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!

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!

How We Do (GreatQ4U!) Pulled Pork!

It’s a seemingly simple comfort food that has many iterations and is the ONE thing that most people think about when they hear the words “BBQ” and “Sandwich” together.  Everyone’s got their own special ‘method’ and we are no different.  You can find Pulled Pork that’s been cooked on a Smoker, Stovetop, braised in an Oven, Tossed in a Crock Pot and Soaked in Sauce…yata, yata.  This is how WE do our Pulled Pork (with a few key details left out intentionally) which I share to illustrate just ONE of the many reasons that I think there is a REAL ‘GreatQ4U!’ difference here in Central PA!

First of all we start with local sources, hand picking every cut of meat that we put on the smoker to ensure optimal results.  For our Pulled Pork we use the whole front shoulder of the hog (Boston Butt and  Picnic Roast) with the bones left in much of the time, other times and perhaps more practically at home, we use the ‘Boston Butt’ which is the top half of the front shoulder with the shoulder blade still in.  You can get the ‘boneless’ variety…but that’s just plain nuts!  Bones help preserve moisture because of the connective tissues and they also add flavor!  Better yet…they can be ‘repurposed’ following the cook to make an INCREDIBLE Smoked Split Pea Soup!

Once we’ve got the right cut of meat, we allow it to gradually warm up to ‘room temperature’…which is exactly that…whatever temperature that the room we’re in is at.  During this time we use our own spice rub and apply it liberally using a small amount of neutral oil (canola) to help make sure it gets into every crevice.  We’ll rub it at least twice during this period and give it time to ‘set’ before the meat hits the smoke.  Speaking of smoke, this is a good time to fire up the smoker (or an oven of you don’t have a smoker) to around 225 degrees.  No exact temps here kiddies….but suffice it to say that you’ll hear 225 a LOT from BBQ folks…we DON’T cook at that temp, but it’s a good starting point! (We cook a bit lower than that, FYI)

Once the smoker’s had a chance to not only warm up, but to ‘stabilize’ (meaning that all the metal is at the same temp as the chamber) we let the meat ‘hit the smoke’.  We put whichever cut that we are cooking on the heat with the fat side up so that it can render through the meat during the cooking process.  It is MY opinion that this is where many folks begin to screw up.  Constantly opening and closing the lid of the smoker or the oven door is a BIG no-no!  We open the door about once every 3 hours to apply a primarily vinegar based ‘mop sauce’ that will, after several applications and hours, help to build an incredibly flavorful ‘bark’ or crust.  Pulled into the finished product, this Bark adds texture and flavor and it’s an integral part of our “Q”!  We NEVER cook by the clock, we ONLY cook by the internal temp!  Using a QUALITY meat thermometer is KEY to this part of the process…we use (unsolicited plug) Thermapens because they are ‘Instant Read’ and VERY accurate! (http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/)  While again, I won’t tell you the exact temps that we use…suffice it to say that when the meat reaches a temp around 190ºF at the deepest part next to the bone, we wrap it tightly in heavy duty foil and remove it from the heat, placing it into a thermally insulated storage container…coolers work well!  Then it has a chance to ‘rest’ for about an hour or so…giving it time to continue to cook from the ‘carryover’ heating AND allowing the moisture to permeate all of the meat.

By now, you are probably pretty full from all the little pieces of Bark and pork that you’ve pulled off to ‘sample’ during the whole process.  A great way to work up more of an appetite is to Pull that Pork.  We pull ours by hand and it’s easy to do if you’ve cooked it right, but there are LOTS of other options out there.  A quick ‘Google’ will deliver devices from the ever popular and effective Meat Rake (http://meatrake.com/) and Bear Claws to the RO-Man drill powered pulling device.  While it’s up to you what you use, we do the hand method in order to preserve the texture of the meat and integrity of the bark that we work so hard to create.

