Showing posts with label spices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spices. Show all posts
August 3, 2009
Pork Barrel BBQ Passes 15,000 Followers on Twitter
We're proud of many of our accomplishments at Pork Barrel BBQ, but one that sticks out to us is the success we've had on Twitter. In the 5 months we've been on Twitter we've been able to build a loyal following and are proud to announce that we've passed 15,000 followers and are well on our way to 16,000. If you're not following us on Twitter please go to http://twitter.com/porkbarrelbbq and follow us. We post a lot of our breaking news on Twitter first and frequent coupons for discounts on our products.
July 27, 2009
Websites and Blogs About Food That You Should Bookmark - www.CookManFood.com
If you've got a few extra minutes and your looking for a great food site surf on over to our friends Cook Man Food from Durango, Colorado at CookManFood.com. The guys were kind enough to post several blog posts featuring our All American Spice Rub. Check out post 1 and post 2 while you're checking out their excellent food blog.
Here is the Mission Statement of Cook Man Food -
Here is the Mission Statement of Cook Man Food -
Mission Statement – Good food, good friends, a good drunken story, that is how we want everyone to live. It could be the guys getting together for a football game and enjoying the latest twist on a Turducken, it could be climbing a few 14,000 foot peaks over a weekend and eating bacon wrapped elk bundles stuffed with cheese and mushrooms. There are many trips and places where the man food philosophy comes into play. This site will help you learn better ways of cooking other than your noodles with ketchup or your fast food no flavor crap. We all eat three meals a day (sometimes five) we might as well enjoy them all to the fullest. This site will help teach the trade and craft to do that with ease
Now that's a Mission Statement we can follow!
June 29, 2009
Pork Barrel BBQ Wins Big at Safeway National Capital BBQ Battle
We are proud to report that our mission of bringing championship BBQ into the backyards of all Americans took a big leap forward this weekend! We entered our first ever BBQ competition, and decided to try out our rub against some of the biggest and best BBQ'ers in the nation at the Safeway National Capital BBQ Battle - out of over 50 teams, we took 2nd place in the Best BBQ Sauce in the Nation competition and 4th Place for our Pork Shoulder covered in our All American Spice Rub:
We want to send special thanks to our family and friends who came to visit us and eat free BBQ. A special shout out goes to Rex with SavoryReviews.com:
And a HUGE thanks to Heath's parents for travelling from Jefferson City, Missouri and helping us out all weekend:
And here's the Pork Barrel BBQ family!
We stayed true to our backyard roots and cooked all our food on the Weber Smokey Mountain Cookers and only used our All American Spice Rub:
Here's our pork shoulder getting going:
And here's the finished product:
Here's of shot of Heath and his amazing brisket (look at that smoke ring)!
We had an amazing time and learned a lot from the great BBQ talent that was competing - thanks again to Safeway for hosting such a great event in Washington DC!
June 26, 2009
Pork Barrel BBQ on WFNR 1500
Heath got up early this morning to be on WFNR 1500 to talk about Pork Barrel BBQ and the 17th Annual Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle that we will compete in over the weekend.
Check out the interview at www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=15&sid=1705339.
If you are looking for something to do this weekend come on down to Pennsylvania Ave., NW between 9th and 14th Street and check us out in our first competition. The Battle runs from 11:00 to 9:00 on Saturday and 11:00 to 7:00 on Sunday.
We hope to see you there!!!!
June 13, 2009
Pork Barrel BBQ to Participate in Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival at the National Harbor
Pork Barrel BBQ will be participating in Beer, Bourbon & BBQ next Saturday, June 20, at the National Harbor just outside of Washington, DC from Noon to 6:00p.m. The event promises 60 beers, 40 bourbons & lots of BBQ so we can't think of a reason you shouldn't head down and enjoy the day with us.
The website for the event says:
In addition to beer, bourbon, BBQ and live music there will be a mechanical bull at the show, a demonstration stage, the Ms. Bar-B-Q-Babe Contest and the World BBQ Bean Eating Championship - who wouldn't want to see that?
Admission is $50 for VIP Tasting Glasses valid from Noon to 6:00pm; $30 for Regular Tasting Glasses valid from 2:00pm to 6:00pm; Designated Driver Tickets are $20 and kids 12 and under are FREE.
Come on down and see Pork Barrel BBQ at this years Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival at National Harbor!!
