Pork Belly BBQ Bites (aka Pork Belly Burnt Ends)

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Pork Belly Bites are a luscious smoky treat. They are cubes of pork belly seasoned, smoked, braised, and sauced. They are delicious and can be served just the way they are. But they are also exceptional in ramen or in BLT cocktail skewers.

This particular recipe comes from my second book. In that book, I address the controversy of whether or not these delicious, wiggly nuggets of pork should be called "pork belly burnt ends."

I don't take offense to someone using the term "pork belly burnt ends". Yeah, it's not the same thing as "burnt ends" but neither are today's "burnt ends". The original burnt ends were the end scraps and bits that were cut off of the brisket during slicing. Kansas City is the home of burnt ends and in an article in 2013, the Kansas City Star mourned the passing of burnt ends.  That's because burnt ends today use the entire brisket point cut into cubes and often doused in sauce and are just an interpretation of the original. -The Offset Smoker Cookbook (Ulysses Press 2019)

So you can call these delicious pork pillows pork belly burnt ends if you like, as far as I'm concerned. Here's how I made this batch of Pork Belly BBQ. Bites.

Sugar Honey Iced Tea Glazed Double Smoked Ham

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I double-smoked a spiral-sliced ham for our youngest son's Friendsgiving today. The ham was as impressive as ever, which I attribute to our tried and true Sugar Honey Iced Tea Ham Glaze.

Notice the rack below the ham. If you run out of glaze (you shouldn't), you can just lift the ham out for a second and pour out the "run-off" that has collected in the steam pan and brush it back on. 

Sugar Honey Iced Tea Ham Glaze

This has been the go-to ham glaze around our home for years because it has Southern flavor, and it is simple with just a few ingredients. The warm, sweet and spicy flavor profiles balance perfectly with the saltiness of the ham.

Let's talk about the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Yes, as a kid, we'd exclaim "sugar honey iced tea" instead of saying the s-word. We thought about it and considered changing the title, but some of our "Pirate Ship" friends tried the recipe, loved it, and insisted it is the shit! (pardon my French), thus the name stuck.

Sugar Honey Iced Tea Ham Glaze

Published 12/21/2021

A warm, sweet, and spicy glaze complements the ham's saltiness for a Southern-style ham.

HPBA's Why I Grill - Winter Edition

[FTC Standard Disclosure] This post is sponsored by the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association as part of their #WhyIGrill series.

I'm excited to be working with Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association to share #WhyIGrill during the shorter days and cold nights of winter. I also teamed up with HPBA to share a new recipe that we created for Smoked Beef Short Rib Tamales with Jalapeno Cheddar Grits with Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce .

Comfort food is taken to the next level - Smoked Beef Short Rib Tamales, Jalapeno Cheddar Grits, and rustic Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

#WhyIGrill In The Winter

Sure it's cold but that doesn't mean it's time to pack up the grills until Spring. Like most of my friends, we grill and BBQ year-round for a variety of reasons.

• The short and sweet reason is that I want my food to taste as good in the winter as it does during the summer.
• Another reason is that I think that getting outside is one of the best ways to fight off those winter blues.
• Perhaps the best reason for grilling during winter is because of the yummy comfort foods that come with winter, such as; chili, stews, pot roasts, and these tamales. 

For tips on grilling during the winter, check out this link at WhyIGrill.org.

Let's talk about making those delicious tamales. The full recipe is at WhyIGrill [ENTER LINK] while this post is like the commentary at the end of movie credits. 

Smoking Beef Short Ribs

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I was just trying to make a blue cheeseburger the other night, but we ended up with what Alexis perfectly described when she declared, "It's a wedge salad burger!".  When she's right, she's right.

The burger is a 6-ounce ground chuck smash burger that we top with blue cheese, red onion, and steak rub while still on the griddle, so it melts together.  That deliciousness rests on top of the crispy center leaves of iceberg lettuce and is topped with seasoned diced tomatoes. All of that is on a toasted brioche bun slathered with red wine vinegar and black pepper mayo. All of that is just a long way of saying it is friggin' amazing. 

Alexis dubbed this the Wedge Salad Burger because she noticed that it had all the typical steakhouse wedge salad ingredients.

A couple of tips. Use the freshest ground beef that you can get. I get mine at Food City because they grind it fresh several times a day. Also, wedge salads are crunchy so use the center core of the iceberg lettuce for the crunchiest lettuce.

I doubt that you need a recipe to recreate this delicious burger, but just in case, here it is. 

Wedge Salad Burger

By www.nibblemethis.com

Dirty Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

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I'm a big fan of stuffed bell peppers. This version takes on a Cajun spin starting with a spicy and smoky dirty rice and finishes on top of a zesty cream sauce.

Cajun Dirty Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers with a Zesty White Sauce

Slap Ya Sister

Last month, we went to Charleston for a weekend of food and fun with several members of our BBQ team. While there, we visited Virginia's Veggie Stand at the City Market, where they had an array of spice mixes packed in small bags with hand-written labels. 

You know that I couldn't pass that up and one of the mixes I bought was there Slap Ya Sister. It's a Cajun blend loaded with large herbs and dried chiles and that's what inspired this recipe. 

The Slap Ya Sister Cajun herb mix from Virginia's Veggie Stand in Charleston has large pieces for robust flavor. I can't think of a Cajun seasoning that would be an equal swap since these herbs are big and flaky. To substitute for a tablespoon of Slap Ya Sister, I would use a teaspoon or so of Meat Church Holy Voodoo or Slap Ya Mama seasoning. That's about a 66% reduction in volume because one is flaky herbs and the other is ground seasoning.

Smoked Sausage Carbonara on the Big Green Egg

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Carbonara is a fantastic pasta dish. It is creamy yet has no cream. It seems gourmet, yet it is simple to make. 

