Monday, Monday…

…and I’m not exactly feeling ‘Blogtastic’!  Could be the sun and warm morning (FINALLY) or possibly the stretched tendon in my left thumb that has reared its ugly head again following years of relatively quiet torment…nonetheless…here I am doing my best to type away!

As with the vast majority of my BBQ Brethren, this time of year REALLY gets my juices flowing!  We clean out the smokers, prepare the outdoor kitchens, work on recipes, disinfect and powerwash the coolers and Cambros and check out the latest in ‘BBQ Gadgets’ on the market!  It’s a BBQ revival and ritual that comes every year, just about this time!

Without question, things are different this time around though…the effects of the Economy evident on the Booking Schedule and in the prices of our raw product!  We are doing MUCH to help out, including creating more cost-effective ways to deliver GreatQ to you and your guests.  We’re expanding menus and adding some incredible options to reach a wider range of customers and we have a REALLY cool chance for folks who want to learn how to do ‘Real Deal’ BBQ to choose a class that meets their specific needs OR take a whole series of classes that will walk you through the whole process!

We are being re-born and can officially call a start to ‘BBQ Season 2013′ and as we approach our 10th Anniversary as a Catering Company…we are thankful for all that we have!  Great customers, incredible followers online, true mentors and of course…Blog readers!  Stay tuned for more thoughts as this ‘Game Keeper’s Thumb’ gets better!  Have a GREAT week and make every day count! – jak

WOW…What A Year!!!

First of all, March came in like a LION…and it seems to want to go out as a POLAR BEAR! (Or an ‘Ice Road Trucker’…I can’t decide which!) On top of THAT, the Government almost shut down because they STILL can’t pass a budget and this whole ‘Sequestration Thing’ has everyone’s heads spinning…and may VERY well have a significant impact on my family!  AND…it’s only MARCH!!!  OK, we’ve had enough already, Spring can finally arrive and wash away all this Winter nonsense!

When it does, we WILL be ready for sure!  We’ve been busy working on our menus and Catering options and tuning up the website. (www.GreatQ4U.com)  You’ll find all the latest there, including; Information on our upcoming BBQ Classes, from Basic BBQ to Advanced, Whole Hog and even how to run a successful BBQ Business!  We have created our ‘BBQ Party Packages’ as a way to provide an additional level of economy to folks looking to feed a lot of folks on a ‘budget’…fixed menus and prices cooked to order for you and your guests and delivered right to your location!  We are adding the capability to cook Whole Hogs over Gas with Wood Chips which delivers the same quality that we are known for, but far more cost effectively and much faster…pricing is available on the site.  We are bringing in some INCREDIBLE product from vendors as committed to quality as us, most of which will eventually fall under the title of ‘Charcuterie’ and we are sure that our customers will LOVE it!  Whew…and we’re still awaiting the real arrival of SPRING!

SO…as the phone begins to ring and requests for us to cater events start to fill the inbox, we are ever mindful of our ongoing commitment to quality over quantity!  Regular readers of the Blog will know that it’s a ‘thing’ for me and one that will never waiver!  We have struggled with the current economic conditions and we know that many of our neighbors have as well!  We are doing all that we can to help out by creating more diverse and innovative catering options that are more affordable.  We have LOWERED the prices of the suggested menus in the brochure that you’ll find all over our website and we will work as hard as we can to meet the budget for folks who really want some locally sourced, wood-smoked, cook-to-order BBQ that comes straight to you from the smokers!  BUT…we will never sacrifice quality or our commitment to local suppliers and farms!

If we simply can’t hit your budget for an upcoming event…that doesn’t end our commitment to Customer Service, it just is what it IS and we are always HAPPY to provide additional references for you to reach out to!  I can say that folks are holding off booking their events longer than usual this year (understandably) but when our 400+ square feet of smoker space is filled up…it’s filled up!  SO…if you’re thinking about some GreatQ4U! at an event this year…call soon and lock in your date and space on the smokers…we know you’ll be satisfied with the results!  -  717-254-1937 or online at GreatQ4U.com

How We Do ‘Beer Can [style]‘ Chicken

Given the inadvertent direction of the Blog this week has been to talk about the History, Methods and Techniques of BBQ and how they apply to our situation here at GreatQ4U!, I’ve chosen to talk about how we do whole chickens on the smoke.  Lest I lend myself to someone thinking of the age old adage; ‘Those who can DO…those who can’t TEACH!’ – All due respect to teachers and instructors everywhere…I have taught thousands of folks LOTS of stuff over the years and I’ve always believed strongly that being able to DO what you teach is the ONLY way to be credible.  I learned that from many more mentors who thought and did the same…but enough about philosophy and onto the Chicken!

