I'm not sure of the publication where this quotation first appeared, but ran across it again today. It kind of sums up bbq contestants in a nutshell.
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Venison Chili or BBQ Chili
If you're looking for a new recipe to use in conjunction with leftover bbq, you might want to try this one for venison chili:
1 large minced white onion
4 tsp minced garlic
3 lbs venison (substitute bbq pork or beef brisket)
3 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce
12 oz of water
1 can beef broth
4 tbsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cummin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp ground chipotle powder (omit or cut back to 1/2 tsp if you don't like heat)
Grill venison shoulder and slice into 1/4 - 1/2 inch cube pieces, or use some left over brisket or bbq pork butt. Saute in sauce pan with garlic onion and a little olive oil. Mix in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili reaches the desired consistency.
(I got this recipe from a co-worker.)
1 large minced white onion
4 tsp minced garlic
3 lbs venison (substitute bbq pork or beef brisket)
3 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce
12 oz of water
1 can beef broth
4 tbsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cummin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp ground chipotle powder (omit or cut back to 1/2 tsp if you don't like heat)
Grill venison shoulder and slice into 1/4 - 1/2 inch cube pieces, or use some left over brisket or bbq pork butt. Saute in sauce pan with garlic onion and a little olive oil. Mix in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili reaches the desired consistency.
(I got this recipe from a co-worker.)
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Backwoods Smokers
I have been cooking with a Backwoods Smoker (the black smoker on the right in the picture) for three years now and am often asked for opinions about them. I received an e-mail today asking for insight about them and thought I'd also post my response with hopes others will find it useful.I have the Party model without any of the optional upgrades. I have the standard door, magnet latch, charcoal pan, and removeable exhaust outlet that attaches with magnets. The standard Party model is fine, but it's not the ideal way to go. At a minimum, I would get the upgraded door and latch with the upgraded charcoal pan/grate (similar to the Competitor model). If the Party model is your "dream" smoker and you don't think you'll outgrow it for the forseeable future, I would suggest all of the upgrades offered by Backwoods.
The Fat Boy model incorporates most all of the desireable upgrades (commercial door latch, charcoal pan, door seal and offers a little more room than the standard Party.
If portability and price are not a concern, the Competitor is a nice alternative that offers the space and upgrades. However, the Competitor is too heavy for one person to move around and is awful heavy for two people to move around very much. If it's being mounted in a trailer or will not need to be portable, and your budget can stand it, by all means I recommend the Competitor. I wish I had purchased the Competitor instead of the Party, but the Backwoods dealer near me at the time did not have the Competitor in stock and the Fat Boy was not available from the manufacturer.
One thing to consider is that once you make all the desireable upgrades to the Party, you could very nearly purchase a Fat Boy for a comparable price.
If you are thinking of doing more than a few bbq contests a year, you may want to consider getting two Party's or a Party and a Fat Boy. The Party alone isn't quite big enough to cook the quantities of meats needed for serious competing at bbq contests.
I competed for two years with a Party model and a Weber Smokey Mountain and did quite well. I cooked brisket in the WSM and everything else in the Party.
Hopefully my experiences with the Backwoods Party will help answer some of your own concerns if you consider purchasing one.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Smokey Bones or Famous Dave's
I've heard some recent debate about the pro's and con's of Famous Dave's versus Smokey Bones for barbecue.
I definitely have some biased opinions based on my own experiences, but first I want to share a little history of both restaurant operations.
Smokey Bones is part of the Darden Restaurants (DRI) chain that also operates hundreds of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Bahama Breeze concepts in locations across the country. Smokey Bone's locations are primarily in the eastern United States. The company's common stock price has risen from the $28 range in January 2005 to a current price near $40 in January 2006.
Famous Dave's is a part of Famous Dave's of America chain of restaurants with locations that started in Wisconsin and expanded into most of the 48 contiguous states. In 1994 the chain was started by Dave Anderson, a popular humanitarian and businessman, in pursuite of a life-long passion. The company's common stock price traded in a very narrow range throughout 2005, starting in the $11 range in January 2005, reaching a high near $14 and then falling back into the $11 range near the end of 2005.