Technically, this is more carbonara-style than carbonara. I use the carbonara technique of using the heat of the pasta for cooking the eggs. But, like many Americans, I like to add peas to mine, which is a no-no to many classically trained chefs. But what I really like about this dish is the smoked sausage that I finely dice and crisp up in a skillet; it adds such a nice smoky flavor and crisp texture.

Creamy and delicious Smoked Sausage Carbonara from the grill.

Tricks for Skillet Cooking on the Grill

Oostburger Pretzel Sliders

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What the heck is an Oostburger? 

Early in August each year, tens of thousands of bratwurst lovers gather in Sheboygan, WI, to celebrate all things brat at the Brat Days food festival. Alexis and I attended one year and soaked in all of the food, live music, the parade, and tons of fun. One of the things we discovered during that trip was the Oostburger. That delicious concoction is a burger topped with a butterflied bratwurst on a Sheboygan hard roll. This past weekend, we made this slider version of the Oostburger.

An Oostburger is a regional burger from Wisconsin that is topped with a split bratwurst. I sliced my cooked bratwurst on the griddle to give them extra flavor from caramelization.

Our Oostburger Slider is beefy, cheesy, and decadent. 

• It features a pretzel slider bun. Alexis was craving pretzels and bought a variety pack from an online seller, and the package included these fun slider-sized pretzel buns. The buns are sort of close to the texture of a Sheboygan hard roll. 
• The burger portion is a 4-ounce beef patty that I made square...well, squarish, to fit the rectangular shape of the bun. Instead of smashing balls into a round patty, I pressed them into one big square and divided it into 4 patties.
• Instead of a whole butterflied brat, I sliced a fire-roasted brat and cooked the coins on the griddle to give them some sizzle and char. 
• We add slices of Sargento Smokehouse Cheddar on each layer and a dash of stoneground mustard to tie it all together.

Notice the bit of cheese skirt on the bottom edge...that's my favorite part of any griddled cheeseburger!

Grilling Thick Pork Chops - Bourbon and Brown Sugar Pork Chops

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Cook your pork chops like a steak. That was the message of one of the pork marketing boards years ago but it still rings true with me. When you take the same techniques and care with a pork chop that you do with a steak, the result is fantastic like these chops. I use the reverse sear method and apply layers of flavor to make these Bourbon and Brown Sugar Pork Chops smoky, sweet, and luscious - fit for a king.

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Pork Chop with BBQ Beans and Collard Greens wtih Bacon

Grill You Pork Chops Like A Steak

So what do I mean by grilling your pork chops like a steak? I don't mean the same time and temps. I'm talking about taking the same types of steps you do with a quality steak, starting from the selection to plating. Here are some examples from this cook.

• Selection of quality meat - Why is it that people are super picky about which steak they buy but then will buy the first package of top of the pork chops? Here's what I look for in descending order:
• Color - I look for chops that are nicely pink-reddish. I'm avoiding chops that are pale, dark red, or that weird "I'm ready for the discount rack" shade of grey-green. Blech! 
• Marbling - It's not as easy to spot marbling in pork as it is beef, but it is there if you look carefully. Look for fine strands of white fat evenly distributed throughout the eye of the chop.
• Thickness - For thick chops, I'm looking for chops that are at LEAST 1" but preferably more like 1.5".  I am also looking for even thickness, although I will also deal with that in prep.
• Brand - When all things are equal or if I'm sending someone else to buy my meat, I'll tell them to look for Cheshire or Smithfield. I've used them for years with consistent results.
• Preparation - Again, people use all sorts of tricks on their steaks, but many people tend to just season chops and throw them on the grill without any kind of forethought or care.
• Trimming - I French-trim these rib chops in part because I like the presentation but it also helps prevent overcooking the narrow bits of meat on the bone end. 
• Tying - Once trimmed, I use my hands to compress the eye of the pork chop and tie kitchen twine around each to keep them as even in thickness as possible.
• Dry brine - I use the dry brine method to impart flavor and help retain the juiciness of the pork chop.
• Cooking - 
• Reverse sear - Direct grilling a thick pork chop can work but it is more likely to overcook the exterior or undercook the center. Going low and slow or using the reverse sear lets the entire chop get up to temp and evenly cooked through.
• Temp, not times - Use a quality thermometer to cook by temp, not time.
• Serving -
• Butter me up! Finish the chops with the brown sugar butter adds a final layer of flavor and makes sure that flavor gets on every bit. 

So let's get into the recipe...

Resting after the sear, with brown sugar butter melting its goodness all over these delicious pork chops.

The Smashtastic BBQ Sub Sandwich

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The Smashtastic is a hot-pressed BBQ sub loaded with smoked cheddar cheese, pulled pork, crispy bacon, sweet n spicy BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese, burnt ends, and deep-fried pickles. 

Brisket burnt ends, pepper jack cheese, smoked pork, smokehouse cheddar, bacon, and sweet 'n' spicy BBQ sauce on a crispy toasted sub roll...not bad for leftovers, eh? 

This is just a concept or idea post, you really don't need a recipe to make a sandwich, right? Here is the quick rundown.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Deep Fried Green Beans

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 Chicken lettuce wraps are sort of Taco Tuesday-ish, aren't they? 

These chicken lettuce wraps have that big pop of fresh ginger, a moderate sting of spicy heat, and a bit of crunchy texture. 

Lettuce Talk About Wraps

So which lettuce works best for lettuce wraps? We have two favorites at our house.

• Iceberg lettuce - Good old, plain iceberg lettuce is the traditional wrap of choice for lettuce wraps at PF Changs. They have a convenient shape and add crispness. Cut the wedges to exclude any big sections of stalk.
• Boston or bibb lettuce - Butter lettuce varieties have an appropriate size and shape for lettuce wraps. They are tender and have more flavor than iceberg lettuce. We like to buy the "living" lettuce when we can for the freshest wraps.

Iceberg is on the left, Boston on the right.

