The Shak BBQ, Oxford MS

The Shak BBQ in Oxford, MS is becoming a big hit around the Mid-South. Located on Thacker Heights Drive, the Shak offers succulent pieces of pig thats so good you cant help but come back time and time again. The big St Louis style ribs are some of the best around, rivaling those offered in Memphis. A paprika based rub is patted all over the slabs of ribs liberally as they go into the brick smoker. After smoking for 2 1/2 hours they are delivered hot and dripping with flavor. There are 3 kinds of sauces available, a hot and mild mustard base, and a sweet hickory ketchup base. The mustard based sauces are especially good, better than many mustard sauces in South Carolina, an area which is known for it's mustard based sauces. You can get a smoked butt, chipped, sliced, and chopped. Its impossible to go wrong with any of the three, best to just try them all. I am especially fond of the sliced, it falls apart in your mouth but it has just the right amount of crisp on the edges. Add a little hot mustard to it and you've got a meal fit for Archie Manning, a local legend. Here in the land of magnolias, southern belles, and the Ole Miss Rebels, the Shak is a must taste to believe experience. Paul Gunnoe, the owner of The Shak says "You can smell our butts for miles and the best racks in town!"

Loveless BBQ Sauce

This is an all purpose BBQ sauce used at the Loveless Cafe outside of Nashville. Use a condensed hotter version for pork by doubling the amount of peppers. Its michoppedld form is great for chicken. For a mustard base sauce in the Carolina fashion reverse the amounts of mustard and ketchup.

1/8 cup melted butter
1 cup diced yellow onions
1/3 cup diced green peppers
1/3 cup diced red peppers
1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
1/4 tablespoon crushed red peppers
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon salt mixed with 1/2 cup water (Brine)
1/4 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
4 cups Heinz ketchup #10 can

Saute' the onions, peppers, and crushed red peppers in canola oil lightly browned. add chopped garlic, simmer 1-2 minutes then and brine and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add brown sugar, honey, and molasses and cook until the sauce begins to caramelize. Add vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire and simmer 15 minutes. Add ketchup and simmer 10 minutes more. let cool.

Memphis in May

Memphis in May is taking applications for the world's best BBQ cook off! Held every year in Mempis Tennessee by the mighty Mississippi. I will be there to sample all the great pig that yall have to offer! Hope to see everybody there! Here is where you can sign up for the competition.

http://www.memphisinmay.org/teaminformation

Bet you cant watch this without laughing. Great music to go with your next BBQ Bash. Leon Russel is the man.

Western Style Mop and Slop Sauce

5 oz. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 dried onion
2 cups water
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup margerine
1 cup vinegar

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Awesome for pulled pig

New Sauce Recipe

SPICY SOUTHWEST BBQ SAUCE
Ingredients:
6 cloves unpeeled garlic, 2 cups ketchup, 2 stalks chopped celery, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup real butter, 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons of ground coffee, 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Bake garlic in small pan at 350 for about 25 minutes or until golden brown
Combine garlic and rest of ingrediants in saucepan
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool.
Pour mixture into a blender and blend until smooth.

Hope yall like this!

Yall check out this great blog on BBQ: http://barbequemaster.blogspot.com/

Smoke a little Smoke

What is smoke exactly and why does it make food taste so good? This may seem like an obvious question but look below the surface and the process of smoking is a little more complex than you would imagine. First is the smoke itself. Smoke is of course produced by fire, the grayish cloud is made up of various chemicals put off by combustion. Along with the visible gray matter of smoke is also an invisible cloud of hot vapor which plays a very important part in the actual cooking process. The main flavor components of wood are ketones, phenols, aldehydes, and carbolic acids. The hot vapor, not the visible gray matter, carries these aloft and into the meat, infusing it with that smoky taste we all know and love. The heat given off by smoke partially dries the food, making it less likely to decay. As an added bonus, the removal of water makes smoked food higher in concentration of nutrients. Ever wonder why beef jerky has so much protien? The smoking process packs the protien into the a tight space rendering a massive blast of muscle building goodness into every bite of jerky. This compact packaging job done by the smoking process makes jerky and other smoked foods perfect for back packing, hunting, or any outdoor adventure. Then, after the food has dried a bit, chemicals in the smoke condense on the surface of the food, giving it that signature smokey color. Still other chemicals disolve in the liquid content of meat and the fat, and these chemicals pentetrate the surface to flavor the inside of the meat. While flavoring the meat, these chemicals kill off harmful bacteria and micro organisms, this aids in preservation already started by drying the food. Many times fats and oils cause fresh meat to spoil, the phenols in smoke help to prevent this decay by acting as an antioxidant. Remember, not only is smoking superior for creating great flavor, it also helps keep meat freash and perfectly clean, improving the quality of any cut of meat.Just thought it might be helpful for yall to know what is actually taking place the next time you are smoking some superior swine or bowana style bovine.

