I really need to thank Gloria Cabada-Leman over at The Carolina Sauce Company. Gloria was kind enough to take a rookie under her wing and not only did she agree to a future interview, but volunteered her husband as well! Gloria is the business-woman at the helm of the Carolina Sauce Company. Her husband Greg is not only the creator of Greg’s Happy Sauce and Greg’s Hot n Bottled Sauce, but he is a master griller and smoker as well – with a special knack for wild game. I can’t wait to post their interviews. To top it all off, Gloria generously sent to me a bottle of Apple Butter BBQ Sauce – which was destined to become my very first product review!

Well, the bottle arrived safely and frankly, I couldn’t wait. I committed an unspeakable horror. Sacrilege, some might say. My smoker/grill was not yet in service, but a whiff and taste of that sauce and I was doomed. I took some chicken breasts out of the freezer, thawed, wrapped in foil with some onion, salt and pepper and cooked for awhile, with just a small dollop of sauce. The chicken baked/steamed until I could pull it apart with a fork. Then I pulled it, smeared it in sauce, and cranked up the heat. Voila – faux grilled chicken.

Seriously, this sauce is amazing. My wife and daughter both had a little taste out of the bottle, and then – of course, on the chicken. Everyone was literally astounded at the myriad of flavors! Now we’re not a bunch of pinky-wavin’ wine tasters. “Sits well on the palate” isn’t in any of our vocabularies. That being said, that’s kind of how the conversation went. “Wow, you can taste every ingredient!”; “Every time it moves in your mouth, you taste something different!”. You can taste apple, then you can taste vinegar, then you get horseradish, then you get something else. I admit, I was a little unsure about something as sweet as apple – but it was “The Bomb”! Luckily, there’s more than enough left over for a legitimate BBQ taste test. Folks, if you’ve never tried this, you need to, especially if you’re looking for something a little different. Sooner rather than later!

Apple Butter BBQ

One last note, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Gloria and Greg are also a driving force behind “Operation Sauce Drop”. OSD is a wonderful program designed to send troops overseas a little taste of home. Soldiers, sign up, pick a theme and get a box of sauce sent to them – fiery, mild, zesty, etc. If you’ve ever eaten hard rations, you’ll know that some extra flavor goes a longgg way. I would ask that you check out Operation Sauce Drop as well. Their program has ground to a halt, and is in need of donations.

Thanks again to Gloria – look for more on her and Greg, in April.

www.carolinasauce.com

I want to thank Daniel over at Mad Cow Cutlery for sending this article over. It’s very informative! ~DRR

The Truth About German Steel Blades 

In today’s kitchen knife market the customer can be confused by the large number of knife brands that are for sale. Every company states that their brand is the best—it is sharper, holds an edge better, and is balanced for performance. Every manufacturer claims that they can turn an average cook into an excellent chef just by using their product. These are typical marketing strategies, but one strategy that the customer may not be aware of is the claim by some manufacturers that their knives are made from German stainless steel.

Some consider German steel to be superior to steel made in other countries, thus a higher quality material for knives. This is an argument best left to the metal geeks and metallurgists, but German steel is used by some of the larger knife manufacturers. This is where the problem arises. Since German steel is considered the standard for excellence and quality, manufacturers have found a marketing tool in labeling their product as being produced from German steel. Some advertise “German steel” or “German blade”, leading a customer to believe the blade was made of the finest materials, crafted in Germany. The term can be deceptive though. The term “German steel” or “German stainless steel” doesn’t necessarily mean it was produced in Germany, but rather is allowed to mean the steel was constructed using German formulas for steel composition. The steel may have actually been produced in another country other than Germany. If you feel that all steel is the same, and that German steel is no better than Brazilian steel, then you probably think that the steels are the same. This could be accurate, if weren’t for the manufacturers’ pursuit to get products made as cheap as possible.

