BBQ Everyday

I have learned how to BBQ. In the very beginning, I didn't even know how to work with charcoal, let alone wood. My transformation has brought BBQ into my life in ways I never expected. However, still today BBQ is more of a weekly big cook than a way of life. That is the next step I am taking on my journey.

As much as I love BBQ, in many ways, it is a labor of love. It certainly is not particularly easy or convenient. At the same time, the meals you get are well worth the effort you put in. The problem for me is simply life. I like to think of the life after winning the lottery when my biggest concern in life is what cook I am going to spend all day on. In my real world though, BBQ time competes with so many other things.

A large number of cooks simply take time. Time for a cook doesn't really fit into the schedule of someone who works and also has a massive schedule of kid's activities I need to carpool for. It is really next to impossible to come home from work and start a real cook for that night's dinner. So how do I shift this?

First off, I am not about to give up charcoal. It may take more time to get the grill ready, but cooking on gas to me is more just cooking outside, not BBQ. So I started dividing up cooks by how long they need to be on the grill. Things like burgers are quick. So for starters, I can get home and immediately start the charcoal. While that is starting to burn, I can prep. Then, an hour after I get home, we are eating a real meal.

Short cooks like this get a bit boring though. So this week, I did a little experiment. Rather than a big Sunday dinner cook, I cooked a ton of meat to eat throughout the week. 

I got a pork shoulder and ten chicken breasts. I started this whole cook the way I would a normal slow cook for Sunday dinner. I prepped the shoulder and got the cooker going. Then I started to prep the chicken breasts. About an hour into the cook, I added some chicken breasts on. Cooking them at 250 until they were about 10 degrees from being done. At that point, I reverse seared them. 

Once off the grill, I simply let the chicken slowly come down to room temp. When the shoulder was finally done, I brought that in and pulled it. This ended up leaving me on Sunday night with a large container of cooked chicken, and another large container of pulled pork.

Now, my week's dinners had a couple short cooks, plus pulled pork and chicken to last throughout the week. It takes a little creativity to pull this off. My family doesn't want to eat pulled pork every night. But, pulled pork sandwiches with slaw one night followed up with making mac and cheese with pulled pork a couple nights later works.

I realize that this comes very dangerously close to left-overs, but so be it. All I know is I spent an entire week eating BBQ and never had to have a 10 pm dinner because a cook took so long. All in all, I was really impressed with how well this worked. Which leaves me planning all sorts of weekend cooks I can do this with. BBQ a chicken, which gives you chicken obviously...but pull some of that for tacos. There are so many possibilities I am anxious to explore!

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

Creative Left-Overs

As a whole, I am not a fan of left-overs. I enjoy cooking, I enjoy eating it right then. After that though, well it just doesn't really seem like something I want to eat. Fortunately, though I am married to a devote lover of left-overs, so it really has never been a problem. 

But now, if you go back a couple of cooks ago, I bought a full beef tenderloin. I then attempted to slice some nice filet mignon's out of it. At that point, I really had no clue what I was going to do with the rest of the tenderloin, so I bagged it and threw it in the freezer until I could figure out a plan.

A few weeks later I got a text from a friend wanting to BBQ and drink some beer. Now historically, this meant me going over to his place and drinking while he cooks. Apparently, my reputation behind the grill has taken over. I didn't realize it, but he was inviting himself over to my house to drink while I manned the grill.

It was a little last minute in that I had no cook prepped. The last thing I wanted to do was pick up some pre-made burgers and dogs. Then it hit me! I had a couple pounds of left-over tenderloin, I have a meat grinder, I have bacon. So I picked up some additional chuck and fired up my meat grinder. An hour later, I had 16 beautiful hamburger patties. 

I kept 8 out to cook that night and froze the other 8 for a future meal. I cracked open a Coor's Banquet, seasoned the patties with Southern Links hamburger rub and fired up the kettle. I gave the patties a quick seer, and then slow cooked them until they were medium rare. 

The combination of grinding bacon in with the beef is amazing every time I bite into it. There is just something about it which takes a typical burger completely over the top. I have always loved a good burger, but these are even a step beyond that. I guess after eating them, it really isn't much of a surprise that people are inviting themselves over to my place for BBQ.

Now, all in all, this is not a completely new cook for me. Hell, I wrote about it before. Yet today it is worth writing about because it marks a new realm of cooking for me. I am not cooking purely what Mikey assigns me. I am looking in my freezer and coming up with a cook based on what I see. Now, I hesitate to think of myself as a pitmaster, but I am pretty damn impressed with myself to make it this far!

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

Going Green?

While I realize the name of this Podcast is Man Meat BBQ and this blog may be cause for termination, this past weekend I smoked an amazing meal which contained no meat. Through it, I learned that even though I love meat, you can cook an amazing meal even without it.

So here is the deal, all this time I have been learning to BBQ, my daughter has also come out as a vegetarian. I am an open-minded guy so as much as that isn't my choice, I do support her. I mean yes, I still cook meat, meat which looks absolutely incredible. So far none of this has made her falter in her decision.

So now comes her birthday. The second truth is that while I love my wife dearly, she cannot cook worth a damn. So, if a good meal if being eaten in my house, it either came from a guest or me. But back to my daughters birthday. Normally the vegetarian thing from a cooking perspective is an afterthought in the house. Either it is a side or something else thrown next to a meat-based meal. So for her birthday, I decided to cook a vegetarian meal from the ground up. 

She had selected vegetarian enchiladas. So I got my chef knife out and started chopping until my arm was tired. Then I realized something. Just about every noteworthy date on the calendar is marked with a special meal cooked on my grill. This date could be no different. So I started thinking...enchiladas, go in the over. Today, they are going in my cast iron and getting smoked instead.

That is exactly how it went down, really. I chopped a ton of pepper and onion, sauteed it adding in some broccoli and spinach. Finally mixing in some black beans and cheese and enchilada sauce. From that point, I roll them guys up and usually put them in a pan coated in enchilada sauce. Today that was my cast iron. Once they were done, I poured more sauce over them, covered them with cheese and they were ready for the smoker.

For this, I wanted a nice smoke flavor, but I didn't want to over smoke them at all. Once the fire was going, I found a couple small cherry chunks and added them on. Finally adding my cast iron to the mix.

I am a meat guy, let's get that straight. But this was damn good! I am not talking good as in hey this vegetarian thing that has been made up to look like a burger and while it may be good, it is in no way a replacement for a burger. No, these enchiladas were just damn good by themselves. So much so I would gladly cook them again. The smoke from the BBQ added so much to this meal. 

I would say something cheesy like: 

"BBQ, it not just for meat anymore!"

But, C'mon we all know that my real love of BBQ is in the meat itself. Yet I do realize that you can BBQ an amazing meal which doesn't have meat in it when you need to. Seriously, this meal was great, but tomorrow I cook meat!

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

Slicing Off a Steak

A while back, Mikey was asking me what other cooks I wanted to do. It was a difficult question for me. I had never been a super huge meat eater so, to be honest, I have already learned to cook more than I had ever hoped to. Then while we were throwing different cook ideas back and forth I made the startling realization that I have not yet really learned to cook a steak.

Now steak is not our typical low-heat cook that lasts for hours, so I can see how we missed it. Yet, when you think of a grill, a steak comes immediately to mind. The next logical question was what cut of steak. Again here, I knew too little to even venture a guess. While we tried to figure that out, the local butcher made the decision for me.

While walking through the store I came across a 4-day sale on Beef Tenderloin. All I knew at the moment was that it seemed like a really good deal. I assumed I could make a great cook out of it, but I had no clue what that would be. Then Mikey helped connect the dots and informed me that this would be the steak cook. As I learned, with a little knife work, this massive cut of meat would be transformed into Filet Mignon.

This cook meant I was changing everything. No low and slow cooking at 250 this time around. Plus this cook required far more knife skill then I was used to, so it felt like a challenge.

With a sharpened knife in hand, I went to work. Now, when you look at a big cut of meat and think all you need to do is slice off the layer of fat it looks easy. A half-hour later I realized that if you are not good with a knife, it is certainly not that easy. I hacked my way through, and while it may not have been pretty, I got through it.

So I had my filets trimmed and ready. When I looked at them, they looked amazing, yet something was off. I had no idea what, but something felt different than the filets I see at the store. Either way, it was what I had to cook so I went to work. 

