Category: Uncategorized

Review: Bandana’s BBQ

I’ve delayed writing this restaurant review for a long time.  I can’t explain why, but I guess it’s because it feels so overly commercial that I don’t place it in the same category as most BBQ joints.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s an honest-to-goodness BBQ restaurant, but it just feels like they are trying way too hard to be “authentic”. 

Bandana’s is a St. Louis based BBQ restaurant that has franchised to roughly 25 locations in 3 states and growing.  I’ve tried at least 6 of their locations and I can say that they’re very consistent.  But with that consistency, comes a lack of authenticity.  This is evident in the way the place feels when you walk in the door.  From the wash tub light fixtures to the handkerchief curtains, it’s obvious that they’re executing on a theme.  It’s like walking into an Applebee’s or a TGI Fridays.  You know that it’s supposed to be kitschy and cool, but it just doesn’t feel authentic when there’s one on every corner.

But enough about how the place looks and feels, how’s the BBQ you might ask?  Well, it’s just okay.  In at least one of their locations, I’ve seen the pit and they are sure enough cooking on site.  However, I wouldn’t say that the results are great.  I find the ribs to be too tough, ditto the brisket, and the pulled pork is hit or miss.  On the other hand, I do enjoy their side dishes.  I like their baked beans, green beans, corn, and especially the garlic bread that accompanies every lunch or dinner plate.

Another area where they’ve done a nice job is in their selection of sauces.  I can’t say that it’s necessarily an original idea, but they have a six-pack of sauces on every table.  Each sauce is designed to capture a different regional form of BBQ.  From a thick, sweet Kansas City style sauce to a mustard-based Carolina sauce, they offer a taste for just about everyone.  The only anomaly here is their Chicago Style sauce.  I never knew that there was such a thing as “Chicago Style” BBQ, did you?

Here’s how I’d rate Bandana’s BBQ:

  • BBQ – C
  • Side Dishes – B
  • Atmosphere – C+
  • Value – A
  • Overall – B-

Banadana’s has done a nice job of making BBQ affordable and accessible to a lot of people.  I just wish the food was a little better. 

Cheers,
Braddog

Review: Peg-Leg Porker BBQ Rub

I recently attended the Business of BBQ with Mike & Amy Mills in Murphysboro, IL.  I met lots of great folks, including Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker.  I’ve read about Carey, his competition team, his team mates, and his line of signature BBQ products.

Carey is a seasoned competition cook and I’m really glad that I got to know him.  As the 2-day class wrapped up, Carey tossed me some of his rub to try out and reveiw.  So I brought it home and finally got around to firing up the Big Green Egg and giving it a try.

This is a classic Memphis style dry rub.  It’s not sweet.  In fact, I’m not sure there’s any sugar in it at all.  But that’s okay.  It has a very rich, earthy flavor with a slight hint of chili powder or something similar.  Don’t get me wrong…it’s not spicey, but it has a nice flavor.  If you’ve ever eaten ribs at the Rendezvous in Memphis, this rub is similar to the dry rub they serve.

I like to taste test rubs on chicken.  I think you get a better idea of the flavor profile with the lighter flavor of chicken.  I hit some chicken with Peg Leg’s rub and smoked it for a couple hours.  I thought the rub had a great taste and went great with chicken.  I’m sure it’ll go great on pork too, and I’ll be trying that soon.

Peg Leg has a couple of other products available at their website, as well as information on the competition team.  You can also catch up with them at Memphis in May.

Here’s their contact info:


www.peglegporker.com
www.smokelikeapro.com
Follow Peg Leg Porker on Twitter 
Peg Leg Porker Twitter Page
Join their Facebook Page:
Peg Leg Porker Facebook Page

Cheers,
Braddog

The Business of BBQ

Ever wonder if you’ve got what it takes to venture out on your own and start your own BBQ catering or restaurant business?  I know I have, and I do.  I mean, who among us hasn’t walked away from a BBQ joint thinking, “My BBQ is at least that good”.  Do you get stoked when friends and family lavish compliments on you and your BBQ and tell you that you should go into the restaurant business?  I’m guilty on this one too.

