HOME OF BBQ

Ramblings: Chris Lilly 2 Minute Chicken

2009-07-06T11:38:00.000-04:00

It seems that we are on a Chris Lilly kick lately. Later this week we will be posting a review of Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book. To tide you over, here is a video of Chris on the Today Show competing on a Fourth of July special against Elizabeth Karmel from Hill Country.

Chris and Elizabeth each prepare a chicken dish in 2 minutes for a crowd to 'ooooh' and 'ahhhh' over and judges to render a verdict on. Enjoy the frenetic poultry presentation.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Ramblings: Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-04T14:40:00.003-04:00

Happy Fourth of July

I hope that you get to spend today celebrating with friends and family.

Review: BIGS Sunflower Seeds

2009-07-03T17:27:00.005-04:00

BIGS Sunflower Seeds

Regular readers will note that we periodically feature a ‘non-BBQ roundup’. Today we are concentrating on a bacon theme, starting with BIGS Bacon Salt flavored sunflower seeds.

These are sunflower seeds that are in the shell and have the exact same flavor as found in Bacon Salt (click here for our review of Bacon Salt). Let’s start with the basics. They are delicious. The flavor of bacon mixed with the nutty earthiness of the sunflower seeds quickly becomes addictive.

If marketed properly, I can easily see these becoming as ubiquitous on the competition BBQ circuit as beer and ABT’s. Sitting around a smoker watching temps at 2:00 am and spitting the shells into an ash bucket somehow feels right. It has that rustic, timeless appeal that matches a cooking method that takes up to 14 hours to cook a piece of meat.

Here’s the kicker. For those of us that are fighting the battle of the bulge, you can sit down and eat these for an hour and consume a couple of ounces. I wouldn’t be surprised if you burn more calories in the eating then you consume. That’s important to note, as once you start eating them you can’t stop.

There are currently 5 flavors available. The plain is what you would expect, slightly salty, with the traditional flavor of unadulterated sunflower seeds. The Bacon Salt flavor mirrors the Bacon Salt seasoning. The Dill Vlasic Pickle is an odd flavor. Not bad, just a different. I haven’t wrapped my head around it enough to render an opinion yet. The Zesty Ranch seeds have a milder flavor than the Bacon Salt, but are no less addicting. The Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing style is designed to give the seeds a kick without overpowering the flavor.

The seeds come in a 5.35 oz. bag and let me assure you, that is plenty. It’s impossible to consume the bag in one or two sittings. The seeds themselves are huge. Chernobyl huge. As such, they are a great medium for the various flavors. The bag comes with a convenient resealable top.

I have to confess that until trying BIGS I had never even conceived of flavored sunflower seeds. I’ve clearly been missing out. I was sort of hoping that the BIGS website had an ‘under development’ section, but alas, it was not to be. I would have liked to peak behind the curtain to see what flavors they were working on. Sour cream and onion? Maybe a malt vinegar to mimic fish and chips? Whatever they produce next, I’ll be buying. The quality of the first five has guaranteed my trying the next five.

Looking for other bacon oriented novelties? How about Bacon Mints? They taste exactly like they sound and no pigs were hurt in the making of this product. They come in a tin, similar to an undersized altoid box, that is redolent with the aroma of smoke. If you are looking for something to finish off your guests meal after your next BBQ, give these a try.

Have a lot of kids attending your next pig roast? Why not offer up some gummy bacon? They lack the flavor of raw bacon, but make up for that with the taste of strawberry. Close enough in appearance to disgust friends as you seem to enjoy uncooked bacon, this product is tasty enough to enjoy while gross enough to have the kids asking for more.

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Review: JD's Barbecue Shoppe - Perfect Sweet

2009-07-01T07:38:00.000-04:00

JD’s Barbecue Sauce – The Perfect Sweet

Manufacturer JD’s Barbecue Shoppe
Website www.bbqshoppe.com

Quality **** (4 out of 5)
Viscosity ** (2 out of 5) (this is an indicator of thickness, not quality)
Aroma *** (3.5 out of 5)

Appearance *** (3.5 out of 5)

Packaging *** (3 out of 5)

It’s unfair, but this sauce enters the review process with a strike against it. I’m not a fan of sauces whose main flavor profile is sweetness. Will JD’s ‘The Perfect Sweet’ overcome that inherited and purely subjective deficit? Read on.

The sauce comes in a mason jar. Not a mason jar style bottle, but an actual mason jar. It’s not the most convenient vessel, but I like it. Along with the two tone label, the mason jar gives the sauce a rustic and ‘country’ feel. The tan label has a logo with a man in western regalia leaning against the company name. The labeling is understated and simple enough to be distinctive.

This is a strange and malleable sauce. Smelling very different than it tastes, the aroma is full of the sweetness promised by the name, but also has hints of spice that are missing on the tongue. The color is a deep, almost muddled brown in the jar, but is much lighter on the food and gains a reddish hue.

Barely thicker than a vinegar sauce, this is very loose. Repeated application may be necessary. A significant amount of the sauce slipped off the meat.

Let’s get one thing clear about the taste right away. It lives up to the label (well, ok, it might fall short of ‘perfect’). This is a SWEET sauce. As such, you may want to be overly careful of how you pair it with your protein. While fine for ribs or poultry, it might not stand up well to brisket.

Going back to the earlier point of how this sauce changes, the taste differs dramatically when tasted straight from the bottle to when it is cooked on the meat. Most sauces do, but this is significantly more dramatic. The sweetness mellows and isn’t as overpowering.

