Hot BBQ Topics

Because of Ada

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:18:00 +0000

Recently one of my KXL family members suddenly died after a short illness. Her death was quick, unexpected and shocked all of us at Rose City Radio/KXL.

I know that many companies use the word "family" to describe their employee culture. For some businesses it's a fact of life. For others, it's simply lipservice.
KXL is the former, we're a team, and very much a family. We all work our butts off to win and enjoy doing it. When something bad happens-like the loss of Ada, it cuts each of us to the core.

Ada McCormick had worked for KXL for 27 years as an advertising representative. In the time she was at KXL, she became the consistent top biller, amassing annual sales over 1 MILLION dollars--a fete accomplished by only a handful of Portland,OR. radio reps.

As one who spent a great deal of his life in ad sales, before transitioning to on-air talent, I know first-hand how difficult it is to reach a consistent, high billing level-and then stay there month after month, year after year. Ada had an inate gift, she absolutely loved what she did. It resonated from her every single day. This was a gal who lept out of bed every morning, ready to charge into work and take on the world. Rarely if ever did anyone NOT see a big smile on Ada's face. She was born up-beat.

Ada was by all intents and purposes a radio sales SUPERSTAR. Sure people were jealous of her success. But you can't argue with it. She worked her butt off to reach the level of success she attained.

The death of a loved one, close friend or in this case, comrade in arms, has a way of causing you to sit back, reflect and examine life. Ada's death has certainly had that effect on me, and many of my co-workers at KXL.

In talking with one of my buddies-we kicked around our lives, our careers and our day to day living. Both of us are doing what we want to do. We enjoy the direction our life is going. We're damn fortunate to be doing what we love. For him it's marketing and sales. For me it's sharing the joy of barbecue with a state-wide audience, something I've been able to do for the past 8 years on KXL, and now the Radio NW Network. And during the week, the ability to work with some other incredible people at Traeger Pellet Grills.

And that brings me to ask you--"How Happy Are You, In What You Are Doing?" It amazes me that there are so many people in this world who go to work each day, dreading and hating what they do. It robs them of joy, of life. It makes them and the people around them miserable.

If that's your situation--GET OUT! Just GET OUT! Life is too short. I know you've heard that. But if you're in a job situation that isn't making you happy-why continue? It makes no sense. In fact, I think people who remain in such situations could be border-line psychotic.

Each of us has been given special talents, giftings and abilities. Read any book about how to be successful in life or business and the one constant is, "Do what you love, and you'll be successful at it." Now, that may not be instantaneous, but if you follow your heart and invest in the talents that you were born with, there's a better than even chance that you'll be successful-or at least far happier. And happiness equals a longer, more satisfying life.

Sure there will be days when you'll be tested, challenged and put to the test. That's what develops character, resolve and helps you come to grips that you're really doing what you want.

I firmly believe that this world would be so much happier, that there would be less violence, hate and discontent if people would follow the path of fulfilling their gifting and abilities.

Ada helped to re-clarify that for me this past week. It helped me to once again take stock in what's really important and what isn't. I hope you too will take some time and put some thought about the direction of your life. Not happy with it? Change direction!

Even though Ada and I were co-workers, and didn't often intersect in our duties at KXL, I will very much miss her. She was an inspiration to so many of us. And as an "old" radio sales guy, I admired the hell out of her abilities. She was a great woman, mother, daughter, friend, radio rep.

We can all hope that when we leave this earth, that we, like Ada will be remembered for doing what we loved and inspiring those around us. What better legacy could anyone ever attain?

Value the people who surround you.

Put Your Tongue On The Radio & WIN!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:18:00 +0000

Pull out your camera, pull out your radio and stick out your tongue! "PUT YOUR TONGUE ON THE RADIO!" and win a limited edition Cooking Outdoors With Mr. Barbecue T-shirt!
Here's how you could be one of the weekly winners!:

1) Take a photo of you with your tongue on your radio.
2) Send the photo to: Mr.Barbecue, 0234 SW Bancroft St, Portland, OR. 97239
3) Include your name, address, phone number and most importantly, your t-shirt size!

