Denver BBQ

Kansas City Barbecue Society

2009-07-20T12:40:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS), the world's largest organization of barbecue and grilling enthusiasts.
This was the heading in my email when I checked it the other day. I recently took the 4 hour long class in Loveland, Co. the night before the Loveland Loves BBQ event. There were 17 registered for the class and all 17 showed up for the class. The class instructor was Merle Whitebook who is a Master KCBS Judge. Merle went over the instruction program with skill and grace, not to mention he has probably put this class on more times than I have eaten BBQ. We learned about the smoke ring on the meat, the types of meat, the garnish type that is allowed, and how to present the BBQ plate to the judges. I have a new respect for the BBQ competitiors and what they are up against.
Now that I am a KCBS Judge I can sign up for any of the KCBS events as long as they have an opening. I am going to try and judge the BBQ At The Summit in Dillon, Co. in early August. I will follow up this post with my experience.

Grill Your Ace Off

2009-07-20T11:52:00.002-06:00

I was asked by the owner of a Local Ace Hardware store to be a judge for his event called Grill Your Ace Off. This event was a really unique event in that all the competitors had to cook their dishes on the Big Green Egg (BGE). Andy Carlson the owner of Ace Hardware store http://www.acealamedastation.com/ contacted me because we were connected to one another on Twitter. Andy asked if I would like to help judge the June 6th event. I was more than happy to attend and judge the event. I met all the competitors the morning of and as the day went on I talked to each of them to learn about what they were cooking and why they chose to use certain ingredients in their dishes. The dishes that were cooked for this event included chili, london broil pizza, stuffed hamburgers, ribs, beef tri-tip, and sausage. The judges included myself, Dennis Scott (BGE Salesman from Outdoor Kitchen), and Chef Mike Buttles from the Culinary School. We decided to judge all the submitted dishes based on three categories: Taste, Complexity of the item, and Presentation. We ranked each category from 1-5 and tallied the votes. In our opinion all of the contestants did a fantastic job as some of them had never used the BGE to cook with. Based on our criteria we gave first place to Jen Roark who cooked the stuffed hamburgers with pico de gallo marinated in margarita mix. Second place went to Ann Holland for london broil pizza. Third place went to Brandon Terrill for ribs. The people's choice award went to Kevin O'Grady for ribs. This was also a first year event that was small but finished big.

Q'n for the Cure

2009-07-20T11:51:00.001-06:00

The first BBQ event I attended in 2009 was an event called Q'n for the Cure. This event was a not for profit event in which all the proceeds went to the Romito Foundation. This was the first year of the event and I give a huge thanks to all the BBQ Teams that participated at the event because these teams cooked and sold their food and all of their time and profits were donated to the foundation. If you would like to learn more about the Romito Foundation you can visit www.rundrun.com. Even though the event was small the end results were huge. I wish the Romito family all the best and their amazing, strong, and powerful children are incredible.

SERIOUS TEXAS Bar-B-Q

2009-07-20T11:50:00.002-06:00

Located just off highway 287 in Loveland sits a metal barn shaped building with the traditional red steel roof. The main difference between this building and a barn is that this metal building has in big bold uppercase letters that display SERIOUS TEXAS Bar-B-Q. Which Just happens to be the type of BBQ style they serve and their name. As you walk in front doors you will be amazed at the 20’+ tall ceiling and the Industrial design that even carries over to the beer tub and the garage door roll up windows. The menu is simple ranging from smoked pulled pork sandwiches to Texas Tacos. The staff is very friendly and they make it a point to bond with every customer that walks in the door. Upon glancing at the menu I chose my destiny (as their can only be one) which was the smoked pulled pork sandwich and the cheesy fries as my side dish. The sandwich wasOne of the most moist and tender pulled pork sandwiches I have ever had. The cheesy fries are hashbrown fried potatoes with melted cheese on them which was a nice treat addition to their menu. There was no shortage of meat on this sandwich and best of all they served it with a cherry chipotle sauce which was a nice accompaniment to the sandwich. They have another location, which is their main location down in Durango, Co. and with food like this, it is best to take itSerious when eating there. To quote one of their employees “Oh, Yea”.