I rubbed them down with some Beefcake Beef Rub and let them sit until they got to room temperature. Since they were thick, Mikey advised me against cooking them only on high heat. For this, I would put them on indirect heat, let them come up about halfway to temp, then reverse sear them on the blazing fires of hell until they are ready. 

So while they got to room temp, I decided for good measure I would cook some Au Gratin Potatoes and also try a red wine reduction sauce to have with the filet. With those sides of the cook coming along perfectly it was time to start the grill. It's funny that I was so accustomed to setting up the Weber for 250 that high heat was actually a bit of a challenge for me to get. Once I was there I started cooking. 

It only took a few minutes for the steaks to get ready for the reverse seer. Once we were searing it only took a few minutes more before they were done. I let them rest and then cut in to see how they looked. I was going for Medium Rare, and while I was probably more on the Medium side, they looked awesome.

As far as eating them goes, it was a pretty damn spectacular meal. Now that being said, there was one thing I didn't expect. While eating I noticed a portion of the filet had a lot of fat that did not render. Again, not something I expected from a filet. And this is when I finally connected the dots. Apparently, there was a bit more of the filet I should have trimmed off, which explains why they didn't quite resemble the fillets I was used to. 

At the end of the day, it didn't make a difference. It was a great meal and a great experience. I hardly would say I am a master at grilling a steak, but at least now I know where to start.

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

Eating My Way Around Walt Disney World

That's right kids, no cooks for me this week. Instead of trying my best to turn a beef tenderloin into perfectly cooked filet mignons, I spent my tax refund on a trip to Disney World! Now before you start flipping channels on me, let's talk about food. See, from my experience vacations can go one of two ways on this. It is either amazing meals which you would normally never experience, or it is just food which never gets thought of again.

So let's talk about Walt Disney World for a bit here. It is a theme park, yes. But it is more than that, it is a city of its own. The Disney World property includes 4 theme parks, 29 resorts, and over 200 places to get food! So we got a lot to cover. First off let's get rid the misconception of Disney is going to give you overpriced garbage food and that is your only option. It is a theme park, it is seriously expensive, but you can get some incredible eats!

For me, this was a last minute trip which means I had no chance of getting reservations in any of the amazing restaurants. Ultimately, if you do not plan ahead and make dinner reservations, you are stuck. So that leaves me with what Disney calls quick service. 

From the resort to the park there are tons of quick service places to eat. Quick Service is basically fast food. No servers, you wait in line and order off a menu board. But the beautiful part of Disney is that doesn't mean shitty food. Yes, you can get chicken fingers and a burger at 90% of them, but there is a lot more you can get. See Disney World, beyond a theme park, is about an immersive experience. They use everything including the food available to take you on your journey.

So while traveling through Adventureland, I can pick up a Dole Whip. Which is pineapple flavored soft-serve ice cream served in a cup of real Pineapple Juice. Likewise, when I am in the Asia section of Animal Kingdom I can grab a Kobe Beef Cheeseburger. When you jump over to the World Showcase in Epcot, you can quite literally eat your way around the world. 

Now for me, I had no advance planning for restaurants and even worse than that I had 6 people other than myself to provide for. So this would be not the foodies take on Disney, but more the typical dad's take...I am looking for budget and convenience and anything else is the whipped cream on top. 

Let me run through my favorites...

First, at the resort, and just about everywhere, while there are burgers and chicken fingers there are also pulled pork sandwiches. Now, this isn't my slow smoked pork shoulder by any means, but it beat the hell out of the alternative. The Magic Kingdom will give you Turkey Legs & Dole Whips. 

Jump over to Epcot where you can walk country to country picking your food. From Fish and Chips in Great Brittain to a Hong Kong style Beef and Rice Bowl in China. Finishing it all off with a Bratwurst in Germany.

In the Hollywood Studios park, you can find my absolute park favorite at Fairfax Fare, themed after California's farmer's markets, here you can walk up and order a loaded baked potato topped off with beef tri-tip! Not bad for a theme park!

Finally, I give you the park with the most diverse eating options, Animal Kingdom. Here the lands are themed around Asia and Africa and your dining follows suit. The standard cheeseburger and hot dog is replaced with one of Kobe beef and there is absolutely amazing pulled pork and ribs just about everywhere you eat.

For late nights after the park closes, you may be stuck with a mediocre pizza, but hey, it is still better than getting yelled at while ordering Bojangles at the airport!

So while I didn't cook this week, I did eat. And yeah, if you are going to a place like Disney, the food is only going to suck if you let it. Disney is filled with amazing food that won't cost you an arm and a leg, you just gotta get it!

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

Chicken's Last Stand

Hey everyone! So if you have been a reader of the blog, you will know chicken is my Achilles Heel. For some reason, anytime I venture into cooking a chicken it just goes wildly wrong. With that, I wasn't exactly thrilled when I almost literally had a chicken appear on my doorstep.

It had been a hell of a couple weeks. On top of the usual life, my household of 5 became the house holding 5 separate cases of strep throat. Now, I love BBQ, but in the middle of this sickness BBQ was the last thing on my mind. I was the first to catch it, which also meant I was the first to feel somewhat normal again. Feeling almost back to myself, my phone rang. It was my mom saying "Hey, I have this chicken defrosted and ready to cook, but I am not able to cook it this weekend. You want it?"

Truthfully, I kinda didn't want it. I mean I suck at chicken and could think of 100 things I would rather BBQ. But, I am cheap and don't want to turn down a good bird. Besides, even if I screwed up the chicken, I still had a chicken carcass to make stock with and the rest of my mending house would like some soup. There, I had talked myself into the bird.

I wish I could tell you some elaborate story of how I mentally prepped for the grill of a lifetime where I finally master the chicken. But the truth is, there wasn't. I simply said, hey I am gonna do my thing. I am going to hold heat, I won't rush it and we shall see what happens...and oh yeah, I am gonna make a side that could double as a meal in case the bird doesn't fly!

That simple thought process is exactly how I cooked. I rubbed the bird with some BBQ Bob's Alpha Rub, got a perfect fire going, added smoke and away we went. Fortunately for me, it was a giant chicken, which meant I had plenty of time to work on my alternative meal of failure...I mean side dish. Again sick house so...I went with a broccoli cheese soup. The soup is pretty amazing, some potatoes, broccoli, and onions cooked in a stock with some blue cheese. Once it is all cooked, you blend it and throw in some cream. Honestly, it is about as good as a vegetarian soup can be.

So I got that cooking, the bird cooking and honestly, it was time to relax a bit. Next thing I knew, the soup was ready to blend and the bird was about at temp. Now I haven't ever done this right. So I didn't really know what to expect. The darkened skin of the chicken really just made me assume I messed up again. Still, I took her temp and it seemed to be exactly where it should be. So I brought it in and let it rest. 

Now while I cannot say what a good BBQ chicken looks like, all of my previous failures have gotten me pretty versed in breaking down a chicken. So I grabbed my knife and went to work. This was the stunning part. First the legs and thighs. After I cut them off, they looked pretty damn good. The wings were next and they too looked amazing. As I started to cut out the breast meat I was sure that I would see a pink center. But I didn't! The meat was all cooked, not overcooked. Not dry, the meat was actually glistening!

So while I will gladly put my broccoli cheese soup up against anything, today the chicken stole the show. I mean seriously, I still don't love chicken. I will choose beef or pork just about any day over chicken. But, this chicken was damn good.

Now on to the final part of this story, because it doesn't end here. Now, I took that smokey carcass, the scraps of skin, and the leftover bones and tossed them in a pot. I added some chopped onions, carrots and garlic. I filled it up with water and just let it simmer for a couple hours. In the end, I strained out everything leaving me with the most amazing chicken stock I have ever tasted. I mean hell, you can actually taste the smoke in the stock. 

So now, I have left over the smoked chicken breast and my chicken stock. Throw in some veggies and noodles and that will be a leftover meal which might actually taste better than the first meal it came from. 

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

A Quick Turnaround

Somewhere along the way, it was realized that I had not yet grilled shrimp. Well to be fair, I had, but that was way back in the days of my clueless ventures in using a propane grill which, even for shrimp, doesn't count. Upon this realization, it is safe to assume that grilled shrimp was indeed my next assignment. 

