Photos - First Annual Asheboro Chili Cook Off - Say Cheese (or beans)

If you missed the Asheboro Chili Cook Off on 4-18-09 or even if you went (and like to Google around and see if you're online), here are some of the photos from the first annual street festival.


Visiting from Jugtown to make up a big pot of chili.


Fancy meeting you up here. I'll bet my Daddy can walk faster than yours. Oh yeah. Well, mine is taller. OK. So, let's just be buddies. Catch you back on the ground.


The Asheboro police officers were out and keeping an eye on things. They found a little shade here on a hot day. It was a little noisy right next to the speakers for the band, but it was a laid back crowd with everyone from Grandmas to infants. And, everyone was playing nice. I guess chili just brings out the best in everyone. And, I hope the officers got some too. With 20 to 30 thousand in town, they had a busy day.


Hey. I know this man. He's Joel Burger. No. Not really. He is Joel, but his last name is not burger. I just think of him as Joel Burger, because he has a blog about his burger with pimento cheese that is served in Winston. I have that on my road trip map for soon.


Can you eat chili and walk? It's kind of like chewing gum and walking. Some can. Some can't. Looks like these festival visitors had it down.


It wasn't all chili at the festival. Light up grills, and you're going to have a whole lot of meat sizzling. Now, I'm hungry again and sure wish I had a piece of that grilled chicken. I did score steak at the Fresh Cuts booth (the local butcher's booth). They not only rocked that steak, they also won the Chili contest. Now, that's a meat man you can trust.

More Photos from the Asheboro, North Carolina First Annual Chili Cook Off Contest

The Chili Cook Off in Asheboro, North Carolina yesterday (4-18-09) was quite and experience. It was the first time they'd had this street festival, so no one really knew what to expect. No problem. Folks had a good time, and that's what counts.

I hope they do make the Chili Cook Out an annual NC event. I guess folks need to let Bryan who owns the Bagel Shop in town know that, because he came up with the idea and made it happen. Thumbs up to him and everyone who worked really hard to see to it that everyone felt like family in Asheboro.


Welcome to the Pepsi generation. Pepsi is a North Carolina soft drink or soda as it's often called in these parts. Head further toward the mountains, and it's pop. In any case, the kids love it. Great on a hot day - if not so very healthy. But, it was a Chili Cook Off after all.


Next year, someone needs to put this fellow in charge of something. He danced for an hour or more solid I think, and he didn't even break a sweat. Must have waited until after to test out the chili.


They don't use those kiddie leashes in Asheboro. Nope. It's more the village system. Several little ones made a break for the stage and a couple even managed to hit it a couple of times. No big deal. That's what kids do. Made me think of the Sawyer Brown song - "The Race is On." The band didn't play that, but they did some other great country favorites.


The call can wait. Here, have a bite. Oh well. Just slurp it down and keep on talking. Got ya. It's a hot one. No. Not really. But, that could be a fun trick for those who are cell phone addicted.


Now, this is what I call having a big time. Crank that music up a little louder, and we're going to rock this town all night long (or until 10 p.m.)

1st Annual Asheboro Chili Cook Off 2009 - Thumbs Up

Fun Time at the Asheboro, NC Chili Cook Off for All Ages


Chili Cooking and Smelling Like Heaven


Cowboy Dances and Dances - Might Want to Sign Him Up for the Band


Cooks Were Working Hard but Having a Great Time at the Asheboro Chili Cook Off


Turn Out the Lights - The Party's Over - Until Next Year - We Hope!

It's always fun but kind of hectic to be part of a FIRST ANNUAL anything. I was honored to be invited to judge at the first ever Asheboro, North Carolina Chili Cook Off.

Bryan, who owns the bagel shop in town where you will get the real deal, came up with this idea to have a Chili Cook Off. I doubt he knew what he was getting in to, because I've planned a big shebang, and it's a whale of a lot more work than anyone can imagine.

The chili cooks showed up way before I did, and I was early on at this party. I always allow a little time to get lost, since my internal compass is messed up. They told us North was ahead in school, so I have this idea that I'm always headed north which can complicate getting places - other than up north.

When I got to Asheboro, Southbound 49 was playing, and they were real crowd pleasers. The sound was country rock, and everyone from Grandma to the little ones were clapping or dancing.

All the chili cooks were sharing samples. With some competitions, you don't get that kind of atmosphere. It's more about winning and less about everyone having fun. In Asheboro, it was about a good time.

As a judge, I got to hang out in Bryan's Bagel Shop and meet the mayor and other local celebrities as well as getting to try all the chili dishes. That was not good for my diet but was a good time - for sure.

I sure hope they continue to has this small town festival. It was definately fun.

Full of Chili After Judging the Asheboro Chili Cook Off - April 2009

This is NOT a police line up. Really. We are the chili contest judges in Asheboro, NC after eating a whale of a lot of chili. From left to right: Asheboro Mayor David H. Jarrell, Grill Girl, Moses Howard, and Chris from Chris and Chris on the radio.

There was some serious deliberation going on at the judging counter. The mayor and Moses ponder on what makes the perfect chili.


The owner of Fresh Cuts Butcher and Seafood hot foots it to the front when he's named the winner of the first annual Chili Cook Off in Asheboro.


Bryan Vaughan and Chris congratulate Kevin Hill who owns Fresh Cuts Meat & Seafood of Asheboro on having the best darn chili in North Carolina.


Don't you wish you local butcher looked this cute and also could make award winning chili?

Everyone should judge a chili contest once. I can tell you that it's quite and experience.

Today, I drove out to Asheboro to help pick the best chili of the day. I took an Imodium beforehand to be on the safe side and packed Tums, crackers, and water.

This was the first year for the Chili Cook Off, and Bryan who owns the local bagel shop put the event together along with my friend Greta who works in promotions.

I arrived early, so I could wander around and enjoy the street festival and shoot a few pictures. Then, I went to the bagal shop to get down to business.