If you answered either of the above questions in the affirmative, then a great place for you to start is with OnCue Consulting’s Business of Barbecue.  OnCue is the hospitality consulting service from 17th Street Barbecue.  Amy & Mike Mills are the father daughter combination and driving force behind the venture.  They operate BBQ restaurants, catering, and vending operations every day and have a wealth of knowledge in what it takes to be successful.

In December,  my wife spotted their ad for the 2-day “Business of Barbecue” seminar in the KCBS newsletter The Bullsheet.  She contacted Amy and the two conspired to enroll me in the January class as a Christmas Gift.  So last week I made the trek to Murphysboro, IL, and along with 19 other folks who share a BBQ dream, I got a first hand look at the operation and a ton of information to think about.

We met on Sunday night at the Marion, IL location of 17th Street Barbecue for a welcome reception.  That’s where I got my first look at the kitchen operations for a BBQ restaurant.  We got a personal tour from Amy, then a nice reception with drinks and appetizers.

Mike Mills at the Ole Hickory pit named Black BettyMonday morning we arrived at the banquet facilities at 17th Street’s restaurant & catering operations in Murphysboro, IL.  We kicked off the day with more eats, while Amy laid out the agenda for the next 2 days.  We each introduced ourselves to the rest of the class and I began to realize that I’m not the only one who has dreams that they aren’t quite yet ready to reach for.  There were a number of folks in the class who were in the process of opening a BBQ business (restaurant, catering, or vending), but there were also a good number of folks who were there to satisfy there own curiosities.  To their credit, it didn’t matter to Mike & Amy where you are in the process; they shared their insight and experience equally.

We split into 2 groups, ribs & chicken.  Mike took a group into the catering kitchen and we spent some time learning about preparing and cooking ribs for the restaurant.  The other group teamed up with one of my Mike’s very capable pitmasters to do the same with chicken.  On Wednesday, the groups reversed and did the same.

Amy Mills with Braddog

Later on Tuesday, we wrapped up the marketing & PR piece of the seminar and then spent time as a whole class working on butts & brisket for the next day.  At the end of the day, we had another great meal and had the opportunity to network with our classmates.

Wednesday, we covered vending and catering until it was time for the butts & brisket to come off the cooker.  We enjoyed the butts & brisket for lunch, then wrapped up our second day with a discussion on pricing, a trip to the company store, and both individual and group photos with Mike Mills.

Overall, it was a great experience and one that I’d highly recommend.  Mike, Amy, and their capable staff were great hosts.  I came away energized and ready to put a few cooking techniques into practice.  I also came away with a whole new perspective on the business of barbecue.  Am I ready to run out and open a restaurant?  No, but I have satisfied many of my curiosities and I know where to turn for help when I am ready to chase my BBQ dream.

OnCue consulting can be reached here:

OnCue Consulting Offices

Pittsburgh, PA
Murphysboro, IL 
Hingham, MA

Telephone:   +1 781 799 7202

                     +1 412 418 4418

Fax:              +1 412 246 7060

Web:                http://www.ruoncue.com

Cheers,
Braddog

Me & The Legend

I have the good fortune of living in the middle Mike Mills’ BBQ empire.  I’ve enjoyed the BBQ at his restaurants in the midwest for quite awhile, and frankly it’s the yardstick that I use to measure most other BBQ restaurants (not to mention my own BBQ).  I’ve also had the pleasure of making the virtual acquaintenace of Mike’s daughter Amy via the very active BBQ community that exists on the internet.

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Last night my family treated me to dinner at 17th Street Bar & Grill, Mike Mills’ restaurant, for my birthday.  As I commented via Twitter on the way to dinner, “If I can’t BBQ myself then I’ll gladly eat at 17th Street”.  Amy picked up my message on Twitter and let me know that it so happened that Mike was going to be at the O’fallon joint for last night’s airing of “Food Feuds” on the Food Network.  She let Mike know I was on my way and asked him to say hello.

Sure enough, Mike found us shortly after I arrived and I had the opportunity to chat with him for several minutes about the Food Network competition, eating and enjoying other folks’ BBQ, and the possibility of joining him for one of his On-Cue classes after the first of the year.

