The Hampton Smoker

What's up wtih what's going down? Does a tree falling on the ocean with no one around make a sound? Barbecue, BBQ, Bar-b-que. It's all in how you sell it.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Pretty Ballerina

This post was added because the last post made my sidebar disappear for some reason. I posted a Chili recipe that did the same thing. Damn blogger.

I'm in a bad mood today, people. My car was towed for no reason yesterday and now we have to fight with the New York beauracracy to get it back. Grrrrrr.

I feel restless and grumpy, nostalgiac and tired. Some kind of strange ennui. Oooh-la-la.

I wish I had more time to cook, to see my wife, to get my shit together. I wish my mother wasn't half-dead from her cancer and that she didn't believe that she will lose this fight. I wish I had something more profound to say, or a way to really express the feeling of this lightning in my veins, but it all seems inadequate today.

If only I could stand in the crisp air with smoke rising beside me from the cooker, with the leaves lazily falling and the world preparing to remake itself in the spring, enboldened by the changing colors and the coming thaw. Maybe then, I could figure it all out.




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Proud to be an Okie from Muskogee

I was thinking about the awesome information on brining written by Smokin' Okie (Russ) that Cookshack has on their site when I made this bird, even though I didn't brine it-- it was a kosher bird that was already enhanced with solution (basically salt water), so brining would have added too much salt. I did butterfly the bird and I think that helped it cook much more quickly and evenly, allowing more heat to reach the inside cavity. You don't get that "ooh ahh" factor of presenting a trussed bird, but I think the color on this was handsome. We had a pre-thanksgiving meal this weekend and also cooked a ham that we can share with family and friends on the big day. I took a Cook's ham and made a 'diamond' pattern with a knife and then put it in a cool spot to pick up plenty of smoke and then glazed it with a combination of honey, maple syrup, barbecue sauce and a little water. It came out great-- rich, smokey, moist and sweet. It took on lots of cherry smoke flavor.

Also, congratulations to Scottie Johnson of CancerSucksChicago.com for his win at the Jack Daniel's Invitational Barbecue contest last weekend. My heart goes out to you on the loss of your father, but at the same time, I'm so happy for your success in spreading the word about your organization which is doing alot to help fight the scourge of Cancer that has touched so many of us in such hurtful ways. Great work, Scottie.




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Thursday, October 26, 2006

Why Don't We Do It In the Road?

As it turns cold and blustery, many folks start working on refining their recipes or coming up with new ideas for next year's competition circuit or July 4th-type show off get-togethers. With all the cookbooks and magazines I've gone through (my wife will throttle me if I bring any more home), I sometimes think that I can't find any new bbq inspiration. Until now, that is. I found a website with plenty of sharp ideas that won't break the bank. Here's one that I thought you'd all enjoy. The link to the site is below. I'm not sure that this is actually barbecue, maybe more grilling, but with something so good, who cares about titles.

Barbecued Black Snake

Recipe by Phil Mosies

This is a meal I have actually eaten at a mad Bush Party, during the '80s. This is another recipe that requires minimal damage for good results. The one that we ate was accidentally stepped on a few times (they weren't protected at that time).

Firstly, after making sure the snake is dead, remove its head a few inches behind the eyes. Slit the snake's underbelly and remove the vein. Peel the skin off like a rubber glove, exposing beautiful white flesh. Cut the meat into 4 inch long portions and chuck it on the barbie, splashing with generous amounts of white wine while turning, and in between mouthfuls...a good cook should never dry out!

Snake flesh has the taste of chicken and the flaky texture of fish, and cooks as quickly as fish. 5/5 Yum!

Via More Road Kill Recipes

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Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Don't Bring Your Guns to Town: Jack Daniels BBQ Invitational


I'll have some comments on the Paul Kirk BBQ class that we held this past weekend in a few days-- but that dang thing has been ruling this blog too long.

So....this weekend is Jack Daniel's 18th Annual Invitational Barbecue. Along with the American Royal and Memphis in May, this is about the top of the competition barbecue mountain. Only teams that have won a qualifying state championship with 25 or more teams or a contest with 50 or more teams are entered into the blind drawing for the "Jack"-- so not all of them will get there. The competition to get there is fierce, and once you are there, you know that you're up against it.

Good luck to all the teams out there competing. I hope the weather cooperates. I'll probably be reading about it on my friend Steve's blog, The BBQ Odyssey which is about as close as you can get to the competition without actually being in the smoke. Good luck, Steve!

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Monday, October 09, 2006

A Long Time Coming

Reminder: Paul Kirk BBQ Pitmaster Class in NYC on Oct. 21, 2006
Hello friends. Please don't forget the Paul Kirk BBQ Class being held in NYC on Oct. 21. The slots are running out, so get in touch if you're planning to come.

Click Here For Info About The Class

Other News:

My friend Paul is a man who loves muscle cars and he just happens to own a honey. His 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona is in the running to be Muscle Car of the Year according to Hemming's Muscle Machines. It would mean a whole lot to me if you'd help make that happen by voting for his wheels....Here's the deal:

OK gang, here we go:

We all know the internet drill, one person tells another who tells another………….

We are going to need everyone’s help on this one. It’s time to vote for your favorite car in the Hemmings Muscle Machines magazine “Muscle Machine of The Year”. I have attached a low resolution copy of the three pages announcing the contest and there is some major league competition out there so vote for your favorite car. We are hoping that you will vote for our 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona which was lucky enough to be selected out of 75 different cars that were featured over the past year in the Hemmings Muscle Machines magazine. If you would, please forward this on to your friends, your co-workers and anyone else you know who would consider taking the two minutes to cast a vote.

You can vote by:
Logging on to: www.hemmings.com/mmoy then click on your selection and click submit!
Sending an e-mail to the magazine editor: gmattar@hemmings.com

Mail your choice to:
Muscle Machine of the Year
c/o Hemmings Muscle Machines
222 Main Street
Bennington, Vermont 05201

It’s that easy! Of course, you can do this from your numerous e-mail addresses at home and at work but please no repeats. PLEASE spread the word, we need everyone to vote, this is a nationwide contest.

We greatly appreciate your help on this and we will keep you posted on how this goes. If you have any questions, please contact us, it would be cool to hear from each and every one of you!

Thanks again everybody!

Love,

Julie and Paul

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