Barbeque Potato Skins

These look really good and not that hard to make. Y'all check this out

My Top 5 Favorite BBQ Joints

1. Archibald and Woodrow's- Tuscaloosa, AL         
   
    This Tuscaloosa pit has huge country-style ribs as big around as your forearm and a taste that will make you slap yo mama. The plates here come with just two things: ribs and white bread. That's all you need though for an Alabama jubilee for you taste buds. The ribs are smoked for hours on end and have a spicy, thin sauce that compliments the flavor of the meat without over taking it. If you only have a chance to visit once you have to get the ribs but they also have sliced pork, whole smoked shoulders, and and a damn good potato salad to compliment. To finish it off you have to get some of their impeccable banana pudding. They cater huge amounts of pig and regularly supply many a Roll Tide tailgate. They used to be located on AL HWY 13 in Northport, just north of T-Town but are now located in Tuscaloosa proper beside Academy Sports in a small brown block building. In Tuscaloosa Dreamland BBQ has often been put on a pedestal but Archibald and Woodrow's has em beat.

Here is a link with more reviews of Archibald and Woodrow's:
http://www.tuscaloosarestaurant.com/Restaurant-Reviews/Archibald+and+Woodrow%27s+BBQ.html

2. The Green Top BBQ- Jasper, AL

      The Green Top outside of Jasper AL has the best chopped pork anywhere. Period. It is my favorite place to eat when I go hunting wild pigs on some land just down the highway. It has been lauded by many fans of great Q and even praised by the University of Mississippi's Southern Foodways Alliance. They have a great sweet and spicy sauce to go along with the killer smoked pig. Also offering ribs and chicken, which are excellent as well, the Green Top has a little something for everyone. My personal favorite it the chopped pork plate with their homemade fries. The pork glistens on the plate and is a perfectly crispy texture, yet in melts in your mouth like a slab of butter. Babreque sandwiches don't get much better than this either. The Green Top has been a central Alabama institution since the 1950's.

Check them out at http://www.greentopbbq.com/

3. The Germantown Commissary- Germantown Tennessee

      The Germantown Commissary outside of Memphis has everything you could want in a BBQ joint, sweet tea, great atmosphere and incredible Q. At the commissary dry rub ribs are king but they also have great pork shoulder (whole, pulled or chopped), chicken, and a favorite of mine, hot link sausages. Their rub is spicy with just enough sweet to mediate for the hot spices. Usually a shaker of it sits on every table and patrons put it on almost every side item and it is especially good with the deviled eggs that come standard. For an appetizer you need to get that delicacy of the delta, the hot tamale. Hot tamales in Memphis? Yes actually, this cultural quirk is prevalent all throughout the Mississippi Delta region and the Commissary does it right. For the main course the ribs are a must. They can stand alone without any add ons but if you want you can always shake on some more rub or try some of the Commissary's secret recipe sauce. The hot link sausages are a personal favorite. They have a perfect sweet taste that is a little smoky to boot. Its a wonder someone hasn't put them on a biscuit and opened up a breakfast place. if they did they would make a millionaire. If you are feeling like a true hoss daddy then try the Boss Hog Special. It comes with your choice of four meats, beans, deviled eggs, and bread. Go ahead and try everything the Commissary has to offer, you will be glad you did. If you have room (which is unlikely,) the they have a wide range of homemade deserts for a fantastic finish.
Check them out at: http://www.commissarybbq.com/