In spite of his accomplishments, Mike was as common as cornbread.  He is exactly who I thought he’d be after reading his book “Peace, Love, and Barbecue“.  It was like chatting with an old friend.  Mike even sent around some special appetizers for us to sample and made a second stop by our table just to make sure that things were good.

Mike Mills and his family are perfect examples of the kind of folks that I’ve had the good fortune to meet along the way as I’ve enjoyed this uniquely American pastime called BBQ.

Oh, and congratulations to Mike and the crew at 17th Street for the win over Pappy’s Smokehouse on Food Feud last night.

Cheers,
Braddog

BBQ for the Troops

A good friend & co-conspirator in some of my BBQ adventures is retired from the Air Force and now working as a civilian at the air base.  Recently, he was on a project that had him and others working all weekend.  So, we decided we’d show the service men & women a little BBQ love.

I received this flash traffic on Friday:

 **UNCLASSIFIED**

TO:         HEADQUARTERS, BBQ-OLOGY

FROM:    TASK FORCE FAT BOY

REF:       OPERATION HICKORY SMOKE

  1. OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS OPERATION:  DECISIVE SUPPRESSION ADVERSARY CODE NAME “GRUMBLING BELLY”
  2. BBQ-OLOGY IS AUTHORIZED TO COMMENCE OPERATION HICKORY SMOKE ON OR ABOUT 2200L (0300Z) ON SAT, 6 NOV
  3. DESIRED COMPLETION TIME/DATE OF OPERATIONS:  ON OR ABOUT 1000L (1600Z) ON SUNDAY, 7 NOV
  4. TASK FORCE FAT BOY WILL PROVIDE SUPPLIES AND SUSTAINMENT (BEVERAGES) TO BBQ-OLOGY NO LATER THAN 2000L (0100Z) ON SAT, 6 NOV
  5. TO COMPLETE OPERATIONS, BBQ-OLOGY WILL BE REQUIRED TO RENDEZVOUS WITH TASK FORCE CAMBRO AND TRANSPORTATION TEAM ODYSSEY TO TRANSPORT REQUIRED SUPPLIES TO THE FEB (FORWARD EATING BASE)
  6.  ARU (ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT AND UNDERSTANDING) TO TASK FORCE FAT BOY

END OF MESSAGE

 **UNCLASSIFIED**

Based on the after action report, I’d say that the BBQ was a success and “Grumbling Belly” was soundly defeated.

Cheers,
Braddog

Safe Food Handling Tips

If you spend much time BBQing and your results don’t suck, you’re likely to have  folks ask you to cook for them.  Now this can be as simple as an extra side of ribs for the neighbor on a Sunday afternoon, or it could border on a catering job.  Either way safe food handling is extremely important, since  the last thing you want is to make someone sick.

Now I don’t advocate amateur catering.  If you’re heading down that track, then by all means get a business license, health department trained and inspected, insurance, and do it right.  But for the rest of us who may turn in an occasional BBQ competition entry or send BBQ to an ailing friend,  here a few tips to make sure everyone stays safe.

Safe Food Handling Tips:

  • Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within 2 hours of shopping or preparing; 1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F.
  • Find separate preparation areas in the work space for raw and cooked food.
  • Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that held raw food.
  • Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and work surfaces frequently with hot, soapy water.
  • Keep hot food hot & cold food cold.  You want to keep food out of the danger zone where bacteria can grow.  The danger zone is from 40*-140*.  This is important during preparation and transportation of food.
  • For God’s sake, wash your hands….often.  It’s also a good idea to wear disposable gloves.  They’re cheap.
  • And finally, WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!  Don’t take chances.  Your health and that of your guests isn’t worth serving questionable food.  You can always order pizza!  =)

With the holidays approaching and lots of opportunities to share our favorite foods during family gatherings, workplace luncheons, and so on, these few simple tips will ensure that everyone stays safe.

