January 31, 2008
Feast or Famine
That's what this time of the year represents...because we are now in the famine stage. In November and December we were doing multiple parties on the same day. Fed 3,500 people in Forsyth Park, cooked for over 1000 at the Roundhouse, and we cooked at the National Barbecue Festival (winning two first place trophies...one for brisket and one for ribs). Now that we are in our January doldrums, TLW has suggested that we get back to blogging.
So, here we are with two reformatted computers and none of our information was saved! Guess what TLW got for Christmas? An external hard drive...now we can back up our work...kind of like locking the barn door after the horse is stolen!! She asked me if we weren't going to elaborate more on our exciting Fall, and, of course, I plan to!
I think the thing I am most proud of is when we engineered the Day of Great Thanksgiving where 3,500 folks were fed in Forsyth Park. It soon became very apparent that even though we own two Southern Prides, we were no match for feeding this kind of crowd. Nor was the small kitchen in the Old Savannah City Mission capable of that kind of production. There is an old saying that when you do big parties, you need to just break it down into a bunch of smaller parties. That is exactly what we did! We got Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons, to do the gravy...about 50 gallons of it! The Mansion at Forsyth Park did the green beans. Savor Savannah Catering produced the yams and Savannah Technical College (Culinary) produced the dressing. The General smoked 240 turkeys. Savor Savannah also loaned us four huge hotboxes to keep everything warm. Isn't it MARVELOUS when a plan comes together? Guess what? We did all of this in less than a week.
The first of November saw us in Douglas, GA competing in the National BBQ Festival . In 2006, we finished in the top ten of the open contest, so this year we were invited to compete in the Invitational where the top ten teams from each sanctioning body around North America were invited to participate. We did respectably in the invitational, finishing in the middle of the pack of 38 teams with one call only...for 9th place in chicken. The open brought many more teams...over sixty. We thought we turned in good products on Friday, so we aimed at producing similar results for Saturday's event. When it came time for the awards ceremony, our name was not called in chicken. We knew that our chicken turned out darker than the day before, so that was not a surprise. But what was a huge surprise was that we won first place in ribs, and first place in brisket. Had we scored better in chicken, we would have taken first place overall...but we ended up third overall! We were so proud of our performance, since we only cook twice a year, and we were up against some very strong competitors who compete a lot more frequently. If you get a top three call in any category, besides the money, the team is also awarded a beautiful brass bell (small for third to large for first). TLW had been saying all weekend that she wanted a bell....and now she has two big ones!!
November 13, 2007
Computer Disaster
The General and I have had extremely bad luck with our computers this month. First, our Dell desktop died and the hard drive had to be reformatted. Ugh. All info lost...but we had a backup of most files on my Powerbook. Well, guess what happened? Crash! We are still crossing our fingers that Apple will be able to retrieve our files...if not....it will not be pleasant around here. In the interim, I have been trying to gain access to our blog and its files. This is my first attempt. If this works, I have lots of info to share!
TLW
October 05, 2007
Eureka!!
The General has been out of town, so TLW has decided to go it on her own. Food and Wine magazine is one of my favorites. Their October issue is titled "Wine Made Simple." As usual, their are many recipes TG and I want to try...especially the Spicy Pork and Tomatillo Stew which is pictured on the cover. The article that piqued my interest the most is "8 health benefits of drinking wine." Here they the benefits:
Promotes longevity
Reduces heart-attack risk
Lowers risk of heart disease
Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes
Lowers risk of stroke
Cuts risk of cataracts
Cuts risk of colon cancer
Slows brain decline
The article goes on to list the evidence. You will have to read it for yourself here.
(Of course, the health benefits come from moderate consumption!)
Another reason I love Food and Wine is that they are a sponsor of Top Chef on Bravo TV. Even though this year is Season 3, this is the first year I have watched it. Even though TG detests reality tv, I would catch him stopping and watching it over my shoulder. It was great to see the underdog, Hung, win.
All through this season, Hung remained true to himself while ticking off almost all of the other contestants. His ego, confidence and drive superseded any effort to be popular. Initially he was not one of my favorites, but as he kept avoiding eliminations, I thought he might have a chance. As a true champion, he rose to the occasion when necessary. I am happy he won, but I think I also would have been happy if Dale had won. I can't wait until F&W's Top Chef edition comes out!
If you haven't watched the series, I bet you can catch the re-runs on Bravo!
September 18, 2007
Strange Coincidence
In August, on our way to vacation at Lake Chautauqua in upper New York State with our good friends Sir Charles and Kathleen, TG was worried that the Lake might be too remote since I brought no reading material. After lunch in Cleveland, we found a Border's Discount Book Store...and it truly was a discount store. Since I liked the low prices and their selection of cookbooks, I bought several. I didn't pay much attention to them until we reached the Lake.
I began reading one called Cook-Off America Volume 2 and suddenly discovered that I was in the book! "The Original Q Company Brisket" National Capital Barbecue Battle. It goes on to call me a consistent winner and a "circuit" celebrity. Funny though, the recipe isn't mine nor is the picture one of our shots...even though it is a darn fine one.
From then on, I was like a celebrity chef and our friends told anyone who would listen about this strange coincidence! I was then put on the spot when Sir Charles went to his freezer and pulled out a standing rib roast and announced that we were having a dinner party Saturday night and I was to smoke the roast as well as other parts of the meal.
Being away from all my spices and tools, I was able to go back into the archives of my mind and remember an old beef marinade that I used to use all the time. It consists of one third teriyaki, one third red wine vinegar, and one third water. The water keeps the teriyaki from turning the meat too dark. Also add a good shot or two of bourbon. The bourbon breaks down the fibers in the meat and acts as a tenderizing agent...as well as a flavoring agent. I let the meat marinate a couple days before cooking it. I must say that it was one flavorful piece of meat...and all the guests agreed.