Wolfe’s BBQ

2009-07-20T11:49:00.000-06:00

As you drive East on the longest continuous street in the in the world (Colfax) just passed the Colorado State Capital you might pass Wolfe’s BBQ if you blink. Wolfe’s is situated on the north side of the street on the 300 block of East Colfax. Just look for the blue Awning with theWords barbecue on it and you will see it as you drive east or west. Parking is a commodity on Colfax but I was lucky enough to get a spot Directly across the street. As you walk in the front door you will notice a very small dining room that looks to sit about 28 people. You will alsoNotice the large chandelier in the middle of the room that lights up the inside. There are also two table that face the sidewalk so that patrons walking by Can see what they are missing out on. I must say that Louis Wolfe is one of the nicest restaurant owners I have ever met. Louis Wolfe has been in business for over 20 years at the same location on East Colfax. This one man operationmeans that not only does Louis run the front counter but he also does all the cooking, prepping, cleaning, opening and closing 5-days a week. You can have any one of the items on the menu that range from Brisket to BBQ tofu. If you are lucky enough to get there then do your stomach a favorAnd order a pecan pie after your meal. Once you have finished your meal you will understand why Wolfe’s BBQ has been nominated as one of the 10 best bbq in the USA by Citysearch.com

Colorado BBQ Teams

2009-02-08T21:25:00.004-07:00

According to the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), there are 18 Colorado registered teams that compete in BBQ events. Some of these teams have been recently formed and others have been around since early 2000. If you would like to find out more about the Colorado BBQ teams click on the link below:
http://www.kcbs.us/teams.php?page=1&str=CO

Here are some more links to other competition teams not mentioned on the KCBS website:
http://www.denvercajunbbq.com/
(...more to be added...)

If you are interested in any of the competions that go on in Colorado make sure you visit the Rocky Mountain BBQ Association:
http://rmbbqa.com/

M&D's BBQ Cafe and Fish Palace

2009-02-08T12:47:00.007-07:00

A friend of mine that I work with wanted to join me for a lunch outing and suggested I pick another great place to eat at. Since we work in the area I thought I would introduce him to M&D's for lunch. M&D's sits on the corner of E. 28th and Race. We walked in and were greeted by the afternoon lunch host and were seated with in 45 seconds of walking in the door. After looking over the menu I decided to try the hot link sandwich with my side dish of potato salad. Tony decided to try the rib sandwich but instead he was served the lunch portion of ribs and his side was also potato salad. I ordered a delicious glass of their lemonade. When the plates arrived on out table you could smell the sauce that smothered the meat. Now I need to tell you that at M&D's their sauces range from mild, medium, and hot. Now at most traditional restaurants the sauce name indicated the hotness of the sauce served, however at M&D's mild is medium, medium is hot, and hot is extra hot. I learned this from a few visits ago and thus have never made the same mistake twice. If you need to question the hotness of any of their homemade sauces just ask for a taste/sample to make you sure are consuming the correct sauce level. For those that want an adventurous eating I recommend their hot sauce. The hot link was served on a bun with 2 links that were surgically sliced down the middle making it look like four links. The first bite into the link was very memorable because it was a combination of sweet from the links and mild hot from the sauce (I ordered mild). What a great marriage of sweet and hot on this sandwich in front of me. Then after the bite I lifted some of the potato salad with my fork and destroyed every last bit that was on my fork. WOW, their potato salad is somewhat sweet, and yellow in color to let people know that mustard was used in making that hue. My mom's potato salad would put up a mean fight to M&D's in a head-to-head challenge. Of course I would chose my moms because I am a little bias. After the lunch was over Tony ranted and raved about how the ribs he devoured were honestly in the top 2% of best ribs he had ever had. On the way back to our office with satisfied stomachs we both agreed on the potato salad. The portions they server at M&D's Cafe are very consistent and large enough to have a meal the next day. The service was a little slow that day but we understood as they a large party in the back room that was consuming most of the attention. The waitstaff are very polite and make you feel like you are a regular even if it is your first time eating their.

M&D's also serves fish at their cafe. You can order Catfish, Whiting, Red Snapper, or a 1/2 BBQ 1/2 fish combo plate. Be sure to save room at the end of your dinner for some of M&D's sweets.

M&D's boast that 95% of the items listed on their menu are made from scratch.

Interesting Menu items include fried green tomatoes, fried okra, and sweet potato pie.