Each week, Mr.Barbecue will select one photo from all photos received to be the weekly winner. Each weekly winner will receive a Mr.Barbecue limited edition, collector's t-shirt, plus have their picture posted on this website and my KXL webpage.

Official Rules:
One entry per per person. Photographs become property of KXL,Rose City Radio and the Radio Northwest Network. Photographs cannot be returned. Your submission signifies that you are at least 16 years of age and consent to having your photograph, name and city of residence posted on the web and used for promotional purposes. (No salesman will call! Nor will we sell your name to any third party-but Mr. Barbecue may call you and invite himself over for dinner!).

Pull out those cameras, radios and tongues and enter today!

Cooking Outdoors Now On 7 Stations State-wide

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 16:48:00 +0000

Now, practically no matter where you live in Oregon, you can tune-into Cooking Outdoors With Mr.Barbecue, "The Tastiest Hour On Radio", live every Saturday between 2-3PM on the following Radio NW Stations:

KXL-750-Portland (Flagship station)
KPNW-1120-Eugene
KMED-1440-Medford
KFLS-1450-Klamath Falls
KBKR-1490-Baker City
KLBM-1450-La Grande

Saturdays 4-5PM KBND-1110-Bend

We're hoping to add more stations in the coming months. Stay tuned! And be sure to call into the show-TOLL FREE-- 1-800-827-0750 between 2-3PM Saturdays! I welcome your calls and participation in the show. So get those radios and phone lines smokin'!

NEW SHOW TIME FOR MR BBQ!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:32:00 +0000

ATTENTION!

Cooking Outdoors With Mr. Barbecue has a new start time!
Beginning Saturday, November 10,2007, the show will begin airing at 2:00PM, Pacific Time on 750 KXL, Portland, OR.

You can listen to the show via The Internet at the KXL website, or right here on my website. If you're tuning in, give me a call on the bbq line, 1-800-827-0750! I'd love to hear from you and answer your outdoor cooking questions on-the-air.

BBQ Brigade Newsletter Hot Off The Word Processor!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:57:00 +0000

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it! The PREMIER edition of my BBQ Brigade newsletter is finished and will be emailed to BBQ Brigade members this week! Thanks to my webmaster, Kris Fay for his help in this project. I hope you'll enjoy it and find the information useful.

It was my goal to provide not only good information, but to also make the newsletter look good too. Give me some feedback on it. What else would you like to see in the newsletter? It's my intention to provide it on a 4x per year basis-once per quarter.

Please pass it along to other outdoor cooks you think might enjoy getting the newsletter. Inside this issue, you'll find my cranberry-citrus glaze recipe for turkey,my smoked pear recipe, tips on cooking during the winter months, book reviews AND special information about an AWESOME MUSIC SITE featuring live concets from The Fillmore East/West and other notable venues. Best of all, the site is FREE!

If you haven't signed up for the BBQ Brigade, please do so.

A New Commandment I Give Unto You!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 01:46:00 +0000

If you haven't checked out my 12 Commandments of BBQ, you should. I'm adding #13 to the list:
"Thou Shalt Wait Until Thy Meat Is 100 Degrees Before Smoking!"*

I get all kinds of cooking questions at work. It's part of my job at Traeger Pellet Grills, and it usually provides me with a pulsebeat of what people are cooking, what they're having problems cooking on their grills, and generally what they want to know.

One of the topics that's been coming up with some regularity is "A friend of a friend of a friend told me that you can't smoke meat after it's reached XXX degrees." BULL POOPIE!

I don't know who started this---but it DEFIES LOGIC! Listen! If you start smoking meat when it's cold, all you're going to do is seal the pores on the surface of the meat. If you really want the smoke flavor in the meat, you need to allow the meat fibers to warm up, so they'll loosen up, thereby allowing the smoke to more deeply penetrate the meat fibers. Think about it like this: When you go for a massage or physical therapy, what do they do first? Warm up the muscles! What is meat? MUSCLE MATTER! ("Oh my gawd Harold, the man is making sense!")

