Coffee…a BBQ Guy’s Best Friend!

As I downed my second ’24 ouncer’ this morning at about 0430…THAT’s exactly what I was thinking!  Then (perhaps because of all the caffeine) I got to thinking about the ongoing worldwide Coffee shortage and its dramatic effect on coffee prices in the last 12 months (if you’re a coffee drinker…you know what I’m talkin’ about!).  I did all that thinking while also thinking about everything else (except incomes) that is increasing in cost (even Chocolate) and the overall implications of all that!

In the event you haven’t been keeping track on a wholesale level, meat and produce prices have been skyrocketing…it’s complicated, but to boil it down to a ‘common denominator’ it’s got a fair amount to do with the cost of corn which has nearly doubled in recent months!  How does all of this translate to BBQ?  Well there are a number of ways:

• As a competitor, the increased costs of diesel, wood and food added up with the lost revenue if you are a caterer…make it tough to compete!  (We are still going to hit several events this year!)  All during one of the greatest periods of growth for BBQ Competitions across the country!  Hopefully contest organizers will keep this in mind while setting prices and deciding what they can do for their competitors!  (I know that their costs are increasing too, but I’m just sayin’!)
• Most importantly as an Artisanal ‘Real Deal’ BBQ Caterer that is committed to providing high quality, locally grown and sourced products, it (regrettably) means that we can’t provide an Estimate today and expect it to be the same in 2 months!  Regular visitors to our website have probably noticed some changes…gone are the ‘Suggested Menus and Pricing’ from our site and literature; a direct result of commodity price volatility and the fact that menus tend to ‘box in’ clients…we can do just about ANY menu you’d like for your event and are always happy to put an Estimate in writing for you!  That said, our Estimates are now valid for only 2 weeks (we anticipate that they will remain unchanged for up to 30 days, but don’t know just yet…and we pay close attention to these things!) and we DO expect fairly regular increases in costs as we move toward smaller, local suppliers, but we plan to absorb what we can and offer ‘offsets’ elsewhere.  An example would be the significant drop in personnel costs for ‘Full Service’ events that I’ve just implemented.

Yes, these ARE tough times and we understand that folks need to economize whenever and wherever they can.  I promise that we’ll do our part, but will reiterate that we can only do SO much while continuing to maintain quality and promote local and sustainable products that are hand-picked and prepared carefully to insure that each and every event gets truly Great “Q”!  I am always open to suggestions and available to discuss your specific needs…by e-mail (Jim@GreatQ4U.com) or phone 717-254-1937!

Competition BBQ Team Info

So for the past few years we have not had the time to make it to very many competitions…too busy making GreatQ4U! as it turns out!  That’s NOT to say that we don’t LOVE the competition scene…we do and this year, we’re going to do something about it! 

We plan on getting out there and doing some regional and potentially a few ‘long haul’ competitions this year and  I am very much looking forward to it!  Our team is a group of seasoned ‘BBQ aficionados’ and a pretty laid back bunch…isn’t every BBQ team?  We’re a bit geographically spread out and as we all have ‘day jobs’ (mine happens to be BBQ!) we don’t get together as often as we’d like, but we’re a piece of work when we do!

We would LOVE to have a few new Team members this year and are planning on getting our FB Fans and Blog readers in on a ‘come compete with us’ event sometime this year, but if you’ve got a burning desire to compete in big BBQ competitions…let me know and we’ll talk!  (Jim@GreatQ4U.com)  I should warn you that we don’t change our methods or sauces for competitions…we use our own ‘HVC’ (High Vinegar Content) stuff, which either does really well or entirely the opposite!  We compete primarily for the camaraderie and knowledge, but we always do it the way that keeps us in business which is to say, fun and focused!

I’ll keep readers apprised in words and photos of our progress and can’t wait to get out there and hit the road!

So this morning I was thinking…

…which smells a LOT like the smoke from the Pits!  But nevermind that, here’s a few of the things I was thinking about;