4. Handy Andy Grocery and Market- Oxford, Mississippi

     Oxford has its picturesque square with jam up restaurants and when people visit Oxford this is usually where they end up grabbing a bite, but for a true treat get off the beaten path a little bit. Follow Lamar Ave. north out of the square and you will run into to Handy Andy Grocery and Market. Handy Andy's, as it is usually called has been a favorite among Ole Miss students for a long time. Their pulled pork is a fantastic part of, but not the only facet of Handy Andy's game plan. The ribs are decent but for a great compliment to your pig on bread try a fried hot dog. I know, I know.  A hot dog? Come on Dude! Seriously, I don't know how they do it, but Handy Andy's serves the most dynamic dog I have ever had, dab a little of the hot BBQ sauce on top, perfection on a bun. The smoked pork is awesome, fall apart in your mouth tender, and has a wonderful flavor. With a great complementing sauce, Handy Andy's is a winner. If you are ever in This quintessential college town be sure to whet your appetite at Handy Andy Grocery and Market.
Here is a link to some more reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g43934-d512757-Reviews-Handy_Andy-Oxford_Mississippi.html

5. The Salt Lick- Driftwood (Austin), Texas

     The Salt Lick outside of Austin is a little too nice for a BBQ joint. When I say nice I mean sparkling, this no road side smoke shack but it is Texas beef BBQ at its finest. Everything is good at the Salt Lick but I'm gonna throw a word at you: BRISKET BRISKET BRISKET. The choice cuts of cow are rubbed with salt, pepper and Cayenne pepper then seared on both sides for 30 minutes to seal in flavor. After this initial high heat, the brisket is place on indirect heat to smoke for 16 hours. It doesn't get any better than that folks. Great Q is made with love and patience, not propane and 15 minutes. The sauce is a very sweet non-tomato based sauce and will leave you licking the plate when the meat is gone. The smoked sausages are incredible as well, drawing on the influence of Germans who first settled the area in and around Austin. Beef ribs are also a great investment for your taste buds here but if you don't live around Austin you got to go for the brisket first. They also have one of the best cooking setups I have ever seen. If you ever get to go to a Longhorn ball game you have to visit the Salt Lick. That's an order
Check out their website at www.saltlickbbq.com       

Brazilian Barbeque

This looks amazing. Im going to try to do a deer hindquarter this way.

The Reason I Love to Barbeque

People have been gathering around fires to cook, relax, and tell stories since fire was invented. Man discovered long ago that a slab of meat was much better after cooked over a fire. Not long after this came the discovery of cooking with indirect heat, or barbecuing as this method is properly called. Barbeque comes from the word "barbacoa," which is what the Spanish explorers dubbed the Caribbean Indians' method of cooking. The original word referring to the way in which the meat is cooked, rather than to the meat itself. This method was later brought to mainland North America, where the word was Anglicanized into barbeque. Barbeque can mean different things to different people, it can mean smoking a whole pig for days at a time, it can mean cooking steaks on the grill, or it can simply mean to roast hot dogs over a fire.To me BBQ means good times, good friends, and good fun. There is no better way to get people to come together and celebrate than to eat together.

 I love to cook. That is not to say I like making souffle and creme brulee. No Sir. I love to make man food, good hearty and healthy meals that are cooked in a way that involves a fire or some other element of danger. Pleasing my own healthy appetite is great, but It feels awesome when other folks like my cooking as much as I do. I especially love to barbeque and grill out. Its fun, for me it is relaxing, and it has its succulent rewards at the end. I enjoy going to parties but I would much rather have the company of a few good friends, a cooler of of drinks, and a big slab of pig on the smoker. That is my idea of a good time. I love the way the food tastes at the end but I love the good time I have getting there even more.

This blog is dedicated to great food and great times. Whether that be smoking some great ribs, how to rub a great tasting steak, impressing you hunting buddies with an awesome smoked deer shoulder, or just how to make a better burger I hope you can find everything you want as I add more and more to my blog.

Thanks,
The Barbeque Bowana