Chicken Thighs were on the menu last weekend, and boy did they turn out nice! A tip of the cap to the folks at The Dizzy Pig BBQ Company for sending me a whole bunch of their awesome rubs to sample. For this project I settled on Swamp Venom. You could tell this rub was made of quality ingredients – very fresh aroma, with all of the different components poking out. Bright, fresh and flavorful. This rub has some Cajun and Southwestern influences. It has some heat for sure, but the flavors are well-balanced. I rubbed the chicken thighs liberally and set them back in the fridge for about 5 hours. I was smoking some pulled pork for later in the week, so wanted to do some thighs for dinner that night. With the pork getting a 4-hour head start, I then put the chicken on the top rack of the smoker.

About 3 hours in, the thighs were almost done. I cranked the heat for the home stretch. I was lucky enough to have some SuckleBusters sauce on hand, so the chicken got basted with that. After about 45 minutes, I did something I have never done before – cranked up the oven in the kitchen and finished the chicken at 475 in the oven.

The Sucklebusters sauce I chose was the Sweet Spicy Mustard Gold sauce. What a terrific sauce. Lots of tang, lots of bite, lots of sweet – it paired well, actually, with the Swamp Venom.

Well, I was really psyched by the offer from the folks at North Carolina Barbecue Company to send me the 2 types of NC Barbecue to try.Having BBQ flown across the country was a first for me, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The food was flown in a sturdy styrofoam cooler packed with dry ice. Meat was packaged “boil in a bag” style, as were the cornbread hushpuppies. Cole slaw was in typical coleslaw containers, sauce was bottled. Fixins were included for both regional styles of BBQ – Piedmont and Eastern. There was Piedmont meat, coleslaw and sauce; and the was Eastern meat, coleslaw and sauce. Everything was color-coded so you couldn’t mix them up. The box was packed with an informative pamphlet and thorough reheating instructions.

As mentioned, reheating was easy. Hushpuppies in the oven, meat was “boil in a bag”.

I really can’t thank the folks at The North Carolina Barbecue Company enough. This was probably the most fun and interesting review I have done to date, and the whole family weighed in on the debate! I prepared the sandwiches as described, meat, sauce and slaw on a bun. We each had a sandwich and some hushpuppies. My wife and daughter had a blast evaluating the two types – both were delicious. Sauce (referred to as dip) is very thin compared to conventional sauces, clear and vinegary. Piedmont styles had a bit more kick in sauce, meat and coleslaw. My wife and daughter gave the slight edge to the Eastern style; for me, it was practically a coin toss. I loved them both. The meat was savory, the sauce was tingly and adding slaw to the sandwich is a visionary touch.

This package we got was deceiving in regards to portions. We each got one sandwich of each style Saturday night. We all got one of each sandwich Sunday night and I had enough left over to take some to work on Monday. My co-workers loved the food as well.

We got the Small “Battle Box”, which features all the fixins for both styles. It retails for around $65. I need to say, this would make an awesome gift – either as a corporate gift, or for a family member that loves BBQ. They ship food all over the country. I highly recommend the food from The North Carolina Barbecue Company. Try it – you absolutely will not be disappointed!

First off, a big thanks to Kim Cahalan from Media Direct and also the folks from Brunton and Primus for getting this great stove to me for a review.

The Press Release:

The New Primus FireHole™ 300 Stove for 2012

• Weight: 14.76 lbs.
• Heat: 2 x 12000 BTU/h
• Boiling Time: 3 minutes
• Burn Time: 85 minutes on 8.1 oz gas cartridge
• Ignition: battery powered
• Dimensions: 19.9” x 4.9”
• Serves: 1-9 people
• MSRP: $295

The stove arrived well-packaged and with no damage. The outside of the box does a great job of showing all the various features of the stove.

Not having any imminent camping trips planned, I decided just to cook a dinner off of the stove, in the backyard utilizing a simulated “camp food” menu. The stove runs on standard propane cylinders used for camping gear. The hose is integrated into the base of the unit, and stows away nicely when not in use. The stove comes with a base for your propane cylinder, to stand it upright when in use.

The unit comes with a self-contained utility kit which hangs via magnets on the inside of the cover. Includes spoon, spatula, pot scraper, etc. I didn’t use these as I wasn’t sure if I was keeping the Unit or not.

One of the coolest features of this stove was the lights and timer attached to the cover. If you have ever tried cooking or barbecuing via flashlight, headlamp or lantern – you know how that goes. These lights work well and are effective.

