Smoke on the Water

Update Time Lake Placid Contest

2009-07-15T17:57:00.014-04:00

Over the July 4th Holiday Weekend, the team converged on Lake Placid for the annual I love BBQ Festival, held inside the speed skating oval used for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Games. This is one of my favorite contests of the year as it falls on a holiday, there are great watering holes, great fireworks and a BBQ contest! Our weekend started early on Thursday at the Marriott Courtyard Inn with a rib cooking demo by our friends Eric and Cindy Mitchell of "Yaba Daba Que" followed by an excellent Mexican Dinner at Casa De Sol in Saranac, Drinks flowed, talltales were told and the night quickly passed by.

Update Time Boston HIlls Contest

2009-07-15T17:39:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lag in posting, but its been a really busy couple of weeks. Lets see whats happened since my last post. Over the weekend of June 27 & 28 The team traveled to Boston Hill NY for the 1st annual Boston Hills BBQ Festival which was organized by our team member Mike Cartechine or know in BBQ circles as "The Giggler" As Mike was busy keeping everything running smooth as glass, Grace, Angela and I cooked the KCBS portion of the event, We followed the same schedule and recipes as our last contest in Rochester in which we placed 2nd overall, however our meats were not the same quality and we paid for it in our showing. We placed 22 overall with not any calls to the stage, this has not happened since last August !.. While disappointed in the finish, we still had a great time with our BBQ friends and extended family.

Heritage Pork 101

2009-06-23T18:03:00.004-04:00

Heres a great article on how different diets will affect the taste of pork. As we use only heritage bred pork such as Duroc and Hampshire, this article reinforces our belief in the use of natural bred and fed meats. PLease click on the link to read more about it. Enjoy

Hazelnut-fed hogs yield succulent meat - Related Stories - ProChef SmartBrief

Weber / Ace Hardware Demo Day 2009

2009-06-21T20:42:00.005-04:00

Rain, Rain, go away... while part of the team catered a private party all weekend on a grand motor yacht in Canada, the rest of us spent Saturday doing demos on Weber grills and smokers showing both employees and the public how to think outside of the box and use the "grill" for other things beside "grillling". Grace baked a boatload of cookies in the Weber Summit gas grill and also direct grilled some fresh pineapples that she finish glazed with a carmelized brandy reduction. We also smoked some Moink Balls in the WSM, cooked BBQ chicken & Red Onion pizza on a stone in the 22" charcoal performer and also found time to do a rib demo teaching how to select, trim for smoking, season and then cook them in either a smoker or a grill. While the weather kept the attendance down, we had a lot of fun and ate well to boot. Next Week its back to competition in a Boston NY, no its not a typo. Its in New York, Just west of Buffalo, Look for updates here and on twitter.

KCBS Jr. World BBQ Championship

2009-06-17T18:20:00.005-04:00

Its less than a month a way, on the 4th of July holiday weekend, the first ever KCBS Jr. World BBQ Championship. The contest which is open to all BBQ Aficionados aged 16-21 is being held in conjunction with the forth annual KCBS State Championship I love BBQ Festival in Historic Lake Placid NY, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Games.
The contest which will be held on Saturday July 4th, will include the following categories : Pork Ribs, Chicken, NY Strip Steak and Dessert.The first turn in at 12:00 with the rest staggered until 4:00. Awards will be presented Saturday Night. Up for grabs are over $1000 in prize money and great BBQ items.For more information on the contest and links to lots other things going on in Lake Placid over July 4th go to http://www.ilbbqf.com/

Weber Open House

2009-06-16T15:36:00.006-04:00

The team will be at Olsens ACE Hardware in Slingerlands NY, (its a small town southwest of Albany NY) on Saturday June 20 hosting the Weber Demo Days Celebration. We will be onsite from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm doing outdoor grilling and smoking on Weber equipment and accessories. Our tenative schedule is as follows:

11:00 AM Grilling vs.BBQ

12:00 PM Ribs 101

1:30 PM Pork Loin

2:30 PM Side Dishes on the grill

Please stop by and say hello, enter the drawing for great BBQ goodies and enjoy some tasty samples.

Food Porn

2009-06-06T08:31:00.004-04:00

The end result of last weeks marathon prep session! Smoked Armilldillo Eggs.I didnt even get to have one as we didnt have enough to go around.
Heres the story:
So its 4 PM and the ACF dinner starts at 6, my phone rings as hustle back to the Capital District from the Big Apple, Mark asks me, " there were four trays of apps that had to go into the smoke right? I respond, NO five, he says OK and hangs up. I arrive at 5:45 to find Mark removing the still uncoooked ABT's from the smoker, don't worry he says, I'll finish them in the broiler. I go out to check on the table display and as I return to the kitchen I hear oh fuck, dont come in here now! the entire tray is on fire as the bacon decided to torch off under the 800 degree infra red flame. we managed to salvage about half with the help of some Blues Hog Sauce. They must have been good as they were gone in 30 seconds.

Source Verified Pork

2009-06-06T01:21:00.006-04:00

Yes, that is me in a pigpen. Say hello to this new litter of pigs That are about 4 weeks old today.

These cute little piglets are a cross breed of heritage Tamworth and Gloucester shire Old Spot and they currently reside at the FarmInstitute on Martha's Vineyard.They truly are enjoying the privileged life! These pigs have been bred over the years to produce a cut of meat with a higher fat content and a larger percentage of dark meat, which in turn yields a taste that most of us have never experienced, REAL PORK. As a competition BBQ team we use heritage pork butts at every contest. Depending on the market we use either Coleman Farms Hampshire or Vande Rose Farms Duroc. It is our experience and opinion that these heritage breeds provide such a distinct flavor that our constant placing in the top five is a direct result of using only heritage pork. For a taste of real pork, stop by one of our contests and we will be glad to let you sample some, and don't worry, these guys wont be ready until at least November!