A leading steel producing country, such as China, can offer these manufacturers low prices on steel that is supposed to be produced using the German standards. The problem arises when these Chinese firms skimp on some of the materials and produce inferior quality steel that is less structurally sound—meaning frequent blade breakage, or the blades lack the correct amount of chromium, vanadium, nickel or other elements that help make the blades more resistant to corrosion. As a customer, you would think that a manufacturer of knives or any other stainless kitchen utensil or cookware would test the steel to verify that it meets certain standards of composition. In the real world, a majority of knives on the market are not distributed by the actual manufacturer. Anyone with a little money can contact a Chinese kitchen utensil or knife maker and have them produce a product under a certain name; have them shipped to a warehouse in the US, and contract with a sales and marketing group that will introduce and advertise your product to the retail markets. If you have even more money you can have fancy TV commercials and print ads produced and give your product to a food magazine or TV show and pay for them to endorse the product. As the “manufacturer” you have no idea that the product you are selling is inferior and really don’t care to have an outside firm test your product. The Chinese company provides a document stating that the steel meets a certain standard and their word is not questioned. This practice is common with large kitchen equipment manufacturers looking to expand their product lines to generate higher revenues and capitalize on their good reputation of equipment manufacturers,
but the knives usually do not achieve the same high standards as their ovens, microwaves, mixers, etc. We won’t even discuss the discount store $5.00 chef knives private labeled cutlery produced for companies that are only concerned with having junk made for practically nothing, so they can mass distribute trash cutlery into the market.

For quality cutlery, such as kitchen and bbq knives look for brands that are actually manufactured by that company and only choose those lines that are produced in the manufacturer’s country. Be aware that some quality knife manufacturers have some of their cheap lines made in China.

For economical, quality brands check out brands such as Mundial—a Brazilian country that has roots in German knife manufacturing and have manufactured knives for brands such as Henckel. The low cost of labor and economical source of steel makes this a great choice for those searching for a commercial quality knife at a great price. Mundial is a leading brand in the US food service industry and used extensively by meat processing establishments around the orld. Be aware, that some of their cheaper cleavers and forks are made in China, though Mundial routinely tests the quality of the steel used in their products made in China.

Victorinox is another very popular and highly rated knife manufacturer, best known for their Fibrox handle stamped blade knives. Used extensively in the meat processing industry in the US, Victorinox knives are primarily Swiss made and use quality steels in the production of their products. Victorinox represents a mid-level price tier for cutlery—meaning you can get good knives, both stamped and forged, for a price that is reasonable.

Another, quality brand is the German knife company Friedr. Dick, or F. Dick. F. Dick is known world?wide for their quality products, especially their commercial line of butcher and chef knives and utensils. Unlike other brands, F. Dick manufacturers all of their products in Germany, enforcing strict quality control standards to produce some of the most durable and best looking knives on the market. Priced not much more than Victorinox, F. Dick is a major sponsor of cooking and butcher competitions in Europe and the US and have won numerous awards for their quality and design.

So in conclusion, don’t trust when a brand advertises their knives as being German steel. Buying your cutlery from an actual, long?standing knife manufacturer is assurance that you will be buying a tool that will withstand abuse and provide years of service. Purchasing your knives from an authorized dealer will also guarantee that you receive full protection by the manufacturer’s warranties—which sometime extend for the life of the knife.
 
By Daniel Clay, Mad Cow Cutlery, www.madcowcutlery.com

OK, I know it’s not meat-related, but I figured it was worth posting. Consider it a public service announcement

For those who are interested in the results from the 1st Annual Chandler BBQ Throwdown, here you go, courtesy of Mike over at the AzBBQ Forums.

Congrats to Jim & Adrian of Sweet Peppers for winning 3 out of 4 categories & Grand Champion.

Congrats to Vince & Alexa of Rhythm N’ Que for winning Reserve Grand Champion

Congrats to Catalina BBQ who competed in both events, won 3 out of 4 categories in Backyard, Won Backyard Grand Champion and finished 10th overall in the main competition. Incredible job.

Congrats to VRM Pit Crew for winning Reserve Grand Champion in the Backyard while also competing in the main event and finishing 7th Overall in that.

Congrats to Major Woody’s Baron Von Jager Team for Hosting the Midnight Appetizer Party, Providing the Party Bus & still finishing 4th overall.