I also found out something that most home chefs don't realize. I was looking for some spices to use on the roast and I found that some of Charles' spices were out of date...some by two or three years! Most spices are only good for a year or less...depending on geographic location (temperature and humidity). When in a pinch, the old standby is seasoned salt, black pepper and granulated garlic and that is what I used on the rib roast.
September 17, 2007
Another Burst
Received an email from Steve from Sullicom yesterday. He has spotlighted The General on his blog. After some fine compliments, he comments that The General's blogging is sporadic. He is correct! Both The Little Woman and I are trying to rectify this situation. Blogging for the BBQ General is, I think, a bit harder than for most bloggers because we collaborate on almost every entry...so we both have to be "in the mood" and "available." Thanks, Steve, for giving us a kick in the pants, and we will try to be more consistent! Also, congrats on a great blog!
Fried Squirrel
Here we are with a party to get out on Saturday...and, guess what? ...our power goes out. No power equals no stove/oven. Usually power outages around here are fairly temporary, but this one didn't appear to be....especially when 5 Georgia power trucks show up. After the first two hours, we had to come up with an alternate plan for preparing our menu for the party to be held later in the day. Six hours later and with the party under control we learn the cause of the outage....a very dumb squirrel trying to chew through a line !
August 29, 2007
Championship Grits, Again
We couldn't let August go away without reporting how we fared at the Dillard, GA Bluegrass and BBQ contest held the first weekend in August. First of all, as usual, we enjoyed the wonderful mountain air (especially since Savannah had been sweltering in the high 90's and low 100's with ultra high humidity). Also, the hospitality of Jane and Steve, the organizers, was amazing as it is every year and this was our 11th contest in a row with them...so you know they have something going on. Sixty teams gathered, some from as far away as Texas and all of the teams were "heavy hitters." Last year we tied for second place overall, even though in the standings we placed third, so we were looking for another good showing. Buckhead Janet, our teammate came up from Atlanta, and we went about our usual prep.
We decided to enter two ancillary contests as well as the regular KCBS sanctioned one. Same as last year, Grits and Cabbage. TLW used the same recipes for both. Last year she placed third in Cabbage and first in Grits. It is very difficult to repeat your success from one contest to another, we were just looking for respectable placements. Unfortunately, the judges did not enjoy the cabbage entry and we placed low in the standings. However, her grits won first place again. Not bad for a Yankee!!
As far as the rest of the contest, we finished 7th in Chicken, but 9th overall. We were very surprised since we didn't get a call for our ribs, pork or brisket...but we were right in there near the top 10 places. We were very pleased with our showing since we only compete two times a year and some of the heavy hitters are on the circuit 2, 3 or even 4 times a month. All in all, we didn't come home with a lot of prize money, but we did come home with smiles on our faces!
Posted by The General at 05:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackAugust 08, 2007
Failure of Big Bucks
It is fairly human to think that 'if I just had enough money then I could be successful.' How about if you had a 73 unit BBQ chain and enough money to have at least 2 Southern Prides in each location and all the latest restaurant equipment? But....you failed.
Such is the case with Smokey Bones restaurant chain owned by Darden Restaurants, owners of Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, etc...
According to Nation's Restaurant News, July 9, 2007, Darden has closed 54 locations since May and has put the rest up for sale. I can't help but feel somewhat of a personal disappointment because The General was indirectly involved with the start up of the first unit in Orlando. My friend, Brian K., did the initial spec work for the prototype store and the thought of having a national chain doing BBQ was quite exciting.
So why couldn't money buy success? In TG's opinion, there were several factors that brought on their demise. First, the food was just simply off. They never could get their brisket down correctly and from what I hear, they consulted with regular food service consultants ...not barbecue people. What sticks in my mind is one of the biggest negatives...they originally tried to turn SB into a sports bar. When they did this, in my opinion, they eliminated a big part of their customer base...women. Think about it-George comes home on Friday night after work and says, "Honey, I want to take you out to dinner tonight and let's go eat BBQ at a sports bar!" He may get away with that once, but Honey isn't going to want to spend a lot of quality/romantic time with George at the sports bar. BBQ has always had a male macho image...although there are plenty of good female BBQ chefs out there!
A lot has been blamed on the lack of success of the Smokey Bones chain due to the regionality of BBQ flavors. But I have always believed that good BBQ is always cooked essentially the same with the sauce denoting the region and that can always be adjusted. In certain areas, like California with its tri-tip, cut from the sirloin and Texas, with its beef brisket, those meats are predominant BBQ items. That, too, could have been addressed by SB.
What I believe wasn't addressed is the fact that they did not have enough variety in their overall menu to make non-BBQ eaters want to go there.
The General works on this constantly doing grilled shish ke bobs, BBQ pizza, fish on the grills, wraps, etc. Of course, TG does not own a 73 unit chain!
Posted by The General at 03:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackOut from under the rock
In May of this year we finally received a contract on our property in Atlanta after it being on the market for over 2 years. That was the good news. The horrible news was that 23 years worth of "stuff" still remained in the house. Three dumpster loads later and a garage sale finally reduced the house to sale-able condition. If there was a lesson to be learned, it would be that none of us humans need the amount of "stuff" that we think we need. We are all so encumbered by it. Yet, it is truthfully hard to see it go, although we are still dealing with some of what we moved here to Savannah.
Combine this factor with a series of out of town guests and the loss of our beloved 11 1/2 year old German shepherd Radar, this might just begin to explain the General's absence from the blogosphere.
April 15, 2007
Space management issue
In a previous post, I mentioned that we received a smoker from Cookshack which TG is learning to use. I've got pork butts down pretty well lately. Since it is a smoker, it needs to be outside, but since it has digital settings it needs to be covered. Right now it is sitting and functioning quite nicely on our screen porch. Now what is the problem with that? Nothing, as far as the General is concerned. However, The Little Lady has a major issue with a piece of cooking equipment on "her" porch. So far she has been a "trooper" and all the time occasionally throws barbs about it my way.
