Barbecue News

The Feedbag is reporting that one of New York's top barbecue joints, Hill Country is expanding to Washington DC AND that Robbie Richter, formerly of Hill Country, is finally about ready to open the doors at Zak Pelaccio's Fatty ‘Cue in Brooklyn. Look for an August opening.

Read all about it over at The Feedbag

Photo by: Josh Ozersky, Patrick McMullan

Learn From The Best

I Smell Smoke will be holding a 1 day demo style competition BBQ class in Keene NH on August 1st. Cost is $200 per person and $125 for a spouse. Email ismellsmoke@verizon.net for more info

BBQ Is Back On The Street

Wildwood Barbeque on the Street July 11th!

Don’t miss the chance to have Wildwood Barbeque during Park Avenue South's street fair on Saturday, July 11th and join us for $8 Spare Ribs and $6 Pulled Pork Sandwiches or get out of the heat and enjoy a $3 mug of Cold Ass Beer at the bar.

There's Fungus Among Us

I'm tired of rain. Every day rain. Mushrooms are shooting up all over the neighborhood. Almost 20 years in Brooklyn and I've never seen this before.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Grilled Clams

I don't usually embed videos from TV Chefs, but I made this and a nice green salad today for lunch.. Damn it was good. Got it done just before the rain set in. Enjoy.

BBQ Sauce

Let's get this out of the way, barbecue is not sauce. Barbecue is a method of slow cooking meat over low heat and smoke. You can't put "barbecue" sauce on a carrot and call it Barbecue. The sauce is just a condiment on hopefully good meat.

That being said, let's talk a little about barbecue sauce. Most Americans prefer their barbecue to be accented with some sort of barbecue sauce. According to The Praxi Group: Beef Flavor Preference Study, October 2005; funded by The Beef Checkoff, 45% of Americans want barbecue sauce on their beef.

So what's the flavor break down of the barbecue sauces?

• 31% of us want it to be smoky/hickory flavored
  
• 32% want it to be sweet (Preferred by Caucasians, women and those in North, Central and the South)
• 22% want a hot/spicy sauce (Preferred by consumers 18 to 34, Asians, Hispanics, African Americans and men)
  
• 13% want a tangy or vinegary sauce (Preferred by Caucasians, and consumers 55 and up)
  

Bon Appetit's Top 10 BBQ Joints

If you don't want to get out the grill and smoke up your yard, here are 10 restaurants recommended for their barbecue by Bon Appetit magazine's July issue.

1. Stacy's Smokehouse BBQ in Phoenix at 1650 E. Indian School Road
2. Bulldog Barbecue in North Miami at 15400 Biscayne Blvd.
3. Rolling Bones BBQ in Atlanta at 377 Edgewood Ave., SE
4. The Joint in New Orleans at 801 Poland Ave.
5. Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, Mich., at 2501 Jackson Ave.
6. Fette Sau in Brooklyn, N.Y., at 354 Metropolitan Ave. in Williamsburg
7. Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Mass., at 244 Huron Ave.
8. Slows Bar BQ in Detroit at 2138 Michigan Ave.
9. The Pit in Raleigh, N.C., at 328 W. Davie St.
10. Martin's Bar-b-que Joint in Nolensville, Tenn., at 7215 Nolensville Road.

There you have it folks, BBQ from the folks at Bon Appetit.

Nothing in Texas? South Carolina? Alabama? There's some great names on their list, but some leave me scratching my head. Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge isn't even listed on Pig Trip which is the definitive guide to barbecue restaurants in Massachusetts and their website doesn't even mention barbeque. Get real here.

I wonder what the criteria was for their selections. Personally, I don't think that Fette Sau belongs on this list, you can do much better in NYC, even in Brooklyn. Where did they find some of these folks? C'mon folks.

Brother Jimmy's

On the Upper West Side.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Father's Day Mugs

Thanks to all of you who joined in the MUG® Root Beer Father’s Day Brew-B-Q kit give away. I've randomly selected five stories to share. Happy Father's Day everyone!

Paul Brown says...