Congrats to all who walked in the competition, there was some great talent out here.

GC – Sweet Peppers
RGC – Rhythm N’ Que
3rd – Otis & the Bird
4th – Major Woody’s Baron Von Jager
5th – BBQ Bullies
6th – Totally Que-Less BBQ Team
7th – VRM Pit Crew
8th – McFrankenboo BBQ
9th – Sauced Up!
10th – Catalina BBQ Company
11th – Smokin Phoenicians BBQ Team
12th – Smoked to the Bone
13th – I.A.B. 30
14th – Loot N’ Booty BBQ
15th – Smokewagon BBQ
16th – The Good Times BBQ Co.
17th – Bark N’ Chickens
18th – BBQ Castaways

Backyard, Kids Q & Best Booth Results.

Kids Q

Grand Champion – Big Daddy’s Kids
Reserve Grand Champion – Major Woody’s Baron Von Jager BBQ Team

Backyard BBQ Throwdown

Grand Champion – Catalina BBQ Company
Reserve Grand Champion – VRM Pit Crew
3rd Overall – Freddie G’s BBQ

Chicken:

1st – Catalina BBQ Company
2nd – Freddie G’s BBQ
3rd – VRM Pit Crew
4th – Billygoat BBQ
5th – Native Grillers

Best Burger:

1st – VRM Pit Crew
2nd – Brady’s Midwestern Meats
3rd – AZBarbeque
4th – Catalina BBQ Company
5th – Freddie G’s BBQ

Carne Asada:

1st – Catalina BBQ Company
2nd – Native Grillers
3rd – Brady’s Midwestern Meats
4th – Billygoat BBQ
5th – Freddie G’s BBQ

Salsa:

1st – Catalina BBQ Company
2nd – VRM Pit Crew
3rd – Freddie G’s BBQ
4th – Native Grillers
5th – Billygoat BBQ

Best Booth:

1st – Loot ‘N Booty BBQ
2nd – AZBarbeque
3rd – BBQ Castaways
4th – VRM Pit Crew
5th – Whiskey Ranch

I’ve been eying this. I think I’m gonna give it a whirl this weekend. Dang it looks good! A big thanks to Mark Whisante over at SmokinRub.com for letting me re-post his recipe. I’ll be sure and let you know how it turns out! ~DRR

“Living here in North Alabama (Huntsville) surrounded by great BBQ joints (Lawler’s, Whitt’s, Greenbrier, and Gibson’s) I know what it takes to make a great white BBQ sauce.

In some parts of the country people do not know what white BBQ sauce is. If you dont, PLEASE grill you some chicken and use this sauce to pour over it. It will make the chicken the best you have ever eaten.

Well here ya go:

3/4 cup Mayo
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp of Wizzy’s Smokin BBQ rub
1/2 tsp black pepper

Wisk everything together and let sit in the fridge for 12-24 hours before using/tasting. You will need to allow all ingredients to mingle for the set hours above this will allow everything to mix. And if you dont, the sauce will taste awful. Recipe makes 1 cup of sauce, just enough for 1 dinner

Great on BBQ chicken, pork, and even hush puppies

If you are looking for this recipe, you are probably about to cook some chicken or pork either on the grill or smoker. PLEASE check out my BBQ rub its the BEST!!

Thanks
Mike Whisante
Owner – http://www.smokinrub.com “

Wow – the thin blue smoke has barely cleared, and the sparks are now flying! The folks over at the AzBarbeque Forums are really upset with some unfavorable reviews on the event. Compared to some of the others, my review is vanilla!

Now the bunch at AzBarbeque Club is the last group of folks that I want to alienate. I have only recently joined their forum and so far they have been welcoming and friendly. They have a lot to offer in terms of knowledge and experience and I might enjoy cranking up my ‘cue to their level some day.

Here are some of the negative reviews floating around:

East Valley Tribune

Good Greasy Eats

Chow Bella via The Phoenix New Times

Reading it all, and taking part in conversations at the BBQ Forums, I think everyone is right. Have a look at the commenter name Michelle – she made some points that were dead on. The food was great, but I think the event was probably mis-marketed. Now, I’m a pretty bright guy, but I was confused by it all as well. Some questions asked over at the BBQ forums showed me how BBQ folks view this type of event – “primarily a competition, that the public is invited to observe”.

