What a May-ful! (And congrats to Big Bob Gibson BBQ, Grand Champs of Memphis in May!)

Boy am I behind. I have all kinds of posts in the pike, but this month has been so full of barbecue and grilling activities, I haven't had time to write: I'm too busy doing! It's a little like catching water in motion.

Coming up is about our Barbecue 101 class, Brisket with Friends, Vegas with Char-broil (also friends!), my new camera, caterings up the wazoo including some shots of a recent whole smoked pig we did for a wedding, and finally, a post about how to get perfect sear marks on your steak.

Until I get all that down on the virtual paper, here's a video interview I did with Pork Barrel BBQ at Memphis in May a few years back. Congrats to Big Bob Gibson BBQ for taking Grand Champion this year! That reminds me that I have to get Chris Lilly's new book, Fire & Smoke. when I do, I'll write a post about that too. What? You don't believe me?

I promise. Sometime. After I get through May. Barbecue season has arrived.

You lose some, you lose some, you gain plenty.

So you've seen the setting of Serenbe in my last post, where I joined a group of food bloggers and Char-Broil execs to talk about the science of infrared grills, and to have fun cooking on them. After our more formal meeting, they teamed us up for a "Chopped-esc" grilling competition. Did my teammate Kurt and I win? No. Did I win two years ago at the Char-Broil Barbecue Smackdown at Memphis in May? No.

And I'm OK with that. Cooking under pressure with unknown ingredients is not my strength. That's Eric. He's like a piece of coal. The more pressure you put on him, the more tasty barbecue diamonds he churns out. Figuring out how much to cook for 50 or 2000 people, how to make the event a success, and how much it's all going to cost, this is where I shine. Still, everyone likes to win, right?

I consoled myself that the judges at least loved our Grilled Fennel Salad with Bacon & Bleu Cheese. It was really good. But afterward, when I went to have a taste of our grilled chicken roll, and saw that it was a little on the rare side, I wondered if they weren't just being nice.

I intend to repeat the same salad at home, under pressure-free conditions, and let my biggest critics, my family, give it a shot. They'll shoot straight with me. They won't sugar coat it one little bit. Sometimes I wish they might give me just a little sugar, but alas that is simply not how we roll at the Reinhardt residence.

Still, it wasn't about winning, it was about building relationships. Hangin' with fellow BBQ peeps was a blast. It was especially great to see my gal Danielle of Diva Q. We've been friends for years, virtually. I interviewed her in the book, and we tweet/facebook/e-mail, but this was our very first face to face meeting.

My other "roomie" was Catherine Mayhew, of The South In My Mouth. She simply rocks.

The boys were awesome too - Christo, David, Curt and Scott, as were our friends at Char-Broil.

So even though I lost...again, I came out ahead.

Deep Fried Turkey, Hold the Deep Fry

The "Oil-less Turkey Fryer" from Char-Broil arrived just in time for me to test before Thanksgiving. I am one of their bloggers this year on Char-broil live in exchange for a few goodies like this. The products are for me to use or give away. If I want to review them, I can, but without any strings attached. But first, some back story....

I've been intrigued by this little unit for a few years now, having competed on one in a Barbecue Smackdown at Memphis in May in 2010. I'd always wanted to go to MIM, so when Char-Broil invited me to be a guest chef for some fun demos and competitions with some other barbecue personalities, I jumped at the chance.

I'd never touched one before I was thrown into a celebrity grilling competition, and had to learn quickly how to operate it while at the same time realizing that everyone else was cheating wildly, pulling bacon and other ingredients out of their pockets.

Luckily, The Big Easy, as it's called, is really easy to operate. Turn on gas, turn igniter switch and you are good to go. I didn't win the competition, but it was a blast. Next time I'll stuff my pockets with bacon. It was nice to get to know this cooker at home, without the pressure of TV cameras on me.