Last week, The General got a call from a freight company wanting to deliver a 250 lb. box to our house. Guess what? It was a new TEC grill from Char-Broil! I had been hoping that I might receive one after Char-Broil invited us to New York City to the preview party for this new line. Oh, my, it is a BIG box and right now it is sitting in our front hall. We do not have a patio (yet) and I have taken up all the backyard space I can with my two Weber kettles and a Smokey Joe. Now, guess who isn't happy about all of this? TLW She has been making comments that it is time to create an outdoor kitchen to house all of this equipment. Great...except it will cost $$$$.
TG has to take all of this under advisement:
New Cookshack smoker....free
New TEC Grill...free
The Little Woman happy...priceless
An Easter Success
The General cooked with a new ham, but not new to this coastal area...Lee hams. They are packed in Southeast Georgia. I cooked them up to 160* and coated them with a simple coating of brown sugar and honey. They were absolutely outrageous...but the main compliment I received was that they were not salty. Many hams have a high salt content...but not so with the Lee ham.
Most of the hams were smoked for the Old Savannah City Mission's Easter meal which was served inside the mission due to inclement weather. We had hoped that it would be a repeat of the Christmas dinner which was served outside "on the corner." Approximately 100 homeless "friends and neighbors" were treated to a dinner rivaling many served in Savannah's elegant homes. The dinner included ham, corn bread casserole, yams, corn, rolls, melon, grapes and chocolate covered strawberries. Guests could even coat their own strawberries, along with angel food cake cubes....as we had our very own chocolate fountain!
It was a special dinner, and the friends and neighbors loved it. But those of us serving them had an even better time...
March 30, 2007
Just in time for Easter
The General has used Sinclair Foods' Baked Potato Salad with Sour Cream for over 10 years. It always gets rave reviews at all of our parties that we have catered. More times than not people in attendance will ask us for the recipe. TLW got smart and started telling folks that it is an old family recipe...(just not our family's.) Such is the case with ideas...or TG wishes he had thought about it. In Paula Deen's latest book, "Paula Deen Celebrates!: Best Dishes and Best Wishes for the Best Times of Your Life" (Paula Deen, Martha Nesbit) she talks about decorating for Easter using sod grass on the buffet table. Here are a couple of variations if you don't want mess with the sod: try TLW's favorite, wheat grass which is edible or try my idea which to get some astroturf and decorate with Easter eggs, baskets, bunnies, etc.
Paula also has a wonderful recipe for ham (p.77). She calls it Peanut Butter Glazed Ham. Now since we live in the same city as Paula, we don't want to get into trouble by publishing the whole recipe. Some of the ingredients are chicken broth, creamy peanut butter, and honey. Sounds yummy doesn't it?
She also gives a recipe for ham salad (p.83) which uses the leftover ham from your Easter dinner.
Posted by The General at 04:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackMarch 21, 2007
Two Books
When TG was back in Atlanta last week, I immediately went to Costco to get my "Costco Fix." They have an excellent book section with a large volume of cookbooks priced very competitively.
I picked up Todd Wilbur's"Top Secret Recipes (Top Secret Recipes: More Classics)" (Plume) I opened the book to page 137 and lo and behold there was KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce recipe. The General hasn't tried it yet...but I will soon! This author fascinates me because he has the ability to break any commercial recipe out there...without stealing the recipe itself.
"Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars" (Ceil Dyer) takes another approach by collecting manufacturers' "on the package" recipes...something I have always believed is that these recipes wouldn't be on the product unless they were good.
I think you will have a lot of fun with both of these book and hope you try some of their recipes
Posted by The General at 02:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackTwo Books
When TG was back in Atlanta last week, I immediately went to Costco to get my "Costco Fix." They have an excellent book section with a large volume of cookbooks priced very competitively.
I picked up Todd Wilbur's"Top Secret Recipes (Top Secret Recipes: More Classics)" (Plume) I opened the book to page 137 and lo and behold there was KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce recipe. The General hasn't tried it yet...but I will soon! This author fascinates me because he has the ability to break any commercial recipe out there...without stealing the recipe itself.
"Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars" (Ceil Dyer) takes another approach by collecting manufacturers' "on the package" recipes...something I have always believed is that these recipes wouldn't be on the product unless they were good.
I think you will have a lot of fun with both of these book and try some of their recipes
Posted by The General at 02:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackFebruary 15, 2007
Healthy Solutions Spice Blends
Most of us hard liners think that if something is healthy it won't taste good. However, there is a company in New Hampshire called Healthy Solutions Spice Blends that has a large variety of rubs and spices that don't contain sugar or salt. We have tried many of them and this is one case of healthy and good being compatible. Check them out...especially if you are on a restricted diet or just eat healthy!
Posted by The General at 11:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackFebruary 07, 2007
Char-Broil TEC Series
Ohhhh...The General is getting excited. Coming soon to a store near you-the Char-Broil TEC Series Grills. You might remember that last year TLW and I went to NYC to preview this new iteration of grills. Simply amazing! This is the same infrared technology that steak houses have used for years...high intense heat that sears the outside of your meat without drying out the inside.
Well, in anticipation of the unveiling, Char-Broil has rolled out a website devoted to the TEC series. There are virtual tours with cool movies and lots of information for us to drool over!
Stay tuned!
February 05, 2007
Taste of Savannah 2007
Once you have done food competitions, it is hard to wean yourself away . Such is the case with 2007 Taste of Savannah. So The General decides to go up against some of the big hotels and restaurants here in Savannah...along with an unlikely cooking partner, The Old Savannah City Mission. Why? might you ask?
