Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ

Game Day Ribs!

2012-01-27T04:35:00.003-06:00

Most people I know head straight to the produce section when entering a grocery store, not me. I always head straight toward the catsup, sauce and pickle aisle. Drives my wife nuts.

Last Friday while strolling Caputos on Bloomingdale Road, I couldn't help but notice that they stock Head's Red BBQ Sauce. Spotting this delight on the shelf served as the inspiration for this cook.

Now, I usually don't stray too far from Mike's Meat Market in Villa Park, but thought I'd give Wheaton Meat Market a try. Wheaton Meat Market stocks pork loin backs. Some say there is no difference between baby backs and pork loin backs, but I differentiate the two by the amount of loin left on the rib. These were meaty. The quality was good.

Some folks cook ribs with the membrane on - they say they like the snap... not me, so off it went.

I started using EVOO as my base before applying rub. Typically I use yellow mustard kicked up with a liittle soy and/or worchestire, but thought EVOO might not only keep them better moist but possibly help create a better crust. I can never taste either after they've been smoked anyways.

Knowing I was going to be using Head's Red BBQ Sauce for this cook, I thought I'd create a new rub to compliment the sauce. I used brown and white sugars, onion powder, sweet paprika, Lawry's, garlic salt, cinnamon, cumin and few other ingredients. I was happy with the end result. I accomplished what I thought was a sweet, salty and smoky flavor profile.

(I've also learned to put my rub in shaker. For one, it keeps it from becoming contimated by dirty fingers and two, it sprinkles on nice and even.)

Today was about 30* and the old Smoky Mountain Smoker held steady at 250*. Woo Hoo!

I used apple (rear) and hickory (front) for the smoke.

Ahhh...there she is puffing away. This smoker cost me about $150 bucks 6 years ago and has been worth every dime. I may have to invest in a few welding blankets to better insulate the cabinet though.

After about 3 hours, these ribs are looking mighty good...still got a few hours to go...

After 5 1/2 hours I applied the sauce. Head's Red BBQ Sauce is a delicious sweet and tangy sauce with a very small hint of worchestire - which I like very much. It's flavor is deep and savory, not overly sweet and comes with a touch of heat. The sauce stuck to the meat and glazed up nicely. Hadn't I been lazy I would have fired up my Weber OTG and charred these babies. Maybe next time.

I pulled and cut them up. Within minutes "POOF!" they were gone. Don't think Doug Henning could've made them disappear any quicker. I really enjoyed the sauce as did the fellas. It's one of the few sauces that is litearlly finger lickn' good. I'll be making beans with the second bottle I bought next weekend.

Happy Friday and thanks for lookn'!

Quick and Easy Grilled Shrimp Cocktail!

2012-01-14T09:53:00.016-06:00

Came across these wild caught 15ct gulf shrimp and decided to do me up a grilled shrimp cocktail for my first cook of 2012.

Two things I have found that really add nice flavor to shrimp when grilling are 1) a brine and 2) leaving the shells on.

First, you got to remove the mud vein. My mother-in-law had once made paella forgetting to remove the mud veins from the shrimp. As great of a cook as she is, I couldn't eat it. Here, I simply cut a slit down its back and with a small paring knife pulled the vein out. Simple.

Next, I trimmed up them little legs. Did this solely for presentation as the wife don't like lookn' at em.

Made a simple brine. In this case, I used sugar, salt and lemon juice and after all the shrimp had been cleaned, I brined them for 1 hour in the fridge.

Grilled over medium direct 4 minutes a side.

And while still warm, tossed them in EVOO infused with lemon zest and garlic. Oh, and I snipped off some chives in there too for added color, texture and taste.

Served em up with a homemade cocktail sauce consisting mainly of catsup, freshly ground horseradish (lots of it), lemon juice, a dab of Siracha and worchestire.

Easy peasy and absolutely delicious. Not sure why anyone would buy those no taste, pre-cooked jumbos at Jewel or Dominick's when in less than 1 hour you can have fresh, juicy, plump shrimp. These were really good eats! The only thing missing was a Beefeater and garlic stuffed olives.

Pig Daddy's Night on the Town at Chicago q!