Chili, Chile, and Cheese Tots with Bacon Cheeseburgers

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My oldest son and his significant other came over to hang out at the pool last week, and just as they got here, thunderstorms rolled in. We made some thick half-pound burgers and tots. But not just any tots. Nope, these crispy delights were dressed with chili and chile cheese sauce. 

Talk about a guilty pleasure!  

Tailgate Like a Pitmaster with Peg Leg Porker

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Football returned this past weekend which means tailgating season has started. I turned to Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker in Nashville to share 10 Tips for Tailgating and he shares the recipe for his Pork Rind BBQ Nachos - which I have made for this post.

Carey Bringle's Pork Rind BBQ Nachos are a crowd pleaser and a natural for tailgating
because you can make everything ahead of time.

All The Way Burger ala Melvin's

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I enjoy so many burgers in various configurations, but my hands-down favorite burger is the ATW burger from Melvin's in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. I've posted about this one before, but this time I made it on a griddle.

All-the-Way means the burger comes with coleslaw, chili, diced onions, and yellow mustard.

Melvin's Hamburgers & Hotdogs - Elizabethtown NC

When I was a wee lad and would visit my grandparents' farm, one of the highlights of my trip would be the day we went to town to get a sack of burgers from "the pool hall" (Melvin's is located where the pool hall used to be). 

The line would always be out the back door, but it moved quickly, even for a hungry 9-year-old. This is a typical lunchtime.
Credit: TripAdvisor

The line moves so fast because the menu is limited. Photo Credit: ZMenu

I always got my Melvin's ATW or All-The-Way, which is 

• chili 
• creamy coleslaw, 
• diced onions, and 
• yellow mustard. 

I've seen this referred to as "Carolina style." The fast-food chain, Cookout offers this as "Cookout Style."

Smoked Tri-Tip Sandwich with Beer Cheese Horseradish Sauce

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Last weekend, I was shocked to see that my local grocery store had some nice-looking beef tri-tip. They were richly marbled and at a reasonable price, so I didn't hesitate to buy one. 

My game plan was to smoke it, sear it, and then slice it up for some killer roast beef sandwiches the next day. I love it when a plan comes together.

Shaved smoked beef tri-tip, fried onions, and beer cheese horseradish sauce on an onion roll.

I used sharp white Vermont cheddar in the sauce because I needed something bold to compete with the horseradish. I could just drink this sauce.

The recipe is below all the notes and pictures.

Fried Chicken and Pimento Cheese Sandwich inspired by Abridged Beer Company

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Abridged Beer Company in Knoxville is known for their excellent pub food as much as they are their brewery. Their burgers are made with locally sourced brisket, and the nachos are piled as high as Mount Le Conte with goodies. You can get a fried chicken sandwich one of three ways - Maple, Buffalo, or Pimento. 

During our last visit there, my youngest son got the Fried Chicken Sandwich with their spicy pimento cheese. My food was also good, but I have been craving a fried chicken sandwich with pimento cheese since that visit for a few weeks. This week I finally did something about that craving and made this insanely good Fried Chicken and Pimento Cheese sandwich inspired by Abridged. 

Abridged puts pickles on theirs, but it turns out, I was out of our Olde Virden's Spicy Pickles. Time to make another batch.

Fried Chicken and Pimento Cheese Sandwich

By www.nibblemethis.com

Published 07/28/2021

Crispy, deep-fried chicken fillet with our spicy pimento cheese, which includes a fire-roasted poblano. 

Portobello Marsala Strip Steaks

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We don't do a lot of sauces for steak. Dragging fresh slices of steak through the juices, seasonings, and melted butter on the cutting board is my standard MO. But every now and then, I like to shake things up and get a little saucy like I did with this Portobello Marsala Strip Steak.

The salty sweet flavor of the sauce and mushrooms pairs excellently with the steak.

Slight confession, we typically split a steak between the two of us for dinner because our appetites have slowed down as we have gotten older. The good news is that means we get to have steaks for dinner two nights in a row. 

The full recipe is at the bottom of the post. Here are a few pictures and tips from the cooks.

Brown Sugar and Bourbon Peaches with Grilled Pound Cake

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This is a cheating dessert because it is so easy. We even used store-bought pound cake. But being easy doesn't make it taste any less delicious. The lightly toasted pound cake adds a bit of texture. The sweetness of the fresh Georgia peaches is complemented by the caramel and vanilla flavor notes of the bourbon and brown sugar. It all comes together for a low-effort, high-reward dessert. 

Oh yeah, we threw some vanilla ice cream in there too, just for good measure.

The full recipe follows the pictures.

BBQ Leftovers: Brisket and Fire Roasted Corn Pizza

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When you smoke a lot of BBQ, you often have freezers full of extra BBQ. We pit hounds get creative with our leftovers. Here is a pizza that Alexis made this weekend that was loaded with smoked brisket and fire-roasted corn. 

Smoked brisket, fire-roasted corn, red pepper, fresh tomato, mozzarella, cheddar, and a creamy salsa verde pizza sauce top this pizza that we cooked at 500°f on the Big Green Egg.

The Dough

This pizza was hilariously thick because I don't listen well.  Alexis used one of the pizza dough recipes that we typically use. But after she made and rested it, I divided it by 2 instead of as written for 3 pies. Oops. Still tasted great.

Smoke Brisket and Pork Butt Cook on the Deep South Smokers GC36

[FTC Standard Disclosure] We received the BBQ UltraQ free of charge last year to review. I also use Amazon Affiliate links for products that I use and I receive a small commission for those. We received no other compensation for this post. 

We smoked a pair of briskets and pork butts on the gravity-fed Deep South Smokers during the 4th of July weekend.

Sliced brisket platter with meat from the point and flat. Loved our fire-roasted jalapeno potato salad. Served with Bush's Mixed Chili beans, Texas toast, and the Texas BBQ sauce from Ray Sheehan's Award-Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them.

I have to be honest and admit that this is the least-good brisket I've made in two years. When I say least-good, it was still edible and better than most I've had at restaurants; it just wouldn't place in the top half at a BBQ competition. It was a little tight (not tough), not as juicy, and a bit underwhelming in flavor.

