A Weekend of Grilling and Graduation Parties

Besides delivering the main course for Saturday afternoon's graduation party for my nephew Gus, who graduated from Kennessaw Mountain High School this weekend, I was also called upon for some impromptu grilling on my brother-in-law's propane grill (a definite rarity for me).


Bubba's Burgers almost finished



A little Kosher salt, black pepper, and Dale's marinade made these hamburgers pretty tasty.



When all else fails, marinade your pork loin chops in some Dale's Marinade for a couple hours prior to grilling. 

Serrano Peppers for Salsas and Barbecue Sauce

Here's a picture of a serrano pepper growing in my backyard. 

A couple of years ago I started above ground gardening and after several trials and many errors, I've been successful in growing several pepper varieties in a simple, but very effective, hydropinc bubbler constructed from an inexpensive 18 gallon plastic tote.

At my house, we eat lots of green and orange bell peppers, cubanelles, poblanos and even some jalapenos now and then.  But the serrrano is a little out of my league. It's quite a bit higher up the Scoville heat scale than anything I could eat fresh from the garden.  When I purchased the seeds, I didn't pay much attention to the potential mouth scorching qualities of a "hot" pepper, but luckily I did a little research before plopping on in my mouth.

A jalapeno ranges 2,500 - 8,000 Scoville heat units, while a serrano ranges from 10,000 - 25,000 Scoville heat units.

Fortunately for me, one of my co-workers loves to make salsas. She took a batch of the serranos last week and made a batch of very tasty salsa that went well with a bag of Tostitos.

If you like hot bbq sauce, maybe you should consider growing your own hot peppers too. I can help if you're interested in building a cheap and easy hydropnic bubbler, but if you prefer the traditional gardening route, Gardenersnet.com has a nice article you might find helpful.

Funny story....I was making ABT's last year from jalapenos and decided to casually munch on one while I was cleaning up.  Apparently someone put a green serrano pepper in the bin where the jalapenos were being stored at Publix. Ohhhcheewowow!! I grabbed ice cubes, milk, water and any other liquid I could get my hands on quickly.

BBQ Pulled Pork - Vacuum Sealed and Frozen

I pulled the pork butts from the cooker around 4:30 p.m. 

This pork is being served at my nephew's graduation party next weekend, so after pulling and seasoning I placed the ready-to-serve pulled pork in a vacuum sealer bag.

I've been vacuum sealing and then freezing my leftover bbq for almost 7 years. It's great for storing leftovers and extras and just happens to work perfectly for pre-cooking 'que for family events.  Caterers and restuarants do it too!

Tip:  Take special care to make sure the plastic is laying flat on the sealer bar so it's not krinkled.  A krinkled bag might come open unexpectedly and cause freezer burn.

BBQ Pictures



I took this "smokey" picture on my cell phone

Here are a couple of low resolution pictures I took of my current bbq cook this morning. 

The baby backs are not very clear because of the smoke rolling out when I opened the door. The cell phone lens fogged up too apparently, with the change in temperature.

For the pork butts I'm trying a couple of different commercial rubs.  I am using the Oak Ridge BBQ Beef and Pork rub straight out of the container, but for the Bad Byron's Butt Rub, I added some additional brown sugar and turbinado sugar to take some of the sting out of the rub and balance out the saltiness.


15 lbs of pork butts

Before I get any of the Bad Byron's fans that may be reading this too riled up, I should explain.  I'm a big fan of the philosophy - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."  I've used Bad Byron's Butt Rub on my pulled pork for years, but I've noticed that some of my relatives favor a little less bite in their bbq. Sometimes that particular commercial rub tastes a little "peppery" and it has a strong salt flavor. After all, cooking bbq is a lot about knowing the audience that's going to be eating it.

Baby Backs and Pork Butts

After a night out enjoying the Florida Top Gun Sprints and Florida Mini Sprints at the local dirt track, I got up early to prepare the baby backs and pork butts for my nephew's graduation in Kennesaw next Saturday.

I started th fire, filled the water pan, added hickory chunks for smoke seasoning, and put the meat in the smoker. I set the time on my microwave for 99 minutes so remind me to check on the cooker later on. 

I checked back about 30 minutes later and, to my surprise, the fire had gone out on the cooker. Completely!

I've got it back under control now, but I just added about an hour to my cooking. :-(

Operation Kennesaw Graduation

Time Stamp 5/20/11 2200 hours  

"This is your mission, if you choose to accept it."