• We are gearing up for our biggest and best year YET!  I can’t lay it all out here, but I assure you that we are planning on rolling out a number of ways for you to get the “Q”!  Hints: We’ll probably ’pop up’ for a few seatings at some local restaurants…Bloggers and FaceBook Fans will be a few of the ONLY ones to know when and where it will happen.  Not only will these meals feature ALL local and fresh ingredients, but they will show a bit different side of GreatQ4U! that most folks haven’t seen!  We WILL be offering walk-up service and a convenient west-shore pick up location for folks who want to order meals and then come get them. (Sales Reps are our focus for this service, but everyone will have access!)  We’re going to be doing Competitions and getting Blog readers and FB fans in on the action!  We have our new online store (shop.greatq4u.com) and soon it will feature LOTS of cool new GreatQ4U! Gear to help you spread the love and let everyone know that you’re a BBQ Lover! 
• Portions!  Yes, I think about it constantly!  We have consistently increased our portion sizes year after year and last year proved to be challenging at a few events.  It turns out that Great “Q” is a popular thing and that most folks when given a choice will choose some of each meat…typically resulting in a pretty good sized portion.  (our meats are prepared for 5-6oz. per person for lunches and 7-8oz. per person for dinners post-cooking, we lose on average about 35% of the meat’s weight while smoking it)  One of the most common questions that we get is ‘How much should I order?’ and it’s a tricky one for us because you know your crowd better than we do, BUT we LOVE you guys…so we’re addressing this in a few ways; We can offer a ‘choose your meat’ option…typical of most other event caterers, but new for us…this would provide your guests with a ‘token’ that would ID their preferred meat selection and allow our servers to guide them to it in the Buffet line.  We are also adding cuts that easily provide individual portioning such as Beef Tenderloin, Chicken Thighs and Sustainably raised Rainbow Trout!  We’ll keep working on it and we are more than happy to hear your suggestions!
• STUFF!  Yep…while listening to Jimmy Buffett (circa 1974) on my way for Coffee this morning, I was thinking about LOTS of stuff!  All of it aimed at providing better and more responsive service than we’ve ever done before!  Current customers know that we are pretty committed to that already!  We are in the final stages of designing what I hope will be the first of several cool GreatQ4U! ‘Theme Tee’s’ that will have an entertaining and ironic twist to it!  We are adding a venue along the Scenic Susquehanna River to our Catering options and we will be doing everything we can to ‘connect’ our customers to the origins of their meals!  It is important where your food comes from, you and your guests should know how focused we are on doing it GREAT every time, doing it LOCALLY and doing it RIGHT!
• KCBS - If you’re a fan of BBQ and you’re not a member of the Kansas City BBQ Society…Join TODAY!!! (www.kcbs.us) They are doing a GREAT deal to promote the art of BBQ across the country and it’s a tremendous organization!  If you’ve ever given any thought to competing in a BBQ event…KCBS is your starting point!  They’ve got LOTS of info on their Website and offer Competition Cooking and BBQ Judge classes across the country!

OK, I think that’s enough thinking for one day (whew…I’m taking the rest of the day off!)!  All I can say to all you BBQ fans out there…strap in and hold on…HERE WE GO! 

More Weekend Photos!

MAN….we’ve got a LOT going on this year, with a fair amount of giving back tossed in to boot!  I can’t wait!  If you haven’t stopped by the new online store, you can check it out at shop.greatq4u.com and let us know what you think as we continue to add stuff on a weekly basis!

For now, here’s a few more photos from the road…today’s theme…vending!

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Continuing the Sunday Photo Theme!

A few more BBQ photos while I’m out celebrating the arrival of SPRING!!!

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Sunday Photos!

A few photos for your Sunday Morning!  Happy BBQ Season!

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Social Media and BBQ…

…at first glance it would appear that the two have very little in common, however I would submit that few things are more ‘Social’ than a BBQ!  Not ‘Social’ in some fancy schmancy, have some Tea with your pinky out kind of way, but in a much more fundamental manner!  I’m sure that just about every reader of this Blog can recall good times spent around a Grill or Smoker with your family, friends and/or colleagues..I sure can!  In fact, to me the second best part about BBQ are the people that you share it with!  I have mentioned many times that the best part of my job is seeing the comraderie that springs up at the events we deliver Great “Q” to!

So, it would seem natural that we would be engaged in ‘Social Media’ for that reason alone, but alas, there’s more to it than that!  You see…it’s quite obvious to me that there’s more to be had from reaching folks online and letting them know what’s going on!  It’s a way for us to stay in touch with friends, fans and followers yes, but it’s also a way for us to reward your loyalty!  For example…the first of MANY special offers for our FaceBook ‘fans’ is on our page right now: https://www.facebook.com/pages/GreatQ4U-BBQ-Catering-in-Central-Pennsylvania/30070237853?ref=ts

SEE…there are some benefits to this whole ‘Social Media’ thing!  Now…don’t get me wrong, I would still suggest that you occasionally ‘step away from the screen and put the mouse down!’ to get out and enjoy this amazing world that we all share!  That said we plan on keeping up the ‘Action’ on our Social Media sites this Season…so thanks for playing along and I hope you have a SPECTACULAR weekend! – jak

Spring's Coming...look for our Competition BBQ Team!!!

BBQ and Oysters!!!