So why am I posting about it? Because sometimes, there is more to learn in failures than successes. The lesson I reiterated or confirmed this past weekend is this:  When making changes to your brisket (or pork, chicken, ribs) program, change only one thing at a time. I changed way too many variables to get meaningful data.

• Changed the brand of beef due to availability issues.
• I used choice instead of prime beef due to availability issues.
• Changed 1 of my 2 brisket rubs.
• I did not inject the brisket at all.
• I did not give the brisket a 12-hour dry brine.
• Cooked the brisket whole instead of separated into the flat and point.

The pork? Oh, it was fantastic, up to my usual standards - juicy, tender but not mushy, and flavorful.

Knoxville Style Dry Rubbed Wings

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What food is your city or town known for?

• Memphis has Memphis style dry ribs (dry-rubbed, not dry meat)
• St Louis has pork steaks
• New Orleans has beignets

If Knoxville has a food style like this, I think it might be the naked or dry-rubbed wing. When I think of wings in town, the first ones that come to mind are Big Kahuna Wings. They have been doing dry-rubbed wings since the early 90s. There is also Dead End BBQ with their Naked Wings, KTown Tavern's Jumbo Ole Smokey Naked Wings, and Sweet P's Downtown Dive's has wings tossed in Soul Rub. These all have a few things in common.

• Jumbo-sized wings
• Heavily seasoned, almost coated, with a bold dry rub
• Smoky flavor (Note: BKW's aren't smoked at the restaurant, but the Fire has a smokiness to it)
• Extra crispy skin

Here's my version of the Knoxville-style Dry Rubbed Wings. 

I served these with a potato salad that I'm working on for this weekend's brisket. The base is a fire-roasted jalapeno and garlic mayo.

Cowboy Ribeye Steak with Crispy Potatoes and Black Beans

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This weekend, we bought a 20-ounce, black Angus, cowboy ribeye steak from Butler and Bailey Market. We grilled it on the Big Green Egg and served it with some crispy skillet potatoes and black beans for a delicious meal.

Well, it was labeled as a cowboy steak but semantically, there is room for debate about that. What exactly is a cowboy steak?

Bone-in Ribeye, Cowboy Ribeye, and Tomahawk Ribeye

This was definitely a bone-in ribeye steak but it depends who you ask as to whether it is a cowboy steak. All three of these steak names come from the beef rib primal. The cowboy and tomahawk are both derivatives of the bone-in ribeye. 

• Bone-in Ribeye Steak - Any ribeye steak with a bone is a bone-in ribeye, duh. Typically when I see that term used, it is referring to a ribeye steak with a small piece of the rib bone still attached.
• Cowboy Ribeye Steak - The Field Guide To Meat declares that a cowboy steak is simply a bone-in ribeye steak (38). Other sources, such as this Certified Angus Beef page state that a cowboy ribeye has a short frenched bone. In other words, the wedge of meat called the lip is removed to show barebone at the end.
• Tomahawk ribeye steak - The tomahawk is a ribeye steak with the full rib bone exposed. It makes the most dramatic presentation but it adds nothing to the flavor compared to cowboy or bone-in ribeye steaks.

Event Coverage: University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture's Smoking School

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What a fun weekend! Alexis and I attended the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture's (UTIA) Smoking School. The class agenda was focused on brisket and ribs. We learned a good bit, saw old friends, made new friends, and ate well. 

If you've never taken a grilling or BBQ class, I highly recommend doing so. Even if you are a proficient griller, this is the best way to add skills, expand your repertoire, and challenge your existing notions. I can't share recipes or all of the details but here's a recap of this event.

About The Event

The 2021 Smoking School is the first such program offered by the UTIA and I would say it was a smoking success. The UTIA is about research, academics, and outreach, so Smoking School fits nicely into its mission. The content UTIA brought as a learning institution was a nice addition to the usual BBQ class agendas. 

Potato, Beef, and Egg Breakfast Burrito on the Big Green Egg

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We have a busy weekend day ahead of us and needed sustenance to last us until dinner. I fired up one of our large Big Green Eggs, did a quick survey of what we had on hand in the kitchen and came up with these grilled stuffed breakfast burritos.

Grilled burrito stuffed with potato hash, scrambled eggs, and taco-style ground beef.

This isn't a full recipe post, rather a quick review of what we came up with.  Here's what we used.

• beef tallow for oil (you could use any high-temperature cooking oil)
• about 2 cups of diced honey gold potatoes
• NMT Beef Rub recipe
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced portobello mushroom
• 2 sliced mini sweet red bell pepper
• about 6 ounces of ground beef that was leftover from making smash burgers
• NMT Fajita Seasoning recipe
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup Oaxaca cheese, shredded

Grill Set-Up

Maple Plank Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

[FTC Standard Disclosure] Chris and I traded copies of our books, so while I didn't pay for this book, I exchanged something of equal value, so I would not consider this a sponsored post. I do get a small percentage from sales of any Amazon Affiliate links. I received the set of Tabasco bbq sauces for free.

We recently made the plank smoked Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf recipe from The Four Fundamentals of Smoking by Chris Sussman. We made crispy tallow fried potatoes and skillet green beans and had a wonderful meal. The meatloaf was smoky, sweet, spicy, well seasoned, and delicious.

You might have noticed that my meatloaves and breakfast fatties (smoked stuffed breakfast sausage) are usually naked. Alexis even asked why I don't often do bacon-wrapping or the infamous bacon-weave. Am I anti-bacon? Heck no! 

It is simply a matter of preference. Like anything, bacon-wraps have their benefits and drawbacks, so it comes down to your personal inclinations. 