We have, since our beginnings, had what we call ‘Beer Can Style’ Chicken on our menus and it’s a very popular selection.  In fact…it was the ONLY way that we did Chicken until I got my first SMACKDOWN in Competition by stubbornly preparing it, breaking it down and nicely presenting it in our turn in box just after Thighs became ‘all the rage’…LAST place!  (For a while, we proudly referred to it as ‘Jim’s Last Place Chicken’)  We don’t actually use Beer, or Beer Cans for that matter and that’s a preference…you can if you like, this is just the way that we do it!

First off, we start with a fairly good sized ’Roaster’…typically around 5lbs.  It’s a bigger bird than most and we find that they hold up well to the ‘Low & Slow’ technique, which we also slightly modify for poultry and I’ll get to that in a bit.  We prep the chicken by working our gloved fingers under all of the skin and gently separating it from the meat.  We do this top and bottom and on the Legs, Thighs and Wings to the extent that we can.  Once this is done, we mix some of our Poultry Rub (a bit more subtle than our pork rub) with Herbes de Provence (you can buy them already mixed or make your own, depending on your tastes) and some Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Some folks use butter and that works well too.  Once we have this slurry mixed up, we take the time necessary to work it under all of the skin throughout the bird and then afterwards, we give the outside of the skin a good rub down to evenly distribute the spices and oil.  By adding the oil, we help distribute the spices, retain moisture in the meat and crisp up the skin.  To further assist in crispy skin, we also give it a good external rub of oil and drizzle with kosher salt.

Now the ‘Beer Can’ or in our case, the lack thereof.  We actually use soup cans which tend to be a bit more robust and hold up better during the long journey on the heat.  Make sure that whatever can you use, it’s well cleaned before you place the bird onto it.  While we don’t truss the birds, we do fold the wingtips under so that they don’t burn.  The cans are filled just over half way with hand made Chicken Stock, salt, pepper and fresh herbs from our garden (when we have them) or market.  We typically use Rosemary, Thyme and Sage and will occasionally add different herbs depending on the mood.  On of the most common ‘variants’ for us is a Lemon or Thai Basil which adds nicely to the end product.

Place the chicken firmly onto the can and off to the smoker for its cook.  We typically use Hickory and Maple for flavor and color.  This is where we depart from our usual (classified) cooking temps!  We actually do cook the chickens right around 225ºF until they are just about done…which to me is when the internal temp of the meat near the thigh hits around 150ºF.  Then we crank up to a higher heat…somewhere over 350ºF to crisp up the skin, finish off the cooking process and infuse even more of the herbs from the stock throughout the chicken.  When the internal temp of the Chicken hits around 170ºF at the deepest spots in 2 places…it comes off the heat, still on the can and gets a foil wrap all around.  We let them rest for 10-15 minutes and then serve.

On our menus as with many other BBQ folks, we offer ‘Pulled Chicken’ and that is primarily as a time saver.  I don’t personally prefer to pull it after putting all this work into it because that tends to dry it out pretty quickly.  I think that the best way to serve it is to get it off the can and carve it as you would any other bird, leaving the Wings and Legs for those who love them.  As with all recipes…it takes practice and can be modified to include any ingredients that you prefer instead of ours!  Also, if you are so inclined, you can use a brine for about 24 hours.  We don’t because the heavier roasters tend to hold up well to the smoke and the moisture from the Chicken Stock keeps them nice and juicy!

SO…there you go, some GreatQ4U! Beer Can ‘Style’ Chicken!  Enjoy!

