Learning the BBQ Culture

The secrets to juicy and tender barbecue have been closely guarded for many, many years and the art of barbecue has been handed down from father to son and treated as family heirlooms. The rising popularity of the Internet during the past decade has changed the culture of barbecue forever.

In the southeastern region of the country, barbecue usually referred to whole hogs cooked slowly over a fire of coals. Families often had their own recipes for rubs and sauces to go along with their favorite woods for smoking. Gaining access to these secrets wasn’t always easy. Good barbecue recipes were a source of family pride.

When I moved to Dickson, TN from Missouri in 1992, I was invited to help out with a family barbecue. I arrived at about 6 p.m. on Friday evening to find a hog roasting on chicken wire stretched over a metal bed frame. The cooks took turns roasting various meats including ducks, rabbits, and chickens throughout most of the night. There was a lot of conversation, some beer drinking, and a lot of work tending the fire. Periodically they would dab a vinegar marinade mixture on the hog.

After relocating to Florida in 2001, I rediscovered barbecue again. While searching the Internet for grilling tips and a recipe for pulled pork, I found Barbecuen.com and TheBBQForum.com. These websites reopened my eyes and ears to barbecue. About this same time, Food Network started airing various programs featuring barbecue restaurants, festivals, and contests.

A couple of years later, I discovered HomeBBQ.com and met up with Kevin. After a sharing a few e-mails and a couple of cell phone conversations, I drove to Kevin’s to help him break in a brand new Lang reverse flow offset smoker. I attended KCBS events with Kevin and Clara in Brooksville and Lakeland, FL and a few FBA events including the big contest in Sebring, FL. I struck out on my own at the Okeechobee, FL contest and got my first category win at the FBA event in Arcadia, FL in the chicken category. I’ve been preparing my own style of barbecue ever since.

I’ve cooked in KCBS events in Florida, Tennessee, Michigan, and Indiana since those early contest days and I’ve have competed against some of the best teams in the country holding my own with consistent top five overall finishes and several category wins. I’ve started my own web blog about barbecue to help others get started in the hobby and started selling my own spice rub on my personal web site.

Before the Internet Age, my learning curve would have been much, much steeper. However, for those seeking how-to barbecue information these days, championship recipes and techniques are only a few mouse clicks away. For about $240, you can order a Weber Smokey Mountain from Amazon.com and have it delivered to your door step. You can spend some time reading the articles and forums and watching videos at VirtualWeberBullet.com or YouTube.com and learn how to use it effectively. There are numerous discussion groups and Forums that will answer any questions you have about specific cuts of meat or specific recipes you want to try out.

HomeBBQ.com is just another example of the vast amount of information provided on the World Wide Web for those that seek it out.

Bullet Smoker Comparison

This video from the Illinois BBQ Society on YouTube.com takes you through the in's and out's of the WSM and the ProQ Excel. For those that wish to reduce the cooking time for the pork butts, wrap them in a double thickness of foil after they reach 170 degrees internal temperature and it will save you several hours of time. In my WSM, I can cook two pork butts in less than 9-10 hours by foiling in this manner.

For any type of cold weather, the less you open the bullet smoker, the easier it is to maintain a consistent 225 - 250 degree cooker temperature. With an uninsulated cooker, this becomes more important in cold weather. You'll also use less charcoal.

History of BBQ

TheSouthernBBQTrail.com features written articles and oral histories for some popular Alabama, North Carolina, and Texas bbq restaurants. The site provides maps to help you plan a short driving vacation to sample some the state's unique bbq destinations.

Links to some of oral histories:

Archibald's Bar-B-Q in Northport, AL

Big Bob Gibson's in Decatur, AL

Ben's Long Branch in Austin, TX

First BBQ Contest of 2009 Season

The Florida Barbecue Association is sanctioning the Central Florida BBQ Festival January 9-10, 2009 in Sebring, FL. I might take a drive over on Saturday afternoon and snap a few pictures. With the Swamp Boys winning FBA TOTY and Homebbq.com winning the recent FBA Triple Crown Championship in Perry, FL, the Sebring event is shaping up nicely and should be extremely competitive

Linda and I were there several years ago. For Florida, it was cold enough that we had to keep the propane heater on and the sides of the King Canopy tent up the entire weekend.

If you are going to compete in cold weather and don't have an RV or trailer to cook out of, the King Canopy is a good choice. It's best if you have several people to help you put it up and take it down. Two people can manage it o.k. if needed. Linda and I competed with the King Canopy for a year and a half with little trouble. But, it's a bear to take down when it's raining. At the Lakeland Pig Fest we stood in 6 inches of water while packing up. If it's not below 45 degrees, a Caravan or EZ-up works just as well. And they are much, much easier to take down.