I decided to make a simple "deep fried turkey", according to the recipe provided in the packaging booklet. I rubbed a 14 lb turkey with peanut oil, and then sprinkled on a rub I made by mixing two commercial rubs together plus some thyme. I didn't need to get finicky about the rub as this was my maiden voyage. It was more about testing the tenderness, the skin, and the cook time than any specific flavors.

First I seasoned the little guy (the grill, not the bird) with vegetable oil, per the instruction booklet. By the way, my preferred oil rag for grills is a clean old sock of Eric's that has finally shredded. I can get an old sock oily, dirty, and then throw it in the compost with a clear conscience that I've both reused an old thing and diverted it from a landfill. We always seem to have a steady supply of tube socks in the process of biting the dust. Eric will try to wear the torn, holey socks out of the rag drawer, so I have to actually rip them to the point that they no longer hold a foot. But I digress....

Here are my comments on The Big Easy:

I cooked my turkey for 4 hours, about 30 minutes too long because the kids were in the bath and I couldn't go out and get it. It came out beautiful, but on the edge of too done. The booklet math recommendation came out to 3.5 hours so it was correct.

The skin: The skin is definitely the highlight of this turkey and cooking method. It was all I could do not to pick the bird bald. Crispy, fried but not oily, and a deep amber color...perfect.

The flavor: I didn't brine the turkey and wish I had. It was a little bland beyond the skin layer.

The texture: This time of year we are up to our necks in turkey at Pete's, so I'm used to the smooth, almost delicate texture of a smoked turkey. The texture was a little tougher, but I attribute this to my overcooking.

Sturdiness and other comments about the cooker itself: I like the basket and little handle lifty thing that comes with. You simply load the basket and drop it down. It was solid enough and sat level, yet once assembled I could carry it out the door and down the steps to the front yard. It was easy to set up and easy to clean.

What I did NOT like: It cooks totally open - you only use the mesh lid at the end, meaning you have this really hot burning thing right at kid level. And by kid level, I mean right exactly at the height and spot a 2-5 year old would stick their hands on or in. It made me very nervous. I got so nervous bringing my almost 3 yr old widely around it that she nearly tripped, out of transferred nervousness, into the burning hot center.

I've come up with a solution. Char-broil should include cones and caution tape with the packaging to section off the grill. And maybe a few English traffic cops to stand around it to make sure no one gets too close to the flame.

Final comments: I like it. I'm keeping it vs giving it away. I wish it came with a lid or cover because the very first night I left it out and of course it rained. I recall the ones we used in the competition had lids, and grill inserts so maybe these are extras one can order.

I'll use it again, though it will most likely be on a less frequent rotation than other grills, due to the open flame/small child issue. I want to try it with a brined turkey. The booklet has some recipes with injections, but no brines.

As for my opinion on injections, I think I've already answered that poetically.

Visit today with Larry "BBQ Grail" and Barry "CB" from Char-Broil

Today I get to visit with three great folks at Smokin' Pete's, Larry "BBQ Grail" Gaian, his wife Celeste, and Barry "CB" Martin. I spent almost a week at Memphis in May with all of them, so this is a reunion. The four of us went out to dinner every night and ate both good and bad barbecue in the city.

Both Larry and Barry are well-known in the barbecue community. Larry runs a few websites, most notably The BBQ Grail, where he blogs, twitters and facebooks about all things barbecue. He is also the inventor of the MOINK ball, a delicious concoction I've made on this blog (and many other times).

Barry is the man behind the "CB" persona over at the Char-Broil forums, and he writes the blog and the Char-Broil newsletter. You'll also see him at big events, talkin' infrared with the masses.

I'll try to add pictures of our gathering tonight. We'll be eating barbecue at Pete's, of course!

Psychic MOINK Balls

The planets have aligned and two spectacular events are colliding together on Saturday, June 5th. You guessed it: World MOINK Ball Day AND the Smokin' in Seattle Eggfest.