This cook is very different to what I am used to because it is a speed cook. There is no slowly reaching temp and making the choice of medium rare or let it come up a couple more degrees. This is high heat, put em on the grill and before you can sit down for a beer they are done. So combine that with my new mission of creating entire meals and this is one of the rare cooks where I am starting the rest of my meal prior to anything hitting the grill. 

The set-up for the shrimp was pretty simple, put them on skewers, rub them with Lane's Q-Nami and you are set. For the sides, I was going with a garlic parmesan orzo and some lemon crusted asparagus. Here is the big issue with the cook as a whole. The orzo, once cooked, take about 10 minutes. The asparagus takes about 10 minutes. And the shrimp, yeah, they take about 10 minutes too. Additionally, when I am cooking meat, the meat can rest and hold temp for a long time giving me the luxury to finish up everything else. Shrimp, on the other hand, do not hold heat at all. 

To accomplish all this, it took on the mantra of prep absolutely everything I could before anything started. That way, when I was cooking I didn't have to worry about anything other than just cooking. I even went to the point of using little bowls for everything. My shallot, garlic and lemon zest in one for the asparagus. Garlic and parmesan in another for the orzo. Melted butter and some addition Q-Nami for the shrimp. And finally, one with chopped parsley to finish both the orzo and the shrimp. 

With all the prep I could do done, I started cooking the orzo and lit the kettle. With the kettle we were shooting for 350-400 degrees, so that was pretty simple. I let the kettle hold heat while I heated my cast iron and finished cooking the orzo. I started to saute the shallot and garlic, drained the orzo and now it was game time.

I put the shrimp skewers on the grill, added my asparagus to the cast iron and simultaneously tossed the orzo in a skillet. The next 10 minutes was a blur of checking this, stirring that, running to check on the shrimp etc. To say that this cook was a high energy race to the finish is an understatement. Yet, it all came together.

The meal was outstanding. Every flavor kinda played off each other and it truly did feel like a meal. The shrimp stood out. The flavor of Q-Nami never disappoints. If I could go back and change part of this meal, I wouldn't. It all worked perfectly together and it was simply great. 

Shrimp is an absolutely great cook for the grill. It is simple and it is quick. Where shrimps difficulty comes in for me is the fact that it does not retain heat once it is cooked. You better have everything else ready because when the shrimp are ready, it is time to eat. 

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

Pushing My Limits

Last post I talked to you about this being a year of taking my BBQ to the next level. For me, that is not purely about BBQ itself, but also the meal as a whole. As I have posted for the past year my cooks have gotten tremendously better while everything which accompanies the meal has been lackluster, to say the least. I realize that a good BBQ can be pushed tenfold by how it is included in the entire meal. Yes, the star will always be the BBQ, but I need to get my shit together with everything else to make it shine.

Knowing this flaw, I have begun to learn how to cook indoors as well as out. No, I am not going to pan sear steaks...but I am hell bent on creating entire meals revolving around my BBQ. This comes in many forms. It starts as basic and simple as knife skills and extends everything I prepare. 

See, here is the thing, there are a lot of my BBQ cooks this past year which were more like experiments. I walked in with not knowing if it would be cooked properly and certainly not if anyone in my house would eat it. Now, BBQ is done with some skill. I know that when I start a cook, I am not going to use the smallest portion because I don't know who will eat it. Now I make a point to make sure I cook when everyone is home to eat. 

So for this cook, I had the entire family plus ready to eat. I knew everything not on the grill would take up a ton of effort, so I went simple on the cook. The one piece of meat I have total confidence around, the tri-tip! Looking back, my selection was a bit of a double-edged sword. Great that I knew the cook. The downside is that it cooks fast, so it wasn't like I had a couple hours to cook everything else. Once the tri-tip hit the smoker the clock was running.

As I looked for something to pair up with the Tri-Tip, I quickly realized that in order to pair with the food well and have something my family would eat, I was going to have to make a lot of substitutions. So I finally settled for a medley of baby carrots, beets, broccoli, and baby red potatoes. All would be oven roasted in a pan of parsley, thyme, and rosemary.

It all sounded good and work intensive, but then I took it off the rails. Somewhere along the way my wife also asked to try some recipe for a healthy mashed potatoes which includes white beans. So I said sure, let's throw that in the mix too.

So here is how this all went down. I set up my smoker ready for the fire. I then took the meat out of the fridge and rubbed it down with some Caribeque Beef Rub. I set that aside and let it get to room temp. I then peeled all my potatoes and prepped everything for the mashed potatoes. I then prepped everything for my roasted vegetables. 

Now with the difficult prep work out of the way I was ready to fire up the cooker. I quickly got the fire going thanks to my Looftlighter. I bought the cooker up to temp and threw on the cherry. Soon the beautiful tri-tip was on the cooker!

With the tri-tip on the cooker, the potatoes started boiling and I started assembling my tray of vegetables. From this moment forward, it was a bit blurry. It was just a mad scramble to do 10 things at one time. But, it absolutely worked! Well I mean I will not say go make mashed potatoes with white beans, it was just blah. But the vegetables were amazing. It takes a lot for me to say a vegetable is amazing, but they absolutely were. Once they paired up with the amazing tri-tip, this was simply one incredible meal. 

So no, I haven't jumped into a cook that I have no knowledge about. But I did accomplish something I never have, a complete full meal for my entire family. For once my cooking meant something more than a plate of meat.

And next time, I promise I will cook the cook assigned by Mikey!

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

A New Year of Cooks

So I have officially made it through an entire your of BBQ. This milestone was marked by smoking a ham for Christmas. Early Christmas morning it was easy to think back on the progress I have made in this last year. Last Christmas I was nervously following Mikey's instructions down to the exact number of briquettes in his PK Grill. This year it was on my Weber and while I was still reliant on monitoring the temp of the cooker, it was much more cooking by feel.

I realized in this year that I can cook. Sure I find certain cooks to stretch my limits, but I am comfortable in saying, hell yes, I can cook that. I have also found myself looking to BBQ more. Taking things which would normally be cooked in the kitchen and looking for a way to cook them in my cooker. In short, it has been an incredible year.

With that being said, I realize that this is not the time to rest. BBQ is an art that comes with not only some skill, but a  lot of knowledge and experience. There are no shortcuts available to provide this. In looking at the new year ahead of me, while it may be comfortable to continue cooking the meals I know, I will be using Mikey to push my limits. Getting me out of the comfortable area and give me the experience I need.

When Mikey asked me to cook Pork Belly Burnt Ends, he was doing just that. First, there was the cut of meat, which aside from bacon I was inexperienced with. Secondly, there was the cook itself. This whole cook was a step out of the comfort zone.

Finding the cut was difficult. With very few real butcher shops near me, I called about 15 places with no luck to get the elusive uncured pork belly. Finally, I was saved. Mikey sent me a text from whole foods who had it. I drove out there, picked up an extra Tri-Tip to have in the freezer and I was set to cook.

With the pork belly in hand, I began. I first cut the belly into 1-inch chunks. I then rubbed them with Meat Church Gospel and let them sit. I set the fire up, tossed on some apple wood and we were in business. I let the chunks cook for a couple hours until they hit 170 degrees and started getting crispy.

I took them off the grill and put them in a tray where I covered them in brown sugar and butter. After sealing the tray they went back on the grill for an hour. By the time they were done they were transformed from small chunks of meat to the completed burnt ends.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect out of this. However, the completed cook created something I didn't expect. These were truly meat candy. Bite size pieces so full of flavor that I cannot even describe it. They were simply amazing.

For me, this is out of the box cooking. When I started, cooks were the big things....the pork shoulders...the meals. I certainly would have never expected to be cooking meat candy. There is a huge wide world of possibilities when it comes to BBQ and everything I learn shows me there is even more out there to explore. So come along with me this year as I start taking my BBQ experience to the next level!

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!
 

The Ultimate 2017 BBQ Gift Guide

That's right everyone, while I love you all reading my posts, this is the one post that maybe you want to forward on to anyone buying gifts for you. Also, if you are feeling super generous and feel like thanking me for my awesome posts, this is a great list for you.