It's difficult to compare the two companies directly because Famous Dave's operates primarily bbq restaurants will Smokey Bones is part of a larger company that also includes non-barbecue restaurants.
In my opinion, a recommendation for choosing which restaurant to go eat at varies according to your personality and your "mood" at the time.
If you want to go have a beer or two and watch a football game, then I'd go to Smokey Bones. They have more of a sports bar atmosphere and have a lot of televisions.
If you want to go eat at a neat restaurant that has a lot of reproduction signs and simulated old looking stuff hanging on the walls and plays some pretty good blues music in the background, then I'd recommend Famous Dave's. The restaurant I've visited had more of a road house atmosphere, contrasted distinctively compared to Smokey Bones.
If you want to eat bbq the way you like it, tender, juicy with the just the right amount of sauce and rub, then I'd recommend you fire up your smoker and cook your own.
As bbq restaurants go, either one is acceptable, but nothing can replace "homemade".
I definitely have some biased opinions based on my own experiences, but first I want to share a little history of both restaurant operations.
Smokey Bones is part of the Darden Restaurants (DRI) chain that also operates hundreds of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Bahama Breeze concepts in locations across the country. Smokey Bone's locations are primarily in the eastern United States. The company's common stock price has risen from the $28 range in January 2005 to a current price near $40 in January 2006.
Famous Dave's is a part of Famous Dave's of America chain of restaurants with locations that started in Wisconsin and expanded into most of the 48 contiguous states. In 1994 the chain was started by Dave Anderson, a popular humanitarian and businessman, in pursuite of a life-long passion. The company's common stock price traded in a very narrow range throughout 2005, starting in the $11 range in January 2005, reaching a high near $14 and then falling back into the $11 range near the end of 2005.
It's difficult to compare the two companies directly because Famous Dave's operates primarily bbq restaurants will Smokey Bones is part of a larger company that also includes non-barbecue restaurants.
In my opinion, a recommendation for choosing which restaurant to go eat at varies according to your personality and your "mood" at the time.
If you want to go have a beer or two and watch a football game, then I'd go to Smokey Bones. They have more of a sports bar atmosphere and have a lot of televisions.
If you want to go eat at a neat restaurant that has a lot of reproduction signs and simulated old looking stuff hanging on the walls and plays some pretty good blues music in the background, then I'd recommend Famous Dave's. The restaurant I've visited had more of a road house atmosphere, contrasted distinctively compared to Smokey Bones.
If you want to eat bbq the way you like it, tender, juicy with the just the right amount of sauce and rub, then I'd recommend you fire up your smoker and cook your own.
As bbq restaurants go, either one is acceptable, but nothing can replace "homemade".
Friday, January 06, 2006
Restaurant Review
Box Bar & Grill
777 West Ann Arbor Trail
Plymouth, MI 48170
(734) 459-7390
Linda and I decided to head on over to the Box Bar & Grill in downtown Plymouth tonight. We generally go out to eat at least once during the week and after several days of playing catch-up at work following the holiday break we looked forward to a nice stress free dinner.
We've eaten at the Box Bar & Grill several times during the past year, but up until now I've never really considered eating bbq there, but tonight I decided to try out the beef brisket entree with a side order of baked beans and something they affectionately call Bubble and Squeak comprised of a mixture of sauerkraut, bacon bits and bite sized potatoes.
The restaurant is decorated with a festive arrangement of beer signage and mirrors in honor of the 650 different varieties of beer (give or take a few) listed on the menu. They serve 41 verieties of draft beer and an assortment of other beers from around the world including beers from all over the U.S., Germany, Romania, Slovakia, Thailand, Holland and England. I did not order one, but an English beer called "Fiddler's Elbow" caught my eye as I glanced through the list. I'm not a big beer drinker, but it's the most extensive list and variety of beer I've ever seen.