So...let the meat warm up to at least 100 degrees F. before you even consider adding smoke to it. Since meat doesn't begin to cook until it reaches 120 degrees, you'll be fine. I've been doing this for over 20 years and I know what I'm talking about.

As I've trained people in the art of producing award winning barbecue, the people who were having problems achieving good smoke flavor in their meat began putting my theory into practice and guess what?! They found out that IT WORKS!

*this commandment in no way superceeds the original! The Original 10 are still valid and should be practiced on a daily basis.

A Word About My Barbecue Brigade

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:56:00 +0000

As you can see to your left, there's a sign-up box for Mr. Barbecue's Barbecue Brigade. It's my desire to share the joy of great barbecue with people from all over the world. Nothing gives me more pleasure than talking about "que" with fellow firetenders.

As the Barbecue Brigade is just getting started, I'm still working out details of what brigade members will receive when they sign up. I've got a few ideas fermenting in my barbecue brain right now.

If you've already signed-up, please send me an email with your mailing address, because I am going to be sending out some "goodies" from time to time to brigade members. And in order to do that, I need your mailing address, as well as your email address. I WILL NOT PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO ANYONE outside my bbq headquarters staff. You have my word on that.

Thanks for joining. The fun is just beginning!

I Want To Hear From YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:51:00 +0000

Hey! If you've stopped by for a visit, please let me know. If you'll include your mailing address, you just might receive a Mr. Barbecue goodie! I GUARANTEE that I WILL NOT SELL,LOAN, TRADE or otherwise provide anyone else with your email or snail mail address. Nor will I pepper you with a lot of crap in either your email or snailmail box.
So email me: mrbbq@wvi.com
At the very least, tell me what city and state you live in. I'd like to know who's reading these missives of mine and where ya'll from. Thanks!

Minimalist Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:36:00 +0000

I hate most cookbooks. Especially most of the "celebrity" tomes. They're loaded with recipes containing mile long lists of ingredients and complicated preparation and cooking instructions.

Call me simple-minded. I don't give a damn. I believe simple is better. I guess that's why I'm drawn to barbecuing and grilling, because you don't need a dump truck load of ingredients to create wonderful tasting food that will have your friends and family swooning at the table.

One of the most important aspects of cooking-to me- is BALANCE! You want to balance the flavor of the meat with the spices, smoke and sauce you're using. It's ridiculous to purchase a bunch of meat, only to bury its flavor with spices, smoke and sauce. The whole idea of s-s-s is to compliment the flavor of the meat, not compete with it. Does that make sense? YES!

When it comes to making my own rubs, I try and keep my list of spices to no more than six or eight. Salt and sugar are the two foundations to all of my rubs. I've made rubs without salt and they just didn't have any juice to them.

In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with simplicty. Keeping it simple not only saves you time and money in the prep stage, it also allows you to more easily duplicate your recipe again and again. Keep it simple and savor the rewards of tasty eating!

Rib Tips

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:15:00 +0000

I love ribs! In fact when I visit a new bbq joint, ribs are the entree I use to judge whether or not a place is worthy of my return. I'm especially fond of spareribs!

Here are a few random rib tips I'm inclined to pass along. I can't give away all of my secrets, nonetheless, here are a few ideas for you to consider:

1) Sparerib Vs Babybacks:
I think spareribs are the better of the two. They have more meat, more fat (for flavor and moisture) and I believe stand up better to long-term cooking. I always BARBECUE, rather than grill my ribs. I want the meat to be bathed in a consistant, constant heat. How hot you ask? Anywheres between 225-250.