Know Your Pork - Heritage Breeds of Pigs
We're pretty crazy about our Pork at Pork Barrel BBQ and we thought it might be interesting to give you a quick run down on some of the breeds of heritage pork that is available today.
Berkshire - The most popular breed of heritage pork is the Berkshire from England. The Berkshire is known for its sweet and well marbled flesh.
Duroc - A local favorite in the eastern United States, the Duroc provides juicy and full flavored meat.
Ossabaw - The Ossabaw is a feral bread of hog that comes from Ossabaw Island, Georgia. The bonus with this hog, whose meat is a bit gamy in flavor, is that it is packed with monounsaturated fat.
Red Wattle - The Red Wattle is a rare pig that comes from the South Pacific island of New Caledonia. This hog has a good meat to fat ratio that makes it great for curred meats and salumi (and who doesn't like good salumi?).
Tamworth - The Tamworth, another heritage breed from England, is also great for curred meats and sausages. Maybe most importantly, this breed is said to make the best bacon of any hog variety.
You most likely won't find these variates in your local grocery store or butcher shops, but thanks to the Internet you can order them online.
Check out the following websites for more information and to order these and other heritage breeds of pork.
Flying Pigs Farm - www.flyingpigsfarm.com
Heritage Foods USA - www.heritagefoodsusa.com
Heritage Pork - www.heritagepork.com
Preferred Meats - www.preferredmeats.com
June 3, 2009
Recipe - Pork Barrel BBQ's All American Spice Rub Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille
All American Spice Rub Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille
2 zucchini squash, cut into quarters lengthwise
2 yellow squash, cut into quarters lengthwise
2 eggplants, cut into ½ inch think rounds
2 red onions, cut into ½ inch think rounds
4 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange, & 1 green), stemmed, seeded and cut into quarters
2 pints Baby Bella mushrooms
1 pint cherry tomatoes , left whole
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons Pork Barrel BBQ’s All American Spice Rub
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Preheat your grill to a medium-high temperature. We prefer charcoal, but you can also use a gas grill. Place all of your cut vegetables and the mushrooms and tomatoes in a large bowl and pour the ½ cup of olive oil over the vegetables (toss and coat thoroughly). Season vegetables with Pork Barrel BBQ’s All American Spice Rub (toss and coat thoroughly). Place vegetables on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side (tomatoes should be removed when you turn the vegetables over). On a cutting board coarsely chop your vegetables and move them to a large serving bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano and basil to the grilled vegetables in the serving bowl and gently mix together. Serve at room temperature.
May 29, 2009
Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker - First Smoking Session
Setting up the new Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker was a lot of fun, but we knew the real fun wouldn't start until until we were able put some meat in the smoker and invite some friends over to taste the end product. We had heard and read all kinds of great reviews about the Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker, but being from the Show-Me State we decided it was time for the smoker to "Show Us" what it had and that is exactly what it did over the Memorial Day weekend.
At 8:00 a.m. on Sunday I started the charcoal and began to settle in for a long day of smoking. I started the process by filling my Weber Charcoal Chimney up with Cowboy Hardwood Charcoal and let the coals get nice and hot.
Once the coals were fired up and ready to go I dumped them in to the bottom of the smoker.
Next, I poured the remainder of the bag of charcoal onto the lit coals - this provided enough fuel for about 7 hours of smoking.
After all of the charcoal was on the smoker I placed 7 good sized chunks of Hickory onto the coals for smoking. I normally like to do a mix of hickory and oak, but I was out of oak.
After all of the fuel was in the smoker and ready to go I placed the body of the smoker on the base and installed the water pan. I filled the water pan with 6 cans of Bud Light.
While the charcoal in the chimney was lighting I rubbed a pork shoulder (on both sides) with extra virgin olive oil and Pork Barrel BBQ's All American Spice Rub - the best all-purpose dry rub around.
At 8:30 a.m. the coals were ready, the hickory was on and the water pan was filled with beer and we were ready to start smoking. I placed the first grill rack into the smoker and placed the pork shoulder onto it.
While the pork shoulder was beginning to smoke I applied extra virgin olive oil and Pork Barrel BBQ's All American Spice Rub dry rub to a brisket in the same fashion as I had done with the pork shoulder.
At 10:00 a.m. I placed the brisket in to the smoker on the same rack as the pork shoulder. The picture below is of the brisket just being put onto the grill rack and the pork shoulder after 1.5 hours inside the smoker.
