Cool documentary of North Carolina’s Skylight Inn Barbecue joint.
“You either cook with wood or you don’t … You can’t imitate barbecue without wood. It’s just not the same.” – Pete Jones
BBQ Pitmasters Season 2 Debuts Tonight On TLC
August 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The second season of BBQ Pitmasters kicks off tonight. With the new season comes a new format, new cooks and new judges. I am sad to see the old format go, I learned a lot about the BBQ competition circuit.
New Format: BBQ Pitmasters Season 2 – Video
August 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I like some of the new characters on the show, but I’m still up in the air about the whole “Food Network” contest format change.
“BBQ Pitmasters is back with a whole new look and whole new format. The show now pits teams against each other in a series of challenges – all under fire to win the title of BBQ Pitmaster. The teams will have to impress an expert panel of judges who will pick apart each contestant as they vie for the grand prize.”
Watch the video trailer for the upcoming second season of BBQ Pitmasters on TLC, HERE.
Blackened BBQ Chicken and Asparagus
May 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
For dinner last night, I cooked some blackened BBQ chicken, asparagus spears and baked potatoes on the grill. The chicken was rubbed with a mixture of Yard Bird rub and my own mix of Cajun seasoning, then placed in on the grill over indirect heat for a little over an hour. Sauced and served.
The asparagus spears were lightly coated in Italian dressing before being placed on the grill to soften up and take on some smoky flavor from the cherry wood I added to the coals. The slow cooked chicken was excellent and the asparagus was some of the best I ever cooked
Cleaning The Grill
May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment
As a backyard chef, cleanliness is vital to the cooking efficiency and longevity of you grill. A clean grate is essential to keep you food from sticking. You wouldn’t use a dirty pan indoors, so why use a dirty grate outdoors. Here are some tips to cleaning you outdoor grill.
Cleaning the grate,
- Make sure the grill is hot, this helps loosen and burn off some of the stuck bits.
- Use the scraper end to get off the large bits.
- Then flip the brush over and hit the grate with wire end, being sure to put enough pressure so the metal bristles can loosen any stubborn leftovers.
- Use the side scraper to get those hard to reach pieces in between the grates.
- Lower or turn off the grill
- Finally with a vegetable oil soaked paper towel, wipe the grates clean or spray with a non-stick cooking spray.
- Your grill is now ready for your next grilling adventure.
Now that your grate is clean, you can wipe down the exterior with a grill cleaning solution or some all purpose kitchen cleaner.
If you are using charcoal, empty the ash pan after the grill has cooled off. Also if you grill has a grease trap be sure to empty it.
Pork & Brew BBQ State Championship in New Mexico
March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Made it out to the annual Pork and Brew state BBQ championship in Rio Rancho, NM. The BBQ contest in the only KCBS event in the state. Here are some pictures, my camera died just shortly after I arived at the event.
Reuben Sandwich 1
March 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Here are some pictures of my first attempt at a Reuben sandwich made with some of my homemade pastrami. My version includes homemade pastrami, fresh pumpernickel breed, Thousand Islands dressing, jack cheese (not a big fan of Swiss) and some organic sauerkraut.
BBQ Accessories: Rib-O-Lator For The UDS
March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I was on one of the BBQ forums, when I saw a picture of new Rib-O-Lator mounted on a ugly drum smoker. Come to find out the new model now fits 22 inch smokers and grills with no modifications. Impulse buy: 100$ bucks and one weeks later, look what came in the mail. I plan to build a foot long extension to mount on top the new UDS.
Homemade Pastrami Attempt 1
March 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
With St. Patrick’s day just past, I though I’d would try to make some homemade pastrami for the first time. Since store bought corned beef was on sale for the holiday, I picked up a couple of flats and gave it a go.
For the spice rub:
- 1 part ground black pepper
- 1 part ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 part onion powder
Cooking the pastrami in the smoker with some pecan wood for flavor,
- Rub the corned beef with the spice mixture let sit for 12 hr or more. (Mistake #1 – I neglected to let the rub sit on the meat for a extended period of time)
- Place on the smoker at low heat (225-250 F) cook till an internal temperature of 185F was reached.
- Let the pastrami rest for 10 min.
- Cut thin slices perpendicular to the grain of the meat and serve.
Mistake #2 – Used a whole new firebox in the old UDS, lets just say I was not the master of my pit on this day. Temps were way to hot, didn’t achieve the dark bark I was going for in the meat and ultimately finished it off in the oven (“Pit Masters” walk of shame).
The good news, even a sub-par homemade pastrami is far better then anything you get in the supermarket. Ruben sandwiches were made and the family was happy, life is good.
TLC’s BBQ Pitmasters Gets Picked Up For Second Season
March 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Riding on the success of season 1, show producer John Markus confirmed that TLC has decided to renew the bbq competition reality show for a second season. Auditions have begun, send a 5 minute file to bbqpitmasters@originalmedia.com or a DVD to:
Original Media
38 E. 29th St. 8th FL. NY, NY 10016.
Can’t wait for season 2! It should air this fall.