Sticking With A BBQ Theme…

…why not?  We ARE afterall a ‘BBQ Caterer’ which I believe that this week’s posts so far have done a pretty good job of covering.  Although, all this reflection and education has got me to thinking a whole bunch about the evolution of BBQ in my life and how that translates to all we are doing today!  So, if you’ve got the time to oblige…here’s a bit of a retrospective followed by an overview of our capabilities as a ‘BBQ Caterer’!

As a kid, growing up in Pittsburgh, I had a pretty funny perception of what “BBQ” was in contrast to my knowledge today.  Back THEN…I thought of what I now call “BBQ” as “Pulled Pork” because that was all I knew of it!  In my hometown we were fortunate enough to have Isaly’s, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaly’s) which were a Restaurant/Dairy chain that was started in Ohio and they had many outlets in Western PA.  Many folks know of their most famous legacy…the Klondike Bar, which survives today in a variety of forms, all of which are considerably thinner than the originals!  Another thing that Isaly’s was famous for in ‘The Burgh’ was ‘Chipped Ham’…a concept that was entirely foreign when I arrived in Central PA at the turn of the Seventies into the Eighties.  It started with an incredible cooked ‘deli ham’ that was then sliced so thin that it didn’t come off the ‘log’ in full slices…you could also call it ‘shaving’ the meat, but it was ‘chipped’ where I came from.  It took years & a fair amount of migration from Western PA for the groceries in Central PA to learn to do the technique correctly!

SO…why do I spend so much time talking about ‘Chipped Ham’ in a BBQ Blog?  Well…THAT’s what I associated with BBQ until arriving in the Harrisburg area in the early eighties.  You see, ‘Ham BBQ’ was (and still is) an INCREDIBLE treat that comes from starting off with what many would associate with a traditional ‘pan BBQ sauce’ cooked in a pot on the stove using a LOT of ingredients from Western PA.  You start with Heinz Ketchup and then add in whatever ingredients your family used….ours included; brown sugar, Welch’s Grape Jelly, Lemon Juice, Worcestershire sauce and Heinz Sweet Relish.  Bring the whole mixture to a boil and then add in the Chipped Ham.  Cook it all together for a while and the combination of flavors all mix together into a VERY TASTY Ham BBQ which is best served on two slices of white bread.  It’s hot and messy and burns your mouth, but it is a VERY tasty treat and what I knew ‘BBQ’ to be from my youngest years.

Then we moved from Western PA to Central PA and I can still remember the VERY FIRST time that I ordered a ‘BBQ Sandwich’ in a restaurant!  It was a SLOPPY JOE!!!  Ground meat in a sauce that was VERY similar to that mix from a can!  I couldn’t believe that this was considered BBQ and it was perhaps my endoctrination to the regional differences associated with such a simple term!  When you asked for HAM BBQ…people looked at you like you were from another planet! (Same for ‘Chipped Ham’ for many years)  To this day, you will only rarely come across the regional delicacy that I know NOW to be ‘Ham BBQ’ sandwiches.  AND…they STILL call Sloppy Joe’s ‘BBQ’ here in Central PA, although word is spreading that there’s more to it than THAT!

Fast forward many years and more than a few failed ‘BBQ Restaurant’ concepts and I thought I would learn the art of ‘Real Deal’, wood-smoked BBQ!  Why?  Well…because I could recall those ‘Pulled Pork’ sandwiches that I used to eat on the way to the beaches of North Carolina when I was a kid and more importantly, I remember specifically the old Pitmaster at the ‘shack’ we would typically stop at and I was ready to see if I could reproduce his product…I am still working at it, but I’ve gotten pretty good!   It was (at the time) a dying American ‘Art’ and I thought I could help to preserve it!  There were no National BBQ Organizations or Competitions back then and ‘Food TV’ was limited to PBS and folks like Justin Wilson (The Cajun Chef) and Graham Kerr (formerly the Galloping Gourmet) who was WAY ahead of the healthy food curve!

As I chose my equipment and taught myself to ‘do BBQ’, I began with a sauce.  It took nearly two years and TONS of attempts to come up with MY version of an Eastern North Carolina Vinegar sauce that was uniquely my own.  Next I researched smokers and took into consideration the 60+ hours a week that I was working as a Paramedic back then and ultimately chose Pellet Smokers.  Now…here’s where the ‘Stick’ and ‘Coal’ burning BBQ folks like to make fun of me, but once again…that’s a topic for another Blog…I can crank out some REALLY GOOD, wood smoked product from my rigs because I’ve put in the hours and learned how to use them…just like whatever gear you choose to do your BBQ with!