Prepping For The ACF Dinner

2009-05-31T23:39:00.008-04:00

Its a Sunday, a day to relax and just hang out.. NOT, I have spent a good portion of the day prepping the appetizer's for the Capital Region / Northeast ACF Dinner Meeting Monday night at Yannis Waterfront http://www.yannisrestaurants.com/. The theme for this get together is what else ? BBQ. So the distinguished chefs will be munching on Smoked ABT'S, Armidillo Eggs and some 4 pound Bacon Explosions. Here are some pix of my days work..

2009-05-30T07:24:00.001-04:00

Off to the local market to pick up my newest smoker.. i wonder if that is post oak under the shoppping cart

Recipe Twists

2009-05-29T10:17:00.006-04:00

Its Friday and the weekend is here, for those of you reading that cook competition BBQ here is a new twist on the classic chicken thigh that we all love so much to cook.

Ginger Honey Thighs

8 chicken thighs trimmed
1/4 cup good soy sauce
1/4 cup clover honey
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon fine black pepper
sprinkle of sesame seeds
Sliced scallion for garnish

In a saucepan mix all of the ingredients together and bring to a boil, simmer to reduce by 1/3 then set aside for for glazing later.

Smoke thighs in smoker for 45 minutes to an hour, remove from smoker place in foil pan with one pad of parkay margarine on top of each piece, cover with foil and return to smoker/ or oven at 250 for 45-60 minutes then remove from pan and place on grill rack. Brush bottom of pieces with sauce and place on grill skin side down grill for 1-2 minutes, turn and glaze top of piece, and grill for additional 2-4 minutes until glaze is set. garnish with sliced scallion pieces.. Bet you won't be able to eat only one !

NYC Foodie Update

2009-05-26T17:12:00.010-04:00

Building The New Beach April 09

Every week or so I plan on writing about some of the tragically hip and unusual Foodie things happening in the big apple. here is one to start you off....

Water Taxi Beach has opened a second outpost of its cool summer only concept of outdoor fun and games in Manhattan, yes that is the Brooklyn Bridge the backround ! Located in the South Street Seaport /Pier 17 Complex near Water Street, this venue features a 9 hole putting green,ping pong tables, sandy beach, clam shack and full cocktail service. Music is expected to start soon on Thursday- Saturday nights on the beach. The best part of this location is you can get to it by Bus, Train,Car or Boat unlike its Long Island City sister which is pretty much accessible only by New York Water Taxi.

The Guy Food Show

2009-05-25T21:44:00.005-04:00

Look for our BBQ team to be featured in a soon to be aired cable television show called " The Guyfood Show" . This show has an interesting twist as it combines some very unique locations such as an Aircraft Carrier Flight Deck, Firehouse, Wyoming trout streams, well you get the idea, mix this with some very sexy sidekicks and , well you get the idea. Each show will feature a different theme and the associated recipes.

For a teaser of what you will see please click on the link.This pilot was shot last summer and features the Anchormen BBQ team being interveiwed about bbq and some hot tips from the professional bbq tour. Watch for it in the fall of 09'

2009-05-25T15:11:00.010-04:00

The 2009 Roc City Rib Fest

What a great time in Rochester NY ! The 2009 Roc City Rib Fest was without reservation one of the the best organized and also most scenic contests we have competed in. Many thanks to Brian and the crew who pulled this contest off. Saturday started off with the anything go's rib contest as a warm up to Sunday's KCBS competition, 50+ teams entered with a $500.00 cash prize on the line. Our team Mr. Bobo's Traveling BBQ All Stars finished 20th overall, way out of the money but it was fun. Before we knew it was dinner time, so I cut up a 17 pound Brandt Beef New York Strip and grilled it over some fine Texas Post Oak, talk about tasty! Sunday morning and the lakefront park is awash in light blue smoke, the sun is shining and its a great day for BBQ. We cooked our meats and waited for the first turn in to begin at noon. Grace, Angela, Mike and myself worked like a old married couple and turned in what we thought was a great effort, and it was. We were crowned Reserve Grand Champion placing in the top ten in all categories, it was great way to really start off the 2009 Season and our quest for 2009 Empire Cup Grand Champions.

Need a Sausage Fix

2009-05-23T05:37:00.003-04:00

The Worlds Largest Brat Fest is taking place this weekend in Madison Wisconsin, according to the press release 17.4 miles of brats will be consumed by the hungry mass of pork lovers. Go to Johnsonville.com for more information and fun facts

Off to BBQ

2009-05-22T10:24:00.002-04:00

Well its Friday of the first holiday weekend of the summer, we are off to Rochester NY to compete in the Roc City Rib Fest, its a KCBS sanctioned contest on Sunday and a ribs only contest on Saturday. This is the first of seven NY contests this year, just three years ago there was only one! BBQ continues to grow and grow. bringing along both Chris Lillys and Adam Perry Langs books to review while the smokers are going overnight. watch for updates on twitter.

And now time for some humor

2009-05-21T08:46:00.004-04:00

Check out this link for a laugh, this is what our friends across the pond hear on broadcast television, unlike our regulated TV here..

http://www.gordonramsayswearsatyou.com/

thats all for now, getting ready to roll out to Rochester NY for the 2009 Roc Rib Cookoff with our teamates Mike and Angela and of course little boo boo

Day One

2009-05-19T17:35:00.002-04:00

Well, i have really gone off the deep end and started this blog, it will try to chronical the world of competition bbq and the assorted tall tales and fables that come of it, stay tuned you never know what you will find here.