It all started back in November when TLW and I volunteered to help the Mission smoke some turkeys for their Day of Great Thanksgiving. We were so impressed by the work of the Mission and its year-long residential program called the "Urban Training Institute" that we started volunteering there to help with some other projects. Along the way we found some students who particularly liked working with food. We are now "Volunteer Faculty Members-Culinary Arts Specialists" for the Mission.
Getting back to the Taste of Savannah. We had two entries which we decided to enter in the Appetizer category. The first was a beef brisket 'biscuit' topped with a deep fried onion ring (Ore-Ida Onion Ringers) and a light squirt of sauce. We used the Onion Ringers because they had a consistent small size that worked best on the small roll we were using. In fact we counted @ 30+ ringers per package. We cut the sandwich in half and secured each piece with cool picks we purchased on line from Pick On Us.
The second entry was a pulled pork sandwich topped with a peppery vinegar cole slaw. We cut that small roll in half as well and used different picks to differentiate the choices.
The cole slaw dressing we used is from Mike Mill's book Peace, Love and Barbecue on p. 14.
2 C apple cider vinegar
2 C sugar
1 1/2 T canola oil
1/2 C chopped onion
1/4 C green bell pepper
3/4 t celery seed
1/2 t kosher salt, finely ground
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/4 t chopped garlic
We quadrupled the recipe to provide enough slaw for the 1000+ people in attendance. Both of our entries were well received and word spread fast especially about our brisket. Before we knew it we could hardly make sandwiches fast enough...but never once did we give out...although it got close many times!
Now I wish I could tell you that we won the whole thing, or at least the Appetizer category. That not being the case, we really went into it feeling that we won before we ever made the first sandwich. We had a marvelous time working with the students from the Urban Training Institute and they really enjoyed themselves as well. We also had an opportunity to introduce many Savannahians to our barbecue, and as a result we have already booked several parties for this spring. In that regard, everyone came out a winner!
Posted by The General at 12:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackJanuary 17, 2007
BBQ Trail et al
One way to easily spot a BBQ addict is to see what they do on weekends or their time off. It was not at all uncommon for us to get up on a Saturday morning and take a field trip by driving 100+ miles to some BBQ joints we had heard about. Now with the sophistication of technology a lot of the research and work has already been done for you by the Southern Foodways Alliance of which we are proud members. Check out their BBQ trail of Northern Alabama. Using their words "Download an SFA trail map, gas up the car, put some extra cash in your wallet, and hit the road." They even went beyond BBQ and created a Tamale Trail in the Mississippi Delta and The Boudin and Gumbo Trails in Louisiana. Take a look, get inspired and get eatn'
The Southern Foodways Alliance and Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q invite you to set out on the BBQ Trail. Meet Susie Headrick, who taught her family about cooking bbq when they purchased the Green Top. Learn about the origins of the sauce that's made every week at Top Hat Barbecue. Visit Chuck's Bar-B-Que, where your belly will be filled pork, your soul with the gospel. The Southern BBQ Trail includes oral histories, photos, film snippets, audio clips, and an interactive map for hungry travelers. Grab a napkin and go!
The SFA and McIlhenny Company, makers of Tabasco, invite you to set out on the Boudin Trail. Visit T-Boy's Slaughterhouse, one of the last of its kind, where the boudin is as fresh as it can get. Learn about the days when casings were stuffed using cow horns from Jimmy Guidry, the boudin maker at Don's Specialty Meats. Meet Robert Cormier, co-owner of The Best Stop, who has traced his Cajun heritage back a handful of generations to family in Nova Scotia. The Southern Boudin Trail includes oral histories, photos, film snippets, audio clips, and an interactive map for hungry travelers. Grab a link and go!
The SFA and McIlhenny Company, makers of Tabasco, invite you to set out on the Gumbo Trail. Learn how to make a roux with Billy Grueber from Luizza's by the Track. Meet Lionel Key, an artisan whose uncle taught him to make file from sassafras leaves. And then visit the Olivier family for dinner, where you might find three different versions of gumbo on the table. The Southern Gumbo Trail includes oral histories, photos, film snippets, audio clips, and an interactive map for hungry travelers. Grab a spoon and go!
The Southern Foodways Alliance and Viking Range invite you to set out on the Tamale Trail. Meet Elizabeth Scott of Scott's Hot Tamales, who has been making and selling hot tamales for more than fifty years. Visit the Bourbon Mall, where the tamales are fried. And learn how Sicilian immigrants factor into the Delta's long history with these bundles of meat and masa. The Mississippi Delta Hot Tamale Trail includes oral histories, photos, film and audio clips, a "Hot Tamale How-To," as well as an interactive map for hungry travelers. Grab a shuck and go!
A big shout out from The General to SFA's Amy Evans for her effort to spur culinary tourism!
Posted by The General at 10:12 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBackJanuary 13, 2007
Happy Birthday, Radar!
Just have to celebrate our German Shepherd's 11th birthday. We are so happy he is still with us after the loss of his brother Mars and his diagnosis of bone cancer. The ole boy still has a little kick in him yet...especially if he gets to go for a ride in the car or is treated with some 'people food!'
Happy Birthday, Radar!
January 11, 2007
As Seen On TV
At one time or another we have all been amused with some of the infomercials they through at us. For most of us we don't buy anything but we are always a little bit amazed at the claims proffered. This year, TLW broke the cycle by giving The General a 'Vidalia Chop Wizard.' This thing really works! Now we have a commercial model, but the problem with it is that if you just dice one bell pepper you have to clean it as much as if you diced 100. This slick little unit is a real workhorse and the best part is all parts fit nicely into our home dishwasher. It has two different sized blades (fine and coarse). She bought it at Walgreen's in their "As Seen On TV" section for all of $19.95 with no shipping and handling. We even went back and bought one for our daughter! I have only been allowed to use it for a sample test run as TLW has taken it over!