Fast forward to today and a BBQ Catering Operation that finds itself facing the challenges of the current economy and the proliferation of other ‘BBQ Caterers’ and restaurants who have their own approaches to doing BBQ.  I started out doing WAY more Competition that Catering and I loved it because, while that Vinegar sauce rarely earned me respect from the Judges, I always learned a great deal at Competitions from my fellow competitors!  Then…as word got around, folks just started to ask me to cater events and one thing lead to another…so here we are!  We are a ‘Full Service’ BBQ Catering Operation with a LOT to offer customers in and around Central PA and an ever evolving mix of products to put on the table!

No matter what our customers needs, we are committed to listening, understanding and working hard to exceed them!  We have been and always will be committed to sourcing most of our products from local farms and markets and when we do source from outside PA, we do it because of our relationships with incredible sources who are as committed as we are to tradition and quality.  We offer everything from Event Planning, Delivery, Full Service Buffets to our new Whole Hog Roasts (reference yesterday’s post) and Charcuterie catering options that feature all American Meats and Cheeses that rival any of their European counterparts!  We remain committed to each and every customer as if they were our only one and we will NEVER sacrifice the quality of our product in order to make a dollar!

And it ALL started way back when I thought Isaly’s Chipped Ham, mixed in a pot on the stove with a mish mash of ingredients was ‘BBQ’…wow, what a long, strange trip it has been!  Want to know what we can do for you?  Visit us online at www.GreatQ4U.com and we’ll be happy to help any way that we can!

GreatQ4U! Now Offering Hog Roasts

OK, so you might ask…haven’t you ALWAYS done ‘Pig Pickin’s'?  Your answer of course would be “Why YES we have!”…BUT there is a difference and anyone who’s ever called us looking to have a Hog Roasted for a Party has heard the long version of the explanation.  In fact, we don’t do a LOT of Pig Pickin’s because they are time and labor intensive and they take a long time…hense they cost a LOT more than a ‘Roasted’ hog.

Yet another day of explaining the difference between two different cooking methods intermingled with a somewhat subjective history lesson to bring attention to our new service offering!  You see, the ‘Pig Pickin’ is a true celebration of the Hog, Family and Friends.  It is something that can be found throughout the South, but is particularly associated with North Carolina.  Our version of said celebration omits the killing of the Hog at sunrise and dispenses with the preparation of the offal (innards and organs) by the folks participating in the party.  Traditionally, every part of the hog is used in some capacity and attendees who have a particular specialty are tasked with creating something out of part of the hog.  We simply pay homage to the concept by using our ‘Low & Slow’, wood smoking technique. (Reference yesterday’s post)

By cooking the Hog Low & Slow over 100% Hickory, we give a healthy nod to tradition and do our best to be a part of the celebration in a meaningful way.  It involves arriving the day before and setting up shop, prepping the hog for the smoke and cooking it in a traditional way with only ONE turn during the whole cooking process.  We serve the hog whole and let folks ‘pick’ off of it whatever they like.  Nose to tail, it’s all available and at the end of a real Pig Pickin’…it’s all gone!  Not for everybody on a variety of levels, but a great way to celebrate family and friends as well as the life and sacrifice of the hog!

There’s the short version of the story which is mostly what we have to explain to folks who call us up looking for a ‘Pig Roast’ and thinking that it’s a one day, inexpensive way to feed a crowd!  Of course, there’s no such thing as ‘inexpensive QUALITY‘ so we talk a bit about local sourcing and our commitment to doing it right based on years of experience and age old methods of prepping and cooking too.  BUT…we still wind up referring a LOT of potential customers to other folks who do ‘just hog roasts’ for a living!  many of these folks use charcoal at high heat and cook the whole hog in a matter of hours not a whole day.  We simply haven’t had that ability…until NOW!