Here is the thing as people with a passion for the cook, we all fall into a nice little category of things we like and can use. Reality is no one should struggle with what to buy someone who barbeques because we all need a lot. With that being said, creating a list is a bit tricky. See there are some things which are insanely personal, like the rubs we use, and we don't necessarily want Aunt Edna giving us a years supply of rubs we don't like. On the other side, this world of BBQ is littered with the kind of gifts which are not useful. You know, the spatula with your kinda favorite team's logo on it or the novelty apron. These are not bad gifts at all, but they also fail in meeting one thing I think is super important when it comes to giving gifts, the need.

From my perspective, the perfect gift is something that is needed first, but secondly kinda falls onto that list of something we want, but have held back from pulling the trigger on. So before you let your loved ones spring on a thermometer from the unique gift section of a department store, let's get to things that would actually be a great addition to your BBQ life.

I just want to point out one other note on this list. We cover a very broad price range on this list, for good reason. So yes there are expensive gifts and there are gifts affordable to even dear Aunt Edna. But enough about that lets jump right into this!

10) A stocking full of Coal!

Yup, the gift you dreaded your entire childhood is now something you desire and need. As you all know there is a massive array of charcoal out there, some are crap some is amazing. Unfortunately for us, the amazing stuff isn't always that easy to buy in a pinch. You cannot exactly run to Wal-Mart and pick up some quick. So what could possibly be better than a 35-pound bag of premium charcoal in unique Christmas sack? Besides, if you have kids, not only is this a great useable gift but it also reinforces that whole do as I say not as I do concept because now you are on the naughty list!

9) The Weber iGrill 2 or a Thermapen MK4

We all need a great thermometer! And while I have put together an amazing article which will give you the in's and out's of the entire market, these are two great general picks. If you don't have a thermometer you can leave in and monitor temp from, the iGrill is a great choice. You may not use it in every cook, but it will be very valuable when you do. 

https://www.weber.com/US/en/product/igrill/igrill2/

Now on the other side, maybe you have a great remote read thermometer already, that doesn't mean you don't have a use for a great instant read. Honestly, I really don't care if you even have some "instant read" already, the MK4 is simply a must-have. If you don't have one, you need one! Besides, an MK4 will fit perfect in your stocking.

http://www.thermoworks.com/Thermapen-Mk4

Finally, in this category. If you already have your thermometers and are still in need of a small stocking stuffer, additional probes for your remote read are always a great choice. And of course, if you don't like my top picks here, go ahead and read my super comprehensive thermometer guide here: http://www.manmeatbbq.com/mmb-blog/2017/10/27/got-the-temp-mmb-reviews-the-best-and-the-worst-bbq-thermometers-part-2

thermapen MK4

8) The Looftlighter

There are a ton of different ways to light your fire for a cook. Hopefully, if you are reading this, lighter fluid is not an acceptable option. Now if you are like me you won't use fluid, propane assist, cubes or anything like that. For you, your go-to is the good old chimney. Well, this may be the best gift ever to you then. Why? well first, it is completely clean. None of that garbage which will end up changing the smoke that goes into your food with the Looftlighter you are simply using air. Second, it is simple. It works like a hairdryer and will light your coals in only 60 seconds! Finally, if you are not the best at maintaining your heat and need to add some fire mid-cook, this is perfect. Your coals will be relit in a minute and your cook will continue. 

The Looftlighter

7) A Pizza Stone

What is better then barbequing some meals? Using the BBQ for even more! Forget delivery or frozen pizza, once you cook a pizza on your cooker, you will never go back! This is a great gift for anyone who wants to give this a shot. Maybe you are already cooking a few pizzas on your cooker, well then it is time to step up to the Kettle Pizza and convert your kettle to a pizza oven. Check out this great blog by Jeff on doing just that: http://www.manmeatbbq.com/mmb-blog/2017/8/9/kettlepizza

Anyway, you want to do it, it is time to step up to cooking pizza, and here are some great choices to get you started!

https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/gourmet-bbq-system/pizza-stone

http://biggreenegg.com/product/pizzabaking-stone/

https://www.kettlepizza.com/

Kettle Pizza

6) Lodge Cast Iron

A year ago I would have never thought I would ever even use a cast iron skillet. But since I picked one up for myself I have quickly learned what an indispensable tool it is in the world of BBQ. If you have not yet started using one, you must! If you already have one, well there are a ton of different sizes and styles which I am sure include something you would love to have!

Lodge Cast Iron

5) Bison Cooler

Okay, we all have those old Igloo coolers filling up our garage and if you want to keep beer cold for a couple hours, they are great. However, we have come a long way since those first plastic coolers were made. As more evolved and dignified purveyors of barbecue, we need to step up this game. When you are ready to step into the big leagues of coolers, Bison has you covered. Seriously have you ever heard of an igloo keeping ice for more than 10 days? There really aren't any justifiable reasons to not add a Bison to your list.

Bison Coolers

4) Butcher Block Cutting Board

Sure we BBQ outside, but we do our prep in the kitchen. And prepping our meats is messy, to say the least. So let's stop this game of prepping meat for the cooker using a bunch of different plates and trays and small cutting boards, let's use one good cutting board. Prep your meat for the cooker, clean it off, cut up your vegetables, clean it off, slice your finished meat, clean it off, It really is that simple and these also simply look great in your kitchen. However, if I am going to make you up your game with your cooler, I'm gonna do it here too. So instead of just your average butcher block cutting board, why not go try Concave Cutting Boards who are bringing their unique twist to the game. Concave boards are, well, concave. Designed to compliment the curve of your cutlery and also help keep your meats juices in one place.

Concave Cutting Board

3) Knives

So we all use knives, right? Some of you, you have bought good knives, and you know who you are. If not, it is time. Sure you can keep taking the knives out of the drawer from a set you got as a wedding gift 20 years ago...sure it cuts, it does what a knife does. Until that is, you actually use a real knife. Plus, everyone notices a sexy knife in a picture of amazing BBQ. So these little guys can come with a hefty price tag...so rather than a set of 20 where you actually only use a couple, let's start off with this perfectly sized BBQ set from Shun Cutlery. I know they look absolutely beautiful in the pictures, but wait until you cut with them...it changes you.

Shun Cutlery Kanso BBQ Set

2) Meat

This is kinda my equivalent to giving the gift of a nice dinner out. Yes, you can give a gift certificate to some restaurant you like just like every other gift. Here is the deal we like to BBQ, we like to cook so instead of spending the night at some restaurant, how about spending the cooking an amazing meal which will taste better and be more enjoyable? Okay, okay I know meat isn't exactly the best thing to wrap under a tree, especially if you have pets. So how about a gift certificate? How about a gift certificate from a place which is only going to sell you the best meat possible? Seriously, we cook all the time and we love high-quality meat which we don't always buy on our own. 

Snake River Farms Meat

1) A New Cooker!

You have all seen the commercials that are on TV this time of the year. You know where the guy with a classy sweater wakes up to find his wife has bought him that new Lexus he was dreaming about....and there it is in the driveway with a massive bow on it! But then there is the rest of us...As much as I could dream about it there is not gonna be a new Lexus in my driveway...and if there was I couldn't afford it. But stay with me. How about giving a gift with the same pop, the same massive reveal. The same lifetime of thankfulness. Get a new cooker, set it up and put a bow on it!

But seriously friends...no matter how you do it, the number one gift on the list really is official MMB apparel! What a better way to decorate that new cooker for the big reveals then with MMB gear? Can't swing buying a new cooker this year? No big deal he will love his MMB hoodie almost as much!

Man Meat BBQ Apparel

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

A Little BBQ on the Side

I know walking into this blog that many of you cook entire family feats on your cooker. When it comes to holiday's like Thanksgiving, your families anticipate and expect your smoked Turkey the way mine expects normal mash potatoes. But I am sure there are just as many of you out there like me. Yes, you cook a mean BBQ, but you don't host holiday parties and simply get to go eat someone else's turkey. 

On one hand, it is great you can attend a family get-together being responsible for nothing more than drinking. At the same time seeing the online BBQ conversations light up with everyone preparing their massive cooks might make you feel a little left out too.

This is where I found myself this year. I have never hosted Thanksgiving and honestly, have no desire to. I host my fair share of family parties throughout the year and Thanksgiving becomes a very nice one to attend. But this year it started bothering me to see all of you prepping these massive cooks creating a BBQ Thanksgiving.