I’m not usually fond of ketchup (the first ingredient) in sauces as it’s always an indicator of corn syrup. Thankfully, this sauce sugar and brown sugar as its primary sweeteners, avoiding that heavy feel that corn syrup is noted for. For a sauce that has sweetness as its calling card, that was a great decision on the part of JD’s.

So, where do I stand on this sauce? The quality is very good. I’m not its target audience, but I can respect the craftsmanship. It’s not receiving a 5 or even a 4.5 on taste as I would have preferred more nuance to the taste (a more pronounced cider vinegar presence would have been enjoyed), but it’s a solid 4.

When ‘Qing you often have to target your outcome to your audience. For example, my sister can’t take heat of any kind. The next time that I need a sweet sauce for a meal, I’m reaching for this.

General Notes:

I do the majority of the sauce analysis on this site. I have often been assisted by Will Breakstone of Willie B’s Award Winning BBQ (pitmaster, competitor and caterer). The foods used with the sauces are usually brisket, pulled pork and chicken. On occasion, other foods will be used if recommended by the manufacturer (ex. burgers, fries, meatloaf, etc.).

Most of the food used for the reviews is cooked on a Weber Smoky Mountain or a Lang 84. The basic BBQ accoutrements (such as tool sets, chimney starters, etc.) are by Weber. Knives are by Mercer Cutlery. Fuel is either a cherry/oak mix or whatever charcoal I’m in the mood for.

www.weber.com

www.pigroast.com

www.mercercutlery.com

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Reviews: Gold Rush Jerky - Black Peppered

2009-06-29T06:52:00.001-04:00

Gold Rush Beef Jerky – Black Peppered

Manufacturer: Toxic Tommy

Flavor: Black Peppered

Weight: 1.75 oz.

Website: http://www.toxictommy.com/

Flavor: **** 4.5

Aroma: *** 3.5

Texture: *** 3.5

Appearance: **** 4

Packaging: *** 3.5

Ratings range from 1 to 5

Gold Rush Black Peppered jerky comes in a transparent, narrow plastic package that allows clear visibility of the product. The label is black with white lettering and has a logo depicting a gold miner. The packaging is professional in appearance but not overly distinctive.

Unlike many reviews that we have done in the past, the aroma of this jerky is a direct parallel to the taste. The meat is redolent with the aroma of pepper, and that is a wonderful thing. I enjoy exotic and arcane aspects to sauces and jerky’s but sometimes you are most satisfied with the basics. Before you take your first bite you know that you are getting something primal but well crafted.

There is a lack of uniformity in the jerky when it comes to size and shape. I’m not really sure how much time to spend discussing this as it doesn’t bother me in the least. The variation is neither a positive nor a negative in my opinion. I could easily be persuaded that it lends a more rustic feel to the jerky, but as long as the variation

doesn’t impact the texture and taste, I don’t care.

The three most prominent bits of information gathered from the label are:

1) 97% fat free. Good to know and nice, but not surprising.

2) Moist and tender. Right on the nose (not literally). This jerky is surprisingly moist. Some jerky’s are brittle and some are overly chewy. This finds a nice middle road between the two.

3) The jerky is black peppered. Rarely has a description seemed so accurate.

It was bit surprising that the black pepper isn’t even listed in the ingredients. The sixth ingredient is ‘spices’, which I guess would include the pepper. Regardless of how they pull off this bit of gastronomical alchemy, the result is an excellent jerky with strong overtones of black pepper. The strongest profiles found here are meat, salt and pepper; offering a simple yet satisfying eating experience.

I was concerned about the msg that is the fourth ingredient, but it was nearly undetectable.

An tasty, low carb snack; Gold Rush Black Peppered Jerky would have an honored place in my pantry if I hadn't eaten the entire package. Time to order more.

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Ramblings: Custom BBQ Items

2009-06-27T17:54:00.006-04:00

Huntingdon County Customs

Looking for a novel gift for that BBQ fanatic in your life? How about a unique prize for a competition you are running?

Brian Nevel of Huntingdon County Customs is the man to see.

Although they craft an array of custom metal products, Brian’s passion is BBQ. Whether it’s a tiny (and I do mean tiny) but fully working offset smoker or a new grates for your smoker or grill personalized with your name or logo, Brian breathes his love of BBQ into everything he makes.

Among their wide selection of custom products, Huntingdon County Customs also manufactures smokers made from Kegs. A small and portable unit, they are great for tailgating or any casual event.

Want everyone to know who cooked that delicious steak? Check out their custom branding irons.

Although you’ll find enough cool stuff here to satisfy any BBQ fan, the best option may be to come up with your own concepts and have Huntingdon fabricate them. Give them a yell.

You can visit their site by clicking here.

You can reach them by calling

1-(814)-506-1328

1-(877)-272-0527 (between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. eastern)

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Interview: Chris Lilly -Video II

2009-06-26T17:10:00.002-04:00

Here is part two of our interview with Chris Lilly regarding Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book from the Snapple Big Apple BBQ Block Party.

We greatly appreciate Mr. Lilly's time.

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Interview: Chris Lilly -Video

2009-06-24T15:11:00.001-04:00

Chris Lilly video interview

This is part one of our interview with Chris Lilly at the Snapple Big Apple BBQ Block Party. Chris was extremely generous with his time. We had the pleasure of speaking with Chris minutes before the start of the event and I'm sure that he could have been doing a hundred other things, but instead he took time from his busy day to talk to us.