Cheers,
Braddog 

BBQ Ribs in 2 Easy Steps

When I first began trying to create great ribs, I stumbled upon the 3-2-1 method. That’s the method that involves 3 hrs in the smoke, 2 hours in aluminum foil, and another hour in the smoke (or a variation of these times).

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That method produces pretty good ribs, but there are some that say the time in foil is steaming the ribs, not BBQing them, etc. I say if you like your ribs that way then have at it.  In fact, I was a 3-2-1 guy myself until this summer.  I’ve had the chance to cook more ribs this season than ever and here’s what I’ve learned.

  • Foil…who needs it?  Partly due to the fact that I’ve begun to cook on a Backwoods Fat Boy where doing a whole lot of ribs at once makes foiling a huge, time consuming effort, I no longer wrap my ribs in foil.  The Backwoods & the Big Green Egg maintain a moist cooking environment and I don’t find that I need to bother with the foil to get great results.
  • Cooking at a little higher temp isn’t a bad thing.  I’ve always tried to keep the cooker at 250*, but it turns out that most things are just as good at 275*.  When demonstrating the Big Green Egg this summer, it was hard to keep the temp below 275* what with everyone wanting to see the meat on the cooker.  Frankly, those are some of the best ribs I’ve done.
  • Patience, as I’ve stated earlier, truly is a virtue.  Foiling the ribs and messing with all that always seemed like the magic to getting really tender, juicy ribs.  But guess what, if you’re patient and let things take their own course, good things will happen.
  • 3+2+1=6  Now I didn’t have to take up BBQ to learn that math, but my new approach to BBQ’ing ribs has them finishing in that amount of time or less…usually less.  I think that foiling made me feel like I was a more integral part of the process than I really am.  Frankly, the fire & the smoke are doing all the work and don’t really need my involvement othen than tending the fire.

So my revised rib process looks like this:

  • Put the ribs on
  • Take the ribs off when they’re done

Doesn’t get much simpler than that!


Cheers,
Braddog

The Most Important Ingredient in BBQ

While I’ve always appreciated good BBQ, I haven’t always been able to create good BBQ.  Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at it with a variety of different BBQ pits.  My failures usually left me thinking that it was an equipment problem.  Finally, after going through a couple of ECB’s (El Cheapo Brinkman water smokers) and an off-set cooker, I finally decided that maybe the common denomenator was the guy running the show.

I began to read a lot of the BBQ forums on line and decided to give it one more shot.  My folks had a gas powered, bullet smoker that they’d never used.  I pressed it into service and applied the techniques I’d read about and much to my surprise, I turned out some awesome pulled pork.  I finally realized the most important ingredient that I’d been missing in my previous attempts.

You see, I’d been following the FDA guidelines regarding safe temps for food preparation.  You know, those numbers printed on the back of meat thermometers and such.  I’d always pulled pork shoulder off of the cooker when it reached 165 degrees.  What I failed to realize is that while no one will die from eating pork cooked to 165 degrees, that doesn’t mean it’s done.  In fact, the magic is only starting when pork shoulder hits 165 degress.

The ingredient that I’d been missing all along wasn’t a rub, a sauce, or a cooker.  It was patience.  It turns out that you can’t rush good BBQ.  You can’t cook by your watch.  You have to cook by temperature (for the most part) and pork shoulder isn’t done at 165 degrees, it’s done at 195 deegrees.

So grasshopper, now that you know the secret.  Be patient, cause great things come to those who wait!

Cheers,
Braddog

Spatchcock Chicken on the Big Green Egg

I’ve done this several times and pulled the chicken for sandwhiches and the like.  However, I’ve had two conversations this week with folks who didn’t necessarily get what I was talking about.  So here’s a shot of a “spatchcock” or butterflied chicken.

To do this, just cut down each side of the backbone/spine of a whole chicken and remove it.  Place your fingers in each side of the incision, press inward on the breast bone with your thumbs, pull each side apart apart at the incision that you’ve made, and the breast bone will crack open till the bird lies flat.  I grill these at ~325 degrees or so for ~1 hour & 15 mins (or until they’re done).

If you haven’t tried this, you should.  It’s pretty darned tasty.

Cheers,
Braddog