My memories of Dad's BBQ are limited to hot dogs. They were a treat when you are a kid. Later, as an adult, I would barbeque the Thanksgiving Turkey. My father would go on an on about how moist and flavorful it turned out. I became the designated Thanksgiving turkey cooker. My father has been gone for awhile. On Thanksgiving, when I barbeque the bird, memories of my Dad complimenting me, puts a smile on my face.

Larry Gober remembers...

The only Dads BBQ story I have is he made me do all the BBQ'ing. He hated to cook but loved to eat steaks. So he would go over to Urquart's Market and pick up some thick bone in rib eyes and then I would have to cook them. Of course it made me a better cook and I am grateful to this day for what he made me learn how to do.

Oh, sorry, i just had a good memory moment. Sigh.

Eric Johnson has a poignant tale...

I'm an orphan and don’t know my dad, thought it was Mike Mills; wrong. Then I thought about Johnny Trigg; wrong again. Maybe it's Rod Grey; no, too young. It had to be Paul Kirk; nope Billy’s his kid I'm not.

I found the light at the 2009 BBQ Block Party; my dad is Ed Mitchell.

That’s my story and I hope I win.

William Bilancio has this story...

One summer my parents and I went with 6 other couples to spend a week in Montauk. Well on the night that watching the kids fell to my parents my dad had decided to make burgers for all of us. So he went out and bought an hibachi grill and the makings for the burgers. He also stopped and got a bottle of jug wine. After getting back to the house he got the fire started and a glass of wine. Then he started getting the burgers made and had another glass or 2 of wine. When the fire was ready he headed out with the burgers and put them on the grill and proceeded to have a few more glasses of wine.

So when he finally came with the burgers and served them up one side was as hard as a Charcoal Briquette and the other side was raw...thus we now make sure when dad is going to make burgers for us he isn't going to make Montauk burgers.

Last year he was working the grill at his nephews wedding and wandered away to talk to family....while he was away the vegetables he was grilling ignited in to a nice blaze of glory. Luckily I was near by and put out the fire....I ended up doing the rest of the cooking that night. Now don't get me wrong when my dad is focused on the grilling at hand he does a great job it's when he has had a few to many glasses of wine or there is a distraction that things go wrong.

And last but not least, Chris Valentine tells the story of Dad and his Weber....

Dad will always use a Weber Kettle. As red as the coals inside.

Dad will always use way too much lighter fluid to get the coals started. A chimney is still something attached to a fireplace.

Dad will always use red meat. Unseasoned. Salt is for sprinkling in beer.

Dad will always mash the burgers on the grate to get every last bit of grease (and flavor) out of them. That will, of course, always make them cook faster.

I will always come running whenever invited for a cook-out at dad's place.

Happy Father’s Day!

Great stories guys. Thanks for sharing. Keep an eye out for your MUG cooler.

Dad and His Mug

Sorry for the break boys and girls, but as much as I try to avoid it, life does get in the way of the "Q".

I'm back and the fine folks from MUG® Root Beer and I are offering five lucky people a chance at receiving a Father’s Day Brew-B-Q kit. Each kit includes a MUG® themed cooler, apron and all the ingredients to make MUG® Root Beer Southern Specialty Brew-B-Q Sauce. And heck, since it's Father's Day, I'll even include the recipe.

All you have to do is send me a brief email at BrooklynQ@gmail.com with your favorite story about Dad and his grill and why you or your dad deserves the kit. My favorite story about my father at the grill is the time the food came out so smokey, even the dog wouldn't touch it!

The top five emails chosen will receive direct from MUG®, the Brew-B-Q kit. So get typing and get those stories to me. Be sure to include your name and your address. Feel free to include a small jpeg picture of you, your father, or you and dad together.

The winners will be announced here on Father’s Day. Deadline for entries is Saturday, June 20, 2009 at high noon, Eastern Daylight time.

Five Books for Father's Day

Barnes and Noble suggests that you give your backyard grillin' ol' dad a new cookbook for Father's Day this year. It's not a bad idea if dad is into cookbooks, but if he's like most of us guys, he won't follow the directions! I know I rarely do. Recipes are for inspiration, not copying.

