Is There Anything Better....

Than a Porterhouse on your (borrowed) Weber Kettle

A Trinidad Maduro in hand

A garage fridge full of Miller Lite

The new doggy love of your life at your feet

and 24 coming on in 20 minutes?

Not sure, but here are the pictures. Esther (my new Lab, pictured) and I ate well tonight.

Hastings, come on. I knew Tauren (sp) was no good.....

Jeff H.

Vince G.'s Baby Backs, Tutorial & a Battery of Questions

I have gleaned some great ideas from all the posted recipes on the blog. I’m a novice for sure, just started low and slow cooking in May 2009 when my brother sent me a smoker (still in the box) he picked up at a yard sale in Austin. He sent me some mesquite too.


Here is my process:

I buy all the meat from Ream’s Elburn Market.

I thin coat the ribs with Tony Larussa’s “at the Plate Original Marinade” (sorry Cub fans) and a dry rub from The Elegant Farmer (near Mukwanago, Wisconsin) plus some brown sugar.

I use lump charcoal (BBQ King, Woodstock, IL) in my Brinkmann. I fill the water pan with 100% apple juice and try to keep the temp at 225. I’m still working on temp control. One tip I used from another BBQ site was to put a single layer of charcoal in the bottom and dump the hot coals on top of that. Seems to work.

I used apple chips for smoke. After 2 hours, I spray the ribs with apple juice. When the ribs are done I wrap them in foil and let them sit for 15 minutes before serving. That’s it!

OK, how about some questions?

What does everyone think about the Big Steel Keg (BigSteelKeg.com)? It is similar to the Green Egg but considerably less cost.

I haven’t seen much talk about the BBQ Pit Masters show and some of their techniques…

How many of our members are KC BBQ Society members? Certified Judges?

Members of Illinois BBQ Society?

Participate in professional or amateur contests?

Anyone entering the "Red, White & Bar-B-Q" in Westmont?

I entered with a buddy in the amateur division. $35 gets you entered, a 10’ x 10’ space and they give you 2 slabs of ribs, one baby back one St. Louis and a bottle of Uncle Bubs sauce.

Anyone thinking of a get together for Naperville’s Rib Fest?



[On another side note, I'm not sure I've ever had better meat than Ream's. Vince, if you haven't already, try smoking their stuffed pork chops and stuffed chicken breasts over apple wood. Oh, Lordy! - Tim W.]

Guys Screwing Around In The Mancave

Weds night. Byron and I wife-less for an evening. Ribs on the smoker to the west. Twin Anchor Inn BBQ Sauce with Salt and Pepper rub. GOOOOD.

Kingsford Competition Briquettes

Hey everyone, just heard from a friend (Ron S of Elgin) asking about these things. A while back, we had a brief discussion about them, can't remember who or when.

Polling the group... have you used them? What's the verdict and are they worth the extra scratch? Let us know.

Jeff H.

Rain, Rain ... What a Pain

Well, I had a Sunday all freed up and the apple wood was ready. But rain is Brinkmann's kryptonite.

So instead of smoke billowing outside, I've got south-of-the-border aroma wafting in. I'm making a slow cooker full of something called Tamale Pie.

Basically, it's spicy-seasoned beef, onion, poblano, kidney beans, black beans, enchilada sauce and garlic powder mixed together and scooped into the slow cooker. Then I whipped up a box of cornbread muffin mix and some pepper jack cheese. Poured it over the top of the beef mixture and put it on low for 5 hours, until the bread is cooked through and set.

Once done, I'll top with more cheese, green onion, tomato and sour cream.

First time I've tried this one. It's only been in a half hour, but smells fabulous.

I am an optimist, so I'm thinking this rain is the first sign of spring?

Tim W.

P.S. I don't know what these silly links are about or why they're there. No idea how to get rid of 'em.

South Carolina Style Ribs

Here are the pictures from Friday's venture into new sauce territory.

The rub: Tim W's Salt, Pepper and Paprika with a few dashes for granulated garlic. Always a hit.

And of course, the mustard-based South Carolina Style Sauce from Sticky Fingers. It has quite a bite to it, very good and a nice change of pace.



Certainly worth a repeat effort.

Jeff H

Two Evenings All Alone With My Smoker

My wife is abandoning me for two nights in a row, Thursday and Friday, doing girl stuff.

That means I'm free to make whatever I want, without fear of reprisal. Thursday night will be low key, most likely. Maybe a beer can chicken with a healthy coat of bbq sauce.