2012-01-12T16:29:00.002-06:00

I've been meaning to get on over to Chicago q for over a year since they've opened and last night was the night. Chicago q is located at 1160 N. Dearborn and is in the heart of Chicago's Gold Coast.

Chicago q is an upscale BBQ place, akin to Fiorella's Jack Stack in Kansas City, which I've also dined. There is no question that this has got to be Chicago's most elegant, urban BBQ joint. The best I can describe the interior is modern day plantation style.

Chicago q's menu features typical Q fare like pulled pork, chicken and ribs, but what had peaked my interest aside from their huge selection of bourbon was the Kobe beef brisket and what they refer to as "competition ribs." Neither entree comes cheap at $21 and $35, respectively. That being said, having BBQ'd for years and having sacrificed many a sleepless night and early mornings hoping to finish a 12-14 hour smoke by dinner or turn-in (not including the prep-time it took to get it to the point of cooking it), I can truly appreciate the passion, patience, craftsmanship and knowledge of a pitmaster who has learned to properly transcend a tough cut of meat into a heavenly smoked, tender piece of goodness. And I don't mind paying the extra bucks for it - SO LONG as it's TOP QUALITY.

Now, for those of you who have ever watched TLC's series "BBQ Pitmasters" you may have heard or seen Lee Ann Whippen competing against the likes of Johnny Trigg, Myron Mixon, Hary Soo and Tuffy Stone. Well, Whippen is chef/partner of Chicago q and any BBQ being offered for sale by a pitmaster who has stared on TLC's "BBQ Pitmasters," who has won numerous awards on the circuit, runs an already successful restaurant in Virgina and even beat Bobby Flay in a pulled pork throw down better be TOP QUALITY! Or worst case, I guess I write it off as team research and development and never return.

They started us with homemade chips sprinkled with Whippen's signature "Pig Powder" as well as hand cut bread and butter style pickles with garlic and onion. These were gratis and kept coming so long as we ate them. The Pig Powder was sweet with a bit of heat, the pickles were fresh, savory and crunchy. Each complimented the other in flavor and texture very well and set the tone for what we were to expect the rest of the evening.

(No sooner than when we arrived they dimmed the lighting to "bar tone." Due to the low lighting, my pictures do not properly capture the true view of the food as put before us)

As an appetizer, we ordered the house bacon hush puppies with chipotle aioli. Chicago q smokes its own bacon from fresh pork belly, which is then used to make these. In fact everything but their deserts are made in-house. I've had lots of pups in my time and these were very good. They were perfectly cooked, smoky in flavor and not greasy whatsoever. The chipotle aioli served as a nice compliment.

For our entree, we ordered the Kobe beef brisket with cornbread as our side. Next to chicken, brisket is probably one of the hardest categories to cook for competition. This brisket was very good. What I liked most about it was that it had exceptional graining. And keeping brisket moist after slicing is challenging and although this brisket was lean, it was served moist. It also possessed a good beef flavor and the perfect amount of smoke flavor. What I liked least was that there was some larger fat pockets left on it (as you can see in the photo) and it could have been ever slightly more tender. The cornbread was the best I've ever had.

Although very pricey for a slab of spares, we couldn't resist ordering the "competition spare ribs." I am not certain why a BBQ joint would offer two qualities of ribs - best and better than best? Why not just put forward your best 100% of the time? This concept seems strange to me, but then again I am not a marketing major. But then yet again, the menu item and pitmaster association worked - getting me to buy them. Well, whatever the case may be, these were very good. They were perfectly seasoned, and perfectly smoked. They came glazed and had a subtle hint of sweetness. I think many BBQ joints as well cooks forget that smoke, rub and sauce should be used as ingredients and not the main flavors. In my opinion, these ribs had a nice balance of flavor where I could even taste the pork! What a concept!

That being said, for an item labeled "competition ribs," that come in at $35 a slab, I think they were slightly overcooked, a tad too tender as they lacked a perfect bite through, some of which came right off the bone with little or no pull. Now, I understand that ribs can't be cooked to order and these ribs like any other BBQ joint are pre-cooked and kept warm for who knows how long, which must affect tenderness, but they are advertised as "competition ribs" after all.