Martin's BBQ Joint

Brian and Linda

We visited Martin's BBQ Joint in Nolensville, TN on the Tuesday during Christmas week. For those that haven't followed posts about Martin's on my bbq blog, you can read more about Pat Martin's step-by-step progress from planning, opening, marketing, and daily operation of a bbq restaurant on Martin's Bar-B-Q Blog.

Nine of us converged on Martin's at 11 a.m. just prior to the lunch rush. I had the ribs, my sister-in-law had the Red Neck Tacos, and most everyone else had pulled pork sandwiches.

After finishing my rib basket, I introduced myself at the counter and asked to speak to Pat. I'd never met him before in person, but I've been reading his blog for many months. He was nice enough to take a few minutes to talk about his experience opening and operating his bbq joint.

He showed me the kitchen layout and the Old Hickory smoker out back. Pat also mentioned that he was invited to speak at the 2009 NBBQA conference in Austin, TX in February. It sounded like Pat is planning a "no holds barred" presentation to ensure that those thinking about opening a restaurant do it with their eyes wide open. If you're at the conference and get a chance, I highly recommend you make a point to listen to his presentation.

Toward the end of our conversation, Pat introduced me to the publisher of ULIKA Food Blog, Rob Marlowe, who was also at Martin's eating lunch. If you haven't visited his food blog, I recommend you stop by for a visit. Rob has a lot of pictures of Nashville area bbq restaurants and some valuable insight into all things bbq. He also competes in KCBS bbq contests.

2009 NBBQA Conference

The NBBQA Conference is scheduled for Feb 17 - 21, 2009 in Austin, TX. The bbq conference includes a trade show, educational seminars, tours of local bbq restaurants, ServeSafe training, and a masters round table discussion. It sounds like a full week of bbq.

Speakers include bbq restuarant owners (from large to small), bbq authors, and contest competitors from MBN, KCBS, and the rib festival circuit.

Wish I could attend.

Black-eyed Peas and Collard Greens

We had our customary black-eyed peas for New Years Day. I seasoned them up with The BBQ Guy's Southern Rub. Pretty tasty for sure. Now all I need is some prosperity.

We cooked up a mess of collard greens too.

Collard Greens

• Chop a bunch of collards
• Heat a skillet with a little olive oil
• Add minced garlic to taste

Cook for five minutes.

• Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth

Cook for three minutes.

• Add a 1/4 cup of red wine

Continue cooking until tender.

Come to think of it, collards and black-eyed peas go really well with all types of bbq too. In our house, they're definitely not just for New Year's Day anymore.

In the market for a bbq tow vehicle?

If you're in the market for a vehicle to haul your bbq equipment, this video might interest you.

I'll also offer a disclaimer that I do own an 1998 F-150 with the 5.4L engine and a 2004 Ford Explorer V8 . During our first several years of competition bbq, we hauled our WSM, Backwoods Smoker, and equipment in our truck bed. A few years later we graduated to a 16' Doolittle trailer that I towed with the Explorer.

If you're buying a new bbq cooker, it's wise to keep your tow vehicle in mind when making the choice. For example, you probably don't need a 1 ton dually to haul your WSMs. Likewise, I'd advise against towing a top of the line Klose offset smoker with your 6-cylinder SUV.

Think about towing capacity, braking, stability, and comfort when making your choices.

Make Your Own Bacon

Alton Brown has a recipe called Scrap Iron Chef's Bacon.

He made a cold smoker out of three book lockers/gym lockers, flexible tubing used for venting a dryer, a fan from an old computer connected to a battery, some alumimun foil, a cast iron skillet and some wood chips for smoke. He used a Polder digital thermometer to make sure the temperature was monitored. He advised not let the temp in the smoking chamber rise above 80 degrees. He is the MacGyver of food.

If you've never watched an Alton Brown episode of Good Eats, check it out some time on Food Network.

Christmas in Tennessee

I'm enjoying a week in Tennessee visiting my in-laws who live near Manchester. It was 12 degrees this morning and is currently 19 degrees. The forecasters are predicting warmer weather tomorrow - 29 degrees. To quote Linda from last night, "There's something to be said for living in Florida during this time of year."

Tomorrow, we're going to take a drive up to Nolensville to visit my sister-in-law. I've been trying to find an excuse to visit Martin's BBQ restaurant since I found his blog two years ago. I've enjoyed reading about his experiences - good and bad. I'll try to take a couple of pictures while we're there.

Baby Back BBQ Ribs as Christmas Presents

I cooked six slabs of ribs today and thought I'd share a couple of pictures. They're vacuum sealed and in the freezer awaiting a Christmas delivery.