2) To peel or not to peel?:
I always peel the membrane off the back of my ribs. I know guys who don't peel. This is America, you make your own decision. Frankly, I don't like having to spit the membrane out after chomping on a rib. I know guys who call it "parchment". Well, ingest all the paper you want buddy. I believe peeling the ribs allows the heat and smoke to penetrate the meat between the ribs---the first point of contact with your teeth and tongue! And removing the membrane (known as fell in the butcher trade) also allows you to more easily cut the ribs apart when they're done cooking.

3) Mustard on top:
After trimming my ribs and applying my rub, I spread a thin layer of yellow mustard on the top of the ribs for color, flavor and the acidity of the mustard provides a little bit of tenderization. When you first put it on the raw ribs it looks like a nuclear accident. But when they're finished, WOW! In fact I put a light coat of mustard on all of my pork cuts before cooking. And if you enjoy boneless, skinless chicken breasts, try placing a light coat of mustard on the entire piece of breast meat before cooking. You'll thank me.

4) Misting:
I do mist my ribs beginning in the second hour of cooking. What do I use? It depends on my mood and the type of overall flavor profile I'm trying to acheive. I like using combinations of water/apple juice; water/whiskey; water/whiskey/lime juice. Do NOT use juice without cutting it with water. Otherwise the sugars in the juice will carmelize and burn on the meat. Typically I use a 50/50 or 30/30/30 mixture if I'm using more than two liquid ingredients.
Stay away from brandies and liqueurs! They're too sugar laden and will burn on the ribs--believe me my wife and I know this from personal experience.

5) Shrinking Meat=They're Done or Real Close:
Watch the meat at the end of the bone. When it begins to shrink, that's a good sign that the ribs are getting done. Typically I'll barbecue my spareribs anywheres between 5-7 hours, depending on the outside temperature. Remember, when it gets hot, you want to pull down the heat in the cooking chamber! The hotter it is outside, the more I lower the temperature. When it's cold outside, it's just the opposite.

6) Honey Those Ribs:
After I pull my ribs off my cooker, I let them rest for about 15 minutes. Right before I begin to cut them apart to serve, I take some honey that I've warmed up in my cooker and brush it on the top of the rib. I let it adhere to the meat for a few minutes, then separate the ribs. The honey gives the ribs a beautiful sheen and a subtle sweet flavor.

Alright, those are a half dozen of my rib tips for you to use and enjoy. Hey, email me and let me know how they worked out for you! My email is: mrbbq@wvi.com

Veggies On The Grill

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:06:00 +0000

There’s no reason to get into a vegetable "rut." With the variety and abundance of vegetables available to us, we have a wonderful opportunity to increase the percentage of vegetables we eat.

We’re all aware of the importance of adding more fruits and vegetables to our daily diets. But let’s face it, steamed and boiled and sautéed veggies just get boring after awhile.
For some variety, try grilling your vegetables. Zucchini, squash, all of the root vegetables (beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and onions) are all delicious when grilled. I think that grilling brings out more of the natural, sweet flavor of the vegetable.

For larger pieces, slit length-wise, into ¼ inch thickness. A porcelain coated "grill topper" can help keep the veggie pieces from falling through your cooking grids. A piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil can be used satisfactorily as well.

Vegetables are best cooked over direct flame or fire source. (Or on high for pellet grill owners). I’ve found that you want to sear them on both sides and cook only until they just begin to soften. You want to leave some "crunch" in them. This also will help to retain most of the nutrients in vegetables-the reason we’re eating them in the first place.

Jan Robert’s Vegetable Marinade.
Give it a try, it’s a good one.
In a large zip-lock bag, combine:
1/3 cup red (or white) wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Add prepared vegetables (as described below) to the bag, close, and marinate at least 1 hour, or up to several hours or overnight.
When ready to grill the vegetables, drain off the marinade before grilling.
Vegetables that taste great:
Sweet onion slices (such as OSO Sweet, Walla Walla, or Texas 1015 sweet onions) halved mushrooms
seeded and sliced red, yellow, and green sweet bell peppers
Summer squash, such as zucchini (cut into sticks or rounds)

Mr. Barbecue’s Veggie Baste:
½ cup olive oil
6 fresh Basil leaves
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Black pepper
Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix until the ingredients become semi-thick in viscosity. Put your veggie pieces on the grill and then take a pastry brush and brush over each side of the vegetable, turning them frequently. Hold back some of the baste as a dipping sauce.