If you’ve followed along to this point and the Pork was cooked over smoke…BBQ Sauce REALLY should NOT be necessary!  In fact…it will erase much of your hard work!  If you cooked it in the oven and you want a smokey flavor, then a sauce may help you out there.  We use a ‘semi-traditional’ Eastern North Carolina sauce that is primarily Vinegar Based with some Tomato base and a few other common ingredients and it’s a pretty ‘thin’ sauce in that it doesn’t put a thick, sweet coating on the meat.  Obviously the choice is yours, but when you put more than 24 hours into cooking a piece of meat, I think it’s a great thing to let your efforts and the magic of slow cooking over smoke speak for itself!

SO….that’s our story on Pulled Pork and I’m sticking to it!  It’s a tough road sometimes because folks are looking for the best deal that they can get these days and typically that means comparing nothing more than prices.  Our price tends to be a tad higher than those who take shortcuts and have overhead that makes it necessary for them to sell as much as possible, but it’s not even CLOSE to covering all of the time, effort and LOVE that goes into every BBQ product that we make!  Now it’s your turn, give it a try and let us know how it goes!  Feel free to post your experiences here on the Blog and send pics!  We LOVE to have more company here in the world of Great “Q” and we welcome YOU!

New to the world of BBQ???

WELCOME!  you’ll find that this is a BIG house with LOTS of room and many folks already living here!  We all share a common passion, but without question we’ve got STRONG opinions!  Nuthin’ wrong with that, just can be a tad intimidating for those who are just stepping in!  No worries, you’ll find that despite our personal preferences and propensity to keep secrets, we ARE a very welcoming bunch!

No matter your interests, you should start the same way!  Whether you want to be one of the new BBQ Pitmasters, a successful business person, a national or regional competitor or just someone who LOVES real BBQ and can cook it yourself…there are PLENTY of resources out there for you!

If you have one, a great place to start is your local ‘BBQ Organization’.  Here in PA we are fortunate to be in the Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association and it is FILLED with people who are more than willing to share a wealth of knowledge with you!  Then choose a path and support your passion!  The support part is important not just locally, but nationally to keep the BBQ fires burning for years to come!  We are PROUD members of both the MABBQA (www.mabbqa.com) and the Kansas City BBQ Society (www.kcbs.us) and would be remiss if we didn’t mention the National BBQ Association (www.nbbqa.org) as well.  There are more…but it’s a short post…so ‘Google it’!

Onto your ‘Gear’…do your homework online…talk to other ‘BBQ People’…find good distributors and get as much info as you can!  THEN…think about YOUR situation and what will work best for what you want to do!  In reality…once you’re good at BBQ…you’ll be able to produce premium product on just about ANYTHING!  Beware…everyone thinks that their smoker is the BEST…and it IS…for THEM!!! You need to choose a smoker that will fit you and your needs so as not to make the learning curve too steep!

Then…it’s off to the races for you!  Start exploring the resources available through the organizations that you’ve joined!  Arm yourself with information and recipes and have at it!  Here’s a metaphor for you….I ride Mountain Bikes (or at least I used to) and HATE going up hills! (really…who doesn’t?)  A good friend, former pro bike mechanic and bike shop owner once told me…”The only way to get good at riding hills is to ride LOTS of hills!!!”  Same for BBQ…trial and more trial…there WILL be errors, but it’s always amazing to me how invisible they are to the folks eating the end results of your efforts!

If we can ever help in any way, I am always happy to talk “Q” with folks!  We also offer a comprehensive array of ‘BBQ Consulting’ services in the event that you want to get more serious!  We can help you start a business, get online, optimize Search Engine results so you come up on Page 1…etc!  Just let us know how we can help you and ENJOY your journey!!! – info@GreatQ4U.com – 717-254-1937

BBQ Season 2013 Has Arrived!!!

OK, so I know that it MAY be a bit early to start taking “Que” to some folks…but I like to call those folks WRONG!!!  Us serious ‘BBQ People’ are thinking “Que” 24/7 all year long and I cannot TELL you how desperate I’ve been to fire up the ‘BIG’ smoker since cleaning her up for the ‘off season’ in late October!