Interesting lunch pairing at M&D's: Fried Chicken and Waffles (only on Sunday's)

GOSPEL SUNDAYS at M&D's Cafe
Sunday-go-to-meeting has a whole new meaning at M&D’s Cafe. Every third Sunday of the month we feature LIVE GOSPEL MUSIC performed right in our restaurant from 2 - 4 p.m.
Soul Food Menu served from noon - 6 p.m. Our menu changes, so be sure to ask what our special fare will be when you make your reservations.

website: http://www.mdbbqfish.com/index.php

Favorite 8 with Penny Parker from the Rocky Mountain News

2009-02-02T11:49:00.003-07:00

Penny,

Thanks for your time today and replying to my questions. You are the first well known Denver celebrity that I have had the pleasure of doing a "Favorite 8" with.

For those unfamiliar with my lingo, A "Favorite 8" is asking 8 questions and getting responses from the person I am speaking/emailing with.

Here are Penny Parker's "Favorite 8"

denbbq: When is the last time you ate BBQ?

PP: more than six months ago

denbbq: Where did you eat BBQ at?

PP: Yazoo's BBQ downtown

denbbq: When not eating BBQ, what is your favorite restaurant?

PP: I have my favorites but don't want them published because I cover restaurants as part of my column content

denbbq: What type of BBQ do you prefer: Pulled Pork, Ribs, Brisket, BBQ Chicken?

PP: Ribs

denbbq: Do you prefer BBQ meat served with sauce on or dry style (add your own)?

PP: dry style

denbbq: What is your favorite BBQ side dish?

PP: Potato salad

denbbq: Do you prefer Sweet Tea or Iced Tea?

PP: Hate iced tea of any kind, but if I have to choose, unsweetened.

and the Final Question

denbbq: If you had your choice of dessert after eating BBQ what would it be?

PP: Homemade Pie

If you would like to read more from Penny Parker visit her blog: http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/penny_parker_on_the_town/

To view the columnist page for Penny Parker click on the link below:

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/staff/penny-parker/

Fact: Colorado's first newspaper (The Rocky Mountain News) remains the state's oldest continuously operated business

source: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/about-us/

Joesph's Southern Food

2009-01-29T21:27:00.005-07:00

Someone once told me that Southern food is also called comfort food. I was not sure what they meant by that until I had my first bite of "comfort food".

When you turn south from the intersection of 29th & Fairfax you will notice that the first house you see on the east side of the street has a large metal oval sign that reads; Joseph's Southern Food Carry out & Drive Thru. The sign also includes their phone number in big black letters so that when you pull over from the other side of the street you can dial it on your cell phone. The large industrial rusty style sign is on the front lawn of what appears to be a house until you walk up the cement entry walk to the front door and you notice a with narrow sign that has the hours of operations on it. Open the black metal screen door and the first thing you will see is a large menu for Joseph's Southern Food. You can browse the menu if you need to but the minute you walk in from the door you have close to a narrow stretch of about 60 sq. ft. so loitering or standing around is not a good idea unless you like being in the way. As you walk in past the menu to your left you will reach a glass counter display which houses all types of candy, potato chips, homemade wheat rolls and cornbread. Be ready to place your order with Joseph or his assistant in-between the phone calls and other hungry customers. Don't be intimidated by the fast paced-ness of everything as this "house" is actually a converted short-order style restaurant that does not host any indoor seating.

On the main page of his website you can see a quick video of this house/restaurant.
The main floor of this house is where you will find the prep kitchen, dishwashing area, and industry style kitchen with a stainless steel exhaust hood (restaurant lingo meaning exhaust system). Once you place your order it may take a few minutes to cook it as patrons phone and fax in their orders starting as early as 10:45 am, feel free to walk around the back yard which has been landscaped with flowers and trees which detracts the black asphalt for the drive-thru. If cooking is Joseph’s passion then you can taste it in his food for sure. Joseph makes almost everything he can from scratch to keep the "Southern" taste in the food. The portions he serves are very generous and plentiful each and every time I have eaten there in the past 3 years he has been very consistent. Joseph tends to overload my Catfish Po'Boy which I don't mind one bit. If I had to recommend one specific item on the menu I would HIGHLY recommend the Catfish Po'Boy, the homemade pound cake, or the deep fried mushrooms with an incredibly tasty batter that is made by Joseph.
While waiting for your order and drinking your sweet tea, ask Joseph to see the photo book that has all the remodeling pictures of this structure.

Interesting Fact:
His property was already zoned for a restaurant.