The restaurant was busy with Friday night diners, but the waitress seated us within a minute of our arrival. We were seated in a booth near the rear of the restaurant in one of the side alcove's adjacent to the main dining room. From our location we couldn't view the big screen or any of the smaller televisions, but we were there to eat anyway. When we watch television, we usually prefer our own sofa anyway.
The food menu lists four bbq dishes including a southern pork sandwhich, a brisket sandwich, and entrees for bbq pork and bbq brisket. The menu said the brisket is slow smoked for 16 hours and mentioned that they use hickory smoke, if I remember correctly. I didn't try the pork, but if it's anything like the brisket, I'm kind of glad.
The brisket was served in wide slices (greater than pencil width), sliced perpendicular to the grain and lightly sauced. I searched and searched for signs of a bbq rub, but didn't find any. The brisket was also absent of a discernable smoke ring or bark of any kind. It was not tender enough to cut it with the edge of my fork, but did tend to flake apart if "mashed" with the fork. The thin layer of fat through the middle of the brisket slice might have made cutting it more challenging, but I definitely expected a brisket "cooked for 16 hours" to be more tender.
Most of the brisket I cook at home (10-13 lbs Certified Angus Brisket trimmed and cooked whole) do not take anywhere near 16 hours to cook thoroughly and usually come out very tender. Pehaps the brisket was over cooked. It definitely wasn't over smoked because I didn't taste any detectable smoke flavor whatsoever. The two slices I had, were "dry" and lacking "moisture".
In our next visit to the Box Bar & Grill we'll stick to the usuals: steak, salad, hamburger, etc. and leave the bbq to other folks.
777 West Ann Arbor Trail
Plymouth, MI 48170
(734) 459-7390
Linda and I decided to head on over to the Box Bar & Grill in downtown Plymouth tonight. We generally go out to eat at least once during the week and after several days of playing catch-up at work following the holiday break we looked forward to a nice stress free dinner.
We've eaten at the Box Bar & Grill several times during the past year, but up until now I've never really considered eating bbq there, but tonight I decided to try out the beef brisket entree with a side order of baked beans and something they affectionately call Bubble and Squeak comprised of a mixture of sauerkraut, bacon bits and bite sized potatoes.
The restaurant is decorated with a festive arrangement of beer signage and mirrors in honor of the 650 different varieties of beer (give or take a few) listed on the menu. They serve 41 verieties of draft beer and an assortment of other beers from around the world including beers from all over the U.S., Germany, Romania, Slovakia, Thailand, Holland and England. I did not order one, but an English beer called "Fiddler's Elbow" caught my eye as I glanced through the list. I'm not a big beer drinker, but it's the most extensive list and variety of beer I've ever seen.
The restaurant was busy with Friday night diners, but the waitress seated us within a minute of our arrival. We were seated in a booth near the rear of the restaurant in one of the side alcove's adjacent to the main dining room. From our location we couldn't view the big screen or any of the smaller televisions, but we were there to eat anyway. When we watch television, we usually prefer our own sofa anyway.
The food menu lists four bbq dishes including a southern pork sandwhich, a brisket sandwich, and entrees for bbq pork and bbq brisket. The menu said the brisket is slow smoked for 16 hours and mentioned that they use hickory smoke, if I remember correctly. I didn't try the pork, but if it's anything like the brisket, I'm kind of glad.
The brisket was served in wide slices (greater than pencil width), sliced perpendicular to the grain and lightly sauced. I searched and searched for signs of a bbq rub, but didn't find any. The brisket was also absent of a discernable smoke ring or bark of any kind. It was not tender enough to cut it with the edge of my fork, but did tend to flake apart if "mashed" with the fork. The thin layer of fat through the middle of the brisket slice might have made cutting it more challenging, but I definitely expected a brisket "cooked for 16 hours" to be more tender.
Most of the brisket I cook at home (10-13 lbs Certified Angus Brisket trimmed and cooked whole) do not take anywhere near 16 hours to cook thoroughly and usually come out very tender. Pehaps the brisket was over cooked. It definitely wasn't over smoked because I didn't taste any detectable smoke flavor whatsoever. The two slices I had, were "dry" and lacking "moisture".
