BBQgeek

The Pit - Raleigh, NC

 

Business took me to Durham, NC this past week, but it was my love of great BBQ that took me to downtown Raleigh to visit Ed Mitchell's retaurant, The Pit.   Ed is one of the true superstars of the BBQ world.  He has been featured many times on TV, including the Today show and Throwdown with Bobby Flay (in which he beat Bobby in a spare rib contest).  Ed is not only famous for his traditional NC style BBQ but also for his belief in cooking with local and sustainable vegetables and meat.  Ed has organized a co-op of local hog farmers that raises free range hogs (I was told they eat better than most humans) which he then uses for the BBQ in his restaurant.  He also sources his vegetables in the same manner.  In addition to fantastic BBQ and vegetables, the wine and beer selections are better than most high end restaurants I've visited.  I've spent a lot of time in this blog talking about the idea of taking BBQ to the next level and presenting it in a quasi-fine dining format.  Unquestionably, The Pit is the closest I have come to seeing that idea manifested.  Continue reading The Pit - Raleigh, NC here...

Yeah, Yeah

Yes.  I've been bad.  Very bad.  No posts since...last year.  3 years into this blogging thing I have enough experience to know that these are the fallow months.  No light and cold temperatures are not exactly inspirational when you are a BBQ guy.  I'm past the guilt.  Trust me when I tell you I have your best interests in mind when I don't publish just for the sake of publishing.  That said, Fate has shined upon me and you and stoked the fire this fine evening.  Business brought me to Durham, NC, but my BBQ mania took me to The Pit in Raleigh, NC.  I've got a humdinger of a post coming for you as soon as I get off the road this weekend.  This blasted work laptop won't let me download this evening's photos and share the way I'd like to...so, you will have to wait.  But, I'll give you a tease.  How about smoked bourbon and cola?  How about friendly local chocolatiers (Star and Sam) offering a taste of Ed Mitchell's delicious smoked wings from the Pit simply because they love them and want to share in the joy (and they love them so much they ordered 300 for their wedding in May!)  Tune in this weekend for the full report.

What Top Chef can do for your little food blog

I just thought you might enjoy seeing what a simple hour and a half with some Top Chefs and a camera can do for your blog traffic.  Guess which day the pictures were posted?  

Great BBQ Gifts - Days 5 - 17

 

 

Descriptions below correspond to photos above beginning top left and moving left to right, row by row.

1.  Jacquard- Tenderizes tough cuts of meat.

2. Weber Charcoal Chimney- Best chimney on the market.

3. Wood Chip Soaker Kit- Really handy way to soak your chips.

4. Fireplace Grill- Great way to put your wood burning fireplace to use.

5. Mop and Bucket Kit 

6.BBQguru NanoQ Kit- Keep your pit at a constant temperature with this tool.

7.Thermapen- Hands down best instant read thermometer available on the market.

8. Bob Gibson's White Sauce - a wonderful non-traditional BBQ sauce.

9. Remote Probe Thermometer- Check your pit temperature from inside the house.

10. Brine Pump/Injector- Competition grade injector for your meats.

11. Myron Mixon's BBQ Class- For all you high rollers out there, learn from the pros.

12. Professional Grill Brush

Top Chef Loves Community Q!!!

Pictured left to right - Mike Fincham, Eli Kirshtein, Jim Laber, Jennifer Carroll, Kevin Gillespie, Bryan Voltaggio, Michael Isabella.

Despite the cold weather, five of the contestants in Top Chef 6 gathered in a parking lot in downtown ATL to engage in a little tailgate festivity before the Falcons v. Eagles game at the Georgia Dome.  According to Eli, this mini-reunion had been planned since last June.  Tailgates are all about food and friends.  It's obvious that the Top Chef alum really enjoy each other's company, and Eli and company chose  Community Q  to provide a BBQ spread for the pre-game.  Jim Laber and I showed up (without David Roberts who had cooked every last morsel of this delicious food but had to stay behind to run Community Q) with a full spread of pulled pork, brisket, chicken, ribs, cole slaw, mac-and-cheese, brunswick stew, and beans.  Eli and his way-too-awesome parents provided the Pabst Blue Ribbon and some great stories.  I'm very happy to say that everyone loved the BBQ and had a great time.  It was a great day for Community Q.    As far as Top Chef gossip goes, I was very jealous to learn that the Top Chef crew had done a culinary tour de force of Atlanta restaurants the night before, including Pricci, Eno (Eli), Pura Vida (Hector), and Woodfire Grill (Kevin), and Holeman & Finch.  Past that, I've got no gossip for you.  We hung out, drank PBR, and ate delicious BBQ.  Good times and good people.

