Happy Easter everyone. I hope that you get to spend today with friends and loved ones.

Look for more reviews coming up, including coverage of some rubs, the ever popular sauce reviews and two BBQ books.

We will also be hosting interviews with competitors, authors and Chef Rainford from 'License to Grill' on the Discovery Home Channel over the next few weeks.

As always, we appreciate your stopping by the Home of BBQ.

Welcome to March!

We extend our grateful thanks to Woody's Foods for their support of February's contest. Winners of Woody's sauces will be notified and an announcement will be made over the next few days. Thanks again to Michael Payne and Timothy Bisson for their knowledge and assistance with the Beer and BBQ Pairings.

This month we will be focusing on BBQ Competitions. We will be offering weekly interviews with competitors, organizers, reps and more. We will be presenting an interview with the leading designer of team logos and we are working on an interview with a tax expert who will discuss the financial implications of competing.

I will be presenting two resources for cook-off organizers this month. The first is a fairly comprehensive document outlining expenses for those interested in starting a competition and the second is a program that organizers can use to help determine how much they need to rent or buy of the different items needed for a contest. Simply plug in how many teams you have competing and everything else is outputted.

We are pleased to announce that the sponsor for March's free BBQ sauce contest is Russ and Frank's BBQ Sauce. The contest will start in the next few days.

Check back often for updates.

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Terminology:

BBQ has a nomenclature all its own. Smoker, mops, sops, smoke ring, chimney and rack all mean something to the public at large that is very different from what it means to the BBQ enthusiast. Let’s take a minute to go over a few common ‘Qing definitions.

THE WET STUFF

Mops: A mop is the name for both a thin liquid that is used to keep a meet moist during smoking and the device used to apply it. The ingredients for mops vary greatly, but I most often use something with a base of apple juice.

Sauces: Sauces are usually, but not always, applied late in the cooking of the meat or after the meat is done. The styles of sauce are varied and are often geographically representative. Sauces are used to enhance or alter the taste of the meat.

Slathers: A slather is a very thick sauce that is often mustard based. It is usually applied to the meat prior to the cooking. A slather helps to bind rubs to a meat, provide a crust or ‘bark’ and add flavor to the end product.

Marinades: A marinade has two jobs. A marinade is especially useful in BBQ as it helps to break down the connective tissue in meet, making it more tender. This is important in our neck of the woods, as BBQ’ers often use rougher cuts, such as brisket. The other purpose of a marinade is to impart flavor. Meats are soaked in marinades for a significant amount of time prior to the cooking. Common ingredients in marinade are oil, vinegar, wine, citrus juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and assorted dry spices.

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If you are a member of the Kansas City BBQ Society or are considering becoming a member you should be aware that there has been a recent proposal by a member of the Board of Directors to enact a policy where someone can not run for the Board if they are related to someone currently serving.

This policy has generated a considerable debate, with those opposed to the proposal claiming that as reasoning adults they don’t need or want restrictions on who they can vote for. This website supports that position but respects anyone who cares enough to make their voice heard.

There are many claims being made by people on both sides of the fence regarding the ethical behavior of those involved. I don’t believe that all the facts are available to the public and until that changes I believe that we owe everyone the benefit of the doubt. I would respectfully request that you make up your mind based solely on whether or not you believe in the proposal itself and allow your voice to be heard by voting in the poll here: KCBS POLL

Again, it is my contention that this policy is not necessary and would indeed be detrimental. My reasons are as follows:

A) The membership of the KCBS has the choice to vote AGAINST anyone that they believe would be involved in cronyism.

B) Two of the founders of the KCBS were a married couple.

C) The person who is now serving whose tenure instigated the discussion was the top vote recipient in the most recent election.

D) There is a mechanism in place for the Board to remove someone that they believe are behaving unethically.

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Artistry vs. Science

The battle for the purity of a hobby is always an intense struggle by those that are immersed in the pastime. What outsiders may view as minutia is often a serious bone of contention. BBQ is no different.