Link: http://josephssouthernfood.com/index.htm

Brothers BBQ

2009-01-23T09:15:00.007-07:00

As you walk in to their first location the fiery red and yellow paint that covers the walls is what your first glimpse will be of. Your eyes will then start focusing on all the license plates from Colorado and other states that are hung on the walls. You will notice an old motorcycle that is hung by chain from the exposed beams of the ceiling, a flat screen mounted in the corner, and finally your eyes will question what these twisted looking pair of pipes are that are mounted on the north wall. As you walk closer to these pipes you will see that they are exhaust headers that belonged to an engine. But your sense of smell will rob your attention from your eyes as you try to figure out if that familiar smell is pork, chicken, brisket, or sausage links cooking. After my brief hallucinations of vintage motorcycles and engines I decided to order the BBQ Beef Brisket sandwich combo and to drink I filled my cup with their Sweet Tea. As I bit through the bun and into the brisket my mouth felt the unleashing of the BBQ brisket juice. The brisket is very good smothered in their "Hot" BBQ sauce. From the first bite all the way to your last bite, your stomach will be thanking you.

Brothers offers 5 different sauces:
Original - sweet and thick, Kansas City style
Carolina Mustard - mustard based, South Carolina style
Tangy Vinegar - vinegar based sauce, Memphis and Carolina style
Hot - hot and spicy
Sweet - sweet Texas style sauce

Brothers BBQ is family owned and has been in business since February 1998 with 8 locations.
They have been recognized and have had write-ups in: Westword, 5280 Magazine, The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, and several other local media as having "the best Q in Denver AND the state of Colorado...". Brothers is the current reigning champion of Denver's "Blues 'n Bones" BBQ contest having won the last 3 years.

Grilling Temperatures for Doneness

2009-01-20T18:58:00.006-07:00

Many BBQ'ers are not aware of when their meat is completely cooked, meaning it is ready to come off the grill and ready to eat. To help those that need some inside tips I am going to share with you the ideal temperatures in which your meat should reach as you remove it from the grill.

Chicken and Turkey:

breast 160 to 165 F

thigh 170 to 175 F

Beef and Lamb:

rare 120 to 130 F

medium rare 130 to 135 F

medium 140 to 150 F

medium well 155 to 165 F

Veal:

medium 140 to 155 F

Pork:

medium 140 F

medium well 155 to 165 F

Fish:

medium rare 120 F

medium 135 F

The firmer the meat is when touched, the more done it is.

When using a thermometer you need to make sure that it is cleaned and calibrated before using it. There are 2 different methods used to calibrate the thermometer, one is using ice and the other is boiling water. Allfoodbusiness.com has a great article on how to use each method which can be found at: http://www.allfoodbusiness.com/calibrating_thermometers.php

~Happy BBQ'ing~

BBQ Fact:

There are over 20,000 BBQ competitions in North America every year!

source:http://www.hotsauceblog.com/hotsaucearchives/fun-bbq-facts/

The Q

2009-01-12T21:27:00.006-07:00

Tucked away on the lower level of a white 2-story retail building in Cherry Creek between Fillmore and Detroit on 3rd Ave. is a little joint referred to as The Q Worldly Barbeque. Walk down the 20 or so steps from the main level and enter through the door dodging the 100+ pound pumpkin and you will find yourself in the Q. The Q is split in to two sides with a partial wall separating the live Blues/Jazz stage (Wed - Sat) from the eatery. The west wall contains a chalkboard that lists the sandwiches, combination plates, sides and deserts. Take your pick from any of the items ranging from beef brisket to a full rack of ribs.

One thing that makes the Q an original BBQ joint is that all their meats are all dry-rubbed and then slowly smoked in a rotisserie and served sauce free. The Q created their version of a Worldly BBQ Sauce bar that includes all the regional favorites such as:
Alabama White Sauce

Carolina Mustard

North Carolina Vinegar

Kansas City

Memphis

Texas

Hukuna Matata

Chili Mint Lime

Guinness

Jack Daniels

Mango Habanero

and Asian Saki

Feel free to mix-and-match the sauces to your liking. My favorite was the Kansas City sauce. If your not feeling adventurous then just grab some good old fashion Ketchup. Also listed on the menu at the Q is hand cut chips and fries.
The Q has set aside a nightly special to entice all the BBQ lovers to dine at their eatery by offering a chance to try something new each night of the week.
Their prices are average for a stand alone sandwich or for a combo plate.
The menu also includes sweet pickles, roasted corn on the cob, pecan pie, and corn fritters.
The best place to park is right behind the restaurant or fight with the other drivers for on the street parking.

I will be back to try other items on the menu and to conquer the Worldly Sauce bar.

