House of Jerky Rocked My Day with Some Jerky That Tastes Like Homemade

My son brought in the mail today, and he said we had a package from House of Jerky. Now, we love jerky around here, so I was pretty stoked.

I opened up the box and was drooling, but I wanted to wait until this evening to actually try out the jerky. I'm a night person, and I save treats for later in the day.



I did have to check out the jerky though, and there are just so many that they offer at House of Jerky. They have beef jerky which is what I'm most familiar with but also turkey, buffalo, and ostrich jerky.



After spending the morning working and the afternoon shopping, I ripped into the black pepper beef jerky.

Oh man!

This jerky is the real deal. I do buy grocery store jerky, and it is fine. But, some of my family members make homemade jerky, and it is just the BEST. It's like the difference between grocery cake and the ones you make at home. No comparison.

House of Jerky has that thicker cut and the flavor jolt that you get when you make it yourself. Honestly, if someone had just handed me a piece and not shown me the package, I would have sworn this jerky was made by a relative who knows how to rock the jerky.

My son in college loves jerky and especially really great jerky, so I am going to mail him some or save him some. Maybe I better mail that jerky, or I might just accidentally eat it. His birthday is next week, so I think I will make him a care package with gifts and food.

The black pepper beef jerky has a kick. It is not super hot, but it does have some heat. Of course, pepper is going to be hotter. So, if you like spicy foods, go for the pepper. If not, then get ones that do not have the pepper.

Regardless, if you are a jerky fan or if you have never had real jerky, then check out House of Jerky. If you have had homemade jerky, you will find that this jerky is very much like that. If you have never had the real thing, then you are in for a real treat.

Gourmet Barbecue Sauces to Spice Up Your Life - Or Great for Hostess Gifts

I love to find great new barbecue sauces, and Melanie's Big Acres bbq sauces are just divine. Whew. I can't believe I just said "divine" on my blog, but that really does capture these gourmet sauces.

All Natural BBQ Sauces

I always like to see natural barbecue sauces. They just taste better. So, here is what Melanie says about her sauces:

"Absolutely no preservatives, MSG or corn syrup. Only the finest all natural ingredients are selected to bring customers a superior product."

And, yes you can taste the difference. The flavors are just fresh. No after taste and strange stuff like liquid smoke.

Not Your Typical Tomato Sauces

These are gourmet barbecue sauces, so you get much more interesting flavors than just tomato with a little heat.

Melanie has come up with Chipotle Maple BBQ, Chipotle Peanut, Ginger Teriyaki, Mango Peach Chile, Milagro Mole, and Rich & Mild BBQ. Yum. Even the names of the sauces make my mouth water.

Now, sure, I use bbq sauces from the grocery store. Always have some bottles on hand. But, I really love to get the small batch sauces (great ones anyway). Then, when I want a special dinner or have company, I can rock it out with something that stands apart. These bbq sauces definitely fit the bill and add some thrill.

Treat Yourself or Someone Special to Gourmet BBQ Sauce

I have added the complete six pack of Big Acres sauces to Yes You Can Grill OpenSky. That's my little barbecue store where I carry only my very favorite barbecue and grill products.

I like to pop open a bottle of Big Acres sauces every couple of weeks. Also, I find that these elegant and tasty sauce make great hostess gifts. It seems everyone brings wine these days. Then the hostess has to decide if the wine should be served or not. With special barbecue sauce, it's clear that the hostess gift is meant to be enjoyed later when the hostess has a chance to relax after hosting a nice party.



Melanie has some wonderful rub mixes too, and here is some chicken we put on the grill with her rub.

Grilled Mini Bagel Burgers - Cute and Fun

I love bagels and grilled burgers, so I decided to come up with a good recipe combining both.

Full sized bagels are awfully filling. My boys could handle those, but I wanted something a little lighter, so I got the mini bagels. I guess you could say I went with bagel burger sliders.

I made my hand patted burgers but a little smaller, since the little bagels are about three inches across. I did not measure out the meat, but I'd say that I went with a generous 1/4 pound per burger at 80:20 (lean to fat) and keeping in mind that I'd have shrinkage with that fat content.

On the bagels, I just brushed on a little butter. Olive oil would also be fine. I placed the flat part down on the grill just long enough to heat the bagels and to get some grill marks on the inside part of the bread.

My younger son is good at art, and he said, "Wow. Those look like magazine food." They really did turn out cute, and they tasted great.

I'm sure full sized bagels would work fine with this burger bagel recipe, but that would be a whopping big burger. I found the mini sized bagels were just perfect for me, and the boys just got seconds.

How to Grill Hamburgers on Your Barbecue Grill

Make Sure Your Grilled Burgers Turn Out Yummy

My neighbor grilled some hamburgers and wondered why they did not taste like mine.

She started out with pre-formed patties (kind of like McDonalds). She did not marinate the burgers. She cooked them on a gas grill. Since they got done fast, she plopped them in a crock pot with Kraft barbecue sauce.

Well, OK, that is one way to do grilled burgers, but you likely will not be thrilled with your results if this sounds like your method.

I wrote a guide for making great grilled hamburgers at my Yes You Can Grill site. That will give you all the basics for nice juicy barbecue burgers that taste fabulous off the grill.

Over time, I have found that people will do some odd things when grilling and especially hamburgers, so I collected tragic tales and put together a grilled burger trouble shooting guide too. If I missed any grilling disasters that you've had with hamburgers, just let me know, and I'll add to the guide.

Hamburgers really are easy if you know how to grill them, and hamburger meat is inexpensive and often on sale. So, master the burger, and you will have a safe go-to meal on the grill.

If you're looking for a yummy marinade to try out in place of Italian dressing (which is very good), then one of my favorites is Wild n Mild barbecue marinade and sauce which is now back in stock at my OpenSky store. Wild n Mild has a nice sweet taste but with some zip - especially in the Wild version. But, it is not over the top. Even my mild loving son can handle both the Wild n Mild marnades.