The mayor of Asheboro who was absolutely delightful and Moses Howard (the original rhythm and blues comic) were already checking out the various chilis. I grabbed my pen and paper and began checking out the different cups of chili. Moses (I think it was) said, "Are you supposed to take notes at these things?" I said, "Well, I don't think I can remember all of them without notes."

There were numbers on the cups, so we didn't have a clue who had turned in which chili. We just wrote down numbers and notes including marking down favorites.

We each had a spoon. Yes. We were double dipping. Someone mentioned later about getting a fresh spoon so as not to double dip. Oops. Too late. I confirmed a visual inspection and found the guys to be a healthy, strapping bunch. So, maybe we traded a little spit, but oh well. Life goes on. All that hot sauce probably sanitized everything anyway.

This tasting of the chili was more art than science. We each marked down favorites without comparing notes and then tallied up at the end. There were only 7 or 8 contenders by vote. The ones with three votes went to the top of the chart. That narrowed the pool.

We all agreed on the number one chili. That really was just: Which one was your top pick? We had all tagged the same one for that spot. It stood out.

Likewise with the second place chili. Not much discussion there.

Slot three was more difficult. We went back to tasting and then marking down which ones we liked. We got that down to two bowls. The vote split even - two for one bowl and two for the other. We had to grab a tie breaker judge and went with the chili that she picked out of those last two.

I can't speak for all the judges, but I looked at appearance, aroma, and mainly taste.

In terms of trends, the favorites were mostly classic North Carolina chilis with meat and beans. Folks out in Texas will freak on that. They disqualify chilis with beans out there. And, they aren't much on ground beef chili, although that was the style with most of the North Carolina chilis. In Asheboro, there's an expectation that you're going to have a ground beef base and beans of some type.

Vegetarian chili was interesting and especially the unidenified chunks which were probably tofu. Adding vegetables to the standard chili scored fine with one winner including corn. Mushrooms in there was more like spaghetti sauce, while skimpy on the beans was considered rather like hot dog chili (with no weiners or buns).

Judges tended to be heat freaks for the most part - especially Moses who wore a hot pepper shirt which is a good clue. The mayor and I scored the mild by number 13 top, and I cried on the hot 13 while the mayor did not. I suppose you could say that he kicked my butt on that. Go Mayor Jarrell. In any case, we all loved 13 which is supposed to be the unlucky number but certainly was not today.

The guys cut out after we picked the winners by number, and I stuck around to talk to Greta and to buy a real bagel for my son (who was blown away with it when I got home). Actually, they were not selling bagels, and some nice guy at the bagel shop gave me one, and I will have to take 64 going up to Raleigh soon, so I can buy more. Bryan's homemade bagels really were ALL THAT.

Since I was still in the shop, I got to hear about the winners before they announced that at 5 p.m. It turned out that a local won the contest. That was Fresh Cuts. They don't usually cook. They hand cut meat and have fresh seafood. That's what I'm talking about. We used to have a local butcher but don't now - a shame. Maybe the butcher should open up a restaurant as well, because he sure did make some great chili. That call wasn't even close. We knew first place was number 13. We just didn't know who was number 13. Make mine mild though, because that had plenty of heat. My nose is still running from the hot 13.

Chili Cook Off in Asheboro, NC Saturday 4-18-09

My boys like to cook outdoors in the Dutch Oven. That's how they like to make chili, but I think they're doing chicken and dumplings in this shot.

Everything tastes better cooked outdoors and that includes chili. The good folks in Asheboro, NC know that, so they are having a huge chili cook off this Saturday (April 18, 2009).

It's too late to enter this year, but that's fine. You can drop by and enjoy the fun street festival with lots of music and good food.

I'm very pumped up about the festival, because I get to help judge the chili entries. Talk about a sweet or HOT job. I am definately wearing loose pants, because the last I heard, they have 40 entries. That's a lot of chili to check out.

I am a chili fanatic and love to make and eat all kinds of chili. About the only chili I don't like is stuff named "chili sauce" in a can. What is that? It looks and tastes like dog food. No go on canned chili sauce.

If you've never made chili or don't live close enough to get to Asheboro this weekend, I have a very easy starter chili recipe. It's called Taco Soup, but it's really just a variation of chili with a little Mexican flavor. The flavor is mild, so it works out for groups where you may have folks who just don't "get" hot chili.

If you can get out to Asheboro, it's going to be a blast. They are calling for wonderful weather, and everyone is getting excited. If you see me there, tell me "hi." I enjoy meeting folks who check out my barbecue blog and web sites. I should be in the judging area around 3 p.m. Otherwise, I'll be wandering around enjoying the Asheboro festival.

Hauling a Gas Grill to UNC so My Son Does Not Starve

I sent a sturdy country boy off to UNC-Chapel Hill, and they have sent him home about 30 to 40 lbs lighter. Oh my. I guess they don't have home cooking at Chapel Hill. Not much fast food either right there near campus - unless you count bagels and wraps.

I've sent snacks, but those just aren't sticking to his bones too well. So, now we've loaded up a Char-Broil gas grill to take to his fraternity Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) at Carolina.


Whew! After we managed to run into the dog trolley and jerk the side board off the garage and then get that back up and the dog set, it was time to load the grill. The Char-Broil Quantum actually was not as heavy as expected or as heavy as it looks. I can say that, of course, since I was taking the pictures instead of giving the heave ho.

In any case, the college kid's brother and Dad got that grill hefted up in the truck.


The kayak racks came in handy for stabalizing the gas grill, With bungie cords and a little creative looping, the grill passed my shake test. If it blows out down the highway, then I will document that and rethink the kayak rack and bungie thing.

So as not to rip any more boards off the garage on the other side of the house and for the sake of the dog who does not like vehicles anyway, I had the guys take the grill around the far side of the house. I thought this was at the sacrifice of a flower or two, but the truck fit exactly and did not wipe out any flowers.

Tomorrow the grill will be at the frat house. It's a Char Broil infrared with three burners in the Quantum Professional series. It includes a covered side burner.