Menu items of interest:

Pecan Pie

Corn Fritters

and Live Blues/Jazz 4 nights a week

Their Website:
http://www.theqbarbeque.com/#

Holiday Gift Ideas - BBQ Sauce

2008-12-22T11:21:00.004-07:00

Well as we get closer to Christmas we start thinking of quick and easy to buy gifts for friends, relatives, and those we work with. To help you out with a creative idea I have decided to share some a great gift idea with you. Why not give the gift of BBQ Sauce? I will provide you with links to some of Colorado's Best BBQ sauces and to top it off I will provide you with the link to my FAVORITE BBQ Sauce. The best thing about all the BBQ Sauces that I am going to list is that they are all made here in Colorado.
Denbbq.com would like to wish you and yours a very happy holiday season.

Bennett's BBQ Sauce
http://www.bennettsbbq.com/shop.shtml

Big Kahuna BBQ Sauce
http://www.bigkahunabbq.net/sauce.html

Big Mike's BBQ Sauce
http://www.bigmikes.com/retailers.html

Biggin's BBQ Sauce
http://bigginsbbq.com/index.html

Grumpy's BBQ Sauce
http://grumpysbbq.com/index.php

Hog Heaven Pit BBQ Sauce
http://www.hogheavenbar-b-que.com/bbqsauce-local.htm

Phamous Phloyd's BBQ Sauce
http://www.phloyds.com/singles.html

The Rib House BBQ Sauce
http://www.theribhouse.info/c-1-BBBsauces.aspx

Denbbq.com Favorite Sauce
Austin's Own
http://www.austinsown.com/

Please let me know what you tried and how you liked it.

Big Hoss BBQ - The Man in the Hat

2008-12-04T13:57:00.005-07:00

So a friend of mine phoned me and asked what I was doing for lunch and I told him that I was in the mood for a BBQ lunch. We decided to meet on the West side of Denver in the Arvada/Tennyson business district (TBD). The TBD is a 2-way street that runs from the 38th street North to the 44th street of Tennyson. Tennyson is lined on both sides of the street with shops ranging from Yoga studio's to Coffee shops. On the 39th street is where BIG Hoss Bar-B-Q is located. Just look on the West side of 39th for the grey brick building that has a Stainless Steel sign that is backlit. Big Hoss also has a giant store front window that folds inward so it can emulate an outdoor patio atmosphere.

Big Hoss has won numerous awards for their St.Louis style ribs, BBQ Sauce, and their other fixins. I have eaten at this joint several times and I LOVE their lunch menu cause the food they offer and the prices are very reasonable for the average BBQ lover like myself. One of my favorite lunch items is their Memphis Belle which is smoked chicken piled with slaw and as a side onion slivers. Other items besides their steaks that deserve a mentioning are: Carolina pork shoulder, closed-pit Texas brisket, fried cheese and half-chickens in Alabama white sauce. The atmosphere is casual enough for Hoss himself to walk around in a cowboy hat. I recommend this to anyone that is looking for better than good BBQ.

Grilling vs. BBQ:

Used literally, the term "grilling" refers to cooking food over a direct flame or other high-heat source. BBQ, on the other hand, has many differences. One main difference between grilling and BBQ is the heat source. BBQ uses indirect heat or low-level heat to cook foods usually meats.

Source: http://www.bbqmyths.com/grilling.html

BBQ Rub-a-Dub-Dub

2008-09-29T15:57:00.006-06:00

I guess the first lesson of BBQ I ever learned is that the two main rubs are Dry, and Wet.
A Dry rub is seasoning the meat with herbs and spices. The Wet rub is dousing the meat with a liquid sauce. So I decided to look up BBQ dry rubs on the Internet and surprisingly to me there are several website dedicated to Rubs both wet and dry. I thought I would share a list of dry rubs that I compiled with help from the magical Internet:
Carolina BBQ Rub
Aztec Rub
Barbecue Brisket Rub
Basic Pork Rub
Beef Rib Rub
Best Odds Brisket Rub
Best Odds Pulled Pork Rub
Best Odds Rib Rub
Brisket Brown Sugar Rub
Cajun Turkey Seasoning
Chef Paul's Chikky Rub
Chili Pepper Rub for Brisket
Chipotle Dry Rub
Ciaotebaldi's Rub
Citrus-Rosemary Turkey Rub
Couzan Billy's Cajun Dust
Creole Rub
Creole Turkey Rub
Custer's Old Fashioned Turkey Rub

I probably could have listed another 700 rubs and that would have only scratched the surface. If you are looking for a new BBQ rub just go to any search engine and type in the word: BBQ Dry Rub and be prepared to spend the rest of the month looking at the pages filled with rubs. You might even find the very last page of the Internet after your done looking.