Pros of the Bacon-Wrap

• Appearance - Bacon-wrapped food looks delicious. At first glance, it gets the mouth watering.
• Flavor booster - A bacon wrap turns the flavor up to 11. 
• Juiciness - Wrapping food in bacon, especially ground meats, minimizes moisture loss.
• Self-basting - As the bacon fat renders, it bastes the food. 

Cons of the Bacon-Wrap

• Smoke Penetration - A bacon-wrap is a barrier between the smoke and the food inside of the wrap. 
• Crust bust - The bacon-wrap keeps the meat's exterior from forming a crust that it would otherwise. This means no Maillard reaction, a key flavor. Granted, the bacon gets it instead, but the interior meat will not.
• Food costs - With the cost of groceries shooting up and a pound of bacon getting in the $10 range, a bacon-wrap will bump up your food budget.

For everything, there is a season, right? A time to wrap and a time to go naked. So let's get back to this cook.

Chris Sussman's Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken with Spicy Alabama White Sauce

[FTC Standard Disclosure] Chris and I traded copies of our books, so while I didn't pay for this book, I exchanged something of equal value, so I would not consider this a sponsored post.

If a new BBQ or grilling cookbook has a few of my personal favorite types of recipes, then I'm making those first. 

Playing The Hits

Cooking the favorites makes sense for a couple of reasons. First, I have already tried them often and have a wide range of experiences for comparison's sake. Second, I like to see new spins on old favorites. Third, favorites are favorites for a reason; I want to eat them! 

In no particular order, some of my favorite recipes to find in grilling cookbooks are:

• Meatloaf
• Any kind of chicken with Alabama white sauce
• Burgers
• Wings
• Steak with compound butter

The Four Fundamentals of Smoking

So when I got my hands on Chris Sussman's (The BBQ Buddha) first book, The Four Fundamentals of Smoking, it should be no surprise that one of the first recipes I cooked was his Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken with Spicy Alabama White Sauce.

This bird really hit the spot. It was lightly smoky, juicy, and mouthwateringly tangy. I knew it would be excellent because Chris Sussman is a skilled live-fire cook. I'll do a full book review later; this post is just about the delicious chicken.

Smash Burger Sliders with Vermont White Cheddar and Canadian Bacon

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I had a raging internal battle this weekend, my diet plan said "chicken" but my appetite said "smashburgers".  Guess who won out.

Vermont white cheddar, Bourbon Maple Canadian Bacon, and crispy 3 ounce smash burger patties double stacked on slider rolls. Ahhh yeah!

These burgers were fantastic - cheesy, beefy, salty, and that fresh off the grill flavor. The Canadian bacon brings a welcomed crispy texture, saltiness, and a bit of umami from the cure.

Book Review: BBQ Revolution

[FTC Standard Disclosure] I received an uncorrected draft of BBQ Revolution from the publisher for review. I received no other compensation. The link for the book is an Amazon Affiliate link, which I will receive a small percentage of if you purchase the book via the link. 

They say "don't bury the lead" so I'll tell you upfront that this is my favorite new BBQ and grilling book from the 2021 offerings I have seen.

BBQ Revolution fired up my yearning to get out and grill. After 12 plus years of blogging about BBQ and grilling, I had gotten into a bit of a rut. I needed to shake things up and BBQ Revolution has done exactly that. This book has gotten me excited about firing up the grills again. 

BBQ Revolution

Innovative Barbecue Recipes from an All-Star Pitmaster

by Mitch Benjamin

$29.85 / Quatro Publishing Group USA

Available June 15, 2021 (Preorder available now)

About The Author

Mitch Benjamin has built his own BBQ empire over the years.

• He is better known as @meatmitch on social media.
• He is the founder of the Meat Mitch competition BBQ team.
• His Meat Mitch brand of rubs and sauces has won awards at World Championships like Memphis In May and The American Royal.
• His restaurant, Char Bar Smoked Meats and Amusements won best new restaurant in Kansas City.

In addition to those accolades, Mitch has cooked for professional sports teams and on national television shows.

About The Book

BBQ Revolution is a full-sized, hardback book. By a quick count, it has almost 90 recipes in a rather unique organization suited to Mitch's experience and background. Instead of the typical rubs/sauces, beef, pork, chicken, and everything else, BBQ Revolution is organized as such:

1. Competition BBQ recipes PLUS actual advice, tips, and timelines. Outside of a hands-on BBQ class, this is one of the best primers for getting started in competition BBQ.
2. Char Bar Smoked Meats and Amusements, Mitch shares some of his best sellers from the popular Kansas City restaurant. I enjoyed this chapter the most, getting the behind-the-scenes recipes.
3. Revolutionary BBQ - thinking outside of the smokebox. A collection of less-than-traditional dishes like lamb, a wide array of seafood, and sausages. Yes, sausage is a typical BBQ food but not a lot of BBQ books give you recipes for making your own from scratch.
4. Leftover BBQ ideas - If you BBQ as much as we do, this is a welcome addition to a cookbook. 
5. Sides, desserts, and other delights - Mitch gets freaky in his "Mitchen".
6. Featured Pitmasters - Mitch pulls a "wait, there's more" by adding recipes from celebrity pitmasters throughout the book. Pitmasters include Paul Patterson, Jess Pryles, Craig "BBQ Ninja" Verhage, and Matt Pittman. 

Recipes

Recipes that I Have Made

I jumped right into making recipes when I got my hands on a draft copy of BBQ Revolution and there was not a single dud in the batch. I enjoyed each and every one of these. 

I rolled out my big gravity-fed pit to try out some of the brisket, pork, and chicken offerings from BBQ Revolution.

Competition Brisket, Burnt Ends, and Competition Whomp! Sauce

I'm a sucker for brisket so of course, that was one of the first recipes that I tried. Solid recipe whether you are cooking brisket at home or for competition. 

Competition Pork 

I sort of followed Mitch's recipe. I varied the recipe a little bit because I was making this for eating at home and not a BBQ competition. It was still fantastic served with a golden mustard BBQ sauce.