Grilled Meatballs Wrapped in Bacon with Wild n Mild BBQ Sauce

MOINK Balls Marinating in Wild n Mild Barbecue Sauce/Marinade

Wild n Mild barbecue sauce is a thin mop style sauce. That just means that it can be brushed on the whole time your're grilling as opposed to tomato based bbq sauces which can only be put on near the end of the grilling time (or the sauce burns). In addition, Wild n Mild can be used as a marinade. So, it is one of the most versatile of my barbecue products.

After I discovered MOINK balls (hamburger wrapped in bacon and smoked) last month, the boys have been wanting those every weekend or more. MOINKs are easy to make but do take about an hour and a half to smoke. Well worth the wait I must say.

The way I made the MOINKs is to roll the burger up and marinate in Wild n Mild barbecue sauce/marinade. That gives the meat some moisture and also a sweet flavor with some kick especially with the wild version of Wild n Mild.

Then I put the meatballs in a grill wok and let them smoke on low heat until the bacon is done which runs right at the hour and a half mark.

I can't buy Wild n Mild around here, so I added them to my OpenSky Yes You Can Grill store. Now I can get Wild n Mild delivered right to my house. And, I can keep the MOINKs rolling off the grill. Yum! They really are delicious.



A lot of people like to dip the MOINK balls in barbecue sauce for the last 10 or 15 minutes of smoking time. Any barbecue sauce is fine. We like to use Chef Hymie Grande which I carry at OpenSky. I was first blown away by the taste of the small batch sauce. When I found out that it had the National Diabetic Seal then I knew I'd be keeping some on hand, since some of my family members are diabetic. I show them the bottle, since this is a sauce you would never guess is healthy. It is THAT good.

Save-A-Lot Foods in Charlotte Officially Open

I headed out to Charlotte, NC to the grand opening of the new Save-A-Lot grocery store at 3033 Freedom Drive. I was invited out as a North Carolina food blogger and was excited, since I don't think I've ever been to a ribbon cutting for a grocery store before. Probably not. I think I would remember that.

The day started off stressy, because I borrowed my son's TomTom, and he had the sound shut off. There is nothing much more useless than a GPS that does not talk to you. I stopped three times to try to fix that including getting help, but all the kids were in school, and none of us older folks could get that figured out.

Since I allowed an hour and a half for an hour trip, I made it about 5 minutes before the grand opening. WHEW! I hate cutting things close like that. Next time, maybe I'll camp out or buy my own TomTom and hide it from the boys, so they do not mess with the settings.

In any case, I made it to the Save-A-Lot - which is always a good thing when folks are looking for you.



The North Carolina Secretary of Commerce, J. Keith Crisco, was one of the special guests at the Save-A-Lot opening. I snagged him for a photo, since I'd promised some of my grill buddies that I would come back with, at least, one photo to post at Grillers Index.

Mr. Crisco is probably wondering who the heck grabbed him for a picture (-: But, he was a great sport. And, now he knows the Barbecue Master was at Save-A-Lot.

During the ceremony, Mr. Crisco noted that it was good to have stores offering low prices including healthy foods like fresh produce. Some of the budget grocery stores are slack on produce and meats, but Save-A-Lot has a nice selection. It's fresh too. I just ate a yellow delicous apple from the store.

Another thing noted by Mr. Crisco is that the new store in Charlotte means 25 more jobs in the area. Since there are six new Save-A-Lot stores in the Carolinas, that means several new openings which is a good thing with a 11% unemployment rate in NC currently.



Another VIP at the opening was the mayor of Charlotte, Michael Foxx. I'd not had a chance to meet him before, and he was very personable.

Mayor Foxx recalled that when he was a kid, his family would have to drive a good ways to a grocery store. The prices in his neighborhood were too high, or the quality was lacking. He was glad to see Save-A-Lot come to the Freedom Drive area of Charlotte, and he proclaimed today as Save-A-Lot Food Day in Charlotte.



I was expecting a traditional ribbon cutting where someone simply cuts a ribbon and declares the store "open." Save-A-Lot made it more fun than that. They had the VIPs roll some really cute little kids around in baskets on a scavenger hunt around the store.

To start off the grocery hunt, they lined up the carts and pushed through an opening day banner. Then, it was all over the store to find the food items on the list. I had to laugh when one little girl told Mr. Crisco that she really thought they needed two loaves of the wheat bread. She is going to grow up to be a savvy shopper I'm sure. And, Mr. Crisco grabbed her a second loaf.



The grand opening of Save-A-Lot was fun. Everyone had a super time - especially the kids. There were large carts perfect for shopping with little ones and with plenty of space to make a big grocery run. The grown ups got earth frinedly Save-A-Lot shopping bags with food samples like cereal, brownie mix, and fresh produce.



If you missed the grand opening, you can still check out Save-A-Lot in the Carolinas and get $5 off $20. Also, sign up for the Save-A-Lot club online. They have recipes and also print off coupons to take to the store. The coupon is good through 4-10-2010. Check out Save-A-Lot early to get extra savings on top of the already super low prices.

Save-A-Lot Grocery Store Ribbon Cutting in Charlotte, NC

Save-A-Lot - New Store in Charlotte, NC

I'm headed to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Save-A-Lot grocery store in Charlotte, NC to blog tomorrow. It is the location at 3033 Freedom Drive. The other new stores are in Kannapolis, Shelby, Fayetteville and Lexington, NC.

Save-A-Lot is new to North Carolina, but they have 1200 stores across 39 states. Save-A-Lot is a low cost grocery store with a focus on low costs with a good selection of fresh produce, dairy products, and fresh meats. As a griller and barbecue person, it is appealing to have the fresh items (and especially meats) at lower prices.