These ribs are without bbq sauce, since I planned to freeze them and reheat them in a few weeks. I usually reheat ribs in the microwave and brush on some sauce prior to serving them.

I cooked them 2 hours at 250 degrees. Then I wrapped them in foil with some honey, brown sugar, and mixture of apple/grape juice and cooked until the meat began to pull away from the bones.

Tax on Beef and Pork

If you're like me, you'll probably find the EPA's latest idea to tax greenhouse gases generated by livestock preposterous. The first time I read about taxing methane emissions generated by beef cattle, dairy cows, and hogs, I thought it was some sort of joke. You know...some politician's leaving his job once the new administration takes over and decided to put out a news release to get a rise out of people for self amusement. But, apparently it's a real proposal. Here's a document published on Regulations.gov that discusses all the scientific aspects of animal "emissions".

I know one thing for sure, if they put a tax on cattle and hogs for this we'll have to add meat to the list of imported products that already includes cars, toys, textiles, appliances, etc. It will put farmers out of business entirely. It will definitely raise the price of bbq too.

The American Farm Bureau estimates "annual assessments could reach $175 per dairy cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and $20 per hog.

I mean seriously, $87.50 per cow and $20 per hog?! I doubt most farmers earn that much in net profit per head in the first place!

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Fried turkey is faster, easier, and tastes better. After taking two turkeys to work for a department lunch, the third of the week was pretty easy.

I injected them with Shake's Honey Brine and fried them 3 1/2 minutes per pound at 325 degrees. I used cottonseed oil for the first two and peanut oil for ours. Cottonseed oil is about $15 cheaper (and I couldn't taste any difference).

Linda made rhubarb pie for desert.

What do I Like to do When I'm not BBQing?

(Click the pic for a larger size,)

Slow Food Rebellion

You probably guessed it already, but Slow Food Rebellion bbq blog features articles about food cooked low and slow. The website's publisher, Monty, is a regular on TheBBQForum.com and cooks on a an upright WSM and 24" trailer mounted Horizon offset smoker.

His whole hog article is a favorite. There's plenty of pictures.

Texas BBQ Pictures

This link was posted on TheBBQForum.com by Bryan Brown. Bryan recently took a trip to Texas and was kind enough to share a link to his picture album.

Someday I hope to take a similar trip to Texas and visit some of these towns and bbq places.

Texas BBQ pictures link

Tennessee Waltz - B. Raitt and N. Jones

If you're looking for some mellow blues-style music for your next bbq, I think I've found it for you.

Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational

Congratulations to 4 Legs Up BBQ for winning the 20th Annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship.

Here's a detailed listing of all the teams who competed this year. In this invitational event, just being invited is a victory.

Alabama
EJ’s Q.....Athens, Ala.

Arizona
Rhythm ‘n QUE.....Phoenix, Ariz.

Arkansas
Habitual Smokers.....Springdale, Ark.

California
BLQUE, CUTTIN EDGEQN.....Hanford, Calif.

Colorado
Carcass Cookers.....Pueblo, Colo.
Smoke “N” the Rockies.....Pueblo, Colo.

Florida
Buttrub.com.....Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

Georgia
“Team Bobby-Q”.....Chamblee, Ga.
Bub-Ba-Q.....Jasper, Ga.
Jack’s Old South.....Vienna, Ga.

Idaho
“Team Ida Q”.....Boise, Idaho

Illinois
Smokey Joel/Cubby Bear.....Deerfield, Ill.
Ulcer Acres BBQ.....Jacksonville, Ill.

Indiana
Shigs –In-Pit .....Fort Wayne, Ind.
Show Me Your Bones.....Indianapolis, Ind.

Iowa
4 Mile Smokin’ Crew.....Pleasant Hill, Iowa

Kansas
Pellet Envy.....Leawood, Kan.
4 Legs Up BBQ.....Great Bend, Kan.
Smokers Wild.....Paola, Kan.
The Will Deal Catering & BBQ Co......Topeka, Kan.

Kentucky
Moonswiners.....Taylorsville, Ky.

Louisiana
Tee Wayne’s Cajun Cooking.....Saint Amant, La.

Maryland
Texas Ribs & BBQ.....Centreville, Md.
Chix, Swine & Bovine BBQ.....Jessup, Md.

Massachusetts
I Smell Smoke!!!.....Malden, Mass.
I Que.....Hopkinton, Mass.
Lunchmeat.....Rockland, Mass.

Michigan
All Day Smoke.....Okemos, Mich.

Minnesota
Full Frontal BBQ.....Ham Lake, Minn.