In our next visit to the Box Bar & Grill we'll stick to the usuals: steak, salad, hamburger, etc. and leave the bbq to other folks.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Florida Barbecue Association
I recently renewed my membership to the Florida Barbecue Association, the predominant promoter of sanctioned bbq contests in the State of Florida.
If you live in Florida, or even if you don't, you need to check out the benefits of membership. Members of the Association also receive a subscription to the National Barbecue News.
The website provides details of bbq contests scheduled for 2006 in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. The site also includes contact information and some web site links to official contest websites. For some of the contests you can print the entry forms and mail them in and for others you have to call or e-mail the organizers, but the contact information is available for those that are interested.
There is even a link to the "official bbq rules" that govern sanctioned FBA events.
Monday, January 02, 2006
New Year's BBQ Resolutions
I've never been one to make a lot of formal New Year's Resolutions that I may or may not be able to keep, but I'm a big believer in goal setting.
BBQ Goals for 2006 Competition Season:
1. Learn to cook chicken thighs with "bite through" skin
2. Become more consistent in preparing KCBS turn-in boxes
3. Compete in more competitions
4. Compete in at least four KCBS events that are State Championships
5. Keep better barbecue records of recipres and results
6. Practice more
7. Expand our bbq business by adding new spice rub and bbq sauce products
I'll update our progress toward these goals periodically throughout the year.
BBQ Goals for 2006 Competition Season:
1. Learn to cook chicken thighs with "bite through" skin
2. Become more consistent in preparing KCBS turn-in boxes
3. Compete in more competitions
4. Compete in at least four KCBS events that are State Championships
5. Keep better barbecue records of recipres and results
6. Practice more
7. Expand our bbq business by adding new spice rub and bbq sauce products
I'll update our progress toward these goals periodically throughout the year.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Article about Bar-B-Quau Competition BBQ Team
During the past year we've had the opportunity to cook against some of the best competition cook's in the country and few are better than the team from Illinois known as Bar-B-Quau.
Here are two articles about their competition efforts:
Des Moines Register
Iowa Barbecue Society Interview
The Bar-B-Quau team earns consistent top 5 finishes at contests throughout the Midwest and Southeast.
Here are two articles about their competition efforts:
Des Moines Register
Iowa Barbecue Society Interview
The Bar-B-Quau team earns consistent top 5 finishes at contests throughout the Midwest and Southeast.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Dutch Oven and Table
Here's a picture of one of the nice outdoor cooking presents that Santa brought me this year.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
1st Annual Noah's Fork Cast Iron Cook-off
Competitors from as far away as Michigan and Georgia traveled to Noah's Fork in northern Coffee County Tennessee the past weekend to compete in the 1st Annual Noah's Fork Cast Iron Cook-off competition in search of fabulous awards and prizes. Awards were given for various categories including cooking ability and showmanship.
Showmanship winner, a team comprised of Judy, Rick and Gus Huffines from Kennesaw, GA prepared a squirrel stew combination. The stew was served with southern-style cast iron corn bread and an upside-down pineapple cake. The Huffines team went all-out for showmanship; dressing in frontier clothing and building an authentic canvas shelter framed with Tennessee hardwood logs to earn the award.
Cooking ability winner, Brian and Linda Pearcy, from Plymouth, MI presented a pork with dressing dish to judges and walked away with the "Best Cook" trophy. The Pearcy's also prepared a soda cracker pie that was a hit with judges and spectators alike.
Both teams are already making plans to attend the event next year.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Economic Impact of Festivals and Cooking Competitions
Two festivals in Charleston, SC held in 2000 generated $43 million in economic impact to the city and surrounding area according to a study by the University of South Carolina. The newspaper in my local community ran a front page story a few months ago about why they had to squash plans to host a chili cook-off in the city where I live. Without going into the politics of it all, the basic response city representatives gave for not supporting the contest is that the event had become too large for the community and it was drawing too many people into the city.
