February 22, 2009

The Tools of the BBQ Trade - Char-Griller - A Good Cheap BBQ Grill and BBQ Smoker

Now I love Weber Grills as much as Heath, but I have been the proud owner for the last five years of a Char-Griller grill and smoker (http://www.chargriller.com/). This is a really great starter bbq grill and bbq smoker. I bought it for about $150 at Lowe's and have been very happy with the purchase. I always thought that I would upgrade, but my wife and friends always ask for seconds when I grill, so I figure I'd better not mess with success!

What I really like is that the folks at Char-Griller offer a wide selecton of add-ons and replacement parts. Any grill that gets used as much as mine is going to need things replaced, and they have everything you could possibly want! Char-Griller does it up right.

There are a wide range of grills out there - share with us your favorite grills! Please be sure to try our All American Spice Rub!

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February 21, 2009

Let's Meat On The Avenue Becomes First Pork Barrel BBQ Retail Outlet






We are pleased to announce that Let's Meat on the Avenue became Pork Barrel BBQ's first retail outlet in December. We are especially grateful to Let's Meat on the Avenue's owner, Steve Gatward, for taking a chance on Pork Barrel BBQ, an unknown quantity at the time he agreed to carry our All American Spice Rub.

Let's Meat on the Avenue is located in the heart of Del Ray in Alexandria, VA. Steve carries pasture-fed, free range and hormone-free meat and poultry raised locally in Fauquier County. Let Steve and the fine folks at Let's Meat on the Avenue become your neighborhood butcher.

Let's Meat on the Avenue
2403 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22336
(703) 836-6328
www.letsmeatontheavenue.com

Steve can be quite the character and is a lot of fun to talk to (As you can see from the photo!) and has an amazing selection of natural and organic meats - including beef, lamb, pork, chicken and even (coming soon) kangaroo!! He lived in Australia for almost 20 years and sells hamburgers and hot dogs from Greg Norman, a famous Australian golfer. As you can imagine, these items are a big hit with local golfers.

Next time you are in Del Ray, stop by Let's Meat on the Avenue and thank Steve for carrying Pork Barrel BBQ products and take home some of his natural and organic meats. Let's Meat on the Avenue is open Tuesday through Sunday and he's happy to take your special order and cut your order just the way you want it. Don't forget to visit Let's Meat on the Avenue on the Internet at www.letsmeatontheavenue.com.

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Pork Barrel BBQ Is Now Just A Twitter Away!

Pork Barrel BBQ is now twittering! If you are on twitter join our twitter feed to stay up to date with all the latest in Pork Barrel BBQ news!!! Go to http://www.twitter.com/ now and start following our twitter!!! We will update with our favorite BBQ recipes, and information on the top BBQ Grills, BBQ Smokers, Dry Rubs and BBQ sauces stay tuned at http://www.twitter.com/porkbarrelbbq!

Please be sure to try our All American Spice Rub!

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February 20, 2009

The Tools of the BBQ Trade - The Weber Kettle Grill


Today marks the first in a series of blog posts on "The Tools of the BBQ Trade!" The great thing about BBQ is you only need a few items to make great BBQ.

The most important tool in any griller's arsenal is their bbq grill. You can go fancy and spend thousands of dollars on a professional grade smoker that will allow you to cook for half the town or you can go simple and inexpensive and get the grill that will be as loyal to you as your dog - that grill is the Weber Kettle Grill by Weber.

In the early 1950's backyard griller George Stephen, Sr. was determined to build a grill that would enable him to cook year around in all kinds of weather. He was part owner of Weber Brothers Metal Works in Chicago who among other products made sheet metal buoys for use on Lake Michigan. Stephen cut one of these buoys in half and created a dome shaped grill with a round lid and the Weber Kettle Grill was born. His grill became such a hit that he formed a barbecue division of the Weber Brothers Metal Works and eventual bought the Weber Brothers factory focusing the company on producing and selling the Weber Kettle.