Save-A-Lot Features Fresh Produce at Low Prices

I've not been to a Save-A-Lot discount grocery store before, so I'm excited about checking it out. They emailed and then called to invite me out for the ribbon cutting. I'm impressed that they took the time to look up North Carolina food bloggers (and especially grill/barbecue folks) and to include us in the roll out of the stores. Some companies kind of overlook the online communities.

I was telling my brother, who lives in Dayton, about my plans for tomorrow. He said he shops at Save-A-Lot there in Ohio and that they do have good products and great prices. He entertains a lot, and he watches the budget but likes quality food products, so I was glad to hear that he knows and likes Save-A-Lot.

Another thing I would note is that Save-A-Lot is donating $25,000 to food banks in the local communities where they are opening stores. I notice things like that. Companies used to work hard at being good corporate neighbors. That kind of got lost over the years. It is nice that Save-A-Lot is helping here in North Carolina where many people have lost jobs with Cannon shutting down and Freightliner cutting way back (just for a couple of examples). Also, opening up grocery stores in the state means more jobs which are much needed.


Save-A-Lot Makes a $5000 Donation to Second Harvest Food Bank, Charlotte

I'll scope things out tomorrow at Save-A-Lot. I have my Acer netbook, digital camera, and notebook packed. As always, I'll tell you what I really think. That's why I blog. I like to share solid information whether it be easy-to-follow grill recipes, coupons, reviews or just thoughts from the woman grill cave.

If anyone has thoughts, observations, or tips on Save-A-Lot, be sure to leave a comment. I have my credit card packed too (-: So if you know of anything I should definately add to my grocery list, hit me with it.

Puh-LEEZE Food Lion - Give Your Workers a Break

Most people who read my Barbecue Master blog know that I'm in Food Lion country. Food Lion is where I get most of my meat and foods to cook out on the grill, and the guys in the meat department are very helpful.

Now, Food Lion is doing some "Welcome to your neighborhood Food Lion!" campaign and forcing the cashiers to say that. Holy cow. The first time I walked in the door and a cashier bellowed out WELCOME TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD LION!, I about tripped over a cart.

Clearly this is a corporate idea. Anyone on the floor would see immediately that yelling greetings at unsuspecting customers is a bad plan. It's just not "normal." Plus, it is distracting when checking out. I'm talking to the cashier, and he or she has to stop and yell at other people coming in the door.

The employees at Food Lion were doing great without corporate intervention. Feeding the employees canned greetings suggests that management does not trust those they hire to use common sense. It also suggests that Food Lion thinks customers are stupid and won't notice that interactions are now scripted.

If the greeting plan wasn't bad enough, I see that the cashiers have been told also to ask if I've noticed the lower price stickers and if I bought anything priced lower. Geez. Yes. I saw the stickers all over the store - very annoying. No. I do not know if I bought any marked "lower prices." There were so many that I tuned them out.

If Food Lion keeps this up, then I'll head on over to Harris Teeter. They do have higher prices, but they do not make the empoyees yell at people coming in the door and do not slap stickers on half the items in the store and have the cashiers ask if I've noticed the stickers.

Dean's Dip Winners - Congrats to the Winners From Barbecue Master and Deans

Momma had gone missing this afternoon, so I hung the prize hat on her doorknob. I called and left a message on her phone, and she pulled the names when she got home from the YMCA and Good Will.



All the winners (5 of them - from my comment section and Twitter) get Dean's Dip coupons for 2 free dips. Those are coupons seeing as how dip does not mail that well if you know what I mean. The winners can pick their own flavors though which is way cool. I especially love the guacamole, and my youngest son says the French Onion Dean's Dip rocks (which it does).

Crank up the band. Toss the confetti. The winners are:

Chilly
oshawaogre
Tom
Kyle
Dave

Now, I'm off to contact winners. Dean's will then send the dip coupons once I get contact info to get those out.

I do have contests from time to time. I do not get paid to do those or anything. Most often I get the product to check out to see if I would want to gift it on Barbecue Master fans. So, I got some Dean's Dips like the winners (2), and I did find Dean's Dip to be yummy.

If you look to the right, you can find a click to follow my blog or that email slot which just gets you any updates of Barbecue Master from Google. I don't track anyone. If you want to get me, just comment or email. In the meantime, keep an eye out. I have grill and barbecue notes, news, and sometimes fun contests too.

MOINK balls - Meatballs Wrapped in Bacon and Smoked - YUM!

I was getting my MOINK on this weekend when the Winter Grillers (group has now disbanded) tossed out a challenge for everyone to try making MOINK balls. First, I had to figure out what the heck are MOINKs. Some of the guys clued me in that they are hamburger balls (moo) wrapped in bacon (oink) for MOINK.

Later on I even found out who came up with MOINK balls. That's Larry at BBQ Grail who has an official MOINK page. And, even though I did not know the history of the official rules, my intuition had me producing a fairly authentic MOINK. The only major difference was that I added cheddar cheese to my smoked hamburger balls.



MOINKS can be made with frozen meatballs, and the originals were. Some folks can't find frozen meatballs. I've never noticed any around here. Other people just prefer scratch on meatballs. So, I rolled up my own meatballs which is easy to do. If using frozen meatballs, do let them thaw beforehand.

I had a pound of 93/7 ground beef. It does not have to be that lean. That's just what was on sale at Food Lion. Also, the bacon adds fat, so this is a case where I can go leaner on a grill or smoke. Normally with grilled burgers, I do 80/20. That's the lean to fat ratio if anyone doesn't know. And, some foods need a bit more fat on the grill to stay moist and not stick.

The kid asked if I could add cheese to the MOINKS. He's a cheese lover. So, I grated one cup of cheddar cheese and mixed that in with the hamburger by hand (smush, smush, smush), and then I rolled up the meatballs. For one pound of meat, I had 18 meatballs all around 1 inch in size.

