TV Show Review: Best in Smoke

Best in Smoke
Food Network TV
Premiered: Sunday May 08th, 2011
Contestants:

• “Famous Dave” Anderson (Minneapolis, MN) – Founder, Famous Dave’s of America
• Chris Hart (Boston, MA) – Winner, Jack Daniels’s Invitational World Championship BBQ 2009, IQue BBQ Team
• Sara Horowitz (El Paso, TX) – 2nd place, Versus National BBQ Championship Series
• Matt Lang (Brooklyn, NY) – Former Head Chef, Fette Sau
• Chris Lilly (Decatur, AL) – Vice President, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q Restaurant
•  Brad Orrison (Ocean Springs, MS) – Founder, The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint

From Side Dish

As you may have heard, the new Food Network series Best in Smoke on which Tim Love will be one of the judges, premieres Sunday, May 8th at 9 pm CST (it will air at 8:00 pm CST in subsequent weeks), and it features six of the best barbecue masters in the country. The contestants meet in New York to face off for a $50,000 grand prize and the right to claim the title of Best in Smoke. This competition tests the competitors’ endurance and skill as they take on multiple challenges in a day with limited resources and cook for vastly different audiences. From barbecue desserts to single bite hors d’oeuvres, no food is off limits. Contestants show off their personal style and quick wit throughout the competition, but a final mad dash to three separate venues around Manhattan and Brooklyn will determine which competitor will be awarded the coveted title of Best In Smoke.

The first episode is “Best Bite in BBQ” and the six teams are challenged to create their best “single bite” for the judges panel, which includes Tim Love. Once the clock starts, it’s an all-out scramble to the meat truck, and the competitor who cooks up the best “single bite” wins immunity from elimination and joins the judging panel for the next round. Then, the competitors devise the ideal BBQ hors d’oeuvre for an upscale art gallery opening. The fate of the finalists hangs on the opinions of the gallery guests who decide which competitor is safe from elimination.

Overall I enjoyed the show. The name of the show isn't "Best in BBQ" it is "Best in Smoke" while BBQ does fall into that title so does salmon, sausage and many other yummy tid bites. While many are looking for a strictly BBQ show, this is not it. This is more of an "anything but" type show.

The pitmasters are top of their game and most are familiar to those who follow the BBQ circuit. Each brings a different perspective and a different take on how BBQ should be done. It will be interesting to see how the show progresses and who can stay in it.

One thing I really like is how each of the contestants is friendly to each other but at the same time very competitive and wanting to win. I’ve noticed this in most BBQ competitions. Most of the BBQers are willing to help you out if you forgot something and great fun to hang out with and talk to but are still very competitive about their meat. I have found that BBQ competitors tend to have some of the best sportsmanship of any sport.

I also found it interesting to hear about the main ingredients of some of the rubs and some of the challenges the cooks found trying to cook and how they solved them; heat issues, cooking too quick, rain etc. It will be interesting to see how they handle the different challenges and other obstacles that rise along the way.

Overall it is a fun cooking show. Not strictly a BBQ show but a show about smoking. I would give it a 3/4 rack of ribs*. I would like to change my review, after watching the whole season to a 1/2 rack of Gibbs Ribs. The entire show came down to tofu which I thought was silly along with some of the things mentioned in the comments. As a cooking show, it was good. As a BBQ show, it was not.

I have also found out there is a new show coming called "The Ultimate BBQ Showdown" on May 28. More information is at Grilling.com.

*When I do reviews, books or otherwise, I will rate the items with ribs (they are my favorite BBQ dish). A full rack is great and a single rib is poor.

Making Rub

One of the most important part of BBQing is using the correct rub. There are many out there to choose from and lots of them are very good. But if you want a challenge, make your own. It can be a fun rewarding process and you can learn a lot about flavors and their profiles.

I started making my own rub and love it. I've shared it with friends who always ask for more. It works well on just about everything I have put it on.

To make my own rub I scoured the web for recipes and discovered there are about as many recipes as there are BBQ people. I found a basic rub recipe that used salt, brown sugar, paprika and black pepper then altered with other spices to what I thought tasted good.

A couple things I learned when making rubs:

• Start small - Make enough for one cook. About a cup at most
• Take notes - Write down what you do so you can replicate it if you like it. I made a kickin' rub once but have no idea what was in it.
• Dry brown sugar - Yes dry it out. To dry brown sugar spread it out on a pan and turn your oven to the lowest setting. Put the pan with the sugar in it for about 30 minutes. Stir it at least once while it is drying. You will probably have to break up some lumps once it is dry. Drying the brown sugar will keep the rub from clumping up.

• Mix or grind your rub - I have a Tupperware Quick Chef that I use to mix and chop all the ingredients together. This helps me get an even mix. I also sift the brown sugar to make sure that there are no lumps I missed.

• Store in an airtight jar - spices tend to loose there flavor when they are stored in light open places. I store my rub in a canning jar in our pantry. But honestly it is usually gone before it would loose it's flavor.

Here is a good basic rub recipe to help you get started making your own.

1/4 cup Kosher salt, coarse
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbsp. black pepper, coarse

Try adding other spices or changing some of the ratios. I use a 2:1 brown sugar to salt ratio along with a few other spices. Enjoy and make some good Q.