As technology continues to become more available to the ‘everyman’, the benefits of that technology will be applied to every aspect of their life. Unfortunately, when that is related to BBQ it seems to be almost oxymoronic for some. For many enthusiasts, BBQ is a way to get back to a slower, less complicated time.

The question is, where do you draw the line in the sand? Technology in BBQ is certainly a grey area. Do you believe that it takes away from the artistry of Q’ing to use a digital thermometer? What about food science? How about insulated coolers to allow the meat to rest? Those are all pretty acceptable and I would be surprised to hear any complaints about them. But what about computerized venting, blackberry temperature alerts and the like? Is that pushing the envelope?

The problem is that this is a hobby. You are undoubtedly going to bring your passions into your hobby. If Bob is a tech-head and is going to merge his passion for BBQ with his passion for gadgets, who are we to frown upon it? On the other hand, BBQ is certainly not just about preparing the optimal food. It’s about a culture that links back to the start of our nation. It’s about a people and a way of thinking. It’s about a certain laid back graciousness and understated hospitality that we are helping to preserve. To a certain extent, technology does take something from that.

So what is the appropriate compromise? I believe that everyone has to make their own decision on this, but I believe that it will come down to the general good nature of the people who are involved in this great hobby. There may be a few side glances of disbelief at a neighbors hook-up at a competition, but all will be forgotten as friends and neighbors break bread, share a drink and talk about ‘Q.

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BBQ & Beer Pairings

The recipes are from about.com. Look for an upcoming interview with about.com’s resident BBQ expert, Derrick Riches.

Mustard Sauce

1 cup jarred mustard
1 tablespoon (roughly) fresh chopped garlic
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon powdered oregano
1/4 teaspoon powdered thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Combine dry ingredients in a saucepan. Add enough
vinegar to make a mixable paste. Mix well. Place
over high heat and add remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and
simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Michael Payne

Styles - Saison

I like to think of Saison as the swiss army knife of beer. It is a rustic, Belgian farmhouse ale with spicy, peppery flavors and refreshing hop bitterness. Many brewers add various spices to the beer as well to increase the complexity. This style can pair well with virtually any food, but it has a special affinity for spicy acidic foods like this mustard sauce.

The mustard, herbs, and cayenne are easily matched by the complex, herb and spice characteristics of this beer style. While saisons are not sour beers, they do have a characteristic, refreshing tartness that matches the vinegar in the sauce and easily allows the beer to cut through the fat in whatever type of meat you put this sauce on.

Suggested Commercial Examples - Saison Dupont (classic hoppy saison), Fantome (excellent, creatively spiced saison)

Timothy Bisson

Pork Ribs
The Westmalle Dubbel and the pork ribs were great together. The sweetness in each met on common ground. The Dubbel added dark fruit (cherry and plum) flavors which melded nicely with the smoky, mustard flavor from the sauce. The fat and meat absorbed the sauce and beer very well to create happiness in my mouth.

Westmalle is a wonderful but pricy Dubbel. So on the East Coast you could get Allagash Dubbel and on the West Coast try North Coast’s Brother Thelonius.

I also tried Full Sail Amber with this but the ribs overpowered the malt and hops and only left a residual alcohol flavor behind.

Beef Short Ribs
Deschutes Black Butte Porter and the Beef Ribs were wonderful. Black Butte has some roasted malt, chocolate and smoky flavors. The mild smokiness came out for this pair and frolicked with the molasses, mustard and spices in the sauce. The robust beef flavors complemented the hop bitterness and other malt flavors exquisitely. A very tasty pairing indeed. If Black Butte is not available in your area, Sierra Nevada Porter or Stone’s Smoked Porter would pair well too.

I also tried Stone’s 11th Anniversary with the Beef Ribs. This beer is 8.7% ABV and full of hop aroma and bitterness. The hop bitterness and alcohol bowled over the tasty beef and BBQ sauce. Great brew but too big for the ribs.