Small Southern College Barbecue and Grilled Food

I don't think they usually have North Carolina pork barbecue at Catawapalooza at Catawba College. If so, I have always managed to miss it. For anyone wondering what NC BBQ looks like, this is it. Our barbeque is slow cooked pork shoulder/butt or whole hog and then chopped. This is fine chopped. Some is chopped coarse. It varies from town to town and place to place. Pork barbecue is usually served with a vinegar sauce, but I did not see any at Catawbapalooza. Authentic sauce would be a stretch at a big event. It takes time and the right touch to get the NC vinegar sauce just right.

Zane is one of our students, and he majors in Communication. He also plays center for the football team. He was out helping with Catawbapalooza today. He's just that kind of guy. It was a joy to have him in class, and I was not a bit suprised that he pitched in to make the college spring fun day a good time. In fact, I find that almost all of our football players are stand up. Coach Chip Hester is one of the finest men I know, and he makes a real effort to stress the importance of giving back to the community to his team. The guys do a lot of community service, and they are hard workers in class as well as being polite and team players off the field too.

Here is a closer view of North Carolina chopped barbecue. It looks simple when you see it like this. In fact, it takes many hours to cook down NC pork. That's why you don't see it just everywhere and why it's not a fast food meal. You really have to love barbecue to get into the business. And, you need a good wood pile and a smoke house.

Here is my barbecue sandwich from Catawbapalooza. NC BBQ is typically served on a bun. We had chips and cookies today with such a big group to feed. If you visit a barbecue restaurant in the area, then you will generally get a Carolina barbecue sandwich with hush puppies (like at a fish house) and with slaw and French fries. To drink - of course- sweet tea.

They did have NC barbecue slaw today at the Catawba College spring fun day. That is put on the bun with the barbecue meat. The above is the most typical slaw - a red slaw that has some vinegar and is kind of spicy. Some places serve a mayo based slaw - more like traditional slaw. I am, to be honest, not a big slaw fan. I might eat it on the side, but I do not like my bun to get soggy. So, I usually hold the slaw, unless I can get it really on the side.

Good Food and Fun at Catawbapalooza 2009

The Catawba College Philomatheans manned the grill all day. It's rare that I get to enjoy grilled food without actually doing the grilling, so this was a treat.

Here are some of my students enjoying grilled burgers and hot dogs. I've taught most of them. The others - hint - need to sign up for public speaking or journalism.

Justin has taken several of my classes. He's one of our majors in Communication Arts. He took a break from helping out with the visiting bands.

This young lady is enjoying a grilled burger in the sun. We usually end up with some rain on Catawbapalooza day, but this year could not have been any nicer. I think the temperatures hit the upper 70s. It was definately a shorts and t-shirt day.

Just when I get to know Sally, she's graduating. She and her friend tie dyed their Catawbapoolza t-shirts which turned out really great. I love it when our students get creative.

I'm just back from Catawbapoolza at Catawba College, and it was a really wonderful day of food and fun. I always enjoy Catawbapoolza, but this was the sunniest and warmest one I remember.

The students do a lot of the planning and work for this yearly spring event at the college. I must also give a shout out to Jan Gillean of, the Director the Student Center, who helps coordinate this and other campus student events. I'll bet she will be wiped out tonight.

If you ever have to plan a big party event, you will find that you need a lot of hands. Our college spring party just couldn't happen without so many students pitching in. Different clubs on campus take turns with various booths and also with the grilling. The Philomatheans always take care of cooking the burgers and hot dogs. Other groups on campus help with the sign in tent, games, and other food booths. I took the time to thank a couple of students today. They told me that they enjoy helping out.

The college students also do volunteer work in the community ranging from helping at the homeless shelter to pitching in with Special Olympics.

If you work with a non-profit agency or need help in your community, check with your local college. Our young people have loads of energy and can make a huge difference. They are funny, creative, and they can light up events with big smiles and can-do attitudes.

OK. Now that I have bragged on our college kids (who may be reading this), remember to do your homework and get those newspaper articles in on time. Your teacher is proud of you but expects the same excellence on Monday in the classroom (-:

Catawbapalooza 2009 - College Cook Out and Carnival

The Grill Tent is always central at Catawbapoolza at Catawba College, North Carolina. After all, you really can't have a good party without good food. The guys are busy grilling burgers and hot dogs.

If you've strung a little tight with all the papers and exams as the college term winds down, then a good fun fight may be just the ticket. Place your bets on the winner.

Talk about some extreme fun. Several of my students wanted me to give this ride a try. After a big North Carolina barbecue sandwich, I thought not. Actually, I thought not before the sandwich, but the barbecue made a really good excuse in this case.

Swimmers just never get the glory, unless it Olympic time. Here are members of the swim team at Catawba College. My boys are swimmers too, so I say God Bless swimmers. I also say they sure eat more than you would expect. Throw on some extra burgers. They are also supposed to draw straws and send me a reporter from the team next year for newspaper. No. I wasn't kidding guys.

This is how excited my public speaking students get whenever they see me. OK. Not really. They do come up with some great speeches though, and I'm proud of them.

Today was our annual Catawbapoolza at Catawba College. It usually rains on the big spring party, so it was terrific that this year was sunny and warm. In fact, it felt like summer. That's always a great start to a day of grilled food and fun.

The festivities kicked off about 2 p.m. following the Blue and White football game and an Open House for students thinking about attending Catawba College. The Girl Scouts also had an event going on, so it was a very busy Saturday on campus.

I began the day at Open House but stuck around for Catawbapoolza. I've not missed a one since they started having them. That's been several years now. My boys always come with me, but this year my oldest is off at UNC Chapel Hill, and the younger one had a camping trip. I went kid-less, but that was fine. At a small college, I know most of our students, so I can bop around and visit with the college kids in a social setting for a change.

Catawbapoolza is kind of like a small town carnival. There are a variety of rides plus face painting and other fun activities. There's also plenty of food. In addition to the grill tent, they had pretzels, nacho chips, ice cream, and Frost Bites (a local favorite of shaved ice and various flavors) this year.