You can read the review of Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book in the July issue of the KCBS Bullsheet.

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Ramblings: Snapple Big Apple BBQ - Video

2009-06-23T15:00:00.002-04:00

Snapple Big Apple BBQ Block Party Intro

As an introduction to our interview with Chris Lilly at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party (check back tomorrow for part one), we are presenting an ode to New York City with an emphasis on the event.

Enjoy.

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Review: Gold Rush Jerky - Teriyaki

2009-06-22T14:38:00.001-04:00

Gold Rush Beef Jerky – Honey Glazed Teriyaki

Manufacturer: Toxic Tommy

Flavor: Honey Glazed Teriyaki

Weight: 3.5 oz.

Website: http://www.toxictommy.com/

Flavor: 4

Aroma: 5

Texture: 3.5

Appearance: 4

Packaging: 3

Ratings range from 1 to 5

Gold Rush Teriyaki comes in a sizeable transparent plastic package allowing you to see what you are purchasing. The label is a pale yellow and has an image of a miner as the logo.

Although the flavor is great, the standout here is the aroma. It’s not strong, but it is excellent. Prominent hints of sweetness and soy come through and get the mouth watering. The aroma is on a parallel line to the taste, but is deeper and richer.

The jerky itself varies in length, width and depth. If that doesn’t have a negative affect on the texture and taste, I’ll all for it. A deep, reddish brown in color, the jerky is appealing to the eye.

As advertised on the label, the jerky is surprisingly moist. While still offering plenty of ‘chew’, Gold Rush jerky is still malleable and won’t pull your molars from your mouth. A small failing is that the jerky has a slight oily feel. I’m not sure if that is a function of the honey or the drying process, but it’s a minor complaint at worst.

This is a sweet jerky that maintains the flavor of the beef while adding an oriental tinge and is overlaid with honey. Reminiscent of a mild version of the flavor found in local Chinese restaurants on the spareribs and boneless ribs, this is a very pleasant flavor and completely addicting. A bit of heat would have been a nice compliment, but that wasn’t there goal. Everything promised on the label is delivered and delivered well.

I look forward to trying the rest of their products.

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Interview: Ct. State Champion

2009-06-18T16:49:00.001-04:00

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Review: Crazy Charley Cajun Bar-B-Cue Sauce

2009-06-17T01:08:00.002-04:00

Crazy Charley Cajun Bar-B-Cue Sauce

Manufacturer Ford’s Crazy Cajun Enterprises
Website www.Crazy-Charley.com

Quality **** (4 out of 5)
Viscosity *** (3.5 out of 5) This is a measure of thickness, not quality
Aroma *** (3.5 out of 5)

Appearance **** (4 out of 5)

Packaging *** (3 out of 5)

Like coffee with your BBQ? Good news! Following the example of those brilliant visionaries who matched up Macaroni and Cheese, Peanut Butter and Chocolate and Cherry and Coke; Crazy Charley has made brewed coffee the prime ingredient in his Cajun Bar-B-Cue Sauce.

I’m familiar with coffee in rubs and in chili, but have never had it in a sauce. My initial impression is that it would round out the flavors and offer an earthy base for the other elements to play on. When I realized that the coffee was the first ingredient I was completely surprised. My opinion quickly shifted and I now thought the sauce would be very strong, maybe slightly acrid and a bit bitter with a predominant coffee flavor. I was very wrong.

The sauce comes in a mason jar type of container and holds 16oz of sauce. Due to the wide mouth, the sauce pours very easily. The label has a fading color scheme that moves from a light orange to a light red. The text is in black and the ‘Crazy Charley’ text is in an iconic font designed to give an off-kilter impression. There is a photo of (I have to assume) Charley himself in the center of the label.

Was coffee the first aroma to make itself known? Nope. That honor went to the ketchup that is the second ingredient in the sauce. As a matter of fact, the essence of coffee was nowhere to be found. Odd.

This is a rich, dark red sauce and is pretty much what you would expect a BBQ sauce to look like when it features coffee. As a matter of fact, the appearance of the sauce is much closer to what you would expect than the aroma or taste. There are lots of ingredients swimming around in there, but they are a bit hard to see due to the hue of the sauce. Seeds and pepper flecks show up and are a nice visual.

Don’t be concerned about pooling or slippage, this is a thick sauce. You will definitely need to use a brush to spread the sauce over the chicken or ribs when applying it.

The taste of the sauce is unusual. At first it comes off as a standard KC style sauce but after a second or two you realize that there is a depth and nuance to the flavor is just now becoming apparent. The taste of the coffee is hidden behind everything else and is hard to detect. I assume that it helps to unify all of the other flavors, and if that is the case it does its job well.

As you would expect from a Cajun sauce, there is a smooth, lingering heat that permeates the sauce. It doesn’t overpower the flavors and instead adds a new dimension to the experience.

Akin to the flavor, the feel of the sauce is also nuanced and varied. Along with the seeds mentioned earlier, there are bits of minced onions in the sauce.

I would recommend this sauce for pork and brisket, but it might be a bit too strong for poultry.