This was around the time when I got the email from my family explaining the smaller items I had to bring...beer, chairs, and the standard sweet potato casserole. Now I don't know how your family does sweet potatoes. But at my in-laws, it is essentially sweet potatoes cooked and blended with brown sugar, then covered with marshmallows and broiled. Nothing fancy, but it is a family favorite. A family favorite that I am about to mess with, that is.

So I figure, my wife can make this age-old family recipe sweet potatoes blindfolded. So while she does that, I might just cook the same thing, on my cooker, and see what happens. That was the initial plan anyway. I started looking to see if anyone does this and I came across some great variants done on the cooker with a cast iron skillet. 

Then I found a variant I really liked. On one hand, it let me use the family recipe for the majority of it, but I got to change the topping. Yup, forget the marshmallows piled up and melted, here I was going to use a pecan-based crumble. I figured this way if everyone hated mine, it was no loss and they still had what they were used too. At the same time, mine would be based on what they were used to and still be completely different.

So Thanksgiving morning I fired up the kettle and cooked 5 large sweet potatoes. Actually, I smoked them. I got the temp to be running hot at about 400 degrees. I also added some pecan wood. Then I let the potatoes cook there, in their skin for about 2 hours. 

Once they were cooked completely I brought them in and entered them back into the typical family recipe. I peeled them and added some cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, etc. and let the KitchenAid mixer do its thing. While the mixer was turning the smoked sweet potatoes into a soup, I started making the topping. 

Crushed pecans, more brown sugar, and some butter to hold it together. It was simple but perfect. I poured the sweet potatoes into my Lodge cast iron skillet, topped with the Pecans and it was time to set up the kettle for round 2.

For this round I lowered the heat a bit, down to about 300-350. I again added a couple chunks of pecan wood before putting my skillet on the grill. Once the smoke started going, I let the skillet hit the grill and cook there for another hour until the pecan topping started to brown nicely. When that happened, it was game time.

Now to be fair, in my wife's variant of this, there is less time involved and less work. Ultimately, it is really the type of thing you don't mess with. I mean Everyone loves it as it is, and it is easy. So yeah, I essentially took something that everyone liked and decided to change it...because I know how much everyone loves change at a traditional family party. If that wasn't enough, I am going to make it require far more effort form me to prepare. Admittedly this was probably not the brightest idea I ever had. 

Well, that is what I thought until I got to the party. As I unwrapped the foil on my skillet, the smell of my cooker spread through the kitchen. At the very least this oven turkey now had a smoked scent to it. The first round, my skillet didn't get much attention. It is a side after all and unknown. Then people took a little here and a little there. Then after having a little, everyone was going back for more. 

Sometimes, it seems, tradition is worth breaking. That is if you are breaking it to add BBQ and do things a little better.

Thanksgiving may be just behind us, but the Christmas season is here. Come by the Man Meat BBQ Facebook Group and share your holiday cooks!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1960615054162384

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

Great Balls of Fire!

Between building a table for my kettle and testing a quantifiable shit-ton of thermometers it has been a while since I have shared my experience with cooking. Have no fear despite all that activity, the cooks have continued. I continue to wow the family with great BBQ. So today I want to share one of those stories with you.

Now keep in mind, I come to BBQ differently then, at least I think, most do. For most I tend to believe that BBQ is a craft they were raised with, for others, they come to BBQ because they have an undying love with the end result and therefore learn to cook to satisfy this need. But, as I said, I'm a little different. 

My journey with meat as a whole has not been one of obsession or even love. A few years ago, I didn't eat much out of the realm of burgers. Things like steak, pulled pork, or anything considered a roast of any kind were simply not a part of my diet. They were a bit unknown. In this past year, yes there has been a lot of learning the art of BBQ, but for me, I have learned just as much about the actual meat I enjoy.

About half of the cooks I have done have been dishes which not only I have never cooked, but I have never even eaten. My only point in bringing this up is to convey the fact that much of the BBQ world is uncharted territory for me. With that, when I am left to my own devices, I have a pretty small window of cooks to do. 

Such was the case this past week. Yes, Mikey assigned me a cook, but I had not procured the needed cut in time. Still wanting to cook I was all ready to smoke some chicken breasts. Something which would stay in the fridge throughout the week and provide a decent quick meal for the kids after practice and such. Then something happened. No, not something....Then Mikey happened.

He simply asked if I had started my cook yet. Upon discovering I hadn't he simply said: "how about chicken meatballs?"

I spent the next 15 minutes doing two things. On one hand, I was trying to wrap my head around how I would do that. The other thing I was doing was crafting an excuse as to why I was going to just do my chicken breasts as planned. I didn't really feel up to jumping into the unknown territory. But, the more I thought about it, the more it sounded feasible and fun. 

The next thing I knew I was breaking out the meat grinder. With a few short directions from Mikey, soon I was grinding a combination of 4 pounds of chicken breasts and a pound of bacon. As I texted a photo of the grind beginning to Mikey, he responded with one of his own. See this was not just a suggestion, he too was grinding his own chicken meatballs and now the was the Battle of the Balls.

So logistically I quickly learned a couple things in this trial by fire. First when ground, chicken is a hell of a lot different than beef. It doesn't stay together the same, it is just looser. Second, I don't think there is a need for a double grind. That second grind almost felt like I was putting chicken slime into the grinder only to try and restore the shape of the ground meat. 

Next, I had my near-fatal flaw of the cook. At some point, I rapidly searched making chicken meatballs to get a feel for how much bread crumbs to mix in. I found something that was based on a pound of meat and it called for one egg. Well, here I had 5 pounds of meat so I needed more egg. Sounded logical. Besides my son loves cracking eggs so I ended up putting 3 into the grind. After adding the 3 eggs, I dumped in what felt like a good amount of breadcrumbs and finally a healthy amount of Lane's Sweet Heat rub.

Upon mixing it I realized the flaw. The added liquid of the eggs had created a chicken soup. This was not ground meat this was almost straight up liquid. Of course, it did take Mikey to point that out. Desperate I dumped in the remainder of the breadcrumbs I had on hand. It thickened it a bit, but not enough at all. There was no way these could be formed into balls. It looked like Mikey would win this Battle of the Balls.

Then inspiration hit me. As I looked for some bread to break up and toss in a white plastic wrapper caught my eye. It was a sleave of saltines! I quickly broke them up and tossed them in. The result? Well, it was not as thick as I would have liked, but it was workable. 

I realized I couldn't really see the seasoning I put in, so I added another healthy dump of the Sweet Heat. Now came the task of forming meatballs. It was still too soupy to make nice small meatballs, so I went Italian style and was able to make a bunch of big meatballs. They were soft and sticky, but it seemed like they were holding together.

You see I don't like to waste meat. Secondly, I don't like to fail in the competition so the combination of it all meant I was gonna fight like hell to cook something that looked like a meatball. Even if Mikey beat me, I would have something. 

Meanwhile, maybe as a backup plan, I also took a bunch of chicken breasts and seasoned them with Historic BBQ Black rub. If all else failed, I would still have the intended chicken in the fridge at the end. I mean hell, by this point even my typically very supportive wife had lost hope of seeing an edible meatball.

I set up my cooked and gently set the meatballs on the grate. Soon they started looking like real meatballs. By the time they were done, they actually looked fantastic. I get them all off the grill and added some more charcoal and cherry wood to begin the chicken breast cook.

Honestly, I think I was scared to try a meatball. They rested and sat there as I tended to the chicken breasts. Finally, after a long while, I decided to give one a try. Okay, as I stated before I am not a huge fan of chicken. It is a great meal, don't get me wrong, but it is not something I long for by any means. But this meatball, it was absolutely incredible. 

I married into an Italian family. With that, there are certain meals you just don't even try to stand up against as you will always lose. The meatball is one of them. But not only can my meatball hang with my Mother-In-Laws, I think it beats it...and it is made from chicken!

To me, these were simply the best meatballs I have ever had. And here is the fun part. See, I never looked to make a chicken meatball. Even if I were to get creative I wouldn't have ever stopped to say 'Hey I could make a meatball out of chicken, I'll try that out.' See this came from Mikey. And while yes I am fortunate to have my Mikey, we all need a little BBQ friend to give inspiration, ideas, and maybe even a little competition. Every one of you out there has, without a doubt, been cooking something I haven't. Maybe I have even cooked something you haven't. Instead of just doing our own things, I think we can all accomplish some pretty awesome cooks with that shared inspiration and comradery.