You can also try smoking vegetables like onions. We like grilling/smoking the onions whole, then slice them up and use the slices on hamburgers. WOW!

Don’t forget that grilled veggies can be added to soup, stews and as pizza toppings

Wood Smoke Advice

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:27:00 +0000

When it comes to using wood to create smoke to flavor food in your backyard barbecue, there are some important points you should remember.

Use only HARDWOOD, never softwoods, which contain pitch, resin, and oils, which will coat your food with soot and creosote---not appetizing at all!

Strive for BALANCE when using wood to smoke flavor your meat or fish. You want the smoke to compliment-not compete with the flavor of the meat, spices you are using or the sauce or marinade you are using. You want to accentuate, not bury the flavor of what you’re cooking.

It’s better to have a little wood smoke than too much. Keep this in mind when using more pungent woods like Hickory, Pecan, Oak, Hazelnut, which can turn meat bitter if you over smoke using these woods.

Allow the meat to warm up first before adding wood smoke to your cooking process. As the meat fibers relax more, the smoke will more deeply penetrate the meat.

Use teakettle hot water to soak your wood chips, chunks in. Like the meat, when the wood fibers open up in the hot water, the wood will absorb more water, helping the chips to smolder longer, rather than just burn up.

Green wood Vs seasoned wood? I prefer seasoned wood. Green wood contains a lot of moisture in the wood, which takes energy away from the fire (BTUs). Green wood also produces dense smoke-which contains creosote and can ruin the flavor of your food. Dry wood tends to smolder more evenly and doesn’t take as much BTU energy to create smoke. Experiment with each and decide which is best for you.

Does it matter which type of wood to use Vs the food you are cooking? Many barbecuers maintain that less than 5% of the world’s chefs could distinguish between nut wood and fruit wood. I think you can tell the difference, but then that’s one of the great barbecue controversies.

Can you smoke on a gas grill? Not really. That misnomer has been floated around by gas grill manufacturers for years. I don’t know of any gas grill owner who can honestly say they can get true smoke flavor from their grill.

Use wood chunks on charcoal or let the wood burn down to embers? For grilling and cooking whole hogs, I suggest allowing the wood to burn down into embers, then transfer it to your "pit." The smoke from the embers should be enough to impart enough smoke flavor to satisfy your taste buds.
Some exotic woods you might want to try include:
Dogwood, Sassafras, Madrone, Almond, Beech. Another source for creating smoke is using nut shells, such as pecan, walnut and hazelnut.
I do not recommend sprinkling herbs or spices onto your coals or burners in order to obtain the "flavor" of the herb or spice on your food. Instead, place the seasonings on the food before cooking

Dispelling The Myth: Fall Off The Bone Tender

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:24:00 +0000

Dispelling The Myth of Falling Off The Bone Tender

I hear from people all the time who want to know about the mystique of "fall off the bone tender." They tell me, "Yeah, they keep talking about this on television, and at cooking contests. How do I achieve that?"

I’m here to tell you, that this notion is patently WRONG! Whoever began proglamating this concept should be tarred and feathered!

Here’s why I believe the way I do. This concept is most often associated with barbecuing ribs. If you’re cooking them to the point where the meat literally falls off the bone, then in my learned opinion, you’ve overcooked the meat and compromised its integrity. Even the Kansas City Barbecue Society agrees with me. When you attend one of their Certified Judges classes, you learn that rib meat-if properly cooked-will come cleanly off the rib bone with a gentle tug of the teeth.