BBQ Fact:

Orgin of the Word BBQ
The most compelling account is that the word comes into English via the Spanish “barbacoa,” which in turn derives from a Tainu (West Indian) phrase meaning “sacred fire pit.” Soon enough, “barbacoa” in Spanish and the English “barbecue” came to denote a method of slow-cooking meat over the ashy-grey coals of a wood fire.

Colston's BBQ - Aurora

2008-09-21T18:04:00.004-06:00

I made my way last night to Colston's BBQ in South Aurora. We had eaten at Colston's BBQ earlier in the year and decided to make it one of our top 5 places to eat. We were very impressed after meeting Marshall Colston and his wife that evening. He took several minutes out of his busy dinner rush and explained to us that good BBQ is easy to find but, great BBQ comes from a passion. And after eating the chopped pork and smoked chicken, it is obvious from the taste that his passion is BBQ. The restaurant is decorated very nice and the bathrooms are cleaner than most restaurants. The menu has the basic chopped (pulled) pork, ribs, smoked chicken, catfish, shrimp, hot links, and beef brisket. Colston also included items from the east coast such as gumbo and crab cakes (not the frozen kind). Marshall classifies his BBQ as Carolina style. You can taste the vinegar and brown sugar in the BBQ sauce which is very mild and floods your taste buds with flavor. According to Marshall the side dishes are almost as important as the entree. The side dishes listed on the menu include: coleslaw, baked beans, fried okra, mac n' cheese, and greens. The sweet tea is indeed homemade and if you time it right you can get in on the 2 for 1 happy hour beverages.

For those of you who have a sweet tooth and like to live a little, I encourage you to try either of the homemade deserts at Colston's BBQ. The sweet peach cobbler is served warm with or without ice-cream and the sweet potato pie is very rich and delicious.

If you are in or around Aurora I encourage you to try Colston's BBQ. They currently do not have a website yet.

But you can visit them at:

Colston’s BBQ

5001 S. Parker Rd.

720-870-5772

Take out is available

Note:

Colston's BBQ recently won an 2 awards

Best Critics' Choice 2008 from the Aurora Sentinel

Best Take Out Readers Choice 2008 from the Aurora Sentinel

Side Note:

Colston's BBQ has been visited and had a very positive write up about his restaurant from Warren Byrne. You can listed to Warren Byrne of the AM 1430 Restaurant Show every Wednesday from 5-7pm and Saturday 9-1pm @ am1430

or visit his website and read about his review of Colston's BBQ

http://studio1430.com/pages/1992435.php?

The BBQ Blower

2008-09-16T14:56:00.009-06:00

So I stared off my search with intentions on looking for really cool BBQ gadgets and accessories. I entered in simple search terms in Yahoo's search box and on the 2nd page, 3rd listing I came across the BBQ Blower entry. I navigated to their site as I had to satisfy my curiosity and find out what a BBQ Blower as several random thoughts ran through my mind. Starting at their home page my attention was directed to a mini movie clip of the BBQ Blower in action. In listening to the sound it makes, it sounded as if someone had converted a hotel wall mounted hair dryer to a long tube for the forced air to expedite the burning/smoldering charcoals into flames. I was even more curious to find out in what type of BBQ application would one need a BBQ Blower. I navigated to the Barbecue Questions link and was informed by the words on the site that explained how to use the BBQ Blower:

When you first light your barbecue leave it for a few minutes for the charcoal to ignite. Then, insert the BBQ blower, switch it on and move the BBQ blower around the BBQ and within a few minutes the BBQ is ready to cook on.

My first question is: Have people not heard of propane? Not sure of the invention/production date but I hear it works really good.

Well I am amazed that people would buy this item as I would expect to see it on QVC or HSN.