Friday night, however, I plan on visiting an old friend - The blessed baby back rib. Its been a while. But this time there will be an unusual twist.

Back about a year ago I made ribs with a Carolina Sweet Sauce from Sticky Fingers, a small bbq chain in the Carolinas. The owners liked my write up so much that they sent me a sample box loaded with good sauces, all of which were put to use within a month.

Except for one bottle, because quite frankly, it was something that I was VERY unfamiliar with.

The remaining bottle, that sits in the kitchen cabinets to this day, is a South Carolina Style Mustard BBQ sauce. Until I got the box of sauces from the guys at Sticky Fingers, I'd never heard of such a sauce. I'm just now mustering up the wontons to give it a try.

Pictures and write up to follow.

-Jeff H

Chuck's Grillapalooza from Sunday

Homewood regular at PSMGC, Chuck M., checks in with these delectable morsels:

Just a few pictures of what I made yesterday, it was the first time I tried lump charcoal and I must say that I liked it. We'll see how much of a dent it puts in my wallet. At least the really crummy weather held off until only the pork shoulder remained on the smoker.

Sunday - Cuban mojo-marinated baby backs on the Weber, with grilled plantains and bean salad. Hank B. looked pretty happy when he scored the leftover ribs!

Tonight was the pork shoulder, smoked cabbage, and grilled sweet potatoes. Kept it simple with the shoulder, used kosher salt and ground sage for a rub. Studded it with a whole head of garlic. Looking forward to fajitas with the leftover pork.

Thanks again, Chuck!

I'm Cheating Today ...

Chuck, your grilled fare sounds delicious. But I gotta admit that I didn't wake up in the mood to drop the match. Heresy, I know. I want baseball season to be here and now we're supposed to be getting another snow storm tonight/tomorrow, so I'm going to pout and boycott the outdoors.

However, I am cooking, of course. I've got the slow cooker in play today with a Thai Peanut Pork recipe. I picked up a nice roast and sliced it into 2" thick slabs. Put 'em over a bed of red bell peppers and dumped a mixture of teriyaki sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic and rice vinegar over the top.

They're bathing for about 8 hours, then I'll remove the pork, whisk a 1/2 cup of peanut butter into the sauce to thicken and return the meat for another 20-30 minutes. When that's done, I'll put the pork and sauce over a bed of white rice and garnish with crushed peanuts and green onions. Side dish is fried asparagus with a Thai dipping sauce.

In the spirit of Asian food, can't wait for USA-Canada hockey at 6!

Tim W.

Geno's Super Sirloin**

Geno K of Aurora sent in his SuperBowl Sirloin roast.... well done - not literally, of course! Here's Geno:

Here is the sirloin roast I smoked for the big game. I rubbed it with a chili garlic mixture, then marinated it in a mixture of Jim Beam, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and lemon juice. It layed over mesquite at 225 for about 3 hours to a perfect medium rare finish.

Looks great, Geno... thanks for sending it in.

**smoked over natural gas

I'm No Gearhead, But ...

... You gotta love the Daytona 500.

It snuck up on me this year, and I had to call my gearhead, fantasy-NASCAR-playin' sister to confirm this is the day.

That said, I won't watch all 500 miles. Not even close, especially when the PGA Tour is at Pebble Beach. But I do watch the first 20 or so laps and the last 20 or 30. When the announcers step aside and they encourage you to "Crank It Up!" it's so stinkin' cool on surround-sound.

Anyway, what am I talking about?

I'm going to melt the frost off ol' smokey, and drop the match, but I'm at a bit of crossroads ...

I have no idea what to make.

T's last post may have inspired me, though.

Possibly some race day ribs?

>
UPDATE: I'm switching gears. Pun intended. I'm going with a beer-can chicken rubbed with poultry seasoning inside and out of the skin. I also put several sprigs of fresh thyme inside the skin. That's the headliner to go along with cheesy ranch potato bake and smoked portobellas.

In the spirit of the 500, I'm dedicating this meal to the man (now retired) who owns arguably the greatest name in the history of sports.

Dick Trickle.

Tim W.

Monster Spare Ribs

Got these bad boys at Berwyn Fruit Market. Brined for a couple days in my rib brine (apple juice, lemon juice, dehydrated garlic and onion , along with some other stuff). Rubbed down with BBQ rub. Let sit for 20 mins. Smoked for 6 hours indirect heat over HEAVY apple wood and lump hardwood. Moist juicy and tender. Got to love that smoke ring!

ENJOY!