Misson:  Provide barbecued baby back ribs and pulled pork for up to 30 people.

Distance to Target:  Approximately 450 miles due North/Northwest

Geographical Vicinity:  Kennesaw, Georgia

Date:  Saturday - Memorial Day Weekend

Time:  Lupper (Lunch + Supper) will be served promptly at approximately 3 p.m. (give or take an hour)

Logistical Considerations: BBQ must remain viable after 6 hour commute over mostly interstate terrain.

Environmental Concerns:  Chance of rain. Chance of sweltering humidity.

Potential Threats:  BBQ could prove popular with guests. Evasive action may be required if quantities for seconds and thirds are not readily available. Prepare for this scenario by offering well-thought-out and believable explanations (aka "stories").

La Caja China - Semi-Pro Model

I've been following La Caja China roasting boxes online for many years.  Their roasting boxes sure have come a long way since I first read about them.  From a simple wooden box for $199 to a full-fledged catering quality set-up they recently announced for $1,250 - there's a grill for every budget. (The Semi-Pro Model is made from aluminum.) Here's a picture.

From LaCajaChina.com:

This new model has all the same distinct capabilities as the original La Caja China model #2, but an updated sleek look - diamond-cut metal exterior, steel angle legs with powder coating paint and bolt mounted handles - and some new bells and whistles like the drain valve, that makes it even easier to use. Inside measurement of the box 48x24x12, outside measurement of the box 60 l x 25 w x 39 h. weight is 120 lbs.

A Trip to Quick "Q" B-B-Que

Yesterday we took an afternoon trip to St. Petersburg for a visit to Quick "Q" B-B-Que on Central Avenue.

Here are a few pictures:

 It's an unassuming store front located on Central Ave in St. Petersburg.

Linda ordered the 1/2 rack of ribs.  These untrimmed ribs had plenty of meat and were slathered heavily in sauce.  Next time she'll order the sauce on the side.  It was a little more sauce than she expected.

I had the bbq pork dinner served on a bun and two sides: baked beans and collard greens.

Simple and unassuming. Nothing fancy here. Leave your suits and ties at home.

 They also have a pretty funny video posted on You Tube:

So You Want to Sell BBQ Sauce?

I get questions about selling bbq sauce and bbq spice rubs frequently via e-mail.  I've written a few posts about my research previously, but thought I'd do a more recent post for anyone with similar thoughts.

If you want to start by bottling and selling your own bbq sauce recipe, you're probably looking at about $10,000 in start-up costs because most bottlers will only do it in fairly large batches. That's an estimate based on research I did several years ago, so it's likely even higher now.

I found a bottler a few years ago who would do small batch bottling (less than 500 gallons), but based on my experience this is somewhat risky. The bottler I was using went out of business before filling my order and he kept my deposit. He changed his name and relocated the business to another state, so I was completely out of luck. Other than filing a complaint with the State Attorney General's office, there was little else I could do.

If you want to put your label on someone else's recipe, you can probably pull that off for $3,000-$4,000 to start depending on how much your liability insurance costs, the corporate structure you choose, how much you want to advertise, and several other variables.

The best thing to do is do a Google search for private label bbq sauce suppliers. You'll likely find 5 or 6 possibilities within 15 minutes or less.

I decided to pursue bbq spice rub instead of bbq sauce. Spice rub has a much lower cost of entry than bbq sauce, but it's also a Catch 22 because bbq sauce sells much, much better.

Whatever you decide, I think the "gimmick" you have for your name and the design of your label and overall branding approach is much more important than your actual recipe.  The best bbq sauce in the world might not sell very well if you can't, or don't know how to market it.

In my personal opinion, taking the "selling it on the side to friends and family and at bbq contests" is not a viable business strategy.  I tried that for 4 years with my spice rub. And, although I did not lose money doing it, I didn't really make much either.

Pictures from Martin's Bar-b-que Joint

Here are some pictures from our visit to Martin's BBQ Joint in Nolensville, TN.  The new restaurant and decor is a big improvement compared to the previous location. I didn't take pictures of the inside because during our lunch time visit the restaurant was absolutely packed full of people. But, take my word for it. The overall atmosphere is nearly perfect for a bbq "joint".

I love the music. How many restaurants have you been to that still play Charley Pride and Waylon Jennings?

I love the baked beans.  If you visit, promise me you'll try the baked beans.

The long lines for lunch speak volumes for how well the restaurant has been received by the local community.  I also personally know people that drive an hour to eat there. What a testimonial!