If you would like to see this device in action or want to order one the website is: http://www.jundor.co.uk/index.html

Fact:

The British are the top barbecuers in Europe, but according to research done by Halifax, a top insurance company, a lot of them are, well, a bit daft when it comes to lighting fires.
Fire starter Amount of Britons
Petrol 1.7 million
Aerosols 1.2 million
White spirits 2.6 million
Metholated spirits More than 2 million
Perfume 600,00

Lager 1.2 million
(http://www.captain-barbecue.com/barbecue-statistics.html)

The Rib Shack - BBQ

2008-09-12T20:54:00.004-06:00

So today I decided that for lunch I would try a new BBQ place called "The Rib Shack". The red roofed triangular shack is located on east Colfax in Denver. Having never been to the shack before I did not know how to order. I parked on the west side of the parking lot and walked up to the back door as I saw an employee working inside. He told me that I could look at the outside menu and just give him my order. After looking at the menu for several minutes I decided that I was in the mood for a Catfish Po'boy (one of my favs) and I also decided to order a 10piece BBQ chicken wing order. The Po'boy came with seasoned fries and the wings by themselves. Now it is very important to ALWAYS check to see if your order is correct prior to leaving the establishment. I should have done this because after the 25 minute drive to my house, I noticed that the Catfish Po'boy was actually small pieces of shrimp on a hamburger style bun. I am not a big fan of shrimp but I will eat it some of the time. There was no sauce on this hamburger style sandwich nor did it look appealing. The shrimp were scattered on the bottom bun amongst sauteed onions and tomatoes. Having instantly lost my appetite for the Po'boy I decided to enjoy the BBQ wings. The dark sweet BBQ sauce that covered the mini wings reminded me of a Hershey syrup type sauce,but not as sweet. The wings look like they had been already deep fried earlier in the day and were re-fried for my order. Not to mention that the wings were half the size of normal bar-style chicken wings. It is funny because they have a sign on their pitched roof that says "Best BBQ & Soul food this side of the Mississippi", I beg to differ. Would I recommend this place to someone, probably not.

Colfax Fact:

Colfax Avenue (aka: 15th street) is the longest running street, running from East to West in the United States. Colfax is 26 miles long and runs through Aurora, Denver, Lakewood, and Golden.

http://www.denver.org/metro/neighborhoods/east-colfax-avenue

Rememberence

2008-09-11T22:07:00.003-06:00

Remembering 9/11 & all those who stepped up 2 show us what real courage & strength looks like. Gone but never forgotten.
Picture taken from website: http://www.moveon.org/

Colorado-Style Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2008-09-10T21:37:00.003-06:00

The Denver Post had an article in the food section of the August 28th edition. The title of the article/recipe was "Colorado-Style Pulled Pork". I guess I have never really thought about Colorado having its own style of pulled pork. I am not sure of the source of their finding but I thought I would post because like advice, good recipes are hard to come by. You can access this article on their site by clicking on the following link: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_10302633

Here is the Recipe they posted:

Colorado-Style Pulled Pork
By Tucker ShawDenver Post Food Editor

Ingredients

FOR THE BRINE:
About 12 cups cool water1/2 cup salt1/2 cup brown sugar

FOR THE PORK:
One 3-pound pork shoulder (also called pork butt)
2 slices bacon
2 cups chicken stock
One 12-ounce beer
1 tablespoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon dried sage, crushed
2 tablespoons Mexican oregano, crushed
2 tablespoons butter
1 head garlic, halved
1 onion, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 roasted green chiles, finely chopped, or one small can chopped green chiles, mild or hot
About 12 sage leaves, finely chopped

Directions:
-Stir together water, salt and sugar until dissolved. Submerge the pork shoulder in the brine and refrigerate overnight.
-Remove pork from brine and discard bringing liquid. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
-In large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sear pork shoulder on all sides until brown, about 10 minutes total. Remove to a plate.
-In same pot, saute bacon until fat has rendered.
-Remove bacon and save for a BLT later.
-Add chicken stock, beer, mustard, sage, oregano, butter, garlic and onion to pot and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, add pork shoulder to liquid. Pork should be only halfway submerged.
-Cover, place in oven and braise, turning occasionally, for about 6 hours, or until you've reorganized the closets and the meat flakes easily when you tear at it with a fork.
-Remove pork to a bowl.
-On the stove top, boil braising liquid until reduced by half.
-Shred pork meat with a fork, incorporating reduced liquid into the mix.
-Add olive oil, vinegar, green chiles and sage leaves.
-Mix well
-Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or herbs as necessary.
- Serve

I have not tried this recipe so if you do end up trying it, post a comment and let me know what you think. If you are brave enough whip up some coleslaw and top your pulled pork sammy with it.

BBQ Fact:
3 out of 4, or 76%, of US households own a barbecue grill.

