web site experience, I'd urge you to visit Texas BBQ King's web site.

The web site takes an in-your-face approach to several topics, including bbq, so I'll offer a disclaimer that I don't necessarily agree or disagree with any of the political statments that may or may not be implied on TexasBBQKing.com, but it's obvious that this particular Texan holds strong views about bbq.

From the "Don't Mess with Texas" and "Long Live Rednecks" bumper stickers on the banner designed from a picture of a front bumper of a pick-up truck to the spattering of the word Texas in every other sentence on the web site, it's clear where this web publisher stands on the possibility of "Authentic Vermont BBQ".

There's quite a few pictures of bbq food, bbq cookers and bbq recipes too.

One thing that stands out on the site is the passion this Texan has for sausage links of all kinds. There's several sausage pictures and reviews of Texas bbq restaurants included.

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Next Year's BBQ Contest Schedule

The American Royal has come and gone; the Jack Daniels is drawing near and Kell Phelps' brainchild, The Best of the Best, is fast approaching. I'm envious of those that qualify for the invitationals at these three events because it signifies the dedication, hard work, and consistency achieved by the participants who are fortunate enough to have qualified for the right to compete.

We had our first snow flurries here in Michigan today and as depressing as that may sound to those readers visiting this blog from the Sun Belt, I've found the perfect solution to overcome the "1st Day of Winter Weather Blues".....plan for bbq contests next year.

I've got my eye on one or two "musts" and a few "probablys" with a "maybe" thrown in here and there. Planning next year's events is fun. I almost always have bigger intentions than my budget and free time allow, but I always enjoy planning out my bbq contest wish list.

Right now it's hard to know for sure which contests will and which ones won't be held again next year, but here's the list as it stands right now:

Madison, IN
Silver Lake, MI
Grand Rapids, MI

If you know of other events in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, or Ohio that I should consider, feel free to post them here.

Baron's School of Pitmasters

(I received this submission today announcing the Baron's School of Pitmasters in New York City. It sounds like a good time and a good cause.)

We'd like to invite you to The Baron's School of Pitmasters! - A first for New York City and a benefit for St. Mark Sports Association. Sponsored by R.U.B. RestaurantPaul Kirk, the legendary Baron of Barbecue, co-owner of NYC's R.U.B. Restaurant, Barbecue Guru, Ambassador of Barbecue, Order of the Magic Mop, Certified Barbecue Judge, Kansas City Barbecue Society Board of Directors, Inductee into the KCBS Barbecue Hall of Flame, Author of numerous cookbooks and 1990 Chef of the Year Greater Kansas City ACF Chapter is coming to New York City to teach the Baron's School of Pitmasters.

When: Saturday October 21, 2006 - Rain or Shine.

Where: The Water Taxi Beach, 2nd Street and Borden Ave, Hunter's Point, Long Island City, Queens, New York. WTB is easily accessible from most major highways and public transportation and it has an incredible view of the New York City skyline.

The What and The Why: This class is suited for the back yard BBQ enthusiast, the seasoned competitor, or those considering opening a BBQ joint (restaurant). The Baron will cover the basics of BBQing Brisket, Pork Butt, Pork Ribs, Chicken, and Sausage. He will also cover fire management, fuels, BBQ rubs and spices, BBQ sauce, contest presentation, among many other subjects.

How much: $250 per person - THIS CLASS IS LIMITED TO 40 ATTENDEES.
What do I need to bring: You bring your cooker, fuel, cooking utensils and whatever you'd need to cook outdoors. We supply the rest. (Meat, spices, rubs, etc.)
How do I get into school: Contact Robert Fernandez aka WhiteTrash BBQ or Matt Fisher aka The Hampton Smoker.

Don't miss this historic opportunity to learn with the one of the best. See you there!
R.U.B. BBQ

208 W. 23rd St., 212-524-4300

The phrase “New York barbecue feast” is thought to be an oxymoron, like “Moldovan hamburger festival” or “Wyoming clambake.” Occasionally, however, miracles do occur. That’s our explanation for the dauntingly delicious “Down Home Pig Pick’n,” available for a cool $89.75 at Righteous Urban Barbecue (R.U.B.) in Chelsea. This fat man’s banquet—is there any better way to eat barbecue?—consists of an entire pork butt, rubbed with secret powders (paprika, chile, brown sugar, etc.), then smoked down to its porky essence over many hours. Proper pig pickings are designed for mass consumption, so the butt is served whole, with a blizzard of pickle chips, slices of bread, and four silver tongs for picking off the meat. Use the tongs for a while, then do what we did and begin tugging at the ribbons of hickory-smoked pork with your fingers. If the meal devolves into a free-for-all, don’t worry. In down-home proceedings like this one, going hog-wild is the point.