Chicken Breast
The Grilled Chicken breast with the mustard sauce was great. The char on the meat flowed seamlessly into the sauce’s sweetness as did the Full Sail Amber. The caramel flavor from the malt wrapped itself tightly around the char of the chicken and the molasses in the sauce. The hop bitterness and the piny, citrusy hop flavor added complexity to the meal without detracting from the great BBQ flavor. Any hoppy American Amber will work with this sauce and chicken.

I’d also recommend American Brown Ale for this delicious dish. Bell’s Best Brown or Avery’s Ellie Brown would be at home comfortably. These Browns have some roasted and chocolate malt flavors that’ll gladly hold hands with the char and molasses while the hops dance pleasantly with the mustard.

I also tried the Ommegang Hennepin Saison with this. It was too citrusy of a saison to go well. It’s a great beer but an earthy saison would be needed for the smoke and dark sweetness the chicken brings.

Brisket
The Rogue Dead Guy Ale did nicely with the brisket smothered in the mustard sauce. The Dead Guy Ale is a Maibock style with some peach flavors in the finish. The sweetness in the Dead Guy matched the honey and molasses sweetness left in the brisket. The peach finish added some good complexity to the tender and mustardy brisket. I think a more traditional Maibock like Einbecker Ur Mai Bock or a Traditional Bock like Aass Bock would do well with this dish too. It just needs to have a mildly sweet finish and not be overly hopped.

I also tried Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale and Ommegang’s Hennepin with this. The Celebration, an American IPA, was way too bitter and did not blend with or complement the flavors of the brisket. The Hennepin, a saison, was good with the brisket but it was great with the grilled zucchini that was served to accompany the brisket. The zucchini helped clean the palate between brisket bites and the Hennepin added some zest.

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February is Beer Month at the Home of BBQ!

We are very grateful to have the input of beer experts offering their opinions on pairing of beer with BBQ. We will be posting four different recipes (three sauces and one rub) and our featured guests will be presenting their views on what beer best compliments the sauce and meats.

Our first expert is Michael Payne. Michael is a former ceramic artist who's interest in beer first took a serious turn when he read Garrett Oliver's "The Brewmaster's Table". This book changed his perspective on beer and taught him the importance of good food in bringing out the best in beer. In 2006 Michael made a career switch to professional brewing, attending the World Brewing Academy in Chicago and Munich, Germany in the spring of 2007. He currently works for the Terrapin Beer Company in Athens, Georgia.

Our second expert is Tim Bisson. Here is what Tim had to say:

I am a Recognized Judge in the Beer Judge Certification Program who has brewed at home for about 10 years. I brewed professionally for three years while living in Colorado. Currently, I live in Anchorage, Alaska and think beer is the second greatest liquid on Earth. (H2O, you rock my world!!)

My interest in pairings started when I saw a beer dinner being advertised for $80 a head and decided if I hosted one at home, it would be cheaper and more fun. So a friend, my wife and myself put together a five course dinner for ten people and had a wonderful time. Since then, I continue to eat and drink while trying to create delicious duos.

Ok! Our thanks to Tim and Michael for their help. We will be covering a mustard vinegar sauces, a white sauce a traditional red sauce and a dry rub. We will be doing one pairing a week, starting Friday.

What beer do you usually drink with BBQ?

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The national bird of the United States is the Bald Eagle.

The national anthem of the United States is The Star Spangled Banner.

The national flower of the United States is the American Rose.

The national emblem of the United States is pictured above.

The national beverage of the United States is coffee, as declared by the continental congress.

The national motto of the United States is ‘In God We Trust’.

The national flag of the United States is ‘the Stars and Stripes.’


Why don’t we have a national cuisine?

There is no food that is more emblematic of the United States than BBQ. There is no other food that is an indigenous national cuisine. So why isn’t BBQ our national cuisine?

This is an oversight that the Home of BBQ is going to attempt to rectify.