Mississippi
Natural Born Grillers.....Olive Branch, Miss.
Ubon’s BBQ.....Yazoo, Miss.

Missouri
Charlotte’s Rib.....Ballwin, Mo.
Bubba & Jeff’s BBQ.....Lees Summit, Mo.

Nebraska
Rogue “Q” Smokers of the Sarengeti.....Omaha, Neb.

New MexicoQ.....Albuquerque, N.M.
Outlaw BBQ.....Albuquerque, N.M.

New York
BBQ-Brethren.com.....Nesconset, N.Y.

North Carolina
Mountain Magic Country BBQ.....Shelby, N.C.

North Dakota
Quiet Riot.....Minot, N.D.

Ohio
Eagle River Barbecue.....Dayton, Ohio

Oklahoma
Butcher BBQ.....Chandler, Okla.
Twin Oak Smokin’ Crew.....Stillwater, Okla.
Lotta Bull BBQ.....Marietta, Okla.

Oregon
Ella’s BBQ.....Portland, Ore.

Pennsylvania
PA Midnite Smoker.....Willow Street, Pa.

South Carolina
Divine Smoke.....Greenwood, S.C.

South Dakota
Parrothead Smokers.....Dakota Dunes, S.D.

Texas
Smokin’ in the Dark.....Silsbee, Texas
Blazen BBQ.....Hillsboro, Texas
Smokin’ Triggers.....Alvarado, Texas
Ritter’s BBQ Too.....Point, Texas
It Ain’t Prime.....Krum, Texas
Ritter’s BBQ.....Point, Texas

Tennessee
The Dead End BBQ Society.....Knoxville, Tenn.
Smoky Mountain Smokers.....Sevierville, Tenn.

Virginia
Checkered Pig.....Martinsville, Va.
Virginia BBQ Pirates.....Springfield, Va.
Cool Smoke.....Richmond, Va.
Stoddard and Brown.....Vienna, Va.
Dizzy Pig.....Fairfax, Va.

Washington
Smoking Ty’s BBQ.....Everett, Wash.
Dances With Smoke Barbeque.....Renton, Wash.

Wisconsin
2Fat Bikers BBQ.....Nekoosa, Wis.

BBQ Smoker

I think red is the perfect color for a bbq smoker. Black is nice too, but it I am continually amazed at how much attention my red cooker receives at bbq contests.

I was eating at a local bbq restaurant and saw one of these setting out on the patio next to the Old Hickory that cooks everything for the guests. When the owner walked by our table a few minutes later I inquired about the McCullough smoker. He said it's too much trouble for everyday use.

Mine is perfect for bbq contests, but if I had a restaurant I guess I'd have to pony up $20,000 or so for an Old Hickory.

La Caja China to Sponsor Mike Harmon at NASCAR’s O’Reilly Challenge in Texas

(Vocus) October 23, 2008 – La Caja China, whose roasting boxes have been used by countless celebrity chefs and featured on The Food Network, is proud to announce the sponsorship of Mike Harmon’s No. 84 car in the NASCAR O’Reilly Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway on November 1.

The O’Reilly Challenge will attract drivers from all NASCAR divisions in search of a prestigious visit to Victory Lane following the 300 miles of NASCAR Nationwide Series action.

This is the first NASCAR sponsorship for La Caja China in its 20 years in business. Owner and President Robert Guerra will be on hand to see the race, as will Alfredo Agonizante, Director Motor Sport Marketing for La Caja China . They will be joined on race day with their partners, Track Side 1 and Tailgater Monthly.

“We are excited to be associated to NASCAR” Guerra said. “Not only are we huge fans, but we feel that NASCAR represents the essence of what La Caja China stands for in terms of quality and entertainment at affordable prices.”

It’s ironic that the O’Reilly Challenge is in Texas , as the Lone Star state is quickly becoming one of the most popular places to find a La Caja China grill.

For 20 years, La Caja China has been synonymous with the best tasting homemade grills and barbeques in the world. La Caja China offers three top-of-the-line roasting box grills at affordable prices, ranging from $249 to $349. They are perfect for parties and large gatherings, as box grills can perfectly cook a 100 pound pig or 6-8 turkeys. They are great for roasting chicken, cabrito and all other types of meats.

La Caja China boxes have been featured on The Food Network and have been used by celebrities like Bobby Flay, Al Roker and Tyler Florence. And now the best grill in the world has partnered with the greatest sport in the world.

“We encourage all NASCAR fans, whether at the race or at home, to cheer on Mike Harmon to victory, and then enjoy a perfect celebration dinner with a La Caja China box!” Guerra said.

For more information, please visit http://www.lacajachina.com/