I marinated my meatballs in Wild n Mild barbecue marinade sauce - one of my all time favorites. It's thin and works as a marinade or bbq sauce. I have to order it online, since Food Lion does not carry Wild n Mild. I hope they do some day soon. If I don't have Wild n Mild on hand, then my easy go-to grilling marinade is Italian dressing (the oily type - not creamy).



The next step was to wrap the MOINK balls in bacon. It takes a half slice of regular breakfast bacon (thin sliced) per MOINK, and I used Carolina Pride. So, that was 9 total slices on the bacon.

With the marinade being sticky and the meat fresh, the bacon clung real well. I considered skipping the toothpicks, but it's nice to have something to hold on to when eating grilled appetizers. So, I did soak some toothpicks and stuck one through each MOINK ball before smoking.



Most people put the MOINK balls right on the grates, and I could have done that. But, I wanted to keep this really easy. Plus, I was smoking rather than grilling. With the indirect heat, I did not need to turn my MOINKs. So, I loaded them up in a grill wok - a vary handy barbecue accessory for small items.

Then I offset the charcoals in my PK grill which is a cast aluminum model that holds heat really well. These can also be grilled over direct heat but should be checked and turned. And, they can go in a traditional smoker with times being very close to what I did with a slow smoke in a grill with offset coals and the lid closed (vents open).

It took an hour and 20 minutes to smoke my MOINK balls. The temperatures outside were low though - upper 30s here in NC. So, I'd say to check them a little earlier than that and keep an eye out if grilling in warmer temperatures.

Also, if you want to add barbecue sauce to the MOINKs, do that the last 10 or 15 minutes of grilling or smoking - less time for grilling and more for smoking. You don't want traditional barbecue sauce (the thick kind) on there for the whole cook, or it will burn. Just sauce close the end, and that works out great.



The guys loved the MOINK balls, and I must say I was pretty proud and impressed with how they turned out. It can be hard to nail a new barbecue or grill recipe the first time, but these were spot on.

If you want a terrific grilled appetizer that is easy to make and tastes wonderful, then MOINKs are just the ticket. They will definately be on our rotation list of favorites on the grill.

Game Day Eats Barbecue Sauce - Excellent on BBQ Ribs

I was playing around over at Twitter and came across Game Day Eats (@gamedayeats) talking about barbecue sauce. I'm always looking for new bbq sauces, so I clicked over to their GameDayEats web site to find the sauces. They have a nice ballgame themed site with lots of information, so it took me a bit to drill down and find their private label sauces, but I found them. I'm like a dog with a bone on things like that.

The sauce came quick and was packed nice. It was in the old fashioned Mason type jars that my Grandma always used, so that was a plus from the get go.

I had to screw off the jar ring and pop the lid open, and this sauce smelled like a winner. It had a rich smell but not too heavy on any one scent. And, yes, I did try a little dab and also found it to be a nice balanced sauce just as it smelled.

It was dark, but I couldn't hold myself back. I cranked up the grill and put on some chicken. I hadn't really planned to grill, but grilled boneless chicken breasts are about as easy to cook for dinner as anything I can think of. So, it was a dinner with Game Day Eats, but the lighting was not good to get photos like I usually do.

The guys thought Game Day Eats was excellent, and so did I. It was not too overpowering on the chicken. And, the balance held through the cooking process. So, the regular blend of Game Day Eats went on my "love it" list and would be a bbq sauce that I would recommend across the board, since it's got a very nice flavor but is not over the top. It would work for any gathering.



Then, last week when we had the big North Carolina snow in (8 inches - wow - a lot for NC), I cranked up the Traeger pellet grill to make a bacon wrapped pork loin. As an after thought, I tossed on some pork ribs I'd had in the freezer. Thought those might be good to have as an appetizer while waiting on the grilled bacon pork loin.

Since the little individual pork ribs were a last minute idea, I didn't marinate or rub them, so I had to think about which of the sauces to use when the ribs got close to done. With thicker sauces, you only put that on the last part of the cooking time. In the case of the Traeger with a low heat smoke, I sauced for the last 15 minutes.

Hum. Decisions. Decisions. I finally grabbed Game Day Eats sauce, since I'd not had that on pork before - only the chicken.



Boy howdy. The ribs were absolutely fabulous even if they were just on the fly. Game Day Eats did them proud. The sauce was great on the chicken, but I liked it even better on the pork ribs. The contrast was perfect. We got the full effect of the smoked ribs plus the robust but not a shock-to-the-system taste of the barbecue sauce. Nailed it.

If you're looking for a delicious all purpose barbecue sauce that tastes great but will not freak out folks who do not venture way off the culinary trail, then Game Day Eats is a great pick. It went over well here with both the mild and the wild crowd. Game Day Eats was just plain yummy and is one of the best ever sauces I've put on my ribs.

Power Out (or not)? Break out the Barbecue Grill!

We got hammered with snow this weekend in North Carolina. While other folks were grabbing the bread and milk, I hit the charcoal and the meat sections at the grocery. No sandwiches and cold beans here.

Grilling is a great option if the power goes out - hot food with either charcoal or gas as fuel.

It can be a little tricky to grill in cold weather, so check out my Cold Weather Grilling Tips. And remember that it may take longer to grill foods when the temperatures outside are low. It helps to offset the charcoal and use the lid to hold the heat.

Remember also that you do not crank up a grill inside. Well, the George Foreman electric model is meant for inside/outside, but outdoor grils can catch your house on fire or the fumes can kill you. So - keep it in the yard or on the porch.

If you did not get charcoal or fill up your propane bottle before this storm, remember to do that before the next winter storm. You can have a hot meal, and it's fun to get out and grill in the snow.