With a renewed confidence in "As Seen On TV" we came across a cordless no-hands can opener... One Touch...of course, sold for $19.95. Guess what? It works!
Now moving up the scale. There was a lot of chatter on the BBQ Forum about a cordless electric knife...Sonic Blade. Now this moves out of the category of the $19.95...from $59.95 and up. We bought it because we have 500 lbs. of brisket to produce this month and thought it might give us a 'leg up.' Now you will not find this at the Walgreen's retail outlets because of the higher retail but you can go to Walgreens.com to find it. We haven't had a chance to use it yet, but TLW keeps threatening??? to practice. Will let you know after we do all of our brisket just how good this is!
At the top of the gift list from TLW this year was a new bright red
George Foreman G5. It has interchangeable plates to actually bake cookiws and make waffles as well as grill. We have had a smaller version for a long time, but the downside was that it was not immersible and was difficult to clean...but it was $19.95!! This little baby usually was used when the weather was so nasty that I didn't want to fire up the grill...or I was just lazy. The beauty of the G5 is that these plates can be tossed in the dishwasher. Not real grillin' or smokin' but sometimes just right for the occasion!
January 03, 2007
Hot Squat 3000 Gold Series
This post on the BBQ Forum caught TG's eye.
.
Posted by The General at 08:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackJanuary 02, 2007
2007 Food Goals
One goal is to learn how to perfect fish tacos along with grilled pizza...and learn how to do them on a fairly large scale. TG got some inspiration from a Christmas present TLW gave me.
Our good friend Karen Adler, along with Judith Fertig, give recipes in this book for both items. Stay tuned for some of our experimentation!
Posted by The General at 04:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackCalling All Jack Daniel's Fans
A few years back my friend Eddie, an avid BBQ fan and collector of Jack Daniel's paraphernalia, nominated TG to the Tennessee Squire Association from Lynchburg, TN. I have thoroughly enjoyed my membership (which is free, BTW). Every year I receive a new JD calendar. I was awarded a plot of land in Lynchburg (which I have never seen and is probably not very big). During the year I receive some interesting correspondence from caretakers and neighbors regarding my 'land.' It is a fun thing to be part of. In addition to the above mentioned items, I have been given the right to nominate one additional squire each year. This year I decided to award this nomination to one of our readers. Here are the rules:
- You must be of legal drinking age in the county of your residence.
- You must be a devoted fan of Jack Daniel's whiskey.
- You must be someone who drinks or gives Jack Daniel's by preference with consistency.
- You must be respected in your community and/or field of endeavor.
- You must not be connected with the liquor industry in any way.
So, if you are interested in this nomination, please write TG or comment below as to why you should be considered. If you are selected, I will need your full name and address, occupation, company or organization, birth date and gender in order to complete the Squire application.
Time is of the essence. I need your nomination by January 15, 2007.
Posted by The General at 04:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackRack of Pork
The last discussion item regarding the holidays is rack of pork. Next to turkey it is one of The General's favorites. You should ask your butcher if he is able to secure this cut of meat for you. It smokes up perfectly on the grill. It is sometimes sold as a seasonal item, and we used to be able to get it around the holidays at Costco. Whenever we want to impress guests or clients we always pull one out of the freezer. It is like 10 or so huge pork chops all stuck together. Wow, try this and discover why it is one of our favorites!
A.W.O.L.
The General and TLW are glad to be back in the blogosphere! No we did not run away to Tahiti or Thailand. We have been inundated with catering gigs for the holidays. It was a very productive period, but left us little time for anything else.
Posted by The General at 03:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackDecember 22, 2006
2007 European Barbecue Championship
Start saving your pennies...the 2007 European Barbecue Championships will be held in Moscow!! The header on the email announcing this event reads: "Be there, move and get them enthusiastic about a wonderful idea to make people aware that we all rule the world of tomorrow." What a fantastic thought for this new year. Perhaps BBQ can do what no diplomat can???
November 29, 2006
Why Hire a Caterer?
Why do people hire caterers instead of trying to do it themselves...or worse...getting a friend to do it? Well, there are many answers to that question, but The General thinks the most important answer of all is when you want your function to go smoothly and without incident. This is the time you call on foodservice professionals. It never ceases to amaze TG as to how many price driven calls we get. I can usually distinguish them when the prospective client starts out something like this...'How much is your food?' This is a price-driven shopper. Such is the case of this past weekend with both elements in play.
Bass Pro Shops of Savannah wanted us to feed their two shifts of employees (150 people) the Saturday after Thanksgiving so the employees would stay on premises and not be delayed getting back to work as a result of the heavy traffic around the mall. Incidentally this weekend is one of the biggest weekends of the year for retail. They only had a $6.00 per person budget and in these situations TG always thinks about his reputation...wanting to make a decent showing, but not going into my pocket to do so. (Usually I back away from jobs like this, but it was something I wanted to do in the hopes of building a long-term relationship with them.)
Here is an ideal meal for a low-budget situation: chopped or pulled pork, chicken quarters (leg and thigh), cole slaw, green beans and buns. I even threw in a cake that had the Bass Pro Shops logo. This is the first time I have offered green beans on this type of a party (against the rantings of TLW). We were amazed at the results...they loved 'em. So, if you are in the mood to do a large batch of green beans, here is the recipe. I used 5 lb. frozen packs of green beans from Sam's...this eliminated the 'canned' taste. I then used minced garlic and garlic pepper to season them. Using my turkey fryer, we boiled 15 pounds at a time. The green beans came into play for two reasons. First, they were much more cost efficient and also didn't require the labor that our regular baked bean recipe calls for. Secondly, baked beans have a reputation for causing people to have flatulence (gas), and TG thought 150 sales people out on the floor expelling wonderful odors might not be appreciated! The chicken cost about 50 cents a pound and if there is such a thing as a nice complaint, some women mentioned the pieces were too large for them. The meal was very successful.