General Notes:

Most of the food used for the reviews is cooked on a Weber Smoky Mountain or a Lang 84. The basic BBQ accouterments (such as tool sets, chimney starters, etc.) are by Weber. Knives are by Mercer Cutlery. Fuel is either a cherry/oak mix or whatever charcoal I’m in the mood for.

www.weber.com

www.pigroast.com

www.mercercutlery.com

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Review: Charlie's Hard Times Honey Mustard

2009-06-16T00:27:00.002-04:00

BBQ Sauce of the Month Club
www.amazingclubs.com/bbq.html
1-800-507-4660

Charlie’s Hard Times Honey Mustard

Manufacturer Sauce Crafters
Website http://www.saucecrafters.com/

Quality **** (4 out of 5)
Viscosity *** (3 out of 5) This is a measure of thickness, not quality
Aroma *** (3 out of 5)
Appearance *** (3 out of 5)
Packaging *** (3.5 out of 5)

Charlie’s Hard Times uses their reasonable price point to link into the angst of the current economic climate. Everyone has an image of what the quintessential BBQ meal is. For me, the epitome of BBQ is a pulled pork sandwich on a soft roll, with coleslaw on top and a mustard and vinegar sauce. With my natural predilection for mustard sauces I have high hopes for this product.

The sauce comes in a relatively narrow glass bottle which still allows for easy pouring. The label has a light tan base that blends nicely into the thick yellow of the sauce. A caricature of a destitute broker is featured on the label and gives the packaging an ‘old timey’ feel. The labeling is distinct and yet still remains fairly restrained.

When you take a whiff of the sauce you immediately pick up the mustard and quickly after, the natural sweetness of honey comes into play. Although pleasant, the aroma lacks nuance. I would have enjoyed hints of the red wine vinegar that is a prominent ingredient.

The sauce is a rich, deep and somewhat dark yellow color. There are very, very slight variations in this opaque sauce. Some red and some brown specks provide a contrast to the yellow base, but these specks are so hard to differentiate that they might as well not be there.

Offering the basic taste that I was expecting, the sauce was a nice treat. As I’m sure that you are aware, the BBQ sauce field is dominated by products that offer slight variations on the KC style. Much the same as with the aroma, I would have preferred a stronger presence from the vinegar. The mustard and honey both offer very strong flavor profiles that would have benefited from the acidic tang of the vinegar.

There is a wonderful lingering heat that was completely unexpected. The manufacturer specializes in hot sauces, so I shouldn't be surprised at neither the presence of the heat or the quality. It's mild enough to not detract from the mustard or honey flavors, but strong enough to have a pleasant ongoing affect.

So, how can I best distill down this review? I’ve used the sauce three times in two days.

Repeated from 1st BBQ Sauce of the Month review:

The BBQ Sauce of the Month Club sends its constituents 2 sauces every month. The cost for a one year membership comes out to roughly $9.00 a bottle and that includes shipping. For quality sauces that are difficult to find elsewhere, it seems like a bargain. In early July I will have had enough of a sample to comment knowledgeably on their shipping.

Along with the sauce there is a brief newsletter that talks about the current months selections. The sauces arrive well packed in a cardboard box. Their site (see above for link) claims that they test dozens of sauces a month (at a minimum). This volume would seem to allow them room for selectivity.

Aside from delivery to your door and the screening by their tasters, you also have the benefit of receiving a discount on purchases of sauces that you particularly like and would enjoy more of. It seems that the discount varies, but the courteous salesperson I spoke with when enquiring said that they would be happy to let a member know what the discount would be if they gave them a call (see above for phone number).

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Ramblings: Snapple Big Apple BBQ

2009-06-10T11:09:00.000-04:00

2009 Snapple Big Apple BBQ Block Party

This weekend New York City will welcome pitmasters from across the country as the city that never sleeps hosts the Snapple Big Apple BBQ Block Party. The only local event that I can cover for the Home of BBQ, this event has premier artisans representing every style of BBQ.

Luminaries such as Mike Mills, Chris Lilly and Ray ‘Dr. BBQ’ Lampe will be brushing shoulders with hundreds of thousands of crazy New Yorkers as Madison Square Park becomes BBQ central. Smokers and rigs will be lining two of the four sides of the park as hungry locals clamor for authentic ‘Q.

In addition to the great food, there will be continuous live music in the park and seminars, book signings and demonstrations going on in the tents on a side street. As always, admission is free for the event, the seminars and the music. The BBQ is $8.00 a plate.

As we did last year, the Home of BBQ will be present to take in the event. We hope to get there a bit early and get a behind the scenes look at the event, the pitmasters and the experience as a whole.

Check back next Wednesday for the first recap.

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Review: The BBQ Shack Sauce

2009-06-07T21:17:00.004-04:00

BBQ Sauce of the Month Club
www.amazingclubs.com/bbq.html

1-800-507-4660

The BBQ Shack Southern Flavored

Manufacturer The BBQ Shack
Website http://www.thebbqshack.com/

Quality *** (3.5 out of 5)
Viscosity ** (2.5 out of 5) This is a measure of thickness, not quality
Aroma ** (2 out of 5)

Appearance ** (2.5 out of 5)

Packaging *** (3.5 out of 5)

The BBQ Shack

If you are a fan of the Food Network, there is a good chance that you have seen The BBQ Shack. Featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ with Guy Fieri, The BBQ Shack is located right outside of Kansas City. The location gives us hope for a quality sauce. Let’s see if they live up to that promise.

The sauce comes in a thick, glass bottle and pours out easily. Fairly loose for a KC style sauce, it’s still thick enough to avoid pooling. The bottle holds 16 oz of sauce, which is a generous amount and is on the upper end of most sauces. The labeling is a standout, with a folksy image of a shack and a wrap around label that stands out amongst other sauces.