While the pork shoulder and brisket were smoking I cleaned two racks of ribs - make sure you take the membrane off of the ribs before you cook them!!! I applied extra virgin olive oil and Pork Barrel BBQ's All American Spice Rub dry rub to the ribs and let them set for about 30 minutes.
At 11:30 a.m. I placed the second grill rack in to the smoker and placed my rib rack on the grill. I then placed my two racks of ribs in the rib rack.
Finally, I prepared a whole chicken in the same fashion as the other meats (extra virgin olive oil and Pork Barrel BBQ's All American Spice Rub dry rub). The chicken went on the grill at 2:30 p.m.
Here is the final product - ribs and pulled pork!!
More of the final product - chicken and brisket (notice the nice smoke ring on the brisket).
Heath and the final meal - smoked pulled pork, smoked brisket, smoked ribs, smoked turkey, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, salad and some nice bread - a great meal that was shared with some great friends!!
After our first use of the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker I must say that the smoker lived up to the reviews - she worked like a charm. We can't wait to get our two Smokey Mountain Cooker's out on the Competitive BBQ circuit this year!
We'll keep you posted on all of her stories as she produces some of the best BBQ you'll ever have.Don't forget to visit us on the web at www.porkbarrelbbq.com!!
May 27, 2009
Pork Barrel BBQ State Capitol Buildings and Governor Mansions Challenge - Missouri
Pork Barrel BBQ is attempting to get pictures of our dry rub tins in front of all 50 State Capitols and Governor Mansions. In order to do this we need your help!! Summer vacations are a great way to help us complete this challenge so don't forget to take a tine of our All American Spice Rub with you if you plan to visit any of our 50 great state capitol cities this summer.
Our first submission comes from our home state - the great state of Missouri. Above is the state capitol and to the right is the Governor's Mansion with Pork Barrel BBQ's All American Spice Rub.
Don't forget to visit us at our website - www.porkbarrelbbq.com - and pick up some of our dry rub.
It is barbecue season and nothing makes your meal taste better than our All American dry rub! E-mail us your pictures at porkbarrelbbq@gmail.com!
Don't forget to visit us at our website - www.porkbarrelbbq.com - and pick up some of our dry rub.
It is barbecue season and nothing makes your meal taste better than our All American dry rub! E-mail us your pictures at porkbarrelbbq@gmail.com!
May 25, 2009
Pork Barrel BBQ Was a Donor at the 2009 Taste of the South Charity Gala Held in Washington, DC on May 16
On Saturday, May 16 Pork Barrel BBQ donated our Pork Barrel BBQ All American Dry Rub to the 27th annual Taste of the South charity gala held at the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C. (We were very excited to see our name just to the right of one of our favorite BBQ joints - Gates BBQ from Kansas City, MO.) This year's featured charity was the Magnolia Speech School of Mississippi, a private, nonprofit, oral education program for children with hearing loss and language disorders. Additionally, a small portion of the funds raised went to Jubilee Jobs, a Washington, D.C. based charity that provides support for disadvantaged job-seekers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Taste of the South was a great time for all that attended, even though it felt like it was 100 degrees inside the D.C. Armory. We are already looking forward to next years Taste of the South and the chance to help some worthy charities.
In addition to giving back to the community Pork Barrel BBQ used this opportunity to unveil our new label on the sample bags of our All American Spice Rub. Here's what they look like up close. Let us know what you think of the new look and don't forget to visit us www.porkbarrelbbq.com!
May 22, 2009
Pork Barrel BBQ Issues BBQ Challenge to Jessica Ravitz of CNN
Jessica Ravitz of CNN wrote the following article on the quest for the best BBQ - I think its obvious that she is from Texas, California or the East Coast (and probably calls the Midwest "flyover" states) because she completely ignores Missouri barbecue in her article. At Pork Barrel BBQ, we support the exploration of all things BBQ, and encourage Jessica to travel the nation a bit more in her quest - her first stops need to be Gates Bar-B-Q, Arthur Bryant's, Oklahoma Joe's in Kansas City, MO and Dickie Doo Bar-B-Que in Sedalia, MO. Jessica - we at Pork Barrel BBQ will be glad to meet you any day that works for you in Kansas City and take you on a tour - just let us know what works - and best of all, we'll pay for all your Missouri BBQ! You can reach us at http://porkbarrelbbq.com/ or http://porkbarrelbbq.blogspot.com/. You can also email us at: mailto:porkbarrelbbq@porkbarrelbbq@gmail.com.