Here are a couple of pictures:

I've embedded a slide show that includes a few more pictures if you're interested.

Carnton Plantation Tour and Lunch at Martin's BBQ Joint

Tomorrow I'm headed to Carnton Plantation in Franklin, TN for a tour and to Nolensville for lunch at Martin's BBQ Joint.  It's a 45 minute drive from Manchester, so we should arrive in Nolensville around lunch time.

I am looking forward to seeing Pat Martin's new bbq place and after recently finishing Widow of the South by Robert Hicks I am eager to tour the mansion and learn more about Carrie McGavock.

Martin's was featured on Diners, Drive-in's and Dives hosted by Guy Fieri. I embedded the video below for anyone that's interested.

And, here's a link to a video about Carnton Plantation.

Two Purple Pigs

BBQ Joints come and go in Manchester, TN so when I heard about a new bbq place in Manchester called Two Purple Pigs I wanted to check it out.  After being in the house for a couple of days during the holidays enjoying our annual visit with Linda's family, we decided to try Two Purple Pigs today. 

We loaded up the car and headed into town and arrived at the restaurant about 11:25 or so.  Unfortunately, the restaurant wasn't open today so we head over to Logan's Roadhouse instead and had a nice 6 oz. sirloin steak and sweet potato fries for lunch.

I'll definitely be heading back to the Two Purple Pigs later this week before we return to Florida. It looked promising. I'll post some pictures and a write-up later this week.

BBQ Rib Recipe

I received a couple of e-mails today for the recipe that I use for bbq ribs.  The way I do it probably isn't that much different than the way most others do it.  I can't believe I haven't really ever written about my rib recipe on the bbq blog, so here goes.

BBQ Ribs Recipe

• Try to find pork loin back ribs weighing 2 1/2 pounds or less per slab.
• Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs, if it has not already been removed.
• Apply your favorite bbq rub on both sides and on the edges. You can use something like Blues Hog BBQ Rub, Bad Byron's Butt Rub, Smokin' Guns, or most any other of the "brand name" bbq rubs used by competitive bbq teams and it will work pretty well.
• I like to apply the rub the night before I plan to cook and I always refrigerate the ribs while they are marinating.  Some competition teams swear that you have to let them sit out at room temperature for up to 2 hours, but I disagree. You need to make sure the ribs are not in the danger zone (above 40 degrees and below 140 degrees for more than 4 hours). I prefer not to risk food poisoning and I would hate for my friends or family to experience it either after eating my ribs. It's just not worth the risk to me.
• Start your fire with lump charcoal and a little apple pecan, or hickory wood chunks.
• Bring the cooker to 225 - 250 degrees and add the ribs.
• Cook the ribs at 225 - 250 for 2 1/2 hours, flip them, and wrap in foil with some grape juice, apple juice, or a mixture of both.
• Cook the ribs in the foil for one hour and check for doneness. When done the meat should pull away from the bone when you pull it with your fingers.
• Open the foil. Flip the ribs to meat side up and apply your favorite bbq sauce before serving. You can also optionally add a small amount of brown sugar and allow it to melt onto the meat for 30 minutes before adding the sauce. If you choose to add the brown sugar, you'll want to keep the ribs wrapped in foil so the meat doesn't dry out.
• Allow the sauce to "set" for 15 minutes on the smoker before serving.

There are many other ways you can do it, but this is the basic method that many people use. Feel free to experiment with this basic recipe and tweak it for your own preferences and tastes.

I've not tried it, but a lot of people like to mix the Smokin Guns Original and Smokin Guns Hot spice rubs together. That sounds like a nice future experiment for The BBQ Guy's BBQ Blog.

BBQ for Christmas

We travel out of state for Christmas to visit relatives every year. To make it easier on the family we visit, we like to take some bbq along. We cook it the week before, vacuum seal it, and freeze it. When it's time to eat - we thaw it the rest of the way, reheat in the microwave, and add a little Blues Hog BBQ Sauce. It always turns out well. I highly recommend this method if you need to take food along with you when you're traveling - especially if you like to eat well. After all, what's better than bbq you cooked yourself?

I seasoned the pork butts and brisket the night before. I always refrigerate the meat overnight in the refrigerator to allow the spices to penetarate the meat better. I used my own spice rub on the brisket and tried some Oakridge BBQ seasoning on the pork butts.

