We are fast approaching the “season”…firewood for your home. In an effort to dispel the many “wive's tales” surrounding the buying or using wood, we are putting up this table for your consideration. Whether you use the wood to heat your home or just enjoy watching a warm fire...before you spend those hard earned dollars...if you would like more information on how to get more "bang for your buck", give me a call at (253)686-8362.
Is there an advantage to burning wood down to coals before adding it to your BBQ pit? If you are a “purist” with the art of low and slow…the answer is most definitely “Yes!” If you a BBQer with a regular “off the shelf” BBQ pit…the answer is most definitely “No.”
I will share a little anecdote….something that happened to us at a Memphis in May competition a few years back. Those of you who have been to Memphis in May or have seen videos, pictures, etc., of Tom Lee Park, know the close confines of the teams, cooking.
On this particular occasion, we were set up next to a team from Georgia. Great Guys! A lot of fun and what I would call “traditionalists”…their pit could best be described as a 250 gallon tank, homemade and configured to cook direct, i.e. coals on the bottom, with about a 3 foot gap between the meat and the coals. Off to one side of their pit, they had a burn barrel, in which they would burn hickory logs down to coals before adding them to their pit.
We were down wind from this affair, and by day 3, we were thoroughly “perfumed” with the spicey peppery smell afforded by hickory wood. It got to be a touch annoying when everywhere you turned in our site, you could not escape the pungent smoke coming at us from their direction.
Their method of burning down wood to coals is a practice used in much of the south, the mid-south, and the Carolinas. Usually a stationary brick pit is the cooker of choice. These brick pits which come in various forms, can be found in restaurants and backyards throughout the area.
In the early 50’s, backyard barbecuers, i.e. grilling stations, were as much a fad as the barrel cookers are today. The fuel for these backyard pits is usually charcoal…lump or briquettes. Raw wood, meaning unburnt wood, is seldom added because of the flame factor. That is where the good ole boys burn the wood first, and then add the coals. Those not wishing to take the time, will use the modern convenience of the aforementioned charcoals.
It can be argued, real old fashioned BBQ does not have added smoke, the only flavorings from the wood, coming from a very diluted coal base…from the burned down wood. It could also be argued, the taste of BBQ is decidedly different depending on which cooking method is used.
I am going to use the barrel cookers, think Weber bullets, UDS cookers, in this example. Charcoal is the primary fuel and wood chips or chunks are added to gain a smoke flavor. The flavor will be dependent, of course, on the choice of wood. My question is simply…Is this what BBQ was intended to be? Or what BBQ has evolved into? Would today’s wood smoked pork butts be recognizable as BBQ to the ghost of BBQ past if he were to visit a cook off or a backyard in today’s times?
Here is a typical brick BBQ pit in the south…notice the shoveling of coals.
A Teacher Tells, A Good Teacher Explains, A Better Teacher Demonstrates, The Best Teacher Inspires...
Author Anonymous…
I have gotten literally dozens of queries on our BBQ classes…why no posts…when are they scheduled…who is coming…what are the topics this year? Etc.
Thank you for your interest and your questions. We are extremely flattered and humbled that y’all would even consider a BBQ class here at the ranch. Like I have always said "I don't know who was having the better time at those classes...you or us!"
I’m sad to announce there will be no formal class at the ranch this year…so much to do...so little time. By request we have agreed to teach two out of state classes… one on whole hog and the other on BBQ, Low and Slow.
A BBQ road show. I felt we had to reach out and touch some of those folks who could not come to us...a little more work but if we can expand the concept of low and slow beyond the comforts afforded here at the ranch... BBQ will be all the better for it. (I only wish we could take the pizza oven!!!)
I have also agreed to donate some spare time for travel to various fire (engine) houses across the state to teach and demonstrate BBQ to many of the brave firefighters who daily, put their lives on the line for all of us. How rich is that, teaching firemen amd women how to control a fire!!!
Our goal is to have an interdepartmental cook-off between Engine House’s across WA. to raise funds for the charitable organizations they support…more on that as the specifics are worked out.
As always we are committed to helping all past, present, or future students of low and slow with any questions on cooking, pits, BBQ wood or??? I’m never to busy for you! Simply use the contact button on the home page for an email response or better yet give me a call or stop by…We'll leave the light on for ya.
Our summer BBQ catering dates are filling up fast. If you would like to schedule an event, family reunion, company picnic, or just a big old get together on your block, check out our menu selection or contact us and we will be happy to customize a menu to suit your particular needs. (Sorry, we do not cater weddings)
June has the last weekend available. July and August have a few selected dates available, some being on the weekend. September is open at this time.
Here is but a sampling of what we can do for you menu wise. Contact us for details and more mouth pleasin', tongue ticklin' belly bustin' ideas. ---------------------------- The Memphis Picnic
Pecan smoked whole pork shoulder with an authentic Memphis BBQ Sauce for dippin' ( pulled or sliced ) Applewood smoked chicken quarters with an apricot bbq glaze Sweet and Sassy Carolina cole slaw or baby greens salad Smoked BBQ beans or black eyed peas Fresh baked buns or corn bread with clover honey butter Homemade indivdual sized lemon cheese cake with short bread crust
Extra sauce, napkins, paper plates, and utensiles ----------------------------------
Kansas City... Kansas City..., Kansas City here we come!
Hickory smoked baby back ribs with thick and tangy BBQ sauce 16 hour slow smoked beef brisket with a special KC rub Kansas City style smoked beans Fresh Louisiana corn salad BBQ buns or french rolls for soppin' Dark cocoa cup cakes with lemon icing
Extra sauce and rub, & all paper products and eating utensiles included ------------------------------------
Texas Hold'em... plates with both hands
Generous portions of Texas style brisket slow smoked over red oak Texas sized hot links ( spicy or pilgrim ) grilled over mesquite wood Spare ribs that made Houston famous with a Texan BBQ sauce Chuck Wagon Pintos or Cowboy peas (Trail Boss favorite) Garden fresh green salad with choice of homemade dressing Lone Star corn bread with honey butter Banana Foster pudding ( minus the spirits )
All comes with plenty of sauces, napkins, and tableware ----------------------------------
Eastern Shore... is good... Dinner
Shrimp, crab, corn on the cob, red potatoes, and baby onions steamed in our giant kettles on the BBQ pit in a clam broth, beer, water vinegar base ( with our special spices ) to which we add tons of butter. Steamed to perfection with fresh baked French bread for soppin up all that good stuff Caeser Salad Apple pie and French vanilla ice cream
We supply all the paper products and large plastic bags for the shells
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We're Goin' Whole Hog...a real Hunka', Hunka' Burnin' Love!
One of our specialties comes to your table having been smoked over hand selected cherry wood, sunny side up, for 22 hrs. just the way we do it at Memphis in May. Fresh roasted corn on the cob with our own special butters Mom's potato salad BBQed beans, pit made and smokey sweet Fresh rolls and orange butter Our famous cheese cake bar for dessert ( individual cheese cakes with a passel of toppin's to choose from )
We supply 3 kinds of BBQ sauces for dipping and all paper products. Tall tales and country music in the immediate pit area are complimentary.
---------------------------------------- We can bring our huge lemon squeezer for the kids to make their very own homemade lemonade... great baby sitter for all ages. Contact us for details ----------------------------------------
This is but a sample of our menu for many more options and selections drop us an email, we aim to please!
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