Read Jessica's article here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/05/22/barbecue.quest/index.html?iref=t2test_travelfri
Quest for the best barbecue
Story Highlights
For about 250,000 years, humans have been throwing meat on and around flames
The meat, smoking wood and sauce (if there is one) define styles of barbecue
Barbecue is "the last bastion of regional culture," one barbecue expert said
Smoked-meat enthusiasts will go to great lengths to find the best barbecue joint
By Jessica Ravitz CNN
(CNN) -- If Daniel Vaughn has his way, he said, his newborn daughter will "teethe on a rib bone."
It's not that the Dallas, Texas, architect means to channel his inner caveman. He just loves barbecue and, given that his wife doesn't, is hoping the little one will share his passion for " 'cue," as he calls it.
"My main quest is to find the best in Texas," said Vaughn, 31, who phoned CNN while he was heading to his 168th barbecue joint since he began his search in August 2006.
So far, listed among his favorites: Snow's BBQ in Lexington and Kreuz Market in Lockhart.
"The best experience is finding a place you've never heard of, a place that's not on anyone's list," he said. "It feels like you've really discovered something special."
Vaughn's journey, which is chronicled on his blog Full Custom Gospel BBQ (which also features reviews), is just one illustration of how this American culinary tradition has taken hold. It has spawned pilgrimages to out-of-the-way shacks, associations and "societies," competitive cook-offs and countless debates among those who take this smoked-meat matter most seriously. iReport.com: Vaughn's tasty experience at Kreuz Market
"It's a combination of flavors, sights, smells, sounds, people and stories," said Mark Dunkerley, 32, of Nashville, Tennessee, who embarked on his own barbecue quest last fall (a road trip spanning four Southern states) and named The Bar-B-Q Shop in Memphis, Tennessee, as his top pick. "Anything you spend six to 18 hours preparing, it's more than a meal. It's an event." Check out some iReporter BBQ joint recommendations »
This "event" became possible about half a million years ago, when humans discovered fire. For about 250,000 years, humans have been throwing meat on and around the flames, said Steven Raichlen, best-selling author of "The Barbecue Bible."
But the 16th century Spanish explorers to the Americas first chronicled the unique cooking technique that became barbecue when they came across the Taino Indians of the West Indies using a barbacoa, their word for a wooden framework propped above flames, to smoke meat.
It was a way to preserve meat and was later popularized by the poor and slaves, who didn't have refrigeration, explained Amy Mills, daughter of barbecue's legendary champion pit master and restaurateur, Mike Mills, with whom she co-wrote "Peace, Love, and Barbecue."
The smoking approach was also useful in that it tenderized lesser cuts of meat, said Mills, whose father is behind the ribs celebrated at 17th Street Bar & Grill in Murphysboro, Illinois, and Memphis Championship Barbecue in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"Today, barbecue has enjoyed a renaissance," securing its berth as "America's original comfort food," which is especially important in these tough economic times, when supporting local and affordable businesses is more popular than ever, Mills said. "It's the most democratic food group. You can come into a barbecue restaurant and find people in ties and people in overalls. ... You leave your title at the door."
Depending on where you are, the meat and smoking wood that is used, the sauce (if there is one) or the rub, barbecue can mean many different things, Raichlen, the best-selling author, journalist, cooking teacher and TV host pointed out.
While it's pulled pork with vinegar sauce in most of North Carolina, Raichlen said barbecue is, for example, mutton with butter and Worcestershire sauce in Owensboro, Kentucky, grilled bratwurst in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and oysters on the half-shell with chipotle sauce in Tomales Bay, California.
"We live in a world of homogenization," he said. Barbecue is "the last bastion of regional culture, and I think that's one reason we prize it so dearly."
Fans, in fact, prize barbecue for a multitude of reasons. For city slickers, who live in places where backyard smokers are not viable or even legal, a country jaunt for some finger-licking meat can be an escape. And the time, sweat and, indeed, "labor of love" shown by those who run these establishments, as Dunkerley of Nashville puts it, is something to behold and honor.
The slow food, which bucks the nation's fast-food focus, is "a backlash against the hustle and bustle of daily life," said Carolyn Wells, executive director and co-founder of the 10,000-member Kansas City Barbecue Society, which she calls "the world's largest organization of barbecuing and grilling enthusiasts."