The St. Mark Sports Association is a Brooklyn based non-sectarian sports program for boys and girls from ages 4-16. We provide children with the opportunity to play and learn competitive basketball, swimming and soft ball. We also offer a girl's cheerleading program. We are part of The Special Olympics, The Jr. NBA, The Jr. WNBA, CYO and The Brooklyn Children's Baseball and Basketball Association. We are a non-profit organization. We do not discriminate. All children living within our neighborhood are welcome into our programs. The St. Mark Sports Association also hosts NYC's only NEBS sanctioned barbeque related event each spring Grillin' on the Bay. Thank you for your support.

BBQ

Eat Beef

Profess your loyalty to the beef cattle production industry and to eating beef with an "Eat Beef" license plate tag. "Eat Beef" tags are available for $10 each from Kansas State University's Animal Sciences Department at the following address:

CCW
134 Weber Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506

Make checks payable to "CCW". Please add $2.50 for shipping and handling regardless of the total number of plates ordered.

Charcoal Briquettes vs. Hardwood Lump Charcoal

Most folks that ever cooked with lump charcoal such as Royal Oak, Wicked Good, Big Green Egg, or even Cowboy have likely noticed that the amount of ash produced from lump charcoal versus Kingsford charcoal briquettes is miniscule.

My seat of the pants research tells me that although charcoal briquettes burn longer, food cooked with lump charcoal simply tastes better. Charcoal briquettes contain various types of "fillers" that are not naturally found in wood.

But, don't take my word for it. There's a web site that provides all the analysis and insight into the advantages and disadvantages of lump charcoal versus briquettes. Visit NakedWhiz.com to see for yourself. Or, better yet, conduct you own research using the methods employed on NakedWhiz.com using charcoal that's available where you are located. I've never tested it, but I suspect that Royal Oak briquettes will outperform Kingsford in most of the parameters tested on NakedWhiz.com.

It sounds like I've found my next bbq project for the off season--charcoal testing.

If you've done your own testing and would like to share the results, send me an e-mail and I'll post your findings or just click the comments link to this post and publish them to the blog directly.

Beef Recall in Seven States

Two and a half tons of tainted ground beef has been recalled by an Iowa company.

Beef sold under the following names seems to be involved:

Davis Mountain Organic Beef
Master Choice
Frarner Bocken
Irwin Country Store.

There are several lot codes, including G-6-544, 541 and 542.

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American Royal Invitational BBQ Championship Results

(This was posted by the KCBS Reps over at The BBQ Forum.)

American Royal Invitational Results
83 Teams

Chicken
1. Jiggy Piggy
2. Smokin Mother Ruckers
4. Lotta Bull BBQ
5. Carcass Cookers
6. Buttrub.com
7. Smoke & Spice
8. Lets Kick some Ash
9. Smokin Clones BBQ
10. Cool Smoke

Ribs
1. Backwoods BBQ
2. Pellet Envy
3. Baby Back BBQ
4. Buttrub.COm
5. Smokedelics
6. Great Grills O Fire
7. Ique
8. Smokers Wild
9. Bayoo Style BBQ
10. Big Bob Gibson

Pork
1. Boys from Tornado Alley
2. PDT
3. Ulce Acres BBQ
4. Muchin Hogs at the Hilton
5. Smokin Clones
6. Pink Flamigo
7. It Aint Prime
8. Pig In Pig Out
9. Dizzy Pig BBQ
10. Mokcan Meatheads

Brisket
1. Raccon Flats
2. Tipple A Cookers
3. Pit Crew
4. It Aint Prime
5. Lotta Bull BBQ
6. 3 Guys with Wood
7. Pattothead Smokers
8. Ulcer Acres BBQ
9. Smoke & Ice
10. Four Men and a Pig

Overall
Grand Champion Lotta Bull Bbq 655.7144
Reserve Grand Champ Smokin Clones 655.7140 (-.0004)
3. Boys from Tornado Alley
4. Ique
5. Smoke & Ice
6. Jiggy Piggy
7. Pellet Envy
8. Lost Gonz BBQ
9. Tripple A. Cookers
10. Carcass Cookers

Copy Cat Recipes!