If the meat "falls" off the bone-it’s been overcooked. Rib meat should be tender, no doubt about that. In order to accomplish this feat, the ribs must be bathed in a consistent, constant heat, which allows the meat fibers to break down or tenderize. Rib meat should not be
overly chewy. Nor should it be mushy. You should be able to pull the meat off the rib bone in one piece equal to the length of the rib bone.

I don’t know who started this fallacy. All I know is that it is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG information. If you’re cooking ribs in a competition setting, I can guarantee you that Certified Judges will give you LOW SCORES if your rib meat falls off the bone. It should easily dislodge from the rib bone with a gentle tug of the teeth. That’s the sign of a properly cooked rib.

STEAKS!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBBQ) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:19:00 +0000

Steaks! Great Food On and Off The Grill!

Steak Basics:
There are three major grades of beef, Prime-the very best, Choice and Select. The difference between the grades of steak meat is dependent upon the amount of fat or marbling in the meat. The more ribbons of fat in the meat, the more highly prized it is.
Fat is important in meat. It provides flavor, moisture and in big cuts, helps to draw the spices more deeply into the meat as the fat melts and drains through the meat fibers. If you’re fat sesnsitive, I recommend cutting the fat off AFTER COOKING the meat. This way you’ll at least get the benefit of its flavoring.
Look for a good balance of meat to fat to bone. You want bright red color. However, don’t overlook the brownish colored steaks—the change in color is what happens when oxygen gets into the meat package. It starts to break down the "bloom". Expensive steak houses use this process-under highly controlled conditions—to age meat—allowing the oxygen to break down the meat fibers and resulting in a far more tender, flavorful steak.
The King of Steaks:
For the money, it’s my opinion that you cannot beat a bone-in Ribeye. Also known as a "Delmonico", this steak is produced when you slice a Prime Rib apart into steaks.
Man oh man! Nicely marbled, that bad boy is just a delicious eating experience. I save the bone section for last, sucking and knawing off the meat along that rib bone-it has such fabulous flavor. And don’t forget that little bit of bone marrow—a nice little flavor treat all its own!
Other types of steak:
A little further back on the beef you find the "saddle" area. This portion is where Porterhouse, T-Bone, Club, NY Strip and Filet Mignon cuts come from.
Behind the "saddle" section is the Sirloin section of the beef. This is the area that produces the flat, pin and wedge bone sirloin steak.
From the shoulder section comes the chuck steak and from the rump area the top and bottom round steaks. While these may be inexpensive cuts compared to the above mentioned steaks, when cooked slowly over in-direct fire, they can cook up to be as tender as a newborn’s bottom!
Seasoning:
Most chefs and steak aficianodos agree, good ole salt and pepper are the best spices to use. You could rub on some Rosemary and a little garlic powder-if that’s to your liking. Some chefs also prefer to add a pat of butter to the top of a steak right after its been pulled off the grill. Garlic butter would be just great. It adds flavor and a little bit of fat, which adds some additional moisture to the meat. This is especially welcomed on steaks with less marbling in them.
The Preferred Way To Grill A Steak:
Both Merle Ellis and I agree-it makes no sense to let all of that delicious, flavor producing juice puddle up on top of a steak, only to be tossed into the fire when you turn your steak over.
Here’s our preterred way to cook the perfect steak---sear both sides over high heat, putting that bad boy onto a hot grid for just a minute, then immediately flipping it over. This seals the meat and the juices inside the meat. Then flip over again in four to six minutes—and one more time in four to six minutes-depending if you like your meat rare, medium-rare, medium or well done.
It’s our opinion that cooking a steak well done does a supreme injustice to the beef. You loose all of the flavor, nutrition and moisture in the meat. Might as well become a vegetarian if that’s how you like your steaks.
Further reading:
Some books I highly recommend you add to your cooking library include
The Great American Meat Book, Merle Ellis, (1996, Alfred Knopf)
How To Cook Meat. Chris Schlesinger, (2000, Morrow)
Strictly Steaks, A.D. Livingston, (2000, Burford Books)