‘Off Season’…what’s THAT?  Well for us, it seems to get shorter and shorter every year, but the period in between November and April has always been our chance to get caught up on everything that didn’t get done during the peak of the catering activity in the Spring and Summer.  We take a look at what was popular with customers and what was ‘not-so-much’ and adjust accordingly.  Our focus shifts to our menus and R&D in the ‘Test Kitchens’ for next year’s customers.  We never quit thinking about “Q” all the while filling up the Spring and Summer Bookings for this year!

In addition to our typical ‘off season’ activities, we are doing LOTS more this year!  Most notably, working diligently on our new ‘service line’ which includes a ‘Chuckwagon Style’ option to have us come out and cook for you and up to 40 guests in an authentic American West style!  More info about the Chuckwagon Parties will most definitely be forthcoming!  We are also doing a COMPLETE overhaul of the GQ4U! website! (www.GreatQ4U.com)  We’re adding more content on a near daily basis, we are working HARD to give you useful info such as product reviews and online Booking options and we’d LOVE to hear about any additional features that our visitors would like to see!  We’ve even added a Guest Book so that our fellow BBQ Lovers from around the world can check in and send their greetings to the rest of us!

I would DEFINITELY like to FINALLY get back out and do some Competitions this year following a 2 year hiatus due to a REALLY packed catering schedule!  We’ll keep you posted about our plans and if you live in or around Central PA, have some Smoker or BBQ skills and would like to be on our team…shoot ma a quick bio and/or resume and we’ll see if we can get you on the team this year! (Jim@GreatQ4U.com)

SO…keep on following along…it’s going to be a GREAT YEAR at GreatQ4U! and we’ll have LOTS of chances for y’all to be a part of it!!! (Hint, hint: GQ4U! Street Team!!!)

It’s FRIDAY…Get Out and DO SOME QUE!!!

Alas, the weekend is within sight and our thoughts should rightfully be turning to thoughts of what we’re going to do!  And NO…I don’t mean blowing leaves, cleaning gutters, cleaning up the garden, etc.  That stuff is what you HAVE to do…I say, get out there and DO SOME QUE too!!!

It’s easy to think that BBQ is a ‘Summer Thing’…it is ANYTHING BUT limited to one or two seasons!  I mean, if you look back through the Blog for a few years, you’ll see that I wax nostalgic EVERY Fall about how BBQ tastes better in cooler temps to me…but I am NOT doing that this year!  Instead, I wanted to focus on the BBQ Stuff that’s still going on this time of year!

In addition to the BIG BBQ events that are going on out there…EGGTOBERFEST (http://www.biggreenegg.com/events/the-annual-eggtoberfest/) this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, GETTIN’ SAUCED (http://www.gettinsauced.com/) next weekend in Austin, TX and TONS of regional events across the country!  If you need a schedule, check out the KCBS (www.kcbs.us) or NBBQA (www.nbbqa.org) websites or just ‘Google’ your area!

SO….once those chores are done, or even before they’re done for that matter….take some time this weekend, find a BBQ event near you and get out there and experience all the good that BBQ’s got to offer all year long! (I’m going to a Chili Cookoff…shhhhh!!!)

Eating At ‘Famous’ BBQ Joints

OK, so this could potentially perceived as a ‘hot topic’ and it is CERTAINLY not my intention to disrespect any of my BBQ Brethren…we are all one big community and have got LOTS in common…BUT, I thought it would be a good subject for folks out there in the ‘Blogosphere’ to get in on.

I am NOT a food critic, nor do I write extensively about other people’s food, but I definitely know what I like and BBQ is in the ‘Top 2′!!! SO…when I am travelling I always make a point of stopping for BBQ when I see a place that looks good and has a pile of wood or sweet smelling smoke emanating from it!  This is particularly the case when I am travelling through the entire South!  While my preference is for Eastern North Carolinian “Que”, I am always open to new tastes and experiences and I have never been disappointed (badly) with other regional styles!