Stacy Mitchhart

If you're in Nashville stop by Jack's and grab some barbecue on your way downtown.

If you get a craving for blues music, there's no better place to go than Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar in historic Printer's Alley. It's a night club that features some of the best blues musicians around and few are better than Stacy Mitchhart.

Originally from Cincinnati, Stacy Mitchhart established himself as one of the premiere blues guitarist/entertainers in Music City. He plays with the house band at Bourbon Street most weekends, but to be sure you can check his web site for the "official" schedule.

You can see him live. You might see him on TV from time to time. And, now you can see him on the web. Visit Stacy Mitchhart.com or learn more about Stacy by visiting his My Space site.

American Royal Invitational BBQ Contest

Linda and I had the chance to travel to the American Royal a couple years ago and visit the country's largest bbq spectacle. It's the biggest bbq contest I've ever seen. In fact, it's so big, it's almost too big.

We decided it's the kind of experience that bbq enthusiasts ought to make sure they do once or twice in their life times just to experience it and understand the mania of it all. Of course if we qualify for the Invitational at some point, I'm sure we'll make the trip.

The year we visited, our friends HomeBBQ.com (Invitational and Open), Weapons of Mass BBQing (Invitational and Open), and Smoke & Spice (Open) made the trip from Florida to compete.

Smoke & Spice qualified for the Invitational this year. It's amazing to see the progress they've made in two short years of bbq competition. They are a bonafide threat to win any contest they enter this year. Way to go Mark!

This year's' Invitational finished earlier today. I hear tell that the top three are as follows:

1. Lotta Bull
2. Smokin Clones
3. Boys From Tornado Alley

I'm sure you can find the full results later next week on the KCBS web site.

Here's a couple of articles about the American Royal festivities:

Columbia Missourian
KansasCity.com

Copy Cat Recipes!

Barbecue: A Texas Love Story

I haven't yet ordered the Barbecue: A Texas Love Story yet, but I just might have to put this DVD on my gift list this year.

Featuring personalities including Kinky Friedman (candidate for Governor of Texas), Ray Benson (lead singer of Asleep at the Wheel), and Dan Rather (retired TV news anchor) and narrated by the late Ann Richards (former Governor of Texas), this bbq "film" appears to be a real gem.

According it's web site, the DVD features various stops on a bbq tour of Texas. The list includes segments/information regarding these noted Texas bbq institutions and events (among others):

Albany Cowboy Days
Burns (Houston)
Castell General Store
City Market (Luling)
County Line (Austin / Hill)
Donn's (Austin)
Drexler's World Famous (Houston)
Iron Works (Austin)
John Mueller (Austin)
Kreuz Market (Lockhart)
La Kiva (Terlingua)
Leoncita Ranch (Alpine)
Limon Family Reunion (Webberville)
Longhorn Cattle Co. (San Benito)
Louie Mueller (Taylor)
New Zion Baptist Missionary Church(Huntsville)
Opies (Spicewood) Ray Benson's Wild Basin Benefit
Salt Lick (Driftwood)
Sam's (Austin)
Smitty's Market (Lockhart)
Sowpremes (Elgin)
Steve's (Denton)
Taylor International Cook-Off
Thelma's (Houston)
Two Brothers Smokin' Oak Kitchen (Houston)
Two Tons of Steel in Alpine
West Fest Cabrito Cook-Off (Marathon)

The web site also features an online that sells shirts, hats and a bbq picture "montage". I can't wait to get the video. How about you?

Would anyone that has the video care to share their thoughts and impressions of the DVD? I'd love to post reviews of the DVD (good or bad) here on the blog.

Food Safety

For the last five or six years, my lunch time ritual has included reading the USA Today newspaper. As I ate my chili today in the cafeteria, I came across an article about the recent contamination issues with spinach and lettuce.

I was alarmed to read that "washing produce with regular water only removes 60% to 90% of microbes". The article goes on to recommend that lettuce and other green leaf vetegables be washed in "15 ppm to 20 ppm of free chlorine" to help reduce the risk of contamination and even then it does not eliminate the risk completely.