Here's the five they are recommending...

First up is Smoke and Spice. BUY THIS BOOK. It's great and is one of the books that inspired me to begin cooking real barbecue.

How to Grill. Another great book and one of the first grilling books that I took seriously.

Let the Flames Begin. What can I say about this classic by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby, William Meppem and John Burgoyne? This book is so good that it was reissued in 2002.

Mario Batali's Italian Grill. Sorry folks. I don't have this one yet, so I can't comment.

And finally, Boy Meets Grill. I think this is Bobby Flay's first cookbook and it's pretty good. It's a bit dated now, but still a good read. This one is probably the weakest of their recommendations. I'd go with any of the others, or one of Bobby's newer books before buying this.

The Big Apple BBQ Block Party

My daughter and I attended the block party on Sunday. We met up with Nancee and Greg from Purple Turtle Caterering (easily one of the best caterers in Connecticut, if you're looking) and braved the outrageous crowds to get some pretty mediocre food. There's just no way that these BBQ champions can serve 10,000 plates a day and it still be good.

Here's my daughter with the legendary Mike Mills from the 17th Street Bar and Grill, who's ribs were the best BBQ we had all day.

Meet the Iowa Pork Princesses who got their hands on the Pickled Pig...

Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ, was giving a demo of this tropical pork chop sandwich. Pretty good stuff, actually this was the best meat of the day even if it wasn't barbecue, and it's always great to see the good Dr.
The crowds were outrageous, but that's par for the course. I don't think the crowds reached the 150,000 projected, but it was very tight.

Even the squirrels were into BBQ yesterday. I didn't know that they ate meat.

Be sure to check out Smoke In Da' Eye for some outstanding videos and interviews with the pit masters from Friday night. Great stuff Clint!

More from the Big Apple BBQ Block Party

Sneak Peak - The Big Apple BBQ Block Party

I went over tonight and wondered around the Big Apple BBQ Block Party and shot the shit with some of the pitmasters. First up, and rightly so, is the legendary Mike Mills.

Here's me and Mike and then Clint from Smoke in da Eye joins in...

Chris Lilly from Big Bob Gibson's...

Bob Devine from Brother Jimmy's...

And last, but by no means least, Ed Mitchel from The Pit...

See you all at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party!

The Big Apple BBQ Block Party

It's that time of year again. This weekend is the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party! If you've never been, go. They expect 150,000 attendees this year, so be prepared for the crowds. I'm gonna check out the out of towners. Don't waste your time waiting for the local cooks. You can always visit their joints later.

The Big Apple Block Party, Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 14. 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM each day. Madison Square Park, New York, New York.

Take a look at the list of who's who in barbecue that will be there...

Ken Callaghan

Blue Smoke
New York, NY
Kansas City Ribs & Pickled Okra

Pete Daversa

Hill Country
New York, NY
Beef Brisket & Cool as a Cucumber Salad

Joe Duncan

Baker’s Ribs
Dallas, TX
St. Louis-Style Ribs & Jalapeno Coleslaw

Jimmy Hagood

BlackJack BBQ
Charleston, SC
Pulled Pork Shoulder & Coleslaw

Chris Lilly

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q
Decatur, AL
Pulled Pork Shoulder & Crisp Spicy Southern Mustard Coleslaw

Patrick Martin

Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint
Nashville, TN
Western Tennessee-Style Whole Hog with Sweet Pickles

Mike Mills

17th Street Bar & Grill
Murphysboro, IL
Memphis Championship Barbecue
Las Vegas, NV
Baby Back Ribs & Beans

Ed Mitchell

The Pit
Raleigh, NC
Whole Hog & Coleslaw

Garry Roark

Ubon’s “Champion’s Choice”
Yazoo, MS
Pulled Pork Shoulder & Coleslaw

Drew Robinson

Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q
Birmingham, AL
Homemade Smoked Sausage with Pimento Cheese & Saltines

Michael Rodriguez

The Salt Lick BBQ
Driftwood, TX
Beef Brisket, Sausage & Coleslaw

John Stage

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
New York, NY
Pulled Pork Shoulder & Beans

Skip Steele

Pappy’s Smokehouse
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis-Style Ribs & Beans

John Wheeler

Rack & Soul
New York, NY
Baby Back Ribs & Beans

Ed Wilson

Wilson’s Barbeque
Fairfield, CT
Texas Style Brisket & Coleslaw

Recession Savings

Things must be tough if a barbecue restaurant is reducing prices just as the barbecue eating season is heating up. This special is happening at Southern Hospitality, the Jason Timberlake, not Justin Timberlake and Dr. BBQ joint up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Check it out.