Various groups on campus pull this big event together. Student Government plays a key role, but other clubs also pitch in. On my end, I always take pictures. I advise for the student newspaper. Student staff photographers also get photos of Catawbapoolza, but I enjoy taking some as well. We like to showcase Catawbapoolza in the final newspaper each year.

Catawbapoolza was great this year. I need to be mowing my yard, but I think that can wait until tomorrow. Sometimes it's good to let your hair down and enjoy a beautiful day. This was a really nice one.

Char-Grill Raleigh NC - Best Burgers Not Off the Home Grill

Happy Birthday to my son. He turned 19 today!

Char-Grill on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, NC is hopping on Sunday after church. You should see it late on Friday or Saturday night.

Our Char-Grill orders are up. The boys really pig out when we make it to Raleigh and get the world's best restaurant burgers.

Now, that's a super burger. Sadly, it is upside down. Hungry guys do not spend much time primping food for photos. But, you get the idea.

Birthday Lunch at Char-Grill for my Son Who Turned 19 Today!

My boys grew up on home cooking and lots of beef on the grill. The first to leave the nest is at UNC where it appears that he is starving. No offense to the cafeteria or to the eateries on Franklin Street, but those bagels and wraps and preppie burgers just aren't doing the kid proud.

Today is my son's birthday, and his favorite place to eat (besides home) is Char-Grill in Raleigh. Yes. I know that UNC and N.C. State are rivals. I'm a State grad (turned down UNC - thank you very much), but the kid had his heart set on UNC. So, that's where he's at. He's enjoying it other than the food.

We drove over to Chapel Hill and got the birthday kid and headed on down I40 to Raleigh and to Char-Grill.

My son first got turned on to Char-Grill when he was visiting colleges. I took him up to see N.C. State and had to pick up some burgers at Char-Grill. When I was a student at State, that was the thing to do on weekend nights. Students closed the bars down and then hit Char-Grill for burgers and fries. This was back when the drinking age was 18 and when people did not shoot each other. He wasn't so keen on all those bricks at State, but he sure did like the Char-Grill burger. He was only sorry he didn't order two after we got back to the motel room and opened up our Char-Grill bags.

The original (and my favorite) Char-Grill is in downtown Raleigh. It takes only a few minutes to drive from N.C. State, unless you get lost. With all those one way streets, getting lost is a definite possibility. Back when I was in college, I was often the designated Char-Grill burger girl, but I insisted on having a co-pilot to make sure I did not end up in Virginia or Canada.

Char-Grill does not look like the kind of place where you're going to get the best burgers ever. It's a little dive. You can see in the picture. It is not fancy. There are two picnic tables to the left side, but most people either tailgate in the parking lot (so to speak) or grab and go. Inside dining - forget it. There's no room back there where they are pumping out the flame broiled burgers.

When you get to Char-Grill, you get an order form and check off what you want and what you want on what you want. If two people want the same burger but different toppings, then you need separate order forms (though can pay all the orders together at the end). Some toppings are not listed - namely mustard. Just write that in. I also write in chili, because I love that on my Char-Grill burger. You stick the ticket or tickets in the hole and wait to hear your name called.

The burgers are 1/2 pound like in the third photo above or 1/4 pound which is on an oblong bun. Then there are the smaller burgers which are easier to eat while driving, but you probably want at least two of those - or more.

The combos come with fries. They are the bigger and fatter French fries - more like Wendy's. They keep the grease fresh, so those are general fries but always spot on.

While you're waiting on your food, you can watch the grill guys firing up the burgers. Yes. You can see the flames. All the more reason for them not to have tables inside. It's fast and furious behind the glass. Those burger guys earn whatever they make.

Char-Grill got so popular that they have other locations in Raleigh. Some of them are easier to get to than the old downtown burger joint, but they just don't have quite the spirit of the original Char-Grill. Not to worry. The food is fabulous no matter which Char-Grill you visit.

Going to Char-Grill is always a blast from the past for me, and I'm glad my son loves Char-Grill as much as I did at his age. There are plenty of places to eat in Chapel Hill, but it's a treat for us to take him over to Raleigh for a real burger. My hand patted grilled burgers top them, but I can't think of any other restaurant that makes better burgers than Char-Grill.

If you are ever in Raleigh, look up Char-Grill. You won't be sorry. They cook their burgers over real fire, and you can stand there and see them making your meal. Your mouth will be watering.

UNC also made it to the Final Four today (3-29-09), so we cut out before the game, so the kid could enjoy some time with his frat friends.

We stopped by Trader Joe's on the way out of town. I love to get seasonings for my barbecue dishes at Trader Joe's One of my favorites would be the lemon pepper in the grinder. It's very inexpensive, but the flavor really pops when the lemon and pepper are fresh ground. I also have to get the Lacy Cookies at Trader Joe's, because they are the max and not good for me but are a very nice treat.

And You Thought Barbecue Sauce Was Just For Eating

Barbecue Ribs Cooked on the Smokey Mountain Bullet.

We love barbeque sauce around here. We slather up our ribs and love boneless chicken breasts with various BBQ sauces. In fact, hunting for new barbecue sauces is one thing we enjoy doing when we're on vacation. There are loads of local favorites that aren't sold at the big box stores. Some of the unique barbecue sauses are sold at little stores and some are offered at flea markets.

This week we enjoyed Firefighters Barbecue Sauce. Chef Matt came up with that recipe, and proceeds go to help firefighters and their families. That makes the excellent, well-balanced sauce even more special. My boys gave it thumbs up, and I did do.

Another favorite que sauce around here is Stubbs Barbecue Sauce. We can get that one at Food Lion. For some reason, they put it on the bottom shelf. Bummer. Food Lion needs to get that up higher where people can find it.

While we eat our barbecue sauce, I found a guy who makes art with sauce. We just make a mess. This guy actually takes the sauced ribs and sauce and makes a deer. You've got to see it to believe it.

President of PETA Wants to Be Barbecued After Death

Didn't Chicken Little Say The Sky is Falling? She'd Probably Really Cluck if She Saw Ingrid Newkirk's Body Disposal Plan.