I don't inject anything into the brisket, but usually inject a mixture of apple juice (3 cups), honey (1/2 cup), and whatever spice rub (3 TBSPs) I'm using into the pork butts. Those amounts work well for two pork butts. You would need to adjust the quantities accordingly for less or more meat as desired.

Since the cookers were hot, I decided to cook some chicken quarters (minus the drumsticks) on the WSM.

These were seasoned with poultry rub and marinated for 3 hours in Newman's Own salad dressing.

Here's a video of the pictures from the prepping and cooking process if you'd like to see them:

Lighter Fluid or Charcoal Chimney?

Lighter fluid is really not necessary for starting a charcoal grill or smoker.  With a charcoal chimney and a few pieces of cardboard you can achieve the same smoke and fire without the lighter fluid (and without the odor).

Simply add lump charcoal to the top of the chimney and add some corrugated cardboard either in the top or in the chamber below.  It doesn't take much. Three or four 3 inch strips of cardboard will likely be plenty. I do this inside the grill or smoker for safety. Always remember: safety first.

Bacon Paradise

I received this video and a short e-mail today from the Travel Channel.

You can see more on the Travel Channel Wednesday at 10 eastern.

Here are two of the bacon hotspots that will be featured on the show.

Restaurant 3: This is the “house that bacon built”, with a menu focusing specifically on the sensational treat.  In Arlington, Virgina, Restaurant 3 is a palace of pork inspired by southern-style cooking.  This hog heaven features everything from Bleu Cheese Chips with bacon and Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops to a Bacon Studded Waffle and Maple Bacon Ice Cream.

All Good Cafe: In Dallas, the All Good Cafe is home to the thickest, tastiest, crispiest peppered bacon on the planet.  This infamous diner offers great food, a low-key atmosphere, and the perfect spot to catch the hottest local bands.  Before even walking through the door, patrons can smell bacon and are quickly reminded of their mother’s home-style cooking.

Man vs. Food Episode at The Pit in North Carolina

I wish we had a place like this nearby.

My favorite line in the video:  "Vegetarians, you might want to change the channel right now."

Any Chowder Fans Out There?

We visited a local seafood festival today and Linda had some Tony's Clam Chowder from a World Champion.  It's too close to soup for me, but Linda raved about it.

While Linda ordered some chowder, I snapped a couple pictures of the 8 x 16 fully licensed concession trailer.

The graphic design on the trailer really make it stand out in a crowd of other vendors.

Want to try some and see if you think it lives up to World Champion status?  You can order 1/2 gallon or 5 gallons and have it shipped to your door on the Order Page of Tonyschowder.com 

Can't get enough clam chowder? Then here's a video from the 2010 World Champion Cook-off:






And after watching this video, I think Eric might have a future career as a motivational speaker.

BBQ Bacon

Are you one those people that thinks the only way to cook bacon is in frying pan?  Well, I was too.  A couple of weeks ago someone representing Burgers' Smokehouse from California, Missouri asked if I would like to try their new Bacon Steak Cuts.

I received two packets on my doorstep. One packet was labeled Original and the other one labeled Peppered. I decided to try the Original first and captured it all on video.

The directions recommended cooking with indirect heat at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. So that's what I did.

From Smokehouse.com:

E.M. Burger's folks started putting up hams. E.M.'s mother, Hulda, was from Germany, and she knew curing. E.M. would rattle off in his car to Jefferson City or up to Columbia and sell the hams to city folks, lawyers, doctors and other professional people, people with cash money. 

The story of the company is an inspiring little guy becomes big guy tale.  When I was a little kid, we lived in nearby Jamestown, Missouri and everybody knew about Burgers.

So if you're camping in the woods, without electricity, or your propane stove top is on the fritz, you can still enjoy wonderful bacon goodness on your charcoal grill.

FTC Disclosure:  I received two sample packets of Burgers' Smokehouse Bacon Steak Cuts to try on the grill.  The video above was taken when I grilled the "Original" flavor.

BBQ Vendor at Community Festival

Today we visited a local community fall festival.  We were still there at lunch time, and as luck would have it, there was a bbq vendor on premises.

First of all, we just love the name.  At a distance I thought it said Panson Bar-B-Q, but as we got closer I realized it was Pa and Son.  Pretty cool. 

I snapped this picture of their vending booth set-up.  They slow-smoke their bbq with oak wood and pull it with a nice van with a mobile kitchen.  Linda and I had pulled pork sandwiches, chips, and Coca-Cola's. 

To help get you in the spirit of the season, I took a picture of this nice batch of pumpkins. Have you got your Halloween costume ready?