Tools of the Trade

Some tools of the trade. Fancy ones at that. These are mostly useless, but the basket is great.

My New Favorite Spice

OK, I know it's not a spice. It's a spice blend or maybe you could call it a rub. Oh, but what spice blend this is.

McCormick Spices Worcestershire Ground Black Pepper Blend.

I've been using this stuff for the past couple of weeks wherever I'd use Worcestershire sauce. I'm very very happy with it.

I bought mine at the local Stop and Shop, but according to the McCormick website, it is available nation wide. Try it out!

Book Review: She Smoke

She-Smoke
A Backyard Barbecue Book
Julie Reinhardt, Co-owner of Smokin' Pete's BBQ, a Seattle joint.
Seal Press

A couple of posts back, I mentioned that I was reading She-Smoke by Julie Reinhardt. This is a great, cheap ($16.95), educational and fun little book. Julie provides a great introduction to barbecue and grilling for beginners, but adds enough expertise to intrigue the expert.

Ms. Reinhardt goes over just about every type of grill and smoker available on the US market and she provides detailed instructions on how to use them. There are recipes galore from Tuscan Grilled and Smoked Turkey Legs to Burnt Ends to Not Your Mama's Smoked Meatloaf to Smoked Cheese to Polenta Stuffed Cornish Game Hen and Mushroom Gravy.

I recommend this book highly. One caveat, this book is written with women as its target audience and that becomes a tad annoying in the narrative. I get it Julie. Women can cook barbecue.

But I was destined to enjoy this book. It just happened that the supermarket had Cornish game hens on sale for 99 cents a pound and I picked up a roll of polenta on our last trip. These are not on our usual shopping list, but I was/am in the mood to change up some of our standard meals.

When we got home that night and unpacked the groceries, sat down and picked up She-Smoke and the first recipe it opened to was for Polenta Stuffed Cornish Game Hens and Mushroom Gravy. Was someone trying to tell me something? So the next day Polenta Stuffed Cornish Game Hens were on the menu!

Here's Julie's Recipe...

Smoked Cornish Game Hen with Polenta Stuffing and Mushroom Gravy
Serves 4

Cooking Method: Indirect-Medium
Ingredients:

• 4 Cornish game hens (1 per person)

Rub

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon Kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh savory

Polenta Stuffing

• 1 cup milk, 1 cup chicken stock or broth, 1 cup polenta, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon chopped savory (may also substitute sage or rosemary)

Mushroom Gravy

• 2 cups chicken stock, heated, 16 medium mushrooms, sliced, 6 tablespoons butter divided, 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Best Equipment: Any charcoal, electric or gas grill or smoker
Preferred Wood: Maple or pecan
Step by Step:

1. Make the polenta stuffing: Bring milk and chicken stock to a low boil and slowly add the polenta while stirring. Stir and cook for 20 minutes. Add salt and savory. Take off heat and put aside.
2. Rinse hens thoroughly and pat dry. Rub olive oil, salt, pepper and savoy on outside and inside cavity. Spoon in approximately 1 cup of polenta per bird. Set aside while you make you fire.
3. Make fire for indirect medium heat and "get your smoke on." Place hens breast side down directly on grill and close lid. Leave them for 40 minutes.
4. Make mushroom gravy: While the hens are cooking, heat 2 cups of chicken stock on low heat in a separate pan. on medium-high heat, saute mushrooms in 4 tablespoons butter until brown. Add flour and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so as not to burn. Stir in 2 tablespoons additional butter, Slowly pour heated chicken stock while stirring. Reduce the gravy while stirring until it thickens.
5. When the hens are cooked, remove hens and rest meat for 15 minutes before serving.