Even the MMB Facebook group as an example. It is a great way to share stories, ideas, and cooks. I know you all cook some incredible meals. I do not in anyway want to take anything away from that, but with a little help we can share that, and inspire others with it. Maybe a chicken meatball isn't the cook you would ever dream of. It certainly wasn't for me. But in the end, had I not done it I would be the real loser as this meal was simply awesome!

If you haven't joined in the conversation jump on in and get inspired. Or at the very least inspire your BBQ brothers.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1960615054162384

As for the Battle of the Balls, Mikey is an amazing cook. That being said, I kinda feel like I passed him at the finish line on this one...but I'll let you be the judge!

Mikey's Chicken Meatballs

My Chicken Meatballs

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

Got the Temp? - MMB Reviews the Best and the Worst BBQ Thermometers - Part 2

Okay friends, in my last post, I gave you all the raw data behind my thermometer test. If you haven't read that, go get there now and come back when you are done!

http://www.manmeatbbq.com/mmb-blog/2017/10/13/its-gettin-hot-in-here-mmb-reviews-the-best-and-the-worst-bbq-thermometers

Now I get to add my perspective and choose my picks. First off, I wanted to mention a couple things related to all of the thermometers. 

Your weakest link is your probes. Here is the deal. With every thermometer I have seen, if you look at the reviews there are tons of bad reviews because a probe failed. Let's face it, probes do fail and they will continue to. However, most of the time this is a human error. Despite the sealed plastic container of the thermometer designed to withstand a hurricane, the probes are not in anyway waterproof. Don't go soaking them in water after a cook to make them shiny again. They might shine, but chances are they won't work. So do yourself a favor and handle the probes appropriately. On a side note, in talking with The Clever Life Company, they are currently sourcing waterproof probes for a model to be released soon. That is kinda a game-changer there and I am anxious to see it.

While we are on the topic of probes... Yes, there are differences in probes and you need to do your due diligence. Can a probe withstand 500 degrees or not? Do you need an ambient probe or not?  Etc. The answers vary for each model. Now the iGrill is one thermometer that while a meat probe will work marginally for ambient temp, they have a specific ambient probe designed just for this. That is not the case for every model. On many models, the meat can be used equally for internal temp, or ambient.

Long story short, if you are going to be reliant on a thermometer, do yourself a favor and get a backup probe or two. They are cheap and they will save a cook if things go south cause you put a probe in the dishwasher. 

Enough about that though. As we saw last week no thermometer failed so how do I pick? For me, this comes to a couple different categories. 

First, how many probes? I most commonly cook with 2 probes. However, when I need 4, I simply need them and don't really want to use 2 thermometers. That is me. For many though, 2 probes will do everything you need it to.

Second, connectivity. This is purely a personal choice. If all your cooks are 2 hours then yeah, it probably isn't a big deal. But you might want to take a nap when you have a 12-hour cook. If that is the case, you probably want to consider something that will have the needed range.

Third, everything else... Like I said from the beginning, most of this is personal to how you cook and what is important to you. Maybe you own a pellet cooker :( If you do, you are going to be far less concerned with an ambient temp read then someone who cooks on a kettle. You get the idea. 

In the words of Mikey...Without further ado, now I'll give you my take on them all.... one by one:

iTronics ThermoPro - TP-03 - Digital Instant-Read Thermometer

It is an "Instant Read" and will run you about $10. Here is the thing, save your 10 bucks. Sure it reads temp fine, but it is slow. Given the fact that the speed of it, in reality, is so far from "instant" I just cannot see myself rely on this for anything.  

ThermoWorks Thermapen MK4

If you have any reason to get an instant-read thermometer, there is really no other one to get. Yes, it will run you $100, but you get something you can rely on time and time again. There is a reason this is the thermometer you see every pro use, simply put, it works. Additionally, it comes with a factory certified calibration which was done on that actual thermometer. These guys know thermometers and even at the price, this will not disappoint.

The Clever Life Company - Great Digital Meat Thermometer

This is a great thermometer for the price. It is what it is, there is no remote read, it accepts one probe (even though it provides 3) but it works with accuracy and precision as well as every other thermometer on the market. It comes in at a price of about $30 and it gets you an accurate temp. My biggest complaint of it actually was that it included 3 probes while only accepting one. If you buy based on the photo and don't read, it could be a bit misleading. On the flip side with this, I can have 3 probes in my cooker in different pieces of meat and just plug each one in to get the read without opening the cooker. It is basic but it claims to be nothing but and in the end, it delivers. One note, the probes are only rated to 482, so you should at least know that first.

Weber - iGrill 2

The iGrill kinda built the world of app-based thermometers. A lot of people love them, a lot of people don't. But here is the deal. The design makes them the apple of meat thermometers, it looks great, it is thought out, and it works. Even down to the simple elements like the brightness of the display. Of all the thermometers I tested, this is the only one I could read from 5 feet away. Test for test this one does exactly what you need it to and it does it with ease and style. Even the little plastic pieces to wrap your probes into are well thought out. At $100 it is definitely a keeper. The only negative I have on this is BlueTooth. I would love to be able to get the temps at a longer range. But if you can live with the short range, this is your best bet.

Bottom line is, every complaint I have heard about the iGrill comes to 2 things: the range or probe failure. Yup, it's BlueTooth, you know that going in so don't expect to get a beer at you're neighbors house without it dropping. Probe failure, it's gonna happen on em all. Take those complaints out of the mix and you have a damn good thermometer.

GrillEye - Smart Device

This one I am a bit torn on. I love the fact that it takes up to 6 probes. I love the design in concept and I love the probes (look at them if there is such a thing as a sexy probe, these are it). But it almost acts like a wannabe iGrill. It is still BlueTooth. The design doesn't completely translate to reality as it does in concept. The display is dim and has a ton of glare in the sun. The plastic is cheap looking. If it wasn't for those sexy probes it would kinda be like the discount store iGrill. But it works! If you have a need to possibly use more than 4 probes, I would not hesitate to buy in a heartbeat. If you don't, at $89 I would probably save up another ten bucks and go iGrill. Don't get me wrong, this is a great product and it works and if I tested this alone by itself I would have given it a great review. But in comparison, for the money, there is more out there.

InkBird - IBT-2X

I will be honest, I kinda expected this little guy to fail. I mean seriously, it is BlueTooth, has an app, and 2 probes all for $30. Truth is, this is about the best $30 you can spend. There is nothing fancy here. Directions could be better, design could be better a little. But it works really well. For $30 even as a backup, you really can't go wrong. For someone who is a bit more casual on the BBQ side, this is an absolutely great choice. No, you don't have more probes, no you don't have this really cool looking thing on your cooker, and yes you have the damn probes that self-destruct at 482 degrees. But it does work and it works well. Again, it is $30, C'mon.

iTronics ThermoPro - TP-08 - Digital Wireless Thermometer

iTronics ThermoPro - TP-20 - Digital Wireless Thermometer

These thermometers, in general, are great. They are consistent, they work, and they are not handcuffed by the short range of BlueTooth. They don't necessarily have the polish you would find with something like an iGrill, the readout on the transmitter is really only useful if you are looking directly at it. But from a function side, they both work very well. 

There are subtle differences between the TP-08 and its big brother, the TP-20. Performance-wise the two are really inseparable. While the TP-20 will cost you just over $55, the TP-08 comes in at $45. The big difference between them comes in the temperature probes and the inclusion of preset temp ranges for different cooks. The TP-08 is streamlined without the presets, which honestly, I like better. I know and research my cooks and the temps I want, I'm not going to be reliant on a preset. If you are like me, the absence of the presets on this model makes it much simpler to set up a cook the way you want it. On the downside, the TP-08 includes one ambient probe and one meat probe. While this fits most roles it begged the question since the TP-20 doesn't have an ambient specific probe can the meat probe be used for ambient? To answer this I reached out to ThermoPro. 

Per ThermoPro the meat probe can be used accurately for both internal temps as well as ambient. So on that front alone, I am more apt to buy the TP-20 simply from the versatility factor. 