Sunday Ribs

This weekend I made some ribs. Harris Teeter had a sale of buy one get one free on ribs and I couldn't resist. I decided to try a different rub that had a Moroccan flavor to it. The rub smelled good and I thought it would work well but I was mistaken.

Don't get me wrong, the ribs weren't awful they just weren't up to my usual standards. The rub had fennel in it. I am not a fan of fennel and neither are pork ribs. The family enjoyed them but commented that they were not as good as the ones I usually make.



The ribs waiting for the grill



The ribs cooking.



Almost ready to come off after being glazed with sauce.



The final ribs.

Lesson learned: avoid rubs with fennel for ribs and pork.

Smokin' Gumbo

This week is our ASC fund raiser at work. One of the annual traditions for it is a chili cook off. Last year I entered and won. So, of course this year I had to defend the title. The theme of the fund raiser this year is Mardis Gras, so, of course, the food was to be Cajun or Creole.

I tossed around a few ideas and decided to make a gumbo using smoked chicken, smoked andouille sausage and smoked peppers. The only gumbo I have ever made has been a quick version that I don't really think qualifies as gumbo but more as a soup.

I went online and searched for a recipe to use and found one on Food Network. It is one of Emeril Lagasse's gumbo recipes. I used the main part of it but altered it to suit my needs and style of cooking. 


Ingredients
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped Roasted bell pepper
• 1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound smoked chicken removed from the bones.
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions
Combine the oil and flour in a large stock pot over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and continue to stir for 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves. Continue to stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Stir until the roux mixture and water are well combined. Bring to aboil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add smoked chicken. Simmer for 2 hours. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley and green onions. Remove the bay leaves and serve in deep bowls over rice.

How I did it
That is the recipe I used. I made my stock also and smoked my chicken, sausage and peppers which bring a nice flavor to the mix. I followed the above directions after I had smoked my meat and peppers.

I butterflied the chicken and took the backs, necks and gizzards, put them into the stock pot and covered them with water, chopped celery, garlic, onions slat and pepper and brought it all to a boil. I then put the lid on  and let it simmer over medium heat while I cooked the meats and peppers (about two hours).

Butterflied Chickens

Chicken stock cooking

I smoked the chicken as I talked about in my "Smoked Chicken" entry. It took about two hours for it to be ready. I added the andouille to the smoker about half way through so it would cook for an hour. 

The smokin' meats

Done cookin'

I let the chicken cool down and then carved it. As I carved the meat off the bones I added the bones and some of the skin to the stock. It gave it that extra punch of flavor. 

Once that was all done I strained the stock into another bowl so I wouldn't have any chunks in the broth. I then started the roux. Roux takes time, but is worth it to make it right. It is not difficult but you do need to watch it carefully so it doesn't get too dark, too quick.

The roux

After the roux was done I added the "Holy Trinity" onions, celery and the roasted peppers.

The roux and the trinity

Then the andouille sausage was added.

Marrying the flavors

Once it was all combined I added the stock and let it simmer. 

Flavors combining into a happy mess.

After simmering for an hour gumbo and the chicken was combined and it simmered for another two hours with the flavors getting all happy.

Ready to serve.

I made the gumbo on Saturday for our Thursday event so the family taste tested it to make sure it was all good. This also allowed the gumbo to sit in the fridge to let the flavors get more integrated. 

The final product

Thursday I served it all up and ended up tying for first place. It was a good time and good food. I would make this dish again just because the flavors are so good. 

Book Review: Dr. BBQ's Big Time Barbecue Cookbook

Dr. BBQ's Big-time Barbecue Cookbook
By Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ

The Dr. is in and he has the prescription to cure your hunger.

This is the first BBQ cook book I owned. I was given it as a gift along with my first cooker and it started me on my way to finding the flavors I love.

As cookbooks go it didn't read like any other cookbook I have read. As I started to read it, it was like sitting down with Dr. BBQ and listening to him talk about something he loves with a passion. He talks about what BBQ is and what it isn't. Places he has found good barbecue and what made it good. He takes you on a quick journey through the history of BBQ and helps to understand the process behind it. Dr. BBQ also touches on some of the great controversies of BBQ like wood vs pellets vs gas.

That is like the appetizer of the book. Then he gets into the prescriptions to cure your cravings. The scripts cover sauces, mops, appetizers, main courses, side dishes, desserts, using left over Q and other delights you can make on a cooker. I have not made all the recipes in the book but the ones I have cured my family's and friend's hunger and cravings.

The sauce recipe I use now is his mustard base sauce but with some tweaks that I accidentally discovered. I also use his smoked pork recipe that my family and friends love so much.

Often when asked by friends who want to start cooking BBQ what cookbook to get, this is the one I recommend. It is a great resource and easy to read. It is not in full color, which makes the food pictures not quite as appetizing, but that makes it feel unpretentious like the BBQ recipes it contains.

Over all I would give Dr. BBQ's Big-time Barbecue Cookbook a full rack of ribs.*

*When I do reviews, books or otherwise, I will rate the items with ribs (they are my favorite BBQ dish). A full rack is great and a single rib is poor. I will tend to stick to a full rack, half rack or one rib.