Ingrid Newkirk, the founder and President of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has launched yet another media stunt on behalf or her organization. This is just one idiotic power play in her long history of grossing out and annoying people including those who do deeply care about animals.

Newkirk has released her "Directions for the Dispostion of the Remains of Ingrid Newkirk." In addition to posting this macabe document online, Newkirk is shamelessly pumping her list of body parts to be distributed worldwide.

For those who love barbecue, she states "That the 'meat' of my body, or a portion thereof, be used for a human barbecue, to remind the world that the meat of a corpse is all flesh, regardless of whether it comes from a human being or another animal, and that flesh foods are not needed."

Such stunts make a mockery of the plight of animals and turn off people who might be inclined to contribute to a solution. Who wants to be associated with a group of nuts lead by a woman who wants her body ground into hamburger and served for dinner after her death? It makes it hard to take anything PETA says or does seriously.

If you do care about animals, you can adopt animals from your local shelter. Both our cat and dog were abandoned pets and have brought joy to our home.

If you can't adopt, shelters can always use a hand or donations. The local Boy Scouts sometimes visit on Saturday morning and wash the puppies. That makes them more appealing for adoption.

As far as grinding up Newkirk and serving her for dinner, that's just disgusting but typical of the type of gimmicks PETA uses unsuccessfully to bring attention to the organization and to the founder rather than to actually encouraging more compassion and better treatment for animals.

In fact, PETA kills 95% of animals they take in as reported by the Center for Consumer Freedom. In 2008, the death count for homeless pets was 21,339. PETA has a nonprofit status and a $32 million budget. It looks like they could actually do something for animals needing homes instead of making headlines with stupid stunts like the Newkirk barbecue manifesto.

Pickin' Pigs and Banjos Down South - Real Barbecue from a Southern Perspective

Big North Carolina Barbecue Cooker at a Country Pig Pickin'

Up north folks barbeque, which is grilling food over charcoal or gas. Don’t confuse with barbeque in the south which is pork meat slow cooked and served with sauce. Northerners use BBQ as a verb to indicate a style of cooking while southerners use the word as a noun and to mean one specific dish which is universal to the south and very much a part of the culture.

Confusing the way the term BBQ is used can be very . . . well . . . confusing.

I remember my shock when I ordered BBQ up north and got a plate of beef ribs. Now I like ribs, but ribs are ribs and BBQ is BBQ. And, it’s pretty sad to get ribs when you want BBQ.

On the flip side, I know that some of my northern students are plumb shocked when they order BBQ up here and get pork on a bun with slaw when they are expecting something grilled up like back home. That probably ranks up there with ordering a burger all the way at a southern restaurant and trying to figure out what that chilli and slaw are doing on there or having to say chilli beans to get any beans in the chilli.

Barbeque dates way back in the south.

You have to remember that the south was very poor (OK—we still are for the most part) and that pigs fend well in the wild. Pigs even made TV in the Australian outback on Survivor (though that did have that gross out factor). Those pigs are some hearty little critters that can scrounge around and make do when other critters would dry up and keel over.

When you’re talking tough and stringy critters running wild, then you have to think a bit about how to cook. Though pigs now are farmed and fed and much more mellow as far as taste and texture, we are still not talking prime rib. My apologizes to all pig farmers. That tenderloin is primo, but some parts of the pig . . . well . . . guy-friend we need to sit down and talk about that crackled skin and those pigs feet.

If you have a crock pot, then you know that slow cooking can soften up shoe leather. So, slow cooking those old pigs was the way to go. But, some folks slow cooked much better than others and BBQ became an art as well as a social tradition in the south. The cream floated to the top (as it always does) and the best pit cooks got noticed, and pit cooks figured out it was better to cook at an all day bash and have some company since pit cooking pork does take all day.

BBQ was mostly take out in mid century and centered around the smoke house and maybe a shed type addition with a few tables and chairs for travelers. This was one time when white folks crossed the tracks. The BBQ was terrific and it was seen as somewhat “cool” to slip across town and get some good eating. That’s not to say that BBQ was not done in the white communities. It was. Many a white church dinner or political rally centered around picking a pig, but most of the take out places were black owned and operated (and many still are).

The basic process at the smoke joints or at the picnics/rallies was to start cooking early and to cook all day. It was important to get the coals just right and to maintain that even and constant heat so that the meat was cooked through but not burned in spots. We’re talking a very high maintenance process which is why you don’t see fast food BBQ restaurants popping up all over. You can’t do BBQ fast, and if you do, then it is not really BBQ.

Once the meat is done to perfection, then it is sliced or chopped up. Farther west it is pulled, but in the deep south (not including FL) then it is never pulled. Pulling is along the grain and gives a stringy taste which is not southern even though some southern states on the other side of the Appalachians mostly will sell you that.

BBQ is usually bought by the tray which means that you get a cardboard container that is split with meat and slaw. Some slaws are white and some red. The red is generally spicy and has tomatoes and hot pepper while the white is mild and mayonaise based.

With the meat/slaw you get bread and hushpuppies. The bread is to make a sandwich out of the meat and is our white bread which is light and airy. Some BBQ places give you buns instead so that you don’t get soggy bread (which I hate—do not pass a tomato sandwich my way please). Those hush puppies are corn bread deep fried in the skillet in ball or oval shapes.

The thing that really sets the BBQ apart one place to another (besides the skill of the pit cook) is the sauce. Southerners get pretty prideful about the best sauce and the makers do not share those secret recipes. Those sauces are the stuff of legends with some makers taking those secrets to the grave rather than to ever tell how they do it.

The base for the BBQ sauce in the south is vinegar. We do not put thick tomato based sauce on our meat as that is like putting catsup on your filet mignon. Basically you ruin the meat and insult the cook if you put any tomato stuff on the BBQ. If you must do that, then get take out and do not tell any southern soul.