I couldn't help but equate the growth of bbq contests popularity to the situation.The city executives said that the expense of supporting the event with law enforcement had become too expensive and they simply could not afford to support the event any longer. One thing I think that the city is forgetting, or not giving enough weight to, is the potential economic impact the event could have on the city. Last year was the ninth year for the event and it drew 20,000+ visitors to the downtown area.
The newspaper quoted officials as saying the the expense of positioning 4 police officers at the event exceeded the benefits. I am more familar with potential effects a barbecue contest has on a community than chili contests, but let me go over the potential economic impact of cook-offs in general.
Direct Impacts:
Display booth rental
Advertisement income (from event program sales)
Sponsorship income Vendor booth rental
Indirect Impact:
Grocery Stores
Gas Stations
Motels
Discount Stores
Restaurants
Based on some Google research, a published report studying small town festivals list the potential impact of such an event at $150,000 - $200,000 or more depending on the level of support the event receives locally in the form of volunteers who are willing to support the event and to support their local community.
Suppose that the city made some sort of arrangement that they would keep part of the proceeds from vending to offset costs and suppose the 20,000 people in attendence at the one day event each purchased a $2 bowl of chili, that's $40,000 in potential revenue.
If the city kept 20 percent or $8,000, wouldn't that more likely than not pay for the expense of having extra law enforcement on duty for the event?
In the case of my local community, I think the executive may be missing the boat on what could potentially become a long standing tradition and source of pride for the residents.
In Tennessee, near where I used to live, the City of Columbia holds an annual "Mule Day" celebration that is supported by folks from more than 38 states on an annual basis. The economic impact of the event according to published reports totals approximately $14 million. Granted, the event dates back to the 1930's and has been held consecutively since 1974, but the event demonstrates the potential for bbq cook-offs, chili cook-offs and festivals in general to generate considerable economic impact on a city and the surrounding areas.
To keep this bbq related:
According to their website, the annual Memphis in May celebration provides $30 million in economic impact to the City of Memphis and is the largest tourism event the city see's all year.
The American Royal website contains a news release stating that the economic impact to Kansas City totals $62 million and revenues from the event increased 6% and attendance increased 11%
Maybe some of this data will help organizers and civic organizations approach their local leaders and educate them on the value of community festivals and competitions to their local economy.
I couldn't help but equate the growth of bbq contests popularity to the situation.The city executives said that the expense of supporting the event with law enforcement had become too expensive and they simply could not afford to support the event any longer. One thing I think that the city is forgetting, or not giving enough weight to, is the potential economic impact the event could have on the city. Last year was the ninth year for the event and it drew 20,000+ visitors to the downtown area.
The newspaper quoted officials as saying the the expense of positioning 4 police officers at the event exceeded the benefits. I am more familar with potential effects a barbecue contest has on a community than chili contests, but let me go over the potential economic impact of cook-offs in general.
Direct Impacts:
Display booth rental
Advertisement income (from event program sales)
Sponsorship income Vendor booth rental
Indirect Impact:
Grocery Stores
Gas Stations
Motels
Discount Stores
Restaurants
Based on some Google research, a published report studying small town festivals list the potential impact of such an event at $150,000 - $200,000 or more depending on the level of support the event receives locally in the form of volunteers who are willing to support the event and to support their local community.
Suppose that the city made some sort of arrangement that they would keep part of the proceeds from vending to offset costs and suppose the 20,000 people in attendence at the one day event each purchased a $2 bowl of chili, that's $40,000 in potential revenue.
If the city kept 20 percent or $8,000, wouldn't that more likely than not pay for the expense of having extra law enforcement on duty for the event?
In the case of my local community, I think the executive may be missing the boat on what could potentially become a long standing tradition and source of pride for the residents.
In Tennessee, near where I used to live, the City of Columbia holds an annual "Mule Day" celebration that is supported by folks from more than 38 states on an annual basis. The economic impact of the event according to published reports totals approximately $14 million. Granted, the event dates back to the 1930's and has been held consecutively since 1974, but the event demonstrates the potential for bbq cook-offs, chili cook-offs and festivals in general to generate considerable economic impact on a city and the surrounding areas.