Personally, I feel this is too little of a difference between models. I would love to see something like the ability to handle 4 probes instead of two on the TP-20. But I am not a product designer so I will stick with using. If I had to choose between the two, honestly I would probably buy the TP-08 and use the money I saved on buying a backup meat probe for it.

Maverick - ET-732 - Wireless Barbecue Thermometer

For RF-based thermometers, this is definitely my choice. Coming in at the same price point as the ThermoPro TP-20 there is definitely a better feel with this one. Yes, they are both consistent, both accurate. Yet the Maverick feels like the one I can accidentally leave outside by my grill, not realize it until 3 rain storms later and have total confidence that it will just work. It is simple, it is small, and it is well designed for life. If you are fine with 2-probes, but you want something that will be loyal cook after cook, Maverick is your choice.

Tappecue - V2.0 4 Probe Wifi BBQ Thermometer

Of all the thermometers I got to use for this test, the Tappecue I was most excited about. Now let me set the stage, this is less of an accessory as it is a tool. If you cook twice a month and just need something to back you up, this isn't your choice. But if you cook and I mean really cook Tappecue has got your back. First, it is wifi, so range? If you have a cell phone with internet access you are in range. Yes, you could theoretically check your cook from halfway around the world. 

But that is only part of the story here. Similar to the app-based BlueTooth models you get charts which track your temp throughout the cook. The BlueTooth app's kill off that data once you start a new cook. Tappecue, you get to save it. Wanna go back through your last 10 cooks and see when your heat is dropping, now you can.

Being a wifi only device you are probably saying: But it needs to connect to my wifi network, so what happens if I am cooking somewhere offsite where there is no wifi network to connect it to? They have you covered. The offline mode actually lets the unit create its own wifi network that you can connect to and check temps with a range similar to the BlueTooth models. 

With the Tappecue, you lose a lot of the polish you see on many models, but what you gain definitely outweighs those losses. I only have two complaints of the Tappecue. First, it is not easy to set-up. I know my way around a firewall or two and I found it confusing. Second, it needs to be plugged in. Yup, no batteries here so if you don't have an outlet near your cooker it could pose a challenge. On the upside, it is powered by a USB, so you can use a power bank like you'd use to charge your phone to keep it going, but it isn't an ideal set-up. Like I said, this is the power tool. Features which make sense for people who BBQ all the time.

Summary

So there you have it. The bottom line is you don't have an excuse to not monitor your temp. Whether you are an occasional griller or a seasoned pitmaster, there is a thermometer for you. 

Oh yeah, we forgot about our old friend the dome thermometer on the kettle. Look at it like it's a hood ornament cause that is all you can rely on it for. Sure there are times when it is spot on accurate. But there are times when it is also useless. If I am cooking, I want tools I can rely on and every thermometer on this list can be relied on to varying degrees. 

This is not all available thermometers by any means, it is a wide range of the types, styles, and brands on the market. Keep this conversation going in the MMB facebook group and share your personal experience.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1960615054162384

Finally, I want to thank each and every thermometer manufacturer for making this review possible. Now go cook something already!

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

It's Gettin' Hot In Here - MMB Reviews the Best and the Worst BBQ Thermometers

When I started this blog and barbecue for the first time, there was one tool which was imperative to my success superseded by only my cooker itself, the thermometer. Yes, BBQ is first and foremost about passion and food, but, the thermometer is indispensable when it comes to cooking things right. Sure, you can all say one needs to cook by feel, but that comes only with time and practice. The thermometer is your safety net. It lets you know when your heat is right, or when it is wrong. It gives you a direct view to what is taking place in the cooker. 

With that being said, there are countless options available when it comes to taking the temperature. The thermometer is an investment which you shouldn't have to make over and over. You should be able to buy the right one for you and forget about worrying. So which thermometer is best? This is the very question I wanted to answer.

In theory, this sounded simple. Take a sampling of thermometers, and subject them to several real-world tests. See which one performs best. While I did this, I found that for the most part, there is no clear victor. To say one was undoubtedly the best would be no different than me saying cooking on a Weber kettle is best. For some, it really is, for others though there are plenty of different cookers which are best for them.

Let's start off with the logistics here. I tested 10 thermometers of different brands and styles. Everything from the instant-read probes, to Bluetooth enabled, to Wifi. Each one I tested for accuracy with both a boil test and an ice water plunge. All leave-in thermometers were tested on a 3-hr. cook with varying temperatures for consistency. Finally, all remote read thermometers were tested for range and lag.

Now, let's introduce the players:

INSTANT READ

• iTronics ThermoPro - TP-03 - Digital Instant-Read Thermometer
• ThermoWorks Thermapen MK4

DIGITAL MEAT THERMOMETERS

• The Clever Life Company - Great Digital Meat Thermometer

WIRELESS THERMOMETERS

BLUETOOTH

• Weber - iGrill 2
• GrillEye - Smart Device
• InkBird - IBT-2X

RF

• iTronics ThermoPro - TP-08 - Digital Wireless Thermometer
• iTronics ThermoPro - TP-20 - Digital Wireless Thermometer
• Maverick - ET-732 - Wireless Barbecue Thermometer

Wifi

• Tappecue - V2.0 4 Probe Wifi BBQ Thermometer

Now for the testing. Overall, every thermometer did its job. At the end of the day there were no failures and if this was simply a task of ensuring that each would indeed take a respectively accurate temperature, they all passed. But there is more to the story. So let's talk about accuracy for a minute.

For accuracy, I am leaning specifically on the boil test and the ice plunge. These are simple tests where we know exactly what the result should be. For the boil, the temp will be 212 no matter what the thermometer says and for the ice plunge, it will be 32. I tested this using 2 metrics, first accuracy of temperature, second the time it took to get to temp. 

For the instant reads, this was interesting. Here, I had a $100 gold standard thermometer relied on by everyone, the Thermopen MK4 and compared it to a $10 model by ThermoPro. The results were telling. While both ended with an accurate temperature, the MK4 delivered that temp in 8 seconds, while the ThermoPro took over 30 seconds to get the correct read. Again both take an accurate temp, but 30 seconds for a read is using the term "instant read" very liberally.

For the remote read thermometers, I was far more concerned with accuracy than speed as these are not used in an instant-read method. I did, however, use the one-minute mark as a cut-off. If they can't get temp by that point, I am not going to wait for it.

With this test, there were some variances. All were within a degree or two of accuracy which I vote as a win. The only outlier was the GrillEye, which in the boil took 48 seconds to hit 208. This was still within 5 degrees, and maybe if I waited longer I could have hit 212. Either way, for most backyard grillers it works. Again, these are designed not to take an instant-read but monitor over a long period of time, so there is certainly some leniency when looking at how quickly they react to a massive temp change.

Now let's see how the remote reads do when it comes to providing a consistent and accurate read. For this, I set up my cooker for a 3-hour cook with each thermometer set up on the indirect heat side. I monitored every temp at each 15-minute interval. I also included some temp changes on the cooker to see if they would react consistently. Finally, for a bit of fun, I also took the reading from the dome thermometer built into my Weber.

This test is tricky, to say the least. First off, unlike the boil test, we don't know exactly what the temp is. Secondly, while all of the probes were in close proximity and all on the indirect side of the grill, they are in fact in different positions meaning the temp where the first probe is could, in fact, be different than the temp where the last probe is. So how do we judge it?

Well, we break out our college statistics book. The cliff notes on this test are simply this: we took an average of each temp retrieved at each time interval. Then we calculated the standard deviation. Ultimately the standard deviation acts as a threshold of how far an individual temp should vary from the average. From there we see how many stayed within that deviation and how much varied beyond that threshold.

So let's first look at the temps on the chart. As you can see, while there are variances, every thermometer stayed within range (except for the dome thermometer which I will talk about later). This is good. At the very least if you buy any of these, you are getting something which does the job you expect it to. 

Now let's get to those variances. If you look at the chart below, it will show each thermometer and when it stayed within the acceptable variance, and when it didn't. Furthermore, you can see just how far it dipped out. While this data is certainly compelling, again there is not a black and white pass or fail on this. This is just another piece to the puzzle. 

Now for the last piece, I want to address the range of the remote read thermometers. This is less based on the individual unit, as it is the technology it uses. So rather than call out any particular model I will just address the technology. 