Now for the challenge...and this is why one should always hire a professional caterer. TLW and I pulled the pit and RV on site and I stayed the night as the pork smoked. All went smoothly until sometime in the middle of the night, I saw that the pit was no longer running. The pit is electricity dependent...and there was no juice!!! Needless to say, for the remaining part of the night and into the next day, we were able to regain our power sporadically. I then realized that the pit was unable to maintain a constant level of heat which is unusual. Our pit usually maintains within one degree of the desired heat...this was a problem with the propane. About 9:00 am, The General went into full crisis mode. In most competitions, propane is not allowed. A long time ago, the pit was altered so that it could cook without propane, simply with charcoal and wood and that is what I resorted to. Having done this hundreds of times, I pulled it off, by opening the line for the first shift at precisely 11:00 am as agreed in our contract.
Another issue we experienced was completely out of our control. Our 'kitchen' was set up in the parking lot. To get to the break room, we had to maneuver through receiving to the service elevator. Well, you guessed it. The service elevator broke down half way through the day. Just another 'blip' on our radar. Luckily the customer elevator worked...although it was not convenient to our location.
Here are a few important points to ponder, whether you are cooking at home or for a large group. The fewer people who know you are having a problem, the better off you are...because there is far less confusion. Never let the client know that you are experiencing difficulties (unless of course it is unavoidable). Usually, the only time you should open your mouth is to bite your nails! I would define a successful party, regardless of issues and things going wrong, by having a happy client - one who is unaware of what went on behind the scenes and that is precisely what happened Saturday.
November 22, 2006
Turkey Hotline
Turkey Hotline 1-800-Butterball
Have a great Thanksgiving Day!
Posted by The General at 08:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackNovember 19, 2006
Carnival of the Recipes: 2006 Thanksgiving Edition
The Little Woman and I are proud to be the hosts for this week's edition of the Carnival of the Recipes. Since we are in a "Thanksgiving State of Mind," we have plenty of reasons to give thanks.
First of all, we are so thankful that today we are both enjoying good health. We both recognize that we always need to work harder and to that end, let's visit Dr. Joel at Disease Proof. His recipes for Goji Oatmeal Clusters and Orange Goji Bars will put us all on the road to better nutrition.
Secondly, we appreciate how much the love and support of families mean to us. This year we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with our nephew Michael, his beautiful wife Helaine and their adorable daughter Phelan. They have volunteered to host the feast and it will definitely give TG and TLW a day to sit back and relax. Here is a lineup of some great recipes for your groaning board:
Keewee sends along Beer-B-Q Links. This traditional appetizer is definitely a favorite of ours and is sure to please your hungry hoards. Gluten Free By the Bay has perfected a gluten free knish to nosh! Try her Spinach Potato Knishes. Hoorah for you, GF!
How about a salad? Famous Recipes sends along Jerusalem Artichoke Salad with Greens and Herbs. Did you know Jerusalem artichokes have nothing to do with Jerusalem and are not related to artichokes? Go figure!
Now for the real deal...the main course... El Capitan at Baboon Pirates sends us Roast Possum with Apples and Sweet Taters. Come on, Capitan...Possum for Turkey Day? Well, maybe someday The General will give possum a try (but TLW will definitely not be eating that lil' critter!)
David, from Third World County, submits a battle plan for an easy Thanksgiving meal...The General loves battle plans! Not wanting to cook a large bird? How about a small one? Chicken Recipes serves up a dandy Grilled Moroccan Chicken Citron. How about duck? Kevin from Seriously Good presents Smoked Duck Breasts. Sounds really tasty...you know The General will try this one!
The sides...who can resist sides? Now TG has never been partial to cranberries since the 'Cranberry Scare' of 1953, but TLW, growing up near the Massachusetts cranberry bogs, loves anything made with cranberries. Marsha from A Weight Lifted provides us with an interesting Fresh Cranberry Relish.
World Famous Recipes has a healthy and tasty vegetable for us to try, Butternut Squash with Whole Wheat, Wild Rice and Onion Stuffing. Sounds mighty tempting! World Famous also sends along a twofer... Sweet Potato Biscuits...sweeeet! David, from Third World County, wants to woo us with a healthy and yummy Thanksgiving Pumpkin Bread.
Desserts...did I say desserts...this is when the groaning begins! Triticale - the wheat /rye guy- sends along a triple-threat,Coffee Kissed Triple Pecan Pie. Sounds like a winner! Maybe I'll be lucky and TLW will whip me up one! From The Common Room, we have an Egg-Free Rice Pudding submitted by the Deputy Headmistress...yum... How about some coffee with your desserts? Third World County sends along some neat Holiday Coffee Additions.
I like to think that the best part, well, maybe not the best but close to it is the leftovers from the Tday feast. I personally love just a plain turkey sandwich with plenty of mayo, salt and pepper. Here are some mighty tempting recipes for your leftovers. Our Recipe Goddess, Shawn, is a temptress with this Turkey Enchiladas dish. Riannan from In the Headlights has a Quick and Easy Chicken Curry for us to try. Bet turkey could be substituted...
Walking the Berkshires gives us a treasure with his post on Fort Wingate Flatbread, 1886...verrrry interesting....
Finally, we would like to give thanks for all the great chefs out in blogland who share their wonderful recipes so willingly and a big Thanks to our fearless leader, Shawn!
Posted by The General at 12:28 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBackNovember 18, 2006
Day of Great Thanksgiving Takes Place
TLW and I woke up to blue skies, gentle breezes and weather promising to hit the mid 60's*. Perfect for the Old Savannah City Mission's Ninth Annual Day of Great Thanksgiving! See earlier post.