 

  

Great BBQ Gifts - Day 4 - Shimmy, Shimmy, Shake

 Gosh, I love to rub my meat.  Wait.  That sounds really bad.  Let's try again. Ahem.  One of the most critical steps in making good BBQ is applying your dry rub.  If you or your significant other are still applying dry BBQ rub by the manual method, I suggest you consider upgrading to a restaurant grade shaker.  It will help you achieve consistency and an even application across your pork, chicken, beef, or holiday beast.  There are several varieties of these shakers readily available at your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond or restaurant supply store, or even online here.  I have the version pictured to your left, as well as one of the shakers you typically see in a Pizza Hut loaded with parmesan cheese.  Either will do the job.  Heck, go for broke and buy both.  They will make great stocking stuffers because they are cheap and cylinder shaped.  Act Now!  Buy Soon!  Christmastime is Here.

Great BBQ Gifts - Day 3 - Hot Hands

Today's gift suggestion just shows that you care.  Grills and smokers get hot.  What better way to show your concern than to give your loved one a pair of welder's gloves, like these available at Sears.   With these gloves in the way, your cook can easily pick up hot grill grates, change out ash trays, and even handle red hot coals.  And at $9.99 a pair they are a bargain.

Great BBQ Xmas Gifts - Day 2 - Flamethrower

 BBQ is about fire and smoke.  Everybody talks on and on about the smoke and how great it makes the meat taste.  But there's nothing FUN about smoke.  Fire, on the other hand, is nothing but FUN.  So, if you've grown a little bored watching your charcoal chimney turn red hot, take it to the next level.  Buy yourself or your loved one this  Propane Torch with Push Button lighter from Harbor Freight for $39.99.  I absolutely love mine and for so many reasons.  I can throw charcoal in my offset firebox and hit it with the torch and I'm ready to cook in 5 minutes or less AND I can scare the bejeezus out of my neighbors at the same time.  Burning at 3000 degrees, this torch is really intimidating and sounds like a fighter jet taking off.  All your neighbors will know when you are grilling or BBQ'ing.  Trust me.  Plus, it's a multitasker.  As advertised, it will burn weeds or melt driveway ice (I've done both).  A good friend of mine used his to heat laminate floor tiles so he could pry them up.  And it's tons of fun to chase the kids or the wife around the back yard with one screaming "Charlie Don't Surf!!".

Great BBQ Xmas Gifts - Day 1 - Adam Perry Lang's "Serious Barbecue"

  This post marks the first day of my Xmas gift to all my readers out there.  Since I can't give you all a nice fruitcake or a pair of slippers, I figure I would do the next best thing - give you recommendations for gifts for your friends and family that may be into BBQ and grilling.  Or, maybe I'm giving you hints on gifts you want to pick up for yourself.  Either way, I'll be posting one potential gift a day from now until Christmas.

It's no mistake that my first recommendation is Adam Perry Lang's Serious Barbecue.  If you've been following my blog, you know I've already cooked and blogged about several of his recipes.  I've still got a few more laying around that I've yet to write up.  Serious Barbecueis my favorite barbecue cookbook of all time because it takes a different approach.  Adam applies his fine dining experience cooking with Daniel Boulud and Mario Batali to enhance classic barbecue dishes and to bring some new ones to the table.  Adam seems to like to employ several techniques within one dish - wet rubs, dry rubs, brines, mops, and glazes - to build layers of flavor.  My two favorite recipes to cook have been the Honey Garlic Tri-tip and the Bacon wrapped drumsticks.    Adam's book is packed with more than just recipes and beautiful pictures.  He also writes extensively about the logic behind his approach.  Buy this book for the griller in your family and you will make them very, very happy.
 

Community Q is open!

On November 16, 2009, Community Q threw open its doors to embrace friends and family to celebrate their entrance into the Decatur, GA restaurant scene.  A partnership between David Roberts, Jim Laber, and Stuart Baesel, Community Q strives to deliver the highest quality BBQ in a comfortable, homey setting.  Working with a lean staff, Community Q offered up the full monty for all their guests that evening.  The guest list for the evening was star studded.  Stephen Herman (Haven), Matt Swickerath (Valenza), Kevin Gillespie (Woodfire Grill), Eli Kirshtein (Eno), Ryan Smith (Restaurant Eugene), Nick Rutherford (The Porter), Gary Mennie (Livingston), Todd Immel (Star Provisions), Brian Horn (JCT),  Jason Panolini (Holeman and Finch), Lynn Sawicki (Sawicki's Meat and Seafood), Clay and Lucy from Ashland Farm,  Cooper Miller (Livingston), Lance Gumere (The Shed at Glenwood) all enjoyed platters loaded down with barbecued short rib, pork rib, pulled pork, chicken, sausage, collard greens, mac and cheese, baked beans, cole slaw, and brunswick stew.  The dining room was packed all night, and the evening was a complete success.  Community Q will be open to the public beginning at 11 am on Friday morning, November 20th.  Please stop by and become a member of the Community.  PS..yes, that is a beer you see in the picture above, however Community Q does not serve alcohol.  This was a BYOB event.  Feel free to enjoy sweet tea, soda, or water on your next visit to Community Q.