BBQ Videos on YouTube

2008-09-09T12:46:00.004-06:00

So as I was thinking about more content to add to my blog and I started viewing www.youtube.com and wondered about how many BBQ videos are posted/hosted on their website. So I typed in "BBQ" as the search phrase and low and behold the results were a bit shocking. Here is the response regarding the number of postings on their site:
“BBQ” video results 1 - 20 of about 31,200

I decided to add the YouTube Video Widget from www.widgetbox.com. I entered in the TAG or word associated with the type of videos I wanted to show and it created it for me and I was able to add it to my site in under 9 minutes.

You Tube Facts:
Total videos uploaded as of March 17th 2008: 78.3 Million
Videos uploaded per day: over 200,000
A wildcard search on YouTube ("*") has given us the following "total results" (which approximates the total number of videos on YouTube)
January 28th 2008: 70 million
March 13th 2008: 77.4 million
March 17th 2008: 78.3 million
These numbers suggest that there are now at least150,000 and likely over 200,000 videos published everyday on YouTube.
Information found on website: http://ksudigg.wetpaint.com/page/YouTube+Statistics?t=anon

BBQ Trailers

2008-09-08T16:07:00.005-06:00

So after watching the Food Network and all the BBQ Competitions they showcase I have always wondered how much one of those custom/non-custom BBQ trailers would cost. So after looking on ebay I have found some and I thought I would post for you to look at. These BBQ Trailers range from $1000 on the low side to $85,000 for a fully outfitted BBQ Truck and Trailer. When a Team wants to compete it is either all or nothing.
Fact:
According to the Kansas City Barbeque Society (http://www.kcbs.us/) website their are close to 300 KCBS Sanctioned events in 44 of the states.

Yazoo BBQ - DTC Location

2008-09-06T20:10:00.006-06:00

After eating at the Yazoo BBQ location in Denver (Pre-denbbq.com & blog), I decided to try their restaurant in Greenwood Village (Arapahoe Rd. & I-25). Unlike other restaurants that deviate from the menu and ingredients, Yazoo has made both locations congruent. The best part is that unlike the Denver location, the Greenwood Village hosts more indoor seating area. This means a nice indoor seating arrangement to take your time and savor every bite of pulled pork and coleslaw (see above pictures). One thing that I enjoyed is the way the meat at Yazoo is prepared. Yazoo BBQ does not serve their meats with smothered BBQ sauce or blanketed in seasoning. They are considerate of their guests by letting the meat consumer select their sauce of choice. The sauces that are available for all to try via squeeze bottles include:

Super Hot

Kinda Hot

Stupid Spicy

Mild BBQ

Golden BBQ

Original Sweet BBQ

Not wanting to burn my tongue on the Super Hot I selected the original sweet BBQ mixed with Mild BBQ for my sauces of choice. After learning that in the south it is common to eat your coleslaw piled on top of your pulled pork sandwich, I have become and instant lover of this delicious treat. Although Yazoo does not offer Sweat Tea amongst their beverage choices (Coke products) and their Peach Cobbler is from a supply company I still like the fact that after all is said and done they have given me the same great food and service that they are famous for at both locations.

On a special note:A huge thumbs up for Yazoo for taking less that 8 minutes from the time we ordered to the time they served our dishes.

Interesting Menu Item: Fried Pickle Chips

http://www.yazoobbq.com/index.html

Austin's Own BBQ Sauce

2008-09-04T15:26:00.004-06:00

In each part of the country you will find different types of bbq and to compliment that style of bbq comes a unique taste of bbq sauce. While milling around a WholeFoods Market in Denver my wife and I came across one of the best tasting bbq sauces (in our humble opinion). The name of this short stubby thick glass of yummieness is Austin's Own BBQ Sauce. I tried looking up the company on the internet and they are in the process of creating a website. The sauce reminds me of the first time I tried tomato soup. Thick, rich, semi sweet flavor, encompassed by a a dark maroon color meshes with pulled pork like apples in an apple pie. I have only tried the original flavor but I intend to try the others. The good thing is that we recently found Austin's Own BBQ Sauce on the shelf at Walmart so we will save a few cents on our next purchase. If you would like to check out their site the url is: http://www.aobbq.com/

Happy BBQ'n

DenBBQ.com Website

2008-09-01T22:54:00.002-06:00

So I finally sat down in front of my computer and hammered out all the info for my first adventure into the website arena. I have listed almost all the BBQ restaurants, sauces, and events in Colorado. I am very anxious to become part of the BBQ community and eventually become a certified BBQ Judge.