To keep this bbq related:
According to their website, the annual Memphis in May celebration provides $30 million in economic impact to the City of Memphis and is the largest tourism event the city see's all year.
The American Royal website contains a news release stating that the economic impact to Kansas City totals $62 million and revenues from the event increased 6% and attendance increased 11%
Maybe some of this data will help organizers and civic organizations approach their local leaders and educate them on the value of community festivals and competitions to their local economy.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Great American Barbecue
I received a flyer in the mail today announcing the early bird registration for "The Great American Barbecue". Contest features a $10,000 grand prize and $6,000 reserve grand prize. Contestants who register prior to 12/31/05 will receive a $25 discount on the standard $175 entry fee. Each of the four traditional bbq meat categories--chicken, ribs, pork and brisket--pay $1,200 to the winner. Prize money like that is going to bring in a whole heap of contestants from all-across the country.
The contest is scheduled for May 25 - 27, 2006 and will be held at the Woodlands in Kansas City, KS. Besides the traditional KCBS categories, the contest will also feature dessert and side dish entries that pay $750 to the winner. The flyer also included information suggesting that organizers are working on putting together a Kid's Que and a Grilling Contest.
In addition to the entry fee securing the team cooking space, there are additional charges for electricity, ice, wristbands, commemorative pins, side dish contest entry, and an entertainment pass.
If I lived a little closer to Kansas City, I would surely send in my entry fee tomorrow.
Maybe we'll get a comparable contest in Michigan someday.
The contest is scheduled for May 25 - 27, 2006 and will be held at the Woodlands in Kansas City, KS. Besides the traditional KCBS categories, the contest will also feature dessert and side dish entries that pay $750 to the winner. The flyer also included information suggesting that organizers are working on putting together a Kid's Que and a Grilling Contest.
In addition to the entry fee securing the team cooking space, there are additional charges for electricity, ice, wristbands, commemorative pins, side dish contest entry, and an entertainment pass.
If I lived a little closer to Kansas City, I would surely send in my entry fee tomorrow.
Maybe we'll get a comparable contest in Michigan someday.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Kansas City Barbecue Society
I received my membership renewal notice from the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) in the mail on Friday.
If you're not already a member of the KCBS, but think you might like to become involved in barbecue competitions such as the American Royal in Kansas City, MO, the Jack Daniels World Championship in Lynchburg, TN, or any of a number of others like the Madison Ribberfest in Madison, IN or the Amazin' Blazin' Barbecue Cook-off in Lebanon, TN; the members of this barbecue society can help make you make a smooth foray into competitive cooking arena.
The KCBS website has a copy of the rules posted that apply to bbq contests sanctioned by the society, a listing of contest schedules, and many of the contest results from past contests posted.
In return for your annual membership fee you receive a KCBS sticker to display on your vehicle and a subscription the BullSheet, the official newspaper of the KCBS.
If you're not already a member of the KCBS, but think you might like to become involved in barbecue competitions such as the American Royal in Kansas City, MO, the Jack Daniels World Championship in Lynchburg, TN, or any of a number of others like the Madison Ribberfest in Madison, IN or the Amazin' Blazin' Barbecue Cook-off in Lebanon, TN; the members of this barbecue society can help make you make a smooth foray into competitive cooking arena.
The KCBS website has a copy of the rules posted that apply to bbq contests sanctioned by the society, a listing of contest schedules, and many of the contest results from past contests posted.
In return for your annual membership fee you receive a KCBS sticker to display on your vehicle and a subscription the BullSheet, the official newspaper of the KCBS.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
BBQ Pork Butt
Rather than adding these pictures to the earlier post about cold weather smoking, I decided to post them separately.
When I pulled these two pork butts from the smoker this afternoon at 4 p.m., the temperature had dropped to 18 degrees outside (not including wind chill). The smoker was holding steady at 235 degrees.
I even managed to do some chores around the house too while the pork was smoking. That's another advantage to an insulated smoker, it's pretty much hands-off. You don't have to babysit it while it cooks. You can spend time doing other things while the cooker just perculates along.