When the Big Green Eggfest folks invited me to "come on down with some books and cook on an Egg", I immediately thought, "I know, I'll cook MOINK balls. Those bacon-wrapped, rubbed-n-glazed meatballs will draw the crowd to me like trouble finds Charlie Sheen."

Then, at Memphis in May, I had the pleasure of cooking (and losing) to Larry "MOINK Ball" Gaian, the inventor of the tasty meaty treat, who informed me that June 5th is in fact, WORLD MOINK BALL DAY! How did I know? I must have tapped into some collective world consciousness, or something.

Was that a shiver I saw run down your back?

Seriously, I'm totally egg-cited. I love the Big Green Egg and have never attended an Eggfest.

OK, everyone who has no idea what I'm talking about, raise your hand (hi mom!). Let me back up.

1) A MOINK ball is a delicious barbecue appetizer that is a beef meatball (MOO), wrapped in bacon (OINK), dry rubbed, smoked, then finished with a glaze of one's choice. MOO + OINK = MOINK!

2) An Egg, or formally, A Big Green Egg, is a ceramic charcoal cooker that can be used to smoke slow and low, or to grill on high heat. It looks like an egg. People who love cooking on BGE's are called Eggheads. Gatherings of people who like/buy/sell/cook on BGE's are called Eggfests.
Come find me Saturday, from about 10-2pm in Kent (click on the link above for more info), and try some MOINK balls.

Tomorrow I will post a batch of MOINK balls with a link to Larry's recipe.

Live tomorrow on KXL radio on Cooking with Mr. Barbecue

Bruce Bjorkman has a great show on KXL Radio out of Portland called Cooking with Mr. Barbecue. I had the good fortune of being on his show for one of my first live radio interviews ever, and he actually asked me back.

Tomorrow we'll jaw about brisket (why not?), my recent fun at Memphis in May, and about the book, one year later. Tune in at 2pm, Pacific time. I'll be on around 2:30, but you'll want to hear his entire show. (If you miss it or can't get it where you are, I'll post a link to the archives once it's up. Well. That is if I don't tank. Then you'll have to search for it yourself!)

He always has an amazing line-up. Last week he interviewed grand champs of Memphis in May, Yazoo's Delta Q.

Wish me luck and remind me to slow down to about half my normal talking speed!

She's Smokin': Crystal Johnson of Bare Bones BBQ

Meet Crystal Johnson.

I met her at Memphis in May, the World Championship of Barbecue. I'd been searching for female pit masters, and was led by someone who said, "You HAVE to meet Crystal of Bare Bones BBQ. She's the boss and an awesome pit master. She runs a tight ship."

If you hail from the Southern states, you might want to set your ears to "speed" when you meet her, because Crystal is a fast talkin' Vermonter. I think they named the wind "Nor'easter" after her. Lucky for me, I'm from the opposite coast, where we talk just as fast, in part fueled by the copious cups of coffee we drink.

Crystal's fuel comes from within. It comes from her passion for creating pure barbecue goodness on a plate. Crystal and her husband Mark live in a small town in Vermont, they've been in the restaurant business for 20 years, and competing on the barbecue circuit for 10 years.

They run a small restaurant that features a few barbecue items on the menu, but once a month they pull out all the stops.

"We hold a monthly barbecue event next to our restaurant. You can't produce competition level barbecue in a restaurant 24/7, so we decided to just do it once a month and give people the closest thing to it."

As a barbecue restaurant owner, I nod in understanding. A team can highly manage a brisket or pork butt to perfection. Because they only need to turn in six samples to the judges, they can cook easily hundreds of pounds of meat to get the perfect 1 pound or so on a plate. A restaurant wouldn't last three months with that kind of food cost.

Those monthly barbecues double as fine-tuning for competition season. Crystal said it's helped, "This is the best we've felt coming into a competition. We've been practicing so much."

I asked her what her "secret" or best advice is for folks out there.

"Don't use crap!"

She may say this with a twinkle in her eye, but to the core, she's serious. "It's all about the ingredients you use. Buy local, fresh pork. Research the ingredients you use and source those that are truly without crap."