"It's not a solitary pursuit," she said. "It's something you do with your family and friends."
This might be why barbecue is, for Frank Beaty, a reminder of different times and people. iReport.com: Beaty's barbecue recommendations
He may live in Las Vegas, Nevada, today, but Beaty, 55, grew up in Texas, the grandson of Dempsey Davis, a man who "grew his own meat." Using an "old brick smokehouse," in Paris, Texas, Beaty said Dempsey practiced what he preached.
"My granddad said two things about barbecue," Beaty said. "If you have to have teeth to eat it, it's not right. And if you have to put sauce on it, it's not right."
For 35 years, wherever he's traveled as a festival producer, Beaty said he's always been on the lookout for the best and most tender barbecue a town can offer. One of his top choices, a surprise even to him: Everett and Jones in Oakland, California.
"Texas has the best barbecue, but somehow Everett and Jones migrated from the south," Beaty said.
Because his wife will rarely join him, Vaughn -- the man on a mission in Texas -- counts on some friends to help him on his traveling feeding frenzy. In March, he said he and two cohorts outdid themselves, setting a record: 10 barbecue restaurants in one day.
"You get the meat sweats, where you rub your brow and it comes away smelling like smoke," he said with a laugh. "But you get used to it."
March 6, 2009
Websites and Blogs About BBQ and Food That You Should Bookmark - Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis
One of the goals of the Pork Barrel BBQ Blog is to provide our readers with resources that help make each of your meals a new adventure in food. We believe there are few things that define who we are as individuals, families, and cultures more than food. We also believe that one of the best parts about food is expanding our knowledge and interests in it through these very same individuals, families, and cultures who hold their food traditions high with great pride. In order to do this we begin a new regular blog feature today called Websites and Blogs About Food That You Should Bookmark. We think these sites are some of the best resources as you begin or continue your life long trek through the culinary world.
Today we highlight my good friend Lauren DeSantis's website (www.capitalcookingshow.com) and blog (www.capitalcookingshow.blogspot.com).
During the week Lauren is an attorney, but on the weekends she is host of public television's Capitol Cooking with Lauren DeSantis. According to Lauren's website, "Capital Cooking is a series exploring the culinary and cultural riches of Washington, DC...Capital Cooking highlights cooking traditions of regional cuisine from all areas of the country as well as international dishes."
In less than a year (Capital Cooking made its TV debut on May 2, 2008) Lauren's show has grown in exposure and now reaches 25 cities in the United States and was just picked up in New Zealand!!! Check out her blog for stations near you that carry Capital Cooking.
In addition to her TV show, Lauren offers cooking classes - if you are interested in hosting a private event drop her an email at capitalcooking@gmail.com.
Keep an eye on Lauren's and our websites and blogs for information on an upcoming episode of Capital Cooking that will focus on BBQ and feature Pork Barrel BBQ!
Now go check out www.capitalcookingshow.com and www.capitalcookingshow.blogspot.com!!
Kansas City Star BBQ News - Barbecue fans aren't reluctant to voice opinions
Today's Kansas City Star has an interesting article on Kansas City BBQ by Joyce Smith titled Barbecue fans aren't reluctant to voice opinions. As you can probably tell from past posts, I'm not reluctant to voice my opinion either when it comes to BBQ, especially Kansas City BBQ. I've had good BBQ all over America, and occasionally I even run into great BBQ in my travels. In Kansas City BBQ is considered a form of art and the people that sweat over smokers for hours at a time while you're still in bed getting a good nights sleep take their art very seriously. Next time you are in Kansas City make sure you visit several of the many BBQ joints in the area that don't just serve good BBQ, they serve great BBQ. We think they have the best bbq and dry rubs in the nation! Please be sure to try some of our All American Spice Rub!
Posted on Thu, Mar. 05, 2009
Barbecue fans aren't reluctant to voice opinions
By JOYCE SMITH The Kansas City Star
There’s an old saying that in polite social circles one should never discuss religion, politics or sex.
In Kansas City you might add barbecue to the list.
Almost nothing gets barbecue fanatics riled up as a discussion of Kansas City’s best.
Take the recent reports on the closing — then reopening Wednesday — of Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que in the Kansas City Power & Light District.
