Why We Review BBQ Products

Reviewing BBQ products is my favorite thing to do, and here’s why. There is a plethora of products available to the grilling community; however the majority is mass marketed by the major manufacturers and food processors. Yet, some of the best products in the industry are produced by the small struggling manufacturer, sauce producers, and [...]

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Charcoal Starters; Starting Your Charcoal Like A BBQ Pro

Charcoal Starters

There are several different options to start your charcoal, starter fluid is not one of them and neither are briquettes embalmed with starter fluid. No, the two best ways to start your charcoal is by using either a charcoal chimney or an electric charcoal starter.

If you want to barbecue like the pros you need to dispose of anything that has fluid in it as fluid only ruins the flavor of the food you’re grilling.

I personally use both charcoal chimneys and electric charcoal starters due to various conditions and situations. If I’m going to be cooking a lot and using one or more grills, I will have several chimneys going so I don’t lose my heat.

Probably the most used charcoal chimney within the BBQ community is made by Weber; the Weber Rapid Fire charcoal chimney. It has an extra large canister and so easy to use. You Just fill the canister to the desired amount of charcoal, place a piece of newspaper underneath the chimney and light, it’s that quick and easy. The Weber charcoal chimney holds enough charcoal for the Weber One Touch Silver 22.5 Inch Charcoal Grill.

However,  if I’m in a hurry and I’m cooking a smaller batch of food, majority of the time I use my electric charcoal starter. It will start my charcoal in about 10 minutes and I find it much cleaner and convenient then using the charcoal chimney. Thus, making cleanup a breeze!

Either method is quick and simple to use and doesn’t contain anything that’s going to alter the flavor of your BBQ food. Use one or both these products and you’ll be able to BBQ Like A Pro.

P.S. One other thing to add regarding the use of a charcoal chimney; I have never seen or heard of this done before now, but Larry from The BBQ Grail actually has shown how you can cook on it too! Larry posted this article on my twitter stream a couple of weeks ago and it’s definitely worth the read.

East Carolina Pirates Deluxe Tailgating Chair

East Carolina Pirates Deluxe Tailgating Chair

NCAA College football is in the air, and as I begin to go through my BBQ tailgating gear I’m counting the days before opening day kickoff. I’m making sure I am game ready things such as tailgating chairs, canopies, favorite NCAA college gear and of course the food.

Tailgating is all about food, friends and a certain amount of comfort. It goes without saying that you will in all likelihood have your grill and some kind of a menu already churning in your mind for you and your friends to eat.

The only thing left for you to think about are your comfortable things like apparel, canopies and of course chairs. When I went through my tailgating gear I noticed that a couple of my chairs were hurting for certain due to years of tailgating. So, realized that I had to do something about before the season starts.

I want to share with you a great tailgating chair that I recently purchased.

I ordered my new ECU tailgating chair from a company online called Fans Edge, this chair is not your average tailgating chair, no it was designed with big guys like me in mind. The East Carolina Pirates logo is featured on the chair front- back and carrying bag. Each chair arm is adjustable and features a cup holder. The mesh pocket on the chair back is made for quick and convenient storage for my program, jacket, or pretty much any other incidentals I might have. If you’re not a ECU Pirate fan no worries, chances are that since Fans Edge is Officially Licensed by the NCAA, they’ll have your favorite NCAA team’s merchandise available.

This BBQ tailgating chair is a must have for those that are serious about their comfort and convenience while tailgating. Make sure that if you’re in the market for a chair or any other officially licensed NCAA gear go to Fans Edge and they’ll have you Tailgating Like A Pro.

Weber One Touch Silver 22.5 Inch Charcoal Grill

Weber Charcoal Grills One Touch Silver 22.5 Inch Charcoal Grill

Whether your a beginner or a seasoned BBQ Pro you can’t ever go wrong with the Weber charcoal grills. For the purpose of the first post in this category, I’m going to speak specifically to those who are thinking about purchasing a grill for the first time. The Weber One Touch Silver 22.5 Inch Charcoal Grill was the very first grill I purchased over 20 years ago, though I don’t think they had the fancy name at the time it was a Weber.