This includes using an organic beef stock, and bringing her pork from a local Vermont farm with her to the competition. Her shoulders were amazing. This one is 40 pounds!

Keep an eye on Crystal. She isn't on twitter, facebook, she doesn't write a blog or even have a website that I could find. She's all about putting her energy into her food. We'll be seeing more of her and Bare Bones BBQ in the future.

Yazoo's Takes Grand Champion at Memphis in May

Congratulations to Yazoo's Delta Q for taking Grand Champion at the World Championship of Barbecue. Yazoo's Delta Q is the Stubbs Bar-B-Q team, and run by female pitmaster Melissa Cookston.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kurt Koegler, president of Stubb's Bar-B-Q. Kurt and I shout out via twitter and thought it would be nice to meet face to face at Memphis in May.

I used a sample of his Honey-Pecan sauce in a cooking demo I did on the Char-Broil tent. I also put to rest a question I've always had about Stubb's sauces. I wanted to know if the man on their label, C.B. Stubblefield, was a real person.

"Absolutely," said Kurt. "A lot of people don't believe that. Even when Stubb senior was still alive, people doubted it, until he'd come out and talk. He had an incredible presence."

You heard it here. And to further prove their birthright, they just won the World Championship.

Talking with Pork Barrel BBQ

I loved meeting Heath Hall of Pork Barrel BBQ at Memphis in May. I could have interviewed him, but he lost the coin toss (just kidding), and interviewed me. Heath and Pork Barrel BBQ have over 25,000 followers on twitter, he was on the reality TV show Shark Tank, and they make great sauces (and barbecue)!

Here is a video of his interview with me.

Coming soon: She's Smokin'

In addition to the Central Texas Barbecue Series I've been slowly posting, I will be adding some new She's Smokin' segments, just like in the book, from interviews I've done with women in the pits here at Memphis in May.

Until then, I leave you with a few photos of women in the crowd.

The first is a Memphis in May volunteer that won a Big Easy Smoker-Roaster-Grill in one of the many Char-Broil giveaways this week. She was so happy. She'd already planned on buying one, and then she answered the trivia question correctly.

I'm not sure which trivia question it was, so I'll give you one that was asked this weekend.

Who was the first winner of Memphis in May?

I'll give you a hint: She won the first contest in 1978.

That's right! Bessie Louise Cathey

Speaking of winners, check out the first results that are in. The really important results, all things pig (whole hog, ribs, shoulder), won't be up till later today. Turn in time is at noon. Yesterday teams turned in all the "other" categories: Beef, Chicken, Seafood, Exotic, Coleslaw, Beans... you get the idea. These won't win teams the Grand Champion, only their chosen pork category can do that, but winners receive prize money and bragging rights.

The next photo needs no other words. OK, that's too hard for me. Aren't these ladies cute?

More Memphis in May Pictures

More pictures from the Superbowl! I'll take this Superbowl over that football one any day. The first photo to the right is by artists Susan and Roberto Vazquez. Each year they do a new piggy head that fits the Memphis in May country theme.

This year the chosen country is Tunisia. Susan said they chose to mosaic her face, to honor the mosaic tradition in Tunisia. Here are a few more shots of the Vazquez's and their handiwork.

It's all about Elvis here in Memphis.

Well, not all. I was here to help spread the word about Char-Broil's infrared grills at the World Championship of Barbecue.

And to compete a little myself. I must admit, I didn't win my two Pork Smackdowns. Mike "The Pirate" Hedrick, and Larry "MOINK Ball" Gaian each took one, but on the second smackdown, I loved my pork. It was just how I wanted it.

 That's really all that matters. Cooking, even when it is for thousands of people, is personal. More than any other cooking community, I think barbecue folks are the most personal, friendly, and, well, communal. It's one of the most active groups of people on the web in all its forms.

Here are a few friends I met face to face (though we've "talked" plenty on twitter and facebook).

Heath Hall of Pork Barrel BBQ.