Return to Home of BBQ

I realize that this is not exactly a BBQ related topic, but it does involve food and I feel that it deserves to be promoted.

Since close to its inception, I have been visiting a site called Free Rice. The site is subsidized by corporate partners that run simple ads on the bottom of the screen. Free Rice is a vocabulary building tool that provides 20 grains of rice to those in need every time you answer a vocabulary question correctly.

When you first log in the site will ask you four questions to gauge your current vocabulary level. Every time you answer 3 questions correctly your level will go up by one. Whenever you get a question wrong, your level will go down by one. The site is extremely addictive.

So, while you are enjoying yourself and building your vocabulary, you are helping to put food in the hands that need it desperately.

Check them out.

www.freerice.org

The people have spoken! The results are in for the Kansas City BBQ Society's Board of Directors election.

The top four candidates by votes were:

Carol Whitebook
Rodney Gray
Tana Shupe
Ed Roith

The Home of BBQ would like to congratulate the members of the KCBS for running a smooth election and the winning candidates, who we are sure will help take the KCBS to the next level.

As much as we loved our old template, we needed to change to something that you could view with Internet Explorer. It was a hard decision to make, as I really loved the old template, but it had to be done.

We will continue to work on the aesthetics of the site and would appreciate any comments that you might have.

Are you a member of the KCBS? You have 7 days left to cast your vote for the 2008 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors helps to guide and lead the KCBS and can have a large impact on competitions throughout the nation. Take the time to visit the KCBS website and read the bio's and platforms of the various candidates.

Please see the interview on this site with Merl Whitebook of the KCBS regarding the function and form of the Board.

There is a link to the KCBS on the top right of this site.

The Lowdown on the Rubdown I.

Let’s call part one of this series on BBQ rubs ‘Confessions of a Hypocrite’. In an earlier post I went into some detail discussing how hard it is for me to understand a competitor using a store bought sauce in a cook-off. The basic reasoning was, if you’re are going to spend up to twelve hours on a brisket, why wouldn’t you spend twenty minutes making a sauce?

The odd thing is in spite of my qualms at using a commercial sauce, I’m more than happy to use a commercial rub. The story gets stranger. I enjoy making rubs much more than I enjoy making sauces. I’m hyper-critical of any sauce that I make but in an odd way I’m never concerned about a rub. I’m always under the impression that I can find a use for a rub or find a way to fix a perceived problem, but with sauces I’ll throw out one of every five batches that I experiment on.

There is somehow something more artistic about the creation of a dry rub for me. I don’t know why. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s true. I’m often just as happy with a batch that I will use once and throw it in seven months as I am with something that I use on a weekly basis.

All that being said, creating a good rub is not as much of an accomplishment for me as creating a good sauce. And I think that may be the key. Creating a quality sauce is hard work. Although it’s enjoyable and satisfying, it’s not ‘fun’. It is much more rewarding when I offer friends and family a quality sauce than when I can offer them a quality rub.

Maybe it’s that sauces are more unforgiving than rubs. After 5 to 10 hours in a smoker your highs will be lowered and your flaws will be ameliorated. Rubs are also more monomaniacal. They serve one purpose. Sure, you can stretch things and use a rub on potato chips or popcorn, but their primary purpose is to be adhered to a meat prior to it’s smoking to add depth of flavor and a crust.

Sauces can be used to enhance a flavor, modify a flavor, used as a dipping sauce, cooked onto or into a food, used to create a crust or bark and provide an added aesthetic.

Coming up next in the Lowdown on the Rubdown; a spicy/sweet rub designed for ribs.

The Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) is the largest and most prestigious of the various sanctioning bodies for BBQ competitions. In addition to overseeing hundreds of events a year, the KCBS acts as an evangelizing force, preserving the tradition of low and slow BBQ for generations to come. They provide a monthly magazine, a dedicated websites, judging classes, cooking classes and more.