When you smell the sauce, the first thing that hits is the ketchup. Following quickly is the ‘tang’ of vinegar, which makes sense as those are the first two ingredients. The aroma is fairly standard and aside from those two initial components, nothing really stands out.

A rich red color, the sauce has flecks of black pepper that are speckled throughout. There is not textural variance to speak of and the pepper is the only ingredient offer visual variance.

With a rich, earthy base; the sauce differentiates itself in taste much more than it does in aroma. Belying its rather mundane ingredient list, the sauce is a surprisingly good representation of the standard KC style. Not as sweet as most sauces of its ilk, The BBQ Shack’s sauce offers a mild spice and a deepness (possibly from the molasses) that is appreciated. As the sweetness is toned down, there is a lack of the treacle mouth feel often associated with glucose syrup (the fourth ingredient).

With a flavor that is strong enough to stand up to any meat, The BBQ Shack Southern Flavored would be a worthy addition to your cupboard.

Repeated from 1^st BBQ Sauce of the Month review:

The BBQ Sauce of the Month Club sends its constituents 2 sauces every month. The cost for a one year membership comes out to roughly $9.00 a bottle and that includes shipping. For quality sauces that are difficult to find elsewhere, it seems like a bargain. In early July I will have had enough of a sample to comment knowledgeably on their shipping.

Along with the sauce there is a brief newsletter that talks about the current months selections. The sauces arrive well packed in a cardboard box. Their site (see above for link) claims that they test dozens of sauces a month (at a minimum). This volume would seem to allow them room for selectivity.

Aside from delivery to your door and the screening by their tasters, you also have the benefit of receiving a discount on purchases of sauces that you particularly like and would enjoy more of. It seems that the discount varies, but the courteous salesperson I spoke with when enquiring said that they would be happy to let a member know what the discount would be if they gave them a call (see above for phone number).

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Review: Richard's Barbecue Sauce (mild)

2009-05-22T10:11:00.000-04:00

BBQ Sauce of the Month Club

www.amazingclubs.com/bbq.html

1-800-507-4660

Sauce 2 of 2

Richard's Barbecue Sauce (mild)

Manufacturer Richard’s Sauces
Website http://www.vtmadebbqu.com/

Quality *** (3.5 out of 5)
Viscosity *** (3 out of 5) This is a measure of thickness, not quality
Aroma *** (3 out of 5)

Appearance **** (4 out of 5)

Packaging *** (3.5 out of 5)

Let’s start with the ingredient list as we did with our last review. The first ingredient is tomato concentrate. The sweeteners come next with corn syrup leading the way. Not a good sign. Thankfully, the next ingredient is brown sugar, followed up by molasses. A mixed bag here, making it hard to draw any conclusions from just the ingredients.

The sauce comes in a tapered, 19oz bottle. Pouring easily, the sauce is of about medium thickness, pretty close the KC style standard. The bottle has a white label with a folksy caricature of a pig, cow and chicken (the BBQ triumvirate). The ‘cartoony’ lettering and the images help the bottle to stand out.

The aroma of the sauce is similar to ketchup, but a bit sweeter with a little kick to it. The aroma is pleasant and fairly strong. A dark red, the sauce has small ‘bumps’ in it that I believe are made from minced onions.

This is a sweet sauce and it is, indeed, mild. Not always equating to subtle, mild sauces can often be versatile and go well with the stronger meats. This is the case with Richard’s Barbecue Sauce. There is a very slight lingering heat, but other than that the flavors blend together well. I would have enjoyed a little separation of flavor that would allow the tamarind or garlic to ‘pop’ but the sauce works fine as it is.

The anchovies and molasses add a strong, earthy base essence that rounds out the other flavors.

This is a good sauce that I would be happy to find on the table at my next BBQ. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase it when this bottle was empty, but I would certainly want to check out there hot and hottest varieties.

Repeated from 1^st BBQ Sauce of the Month review:

The BBQ Sauce of the Month Club sends its constituents 2 sauces every month. The cost for a one year membership comes out to roughly $9.00 a bottle and that includes shipping. It’s hard for me to evaluate the overall value as we are in the first month that I have been participating. For quality sauces that are difficult to find elsewhere, it seems like a bargain.

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Review: Burning Asphalt Honey Smoked

2009-05-20T08:48:00.001-04:00

BBQ Sauce of the Month Club

www.amazingclubs.com/bbq.html

1-800-507-4660

Sauce 1 of 2

Burning Asphalt Honey Smoked BBQ Sauce

Manufacturer Burning Asphalt Sauces llc.
Website www.burningasphalt.com

Quality **** (4 out of 5)
Viscosity ***** (5 out of 5) This is a measure of thickness, not quality
Aroma *** (3 out of 5)

Appearance **** (4 out of 5)

Packaging ** (2 out of 5)

The manufacturer considers this a very mild, KC style sauce. The ingredient list offers hope and indications that this is going to be an excellent sauce. Honey is the second ingredient, following only tomatoes. There is no corn syrup in site, but orange marmalade is prominent. I’m getting a good feeling about this sauce.

This sauce pours -v e r y s l o w l y- from a thick, 12 oz. bottle. The bottle labeling is fairly plain with a white background a corporate image of a car burning its wheels. The lettering is shades of brown. If the taste lives up to the ingredient list, the labeling doesn’t do the flavor justice. It would be very easy to pass by this sauce on the shelf.