From the Big Apple, Smoke In Da Eye's Clint Cantwell.

 

Kurt Koegler of Stubb's BBQ

 

And finally, Miss Memphis (she's the one with the crown). OMG, right? It's like we are twins!

  

Pictures from Memphis in May, Day 1

Whew! What a day. I'll post about it tonight, but first want to give you all some photos of the day. Here is my teammate in the Celebrity Grill Off, anchor Ernie Freeman from Memphis in the Morning on Fox 13.

And the man who made this happen, Barry "CB" Martin. He's the man behind the Char-Broil blog and forum.

Some pics of us getting ready for the Pork Smackdown:

 This is what we cooked on today, The Big Easy. It Smokes, Roasts, and Grills all in one. If you are in the know, just call this baby your "SRG".

 Some shots of the teams. Folks like to have a good time here at Memphis in May, and the rule is be serious about making good barbecue, but laugh about the rest.

That is only a fraction of pictures that I have. I'll post more in a bit. It's time for dinner!!!

Surprises in Memphis

I landed in Memphis today for my big week at Memphis in May as a guest chef for Char-Broil. After a quick debriefing of tomorrow's schedule, we headed to Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ for a group dinner and more in depth meeting.

Before I sat down to write this, I realized that two things happened tonight that I didn't expect.

I'll start with the good surprise. Maybe surprise isn't the right word, unexpected is better, but tonight I met an amazing group of people, a group who cares deeply about their product, about their customers, and about my point of view. Little ol' me.

I've been to a lot of useless meetings, and it's one of the reasons I chose to start my own business. That, and the fact that I cannot bear to wear pantyhose.

But this was more than a hand-out of bullet points. I got to sit across from the VP of Marketing and talk about grills from an insider's perspective. The art director talked about his ribs. We all talked about how Char-Broil, almost exclusively a gas grill company, fits with a hardcore barbecue competition like Memphis in May. We talked about what this infrared cooking system really is, and how it differs from conventional gas, or other infrared grills. We even gave them a wish list for future products.

And instead of them telling us the answers, as a group we sat and discussed them, answering them together. I guess I didn't expect such a democratic and thoughtful meeting from such a large corporation.

Sitting next to fellow guest chef Larry "BBQ Grail" Gaian, was a hoot, too. I already "knew" Larry from social networking, from his MOINK balls, and his review of my book. It was great to meet him and his wife face to face, though. You can't hear the passion in a person's voice on twitter like you can when they are sitting next to you. I loved hearing Larry's passionate declarations and opinions about barbecue, the Char-Broil infrared grills (he's a recent convert), and the barbecue world in general.

And the other surprise? The barbecue was not happening.

At all. I have to think this was just an off night for them. Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ has received way too much praise for what came on my plate tonight.

After dinner I talked with one of the restaurant family owners, Kelvin Neely, and he made me laugh my head off. The man is out loud funny. So I'm going to let Larry do the critical review on this one on his blog, and share a little of what Kelvin had to say about getting around in Memphis.

"Memphis is the Bermuda triangle. No GPS works here. When someone says 'north', you ask, 'north which way?' You can drive on I-240 East, West, North and South without making a turn!"

"Customers call me for directions and I ask them, 'Well, where are you?' and they say, 'To be honest, I have no idea,' so I just tell them, 'Keep driving till you hear my voice!"

I love surprises. I love curve balls and last minute upsets. I love it when you go in with one expectation and come out understanding something in a new light. And I'm a sucker for a belly laugh.

I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be full of surprises, and hopefully a few laughs.

Oh Thank Goodness I Love It

Ever since Barry "CB" Martin and the folks at Char-Broil asked me to guest chef at Memphis in May, I've been thrilled...but with one hesitation. I'd never cooked on an infrared grill. What if I didn't like it?

At home I've always preferred charcoal grills, and ever since we shot our last gas grill, we didn't feel the need to replace it. So when the above little Quantum infrared grill show up yesterday (was it really only yesterday? I feel like we've known each other so much longer), I took a deep breath and said hello.