I think the organizers/teams are too close to the event to be objective. They are obviously very passionate about what they do. They enjoy socializing with the other teams, and they enjoy competing. They are seeing it from a competitor’s point of view. The competition went well, they were able to visit with other teams, they had more public attend than expected. They cooked up some good eats, and the competition was hearty. For them, the event was indeed a roaring success!

I can’t speak for all of the public. I just can tell you that while I was waiting in line (about 1:30) I would guess about 1/3 to 1/2 of the people leaving weren’t very happy, and they were voicing that.

My wife and I got samples at the Big Green Egg tent and 2 other booths. The AzBarbeque club did in fact still have some food left, but we had just bought some frozen yogurt. The vast majority of booths were out. Their explanations make sense, after the fact. As “Michelle” pointed out though, the public was encouraged to come and “sample/taste/etc”. That was pretty challenging. Long story short – as a fledgling smoker, the logistical mishaps weren’t enough to keep me away next time, either as an entrant, a volunteer, or just a member of the public. I do hope that the organizers take some of the comments to heart, and do a better job of educating/promoting/informing Joe Public. As far as the heated discussions going on at the review pages, I truly believe it is simply the “Tale of Two Perspectives”.

If you were attending as a member of the public, what did you think?

If you are on Facebook, you won’t want to miss the cool contest that they are running over at Mad Cow Cutlery.

The winner receives a Victorinox 8-pc knife set with block, a forged F. Dick 1905 series chef knife, or a Smith’s Diamond sharpening steel. That’s some awesome stuff, right there. Go here to sign up: SWEEPSTAKES.

Whether you are new to backyard grilling or cooking in the kitchen, I suggest you contact Daniel Clay or one of his staff over at Mad Cow. Let them know what you are doing, your budget, etc., and they can put together a “starter kit” based on your criteria, and their vast experience. Seriously, from knives to sharpeners, thermometers, utensils, you name it – Mad Cow can set you up.

What a beautiful Arizona spring day! Our daughter was over at friends’ so my wife and I took the opportunity to visit the 1st Annual Chandler BBQ Throwdown. I think the organizers must have been very pleased with the event. When we arrived at around 1:15, the line extended around the block and patrons were leaving saying that they had run out of ribs LOL.

Overall, my wife and I had a very enjoyable time. It was apparent that the vast majority of logistical glitches were due to the fact that they had a LOT more people show up than were anticipated. That, combined with the fact that it was a first-time event explained a lot. I think reasonable people take that into account.

It was our first BBQ event ever, so we weren’t sure what to expect. You had to pay to get in, and pay for samples. Half of that money went to charity. You can read some pretty good discussions and explanation over at the AzBarbeque Forums. It was apparent that this event was a massive undertaking and that it was well-planned in regards to sponsors, promotion, logistics, etc. For sure next year, I hope to participate in some way, other than as an “attendee”. My wife was hooked also.

Some pics:

The Big Green Egg crew

Yum. peppers and onions on the hotplate at Senor Chile’s

MMmm. Walt’s BBQ sauce line-up

Lotsa heat at the Anthony’s Spices booth

I really want to thank Big Ron Garcia of Big Ron’s Rub for taking the time to answer some questions and help a newbie along! Ron is the very first of what I hope to be lots of interviews at The Dry-Rubbed Rat. I have about 4 more interviews in the pipeline, with some real interesting folks, so I hope people spread the word. Thanks again Ron! ~DRR

1) How long have you been smoking?
I started after making my rub in 2006 for personal use. I was trying to begin to sell my product and found most competition cooks won’t use something unless it is proven to win. In early 2007 when I wanted to sell my rub, I tried smoking. Although I am a great cook, smoking food is a very different type of cooking. Almost everything I did at first did not come out like it should and my family and friends were kind enough to still eat it and enjoy my progress getting better each time I cooked.