As you might infer from the pouring comment, this is a very thick sauce. Clearly one of the thickest sauces we have reviewed, the sauce avoids pooling and needs to be brushed carefully to ensure that it spreads evenly. Aside from food starch and the thickening agents that may be in the marmalade, I found nothing else that would enhance the viscosity.

The aroma is a heady blend of the honey, tomato and marmalade. It isn’t as bold as most KC (ketchup based) style sauces, but it is much more enjoyable. The strength of the aroma is a close match to the strength of the flavor.

The bits and pieces found in the sauce make for a great variation in the mouth feel. I can’t tell if it is the marmalade or the onions, but there is a pliant crunch that accompanies the smoothness of the rest of the sauce. Again, this is a very nice distinction from the majority of sauces on the market.

Mild but with a distinct back heat, the sauces main flavor components are the fruity sweetness and the tomatoes. Although I enjoyed it with the pork I used for the review, this sauce would be best on poultry. This is an excellent, sweet sauce that I would be happy to use again and again. The fruit flavor offers a different profile than most fruit based sauces. I’m not sure where the separation is, but it tastes more natural for some reason.

This is a great sauce for poultry, and if the manufacturer amped up the flavors and heat level it would be excellent for stronger meats, such as brisket. Let’s hope that this is being worked on.

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Review: Easy BBQ Sauces

2009-05-18T06:03:00.003-04:00

Easy BBQ Sauces

By: Joe Hartmann*

Publisher: Golden West Publishers

www.goldenwestpublishers.com

Pages: 93

A soft cover, fully bound book; Easy BBQ Sauces by Golden West Publishers is already a step ahead of its stablemates in the Golden West collection. Where the other books we have reviewed were loosely spiral bound, this book has an attractive, vibrant cover that invites the reader in. With the same price point ($9.95), we are immediately headed in the right direction.

You don’t hit the first recipe until you are 19 pages into this 93 page book, but once they get rolling there is quality recipe following quality recipe. Covered in this book are recipes for sauces, rubs, mops and marinades. Some of the first 18 pages are dedicated to their proper use and what the cook can hope to achieve. What to use and when are touched on (albeit briefly) as well as some very basic primers on barbeque.

Diversity is key here, as recipes include low calorie BBQ sauce, Peanut Butter BBQ Sauce and the Wine and Garlic Marinade. Most recipes tell you in their title what they are meant to be paired with while others include a recommendation in the text.

Although the book often has the feel of a compilation of recipes from other sources, it is a great deal for the price. There is a certain lack of unity in writing style and recipe sophistication, but the highs certainly outweigh the lows. The best thing about this book is that it sparks the imagination. As I read through the recipes I had a constant stream of inspiration. This is going to get dog-eared quickly, with notes in the margins throughout.

I’d like to recommend purchasing this for a friend, but I know that once you flip through it you won’t be gifting it to others. Heck, at $9.95 buy two.

* The author was not directly specified by the publisher. The name was inferred by the text of the introduction.

Here is a recipe from the publisher:

Golden Grill Barbecue Sauce

1/4 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/2 tsp. Cloves, ground
1 cup fresh Orange Juice
2 Tbsp. Vinegar
4 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine

Combine sugar, cornstarch, allspice and cloves in a small saucepan. Slowly stir in orange juice and vinegar. Stir constantly over medium heat until sauce thickens. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in butter. Makes 1 cup sauce.

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Ramblings: Premium - Gourmet Burger Blends

2009-05-17T14:07:00.008-04:00

Premium Burger Blends

There has been a trend of late for restaurants and meat purveyors to construct gourmet burger blends. These burgers cost more, but they come with a pedigree. No expense is spared in the creation of these blends, but is the result worth the expense and extra work?

Until recently there have been two types of upscale burgers. The first is a publicity stunt, pure and simple. These include the Richard Nouveau Burger found at the Wall Street Burger Shoppe that amongst its accoutrements counts gold leaf and the $186.00 The Burger produced at a London location of Burger King (yep, Burger King). The second was a ‘steak burger’, where the chef substituted prime steak for the standard 80/20 chuck. As you can imagine, there was a pretty wide disparity between the two styles of premium burgers.

Recently some middle ground has been found. Meat wholesalers, such as Main Street Meats (www.mainstreetmeats.com) have been experimenting with creating a premium blend of high end meats to create the perfect burger. Main Street Meats, who have a mail order business for those outside their immediate area, includes kobe brisket, prime aged rib cap and short rib meat to achieve what they consider the best possible burger.

Although these blends are intended for restaurants, they are becoming available to the public with increasing frequency. The cost of the meat is about 80% more than that for standard, good quality ground beef. Not too drastic an increase for a luxury.

I purchased a few pounds of the 1946 Blend Premium Ground Beef and a pound of the standard ground beef from Main Street Meats. Side by side, I formed a patty of each. Trying to obtain an unadulterated flavor, I just added salt and pepper to the top and bottom of each patty. I cooked the patties side by side with the same heat for the same length of time.

The precooked weight of the standard burger was 7.9 oz. After cooking to medium rare, the weight was 7.1 ounces. The precooked weight of the premium burger was 8.1 ounces. The weight after cooking to medium rare, the weight was 7.6 oz. The premium burger with the presumably higher fat content actually lost less weight (by volume) than the standard burger. I’m not sure, but I believe that the melting fat caused flare ups that seared the premium burger quickly, sealing in the rest of the moisture.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I assumed that either the difference would be dramatic, with the premium burger being vastly superior to the standard burger, or there would be no discernible taste difference. I was wrong on both counts.