Weber has set the standard in our industry with the kettle style barbecue grill. The Weber One Touch Silver 22.5 Inch Charcoal Grill can be set-up for direct or indirect cooking. The feature that sold me was the heavy-gauge porcelain-enameled lid and bowl. What that means to you and me is that you have continuous smoke and air flow circulating through the entire grill producing a finished product with good color, smoke flavor, and a moist and tender piece of meat, fish, veggies or any thing else you might want to BBQ.

The bowl has 22.5 inches which is plenty of room to cook for you and your friends, and enough room for a three zone fire to cook with which I will discuss in a future blog.

The One Touch has a cleaning system made of aluminized steel, rust-resistant aluminum legs and ash catcher a really nice venting system to help aid you with your heat management and any flair ups you might have. And finally it’s backed with a 10 year limited warranty.

I still have my original Weber and if I were a first time buyer the Weber One Touch Silver 22.5 Inch Charcoal Grill would still be my first choice.

The Backwoods Smoker From Backwoods Smoker

Backwoods Smoker From Backwoods Smoker

For over 20 years, the Backwoods Smoker from Backwoods Smoker has been smoking the competition on the professional circuit. They’ve won every major event known in the barbecue industry and yet these BBQ smokers are so easy to operate that anyone can learn to BBQ Like A Pro. I have had the privilege of cooking on three of the Backwoods Smoker models and they all perform at a level in which I haven’t seen any other barbecue brand accomplish.

BBQ Competitions Won

What sets the Backwoods Smokers apart are that they are upright water cookers, making it a lot easier to load, add and unload your meat. The main advantage of having a water cooker is while most BBQ smokers are dehydrating you’re meat (that’s a natural process smokers do) the Backwood Smoker is rehydrating you’re meat by adding moisture back into the meat chamber thus producing a juicy piece of meat.

Having been barbecuing for over 25 years now, I have a full appreciation for the construction of the Backwoods Smoker. Using a patented double wall construction, they have put high quality insulation into every cooker.

This gives you superior heat control in your pit, which is the number one concern for everyone who barbecues. Because of their double wall design, you can walk up to a Backwoods Smoker during anytime of the cooking process and touch the outside of the cooker without any dis-comfort.

The Backwoods Smoker has various models to choose from and many different add-ons and features, depending on the level of your barbecuing. There’s two models in particular that I like; The Party which is perfect for home use and The Fatboy which may be used for those who have an interest in either light BBQ catering or throwing your hat in the barbecue competition arena.

In my opinion, the whole Backwoods Smoker line will knock out the BBQ competition without any doubt. For more additional information on each model be sure to review the information below. And when you’re ready to order your Backwoods Smoker just fill out our contact form and we’ll contact you to customize the Backwoods Smoker to best fits your barbecue needs so that you can BBQ Like A Pro.

PRODUCT NOTE: Custom Crafted in the USA. Please allow 6 – 8 weeks for delivery.

ORDER YOUR BACKWOODS SMOKER

CHUBBY
Chubby Base Price – $845

Chubby Dimensions

Outside Dimensions:
22 ½” deep, 32″ tall w/stack, 22″ wide

Inside Dimensions:
17″ deep, 13″ tall cooking chamber, 16″ wide, Racks: 4 – 3″ apart, 16 ½” deep, 15 ½” wide

Standard Features:
Removable water pan, 2 extra sliders between 1 & 2 – 2 & 3

Options:
Heat diverter, Castors, Stand, Cover, Guru, SS doors, permanent water pan