Luckily for us barbecue cookers and eaters, according to the article I read today in the Chicago Tribue, the Department of Agriculture has a more stringent program for inspections of meat and poultry products.

Copy Cat Recipes!

Three Bean Chili Recipe

Here's a simple but tasty chili recipe I put together over the weekend. I took the original idea from an episode of Emeril, but didn't really follow any hard and fast recipe.

1/2 lb. Hamburger

1/2 lb. Country Sausage

1/2 lb. Italian Sausage

4 Slices of Bacon (fried and crumbled)

Garbanzo Beans, drained (2 cans)
Red Kidney Beans, drained (2 cans)
Dark Kidney Beans, drained (2 cans)
Tomato Juice (2 cans)
Whole Stewed Tomatoes (1 can)

3 medium onions (diced)
2 medium green peppers (diced)
Cumin (to taste)
Chili Powder (to taste)
Black Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Onion Powder (to taste)
Garlic Powder (to taste)

Drain the excess grease from the meat prior to adding to the bean and spice mixture. (I did not add water to this recipe while cooking, but if you like juicy chili you could also add 12 ounces of water. The juice from the stewed tomatoes will add moisture while cooking.) Stir periodically.

Also, you could substitute the spices with a generous portion of The BBQ Guy's "Original Spice Rub" if you prefer.

Bring the chili to a slow boil for 20 minutes in a large cooking pot, and then let simmer for an additional 45 minutes on low heat.

Copy Cat Recipes!

Barbecue Cook Teams Pictures

Here's a link to some of the teams we used to compete with in the Florida Barbecue Association.

Florida Barbecue Association 2007 Election Results

Officers:

Kevin Bevington, President
Toni Holbrook, Vice-president
Ida Isaacs, Secretary
Ricky Ginsburg, Treasurer

Directors:

Rob Bagby
Mike Leonardo
Walt Loftin

Congratulations to the new officers and directors. Good luck in your new positions.

Copy Cat Recipes!

Affordable BBQ RV

Thor Industries has made RV ownership affordable again. The AEROLITE ZOOM Z718QB is an ultra-lite RV and is capable of being towed by a mid-size SUV such as a Ford Escape.

Believe it or not, this RV comes with a queen size bed, toilet, shower/tub, stove, refrigerator, dining area, fresh water, grey water, and black water tanks, 6 gallon water heater (optional), 13,500 BTU A/C (optional), fold out awning, torsion axle suspension, and many more features you wouldn't expect in an entry level RV. It comes in lengths of 13, 16, and 18 feet and weighs in at about 2, 900 lbs. All for a very affordable price of about $13,900.

You can't load this RV down with 2,500 lbs. of equipment when you compete, but if you cook with lightweight equipment such as three or four Weber Smokey Mountains, a Caldera del Fuego or Caldera Tallboy, or even a single Cookshack pellet cooker that you can haul in your tow vehicle, you're set to go with the Zoom. (Maximum cargo capacity is 1,800 lbs.)

The Zoom offers everything you need to bbq in comfort and in style.

Jessica Simpson to Open "Daisy Dukes BBQ" Chain

According to a published report by AllHeadLineNews.com, Jessica Simpson and father Joe are planning to open a new chain of bbq restaurants called "Daisy Dukes". Simpson played "Daisy" in the recent remake of the 1980's hit TV series "Dukes of Hazzard".

From the description in the article it sounds like the restaurant will be along the same lines as "Hooters", but with a bbq theme versus chicken wings.

Rachel Ray

Did you happen to catch the 20/20 segment featuring Rachel Ray? I'm a Rachel Ray fan and don't mind admitting it. There's something fascinating about an ordinary person that make it big based on a strong work ethic and plain old hard work. $40 a day is still one of my favorite Food Network programs.

She's a perfect example of someone that enjoys what she does and gets paid handsomely for it. Some may criticize her lack of formal training, but she readily admits that she's a cook and not a "chef".

A waitress, a retail sales clerk in a gourmet grocery store, a Food Network Star, a magazine, a talk show, and now 38 year-old Rachel Ray is a household name.

Rachel Ray is proof positive that there's hope for the average Joe after all. I enjoy her down-to-earth personality over the nose-in-the-air classicly French trained chef any day of the week.

The biggest lesson I've learned from the Rachel Ray phenomenon? Simple sells.