We ventured down to Forsyth Park anxious to participate in the event and try some of the food...147 turkeys later. The event is open to any and all...millionaires and those without a dime! Every guest sits down at a table and is immediately served by a throng of volunteers. The turkey tasted great...the pepper and seasoned salt used as the rub, penetrated our servings and made the turkey very tasty. Along with the turkey was candied yams, dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans and a roll. We even received a slice of pumpkin pie. Dining at our table were three 13 year old volunteers and three guys (all named James) who looked like they hadn't had a good meal in a while.
Jim Lewis, executive director of the Mission, explained to us that he wanted the event to be reminiscent of the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, MA. The Indians helped the Pilgrims plant their crops and they all sat down to share in the bounty together. We won't talk about the treatment of Native Americans after that point....Instead, we will focus on the warmth and sharing of their first celebration.
TLW and I continue to be very impressed with this ministry and everything today was well executed and very professional.
November 16, 2006
Ninth Annual Day of Great Thanksgiving
This is TLW again!
On Saturday, November 18, 2006, Old Savannah City Mission will be celebrating its9th Annual Day of Great Thanksgiving. It will be held under a tent in our beautiful Forsyth Park. (Virtual tour provided by Quantum Tour.)
Answering an article in our local paper about volunteers being needed to help smoke the 220 turkeys needed to feed approximately 2,000 meals, the General brought his trusty pit to the Mission and has been smoking turkeys all day long with several other volunteers.
Inside the mission, pans and pans of stuffing were being filled...
and all the turkeys were being pulled (boy, I'm glad he didn't volunteer me for this job!).
If you live in the Savannah area, come on down to the park, and either help serve...or sit down and eat. It has been a marvelous opportunity for us to learn about the Mission and the amazing job they are doing for their students. This is the first of many times that the General and his Little Woman will be helping this fine organization!
Posted by The General at 05:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackNovember 13, 2006
Savannah Blues and BBQ
One great thing about Savannah is that it is a very historic city. Preservation of that city is most always top priority. Another great thing is that it is also a very charitable place. We have felt since we arrived here that if we could use our BBQ skills and expertise for these two purposes, it would be a great way for us to get to know more people in the community (as well as build our business).
Such is the case this past weekend. We volunteered to cook for the Coastal Heritage Society's Blues and BBQ fundraiser. This was held at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum. If you are a train 'buff', this is a must-see. Most of the buildings go back to the 1920's and some go back to the 1850's.
The event featured two nights of entertainment and BBQ. We cooked most of the pork butts for the event because of our large capacity. They used a mixture of Kosher salt, black pepper, and
Tony Chachere's seasoning as a rub for the butts which TLW actually approved of. It formed a thick salty crust and was mighty tasty...even though we would never try it in competition.
November 12, 2006
Turkey Talk
Finally, we can now start talking turkey! During the last 11 months, I was told by TLW to keep off the subject of turkey until close to Thanksgiving. I think it is great year round, but I had to concede that one. Now I will dedicate a lot of this month to different cooking methods for turkey. The one that seems to be the most popular is deep fried turkey...at least here in the South.
I went to Bass Pro Shops a few days ago and, boy, are they ever well-stocked on turkey frying equipment! They have all of the injections, marinades, rubs, and equipment to do the job...they even carry oil! Speaking of oil, my favorite for frying turkeys (or fish) is always peanut oil.
***A word of caution***Frying turkeys at 375* can become a dangerous situation and one always needs to be extremely cautious. Lots of times there are news articles around Thanksgiving of home chefs not only frying the turkey, but also themselves and their homes. NEVER fry a turkey on a wood deck or inside your garage. Always set up your equipment outside on concrete...away from anything flammable. Always wear protective clothing. TG loves his red zinfandel, but this is clearly a time to put all alcohol aside until you are finished.
Almost all turkey frying kits include a long stemmed thermometer that clips onto the side of the pot.
Heat the oil to 375*. (First remember that when you put a 12 pound turkey in the oil, it will take up a lot of real estate. Put in enough oil to cover the bird, but not so much that it will overflow once the bird is immersed in the oil.) In your kit you will have a hanger and a rod that you insert through the bird. This allows you to safely, and slowly, lower the turkey into the oil since there will be a lot of bubbling up of the oil when the cold bird hits it.
Have your instant read meat thermometer handy. You will need to insert the probe between the breast and where the leg connects which is the thickest part of the turkey. I know from experience that someone reading this will say, "How long do I cook it?" You cook it until your thermometer reads 170*. This usually takes between 25 and 30 minutes, but remember temperature always prevails over time.
If you are in a production mode, gather some friends who want to fry turkeys too. The oil is good for about 15 cycles...so you could make this a neighborhood event. Again, TG cautions: Save your alcohol for when you finish...and toast a great fried turkey!
In the most current issue of Chile Pepper magazine, they mention a website, EatTurkey, that is totally dedicated to turkey. This website goes into great length about frying turkeys and gives recipes for making your own spice to flavor them. It has sections dedicated to the home chef, as well as the pros. Any kind of turkey recipe is there, also.
After looking at all of the different varieties of seasonings at Bass Pro Shops, the real fun of turkey frying is somewhat of a combination of coming up with your own spices vs. the marinades and spices available on the commercial market.
If you like turkey year round, the ideal Xmas gift to get or give is a vacuum seal machine - always available at either Costco or Sam's Club. Vacuum seal your turkey, label it with a date and put it in the freezer for future use..
Posted by The General at 05:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackNovember 08, 2006
Barbecue Championship Series
The second season of the Barbecue Championship Series, produced by our friends John Marcus and Chris Lilly, has started. It is shown on the Versus Channel (formerly OLN). TLW could not find it in our local TV guide, but when she went on the VS. web site she found the channel. This show pits a "champion" bbq chef against a contender and an amateur. Along with celebrity judges it makes for some interesting viewing. Check it out!