Alabama White Sauce Chicken

Another perennial favorite of mine, I had to try his Alabama White Sauce on some smoked chicken. Winner, winner chicken dinner is an overused saying but it does apply here. 

Brisket Esquites 

My family was in town and we included this TexMex dish in our buffet. It was a big hit but we made a lot and there were 4 other dishes, so we had some leftovers. I took a cue (I guess I should say "Q") from the Leftover Q chapter and reinvented this as Smoked Brisket and Charred Corn Chowder. I just made a cream soup base and stirred in the leftovers. Talk about amazing. 

Smoked Brisket and Charred Corn Chowder using the leftover Brisket Esquites was some of the best comfort food I've had. We topped it with fajita seasoning, crushed corn chips, and cotija cheese.

Charred Bits and Grits, Pickled Jalapeno and Shallot, BBQ Butter

Wow. This was the recipe that put the biggest smile on my face. It kind of looks like a mess here but the tastes were out of the world. It has candied bacon (aka pig candy), burnt ends, jalapeno cheese grits, pickled jalapeno and shallots, and BBQ butter. It sounds like you are having sex when eating Charred Bits and Grits because you're moaning so much and calling out to higher powers (OMG). Yeah, I just said that. 

Not the prettiest dish but the flavors in this combined for a religious experience.

Recipes that caught my eye

So many recipes, so little time, am I right? But here are some of the recipes that I haven't made yet but want to.

• Candy Sauce - I want to try this on my competition ribs
• Jerry's Sugar Smoked Sausage 
• The Burnt Heaven - sandwich with brisket, sausage, spicy slaw, BBQ ranch, and fried jalapenos? Shut up and take my money.
• Cheesy "Hushpuppies" made from leftover cheese grits and served with a beer blanc sauce. Oh hell yeah.
• Peach Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce - Alexis never turns down bread pudding.
• Jess Pryle's Smoked Garlic Sauce - Can't wait to try this on a steak.
• Smoked Brisket Smash Burgers - Chopped smoked brisket mixed into your burger grind? Genius.
• Grilled Corn and Dungeness Crab Dip - I want this so badly, the next time I get some Dungeness crab you can bet I'm making this.
• Charred Sous Vide Cauliflower Steaks - Speaking of out-of-the-box cooking.
• Homemade pop tarts - What what what? I want to make an adult version with something like bourbon bacon jam on the inside.

Photography

BBQ Revolution is loaded with color photography by Isaac Alongi. Almost every recipe has an eye-catching, mouth-watering photograph. The photos are mostly final plating pictures and some in-process or how-to photos.

Summary

Whether you are new to grilling or a seasoned grill master, BBQ Revolution is sure to fire up your grill or smoker this summer with flavorful recipes, cooking strategies, and helpful advice. It got me excited about grilling again.

Rating

5 stars – an absolute resource, I will refer to it frequently

4 stars – very good cookbook with value-added tips, photos, guides, and other content

3 stars – Good, average cookbook, glad to have it on my shelf

2 stars – a recipe collection

1 star - destined to gather dust on the shelves of a second-hand book store

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Taco Tuesday - Fajita Chicken Tacos

 [FTC Standard Disclosure] I received no compensation for this post. I do get a small percentage if you purchase any Amazon Affiliate links in this post but it's minuscule, I promise you.

Here is just a quickie for Taco Tuesday because this marinade was so delicious - Fajita Chicken Tacos.

This has quickly become our preferred fajita marinade after just one time using it because the flavors were amazing on the grill. We have had a different fajita marinade that we've used for chicken for years and it is good but the green chile powder in this one makes it an order of magnitude better.

Steak, Over Easy Potatoes, and Eggs

 [FTC Standard Disclosure] We received no compensation for this post.

You must think that I messed up with the "over easy potatoes", right? Nope. We call these Over Easy Potatoes because they are skillet-cooked Honey Gold potatoes tossed in butter and Over Easy Seasoning.  So. Freaking. Good. 

Over Easy Seasoning

Chef Edward Lee's Pork Chop with Bourbon Mustard Sauce

[FTC Standard Disclosure] We received no compensation for this post. However, in full disclosure, I have contracted with Oklahoma Joe's in the past. 

This past weekend, I made Chef Edward Lee's recipe for Grilled Pork Chops with Knob Creek® Bourbon Mustard Sauce on the Oklahoma Joe's® Rider DLX. It was succulent, smoky, and delicious.

The James Beard Award-winning author, chef, and television personality loaded up his Oklahoma Joe's Rider DLX (just like mine) in an old Chevy truck and went trailgating through bourbon country. What is trailgating? 

Trailgating is a journey. A journey down the bourbon trail to discover the flavors and stories that make bourbon and BBQ American traditions.  ~Chef Edward Lee

Oklahoma Joe's tagged along and created a well-produced and inspirational docu-series about Chef's journey. It's only about 10 minutes per episode, and they are absolutely worth the watch. You can find the four installments HERE. In each episode, Chef shares a recipe inspired by the stories that he found.

The Grilled Pork Chop with Knob Creek® Bourbon Mustard Sauce is the first such recipe.  Here is how my cook-along went.

The Prep

After watching the video, I didn't want my pork chop to be a run-of-the-mill pork chop, so I went on a journey of my own to Hen + Hoc in Knoxville's Old City.

Brisket Cook on the Deep South Smokers Gravity-Fed BBQ Pit

 [FTC Standard Disclaimer] We received no compensation for this post.

This isn't a recipe post, just notes and thoughts about the brisket cook I did last weekend.

Here is the sliced flat from the smaller of the two briskets.

About 10 days ago, I got a text from my friend, Kim, letting me know she was at a store that had whole brisket for sale about $3 less per pound than the local going rate. By the time I got there, there was only a single brisket left and it weighed in at 12.3 pounds. It wasn't exactly what I wanted but I wasn't going to say no to a USDA Choice whole brisket for just $24.