We are adding a number of Hog Roasters to our capabilities and will be able to accommodate Pig Roasts of all types and sizes!  From a 30-40 person party to 300+ folks we have found a way to deliver the quality that you’re used to from GreatQ4U! and do it in a much more efficient and cost-effective manner!  Our new ‘Whole Hog Roasts’ take advantage of higher heat cooking techniques using the same locally sourced hogs to deliver a number of options from Delivery and Drop off in a thermally insulated container to a Full Service Buffet with the addition of our home made sides.  Much more information and an Estimate Request form are available on our website: http://www.greatq4u.com/Whole_Hog_Roasts.html

Of course, if you’d like more information or would like to discuss your specific needs, you can always call us at 717-254-1937 or e-mail Info@GreatQ4U.com and we will be happy to help!

Everything Old Is New Again…

…or at least that seems to be the ‘thing’ in sourcing food lately!  It seems that the REST of the world is catching on to the idea that the fewer miles between your plate and the place where whatever food you eat comes from, the better!  Perhaps it is being driven by the economy more than the desire to preserve family farms or heathy, sustainable growth of everything from wheat to cattle, but whatever the reason…it IS a GOOD thing!

We have ALWAYS had a commitment to sourcing as much product as possible locally and from known sources for a whole BUNCH of reasons.  Most notably, it is almost essential to providing GREAT BBQ to know where your protein comes from, how it was raised and what it ate.  It is also a great way to keep those local producers who aren’t driven by ‘Shareholders’ in business and to get to know the story behind the food!  Additionally, it SAVES MONEY because the cost of shipping anything continues to increase and hauling stuff from ‘Factory Farms’ or Feedlots in the middle of no-where also increases the ‘Carbon Footprint’ of the food!

As this ‘local food movement’ continues to grow, we remain strongly committed to it!  Why wouldn’t we?  Pennsylvania is known for its rich pastures and healthy agricultural community and we feel blessed to have such access!  Additionally, we are beginning to bring in some ‘specialty’ items from other states (Virginia and Texas come to mind) that is produced by smaller, committed purveyors who are making stuff like traditionally smoked and cured hams and REALLY tasty Sausages.  As we do this, we are mindful always of having a great relationship with our sources and knowing everything that we can about the food that hits your plates!  It’s our commitment to you and will remain so!

Look for a few events this Spring and Summer that allow us to show off this commitment because we believe that proof is in the product…not the words in a Blog!  Thanks for reading along and have a GREAT end to your week! – Jim

BBQ Talk With Jim!

OK, so I didn’t have a ‘Snappy Lead’ to start off this Blog post and to be honest, I don’t have a clear ‘subject body’ in mind either.  BUT…then again, I’m a Pitmaster and NOT a Journalist!   So…bear with me and hopefully you’ll find some useful info in the following paragraphs!

First of all and as usual, THANKS for taking a few moments out of your day to read my musings!  This Blog is great because it gives me the freedom to ramble on about all kinds of BBQ stuff that may be of value to the ‘Company’, but more importantly…it lets me ‘open up’ a bit and expound on things that just can’t be put on the website or fit into 140 characters.  Today, it’s a mashup of business and ‘general’ BBQ stuff!

I am HAPPY to report that I am NOT a politician and I don’t think that I can be blamed for the Dysfunction in DC…BUT I can do something about it!  To that end, we have departed from our typical ‘one sale per year’ rule and for the last nearly two weeks, we’ve been running our (hopefully) ONE and ONLY “Sequestration Sale”!  Which means that if you’ve got an event planned for 2013 and are looking to add some ‘Real Deal’, Wood-Smoked BBQ Catering from a company that knows how to make your event REALLY TASTY and even more special…you’ve got TWO MORE DAYS to save 5% off the total tab!  SO…E-Mail me (Jim@GreatQ4U.com), visit our Online Booking Interest page (http://www.greatq4u.com/Event_Booking_Interest.html) or give us a call at 717-254-1937 to lock in your savings SOON!