Chicago q serves its sauce table side, which we used solely as a compliment to the BBQ because it sure didn't need any. Starting at the top and moving clockwise, original mild (tomato based, rich and sweet), South Carolina mustard, spicy (tomato-based and bold wit red pepper flake) and an Eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce. The best mustard sauce I've ever had was at a BBQ joint in Virginia called Old Glory, Whippen's mustard sauce comes in a close 2nd. It was very good and complimented both the brisket and pulled pork extremely well. The other sauces were good - nothing to write home about.

Now, saving the best for last...

You know, honesty before visiting I had my doubts about this place. I figured it'd just be a hyped, upscale BBQ restaurant using a famous pit master's name in sake in an attempt to get me to spend my $. I even joked with my colleagues about Lee Ann Whippen probably not even knowing the address. Well, much to my surprise I was DEAD WRONG and although stuffed, I was forced make room to eat my words.

When seated in the dining room, I happened to see a blond woman who resembled Whippen from my seat performing what appeared to be quality control in the kitchen. Our waiter confirmed this was Whippen. The next thing I knew, she came out, introduced herself and invited us for a tour of her kitchen. Needless to say, I was shocked and tongue tied. Many of the questions I would have wanted to ask her just never got out.

Chicago q uses Southern Pride Smokers. Fuel of choice here was hickory and white cherry. However, they use other woods for different foods like fish and chicken.

Below is a picture of Whippen showing us her meat locker. In her hand is a Kobe beef brisket. She was very personable, cordial and without any prodding engaged us in Q conversation. Like any other Q'er I know, she's the type that if she had not been busy would have sat down and talked Q with us all day long. She is very passionate and knowledgeable about BBQ. No doubts about it!

After shamelessly plugging the Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ (some more), I had my buddy snap a photo of me and Whippen so I could brag to all my BBQ buddies including you all. And boy, if I weren't married....

I have many other places to try and am hoping to start covering them now that winter is upon us and I won't be cooking as much. All-in-all, I'd pay to eat at Chicago q again, no questions about it. The Q was very good and our service was outstanding. It was a great evening!

Fusion: Peruvian Tamales with Pulled Pork and Brisket!

2012-01-06T11:25:00.000-06:00

My father-in-law is from Peru and is an excellent cook. Every year for Christmas he makes traditional Peruvian dishes like Papa a la Huancaina, Lomo Saltado, Ceviche and Anticucho de Corazón. But my favorite are his Peruvian tamales. Peruvian tamales are wrapped in banana leaves rather than corn husks, are more flat than round, are traditionally stuffed with chicken or pork and are a bit more on the spicy side.

This year I invited the master to teach me how to make these heavenly bundles to which he agreed. I studied, took notes, asked lots of questions and ended up putting my own twist on what otherwise is a fabulous latin dish.

We started with guajillo chile paste, garlic paste, pork stock, pork lard (all of which we made) and a big ol bag of banana leaves...

First, we melted pork lard in a pan...

Next, we fried the guajillo chile paste, garlic paste and cumin in the pork lard...

We then added this fried goodness to the masa...

We also addded pork stock. Masa is somewhat bland and benefits from added layers of flavor and moisture.

We mixed well and set aside...

Next, we placed the banana leaves above a burner sweating the leaves making them more pliable and easier to fold...

We then spread the masa on a banana leaf and filled it with leftover smoked pulled pork, sicilian black olives and a roasted serano chile cut on the bias...

Repeated...but used leftover smoked brisket, a roasted serano chile and some homemade apple bourbon bbq sauce...

We then wrapped each tamale, tying them with kitchen twine...

These tamales will be boiled rather than steamed, so we wrapped them tightly in aluminum foil as to not end up with soggy masa...

We dropped them in water and boiled 30 minutes...

Final product: pulled pork tamale with some hot sauce...

Fnal product: beef brisket tamale...

Me eating these things like there's no tomorrow.

The banana leaves impart a steeped tea-like flavor into the masa, which is really different from corn husks. Like I had mentioned, masa is somewhat bland and benefits from added flavors. The smoked meats penetrated the masa imparting a hint of smoky flavor throughout and the roasted seranos added a slight hint of spice, ok a lot of spice. The masa was extremely moist. This is one of the best dishes I've ever made and tpossibilities are endless.