Dozens of readers rang in on The Kansas City Star’s business blog, economy.kansascity. com, with such comments as “it turns out Famous Dave’s is actually better than a lot of KC BBQ places” to “a Minneapolis BBQ joint in the BBQ capital of the world — Kansas City? What a joke.”
But there’s no debate that Kansas City is a barbecue town.
Zagat Survey even selected three barbecue places — Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue, Danny Edwards Blvd. BBQ and Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue — in its list of top 10 area restaurants for 2008.
So this week I stopped at those restaurants, and more, to get the inside scoop from pit masters themselves on what makes great barbecue.
•Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Kansas City and Kansas City, Kan.
The technique: “The sauce, the tradition, the way we prepare our meats — slow-smoke it over hickory and oak. The key to barbecue is the pit master. We have three here and all of them have been here over 15 years. We try to prepare it the way Mr. Bryant did 80 years ago,” said Eddie Echols, general manager.
Also on the menu: turkey, sausage.
•Danny Edwards Blvd. BBQ, Kansas City.
In 1980, Danny Edwards went head to head with legendary Gates Bar-B-Q and Arthur Bryant’s. Not only did it survive, it often makes top barbecue lists, right along with them.
“I didn’t worry about what they have, just worried about what I sell,” he said. “You just do your best. I’m the one back here doing the cooking. It really makes me happy seeing all these people at the door every day, even in a depressed economy. They just want a good product at a reasonable price.”
The technique: Juicy slow-smoked brisket using hickory wood.
Also on the menu: Mexican chili, sweet potato fries.
•Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que, Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City Power & Light District.
“Minneapolis, that’s where our company is based, but our flavors and our cooking processes and all that came from all over the country,” said Mat Eastlack, general manager of the downtown Famous Dave’s. “Our founder, Dave Anderson, spent 25 years developing his recipes from all over the country — Kansas City, Memphis, the Carolinas, Texas — and so he takes the best from all those areas.”
The technique: Signature rubs, meat smoked for 2½ to three hours, then cooled. The next day it’s brought up to 160 degrees to help break down the fats and loosen the meat up so it falls off the bone easier. It’s charred on the grill, then sauce is added and the meat is grilled until caramelized.
Also on the menu: chicken Caesar salad, catfish fingers, smoked salmon spread, Cajun chicken sandwich.
•Gates Bar-B-Q, Kansas City, Kansas City, Kan., Leawood and Independence
George Gates II calls Gates a specialty house that concentrates on just making great barbecue.
“Barbecue is an art, it’s a feeling,” he said. “Everybody can paint, but not everybody is an artist. That’s what makes Kansas City so great, because you have so many styles of painting — of artistry of barbecuing.”
The technique: The pit has to be at the right temperature with the right moisture. Ribs start off on the bottom of the pit, close to the fire. The meat is seared to keep the juice in, then moved away from the fire to finish.
“Directly over the fire, not indirect, is what gives us our Gates flavor, along with our Gates spices,” Gates said.
Also on the menu: mutton, turkey, yammer pie.
•Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue, Country Club Plaza, downtown, Martin City and Overland Park.
“We really try to focus on the quality of our raw ingredients and preparing all our products fresh from scratch,” said Case Dorman, president.
The technique: Authentic brick pits using 100 percent wood — 60 percent hickory, 40 percent oak — with meat seared at 350 degrees, then moved to a rotisserie smoker to slow-cook and hold the moisture.
Also on the menu: Rack of lamb, seared tuna, vegetable kabobs, entree salads and cheesy corn bake.
•Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue, Kansas City, Kan., and Olathe.
Started as a competition barbecue company, Oklahoma Joe’s opened as a restaurant in 1996.
“There’s a big difference in cooking barbecue in your backyard, cooking barbecue at a competition or cooking barbecue in a restaurant,” said Jeff Stehney, co-owner with his wife, Joy Stehney. “The most important thing when you go from cooking competitively or in the backyard to the restaurant is you obviously have to figure out a way to make money at it … but you do need to stay true to your belief that quality comes first.”
The technique: “Our barbecue rubs are what makes our barbecue stand out. The most important thing is how the barbecue rubs interact with the smoke and the heat,” Jeff Stehney said. “And we use only Missouri white oak to smoke with.”
Also on the menu: Red beans and rice, smoked chicken gumbo, Z-Man sandwich (smoked beef brisket, barbecue sauce, smoked provolone cheese and onion rings).