Let's start with Bluetooth. It is cool, it is trendy and it seamlessly integrates with your phone. Every Bluetooth model I tested responded very alike. Next, to your cooker, it is a beautiful thing. Hanging out in your backyard, it is great. Now put a wall between your cooker and you and we start falling apart. Personally, I love the Bluetooth, but for me the signal cuts in my kitchen. That is a problem. I don't want to step away from food prep to reconnect and get my temps. Then I might as well walk over to the cooker.

Now we get to the RF models. These have an awesome range. To that point, I was actually able to walk 3 houses down from mine and still get a signal. Even better, I could start a cook, set the temp alerts and go to sleep in my bedroom. The downfall of these models is they require a receiver unit. So rather than just carrying my phone, I also need to carry the receiver.

Finally, we have WiFi. Now, this is really the best of both worlds plus. You connect it to your WiFi network. You go back to using an app on your phone to monitor. But being that you are using your phone, as long as you have a connection to the internet in any way, you can get your temps. You can pick up an ingredient from the store you forgot, and check your temps. It just simply works.

Okay now let's try to pull all of this information together. Again, nothing outright failed. So I cannot just say this one thermometer is the one YOU need to buy. It really comes down to what do YOU expect from a thermometer, beyond a temperature reading. So let me help you figure that out by giving you the questions you should be asking yourself....

How many probes do I need? 
Do I need ambient cooker temp or just meat temp?
Do you cook by feel and just need something to give an accurate read to back you up?
Do you want to monitor temps remotely, or are you fine with walking up to the cooker?

There are a hundred more questions you could ask and they are all about how you cook. 

One last thing you need to consider in making a purchase like this is the features. Beyond taking temp and range, not every thermometer is created equal. Read the fine print. For example, some thermometer probes are only good to 487 degrees. Sure you are not smoking meat at that temp, but let's be honest...you can screw up and get the temp higher than that. Another feature is temperature presets. A lot of thermometers give you temp ranges for all sorts of cooks preset. These are great but can also be a hindrance if you just know what temps you want regardless of the presets. Finally, what type of alerts do you want? If you are using this only to take the temperature of your meat you only need an alert for temp hitting your range. However, if you plan on using it for monitoring cooker temp, you might want something that alerts you when the temp rises to your threshold or falls below a separate threshold.  For these elements, you have to read the fine print.

Well friends, there you have the hard data for this review. That itself is some great information. But, while I am going to leave you with that now, it is certainly not the end of this review. I know, I know...everyone hates a cliffhanger. But do not worry because in the next installment of the blog I will take this data, along with my personal experience with each of these thermometers and give you my honest take on them. 

But, while we're gone here, take a minute to share your story. What thermometer have you used? What have you looked at and why? Man Meat BBQ has an awesome new Facebook Group which gives us the perfect spot to share our stories and experiences. Drop by and let me know what you think!

Time for Some Smokin' Tacos

So far in my short BBQ lifetime, I have made some incredible meals. Now, one thing they have all had in common is that they were pretty significant meals which I wouldn't have without BBQ. In a way BBQ for me has been a turn off on the dinner highway. Simply meals that didn't happen otherwise. This week though, that is all changing.

For this cook, I am making tacos. So a year ago, that meant throwing some ground beef in a skillet with some seasoning. The ease of this made it a staple in my household. So I was a little taken back when Mikey assigned me tacos. It sounded kinda like he was taking my simple household meal and making it far too much of a process for a weeknight.

I quickly realized though, what he was actually doing was allowing me to enjoy the art of BBQ and still cook something simple. It was kinda genius really. The meat for these new tacos was set to be slow smoked chuck roast pulled. See this was new too. I have pulled chicken. I have certainly pulled pork, but never beef. 

Like most cooks, I assumed this would be smoke slow at 250 until the beef gets to about 190. And like most cooks, Mikey quickly corrected me. He instructed me to smoke the beef until about 165 internal. At that point put the roast in an aluminum pan along with a sliced pepper, a sliced onion, a bit of butter and a can or two of beer. Different for sure...but I was cooking with beer so I certainly would not complain.

Alright, so I love me some High Life. But considering I was cooking with beer, I switched over to Coors Banquet for that extra class. I picked up a beautiful USDA choice chuck roast. I carefully picked out Southern Links Steak and Brisket Seasoning for my rub. With the roast rubbed and the beautiful white smoke pouring out of my kettle it was time to get this cook going. 

In all honesty, this cook went pretty flawlessly. While the roast was smoking, I cut up my peppers and onions. Soon the internal temp hit 165 and I sealed the roast up in its bath of Banquet and started working on everything else that goes with tacos. Just after that point is when I realized that the adage of BBQ being ready when it is ready doesn't quite make everyone happy. The temp was going up slowly and I had a very hungry family on my hands. 

Finally, it hit temp. I pulled it off the grill and began to shred it. Soon there was a bowl of the most incredible pulled beef I had ever seen. It was time to eat. After only a couple bites, I realized that this was like unlike any taco Tuesday we have ever had in the family. The difference between a typical skillet ground beef taco and a smoked pulled chuck roast is unbelievable. The family certainly agreed as it was all eaten almost instantly.

Like I said, I can hardly see me pulling off this smoke on a weeknight for a quick taco dinner. At the same time, I would certainly be able to cook this on the weekend and save it for a mid-week meal. It was a very enjoyable BBQ twist to a pretty standard meal in my house.

Ironically the next night I was at Mikey's house to eat pulled chicken and pulled pork tacos which he made. Obviously, there is a difference between them...But at the very least I feel my pulled beef tacos certainly were in the same category.

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!

Chicken Done Right!

So in this post, I decided to take on my arch nemesis, the chicken. I figured if I fail at cooking the whole bird, maybe if I only cook parts of the bird I can succeed. 

Chicken and I have a torrid past. It is odd because in a lot of ways this bird is a staple of life. Chicken is on everything and served everywhere. Chicken is in salads and on pasta. The reality is, it is a versatile meat...and one which apparently everyone can cook but me. And this is where chicken and I part ways. 

See, I don't have anything against chicken when it comes to eating, only cooking. Sure I think the bird has probably gotten a bit used up. I mean it would be great to go to a wedding with a real meal and not this plain old chicken breast sitting there. But whatever, I still enjoy it.

Now in kitchens and on grills across the country, every novice is serving up the bird flawlessly. I mean really, it is a chicken breast, not a brisket, right? Yet every time I have tried to make it, I fail. So I figured now I have more skill, let me do the simple and take on the plain chicken breast. 

Don't think my reasoning for this cook was purely grudge based. The reality is I want to enjoy BBQ more than the weekends, while not having the time to cook. So I figured, if I could grill up a set of fantastic chicken breasts, I could be eating those all week long. Hell, I could put it on salad or pasta of my own. 

So I did it, I bought a pack of chicken breasts and I was committed to making this work. Despite this being an exceedingly simple cook to most, I needed to consult the great Oracle of Mikey for guidance. His guidance was also exceedingly simple. Not that I expected it to not be, but still, there had to be some secret. If it was this simple I should be able to do it. Somewhere along my many battles with chicken I had gone done some wormhole believing that I failed because the breasts were too thick and thus impossible to cook unless I beat the shit out of them with a hammer first.

So like I said, I was still a little surprised at the simple advice. 250, rub them, cook until they get to 145, then finish on the coals. For the rub, I decided to go with Historic BBQ's Red. For smoke, I went with just a kiss of cherry. So now I had a plan.

I rubbed all the breasts with a little olive oil and then the Historic Red Rub. I fired up the kettle got her to a steady 250 and it was time for this epic battle to begin. Even though this was chicken, I tried to pretend this was just like every other cook I have done. I stayed on task and watched the temp hit 145. I finished them up on the coals and brought them inside. 

I will admit I was super nervous biting into this chicken, far more nervous than anything else I cooked. It looked great, but I could not help but think that despite its looks the chicken had bested me again. To my surprise, it tasted great. It was cooked perfectly!

More than just cooking another BBQ meal, this was my first attempt at letting my weekend cook feed me throughout the week. It worked great. All week long I had a base in which I could easily throw together a great lunch. There is something very enjoyable about taking out a lunch based in great BBQ, even if it is a left over.

So while I have not conquered the chicken completely, successfully cooking chicken breasts is a huge step in the right direction. One day soon I will face off against the bird and I will be victorious!  

Until next post, remember kids.....CHUNKS not chips!