The other ingredients are usually secrets of the cook, but you can tell that most use some hot pepper to give a nip. I love it hot, so I lean toward the spicy pork places. If you don’t like spicy, then you can leave off the sauce or just use a little. The more you drip on the hotter the taste, so I go heavy (which is one reason I much prefer a bun for a BBQ sandwich). But, if you don’t try the sauce, then you really missed the southern experience as the sauce is mightily important.

Around here, Lexington NC is the king of BBQ (and YES most BBQ cooks are men and not women). That is about a 45 minute drive. Here in my town, places will advertise as Lexington style BBQ to draw in crowds though some just build on the skill of the specific pit cook or the sauce like Richard’s of Salisbury. The Salisbury style barbecue includes a little ketchup in the vinegar sauce, and there's always a debate about that.

Only really good BBQ survives around here and in most of the south.

If you’ve never tried southern BBQ, then you are missing out on a food that has become an icon of the south. It cuts across all social lines—black/white, rich/poor, male/female, grown ups/kids.

Although you may not see this mass-produced across the country, that has nothing to do with the taste. The only reason BBQ has not mainstreamed is that it takes a long time to make and the meat cooking and sauce are arts.

BBQ just can’t be reproduced and packed in foil packs at the airport. But, maybe that is a good thing!

Check out this funny and educational video. You'll enjoy some Southern string music and learn more about Southern barbecue as the guys cover it state by state.

Top 10 Things NOT to Say at a Backyard Barbecue

You Will Never Hear Grill Girl Say Any of These Things

Ignorance can be bliss especially at a backyard barbecue with some tanked up buddies who end up sidetracked and sometimes even with the sober ones who do not have a clue how to barbecue.

The Top 10 Things Not to Say at a Backyard Barbecue is dedicated to all my friends who have dropped the meat, grabbed it up, blew on it, and stuck it back on the grill. This seems to be male pattern behavior.

A female friend dropped the hot dogs at a group cook out. She took them inside to wash them. That sounds good, but unfortunately she used the dish washing liquid to wash the wieners. I will not comment on the taste, but I do think the hot dogs were clean.

Top Ten Things You Don’t Want to Hear When You’re at a Cook Out

1. Does anyone know where the fire extinguisher is?

2. How can you tell when this gas tank is empty?

3. Has anyone seen the cat?

4. No. That isn’t pepper.

5. Who needs a recipe?

6. Cut off the burned parts and no one will know.

7. No. It isn’t a grill brush. It’s the dog’s brush.

8. Ten second rule.

9. BOOM!

10. Anyone have the number for Dominos?

Food Lion Barbecue Prizes and Hamburger Toss Game - 2009

Hand Patted Hamburgers with Meat from Food Lion


The grocery stores are getting geared up for grilling season, and Food Lion is no exception.

Food Lion is our local grocery chain. It’s not just down the road, the company was started and is headquartered out of Salisbury, North Carolina.

“Get Fired Up” is the theme for the 2009 backyard barbecue promotions at Food Lion which started on March 4. Every Thursday through September 3, 2009, Food Lion will draw a name weekly for a barbecue prize package.

The barbeque prize package includes a Masterbuilt charcoal grill, bag of Kingsford charcoal, Kingsford tent, store brand lighter fluid, store brand grilling brush, and a $50 Food Lion gift certificate to get some meat and vegetables to go on the grill.

To be entered you need to sign up the Food Lion Shopper’s Companion email which comes out weekly on Wednesday mornings. You then check your email and look for the Get Fired Up sticker logo and follow the directions for that week.

Personally I like getting the grocery store emails. If I’m at work and think about stopping by to get groceries, I can glance there on email and see about specials. If you’re not keen on emails, then you can still play the Grill Game weekly at the Food Lion website.

Just press the Grill Game button. You click to toss grilled hamburgers onto buns that come out from the sides of the page. If you run out of burgers, click the grill to get more.

After you finish the game, you get a coupon you can print out. The coupons are grill themed of course.

Either the game is not working right, or I really stink at computer games. It could be both. In any case, I think I landed some of those burgers on the bun, but my score was 0. When I got home from work, I tried again. I made 0 again.

The good news is that you get the coupon even when you score 0. The one this week was for 360 cups and plates - $1.00 off. There are more coupons if you click around, and those don’t require the burger toss game.

I buy the bulk of my food for grilling at Food Lion. It’s a local company, and there’s one on the way home from work – very convenient. The guys in the meat department are super helpful. They will cut meat to order and also have excellent tips if you’re trying out a new cut of meat.

If you don’t have a Food Lion near your home, try checking the home page for your local grocery store. Most grocery stores start offering grill specials in March. Then, be sure to visit my Yes You Can Grill page for outdoor cooking tips and recipes.

Chef Matt's Firefighters Barbecue Sauce - Really Great Sauce

My Son Wearing the Firefighters BBQ Shirt and Using Chef Matt's Sauce

Chef Matt told me about his barbecue sauce project where firefighters can raise funds to support firefighting or other needs of the community firefighters and families. I grew up in an area with a volunteer fire department and know it can be hard to keep that going - but so important. My family would help with community dinners to raise money. My cousin went on to be a professional firefighter. Bess him.

I always like to support great causes. When someone takes the time to give back, it's important to do your part. I'm always glad to make desserts for the dinners and that sort of thing.

This week we decided to smoke a Boston Butt. Just for the record, a Boston Butt is not the butt. That's the ham. The Butt is the top part of the shoulder.

Since we're from North Carolina, we tend to use the vinegar based sauce with pork. That's a North Carolina tradition.

But . . . I was wanting to check out Chef Matt's barbeuce sauce.

Chef Matt is from out in Arizona, so I was expecting a more Kansas style BBQ sauce. That's OK. The boys' Dad is from Kansas, so we swing both ways. Shhh. Don't tell any of my North Carolina people that.

I must say, "Wow!" Chef Matt kind of hits it in the middle with his Firefighters Barbecue Sauce. It's not as thin as our NC vinegar sauce but not as thick as the Kansas type tomato sauce. It's just a nice balance between those.

The flavor is just out of this world, and I seldom say that. The sauce is kind of tangy with some spice - but not over the top. Again, it's all about the balance. Chef Matt hit it.