As a proud owner of several Weber Kettles I fully endorse it and encourage you to look into one for your next grill. It is simple to use and diverse in its functionality. Whether you are simply grilling hot dogs and burgers or smoking a brisket or turkey the Weber Kettle won't let you down. It comes in several sizes, but even the most common 18.5 and 22.5 inch surface area sized Kettle's can accommodate a meal for a small dinner party. The best part is all this versatility can be yours for under $100 and will last the most avid of BBQ'ers 10 good years. 10 bucks a year isn't bad for such an essential BBQ tool!

Check out the Weber site at http://www.weber.com/us/.

In future blog posts we'll give you some tips and hints on how to get the most out of your Weber Kettle Grill. Be sure to try out our All American Spice Rub!

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February 15, 2009

We Want To Hear From You BBQ Fans - What Do You Think Of Pork Barrel BBQ???

Over the past few months we've gotten a lot of comments and feedback from fans of our All American Rub on what they think of the product. We love hearing from you!!! This feedback is the best way for us to continue to improve our products and service. We want to hear from more of you so we can keep improving. We love BBQ, BBQ grills and BBQ smokers, dry rubs, spices - you name it - and we need your help to be the best we can be!

Let us know what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong!!!

Tell us how you are using the All American rub!!! You guys are so creative, much more creative than we could ever hope to be, and we want to share your ideas and recipes with all of our fans so they can bring your ideas onto their plates.

Post your ideas on what rubs you would like to see us offer in the future. Don't forget to cast your vote in our poll on the right side of the blog that asks which rub you'd like to be the second in the Pork Barrel family of rubs.

And of course, leave any other comments you would like us to see.

To leave a comment simply click on "Comment" at the bottom of this blog posting. We look forward to hearing from you!!!

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February 12, 2009

Best BBQ Joints in America - Gates BBQ (Gates Bar-B-Q)



Today we begin a regular feature where we highlight some of America's top BBQ Joints. In order to make this list a restaurant must only meet one criteria - have great BBQ!!

Today's Best BBQ Joint in America is Gates BBQ (they call it Gates Bar-B-Q) in Kansas City, Missouri. Gates is the first BBQ joint we highlight because it is my favorite. Having lived in Kansas City for a number of years I am confident that I put a few members of the Gates family through college with the amount of money that left my wallet in exchange for a Mixed Plate, Beef on Bun, or Burnt End Sandwich.

Gates began providing great BBQ and some of the best BBQ sauce in the world to Kansas City in 1946. Since its inception it has grown from a single restaurant in the early days to six restaurants throughout the Kansas City Metropolitan area today.

Since 1975 BBQ enthusiasts have been able to purchase Gates sauce in retail stores as well as the restaurants. My advice to you is this, if you see Gates sauce in your local store buy a few bottles - you won't be disappointed. I personally like the Extra-Hot, but all of their sauces will put a smile on your face.

If you're lucky enough to be in the Kansas City area find a Gates and go have lunch or dinner. In fact, if it weren't for the other amazing BBQ Joints in Kansas City you might want to have lunch and dinner there. Once your foot is in the door you'll be greeted by the familiar words "Hi, may I help you?" By all means let them help you to one of the best BBQ meals you'll have in your life.

My advice to first timers is to go for the Mixed Plate - on the menu it comes with beef brisket, ham, ribs, fries, white bread and pickles, but you can ask them to substitute the two meats with any of their meats. My personal favorite is double beef brisket, but you can also get turkey or pork. If you're not quite that hungry go for a sandwich - you won't be disappointed. As for sides I recommend the beans and thick cut fries. With all this being said, don't worry about what you order. Everything is great!!! We also love their blend of spices in their dry rub!

For more information about Gates check out their website at http://www.gatesbbq.com/.