O’h MY Goodness….if that isn’t a headline worth reading about, what is???  I got to thinking that February is getting toward the last of the “R” months and that means (technically) soon-come you shouldn’t eat Oysters until next ‘season’!  Before you unleash your e-mails on me about how ‘that’s not true’…I know your gripes and stick to my “R” month theory!

OK, with the formalities out of the way I can focus on the star of the show…OYSTERS!!!  Love ‘em or hate ‘em (if you don’t like them….perhaps you could prepare some for your significant other!) it’s getting toward the end of what “I” call ‘Oyster Season’!  As a kid on the both the Western (Deale, MD) and Eastern (Knapp’s Narrows, Tilghman Island) Shores of Maryland’s slice of the Chesapeake Bay, I recall watching with complete fascination as the Skipjacks would sail out with their tenders and begin the dance that brought those incredible Oysters back to fans like me!

Now, for ALL you real ‘oyster’ people out there…I’ll put on the record here that my personal FAVORITE way to have oysters is fresh shucked on the shell with a shot of Tabasco and a drop of lemon & all the liquor!  I used to be of the opinion that the only way to cook Oysters (if you have to) was either fried light in hot oil or as an ‘Oyster Stuffing’…but I’ve grown a bit since then!  So, for all you Oyster lovers out there and for those Competitors looking to add a nice seafood dish for those ‘shoreside’ BBQ Competitions…here’s a suggestion for Smoked Oysters with a Mignonette Sauce:

First of all, get your smoker as hot as you can…400°F or more if you can, use your favorite wood…stronger flavors work best as the Oyster’s aren’t on that long.  While you’re waiting for the smoker to warm up, take advantage of the time by making a basic Mignonette Sauce…basically it’s Red Wine Vinegar, finely cubed shallots, salt and cracked black peppercorns. (Good Recipe Online at Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mignonette-Sauce-15405)  I occasionally add just a hint of white table sugar to lift the outer edges of the acidity.  Then shuck all them fresh…AMERICAN Oysters…Gulf Coast Oysters are pretty tasty and BIG too!  Reserve the Liquor (Oyster juice) in a separate container. 

Once you’re up to temp…toss the freshly shucked Oysters on the smoker and cook until they turn just opaque…about 5 min at most!  Pull them off and add some of that Mignonette…not too much and a shot of that oyster liquor and then lookout for the stampede!!!  Folks seem to love this and it’s an easy thing to do with your smoker that doesn’t take a LOT of time!  If you’re thinking about versions for your competition team, consider bedding on coarse sea salt (if rules allow) and adding finely cubed peppers for color and an extra kick!

Either way…get out and use that smoker…if Oysters are on the menu…ENJOY!

Quick Saturday Morning Post…

I know that I already mentioned it, but this year the Kansas City BBQ Society will be teaming up with Sam’s Clubs and Kingsford along with a TON of other sponsors to do what’s being billed as “The Inaugural Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour!” which will feature BBQ competitions in cities across the country and teams from every corner of the map!  Closest one in PA will be in Pittsburgh on 9/23-9/24! (I’m hoping to get an invite to judge it…team’s busy catering so we can’t compete.)

I could go on and on about it, suffice it to say that there are BIG BUCKS on the line in this series…how big, you ask?  How about $400,000!!!  That’s enough cash to attract some TALENT!  SO…if you have a chance to get to one of these events…you should!  There will be TONS to do with LOTS of Great BBQ and you’ll see and meet the ‘best’ competition cooks out there!  For more info, visit the KCBS information page at: http://www.kcbs.us/sams-club-series.php

BBQ Media Galore!

Kansas City BBQ Society has just announced the 2011 Great American BBQ Tour Schedule right on the heals of all kinds of exciting news about the upcoming Kingsford series – for more info, visit them at www.kcbs.us.  The National BBQ Association’s upcoming Conference features a Caterer challenge and ‘People’s Choice’ award that’s getting lots of attention, you can learn about it here: www.nbbqa.org!

No matter what the venue, BBQ is continuing to slowly creep toward the Center Stage of ‘Food Stardom’ and everyone’s got something for you to taste!  Great news for BBQ lovers and I guess, really good news for those of us who prepare ‘Real Deal’ BBQ for great customers!  It’s a great thing to see an art form that once only garnered regional attention coming unto its own!  I would highly suggest checking out the event schedules for both of the above organizations and doing your best to get to an event or two this Spring and Summer…pick one somewhere new and look forward to meeting some great folks and tasting really good “Q”!

As for the GreatQ4U! BBQ competition season…it is still ‘under review’…with all of the other plans that we’ve got for this season, it’s going to be hard to fit anything in before Fall, but you all will be the first to know if that changes!  We’ll be doing a couple public ’display’ events this year as well, so stay tuned!  In 2011 there’s LOTS to do in the world of “Q”!