*Cooking Degrees:
220 to 250

*Amount of Charcoal:
6 to 10 lb

*Cooking Time:
6 to 10 hours

*Meat:
12 slabs of baby back ribs, 8 slabs of st. louis style, 4 slabs of spare ribs, 2 to 3 large briskets, 4 to 6 boston butts

 PARTY

Party Base Price – $1330

Party Dimensions

Outside Dimensions:
24″ deep, 48″ tall w/stack, 20″ wide

Inside Dimensions:
16 1/2″ deep, 25″ tall cooking chamber, 15 1/2″ wide

Racks:
6 – 4″ apart, 15 ½” deep, 16 ½” wide

Standard Features:
Removable water pan & 1″ insulation

Options:
Heat diverter, Castors, Stand, Cover Guru, SS doors, permanent water pan, Commercial fire grate, 2″ insulation

*Cooking Degrees:
200 to 250

*Amount of Charcoal:
8 to 10 lb

*Cooking Time:
6 to 7 hours

*Meat:
18 slabs of baby back ribs, 12 slabs of st. louis style ribs, 6 to 8 large briskets, 8 to 10 boston butts

 FATBOY

Fatboy Base Price – $1830

Fatboy Dimensions

Outside Dimensions:
24″ deep, 40″ tall w/stack, 32″ wide w/drain, 27 ½” wide w/out drain

Inside Dimensions:
20″ deep, 17 ½” tall cooking chamber, 20″ wide

Racks:
4 – 4 ½” apart, 19 ½” deep, 19 ½” wide

Standard Features:
SS doors, permanent water pan, Commercial fire grate, 2″ insulation

Options:
Heat diverter, Castors, Stand, Cover, Guru, Auto water

*Cooking Degrees:
200 to 250

*Amount of Charcoal:
12 to 18 lb

*Cooking Time:
6 to 10 hours

*Meat:
20 slabs of baby backs, 16 slabs of st. louis style, 8 whole briskets, 16 boston butts
COMPETITOR

Competitor Base Price – $2895

Competitor Dimensions

Outside Dimensions:
24″ deep x 55″ tall w/stack x 32″ wide w/ drain

Inside Dimensions:
20″ deep, 29″ tall cooking chamber, 20″ wide

Racks:
8 – 3″ apart, 19 ½” deep, 19 ½” wide

Standard Features:
SS doors, permanent water pan, 2″ insulation, commercial fire grate

Options:
Heat diverter, Castors, Stand, Cover, Guru, Auto water, Auto gas, Convection

*Cooking Degrees:
200 to 250

*Amount of Charcoal:
8 to 9 lb

*Cooking Time:
6 to 10 hours

*Meat:
6 – 12lb turkeys, 32 slabs baby back ribs, 24 slabs st. louis style ribs, 8 whole briskets, 16 to 20 boston butts

 PRO JUNIOR

Pro Junior Base Price – $3980

Pro Junior Dimensions

Outside Dimension:
36″ deep, 56″ tall, 40″ wide

Inside Dimension:
27″ deep, 30″ tall cooking chamber, 26″ wide

Racks:
5 5 3/4″ apart, 26 1/2″ deep, 25 1/2″ wide

Standard Features:
SS doors, Permanent water pan, 2″ insulation

Options:
Heat diverter, Castors, Stand, Cover, Guru, Auto water, Auto gas, Convection

*Cooking Degrees:
200 to 250

*Amount of Charcoal:
10 to 20 lb

*Cooking Time:
6 to 10 hours

*Meat:
30 to 36 slabs of baby back ribs, 25 to 30 slabs of st. louis style ribs, 15 whole briskets, 30 boston butts

 PROFESSIONAL

Professional Base Price – $4510

Professional Dimensions

Outside Dimensions:
36″ deep, 70″ tall  w/stack, 40″ wide  w/drain

Inside Dimensions:
28″ deep, 40″ tall, 26″ wide

Racks:
7 – 5″ apart, 27″ deep, 25″ wide

Standard Features:
SS doors, permanent water pan, 2″ insulation

Options:
Heat diverter, Castors, Stand, Cover, Guru, Auto water, Auto gas, Convection