The membership of the KCBS is currently in the process of deciding who will help lead the organization in 2008. Voting for the Board of Directors is going on now and will finish up on January 17th. We thought that this would be a good time to speak with Merl Whitebook about the organizational structure of the KCBS and see how things are run.

Merl is the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee for the KCBS and has graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us.

Q. Once a nominee for the Board of Directors is elected, how long do they serve?

Each member of the KCBS Board of Directors is elected to a three year term. KCBS has term limits of two consecutive terms. After rolling off the Board for a year, a person may run again for election.

Q. How many members of the Board are there and how many positions are open this year?

There are 12 members of the Board of Directors. Carolyn Wells is the Executive Director and sits on the Board as a nonvoting member. Each year we elect 4 directors for a three year term.

Q. What is the role of the Board of Directors and how does it differ from the KCBS Officers?

The Board of Directors have the responsibility in a fiduciary capacity to the organization and its members. The Board defines the Mission and the Vision of the organization. KCBS is a 501C4 corporation and is governed by the corporate laws of the State of Missouri.

Q. How many employees does the KCBS have?

KCBS has a full time Executive Director and three wonderful administrative assistants who run the office.

Q. Are there any permanent positions amongst the Board and Officers?

Each year the Board votes for the executive committee (President, VP, Secretary and Treasurer) from the Board of Directors. There are no permanent positions, except for the Executive Director sits as a non voting member.

Q. What is the average turnover rate during Board elections?

About 1/2 of the members of the Board serve two terms. The remaining half a single term. Therefore the average is 4.5 years. This does not include those who roll off the Board due to term limits and then come back for additional year of service to the organization.

Q. Are their any restrictions on how many terms someone may serve?

KCBS has a two term limit

Q. Aside from being a current member of the KCBS, are there any other criteria for running for the Board?

KCBS ask for the members to consider the skill sets which a Board Member will bring to the organization. Being a member of the Board is considerably more than being a cook, a CBJ or a Contest Rep. The Board deals with issues in accounting, marketing, procedure, legal, technology, as well as rules, personnel and competition. The organization needs skill sets to meet these needs. The Board is responsible for a substantial business enterprise.

Thanks Merl! Remember, if you are a member of the KCBS you can place your vote up until January 17th. If you are not a member of the KCBS, drop by their website at KCBS.us and consider joining.

2007 is over. Long live 2008.

Last year was one of learning what and where we want this blog to be. We started off slow but I believe that we made strides in finding an identity. This year will be a time of growth and implementation.

You can look for the following new segments and changes to existing formats:

Sauce Reviews: When applicable, sauce reviews will have a ‘spice it up’ feature where I will discuss what I would add to the sauce being reviewed to help personalize it.

Contests: We will be holding contests for our readers where they can win cook books, sauces and more.


On-site Competitions: Different sauces (and maybe rubs) will be pitted against each other to determine which sauce (or rub) will reign supreme. Run similar to a single elimination draft, we will end up with the premier sauce (or rub) for 2008.

Behind the Scenes: We will be parting the curtain and taking a look behind the scenes at various facets of the BBQ culture. How do you run a competition? How do you bring a sauce to market? What goes into writing a cookbook?

We have a lot in store for 2008 and hope that you will be along for the ride.

Here’s a quick cautionary tale for those that are interested in smoking their ham or turkey for Christmas. There may be an urge to take shortcuts in the winter months, such as moving the smoker closer to the house or to monitor things less closely due to the cold. It is imperative that the same precautions that you would take in the summer are taken in the winter.

Courtesy of KSAT Television

SAN ANTONIO -- Fire officials at the scene of a house fire on the city's East Side on Friday said that a barbecue pit started a fire that heavily damaged a home.

When firefighters arrived in the 300 block of Glen Oak at 5 p.m., flames were shooting from the roof of the home.

Fire officials said the barbecue pit, which was used for cooking on Thanksgiving Day, was leaned against the home with hot coals still in the pit.

It's believed the pit ignited the garage and the fire then spread throughout the home.