March 3, 2009
BBQ Blog - Let's Meat on the Avenue Hosts - Beef 101 - Meat from a Butcher's Point of View
Visit Let's Meat on the Avenue online at:
From our friends at Taste DC -
Beef 101 - Meat from a Butcher's Point of View
Fee $78.00
March 22nd, 2009 (Sunday) From 3:00pm to 7:00pm
Let's Meat on the Avenue
2403 Mount Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22301
Join Taste DC as we meet you out at one of Virginia's best Butcher Shops - Let's Meat on the Avenue - for a late afternoon class and dinner full of tasting and enjoying many great cuts of Beef! We'll spend our time at Let's Meat on the Avenue learning all there is to know about cuts of beef, where they come from and how to cook them to maximize your tasting pleasure. Please see the Outline and Schedule Below! This event is all about the Butcher's perspective on beef: the how, where and why of choosing the finest steaks in the world! Our butcher for this class is Steve Gatward, an Englishman who became a butcher early in his career and has learned the ropes from the United Kingdom to a short stop in Australia! Let's Meat specializes in pasture-fed, free range and hormone-free meat and poultry raised on local farms, and much of his meats is sourced from an abattoir in Fauquier Virginia - now that's local! Also included in this event is a discussion and demonstration of the best selections of beef as well as a Full Dinner of various beef cuts including New York Strip, Sirloin, English Roast Beef, and Kobe Beef burgers with sides prepared in a cooking demonstration is included in the price of the event.
Beef 101 Class Outline:
Sourcing the Meat - the Cattle Connection:
-Raising Animals (Husbandry)
-Organic vs. Grass-Fed vs. Lot-Feeding
-Discussion of marbling and what makes the best cut of beef
-Flavor components of beef (tenderness, flavor, texture characteristics) with diagram
The Butcher's Perspective on Beef:
-What Butcher's Look for in Beef
-Diagram of a Steer and Overview of Various Cuts of Meat
-Carving demonstration displaying where different cuts come from, and how they'll be served ultimately to the customer
-Discussion of how meat is graded or if graded meat is better than non-graded meat
-Differences between restaurant and supermarket beef
-Choosing beef cuts including the most economical and specialty cuts
Cooking Demonstration and Steak Dinner
-Discussion of how to get the most flavor out of beef, cooking techniques, how different cuts should be cooked (braising, searing, stewing, baking)
-Aging of Meat and it's effect on quality and flavor
-Doneness of meat methods and why meat needs to rest
-Simple recipes for steaks and side dishes
-Question and Answer and more discussion of beef basics and trade secrets for getting the best deals on beef
PLEASE NOTE: All attendees of this event will get a special one day 10% off discount for all products purchased at Let's Meat on the Avenue.
THIS CLASS IS RAIN OR SHINE
Please come in casual clothing for this event.
March 2, 2009
The Organic Butcher of McLean Becomes Second Pork Barrel BBQ Retail Outlet
We are pleased to announce that the Organic Butcher of mclean became Pork Barrel BBQ's second retail outlet in February. We would like to thank Don Roden, owner of the Organic Butcher of mclean, for giving Pork Barrel BBQ products a shot, a little known, but emerging, quantity to him at the time he agreed to carry our All American Spice Rub.
The Organic Butcher is a quaint local butcher on Old Dominion Drive in McClean, VA. Don carries an extensive selection of common and not so common cuts of meat. If you are looking for the traditional he's your butcher for some of the best boneless ribeye steaks and Frenched lamb racks in the DC area. If you are looking to go a bit more exotic with your next meal Don has wild boar, moulard duck, pheasant, buffalo, venison, elk and ostrich among others on his list of wild game. If you live in or around McLean, make Don and the fine folks at the Organic Butcher of mclean your neighborhood butcher and supplier of Pork Barrel BBQ products!!!!
the Organic Butcher of mclean
6712 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, VA 22101
6712 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, VA 22101
(703) 790-8300
There is no question that Don is doing what he loves and you can be certain he will take care of all your butcher shop needs!
Next time you are in McLean, stop by the Organic Butcher of mclean and thank Don for carrying Pork Barrel BBQ products and take home some of his organic meats, especially some of his wild game cuts. The Organic Butcher of mclean is open Tuesday-Sunday to serve your butcher shop needs. If you are in Charlottesville, VA stop by their second store, the Organic Butcher of cville. Don't forget to visit the Organic Butcher of mclean on the Internet at http://www.theorganicbutcher.com/.
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