If you've had the fortune to eat at Gates, let us know what you think with a Comment. Why do you love Gates? What is your favorite item on the menu? What is your favorite memory of eating at Gates? Any advice for a Gates rookie? Please be sure to try our All American Spice Rub!

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February 10, 2009

Pork Barrel BBQ Becomes Member of World Famous Kansas City Barbeque Society


Today, Pork Barrel BBQ is pleased to announce that we have become a member of the World Famous Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS). It seems fitting that our first official association with a BBQ organization would be the KCBS since our products are inspired by the history and tradition of Kansas City BBQ!

The KCBS was started in 1985 and now has more than 8,000 members worldwide and sanctions almost 300 BBQ contests and events each year. The Mission of the KCBS is to celebrate, teach, preserve, and promote barbecue as a culinary technique, sport and art form. We want barbecue to be recognized as America's Cuisine. For more information about the KCBS check out their website at http://www.kcbs.us/.

In the coming weeks look for several announcements regarding Pork Barrel BBQ's participation in several upcoming KCBS BBQ events. We are still not sure if we will use our Weber Kettle, our Char-Griller, or maybe even make a purchase of a new bbq smoker or bbq grill for the competitons - we will keep you posted. Please be sure to try some of our All American Spice Rub on your next bbq outing!

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February 8, 2009

Sawyer's BBQ Chicken Wings

Our first blog recipe comes from Brett Thompson - CEO and co-founder of Pork Barrel BBQ.

If you're looking to win friends and influence people Brett says you can't go wrong with a heaping plate full of Sawyer's BBQ Chicken Wings. Give this simple yet amazing recipe a try at your next football party or dinner for a quick and tasty meal - you'll be the most popular chef on the block. We plan to add a number of BBQ recipes that you can use in your bbq grill, bbq smoker and of course include some of out All American Spice Rub.

SAWYER'S CHICKEN WINGS

Preheat your oven or grill to 350 degrees. While the oven or grill is heating up wash and clean the chicken wings. Once the chicken wings are cleaned you can either leave them whole or cut them into two pieces at the joint. Place the chicken wings in a gallon sized Zip-Lock bag and add 3-4 tablespoons of Pork Barrel BBQ's All American Spice Rub. Once the chicken wings and rub are in the bag seal and shake the bag for 60 seconds to thoroughly coat the chicken wings with the rub.

For oven cooking - place the chicken wings on a cookie sheet and cook for 40-45 minutes, flipping the chicken wings halfway through the cooking process.

For grill cooking - place the chicken wings on the grill and cook for 35-40 minutes, flipping the chicken wings twice during the cooking process at 15 minutes and 30 minutes.

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February 7, 2009

Pork Barrel BBQ Announces Launch Of Pork Barrel BBQ Blog


Pork Barrel BBQ has only been around for several months, but it has already started to develop a loyal following. We thought it was time to provide our loyal fans with more information on our products so we decided to move into the 21st century with our very own blog - the Pork Barrel BBQ Blog.

The Pork Barrel BBQ Blog is where you'll be able to get all the latest news on Pork Barrel BBQ. Look for blog posts on the following and much more in the near future:
  • What our next dry rub will be and when it will be available.
  • Announcements of new locations where Pork Barrel BBQ can be purchased.
  • A listing of the local festivals and BBQ contests Pork Barrel BBQ will be participating in this year.
  • A list of the farmers markets you'll be able to get Pork Barrel BBQ at this summer.
  • Ideas of how fellow Pork Barrel BBQ rub enthusiasts are using the rub - complete with recipes.
  • General BBQ and cooking information.
  • Guest posts from Pork Barrel BBQ supporters, local BBQ'ers and chefs, political officials and commentators, food bloggers, and many others.
We hope you enjoy the Pork Barrel BBQ Blog and welcome your comments and contributions and always remember whatever your political party, we can all agree on the value of great barbecue. We hope our products bring bipartisan flavor to your meals!

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