The premium burger was clearly different in flavor and texture. It was also clearly a better, lusher burger. The difference was (in my opinion) certainly worth the price increase. Oddly, the difference wasn’t just that the flavor was amped up. The premium burger had a denser, more ‘meaty’ taste. As you can see from the pictures, prior to cooking the standard burger had a richer red coloring (possibly due to the fat content) and post cooking the premium burger had a darker, more intense sear (although they were roughly the same size and cooked under the same conditions).

The standard burger was lighter in taste and texture than the premium burger. As most burgers come with an assortment of toppings, the premium burger seems better designed to host other flavors. The more ‘meaty’ flavor can stand up to the onions, ketchup and other additions.

I’m not someone that adds a lot to my burgers. I’ll possibly slap on some cheese and maybe mustard, but aside from ketchup on a rare occasion, that’s it. I do, however, add to the meat itself. I have been accused of making meatloaf burgers as I add worcestershire sauce, pepper and other flavors to the meat before grilling. Although I’m usually happy with the results, this experiment has helped me to realize that it’s not really necessary. The flavor of the meat itself should shine through.

I believe that I will be cutting back on adding to the meat and I will certainly be using the premium blend again.

Interested in burgers? Check out PigTrips interview with Nick Solares of A Hamburger Today.

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Review: Easy BBQ Recipes

2009-05-15T14:41:00.002-04:00

Easy BBQ Recipes

By: Uncredited

Publisher: Golden West Publishers

www.goldenwestpublishers.com

Pages: 94

Identical in physical design to Texas Cook Book that we reviewed earlier, this book has a loose spiral binding. The book has a full color cover, but the interiors are black and white. There are occasional line drawings, but there are no photos in the book. This is clearly a book designed for those on a budget. Thankfully, the price point is low enough to overlook the lack of aesthetic amenities. Is Easy BBQ Recipes worth the $9.95 msrp? Keep reading.

The spartan design of the book has the unexpected benefit of allowing the publisher to get almost a recipe per page (with the exception of the index and the introductory section). This is a book of dichotomies. For every positive there is an accompanying negative. The question that we have to answer is, does the positive outweigh the negative by enough to make this book worth the minimal investment.

For a small book, Easy BBQ Recipes is chock full of recipes. Unfortunately the quality varies wildly. Some recipes are creative and well worth the time to read thoroughly and try out. Others are extremely basic in nature. Some (maybe most) of the recipes are well developed and written. Sadly, these often sit right next to a recipe that is lacking in pertinent details found in other recipes. There is a recipe on page 18 for Grilled Sirloin with Orange Marinade that has instructions for preheating your grill and cooking temperatures. The following recipe (Marinated London Broil) has neither.

Much like Texas Cook Book, this book is strangely anachronistic. There is a recipe for BBQ Chicken Fajitas that has a preamble that mentions how fajitas (a south west staple, as they mention) have recently been discovered in trendy restaurants. This book is being reviewed about as far east as possible in the US and we have enjoyed fajitas without difficulty for decades.

As you may infer, this book is not solely a compilation of BBQ recipes. There are plenty of grilling recipes as well as side dishes such as soups, potatoes, fruits and cornbread. At the end of the book there are 6 recipes for sauces and marinades. These final recipes are very solid, which bodes well for the next Golden West Publishers book to be reviewed, BBQ Sauces.

After due consideration, this book falls into the ‘recommended’ category, but it barely makes it. The diversity, density and price point all speak favorably for purchase, but not favorably enough for the numerous faults to be overlooked.

Here is a sample recipe from the book and the publishers website:

Yabba Dabba Do Ribs

6 pounds Pork Ribs
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup minced Green Bell Pepper
1/4 cup minced Onion
2 tbsp. ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Coarse Salt

Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour over ribs which have been sliced into single ribs. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat gas grill for 10 minutes with burners on high.

Turn burners to medium and place ribs on grill reserving marinade. Close grill lid. Cook 10 minutes per side for well done. Remember, do not eat pink pork. Be sure to baste ribs with remaining marinade after turning.

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Review: 25 Essentials: Techniques for Smoking

2009-05-07T14:36:00.003-04:00

25 Essentials: Techniques for Smoking

By: Ardie A. Davis

Publisher: The Harvard Common Press

127 pages

This is a crafty book, written by a legendary figure in competition BBQ. Although 25 Essentials isn’t designed to appear as a tutorial and a comprehensive introduction to the art of smoking, that is exactly what it is. The first seven pages are dedicated to introducing basic concepts, but that is standard for most books on BBQ. What follows are recipes that are designed to allow the reader to master new skills and techniques one at a time as they work their way through the book.

The book is hard-cover but spiral (tight) bound. Aside the recipes are lush, beautiful photos. It’s become a bit of a cliché, but don’t read this book on an empty stomach. Each recipe is comprised of four pages. There is an introduction and description on the first page, a photo on the next page, an ingredient list follows and then the cooking technique wraps everything up.

By the time you make your way through this book you will have had a solid and thorough introduction to pairing wood with meat, using equipment that you already have (such as a kettle or propane grill), using charcoal chimneys, creating and using wood chips, beer can smoking and how to trim and prepare meat. All of the standards are covered here, including vegetables, meats, poultry, fish and side dishes.