*Cooking Degrees:
220 to 250

*Amount of Charcoal:
10 lb

*Cooking Time:
6 to 10 hours

*Meat:
8 20 lb turkeys, 40 slabs of ribs, 350 lb of briskets, 350 lb boston butts
PIGLET

Piglet Base Price – $3390

Piglet Dimensions

Outside Dimensions:
26″ deep, 54″ tall, 42″ wide

Inside Dimensions:
19″ deep, 26″ tall cooking chamber, 34″ wide

Racks:
3 – 8″ apart add up to 8 total, 18″ deep, 33″ wide

Standard Features:
SS Door, permanent water pan

Options:
Heat diverter, Castors, Stand, Cover, Guru, Auto water, Auto gas, Convection

*Cooking Degrees:
220 to 250

*Amount of Charcoal:
10 to 20 lb

*Cooking Time:
8 to 10 hours

*Meat:
6 slabs baby back ribs, 5 slabs st. louis style ribs, 4 whole briskets, 6 boston butts per shelf

 COMPETITION HOG

Competition Hog Base Price – $5600

Competition Hog Dimensions

Outside Dimensions:
32 ½” deep, 42 ½” tall with stack, 60″ wide with drain

Inside Dimensions:
28″ deep, 19″ tall cooking chamber, 51″ wide

Racks:
1 rack 1 carousel, 27″ deep, 50″ wide

Standard Features:
 SS doors, permanent water pan

Options:
Heat diverter, Castors, Stand, Cover, Guru, Auto Water, Auto Gas, Convection

*Cooking Degrees:
225 to 250

*Amount of Charcoal:
20 to 30 lb

*Cooking Time:
6 to 7 hours

*Meat:
24 slabs of st. louis style ribs, 225 to 250 lb. of briskets, 225 to 250 lb. of boston butt

 WHOLE HOG

Whole Hog Base Price -$8030

Whole Hog Dimensions

Outside Dimensions:
40″ deep, 70″ tall with stack, 63″ wide with drain

Inside Dimensions:
28″ deep, 39″ tall cooking chamber, 54″ wide

Racks:
2 – standard 1- carousel 11″ apart, 27″ deep, 53″ wide

Standard Features:
SS doors, Permanent water pan, 2″ insulation

Options:
Heat Diverter, Castors, Stand, Guru, Auto Water, Auto Gas, Convection, Extra Racks

*Cooking Degrees:
190 to 250

*Amount of Charcoal:
20 to 40 lb.

*Cooking Time:
7 to 8 hours

*Meat:
575 lb. of briskets & 575 lb. of boston butts (using additional racks)

* Approximate figures

PRODUCT NOTE: Custom Crafted in the USA. Please allow 6 – 8 weeks for delivery.

Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned By Elizabeth Karmel

Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned By Elizabeth Karmel

Elizabeth Karmel was born in North Carolina, weaned on pulled pork, and has spice and smoke in her bones. Elizabeth’s experience extends way beyond Eastern Carolina style barbecue and is one of the foremost authorities on BBQ. Whether you’re grilling hot-and-fast or barbecuing low-and-slow, knowing how to match foods with flavors will help you BBQ Like A Pro. In Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned, Elizabeth Karmel offers hundreds of savory and sweet BBQ flavorings to make the most of all your favorite foods: ribs, burgers, steaks, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and fruit-really as well as anything you can cook with fire and smoke!

In Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned you will find over 400 creative BBQ recipes to include marinades, brines, barbecue sauces, glazes, mops and many more barbecue techniques with mouth watering colored photographs that will inspire you for years to come and get you excited about grilling BBQ Like A Pro. Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned by Elizabeth Karmel is a must read for anyone who enjoys the art of grilling and who wants to BBQ Like A Pro.

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