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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Whoa – who said being a decent blogger is easy?? Pantry low on products to review, swamped at my real job, and the worst computer virus I have ever had equals a month of inactivity! Arrgghh

Sending out tweets and contacts now, and brushing the dust out of the Dry-Rubbed Rat dashboard. Look for things starting to pick up real soon!

Have a sauce you love? A gadget that is a must for outdoor cooking technicians? A rub to die for? Tell them about me, or me about them! I’m happy to do interviews, product reviews, company news and more!

Have a new smoking cookbook to play with and it will be cooling off soon so I will be smoking more!

Planning an outdoor adventure? Camping? Rock climbing? Hiking? No need to sacrifice taste for your outdoor meals and snacks. Nor do you have to result to store-bought bars and snacks filled with preservatives and sodium. Excalibur, the leading manufacturer of food dehydrators provided, has provided tasty recipes perfect for your next outdoor excursion.

The advantage? Convenience. Dehydrated foods can be easily taken on a camping or hiking trip. The small bags of lightweight morsels can be carried on backpacking or canoe trips. Items such as jerky, dried apples and granola have been popular with hunters for years. The nutrients and energy from these foods can keep you going all day.

The Excalibur 3500 5-Tray Food Dehydrator is the most popular choice for active families who love the outdoors and want the convenience of countertop use. This dehydrator contains 5 large polycarbonate trays with 8 square feet of tray area. The unit boasts a built in on/off switch, a convenient removable door, a timer and an adjustable thermostat, allowing temperatures from 85º to 145º F. With 35 years of manufacturing excellence, the Excalibur Food Dehydrator sets the industry standard for design, quality, and dependability.

Please find the delicious recipes below, courtesy of Excalibur.

Camper’s Favorite Chili

• 1 ¼ C. canned pinto beans
• 2 C. tomato sauce—homemade or commercial
• 12 Oz. dried pasta (such as elbow macaroni)
• 3 Whole jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 5 Oz. ground beef (optional)
• ½ onion minced
• Seasoning as desired

Brown ground beef and cook pasta until done. Combine all ingredients in large saucepan and heat to boiling. Season to taste. Spread on Paraflexx® covered dehydrator try and dehydrate at 155°F/68°C until dry approximately 5 hours. To rehydrate, cover with water, boil stirring occasionally and serve. Serves 4

One Pot Spaghetti

Combine in 1 gallon freezer-weight zip lock bag:

• 1 C. dried mushroom pieces and/or slices
• ¼ dried diced green bell pepper
• 3 T. dried onions
• 1 envelope dried spaghetti sauce (8 oz.)
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 C. thin spaghetti noodles

Boil 4 cups water in medium pot. Add mix. Cook stirring frequently, about 5 mins. If noodles stick add a little water. Remove from heat, cover, let stand 5 min. or until noodles are tender. Serves 2-3

Camp Scrambled Eggs

• 3 eggs
• 1 T. water
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in bowl and beat very lightly until just blended. Add any of the following variations or implement any of your favorite ingredients:

Cheese mushroom:
• 6 fresh mushrooms sliced
• ¾ C. any variety grated cheese

Herb:
• 3 sprigs parsley minced
• ¼ C. onions chopped
• 1 tsp. any dried herbs

Spanish:
• 1 C. tomato sauce
• 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, fresh or canned, seeded and minced

Blend together egg mixture and any of the variations. Place in skillet with 1 T. olive oil. Scramble until done. Place on Paraflexx® sheet and dehydrate at 155°F/68°C until dry. Approximately 5 hours. To rehydrate, cover with boiling water, stir occasionally and serve. If there is an excess of liquid pour it out.

Basic Jerky

• 3 to 4 lbs lean beef (cut into strips)
• ½ cup tomato sauce base or catsup
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp onion powder or 2 tsp onion flakes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cracked powder
• ½ tsp hickory smoke flavoring or salt

Blend all ingredients and soak meat strips in mixture. Keep refrigerated 6 to 12 hours, stirring and turning meat occasionally in marinade. Once meat is marinated to desired strength, drain off marinade and dry.

Hawaiian Jerky

• 1 lb. lean meat cut 3/16” thick
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 T. brown sugar
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• ¼ C. pineapple juice
• ¼ C. soy sauce

In small glass bowl combine all ingredients except meat. Stir to mix well. Place meat 3-4 layers deep, spooning sauce over all layers. Cover tightly in refrigerator for 6-12 hours stirring occasionally. Take meat out of marinade and place on dehydrator trays. Dry at 155°F/68°C for 5-6 hours or until completely dry. Makes about ½ pound jerky.