Always good to start off with savings, huh?  Well…speaking about savings here goes my next topic!  You Get What You Pay For!  I know that I have typed those words on more than one occasion here, but they are especially relevant this year!  With the Economy still recovering and the impact of all this ‘political gridlock’…we are, like every other business, feeling the pinch!  In the past 18 months we have seen increases in the costs of EVERYTHING from our Meats and Produce to Office Supplies and YES the crazy cost of diesel to feed the trucks!  We are also keenly aware that our customers are feeling the pinch too!  There are a LOT of ways to address the need to make a profit in order to stay in business and one way that we simply WON’T do this is to change the QUALITY of our meals by using cheaper product or buying in bulk and freezing stuff…it’s just not how we roll! )

We ARE making a few changes to address the current economic conditions and our need to put food on our OWN table as well and here’s a preview of a few of them:

• We have DECREASED our per person cost on ALL of our most popular menu options!  While we always suggest that you have us provide a (no obligation) written Estimate for your event, these lower prices are reflected in the Suggested Menu Options in our online brochure, which you can find here: http://www.greatq4u.com/uploads/GreatQ4U_Brochure_with_Menu_Prices_10-12.pdf
• We are working hard to develop menus and products that better serve the needs of ALL our customers or potential customers.  A few examples are our NEW ‘Chuckwagon Style’ Partys for smaller groups (http://www.greatq4u.com/Chuckwagon_Partys.php) and our VERY Affordable ‘BBQ Party Package’ Deals which save you money by providing a set menu that we deliver hot off the smokers straight to you…no shortcuts here, just GREAT BBQ! (http://www.greatq4u.com/BBQ_Party_Packages.html)
• Whole Hogs…if you’ve EVER contacted us in the past regarding our North Carolina style Pig Pickin’s…you know that because of our cooking process and equipment…it costs a heck of a LOT more for us to bring the Big Smoker to you and cook a hog ‘Low & Slow’ over wood smoke.  SO…unless you REALLY want an Authentic ‘Pig Pickin’ experience, we usually refer to other folks who cook faster and at higher heat over Charcoal.  NOT anymore!  We are in the process of adding the equipment we need to cook hogs more cost effectively and maintain the same quality that you’ve come to expect from us…SO bring it on!  If you want a Rotisserie roasted hog with a great tasting ‘Wood Smoked’ flavor…we’ve got you covered and are HAPPY to provide a written Estimate for whatever type of service that you’d like!
• GreatQ4U! ‘Regulars’ know that we have always had a strong commitment to preparing everything we serve by hand, ’to order’ for your events!  No ‘batch cooking’ and then splitting it up around here!  We are strongly committed to sourcing products locally and supporting local farms and businesses and that commitment continues, BUT…there are a LOT of folks out there making GREAT products that we don’t currently offer…and we’re planning on ADDING their stuff to our menus!  Just TWO examples of this are the fine folks at S. Wallace Edwards in Surry, Virginia and Meyer’s Elgin Sausage Company in Elgin, TX!  Edwards can trace their heritage all the way back to the original Jamestown settlement and they KNOW how to cure and smoke the HOG!  Meyer’s claims to have the BEST WURST in Texas and we simply agree!  Look for those and more additions to our menus to add more variety and value for our customers!

OK, that’s about enough typing for one morning!  I guess the ‘Take Away’ from all this rambling is that we are here for YOU!  We know that times are tough and we’re taking steps to deal with it!  We WILL NOT EVER sacrifice our quality or process to make more money!  SO…if you’re having an event this year and you’re looking for an Experienced Caterer with nearly 10 years of experience to deliver ‘Real Deal’, Wood-Smoked BBQ to you…we’re a pretty good choice!  Check us out and don’t hesitate to call if we can help in any way! 717-254-1937 or online at www.GreatQ4U.com

Clocks Move Forward and So Do We!

Good Monday morning to all our readers!  (….or whatever day/time you happen to be reading this for that matter)  We hope that you are well rested despite the fact that for those of us who live in states that DO the ‘Daylight Saving’ time thing, we all got less sleep over the weekend.  Although, we like to think of it as a sort of ‘Fast Forward’ toward Spring! Yep, ‘glass half full’ and we are ONE HOUR closer to Spring…Damn the Groundhog!

Along with the warmer days and extended light during our evenings, we are gearing up for an exciting ‘BBQ Season’ around here and we’ve got a LOT going on!  We have LISTENED to our customers and made several changes as a direct result of your requests!  Perhaps on of the best examples of this are the NEW and varied offerings that we have created in our Day long ‘BBQ Classes’ which are filling up fast!