It's worth noting too that, in my opinion, any cooker worth owning doesn't need a thermostat or any other electronic gizmo's to help it function. If the cooker is well-made, you don't need a gadget to make it work. You don't need downdraft, updraft, or any of those so called "minder" devices. In my smoker, you light the fire and put the meat in. It's that simple.
BBQ License Plate
If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm crazy about bbq. I posted this picture of the license plate on my 1998 Ford F-150 to confirm it.
Those that haven't eaten bbq have no idea what they're missing out on. Support your local barbecue establishment, by eating some bbq today.
To take it one step further, learn how to cook your own southern-style barbecue. It's fun, challenging, and a relatively unusual hobby. Anybody can hit a little golf ball around in nice weather. In comparison, it's a small number of people that can take a raw piece of meat, season it with spices, cook it for 7, 8, or 10 hours, slice it up and render it edible. I'm not talking about smothering it in bbq sauce either.
The best bbq doesn't need much bbq sauce. Less is more sometimes and for bbq, less sauce = better bbq most of the time. In contrast, bad bbq needs lots of sauce to make it edible.
Think of that the next time you order bbq in a restaurant and ask yourself, "Just what are they trying to hide behind all that sauce?"
BBQ in Cold Weather
Friday night:
I just finished injecting and seasoning two 6 lb. pork butts a few minutes ago.
We've accumulated close to a foot of snow at my house over the course of the last week, but I think it's time to cook some bbq.
Thankfully, my insulated cooker should have no trouble holding heat in the 20 degree temperatures we've had here lately.
Saturday morning:
Here's the first update on the progress of our first snowy cook of the season.
I got started a little later than expected because I had difficulty finding a store that still had some charcoal left for sale. I had to go to three stores before I found charcoal. GFS had penty in stock. Apparently, charcoal isn't in high demand during wintertime in Michigan. I don't remember having a difficulty finding it last year, but non of the normal discount stores or grocery stores near me had any this weekend.
I know it's hard to see the thermometer reading in the picture above. My digital camera doesn't have a macro zoom on it for close-ups like this and the digital thermometer, which would be easier to see, only registers down to 32 degrees. It was 20 degrees as I started the fire for today's cooking at 10 a.m.
I just finished injecting and seasoning two 6 lb. pork butts a few minutes ago.
We've accumulated close to a foot of snow at my house over the course of the last week, but I think it's time to cook some bbq.
Thankfully, my insulated cooker should have no trouble holding heat in the 20 degree temperatures we've had here lately.
Saturday morning:
Here's the first update on the progress of our first snowy cook of the season.
I got started a little later than expected because I had difficulty finding a store that still had some charcoal left for sale. I had to go to three stores before I found charcoal. GFS had penty in stock. Apparently, charcoal isn't in high demand during wintertime in Michigan. I don't remember having a difficulty finding it last year, but non of the normal discount stores or grocery stores near me had any this weekend.
I know it's hard to see the thermometer reading in the picture above. My digital camera doesn't have a macro zoom on it for close-ups like this and the digital thermometer, which would be easier to see, only registers down to 32 degrees. It was 20 degrees as I started the fire for today's cooking at 10 a.m.
I just took a quick look out the window an the cooker temperature is now up to 180 degrees. It's time to put the water pan in the cooker and almost time to put the pork butts in.
Saturday afternoon:
The butts have been cooking for 4 1/2 hours and I just returned from wrapping them in aluminum foil. The outside temperature is at 23 degrees and there is a hint of sunshine, but it's still pretty cold out. When I pulled the butts out of the cooker their internal temperature as taken on my Maverick thermo reflected 162 and 164 degrees, respectively.
They were beginning to get some good bark formation and look pretty good.
After I wrapped them and stuck the thermo back in and put them back in the cooker, the internal temps on the meat had dropped down below 140 degrees. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised though. The outside temperature is 200 degrees less than the temperature in the cooker.
I'll post more pictures later and post an update on the progress.