Be a Super Bowl Winner with Dean's Dips - Win Free Dip

The great folks at Dean's Dips are sponsoring a free dip contest for the Super Bowl XLIV here at Barbecue Master. Five contest winners get two free Dean's Dip coupons each - any flavors. YUM!

Flavor It Up with Dean's Dips

Eli and I had a Dean's Dip party last night with French Onion and Utz chips. French Onion is a terrific thick and creamy dip packed with flavor. My favorite Dean's Dip would have to be guacamole. It's perfect with my grilled nacho chips or for Seven Layer Dip.

There are a bunch of flavors to pick from with Dean's Dips, so it's neat to be able to pick your own favorite or try out something new for free. And, you can imagine it would not be too cool to mail you actual dip which needs to be kept chilled. So, the coupons let you get free dips of your choice (2 of them to each winner) and includes the 12 or 16 ounce sizes.

How to Enter to Win Free Dip

Scoring some free dip is much easier than making a touchdown at the Super Bowl XLIV. All you have to do is comment and leave me some way to get in contact if you are one of the five winners.

Simply post your favorite food to dip for entry.

And, you can Tweet this post and Facebook it (can do both) for an extra entry or entries in the prize pot. Bloggers can also post the contest info to get an additional chance. Just be sure to post that you tweeted or shared the deal with your Facebook buddies or blog friends, so I can add the extra entries.

And, the Dip Drawing is . . . Drum Roll BOOM BOOM BOOM

You can enter right through the end of the Super Bowl game (-: So have those laptops and cell phones handy.

Winners will be drawn the day after the Super Bowl XLIV (Monday February 8, 2010), since Momma does not stay up that late. You'd all love my Momma, and she's honest as the day is long. So, I'll be folding slips of paper, and this will be an old fashioned hat draw.

Good Luck and Pass the Word about This Super Yummy Super Bowl Contest!

No Barbecue Tonight - Son Won Medal of Honor Cross Palms - Boy Scouts

No grilling out tonight here. We were invited to the NASCAR reception room where my son was awarded the Medal of Honor Cross Palms by the Boy Scouts.

For those who are not familiar with the medals in Scouting, they have a group of medals for bravery with the Medal of Honor with the crossed palms being the highest of the awards. It is given only when a Scout or leader saves or trys to save someone's life at great risk and with resourcefulness.

Folks who follow my Barbecue Master blog may recall the my kid jumped in the Yadkin River last May when I was hosting a Carolina Cook Out through Food Buzz. The cook out was supposed to be the excitement (and it was fun), but the real action happened in the water.

Here is What the Water in the Yadkin Looked Like that Day

We were at RiverPark Cooleemee (better known as the Bull Hole). The water was way up and looked like ocean or whitewater except it was dark like chocolate milk. I had taken photos of the raging river and then went up the hill to grill.

My Mom came up and said Eli went in the river and they could not find him.

I think I went into shock.

I didn't know what was going on, but my son had heard the other teen yell for help and went in after him. The other kid pulled him under, so Eli had to push him off. Then, the kid sank, so Eli dove under for him. All the while they were being pulled down the river by the current, so no one knew where they were or if they got out.

The story had a happy ending - thank God. Eli was a strong enough swimmer to get himself and the other boy out. Eli joined us back at the cook out, and the other boy went to the hospital for the night by way of ER. He was back in school the next week though.

So, tonight I put away my tongs and went and saw my son get that medal. And, I sure was proud of him. There were at least 100 people on the sand beach that day, but he was the only one who went in after a kid he'd never met but who needed help.

Eli is a young hero, and I am really happy the Boy Scouts gave him a medal. It's nice when the community supports those who do the right thing - even if doing that thing sure scared the heck out of this proud momma.

Tips for Grilling in Cold Weather

It has been COLD here, and this is North Carolina. I shouldn't complain, because I know a lot of other folks are snowed totally under. We've only had three or so inches of snow and then freezing temperatures but hovering around that 30 F mark.

I really love to grill, or I would not take my thin blooded self out there with the weather experts saying this is expected to be the coldest winter in 25 years. But, I've got charcoal smoke in my veins too, so when I go a day or two without barbecue or grilled food, I start to get cabin fever.

Some of my barbecue buddies have been emailing asking for suggestions for grilling in the cold or snow, so I figured other folks might be needing some help on that too. Since I ordered in Pizza Hut on the $10 deal this evening, I have some extra time to share some cold weather barbecue tips besides the obvious like bundle up.

Barbecue Master Cold Weather Barbecue and Grill Tips

1. Finding a Good Spot for Cold Temp Grilling

If possible, place your grill or smoker where there's some protection from the wind. I take our grills or smokers up close to the house on the non windy side or hit the corner of the back porch with two sides providing some wind blockage.

Do be safe though. Never grill or smoke in an enclosed porch area or in the house. If you don't burn down the house, the fumes might do you in.

2. Extra Charcoal or Other Fuel for Cold Temperature Outdoor Cooking

Cold temperatures will make an impact on the heat in the grill especially the thinner metals. Ceramics like the Big Green Egg and cast like the PK outdoor cooker have more insulation so fewer issues with keeping the temperatures up.

My general rule of thumb is to consider the amount of fuel I'd use in the summer and add about half again for cold weather. For instance, if I'd go about 30 chunks of charcoal usually, I'd go 45 in cold weather. On gas, it's harder to measure, but be sure to have plenty as grill warm up times are longer in cold weather. One good thing about cold temps is that you can see how much gas you have. The lower part with gas will cover with a thin coat of ice, clearly marking the level.

3. Warm Up Times for Grills in Cold Temperatures

It stands to reason that it will take longer to warm up a grill or barbecue smoker when it's cold outside. And, the grill warm up is important. Foods stick on cold grates. Also, if you like a sear, you won't get that if your grates are not hot.

