BBQ Junkie

BBQ thermometer, my new best friend

I was a little envious at previous BBQ competitions when I noticed that a couple of the BBQ teams were using Dual probe thermometers. I guess you could say it was gadget envy. This was especially the case in the last competition when I had forgotten my meat thermometer/timer at home. Up until this point I had only seen them at the store and wondered if they were actually useful or were they just for lazy folks.
I use a single probe meat thermometer and a separate gauge-style smoker thermometer which I have had for quite sometime… they have served me well over the years and give me all of the information that I need. Who could ask for more? While I was at Barbecues Galore picking up some hickory wood chunk I saw that dual probe thermometer staring me in the face. I couldn’t resist… after all, everyone else is using it… right? So I dropped the extra $50 ($49.95) and got myself a handy dandy dual probe Redi Chek BBQ thermometer and I couldn’t wait to use it.
There I was unpacking it and as my wife looked over shaking her head as I try to justify the purchase. Fortunately she likes BBQ and didn’t challenge my decision-making abilities… this time. One added bonus that I hadn’t noticed, or didn’t bother to notice, was that it was a remote thermometer. I have a remote thermometer, that I have never used, that I picked up at one of those end of season sales a while back. It was under ten bucks and I couldn’t say no. These things always seemed like a gimmick to me, kinda like the BBQ set that has that fork with an instant-read thermometer built into it. Remote thermometers have one more piece than your standard probe thermometer. Thats in my book one more piece that can get broken, lost, or just run out of battery juice. Well, what the heck, lets give it go anyways.
The learning curve was a little steep, but if it gave me both temperatures it would be worth it. After all, that what I really wanted. As I sit programming this thing i notice that it also lets me set an alarm for high and low temperatures for both probes. Sweet, so I go ahead and do that put my butts in the smoker and go. And there they were, the temperatures for both my smoker and my meat.
The beauty of the remote BBQ thermometer was made apparent once I went inside and started, surfing the web, watching TV, cleaning the kitchen, and just doing my thing. I could just take a look at my thermometer and have peace of mind that my temps are all good. It was amazing, just like magic. All of these year I have been going outside and checking my smoker and meat temps. Now I can do that from indoors. Yay! It’s just like using WiFi for the first time, you wonder how you ever lived without it.
Overall, I’m very pleased with my purchase except for steep learning curve required to use this thermometer. I have to make sure that I keep the instructions in a safe place. I wonder if other brands are easier to use? I love what it does, gives me smoker and meat temperatures from the comfort of my living room, just wish it was a little easier to use.

Building a hog roaster

I found this article on Mother Earth News about building your very own whole hog roaster. Even though the plans aren’t that legible in the article, it is interesting to see what can be built with recycled materials. The article dates back to 1981 so dust off that copy of the Go Go’s Beauty and The Beat album and enjoy.

Read the article

The Cajun Injector

One of my stocking stuffers this year was a Cajun Injector. I am so happy… it’s my first. Many people use these puppies to inject a marinade deep into a thick piece of meat… where a marinade or brine just can’t reach that easily. I really can’t wait to try it out. If Santa didn’t drop one these beauties off for you this season you can pick one up at Barbecues Galore for about $25. I will let you know how it works for me, I plan on using it soon.

BBQ gift ideas

Here are a few items that would make perfect stocking stuffers this holiday. First off, Williams Sonoma has few good BBQ products that are on sale. They have a non-stick rib rack for $7.99 or a nice forged grill brush with replacement heads for $14.99.

visit the website.

Plans for a large steel smoker

Here is a website, compuvices.com, that has pretty extensive plans on building a rather large BBQ pit and trailer from a couple of old propane tanks. And, did I mention that the plans are free? There are plenty of photos that show this BBQ pit at the different stages of completion. Enjoy.

visit the website

…also check out other BBQ pits here

BBQ Matches

Are you looking for a unique gift for that barbeque enthusiast in your life…a gift that doesn’t involve you covering yourself in BBQ sauce? There is a website, BBQ Matches.com, where you can buy a set of matchbooks from famous BBQ joints around the country including Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City, Stubbs Bar-B-Q in Texas and (our very own) The Pig in Los Angeles. Of course you can always go over to The Pig and pick yourself up a book of matches along with a pulled pork sandwich. But, where is the fun in that? Seriously though, this is a very unique gift, in a nice package, for under $10.00… not sure where you will be able to find that anywhere?

Check out their website

Brick BBQ Pit With Wood Storage

I found some plans at the Smoke Ring website for another vintage brick barbecue pit circa 1954. The style is reminiscent barbecue pit that was built on an old I Love Lucy episode. Although not an exact replica, it brings to mind those good old days with Ricky and Lucy. If you do happen to use these plans let me know how it goes.

visit the website

…also check out other BBQ pits here

The Freedom Grill

The Freedom Grill FG-100

While at SEMA, I came across the subject matter of a good BBQ post. Who would have thought that you could find a BBQ related topic at an automotive trade show? The Freedom Grill is the self-proclaimed “official grill of tailgating” that mounts to your vehicle’s tow hitch. The grill is attached to swing-out arm that locks in place for travel and swings out away from you vehicle for cooking. They are perfect for tailgating and camping. These gas grills are available in two models, the FG-100 (listed on their webite for $899, but I found it at Home Depot for $569. ), their first and most popular grill and the new and sporty FG-50 ($299). For all of you that shop locally and think globally, Freedom Grill, Inc. is located here in the Southern California town of Poway.
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Which wood to use for your BBQ?

Pairing smoking wood with meat can be trickier than coupling wine with dinner… in some instances, downright difficult. What do you use when you have the choice of pear or maple for your brisket? To take some of the confusion out of the endless possibilities the CBBQA (California Barbecue Association) has compiled a list of common (and not so common) woods used for smoking and meats for which they are suited.

visit the CBBQA website

Plans for a vintage 1985 BBQ grill

In an article dated July/August 1985 Mother Earth News offers plans on how to build an inexpensive BBQ grill with built-in smoking rack. I’m not sure what the 1985 price of $103 for materials would translate to in today’s dollars… probably because I can’t remember paying $103 dollars for anything back then.

Check out the article

…also check out other BBQ pits here