Three cheers for insulated bbq cookers. There's little hope of cooking low-and-slow bbq in these kind of temperatures with my WSM, although I did it once last year. Click here to see a picture. Once the insulated smoker is up to cooking temperature, it holds steady in just about any weather. I really don't think it's much different in 20 degree weather than it would be in 80 degree weather.
Just set it and forget it.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
BBQ Pork Picture
This bbq pulled pork scored well for taste and tenderness at a KCBS event, but appearance suffered due to misplaced and out-of-symmetry greenery I believe.I've been threatening to stop using lettuce for my pork turn-ins, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
For me, pulled pork is hard to get situated in the box because it's not all the same size and shape.
Chicken on the other hand, is much easier.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Brick BBQ Pit
I came across a link to Mother Earth News plans for a brick barbecue pit on a bbq blog called BBQ Junkie. The plans are to a block-style bbq pit circa-1985. It's kind of cool. I've always wanted to build a backyard brick pit. This article should help.
Barbecue News
I am an avid reader of the National Barbecue News.
Next month marks the start of the 17th year of the newspaper. The bbq newspaper provides coverage of bbq events from the far reaches of this country.
We've had the honor of contributing some articles that publisher, Kell Phelps, printed in the newspaper and appreciate Kell allowing us to share our experiences with others who might relate to what we have to say. Linda wrote a series of articles that described her experience as a bbq wife and I wrote an article about the Florida Barbecue Association.
If you don't subscribe to the barbecue newspaper featuring barbecue product reviews, bbq contest coverage, bbq contest results, bbq announcements, recipes, restaurant information, pictures and much, much more; you owe it to yourself to check it out.
A subscription to the Barbecue News would make a great Christmas gift, Father's Day, Mother's Day, or anytime. I am sure the barbecue enthusiast in your life will thank you for it.
Here's a news feature article that features the publishers' the Phelps family.
Next month marks the start of the 17th year of the newspaper. The bbq newspaper provides coverage of bbq events from the far reaches of this country.
We've had the honor of contributing some articles that publisher, Kell Phelps, printed in the newspaper and appreciate Kell allowing us to share our experiences with others who might relate to what we have to say. Linda wrote a series of articles that described her experience as a bbq wife and I wrote an article about the Florida Barbecue Association.
If you don't subscribe to the barbecue newspaper featuring barbecue product reviews, bbq contest coverage, bbq contest results, bbq announcements, recipes, restaurant information, pictures and much, much more; you owe it to yourself to check it out.
A subscription to the Barbecue News would make a great Christmas gift, Father's Day, Mother's Day, or anytime. I am sure the barbecue enthusiast in your life will thank you for it.
Here's a news feature article that features the publishers' the Phelps family.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Snow
I know this isn't barbecue related, but it's noteworthy nonetheless and perhaps a little therapeutic to write about it.
I arrived at the Detroit Metro Airport at 4: 30 p.m. on Thursday for my early evening flight to St. Louis. Although the forecast was calling for snow there was none in sight.
It started snowing at the airport at about 7:30 p.m. and by 9:00 p.m. it was an all-out snowstorm. The snow in Chicago delayed our plan enroute to St. Louis and our flight was repeatedly delayed until it was finally canceled--at 2 a.m.
I returned home and managed to get 3 hours sleep before returning to the airport the next morning for a 9:30 a.m. flight to St. Louis. That flight was delayed by 15 minutes, but we did finally head out for St. Louis.
I arrived at the Detroit Metro Airport at 4: 30 p.m. on Thursday for my early evening flight to St. Louis. Although the forecast was calling for snow there was none in sight.
It started snowing at the airport at about 7:30 p.m. and by 9:00 p.m. it was an all-out snowstorm. The snow in Chicago delayed our plan enroute to St. Louis and our flight was repeatedly delayed until it was finally canceled--at 2 a.m.
I returned home and managed to get 3 hours sleep before returning to the airport the next morning for a 9:30 a.m. flight to St. Louis. That flight was delayed by 15 minutes, but we did finally head out for St. Louis.
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