With charcoal, fire up the coals (a chimney starter is a huge help) and then put the lid on the grill with the vents open. This keeps the fire going but allows the grill to get hot. With gas, turn it on and put down the lid and watch the temperature guage. Or, plan on approximately 15 to 20 minutes of perheating rather than the warmer weather rule of thumb 10 minutes.

4. Really Quick or Really Slow Dishes Work Best for Cold Days Grilling

If I'm grilling in cold weather, I tend to go for foods that grill up quick. Fish, brats, and hot dogs are real quick. I will do hamburgers and steaks but go thinner than usual if doing them while standing out in the cold, and grilling does require close attention.

Barbecue (or smoking), on the other hand, is low and slow. It may get a bit cold on the set up - getting the fire right and the smoker up to temperature. But, after that, if you have a good quality smoker like the Weber Smokey Mountain Bullet, then maintenance is low. You just run in and out every couple or few hours and make sure everything is cranking along.

5. Offsetting on Charcoal or Low Heat on a Gas Grill

When I grill in cold weather, I offset the charcoal which is simply having hot coals on only one side of the charcoal grill or heat one side or portion of the gas grill to high and the other side to low.

What this does is allow for some variation in cooking times on the food. If one steak gets done quicker, I shift it to the cooler area to rest and stay warm while I finish off other steaks or vegetables. If doing this, then slightly undercook items, since they will continue to cook along a bit on the cooler side.

7. Cast Iron Pan for Finished Grilled Foods

Anothr tip is that I will have a cast iron pan with a lid warmed up - either on the grill or inside. Cast iron really holds the heat well, although I do recommend a good grill glove if working with cast iron.

As foods are coming off the grill, like hamburgers for example, I just put them in the warmed cast iron pan and put the lid back on. Again, I cook a little less done than I want in the end as the burgers or other foods will continue to cook a bit more in the warm cast iron holding pan.

Those are the cold weather grilling and smoking tips that come to mind. Feel free to add your own. I'm sure I didn't think of everything, but those ideas will hopefully get you out in the cold and grilling up some good dinners while you look out the window at the snow or just that winter wind.

Grilling Out Rib Eye Steaks on a Very Cold Day

My son's girlfriend came for a visit - for the first time, so I thought that I'd put some steaks on the grill. It is, however, really cold here. I finally had to peek at the weather report, and it was 30 degrees when I was headed out the door to gril and wind chill at 24 degrees. With the sun dropping while I was out there, I can attest that it was pretty darn cold. Brrrr!

I figured I'd go with the PK Portable Kitchen outdoor cooker, since it's made of cast aluminum and holds the heat better than other grills. In fact, the PK can be used as a smoker if the coals are offset. I offset the charcoal tonight anyway, so if some steaks got done faster than others, I'd have a space for them to rest without getting cold.


Before I started grilling, I ducked outside and got the coals going with my chimney starter. One of the best grill purchases I've ever made. Just dump the coals in, wad up a piece of newspaper there in the bottom and light it. Instant fire and perfect red hot coals.


Here you can see the coals are super hot. They're Kingsford charcoal. I still like that brand the best. Some folks prefer natural lump charcoal, but I must like chemicals or something. Kingsford is what I associate with grilled foods and flavor. Yum! And, I know I'm not the only one. That's the best selling charcoal in the United States.


I let the grate heat well which is always important but especially so in cold weather, and the steaks quickly seared (or got grate marks). If the grates are cold, then meats will tend to stick, so always heat up those grill grates. You can also use Pam cooking spray to help with any sticking problems, but it's rare to have foods stick to good hot grates.

These are thinner steaks. With it being so cold out, I wanted steaks that would grill quick. The rib eyes were not real thin - about 1/2 inch thick. My favorite cut would be around 3/4 inch up to an inch. That's a good thickness for grilling steak and a nice starter cut. You have to watch thin steaks as they will be overcooked in a heartbeat, and the real thick ones are hard to nail in terms of doneness.

The meal turned out good, and my younger one got back from a swim meet just in time to eat with us. So, he got to enjoy his ribeye steak with hash browns, salad, and rolls without having to heat them back up. That's always good timing.

All You Need to Know About Southern Barbecue in One Funny Song

Ring in the new year with some barbecue humor with this classic bluegrass song defining bbq in the South.

I swear these must be some of my relatives from the mountains. I'm from NC, and the family is musically inclined other than a few of us like myself. I can only play the radio and ths spoons. You might be a redneck if know what I mean by playing spoons (-:

This also answers the age old question: Is Florida a Southern state?

ENJOY!

Melanie's Big Acres Smoker Bags - Great Taste and No Mess Grilling

I was excited to get a Big Acres Smoker Bag that Melanie recommends for those who like mess free grilling. I have two boys, so I'm used to messes. But, it can be nice to make dinner and really have no clean up. It sounded like the grill Smoker Bags would be just the ticket for those kinds of days, and it turned out that they sure are.

You can see in the photo that these look like of like aluminum foil packs for grilling - also called tin foil grill packs in the South. But, the quality is much better with these actually designed to go on a grill. And, they have a bottom layer with wood chips and flavors. We were doing fish so went with the Alder bags for a nice mild smoke taste.


I must confess that my Little Smokey tailgater was not the best pick for Smoker Bags, because they are 11 x 19 inches. Also, they are not intended for direct flames to be hitting the bag. It is fine to use Big Acres bags with charcoal, wood or whatever, but have some distance and no flames hitting the bag.

I tell you what I do right and what I do wrong. In this case, the grill bags are better for a nice sized gas grill where the flames are better regulated and no real direct flames hitting the bag or a larger charcoal grill like the Weber kettle. Also, the smoker bags can be used in the oven as well. As cold as it has been, that's a great option to get smoke flavor without going out in the cold to fire up the grill.