Cranapple Leather

• 1 cup apples, chopped
• ½ cup cranberries
• Honey or sugar to taste

Puree apples in blender with a small amount of water. Add cranberries and sweetener if desired. Pour on Paraflexx®, kitchen parchment paper, or plastic wrap covered dehydrator trays and dry at 135°F/57°C until leathery.

Power Bars

• 3 C. rolled oats, barley or wheat
• 2 ½ C. powdered milk
• ½ package citrus flavored gelatin (approx. 8 oz)
• 1 C. sugar
• 2 T. honey
• 3 T. water

Place rolled oats, powdered milk, and sugar in bowl. Add water to honey and bring to a boil; dissolve gelatin in honey and water mixture. Add dry ingredients. After mixing well add water a teaspoon at a time until barely most enough to be molded. Shape into bars. Dehydrate at 155°F/68°C until hard.

Nonnie’s Great Granola

• 4 cups rolled oats
• ½ cup wheat germ
• 1 cup brown sugar or ½ cup honey
• 2 cups coconut
• 1 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup almonds and walnuts, chopped
• ½ cup wheat or soy flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tsp salt

After dehydrating the above ingredients add:

• 1 cup raisins
• ½ cup dates
• ½ cup dried pineapple
• ½ cup dried apples
(or any combination of dried fruits)

Mix the first group of ingredients together in a large bowl and spread onto Paraflexx®, kitchen parchment paper, or plastic wrap. Dehydrate at 155°F/68°C (approximately 3 hours) until crunchy. Add the second group of ingredients. Serve with milk or plain yogurt.

Finally, check out their specials just for outdoorsmen: Specials for Hunters

Had the pleasure of meeting Dave and Eva Marie Calvert this weekend, over at Power Postal near Johnson Ranch. I had to find an authorized FedEx Outlet where I could send a rifle back to the manufacturer, and they were the closest one. As I was looking around the store I noticed some rubs on the shelf. Turns out these folks not only have an awesome selection of rubs and sauces for sale, but hey are a dealer for Green Mountain Grills also!

As a matter of fact, he’s running a great deal on these grills now. You can get the 400 square inch grill for $759 bucks. Dave throws in a bag of pellets per month, for a year.These Green Mountain Gold pellets are a premium blend of oak and other hardwoods chosen for optimal performance and flavor.

Here is what Green Mountain has to say about this smoker:

The Daniel Boone Model comes with a digital control, a meat probe, a peaked lid for stand-up chicken/ large fowl/ rib racks, a convenience tray with utensil hooks, hard rubber tires and a venturi-style firebox for cyclone combustion. It also has Sense-Mate, a thermal sensor which constantly monitors the ambient temperature. When it gets cold outside, it kicks the grill into Turbo mode so you don’t have to wait long for the grill to heat up! Other features include a positive pressure hopper fan to prevent burn-back, “fan only” mode with automatic shut-off to blow ash out of the firebox after you finish grilling, a 27X16 (432 sq. in.) stainless steel grate, and 13.5” clearance inside. It weighs 152 pounds.

Seriously, whether you are looking for a great deal on a new smoker, or wanting to find some great new sauces r rubs, check out Power Postal. They are just off of Hunt Highway, just before Bella Vista. You can give them a call at (480) 882-2892 or email at santanvalleybbq@hotmail.com

Oh, if you’re just getting into smoking and are looking for someone’s brain to pick, Dave is a competition Q’er too – he really knows his stuff!

I saw this on sale at Wal-Mart and it was labeled “pork brisket”. I have never heard of such a thing, so decided to give it a whirl. It looked sort of like ribs, so I decided to use a 3-2-1 method, which worked good.

I rubbed the meat liberally with a great rub from the guys at 3eyzbbq, wrapped in Saran Wrap and put in the fridge overnight.

I then put some more on, before putting them into the smoker.

These babies smoked at 225 for 3 hours. Then I wrapped in foil added some liquid (didn’t have any apple juice, so I used cherry limeade, believe it or not) and smoked for 2 more.

Then I cranked the heat up, basted and cooked about an hour more. Was out of high-end sauces to review so went to a backup plan – Kraft Spicy Honey that I bought on sale, somewhere along the way. These turned out great! As usual, my co-workers were very grateful that I had leftovers!

I have long been a fan of Lance Anthony of Anthony’s Spices and his awesome line of spices and rubs. Lance came through again, donating some of his sauce and spice for an event recently held by Gateway Outdoors.

I talked to Lance the other day and his business is booming. He’s really looking to expand his retailer network. If you have a gift shop, food shop, heck – if you own a bait shop – contact him. These spices are attractively packaged and make good gifts, souvenirs, and should be a mainstay in the outdoorsman’s kitchen.