When choosing a BBQ ‘shack’ in the South…I typically look for a small ‘Mom & Pop’ location and have even come across some GREAT BBQ in Bars in a number of Southern locales.  SO…when I see a BBQ place owned by a ‘Famous’ BBQ Guy or Gal…I stop in every chance I get!  I’m not naming names, because again…my point is not to be overly critical, but to pose a question for discussion!

It’s been my experience that not only are the majority of ‘Big Name’ BBQ places really busy (busier since the advent of Food TV)…but with few exceptions, they have always tended to disappoint me!  Not because of their sauces or atmosphere, but because the “Que” tends to lack a distinct smokey flavor and frequently has a ‘lack of texture’ to put it kindly.

Now MY personal thought on this is that because of the extra demand due to the popularity of the location or the Pitmaster/Owner, there’s a LOT of ‘Cookin’ and ‘Holding’ going on and whenever WE have tried to ‘hold’ our “Que” in hot boxes, warming ovens or on a buffet line (say at a wedding, while being held up by the PHOTOGRAPHER…or something like that) it always tends to wind up the same…lacking smoke and texture!

This is the main reason that we do ‘Just in Time’ BBQ…timing and delivering EVERY customer’s orders so that it comes straight off the smoker, rests adequately and then it’s off to the event! – Anyone out there have similar experiences and/or suggestions???

Have a GREAT day!!!

Chicken Monday!

OR, something like THAT!  It seemed an oddly appropriate way to begin the week by giving up the GreatQ4U! secrets about how we do CHICKEN!  Which applies really to ALL poultry…with some adaptations necessary in certain circumstances; Turkeys don’t fit on beer cans…so use a tray and Cornish Game Hens or Squab….DON’T try to stretch them over a can….that would be HORRIBLE!!! – We use a clean towel soaked in stock and herbs then stuffed into their cavity!

ALL that said…we call our version ”Beer Can STYLE Chicken” because we don’t actually use BEER…or Beer CANS for that matter!  Instead we use vessels about half full of our own, scratch made chicken stock with fresh torn herbs in it…typically Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Oregano…but whatever’s fresh will do!  Alas…I am putting the CAN before the CHICKEN here!!!

We choose ‘thick’ Chickens for the majority of our smoking…normally about 6-7lb roasters…if you use a smaller chicken, you need to baste (in my opinion) to keep it from drying out entirely during the smoking process!  We separate the skin top and bottom and then hand rub with a bit of Olive Oil and our Chicken Rub.  My ‘Friends and Family’ birds get whole sage leaves under the skin.  Then we give that bird a massage on top of the skin to make sure that all our spices are evenly distributed and down into the meat.  Finally, a light coat of oil or butter on the outside of the bird to get the skin some color and facilitate even heating!

THEN…it’s off to the cooking vessel…same rules as cooking ANY whole chicken apply…tuck the wings and if you must…truss it prior to hitting the ‘can’…but the can itself will help to keep the bird positioned well for cooking…thick breasts on top, thinner legs lower.  Set her on the smoker and then LEAVE it ALONE!!!  Typically our bigger birds cook for 5-6 hours, if you’re using a smaller bird and/or higher temps…obviously that would vary!

Cook to an internal temp deep down in the breast and thigh of about 170ºF and then as with all other protiens…off the heat and allow to rest a bit before serving!  You should notice a nice chestnut color on the skin and smell the fresh herbs which will have spent the last several hours ‘infusing’ into the meat along with your smoke!

If you’re competing…the ‘IN’ cut today is the thigh which is a GREAT piece to cook, but requires LOTS of practice to dial it in just right.  It’s not MY favorite way to smoke chicken (broken down) BUT it’s what the judges like…I’ll post a few more thoughts on ‘Competition Chicken’ in the near future…for now we’ll stick to the dinner table!

Ah…the SMOKE…we typically use a Maple or Cherry with some Hickory when cooking Poultry…but again it’s ALL about personal tastes and whatever YOU like…just start experimenting and find out what works for you!  You’ll enjoy the journey for sure and testing makes LOTS of tasty new friends! – Get out and smoke…don’t be Chicken!!!