It waas just me and kid for the evening, and these bags would easily hold enough food for 6 or 8 people depending on what you might be grilling and the sides.

My kid loves potatoes and those take longer to cook than tilapia. Times are listed on the back of the pack. That was fine. I just parboiled the potatoes a bit beforehand. If we'd done broccoli or something like that, then all the food would have just gone right in the bag.

After parboiling the potatoes, we just poured the fish, potatoes, onions and some seasonings in the Smoker Bag. Very simple.

I think I might use some marinade next time. They work with or without marinade. I like an Italian dressing marinade on fish, or I might try out one of Melanie's gourmet marinades.


My kid likes grill gadgets and new stuff, so he helped out on the Smoker Bag project. We were breaking out all the cool grill stuff and had a FlameDisk for the fuel (another super easy grilling product that means no mess).

We had to use the lid to cap back the flames a bit, since FlameDisk burns good and hot - better for burgers and steaks. Flame Disk is perfect for direct grilling and makes a nice sear.

It was neat to see how the grill smoker bag kind of puffed up, and we could hear the food kind of sizzling along. The smell was fabulous too, so we were both drooling a bit.


You could use any fork or knife to open up the top of the Smoker Bag, but we have a Fork It Over which is the ultimate in grill forks. It looks like something you might use in a duel, so my guys really like the fork. I would hide it from younger boys as it would be too tempting to want to sword fight with it, and it's a tool and not a toy.


The grilled fish and potatoes were fabulous. The Smoker Bag really did give the food that low and slow flavor from smoking. That's hard to get if not using an actual barbecue smoker like the Weber Smokey Mountain Bullet we love.

I recommend Melanie's Smoker Bags for gas grillers who want a good smoked flavor without the charcoal and wood chip work and mess, but they can also be used on bigger charcoal grills and even in the oven. You can find the Smoker Bags and also some fabulous gourmet sauces made with fresh ingredients at Big Acres Gourmet Shop.

The Smoker Bags are super easy to use, and you really do get that smoke flavor which you don't with many products on the market. I enjoyed an easy night grilling with the food actually tasting great, and then there was no cleaning up afterwards. Clean up often takes me longer than any other part of a grilled meal, so I like having a no mess option now and then. I think I will use the Big Red Char Broil grill next time though and grill for a bigger crowd.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Who forgot to check the weather forecast so grilled in the rain?

Yes! This was my idea. I thought it would be so much easier to grill for Christmas. OH yes. Forget the marathon in the kitchen. Toss some chicken and hot dogs on the grill and spend the day hanging with the fam instead of cooking, cleaning, and stressing.


Did I check the weather report before I tossed out this idea?

OH NO! Of course not. Ever the optimist, I anticipated one of those North Carolina 70degree winter days. We do have those in NC - honest.

It, of course, started pouring the rain last night and on through the entire Christmas day. This was with 40 degree temps and wind.

But, hey I'm a sport. I lugged the barbecue stuff out to the truck. Then, I got my boots and dry socks, since the yard flooded, and one trip to the truck soaked my tennis shoes and socks up past my ankles. I would tell you how gross that felt, but I am sure you can guess.

With help from the guys and with dry feet, I fired up the Big Red Char Broil infrared grill which worked like a charm.


The side burner on the Big Red grill has more power than most and worked out great for the grilled hash browns which we usually put on the grates (when not cooking for a bigger crowd).

These grilled hash browns are the boys' dad's specialty, and he got the recipe for a buddy in the Navy who called these Butter Tators. He, of course, used 3 or 4 sticks of butter, and we healthy it up just a little with only about one stick of butter (with two bags of hash browns here).

The boys go wild for the Grilled Hashed Browns and always request them. They are most yummy, I must say.



I did the grilled chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts and used Chef Hymie Grande Sauce. My new step dad is diabetic, and Chef Hymie Grande BBQ carries the national diabetic seal. That's a good reason to select that for a family cook out, but it's also a small batch BBQ sauce with natural ingredients and tastes great.

Dysfunctional Family Christmas - Take it Outside and Grill!

There are some questions that have obvious (but not so true) answers like, "How was your Christmas? (or fill in your holiday) We all know that a warm, fuzzy response is appropriate and called for. "Christmas was lovely. And yours?"

On the flip side, we all know you do not get family near and far together and have a totally harmonious celebration. In fact, I'd wager most families have some of their most dysfunctional moments of the year on Christmas. After all, there's so much hype. How can anyone match those magical TV and movie moments?

Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for family Christmas gatherings, and the bigger the better. Get er' done. These are your peeps and friends after all.

But . . . there are some moments that that do put the dis in dystfunction.

You show or share me some of your dysfunctional Christmas memories, and I'll show/share you some of mine.

Top 10 Dysfunctional Christmas Memories from Grill Girl

1. Granny got tipsy one year and literally tipped over backwards in the rocking chair. She grabbed the Christmas tree to try to stop her chair flip 'n tumble. Mom grabbed the tree instead of MIL Granny (-: No one could find the spilled gin and tonic . . . until I put on my tennis shoes to go outside to play basketball and had a shoe full of liquor. Try explaining smelling like gin to your middle school buds.

2. Went with aunt to take niece to see Santa. Niece cried as Santa looked scary. Aunt cried as no photos for Christmas.

3. Relative got son a swim in tub toy. Played with it before she wrapped it. Mr. Diver would not swim, because batteries had corroded and ruined inside of wonderful swimming toy tub man.

4. Oops. Wrong order. My conservative brother who is into computers did send a thank you note for the lovely little gingerbread house. He was supposed to get a tin of cashews. No one knew he got the little kiddie house until January.

5. Speaking of food. My aunt (not the senile one either) couldn't eat nuts. She did find the box of nut candy and sucked all the chocolate off and put the wet nuts back in the little brown paper holders. Oh. Ick.