What I Look For When Buying a Brisket

So if this wasn't exactly what I wanted, what do I normally look for when buying a brisket? It is a blend of things that I have personally found to make for a more consistent product.

• Grade - I prefer a USDA prime or at minimum, USDA choice. Wagyu is fantastic and I'll get one for time to time, especially competitions. But I'll be honest, I can't afford to drop $200 for briskets all the time. Those are for special occasions for me.
• Brand - Certified Angus Beef® Brand has been consistently excellent for me. I'd use them all the time if I could but they aren't the easiest thing to find around here.
• Marbling - Sometimes, this is difficult to judge in the vac-sealed packaging, but I try to look for one that has moderate to abundant marbling.
• Size - I prefer a 17-20 pound brisket.  The exception is if I'm using one of my large Big Green Eggs and smoking whole brisket, then I'll drop down to something 18" or less in length so it will fit. That generally turns out to be about 12-13 pounds.
• Shape - I like the flat's end to be mostly even in thickness and for the brisket to be "rectangular-ish" except for the point.I like a big point section, however, I am suspicious of extremely bulbously shaped points because some packers like to leave flaps of side meat attached, which really aren't part of the brisket and don't cook the same way.
• Color - I like a medium-red color, not too purplish and dark but also not pale and pink.
• Flexible flat - All things else being equal, I opt for the brisket with a more flexible flat end. 

Strategy and Schedule

I offered to smoke Kim's brisket (16.93 lbs) while I smoked mine since she was the one who tipped me off about the sale. I used my usual competition brisket timelines but modified it a few ways.

• I time-shifted the whole thing to shoot for a 3-4pm finish time.
• Kim's brisket was 4-plus pounds heavier, so I put it on an hour earlier than anything else.
• I lowered the cooking temperature by 15 degrees (from 290 to 275f) to allow for a longer smoking period.

Brisket Prep - Friday 7pm

Ideally, I would have done this about 12 hours before smoking (about 2pm), but life happens and you roll with it. Kim wanted burnt ends (who wouldn't?), so I planned to split the briskets like I do in competitions.

• Trimming - For each brisket, I separated the point from the flat. I trimmed the exterior fat from the points. I trimmed the exterior fat on the flats down to about 1/8 to 1/4". It's not just the thickness, it's the shape. I try to trim the fat so that the shape is smooth and aerodynamic. That's so the smoke will flow smoothly over the brisket, maximizing contact between the smoke and meat. I use a large butcher's knife for separation and coarse trimming, then I clean up behind that with a semi-flexible boning knife.
• No Point - The point on my brisket was the thinnest I have ever experienced. So much so, that for the first time ever, I decided not to smoke it for burnt ends and threw it in the grind pile instead.
• Injection -I used 1/4 cup of Kosmos Q Reserve Blend Brisket Injection with 3 cups of beef stock (this is a watered-down, errr "stocked-down", version from what we would do in competitions) and used that to inject both briskets every inch or so.
• Dry rub - I used Moo'd Enhancer, the highly popular beef seasoning from Flavor Anonymous. I wiped the briskets dry from any leaking injection and spritzed them with peanut oil Then I seasoned all surface areas rather heavily with the rub.  
• Dry brine - I had the briskets on rack/tray combos and loosely covered them with food bags to keep the surface moisture from drying out in the refrigerator. I left them in there until it was time to go on the smoker, so they are cold and damp when they go into the smoke because smoke sticks better to cold, wet surfaces. The briskets got to brine for about 6 hours.
• Pork Butts - We also were doing 2 pork butts. I injected those with apple juice and dry brined them using my NMT Southern Sweet rub.

From Left to right, 4lb spare ribs, 17lb brisket, 12.3lb brisket, and 2 8lb pork butts.

Trick question, which brisket flat/point was the 17lb one, top or bottom? It was the top! It looks smaller in this pic but it was 1 1/2 times as thick as the 12lb one on the bottom.

After prepping everything, we cover each tray in large 18 x 24 food-safe bags. We buy them by the roll and they come in so handy around the house. They fit perfectly over a brisket on a tray or pork butt in a half steam pan. They are ideal for storing baked bread and bulk items. 

Smoker Set up Friday 9pm

The Deep South Smoker is a gravity-fed pit, meaning that there is a vertical chute of coal that slowly drops down into the firebox as it burns through the coal. It has insulated cooking and firebox chambers, making it extremely efficient. I like the concept because it lets me load the chute with charcoal and then add wood chunks or cubes to the firebox for smoke as desired. So it lets you apply smoke in doses. 

• Lump Charcoal - Usually, I like to use Kamado Joe Big Block, BGE Brazilian, or something like those for this cooker. 
• The last time I used the Deep South, I used a sub-par bag of charcoal that had a lot of small pieces. It ended up causes air-flow issues which results in temperature control issues. 
• This time, I went through 2 bags of regular Big Green Egg charcoal (Ace didn't have BGE Brazilian in stock) and handpicked out the medium and larger pieces to use. 
• Controller - I hooked up a Flame Boss 300 to run the smoker. It constantly assesses the temperature inside to cooker and runs a variable speed fan as needed to stoke the fire. A pit like this can be run manually with natural airflow but it is sure a lot easier with a controller.

Whether I'm going to smoke on this Deep South Smokers or a Big Green Egg, I like to set the cooker up in advance so all I have to do in the early morning hours is light it.

Smoke - Saturday 12am - 7:30am

• Preheat - I fire the pit an hour before cooking, to give it time to preheat thoroughly. I lit the cooker and turned on the Flame Boss at midnight.
• 1am - I put the larger brisket flat on the smoker an hour early because it was so much bigger. I spritzed it with quality apple juice and put it on the second rack. I added a 
• 2am - I put the other flat and two pork butts on after refreshing their rub and spritzing them with AJ. 
• From 2 to 7:30am - I spritzed the meats and added a MojoBricks hickory Bar-B-Qube in the firebox about every hour. Mojobricks have been around for years and the owner, Fred Grosse, was on our team at Memphis in May several years ago. If you haven't heard of them, check out their web page, many top competition teams use them.
• Normally, I only use the Mojobricks at critical smoke times, like the first 2 hours and the last hour. I'll use chunks of wood between those times because that's a lot cheaper. But for this cook I was out of wood chunks.