My boys are picky on the barbecue sauces. They both gave Chef Matt the thumbs up. My youngest son just had leftovers (the other one has gone back to college now), and we have a variety of barbecue sauces open, but he went with the Firefighters BBQ Sauce. "That's really good," he said. I agree.

In the picture, you'll see that my little guy (who is not so little now) has on the Firefighters t-shirt. That comes with a gift box including the sauce and also bracelets like the Lance Armstrong bracelets. He liked the shirt so much that he now has a new shirt. It was going to be mine. But, you know how it goes with kids. He'll wear it to school and get the word out better anyway, so that's OK.

I'm now looking at the Chef Matt's Arizona Honey Habanero BBQ Sauces. Those come in hot, mild, and raspberry. The sauces have no fat, no cholesterol, and are low in sugar. That's good news, since my doctor tells me that my cholesterol is not looking great currently. Also, my boys especially love honey.

If you enjoy outdoor cooking and smoking, try out some different sauces. You can get totally new flavors with sauces from various areas.

I'm glad we got a taste of the west with Chef Matt's sauce, and I tip my hat to him for supporting our firefighters with this project.

Are Your Ribs Tough - Remove the Membrane

Don't you just hate to spend the money on ribs, season them up, cook them for hours and then have tough meat?

One quick tip for having tender barbecue ribs is to remove the membrane. That's the shiny white coating on the bottom side of the ribs.

It would certainly be nice if the rib membrane was removed at the butcher shop, and you can ask for it to be removed (and pay more), but it's not difficult to do it yourself.

Basically you just get the membrane edge peeled up and then just keep easing the membrane away from the meat. It may or may not come off in one piece. If it breaks, just start a new peeling edge and keeping work toward the bottom of the rack.

For those you learn better by seeing a technique done, this You Tube video from the BBQ Pit Boys is quite helpful.

Just Call Me Sparky - And Support Your Local Firefighters

Matt told me about a great project that helps our firefighters. It's a program to benefit those brave guys/girls who risk their lives both in fighting fires and with EMS. It's FireFighter's Barbecue Sauce as well as t-shirts and those neat wrist bands that get the word out about worthy causes.

Firefighers Barbecue is now featured at the Albuquerque, New Mexico Fiery Foods and Barbecue Show. Sure wish I lived near there. I'd be there in a heartbeat. But, I'm way out in North Carolina, and that's a long road trip.

In any case, the idea is that you can have a unique fundraiser with barbecue sauce (and the cool shirts and armbands). Isn't that much better than some of those awful things they send kids out to sell like dust catching knickknacks or popcorn that costs $15 for a mini can? Really, who doesn't love some good barbecue sauce? Count me in on that.

I am pleased to say that I have never caught my grill on fire other than in the way intended. I did, however, I am sad to say, burn up a tree in my yard. I thought it would be too much work to try to get those limbs out from under that had sharp needles. The tree was evergreen, so I thought, "Hum. I'll just burn those gross brown limbs under the tree. Green stuff won't burn." Hello! That's not a good plan. The tree was a 100 foot or so tall and the fire went about double that. It was quite amazing. Take my word for that.

I called 911 and got out the water hose. A policeman drove by and saw the problem and helped me water down the side of the house. The firemen were there in 5 minutes or so. One fire guy said, "Man, I thought that could not be a tree fire. We could see the flames and smoke across town." But, yes, it was that gross old evergreen tree in my yard that I always hated. They make really big and amazing fires - old pine trees of some strange sort. My brother, a landscape engineer, said it was some sort of special everygreen from China. All I know is that it cut my fingers picking up limbs and stopped up the lawnmower.

The neighbor kids got in from school to see this smouldering trunk in my yard that was charred black. I told them a space ship landed on it (-: In a small town, your stories must be more interesting than just you set the limbs on fire under your tree and burned it all to heck.

Since the firemen came fast, I did not burn my house down - about 30 feet away. I do not have to worry about those old limbs jamming up my mower now, since I sure killed that tree in the process. For my birthday (by request), the family came out and got that old trunk cut down and out of here.

So, I say God Bless Firemen, and if you see some Firefighters Barbecue Sauce out there, buy some. You'll get some great sauce and help out a super group of folks who are there when you need them, although I hope you never do.

I still get teased now and again about being "Sparky" and lighting up the whole town with my tree fire. It could have turned out really bad, but the firefighters were right on it and got that put out. I also have a cousin who is a professional firefighter. So, I have a real special place in my heart for those who put out our fires, and I promise to never again burn up a tree in my yard. Cross my heart.

Rotisserie Chicken Looks Ready to Take Flight

Mr. Chicken Was Flipping and Flapping on the Hibachi Rotisserie

I got a wild hair and decided to grill a rotisserie chicken. This is not something I do - obviously. I grill. I smoke. I pit cook and Dutch oven cook. I even cook on sticks. But, I've never done rotisserie.

Not So Easy

Putting together a rotisserie is not that easy for starters. There are a lot of parts, and the thing has to be counterbalanced to run smooth. OK. Got all that. The thing was turning like a windmill - slow steady. Yippee.

The directions did not say anything about the chicken specifically. So, I jammed that little bird right on the rotisserie and turned the button on. And, the fun began . . .

Mr. Chicken was flipping and flopping all over the places. As the chicken rolled over, the wings and legs began to wave. It appeared this bird had come back to life and had plans to fly away.

Hum . . .

I called the grill company. They thought I had assembly problems with the rotisserie and were explaining counterbalance and so on.

I said I had all that down.

"So, it's turning then," they asked.

"Yep," I said.

"Now, what's the problem with the chicken?"

Chicken Prep is Important

I really needed a video of this, but it would proably be a YouTube classic and forever haunt me. So, I was trying to verbally describe how the wings and legs were flapping and hitting the grill and making quite a calamity out on the porch. I pray the neighbors were not watching, since this was a very odd sight.

The grill guy finally figures out what I'm trying to tell him and asks if I tied up the chicken.