6. Now, my confused aunt really made Christmas interesting. She had a thing about unplugging stuff and turning off the oven. You think the turkey is close done, and nope . . . the oven had been turned off. And, the bread machine . . . many a loaf she wrecked by pulling the plug. But, at least she did not lock us all out of the house on Christmas. She did that in the summer and told us to go away and that she "gave at the office."

7. I thought I'd be slick and move Christmas up a day so as not to have to drive Santa toys across state. My son's little buddy came to tell him bye before the trip and saw all the toys in the living room. "Where you get all this stuff?" asks buddy. "Santa," says my kid. "He didn't bring me nothing," said the other kid. Ut oh. "Maybe you was a bad boy," my kid told him. Neighbor kid starts crying. Bummer.

8. One uncle is not so coordinated. He sat in the bent wood rocker. And, yes, he flipped it over. No bigge? Wrong. He broke his thumb, so we went to ER that Xmas. ER is not a fun place to spend Christmas.

9. One year I was thrilled Santa brought me a football. Then, someone said that was for my brother and that I got the Barbie car. Geez. My brother did not even like football.

10. One of my buddies "cool" parents in high school told me to make myself some egg nog. She said use the green milk looking container and only ONE shot of Jack Daniels. Well, the butter milk was in a green marked container. If you ever want to taste the worst mixed drink ever - pour some JD in buttermilk.

Well, HO HO HO - it could have been much worse (no one has gone to jail on Xmas day - so far at least), and I'll bet some readers can give me some even better ones. But, those are my favorite dysfunctional Christmas memories, and I'm sure we'll make some more and enjoy telling them again every year.

Anyway, I'm manning the grill this year. How much drama can that be with it scheduled to be cold and rainy? If you get hot under the collar and your relatives drive you nuts, just crank up the barbecue and stay busy. You'll still hear all the funny stories, but you won't end up being a main player.

Melanie's Big Acres Perfect Poultry Barbecue Rub - Going Gourmet BBQ Tonight

Today I broke out the good stuff for some chicken on the grill - Melanie's Big Acres Perfect Poultry barbecue rub.

Perfect Poultry is a gourmet poultry spice rub for serious foodies and includes sea salt, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, white pepper, tarragon and sage. When you open the can, you get this amazing smell of fresh seasonings. Ah bliss!

Since my boys have grown up rural Southern, they tend to be meat and potato fellows, so I decided not to mention that we were going gourmet. I just called them in from playing basketball for some grilled chicken.

"Something smells great," said one of the boys (who are always hungry as most teen boys from my experience).

They look at the chicken for a second, and one of them says, "Ya dropped it in the grass huh?"

LOL. Busted. This is not sprinkle seasoning or even lemon pepper which they recognize. So, I was busted and had to confess. Better than them thinking I rolled dinner around in the yard which I've never done but once with a beer butt chicken which I did wash good and finish up.

You can tell here that the seasonings are the real deal, and you can both see and taste Perfect Poultry. I would note that this is a pretty strong combo on flavors, so don't overdo it. In the South, rubs are often literally rubbed on thick. With Melanie's Big Acres rub, I suggest sprinkling lightly, unless your guests are really serious foodies and used to lots of zip. Even then a light touch is fine. You want to enhance the chicken and not drown it out.



As always, I got input from the guys. But, do keep in mind that I'm talking really regular guys and not foodies or gourmet fellows.

My older son and his Dad thought the chicken rocked. I don't think that's a gourmet foodie term, but they definately liked Big Acres poultry rub. From the best I could tell (by asking questions), my son liked that rosemary in there, and his Dad liked the extra heat. This rub does have a bit of a back bite.

Younger son wasn't sold. He may still think I dropped dinner on the ground (-: Basically, he found Big Acres a little too hot for his liking, but he does not like any heat in his breakfast sausage either. I think me may have a mild food sensitivity to sage. So, this was too much burn for him (though it really isn't very hot at all - just a little zippy).

As for me, I loved the mix of flavor notes in the Big Acres rub. Now, I won't go around here saying that, or my barbecue buds might quit inviting me over to pig pickin' parties. But, Melanie did a great job with the selections and the balance. This is a really delightful poultry rub that takes chicken to a new level, and I can't wait to try it on the turkey breast in the refrigerator.

Barbecue Boston Butt - North Carolina Smoked Pork with Vinegar Sauce

Mom and Harry (my new step dad) got a barbecue Boston Butt today from the local Lion's Club. It's North Carolina barbecue pork shoulder, but the butt is the top part and smaller than a full shoulder. The name comes from the names of the barrels they were stored and sent in. So, NO, you are not eating butt when you get Boston butt. Butt is the ham (-: Sorry to have to tell you that.

North Carolina pork is smoked low and slow - low temperatures over a long time like 8 to 12 hours. Then, the pork can be sliced but is usually chopped. Then, the barbecue (not to be confused with something grilled) is served on a white bread bun with a vinegar based sauce which is thin and zippy. Oh my. Let me tell you. It is heaven.

I get requests for North Carolina style pork barbecue recipes, but pork barbecue is much more art than science. A basic recipe would be hard to post, but I'll probably give it a go some time. So, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to the right or hit follow on one of the follow opitons. I'll think it through one of these days and give everyone a starting point on NC BBQ.

Do know that every pitmaster or smoker in NC uses different rubs, techniques, and sauces. The smoker makes a difference too in terms of how you smoke the pork and how long and so on. Personally I don't think you can beat the Weber Smokey Mountain Bullet, and that's the one I use most for barbecue smoking.

The barbecue shoulder was good today. The Lion's do a nice job on that fundraiser, and I know it's labor intensive. They also have a good recipe for the vinegar sauce. The sauce really can make or break North Carolina barbecue. It's really not NC BBQ without that unusual vinegar based barbecue sauce.