I used Mojobricks exclusively for this particular cook. They are compressed blocks of various hardwoods, fruitwoods, and exotic woods made food-safe for use as smoking wood. On the left is a mini-qube and the right is a bar-b-qube. I use the minis on my Big Green Egg and the bar-b-qube on my bigger smokers. I especially like using these with the Deep South Smokers since I get to time my dosing of wood by adding a bar-b-qube to the firebox about every 45 minutes to an hour.

Braise - Saturday 7:30am - 10:30am

I'm not ashamed to admit that I use the "Texas-crutch" more often than not when I'm smoking briskets. When the briskets were over 160°f  I wrapped them in foil, with a small amount of beef stock (about 1/3rd cup) and some dried onion (maybe 1 tablespoon). 

• I put them back in the smoker and let them braise until the briskets hit 200°f. 
• Once they hit 200°f, I check them for tenderness about every 30 minutes by sticking them with a thermometer probe to see how tight or loose the meat is. 
• I pulled the point when it was tender about 10am.
• I pulled the larger brisket at 10:30am when it was an internal temperature of 206°f.
• I pulled the second flat (and pork butts) at 11:30am when it was an internal temperature of 208°f.

The smaller brisket flat ready to get wrapped and go back in the smoker.

Whenever I'm smoking two butts or two briskets, I play this game in my head that they are racing, and I watch the difference in internal temperature as they cook. It is interesting to watch how it diverges and converges. These two butts were only 1/10th of a degree apart after about 6 hours; it was a nail-biter, haha. I used Thermoworks Smoke (affiliate link) for the butts and my ThermaQ (affiliate link) to monitor my briskets. One day, I'll get a Signals (affiliate link) or a FlameBoss WiFi Thermometer, either of which could have monitored all 4 meats on one device.

Rest 10:30am (for up to 4 hours)

As each item finished, I put them in a hotbox (I like Cambro UPC 300) that I preheated by pouring a pot of boiling water in a hotel pan on the bottom rack. This keeps big meats warm for hours. 

I used to do the "FauxCambro" or FTC (foil-towel-cooler) method where you use a dry, warm cooler as a hot holding box.  You put the foil-wrapped meat in a cooler, cover with a few beach towels and keep the cooler closed until ready to remove the meat.

My two Cambro UPC-300 hotboxes on a wheelset. Each one will hold 8 half-sized steam pans and keep food hot or cold for hours. I used to use coolers for this but after we were catering a dinner at Memphis in May and lost 3 steam pans of food when they collapsed inside a cooler, I spent the money and upgraded to these. Some of the best money I ever spent.

Burnt End Power Braise Saturday 11:30am - 12:45pm

I learned this technique from a competition BBQ class from a KCBS Team of the Year winner. I slice the rested point into 1" cubes and put them into a half-sized steam pan. I pour in enough beef stock to cover them about 1/2 to 2/3rds the way up the sides. Then cover tightly with foil and put them back into a hot spot of the cooker for 75-90 minutes. 

Finish Saturday 1pm

• Au jus -  The wrapped flats and braised burnt end packages will have a good bet of stock and rendered fat. I pour this into a fat separator and then strain it into 2 cups of warm beef stock. This gives me a ton of smoky, delicious au jus. I used this to store the slices and keep the rest for later use. 
• Burnt ends - Strained out the au jus as noted above, seasoned with a little more Moo'd Enhancer and lightly brushed with sauce. My sauce was 1 1/2 cups Blues Hog Original, 1/2 cup Blues Hot Smokey Mountain Sauce and 1/2 cup apple juice. Put a fresh Barb-B-Qube in the firebox and about 5 minutes later, I put the burnt ends back in the smoker for 10 minutes, just to set the sauce.
• Brisket flat - I poured the au jus from the pack into the fat separator and put the whole flat back into the smoker with the burnt ends just long enough to reset the bark, about 10-15 minutes. Slice and place into a half-sized steam pan. Add about 1 cup of the warm au-jus. 

Burnt ends after their final glaze and smoke. You don't want them dripping in sauce. Coat them lightly so there is just enough to cook onto the meat.

Another gratuitous shot of burnt ends because they are that good.

The larger of the two briskets about to go back in the smoker to give it one last kiss of smoke and to reset the crust which gets soft during the braising and rest portions of the cook. It only takes 10-15 minutes.

The larger of the two brisket flats, smoked, sliced and ready to pack up.

For each brisket cook where I split the point and flat prior to the cook, I will get 1 half-sized steam pan full of burnt ends and 1 half-sized steam pan of sliced brisket. I put the sliced flat in the pan, sprinkle with a little more brisket rub and then pour about 1 cup of the beef jus into the steam pan. Then we'll either serve it this way or wrap it tightly and keep it warm for service.

Ramsay eagerly provides "security" while we process the briskets and pork butts. We "pay him under the table", don't tell the Feds.

The smaller of the two briskets, sliced.

Nice and flexible but the slice doesn't fall apart from its own weight, just about perfectly cooked for me.

Tip for Leftover Beef Jus

When I do multiple briskets, I usually end up with leftover jus from the wrapped foil. I had an idea this time that I came up with from a similar process that I do with pesto. I froze the jus in silicone ice trays (dedicated for this purpose so you don't get brisket tasting ice cubes) and then saved the jus cubes in a zip bag. Now whenever I want to fortify a soup, make a gravy, or just want some beef jus, I just thaw them out. Clever, eh? 

Want more inspiration, ideas, and recipes? Please check out my two books from Ulysses Press: 
The Kamado Smoker and Grill Cookbook and 
The Offset Smoker Cookbook.