Huh? Well, no. I never tie those chickens when I grill them, smoke them, or convection grill them. And, I sure don't tie up the chicken when I make Beer Butt Chicken - one of my best recipes.

Of course, the chickens are not spinning with these other techniques, so there's no reason to truss up the birds. They just sit there and cook.

If You've Ever Made an Outdoor Grill Mess . . .

I thought I'd share this, although I hate to admit I did not tie up my chicken and had it almost went airborn on that rotisserie. If you do decide to rotisserie anything, you want some cooking string or metal ties to hold down floppy parts. Otherwise you have quite a show out in your yard - especially amusing to kids.

If you make this mistake and check in here to find a solution, the grill company guy said that my best bet was to cut off the wings and legs and grill them while rotisserie cooking the chicken body. After all, I did not have the stuff to tie up a chicken right on hand, and this cook was in progress.

I'm not so sure I'm going to be a world class rotisserie outdoor cook, and I'm not sure I want to be. That old flopping chicken was enough to scare the dog. Flip. Flop. Bang. It was something to behold, so if you do want to freak everyone out, then rotisserie your chicken without securing the floppy parts. It really does look like it's come back to life, and that's not a good thing when you're trying to fix dinner.

I share the good times, so I figure it's only fair to share the bad times. If you've ever had a grilling disaster, don't feel bad. It happens to the best of us. And, I may decide to get a handle on rotisserie. I'm sure it's not all that hard. But, I sure made one mess of it this weekend.

Foodie Link Exchanges or Reciprocal Links

Don't Act Ugly When You Want An Online Link - That Doesn't Work

I'll always remember the first foodie to hit me up for a link exchange. She sent an email telling me that she had linked one of my recipes. "You don't have to link me this time, but I expect return links in the future," noted my fellow food writer.

Not Impressed

I was not impressed. I did not ask for a link and never have. If my work helps readers at another site, it's great to be linked. If I'm linked simply with the idea that I'll link back, then I'd rather not be linked. I take pride in my work, and a straight link exchange feels like cheating and that I don't think my work is good enough to stand alone.

Bad Link Requests

Anyone who has been writing online very long has probably had some really wacky link exchange requests. I must say, "Why would I link to a site on martial arts on a barbecue site?" Does the site owner think my readers are going to kung fu cut their chops or something?

Michael Bluejay has a great article called Why Your Link Exchange Request Failed. It is definately worth reading, and it may explain why many site owners are not excited about link requests.

Yes! I Do Link

My blog and web sites include a lot of links. It's rare that I even notify the owners. I just link good stuff that I know my barbecue readers would enjoy.

In some cases, I do contact site owners for extra information. But, I'm linking because I think the other person has good content and not because I want or expect anything in return.

An example here would be that I got in touch with Leslie Haywood about her Grill Charms. In addition to noting those on my blog, I spoke with her about a feature article for my web site Yes You Can Grill. Leslie is now one of my Barbecue People featured on my site.

Content Based Links are Much More Valuable

My style is to include links on my content pages where they will be much more effective. Unfortunately, some web site owners or bloggers don't seem to understand this concept.

One food writer got really huffy when I offered to link one of her pages in an article rather than list it as one of those "see also" links that are popular (but get very few clicks). She didn't bother to send over a solid dessert link to round out a barbecue meal.

Oh well. I linked one of my own desserts. I'm still working on desserts (obviously), but I'm not looking through someone's collection after being asked for an exchange (and getting blown off). She wanted the favor. I didn't. And, I offered a better deal than she requested. She just didn't know it.

Michael sums this up with an example and this explanation:

"Notice something else: I didn't put his link on a links page, I put it on a content page. That was the most logical place for it. And the link is 100 times more valuable for him on the content page rather than a links page. And that works out a lot better for him, both for the number of clicks he'll get and for transferring Google PR power, which is what most link requesters are after in the first place."

Message Board Requests

I write for a couple of larger sites (covering multiple topic areas), and I'm always amazed when someone starts a thread about trading links. There will be return posts saying, "I added you." Then it's, "Thanks. I added you back."

Seriously, how much good does a link to knitting do for someone who writes on mountain biking and vice versa? There's not much overlap on those topics. Both sites end up with those long link lists that are virtually worthless to readers when the trades don't make any sense.

Bad Google Juice

Google does factor in links, and they should. That can be a good measure of quality content when the links are related and based on providing good supplemental content.

I'm more than glad to link Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn and his Amazing Ribs web site. He knows his smokers, and I know readers interested in outdoor cooking will benefit by dropping by his barbecue site.

I'm not linking to sites on fashion and make-up on a barebecue blog, because that just doesn't make any sense.

Google, of course, is aware that a lot of link exchanges are made online. In fact, there are sites that will just randomly link your site all over the web (not a good idea). As the system continues to get more sophisticated, I'd guess that random link trades will heavily impact on page rank and incoming ads.

Getting Off the Grumpy Bus

Yes. I do understand. Trust me I do.

Most food writers do it, because they love to cook and love to share recipes. (If not, then someone needs to look for another topic area.) Food and cooking does not pay well - at all. Just stating a fact.

When you work hard and put your heart into a blog or space, it's very discouraging when no one visits and no one comments. Well, they can't comment if they don't visit. Duh. You get the picture, and if you're new at this, you've probably found that it's really hard to get a foodie blog or cooking site off the ground and getting traffic (other than your Mom).

Some Tips for Foodie Writers and Cooking Bloggers

Focus on putting up quality information. Just ignore stats and such in the beginning and put your energy into making a space you'd personally want to visit.

Check out other foodies and interact. This is different from shooting out loads of "link me - link me" emails. Just hang out now and then and get to know others who share your passion for cooking and for writing about food.

As people get to know you and check out your site, you'll start to get those coveted links. I know that I link when I'm writing something and someone comes to mind who writes in the area I'm covering. It might be a while. But, that perfect moment will happen, and I'll hit someone with a link that I know my readers will like. Often, it's someone I know from online, but it can also be a random writer who is just simply doing great work.