2) Besides smoking, what other types of cooking do you enjoy?
I love grilling over direct flames. Chicken, fajitas, burgers etc. I can do damage in a kitchen as well, stovetop or oven. I just love to cook; just for the family or cook big for catering or family and friends get togethers. All I need is an excuse to cook.

3) How long have you been marketing your rubs?
I started in 2007. I was in the restaurant business and was unhappy with the lifestyle and amount of hours required to be succesful, so I left to go back to finish school. I missed the daily cooking. It was summertime in 2006 and I was grilling and my girlfriend (now wife) said I was cheating using a jazzed up store bought seasoning. I took out a white paper plate, a spoon and the spices I liked to cook with. On the second attempt came my Hint of Houston recipe using one part this and one part that; until I got it where I liked it. The wife said it was too spicy for the average user so I took out a few things and there was the Big Ron’s Original recipe. It has not changed since that day.

4) What made you decide to go to market?
Everyone I cooked for and that tasted my rub loved it and told me I should sell it. I went to a local spice store, mixed up a batch, went to the dollar store and got some jars. Printed my own labels and went to a local flea market to try to sell it. I wanted to give samples so I seasoned hamburger meat and cooked it on site in an electric skillet. I gave samples of cooked meat with the Big Ron’s Original Rub. I sold out every weekend and got a regular following after a summer of selling it. I then found a few BBQ forums online and I started selling it there as well.

5) What has been your biggest surprise since you started producing and marketing your rubs?
The feedback for sure. It has been a happy surprise that the recipes I like is liked by others as well. I am very sodium sensitive and this was a driving factor in my rub. Low sodium that has a great flavor and compliments everything. I feel it was just luck that I was able to accomplish it.

6) What is the most common mistake made by people new to smoking?
Over seasoning and over smoking. You need to season lightly coast to coast over the item you are cooking, not cake it on. Just like my slogan “Just Rub It On!”. You also need a nice clean fire and need to maintain the temperature. If it gets too low, you add more wood, this causes it to smoke heavily and can leave the food with a very smokey flavor. Some don’t like it too smokey and it may leave them with a bad impression on smoked foods altogether. It should leave a nice hint of smokey flavor while tasting the natural flavor of the food cooked.

7) What’s your favorite thing to smoke?
I do some competition cooking so Brisket, Pork Spare Ribs and Chicken is often. I also like pork butts, Beef Ribs, and Turkeys during the Holidays. I even like to do a whole Ham.

What’s the future hold for Big Ron’s Rub? Would you like to keep growing?
For spices, I have a Chili seasoning I plan to get going when it starts to get cold again. Again low sodium and taste great. I have done several trial runs and gotten great results. I also have a BBQ sauce I love for ribs and I am working on another for other Poultry and Meats. Of course I would like to keep growing. I am in a few local stores and a few BBQ shops that sell rubs and others accessories for Grilling/Smoking. I am tryign to build relationships with BBQ Pit/Smoker builders to sell my rub. So far only a few have chosen to carry it, but it is a start. I also have a family and make time for that daily. I am moving very slow and trying to grow at a reasonable pace making sure business is consistent before going to the next step. I plan to market the BBQ sauce very soon and after that I may try a few more stores to see where that goes.

Thanks again, Ron! You can buy Ron’s products online!

Wow – what a great idea! One of the things that keep our troops going is “comforts from home”, and what better treat than BBQ sauce! Yum. I want to thank the folks at the Carolina Sauce Company for telling me about this awesome program. Kudos to them, and all of the folks that contribute to their efforts. ~DryRubbedRat

Please, please, please visit Operation Sauce Drop and consider contributing to this cause.

From the Operation Sauce Drop website:

The mission of Operation Sauce Drop is to deliver great-tasting sauces to US military personnel stationed abroad, free of charge. Why are we doing this? Because we would like to thank our brave troops for their sacrifices with a small token of our appreciation, and perhaps a taste of home. We have assembled seven different themed gift boxes of sauces, from mild and zesty to hot and fiery, from which any serviceman or servicewoman stationed at an APO or FPO address may choose, and we will ship their choice of gift box to their APO or FPO address at absolutely no cost to them whatsoever.