This was a good meal, even if my daughter wouldn't eat "baby chickens." Enjoy!

Breaking News....

Police: Man Breaks Into House; Steals Money, BBQ

WILTON, N.H. -- Police in Wilton said a 47-year-old man broke into a home and took money along with food that was cooking on a barbecue grill.

Wilton Police Department

Police said Harold Sherman, of Wilton, broke into the home on Intervale Road at about 1 a.m. Monday.

A resident confronted Sherman as he was leaving the residence.

Police said Sherman fled, taking with him a small amount of cash and some food that was being cooked on a barbecue grill.

Sherman was charged with burglary and held on $10,000 bail.

This man should be executed!

Baby Chickens

Them's good eating. At least they will be. Full post tomorrow

Happy Birthday WhiteTrash BBQ

Today marks the fifth anniversary of my first post on WhiteTrash BBQ.

Wow. Time flies.

I'm not in a reflective mood as I write this, so I'll just mark this anniversary with the notice of its passing. Much has changed in five years, much hasn't. Am I where I want to be? No. Am I satisfied? No. But as the song goes, I can't get no.

Happy Birthday WhiteTrash BBQ.

There's Magic In The Night

A little night action. Keep the home fires burning.

You Kill It -- We Grill It

From AmericanMuscle.com, the "You Kill It, We Grill It Barbecue Cook Off Contest. Click on the picture above for details.

Going Down on Daisy

Yesterday I picked up a copy of Adam Perry Lang's new cookbook Serious Barbecue. This is an outstanding book and a review will be coming toot sweet, but not today. Today I have a different story to tell.

After leaving the book store, I high tailed it down to Daisy May's (Adam Perry Lang's NYC BBQ joint) with the hope that Adam would be there and I could get him to autograph it for me. I knew it was a long shot, but I figured what the hell. The least I'd get out of it was a good meal.

Daisy May's is probably the barbecue restaurant I frequent most. The place is a glorified take out joint which works very well for me in my life as a consultant. I can usually find a parking spot right in front, get my food and get on my way. Going to Daisy May's doesn't require the same time commitment a visit to a sit down joint. It suits me just fine.

When I arrived last night, at about 7 pm, I ordered my food, paid and asked the cashier if Adam was there explaining that I wanted to get his autograph. The cashier asked if I had called first. I told her no, but was hoping to catch Adam. She laughed and said "Adam's never here."

As I was waiting for my food, I started to think about the last time I saw Adam at the restaurant. I consider Adam a friend and every time I'm at Daisy May's I ask for him. About a year ago, I was told by the cashier that "Adam is never here after 5:00pm." OK, makes sense. He's a family guy with two young children. He needs to be home.

About 6 months ago I was told Adam was only there "occasionally." I started hearing rumors that Adam was no longer involved in Daisy May's, but Adam reassured me that he was still at the helm and at Daisy May's "all the time." I still wondered as more stories appeared about Adam working with Mario Batali in Vegas, working with Jamie Oliver in London and working on his book. Had Adam lost interest in Daisy May's?

About 4 months ago, I noticed that the place had become inconsistent in its food. Some visits were outstanding, others, well not so much. Unfortunately, this isn't too uncommon when it comes to barbecue places, but it appeared that Daisy May's was slipping. A couple of months ago, I brought my wife, daughter and two of her friends to Daisy Mays for lunch. Something was definitely off; cold food, burnt ribs, everything over salted. About the same time, I sent a friend and his wife there for dinner. They weren't happy.

Last night, since I had time to sit down, I ordered the brisket plate with baked beans and macaroni and cheese, (8oz of chopped brisket and two sides for $14.) and a quart of sweet tea ($4). The tea as always was fantastic, minty with just the right sweetness. The brisket was horrendous, overly sweet and mostly chunks of fat. The beans which claim to be made with burnt ends, were also studded with these same chunks of fat. The macaroni and cheese was so over cooked that it could have easily passed for mush. Diners on both sides of me were complaining to each other that they hadn't gotten what was ordered.