Dinner tonight was hamburger browned up with onions and jalapenos, with a bunch of spice from Oakridge BBQ mixed in. That wasn’t its intended use, but it sure worked good! I also had creamed corn. I figured browning food in a cast iron frying pan and trying to simmer creamed corn would make for a decent test.

What worked:
*This thing puts out heat. Very efficient heat producer for amount of fuel consumed
*Lights are a great feature
*Piezoelectric starter works well
*Accessories well thought out. Stand for propane canister a great touch
*Side shields held in place by magnets but seemed sturdy

What might need improvement
*Didn’t perform as well on low heat. Hard to find the sweet spot where I wasn’t burning the corn, but not making the flame go out
*Skimpy manual/directions – now I’m not a directions guy but it struck me odd that there was more good information about the stove on the outside of the box, than on the inside
*Not sure about the holder for the accessory kit. Held in place with button magnets, 2 out of 4 of my magnets fell out. Was hard to get the cover closed again on the plastic case

Summary
This stove has some awesome features but I think some people might struggle with the suggested price of nearly $300. I would not recommend this stove as your beater camp stove that gets thrown in the back of your truck, dragged all over creation, in all types of weather. I think you can buy more economical stoves that are rugged enough to endure that kind of use.

On the other hand, if you have a semi-static camp setup, or a cottage this might make for a great stove. If you are in need of some major BTU’s, maybe canning, pickling, boiling stuff in big quantities – this would be a very good way to go about it. Maybe a kitchen at a summer camp would benefit from this stove, or if you were looking for a higher-end stove to put in with your fifth-wheel or in a base camp kitchen somewhere, this would be great.

As with any purchase, evaluate your needs. Look at the features. Weigh the cost of the unit versus your intended use. Honestly, this stove may be too pricey for some users. For others, it may be just what they are looking for.

I’ve done a lot of reviews on here, but none have been as exciting as the upcoming review on products from the North Carolina Barbecue Company. Thanks to Ryan Pitz, one of the company co-founders, I had a styrofoam cooler waiting for me when I got home yesterday. Barbecue goodness in the eastern NC style, and the Piedmont style, packed in dry ice and flown to my door. This is a first for me, and NC barbecue is a first. I can’t wait!

Here is a preview of my Saturday night supper:

More about NC Barbecue, from their website:

The North Carolina Barbecue Company was founded to deliver to doorsteps across the country the unique culinary culture of our great state. Our goal is to provide a true representation of the two distinct styles of North Carolina barbecue; the Piedmont (western style) and the Eastern style. There is a civil disagreement among barbecue purists in our state that has been percolating for well over a century, with no sign of resolve.

Our aim is to not pick a side in this epicurean battle, but merely present the argument. Not only have we produced an authentic Eastern and Piedmont BBQ, sauce, and slaw combination, we have found the best way to deliver it anywhere in the USA. Now when you need a real barbecue fix, it is only a click or a call away. No matter where you are.

Their prices are very reasonable, you may want to consider buying one of “Battle Boxes” as a unique, yummy gift that gets delivered anywhere in the country. Visit their Online Store

Very cool! Congrats to Lance and wishing him continued success! Check out their latest newsletter! ~DRR

Greetings!

Celebrate our 10th Anniversary with us

We did it! I am proud to say we have been in business for 10 years now. Whoo Hooo! To help celebrate our success, I am having a 10% OFF sale for Newsletter recipients only now until 8/13 at midnight. That’s right, only you guys who are getting this email will get 10% off all items on our website using the links listed below:
Dry Chili Spices – click HERE
Barbeque Sauces – click HERE
Wing Sauce – click HERE
Hot Sauces – click HERE
Rubs – click HERE
White Cheddar Jalapeno – click HERE

In order to get the sale prices, you must click on the links here (i.e. do not go to our regular website). Hope to hear from you!
But wait…there’s more…….

Oatman, AZ
We are now in several new stores for your convenience

We have picked up several new stores throughout Arizona and California.