We continually get calls about “Q-U” (our ‘BBQ University’) which until now was centered entirely on our customers and a bit cost prohibitive because it entailed taking our Big Smoker ‘offline’, bringing it to your location and cooking up a storm!  NOW…we have scheduled a few different options; First Up is our ‘BBQ Master Class Series’ which is designed to be taken individually or all together in order to go from BBQ Novice to BBQ Expert and even BBQ Business owner!  Our First Class, ‘BBQ Basics’ is scheduled for April 21st in Marysville, PA and we should be setting dates for the remaining classes this week! (Advanced BBQ, Whole Hog and Starting a BBQ Business) This series is limited to 25 students per class at $150 per person or $500 for all four.  Course fee includes everything you’ll need for the class, a tasty meal following class and all course materials.   ***These are NOT ‘Competition BBQ’ Classes – Our emphasis is on helping the BBQ Enthusiast to learn to cook at home or as a Business venture.  We’re happy to refer you to plenty of Competition courses in the Mid-Atlantic region if that is what you are looking for!***

In addition to the “BBQ Master Class” series of programs, we are adding other courses that we think will be both informative and FUN!  The first class in this series will be ‘BBQ Appetizers and Paddling’!  Again taught in Marysville, PA along the shore of the beautiful Susquehanna River, we have teamed up with Blue Mountain Outfitters (Central PA’s Premiere Paddlesports Outfitter) to spend a morning learning how to cook some innovative and tasty BBQ Appetizers and then spend the afternoon enjoying the tasty treats while checking out the latest Paddling Gear and Boats available.  At $100 per person (30 person limit) this class will fill up fast and is scheduled for June 2nd.

We’ll be adding even more classes to the schedule in the weeks to come, including one featuring ‘Cooking with Iron’ focused on the versatile and useful Dutch Oven, another on ‘Cajun Cookin’ such as Gumbo and Crawfish Boils!  We will even be conducting a class on Roasting Vegetables….specifically fresh peppers from Hatch, New Mexico while they are ‘in season’ and fresh from the fields!  If you’ve got a suggestion for a course topic, let us know and we just might add it onto our schedule: Info@GreatQ4U.com – If you’d like more info or if you would like to sign up for the classes, give us a call at 717-254-1937 or check our website for the latest updates and an online Info request form: http://www.greatq4u.com/BBQ_Classes.html

As if THAT wasn’t enough, we are working diligently to enhance our ability to do the ‘Whole Hog’ either at our location for delivery to yours or Onsite at your location.  We get LOTS of requests every year to do ’Hog Roasts’ as opposed to our ‘Pig Pickin’s’ which are a bit different.  Cooking hogs in our Smoker is a long and loving process that typically requires 24+ hours and is a bit costly because of the amount of wood pellets that we burn during that process.  It certainly is more costly than cooking over charcoal in a rental ’Pit’ or thin skined ’Hog Roaster’ and so we have sent folks looking for cost effective Whole Hog roasts to other purveyors in years past!  NOT THIS YEAR!  We have found a Roaster that will provide the kind of quality that folks are used to from us at a FAR MORE economical price point and hope to be online and Operating by June!  SO….if you’re looking for a Whole Hog for an upcoming picnic, give us a call at 717-254-1937 or drop us a Booking Interest form from our website: http://www.greatq4u.com/Event_Booking_Interest.html and we’ll be happy to prepare an Estimate based on your specific needs!

Well, that’s a LOT of information for a Monday morning, so we’ll let you get on with your week!  We hope that you make it a GREAT one and that you keep us in mind for ALL of your BBQ needs, whether it be learning to do it at home or having us bring the BEST ‘Real Deal’, Wood-Smoked BBQ and Sides straight off the smokers to you and your guests!  We’ve got you covered!

Spring Is In the Air @ GreatQ4U!

Yep!  Despite the fact that the Groundhog’s prediction would appear to be a bit jaundiced based on the number of BLIZZARDS that folks in the West and NorthEast have had to suffer through in the past several weeks…we are READY for Spring to arrive!  We’ve got LOT’s going on and are hoping that (despite a lousy economy) we can help make 2013 the BEST year YET for BBQ!