How WE Do Pulled Pork…kind of…

…OK,  so I may leave out a tip or two and you won’t find any ingredient lists in this post, but it will cover the ‘Basics’ of Pulled Pork!  I just know that I will be typing this again, but to get it out there up front…there are LOTS of different ways to do Pulled Pork…I’m not sayin’ that ours is the BEST…(I think it is, though! …I’m just sayin’ that this is Kinda’ how WE do it!  Also…you could use the same techniques with just about any cooking method capable of maintaining a temp for long periods of time! SO…once again…as with all things “Q”….experiment and find out how YOU like it…this is just a place to start if you want!

OK, so most folks (including US) use primarily ‘Boston Butt’ or ‘Blade Roast’ to do Pulled Pork.  I’ve mentioned before that this is the top half of the front shoulder and it’s a pretty tough cut of meat with a fair amount of fat and LOTS of connective tissue!  When I am cooking for my family and friends…I cook the whole front shoulder which also includes the ‘Picnic Roast’ or lower half of the shoulder.

We ALWAYS cook ‘Bone In’, but you can Google up all kinds of debate on the topic…so instead of suggesting that it’s the ‘best’ method, I’ll just tell you why; Them Bones have FLAVOR!!! (LOTS of it!!!), in addition…they and the tissues that connect the muscle to them will add moisture as they slowly breakdown during the long cooking process.  Finally, they heat up and provide a gentle way of warming the meat from the inside out!

OK, with that all out of the way…you need to get your cooking vessel ready!  Hopefully it’s a BIG smoker and well seasoned, but even if it’s an Old Smokey….as long as you can hold a temp….this is gonna’ be GOOD!  Bring the internal temp up to about 225ºF or lower. (HINT: We cook MUCH lower than that!) It’s a good place to start and then as you learn how to get that meat done just right, you can begin to lower the temps all the way down to 180ºF or 190ºF…it simply increases cooking time and changes a few things about the end product…all part of the learning process!

Before it ‘hits the smoke’, we first use a light coat of oil and then liberally apply whatever Rub we use on that meat…for Pork it’s our ‘House Rub’.  We use the oil for two reasons; it helps to get the rub into all the crevices in the meat and it also facilitates a more even heating of the cut.  Once they are rubbed, we let every cut come up to ‘room temperature’ before they ‘hit the smoke’.  ‘Room Temperature’ to me is whatever the ambient air temperature at your smoker is. (I mean in the warmer months…if it’s 16 degrees outside…let your meat come up to at least 60 degrees or so!)  We do this because we think that it ‘Relaxes’ the meat AND it helps to form a ‘tacky’ outer surface that readily accepts smoke!

Then it’s off to the smoker!  We start them on the ‘Warm Spots’ and then move them to the ‘cooler spots’ in about 2 hours.  As our style is ALL about Eastern North Carolina, we mop every 2 hours with a Vinegar/Shallot/Jalapeno Mop sauce in order to build an INCREDIBLE ‘Bark’ or crust on the outside of the meat…all that flavor gets pulled into the mix in the end!

SO…when IS the end?  Well, we firmly believe in cooking by the Thermometer and NOT the Clock…it yeilds a better result and will give you a much better understanding of how meat cooks!  Here’s a news flash; no two hogs cook exactly alike and no two cuts will be done at exactly the same time!  SO…it’s all about practice and patience…a hallmark of BBQ!

What Temp you ask??? Why that might be TMI (Too Much Info) to ask for, BUT I’ll tell you that they come off the smoker at about 180ºF internally and then they get fully wrapped in foil.  They are covered with blankets and allowed to rest for a bit.  Typically an hour, but again we look for a specific temperature!