I'm glad that this wasn't my first visit to Daisy May's because it would have been my last.

It pains me to write this review, as I mentioned, I consider Adam a friend. But when I started this blog I told myself I'd report the good and bad and let the chips fall where they may. Adam agreed with that philosophy back then, I hope he still does.

C'mon home Adam. Daisy needs her man.



Photgraph of Daisy May's BBQ courtesy of Pig Trip and used with permission. Use of this photograph does not imply that Pig Trip shares my opinions of Daisy May's. For their review of Daisy May's please click here.

She Smoke: The Contest

I mentioned in a previous post that I was caught up reading the new cookbook by Julie Reinhardt, She Smoke. Well a review is forthcoming, but I just want to let everyone know that Julie is running a contest where each winner will receive a signed copy of She-Smoke: A Backyard Barbecue Book.

Grand Prize winner will receive a "Junior" Traeger grill ($399 value).

Here's the lowdown on how to get your paws on the grill....

She-Smoke: Contest!
May 15th — July 7, 2009

Help us create the largest virtual barbecue in the world while raising money for Heifer Int’l to end hunger!

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:

1. See the contest trailer.
2. Have a barbecue party and video tape it.
3. In your 1-3 minute video tell us what you are smoking or grilling, and what barbecue means to you.
4. Upload your video to YouTube in response to this trailer.
5. For every entry, we will donate $1 to Heifer, Int’l.
6. By July 15th, winners will be announced for the following categories:

• Most appetizing looking ‘cue
• Best video
• Best party
• Most interesting smoker
• Best overall entry/Grand Champ

You can enter the contest here. Good luck!

When One Door Closes Another Opens

In my in-box today I received a distressing message; Manny and Lisa have decided to pull the plug on the production of Pit Bull Hot Sauce. Pit Bull is my absolutely favorite hot sauce and I really hate to see it disappear.

But like I said, when one door closes another opens and Manny and Lisa are looking for someone to take over the company. Here's a portion of their message...

"That's right Fans...we're closing up our Business. This summer...will be your last chance to order Pit Bull Hot Sauce from us. After 7 years of Fun and Tons of Enjoyment... we've decided to close our company. It's been a "Labor of Love"...but Pit Bull Hot Sauce has gotten too big for us to manufacture and sell. It's time to give it to someone else who can take it to the next level. We're looking for the right buyer...who will continue what we've begun. If you know of anyone...please send them our way..."

So, I'm sending people their way. If you are interested in taking over production and marketing of what is the best hot sauce out there, drop Manny an email. If you're like me and just need to stock up before it's all gone visit the website here.

Dog Days

More Royal Oak Lump in Bk
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Eat At Joe's Gets Some Love

My buddy Joe, the owner and pitmaster at Arizona's top barbecue joint, Eat at Joe's BBQ located almost exactly halfway between Phoenix and Las Vegas on State Highway 93 in Wikieup, Arizona tells me that his place will be featured in an upcoming episode of Arizona Highways TV.

I remember my father subscribing to the magazine when I was a kid but I didn't know that they had a TV station as well. Arizona is a beautiful place which everyone should experience at least once in their life. The majesty of the grand canyon and the painted desert just don't translate to film or television.

And since you're going to Arizona, be sure to stop in at Eat At Joe's. You'll want food as good and beautiful as your surroundings. Tell 'em WhiteTrash sent you! As for me, well, I'm looking forward to seeing the show. I'll post when it's available.

Fire Safety

I found this over at Think Geek...

"Some statistics for you on death by barbecue from the National Safety Council (for humans... for cows it's much higher). Your one-year odds of death from a controlled fire not in building or structure are 1 in 6,117,851, which means you're slightly more likely to die from contact with hornets, wasps and bees (1 in 5,647,247). If the barbecue gets really out of hand, your one-year odds of dying in an uncontrolled fire not in a building or structure are 1 in 7,936,671, slightly greater than your odds of dying in an earthquake or other earth movements (1 in 9,788,561). What does all this mean? Be careful."