Oatman Gift Shack, Oatman AZ
If you have never been to Oatman, AZ, you have not seen the “Real West” Arizona. Founded around 1900, it is an old mining town that has turned their “downtown” into a gold mine of history. When you drive out there you think you are going no where, and if you are looking for cell service, forget it. They have wild donkeys roaming the street so you cannot drive more that 5 mph. And if you try to leave, like I did, at the wrong time, you will have to wait 5 minutes for the authentic gun fight to finish that is held right there in the middle of the street. Spend the day there, and you will have a great time. Oh, and if you are a fan of Disney’s movie, Cars….this is the town that it was loosely based on. Right off of Historic Route 66, it has a tire shop, hotel, post office and everyone knows each other with only about 100 residents. The surrounding mountains were cut right into the movie. When you leave to come back to Phoenix, go down US 95, and you will have flashes of Lightning McQueen driving the exact same road. Check out some pictures of the town HERE.
Address: Oatman Gift Shack, 221 Oatman Highway, Oatman, AZ. 86433 ph:928-234-6222 (Click for MAP).

Now in Flagstaff and Sedona New Frontiers Marketplace

If you love Whole Foods like I do, you will really enjoy the atmosphere and shopping experience of New Frontiers Marketplace located in Flagstaff and Sedona. We are in the business of providing naturally delicious foods of the freshest and highest quality, as well as a full array of other choices for healthy living. New Frontiers is a place where people come to make changes that will improve the quality of their lives. Therefore, we strive to keep a special energy in our stores – an energy of cooperation, harmony, and service. Here are the addresses of our two new stores:

Flagstaff New Frontiers Marketplace
320 So. Cambridge Ln. (Corner of Butler and Sawmill), Flagstaff, Arizona 86001. Phone: (928) 774-5747

Sedona New Frontiers Marketplace
1420 West Hwy. 89A, (In the Old Marketplace), Sedona, Arizona 86336. Phone: (928) 282-6311
Native Visions, Cerritos, CA

Native Visions in Cerritos, CA is a really nice shop that offers Native American/Ethnic Silver & Gold Jewelry, Fine Art, Pottery, Replica Artifacts, Music, Books, Incense, Custom Work, Expert Silver & Gold Repair. They picked up the majority of our products including all of our spices, Phoenix Wing Sauce, BBQ sauces and White Cheddar Jalapeno. This store is right in the middle of Los Cerritos Center Mall located at 311 Los Cerritos Center, Cerritos, CA. 90703. Click HERE for a map.

A Great Testimonial

Our latest and greatest testimonial is one that is really neat about quitting smoking….

“I live in Phoenix AZ and have been eating Anthony Spices for over 2 years now. I first found it in a farmer’s market in Guadalupe near Tempe. Love the stuff, and as I said, it made Germany tolerable. While I was there, I had everyone try it and left a bottle there with a Cuban friend who missed heat.
Any opportunity I get I try to spread the word. You made heat enjoyable for me since I cannot stand the vinegar taste of other hot sauces. Finally, when I quit smoking 2 years ago, I ate a handful of the Habanero every time I had a craving. Helped me quit smoking, as silly as that may sound.
Great product! ”
-Nathan

Tis the Season

Our busy season is about to start up so now is the time for all of our patrons to jump on the bandwagon and pick up our products if you are a retailer. We offer great wholesale prices with a pretty good margin of return. Just email me at azspices@anthonyspices.com and set up an appointment to go over our marketing and sales material.
Full Intel Schedule!

Another GREAT Intel stop coming up this Friday and again on Monday! We will be there from about 11am until 2pm and I will be bringing different products each visit. So if you have stopped by before, swing by again cause we will most likely have something new to you. This Friday I will be at OC8. Here is my full schedule for the next few months for our sales/demo at Intel Cafeterias. Hope to see you there!

Friday, August 10, OC8
Tuesday, August 14, OC6
Friday, August 24, OC8
Tuesday, September 4, OC8
Friday, September 7, OC6
Wednesday, September 12, OC6
Wednesday, September 26, OC8
Thursday, October 4, OC8

And YES, we do accept credit cards! So if you work for Intel and receive this newsletter, please forward (See “Forward Email” button below) to your coworkers and let them know.

Help on Yelp

If you like us and want to let us know how we are doing with a review, please go to Yelp and search Anthony Spices in Chandler, Arizona for our company page. I am trying to build up a data base for the future to help people get a better idea about our products and how to use them. Reviews on Yelp will eventually end up on my website as a testimonial so I hope to hear from you.

I do appreciate you guys reading my newsletter. If you have any questions or concerns, please hit reply to this email.
Thanks.
Lance Anthony
Owner and Founder
Anthony Spices, LLC
www.anthonyspices.com
lance@anthonyspices.com
Chandler, Arizona
Ph: 602-690-9900
Fax: 602-513-7104
Better Business Bureau “A+” Rated
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