There have been a number of books that we have reviewed that we have designated as an excellent primer for someone new to the hobby of smoking. 25 Essentials: Techniques for Smoking tops them all. If I had a friend who was starting out and I wanted to get him started this would be the perfect gift.

The book is sparse, but it achieves its goal with room to spare. Retailing for $12.95, the cost is less than that of some bags of charcoal and is infinitely more useful.

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Review: Texas Cook Book

2009-04-29T14:55:00.003-04:00

Texas Cook Book

By: Unknown

Pages: 94

Publisher: Golden West Publishers

Website: www.goldenwestpublishers.com

Texas Cook Book is a small, spiral bound compilation of recipes that is part of Golden West Publishers ‘Cooking Across America’ series. There is no author listed for the book, but there are numerous attributions for individual recipes. Although it’s not spelled out, it seems that the recipes are culled from other sources, such as reader submissions or from organizations (such as the Texas Pecan Growers Association).

There is a certain peril in assuming that this is going to be similar to other cookbooks that are written by acknowledged experts in their field. There is no uniform style here. The level of writing, themes and quality of the recipes can vary wildly. Some recipes were extremely original and innovative, and others seemed vaguely anachronistic.

There is a colloquial feel that permeates the book. Although it isn’t as refined as other cook books that delve into the same topic matter, the book leaves the impression of sharing with the reader what actual Texans eat. I would imagine that if you had a giant pot-luck dinner in the center of Texas and invited friends from throughout the state, the food offered would be a close analogue to what is found in this book. That being the case, I consider Texas Cook Book to be a success.

The book retails for $9.95 and would be a perfect fit for outlets such as tourist attractions and roadside stops in Texas. There are about 1.5 recipes per page and they run the gamut of breakfast to desserts. There is significant BBQ section. Also of particular interest to our readers would be the chili section and the various side dish recipes.

As long as you know what you are purchasing, there is value to be found here. If getting a glimpse into what the average family in another part of the country is of interest to you, this book is for you.

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Ramblings: Book Reviews

2009-04-27T15:57:00.000-04:00

Book Reviews

Most of the book reviews on the Home of BBQ have been for large and often lavish cookbooks or books about the culture of BBQ. There is another style of book out there that deserves attention. Small ‘chapbooks’ that don’t have the same level of presentation, but have a considerably lower price point are common enough to warrant commentary.

Do these books strike a balance that makes them worthwhile? Are the potential savings worth the sacrifice of size, depth, visuals and gloss?

Although most books of limited size and expense are geared towards the novice, we are going to try to review them as objectively as possible. Our next five books reviewed will all cost under $14.00 and will be less than a hundred pages in length. Three of the five will not have a listed author and all will be currently in print. Two will be by a BBQ legend and have just been released.

The question at hand is will these be books be of use to anyone, and if they are what segment of the BBQ population will find them useful.

Look for the first review in two days.

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Ramblings: ABC's Wife Swap

2009-04-23T20:37:00.000-04:00

Wife Swap Looking for BBQ Families

Would you be interested in appearing on ABC’s Wife Swap?

They are looking for a family that is seriously into competition BBQ to appear on an upcoming episode. The participating family will make $20,000.00 if the episode makes it to air.

Here is the official blurb:

CASTING SEARCH:

BBQ Cooking Competitors/Enthusiasts!

Casting Directors for ABC TV’s hit reality show, “Wife Swap,” are now conducting national searches for fun, dynamic, outgoing and interesting families to star on Season 5 of “Wife Swap”.

· Do you or all of your family members BBQ competitively?

· Would you like to share your passion for BBQ-ing with another family?

· Would you be excited about the chance to change the life of a deserving family or improve your own?

· Interested families must have children living at home between the ages of 7 and 17 (you can have older and younger kids but you must have at least one child in the required age range)

If you would like to apply, send me your contact info and I’ll pass it along to the producer.

You can send the information to: info@homeofbbq.com

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Review: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

2009-04-16T15:14:00.002-04:00

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que:

An American Roadhouse

By: John Stage& Nancy Radke

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

192 pages

I don’t think I’ve ever read a more aptly titled book. Everything about this book screams ‘roadhouse’. The recipes are certainly BBQ-centric, but they are also eclectic. Striking a precarious balance between general recipes and those traditionally found in a BBQ cookbook, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is a refreshing break from the standard tropes found in similar books.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que avoids a common problem of just being a resource. Many books are technically excellent but offer little inspiration or amusement. This book rings true with the voice of the restaurants that are its inspiration. Spread throughout the book are the lavatorial tidbits of wisdom that have been culled from the restroom walls at the restaurant. The beautiful and lush photos of the restaurant and food are supplemented by the images of various tattoos. John Stage eloquently tells his tale of how a background in Italian cooking morphed into a becoming an established and respected pitmaster.

Cookbooks not only have to balance the recipes to ensure that they are true to the theme, but they need to employ culinary quality control. It would be a shame, but not surprising if the recipes didn’t live up to the colloquial flavor of the book. Thankfully, that’s not a problem. The recipes are rock solid and offer a variety that isn’t seen other BBQ related books of a comparable size.

This book provides a nice synergy for Stage, as it has piqued my interest in visiting the restaurant as much as it has driven me to try out some of the recipes. This book is a winner and I look forward to using it again and again.

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