It's important to get to know your equipment and I always find hello is a nice ice breaker.
Then I fired her up.

Since yesterday I've cooked pork chops, sausages, pork loin cutlets, a roasted pork loin and a gorgeous fillet of black cod. Don't worry, I've had people over to help eat all of this.

Here is my initial impression: I love it!!! I really do. And thank goodness I do because I'm going to be talking about it all next week. But truly I'm a believer.

Let me tell you why.

Char-Broil would have me blab about the science of it all. It heats the food upon contact, not the air...yada yada yada.

I like it because when it is hitting 600 degrees I can still wave my hand over the grill grate. It never feels too hot or out of control. I don't even think a flare up is possible on this thing.

Then there is the fact that every thing I cooked was tender and juicy. I could pat myself on the back and say, Damn I'm good, but truth be told, all the cook times were full of distractions. Baby girl has been super clingy, like she knows I'm going away next week. She cries every time I put her down. My 4-yr old is on a constant hunt for sharp objects. Tonight I actually heard him shout, "I need something sharp!" as he tried to break through the tool shed door. We've had birthdays and neighbors dropping in and staff forgetting they were working...

It's amazing we ate food in the past two days. Yet I've been churning out perfect plates of meat to those passing through our little corner zoo, thanks to my trusty Quantum infrared grill.

Lastly, it's a snap to clean. I'd read mixed reviews about cleaning infrared grills because of the tiny little holes. I don't know what those people are cooking, but I merely lifted up the grate once it was cool, brushed it with my grill brush, and it was clean.

Easy.

I'm going to be talking up this grill to some seriously hardcore barbecue people at Memphis in May, but I would also recommend this grill to a beginner. It's understated. Instead of making a big show with flames and smoke, it quietly sears your food at 600-700 degrees without hardly a murmur. It's just the sort of equipment that someone tentative on the grill could get the hang of right away.

Now all I have to do is convince old school barbecue folks steeped in tradition, that this is not cheating. It's just good.

My New Toy. Gearing up for the Pork Smackdown at Memphis in May.

Today I received my very own infrared grill from Char-Broil. It grills, roasts, and even smokes slow and low by using radiant heat like that which naturally occurs with a wood or charcoal fire. The idea is that it keeps meat moist because it heats the meat, not the air around it. I don't cook often with gas because it lacks in flavor and can cook too dry. Infrared grills are supposed to answer that.

I can't wait to demo the infrared grills at Memphis in May. I'm going as a guest chef for Char-Broil. Until today, I thought I'd be working at a booth, demonstrating grilling on various models.

Guess what? I found out today that I'd be having much much more fun than that. I'll first help a celebrity contestant in a grilling competition on Thursday.

On Friday, I'm in the competition. Twice. I'll be going head to head in a Pork Smackdown with Larry Gaian of BBQ Grail (and the inventor of Moink Balls, bless his soul), and Mike Hedrick of Pit Crew Barbeque.

These two are classic good ol' boys. Mike even MC's or something like that at Nascar for god's sake.

I'm going to show them how it's done.

We'll be cooking pork loin at the competition, so tonight, that's what we're having for dinner. And tomorrow. And the next day after that. I'll let you know what I think of the results.

Stay tuned for more news about the Smackdown or Memphis in May.

Memphis in May

I have exciting news: I'm going to Memphis in May! For those of you not as clued in to competition barbecue, MIM is the World Championship barbecue competition with a penchant for a party. It's all about the pig at this Grandaddy of Grilling event. I've been invited to be a guest chef for Char-broil to demonstrate their infrared grills.

I'll be there May 12-15th, grilling, talking barbecue equipment, and hopefully sampling some serious hog.

If you are going, stop by the Char-Broil booth. For those of you stuck in day jobs, I'll be twittering and facebooking and bloggin' the whole time so that you may live vicariously through me. You can thank me later.