November 07, 2006
Some Points Added
After a good meal, TLW confessed last night that she had been blogging on her own and showed me yesterday's entry. I think she did a fine job, but I would like to add a few points to it.
Over the years we have been blessed with some really fine help, but the one thing that we have known since we won the GC of the Nashville Shores, TN, contest 5+ years ago is that we actually do better when we cook on our own. I believe the reason for this is that the transfer of information and the consistency of what you do is vital to your effort. The problem comes in their interpretation of what you are saying. I have always believed that my place at a cook off or a catering is at the back of the pit to maintain the consistency needed to win. Consistency wins every time.
On my way back home on I-95 I stopped by to see our friend 'Blue' at Exit 3 (three miles from the Florida line). His actual name is Larry Harris, but the name of his business is Blue's BBQ, situated right near the Dairy Queen and the Wendy's. Not often do we recommend other BBQ spots, but Blue really does have a consistently good product and it would be well worth your time to stop in and get a pork sandwich with his mustard based sauce or his chopped brisket.
Posted by The General at 09:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackNovember 06, 2006
National BBQ Festival, Douglas, GA
This is TLW. The General is on his way home from the National Barbecue Festival with the RV and pit after stopping for the night in Kingsland, GA to meet the pit repair guy. No problem with the pit...just general maintenance. The guy charges $85 per hour plus mileage, so we thought it would be prudent to cut down on his miles. Kingsland is about 120 miles south of Savannah on I-95. Exit 1...next stop south is Florida.
Douglas, GA is home of the National Barbecue News and the National Barbecue Festival. Every year they hold an "invitational" contest called The Best of the Best and only the top teams from each sanctioning body across the country are invited. Since we only cook once a year in sanctioned contests, cooking in the invitational has not been an option. But TG loves to cook in the open, since he figures most of the cooks for the invitational will stay and cook in the open which is held the next day.
The other reason TG likes this contest is that it has no restrictions on what type of fuel a contestant may use. That doesn't seem like a big issue, but if he cannot use propane to maintain heat in the Southern Pride, then he has to stay up all night to watch the thermostat and add charcoal and wood as necessary. He was able to put the briskets on at midnight and not get up until 7:00 am Those seven hours of sleep make a big difference in your performance the next day...especially for the 'older' contestants like us!
Contestants pick three categories out of five to enter. We chose chicken, ribs, and brisket...leaving pork butt and whole hog to others.
It was just TG and TLW...no crew to help as Buckhead Janet had to stay in Atlanta with her husband who was recovering from surgery. After getting set up in our booth, we realized that we had landed in an area that made me smile. We were smack dab in the middle of an enclave of folks from the New England Barbecue Society (NEBS). Dr. Frank-N-Swine and his wife Tammy are from Orleans, MA where I spent every summer of my childhood. The 'Lunchmeat' team is from the south shore of Massachusetts and Firefly's is from my hometown of Framingham, MA. We couldn't have had a better location as these folks were friendly and helpful...and very good chefs!
You gotta admire these hardy folks. Not only do they cook in subzero weather, but they travel long distances to do it. The Lunchmeat team drove 24 hours to Douglas, cooked for two days, waited until awards were over and drove the 24 hours back to MA hoping to get home in time to see the NE Patriots (get beaten) play last night.
The pit maintained the perfect temp and all our meats were prepped as usual. We were feeling pretty confident until we tasted our chicken...something was wrong....very wrong. It tasted nothing like our usual chicken. Having no back up, we had to turn it in. Thinking fast, I gave each thigh an additional 'baptism of sauce' loaded them in the box and turned them in. Both of us were dumbfounded. Was our marinade bad? Did TG use the wrong rub? Declaring there would be no recriminations, we moved on to our ribs and then brisket entries. We joked with Lunchmeat, because in the Invitational their chicken entry was dead last. We figured we'd be last in the open.
Going to the awards ceremony with the other 60+ teams, we were sure that our name wouldn't be called in the top ten in chicken...and it wasn't. Neither did we get a call in ribs. We did get called for ninth place in brisket! Before the Grand Champion's name was called, Carlene Phelps called the names of the teams with the top ten overall scores and in tenth place overall....Savannah BBQ!!!! We were stunned. That meant our chicken could not have placed last! It turned out that the chicken scored #16 (one judge even gave it a perfect score in taste) and our ribs were #11. The best part of the whole event is the top ten teams get invited to the invitational next year...and Savannah BBQ is going!
Now here's a lesson in the subjectivity of judges. Lunchmeat as I mentioned earlier received last place in the invitational with their chicken. I got to taste one, and I loved it. Very different with a fruity and slightly hot kick. They decided to go with the same chicken in the open....and they scored 7th! It was a good reminder to us...that so often it just matters which judges get to taste your product.
Posted by The General at 11:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 16, 2006
Successful Saturday
There is an old saying that if you want to get something done...find a busy person to help you. I have known this from catering for years! Some of the best parties TG has ever done have been multiple events occurring all in one day. It seems you automatically go to a higher efficiency level. Now TLW has never experienced this. Here we were coming back from NYC Friday afternoon and we had a party Saturday night for 200 people and on top of that I wanted to compete in a local cook off at the local Bass Pro Shops that required no set up the day before. We had to get up at 4:30 am to get our equipment on site. There were several heated debates over whether to drop the cook off and just do the dinner. TLW had serious reservations about how we could pull it all off. She also had concerns that this cook off was a non-sanctioned event with celebrity judges. This is a formula that can easily spell 'disaster' and she felt TG was unnecessarily putting his reputation on the line. After much thought, I suggested that we not use our 'Savannah BBQ' business name and just make up a name. Our friend Brooks was going to cook with me, so I cam