Where to start? Well…the GreatQ4U! website’s a good place…we are making ALL KINDS of changes there with the intent being not only providing information about our BBQ Catering, Consulting, Class and Event Planning capabilities…but making it  a GREAT resource for information about all things BBQ!  We recently added a PDF Brochure that can be downloaded to provide you with some ‘Suggested Menus’ and our NEW LOWER PRICES!  We also have created and added our new BBQ Party Packages for folks to have a simple way to get GREAT prices for feeding parties from 50-100 folks.  These packages incorporate our most popular Menu requests into a ‘No Muss, No Fuss’ Delivery and Drop Off option which can include our ‘Buffet to Go’ package if you want an even easier entertaining option!  We are increasing the amount of information available on the site through our Social Media outlets and the Blog as well and we’ve added a site map to make finding everything easy & a Guest Book for you to drop us a line and let you know what you think and where you’re from!

While we remain committed to sourcing the vast majority of our BBQ products locally and putting as few miles as possible between you and your food, we are also working closely with some other providers of quality products that we think represent the best of the best!  You’ll notice information in the coming weeks about our product offerings from S. Wallace Edwards of Surry, Virginia!  They have been curing and smoking hams and pork products since the ORIGINAL Jamestown settlement in the 1600′s…so you can bet that their commitment to quality is second to none!  Our ‘Chuckwagon Party’ menus are coming together and will soon be on the site OR if you’re interested in having a ‘Western Style Cookout’, just shoot me an e-mail or give us a call and we can work with you to create a menu just for you! (Jim@GreatQ4U.com or 717-254-1937)  We figure that when you’ve got access to the ‘best of the best’….you should pass that along to your customers and you’ll see more and more of it this year!

As always, we welcome input and suggestions from our Online friends and customers and encourage you to let us know how we can help make your next party or event a success.  Look for info on Corporate Lunch Packages and more Reviews of BBQ Products and Stuff on the website in weeks to come and if you are planning an Event for the Spring or Summer this year…BOOK SOON!!!  Our calendars and Smokers are filling up fast!  Thanks for reading along…I hope that you have a GREAT week!

We are hoping to make our presence known on the Competition Circuit this Year Too!

SO, How ’bout that Groundhog?

Being from Pittsburgh and just a short trip down I-79 from Punxsutawney Phil’s home at Gobbler’s Knob, I must say that I have been giving the Woodchuck his due since LONG before Bill Murray made him famous on the Big Screen!  I figure he’s GOT to be as ‘accurate’ in his predictions as the average TV ‘Weatherman’!  Furthermore (as a good friend who lives in that area pointed out to me) he is REALLY good for the local economy during an otherwise ‘slow’ season!

In the event that you missed Phil’s prognostication this year…he DID NOT see his shadow!  This is significant for a few reasons the most obvious of which is that Spring is planning on an early arrival.  It’s also significant because in the last 125 years, he has only failed to see his shadow on 16 occasions…so it’s an unusual prediction for the typically fickle rodent!

All that aside, the other thing that Groundhog Day signals is a good time to start thinking about your Summer BBQ’s and Grilling!  You can begin the process of evaluating all of your cooking gear and apparatus, obtaining any parts or cleaning supplies that you may need to get them in ‘ship shape’ and getting the job done!  Even for those of us who run the smokers and grills all year long, it’s a good chance to clean out the ash pits, wipe down the grease and make sure that everything is in optimal condition for the Spring weather and cookouts!

Additionally, why not learn a new cooking technique this year or add a few recipes to your ‘usual suspects’?  These long cold days and nights provide you with a GREAT opportunity to read a few cook books or watch instructional videos about how to Brine, Cold Smoke, Make Bacon, Cure Hams…you name it!  It gets those BBQ Juices flowing and puts you in the position to be a ‘BBQ Allstar’ among your friends this year!  You can find TONS of information on the Internet, Twitter, FaceBook or even here on our Blog!

Make the best of the few weeks we have left before the balmy days and warm evenings that Phil has predicted arrive and get your gear, recipes and taste buds in shape for a summer filled with BBQ and Good Times!  If we can help you in any way, give us a call at 717-254-1937 or E-Mail me; Jim@GreatQ4U.com!  You can always visit us online too at www.GreatQ4U.com.

Clean Those Rigs!