A 72-year-old man who was alone at the time of the blaze escaped uninjured.

I've reviewed two sauces that are a bit off the beaten path.

In the next few days I'm going to go in the opposite direction and review something from the shelf at a supermarket. I'm going to try to find the most ubiquitous and commercial sauce possible and see how it stacks up.

After the supermarket sauce I'm going to review sauce from a restaurant and see how it stacks up to what we can make at home.

If there are any products that you would like to see reviewed, please feel free to let me know.

Thanks for reading!

Eric

I have had a few offline discussions with some readers regarding the post where I couldn't understand why competitors would use store bought sauces.

I have come to the conclusion that there are a few legitimate reasons why someone would go that route.

1) You used store bought once and walked. Your next time out you made your own and you didn't.

2) You are the manufacturer. Believe it or not, this is happening more and more often. As means of production becomes easier, the internet makes finding consumers a breeze and bbq continues to rise as a cuisine; there are mom & pop start ups popping up all the time.

3) You are out of your region. If you don't know what is popular in the area the competition is being held it is easy to go down to the local store and see what is popular on the shelves and go with that.

4) Sauces are your achilles heal. I have a friend who is an excellent cook who just can't make decent fried chicken. It's like a blind spot.

I guess that those are reasonable arguments, but I still prefer making my own.


Eric

Below is an excellent, if brief, overview of regional differences in BBQ sauces. It is copied with permission from bbq-book.com

Within the United States, for example, most experts break down recipes according to nine regions, each having its own slant on what constitutes the perfect barbeque sauce recipe. These regions include:

North Carolina and Virginia
South Carolina
Smoky Mountains
Georgia
Florida
Northern Alabama
Kentucky
Texas
Midwest and Plains

In the North Carolina and Virginia regions, the ideal barbeque rib recipe includes a thin vinegar sauce containing black pepper, sugar, and crushed pepper. In South Carolina, on the other hand, a barbeque sauce recipe consists of vinegar sauces and sweet mustard.

In the Smoky Mountains region, a barbeque sauce recipe should be thin and include sugar, tomato, vinegar, and ketchup. Georgia, on the other hand, creates a thin sauce made with vinegar, tomato, and mustard.

Moving a little further south to Florida, a barbeque rib recipe will have a tomato base with lime and lemon juice added. In Northern Alabama, however, a white barbeque is the preference. In order to make this barbeque sauce recipe "white", mayonnaise is used as the base.

Kentucky likes their barbeque sauce to be a little darker. As such, they use vinegar as well as Worcestershire sauce in their barbeque rib recipe.

If spicy is more your thing, a Texas barbeque sauce recipe may be in order. Here, a tomato base is used with a variety of hot peppers added to the mix. The Midwest and Plains region also likes their sauce to be a bit spicy, but the tomato base is usually thicker than in other regions, and a bit sweeter as well.

If you are the type of competitor that likes to play it safe, you should use the type of sauce that is most popular in the area that you are competing in. If you are in the Carolina's, use a vinegar sauce. If you are in Kansas City, use a tomato based sauce. Should I go sweet? Should I add mustard? See what the locals are doing.

But if you want to go a little deeper into BBQ gamesmanship, look for the kcbs blue shirts. What will the ratio be of women to men judges? As a rule of thumb, women prefer sweeter sauces and men prefer saltier sauces.

Want another edge? Find out who won the previous 3 years and try to find out what type of sauce they used. Does this event tend to reward risk taking? Do they encourage conformity? Use the Friday night set-up time to chat up your neighbors. BBQ enthusiasts will be some of the friendliest people you will ever meet.

Remember, the taste of the sauce isn't the only contributing factor. Feel free to bring food dyes with you. There is no rule about not using a dye in your sauce. Want a rich, brick red color? Go for it. Want to lighten up the color? Go ahead. Trust me, food dye would be last on the list of 'odd' additives to BBQ at competitions.

Eric