After they rest, we put them in a sturdy container that we use specifically for pulling, then we put on some thick, insulated gloves and remove the bones.  DON’T throw those ‘Blade’ bones away…they make a MIGHTY tasty Split Pea Soup or a nice, smokey Pork Stock!!!  Then we use ‘Bear Claws’ to hand pull the pork until it’s done the way we like!  Some folks pull by hand, but I think it can lead to ‘mushy meat’ of not done right…your choice!

As we pull, we sprinkle a bit more of our rub and we drizzle the Vinegar Mop sauce into it very lightly.  Then you can put that on a roll with some Lexington Red Slaw and a spot of our (VERY Vinegary) BBQ Sauce and HOLY COW!!!  That’s What I’m Talkin About!!!  It’s GREAT food that takes time to prepare……your family and friends will smell, see and taste the LOVE!  Good luck on your journey…let me know if I can help!

Thanks For Giving…

The last month has……..well……..it’s SUCKED!  Physical Therapy, X-Rays, Doctor’s Appointments and the need to deal with 14 rescued HOUNDS prior to each of these events….not to mention the joys of rain and mud when you’ve got 56 paws to clean EVERY time!  O’h I can keep going….there are now surgeons to see and more X-Rays to be had with the inevitable surgical ‘fix’ and the MONTHS of Rehab!!! – BLAH, Blah, blah….

…obviously I’ve had time to form a somewhat ‘bitter’ rind, BUT I have also (FINALLY) had a bit of time to think back over what has been an INCREDIBLE year by ANY measure!  I have had the great pleasure of seeing the best in people on MANY occasions and most of these included BBQ!!!

First, there was Sheriff Franklin’s Command Center in Morgan County Alabama…Ronnie Harwell, Bobby Lewis….ALL the Deputies, Trustees and Community members who made it happen for the residents!  My humility at the support that I received from KCBS, Rocket City Meats, Pat and EVERYONE at the BBQ Shop in Scottsboro, AL and more!  I had a MILLION reasons not to go and through my perseverance, I saw the best that there is to see in my fellow man and woman!  I learned about ‘faith’ and how it works…I saw it over and over again!

Next, to ‘Pay Forward’ the generosity that I was shown by Ron Harwell in Alabama, I was privileged to be a VERY small part of what started out as a ‘bunch of BBQ people’ cooking in a parking lot in Joplin for whoever needed it and turned into a still evolving Operation BBQ Relief (www.OperationBBQRelief.org)!  These folks provided 125,000 FREE Slow Smoked BBQ Meals for the residents and rescuers in Joplin in 5 days!!!  INCREDIBLE and what a sight to see!  It’s a cause WORTHY of your support!

Then as Vermont and New Jersey got hit with unthinkable flooding, I was in the middle of putting together plans to go cook BBQ in each of those states when our own got a ‘double whammy’ with hurricane Irene and the ‘remnants’ of Tropical Storm Lee!  Flooding exceeded record levels and caused unimaginable damage across nearly ALL of Central PA…North to South…it was tough to believe and an obvious need!  SO…as ‘Operation BBQ Relief Central PA’, we brought together 3 cookers who had never met before in a Sam’s Club Parking Lot…got TONS of support from Swatara Township, PA and the Chief & Members of the Rutherford Fire Department (Dauphin County Station 45) and MANY Old (some NEW) friends and fed nearly 5,000 victims and volunteers meals over 3 days!

My iPhone Photo Roll has a truly unbelievable collections of images that I occasionally share with close friends, but only when I have time to provide the appropriate context!  I have SEEN human suffering at its worst this year and it leaves a mark!  I have also, once again seen people rising up in amazing ways to help their neighbors!  I have PROOF that there are many who still CARE and that there are those who truly appreciate it!  I have seen the power of ONE BBQ Meal to bring a smile to the face of someone who’s lost everything and to provide a temporary distraction at a time of need!  I have many people to thank and much to be humble about…I am truly Thankful for everything and everyone who has been a part of this amazing year in my life and Thankful for the lessons that they’ve taught me!

If I don’t get the chance to say so again before Thursday…I wish you a reflective, healthy and happy Thanksgiving!