Thanks for looking!

Say Hello to Mr. Brown...

2011-12-29T23:14:00.010-06:00

With last Sunday's temperature near 40*, I decided to cook me up some pulled pork. Pulled pork freezes well and will last 3-5 months frozen. I often use leftovers for tacos, beans, chili, hot pockets, soups and nachos. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Saturday I started the prep-work. I mixed some apricot nectar, salt, sugar and a few other ingredients to create an injectable brine.

I inject my shoulders using a one-inch grid patter and go heavy in the money muscle and around the horn. Here, I am pushing the brine in as I pull the syringe out.

I then wrapped it in plastic wrap and threw in the fridge overnight...

On Sunday morning, I made a very basic rub consisting of turbinado and brown sugars, Hungarian sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and freshly ground cracked pepper. I used yellow mustard as a base...

As far as I am concerned, there is no substitute for natural charcoal - whether briquettes or lump. The flavor charcoal produces on foods is far superior to propane. But given as cold as it has been, I thought I'd use my Smoky Mountain Smoker for this cook. It's much easier to regulate the temperature compared to my Chargriller and less demanding of my time - particularly on football Sunday.

Typically when I plan on using propane to grill or smoke in cold weather, I place the canister in my garage the night before where it's a bit warmer. It seems that below freezing temps affect the pressure in the tank creating less efficient flow.

Knowing that this shoulder would take every bit of 12 hours, I woke up at 5 AM to get the smoker warmed up and ready to go by 6 AM. The outdoor temperature was approximately 30* and for some reason I had a very hard time getting the smoker up to 225* let alone 250* (where I wanted to be). Although the metal on the Smoky Mountain Smokers are paper thin, I've held 250* when it's been colder. After two hours of messing around and a few choice words, I discovered that the propane nozzle had become slightly dislodged from the burner. After fixing it, she held steady at 250* all day.

Of course I can't waste space, so I threw in some some spares I had trimmed up St Louis style. This is after about four hours into the cook...

...and after about 8 hours...

Typically I foil my shoulders after they reach an internal temp of 160*, but because I had injected it, I thought I would not use foil thus allowing the bark to develop more prominently. At about 8 PM when the butt had reached an internal temp of 195*, I removed it from the smoker and let it rest. Not only did I get fabulous bark, but the pork was extremely juicy and tender without the foil as you can see from the photo (click on the photo for a close-up).

Pulled pork just ain't complete without slaw and my best friend's mother makes the best damn slaw I've ever tasted. I've known Tom since the sixth grade - over 3 decades. He was my best man, as I was his, and we are the godparents to each others children. Through good time and bad times, our bond is tight. Despite being the equivalent of his mother's 4th son, my version of her gifted recipe never quite tastes the same...hmmmm. Well, I made her recipe using green cabbage. I also made a homemade bbq sauce. I modified a recipe I have been working on using some rice wine vinegar, hot sauce and Blues Hog Tennessee Red and I'm extremely pleased with the end result. This will be my new go-to for pulled pork - no question about it.

Thanks for lookn'!

Grilled Upside Down Pineapple Cake

2011-12-22T19:20:00.007-06:00

I love dreary, overcast Saturday afternoons - the kinda afternoons where there isn't much else to do but listen to the blues and BBQ. Nothing goes better with pork than apple and nothing goes better with pineapple than dark rum. Yesterday I cut up one of two pineapples I had into rings and soaked them overnight in Bacardi Gold. You see, it's kinda like killing two birds with one stone -the soaked pineapple rings I use for the upside pineapple cake and the the excess rum and pineapple juice from the soak, well, I drink. It's beautiful that way.

This is my first attempt at upside pineapple cake on the grill, so I figured I'd play it safe and fire up my Weber Genesis EP310 cuz I know she'll hold steady at 350*. First, I brushed each of the rings with melted butter and tossed them over direct medium heat giving them a slight char...

Next, I mixed up some brown sugar, cream, cinnamon and butter over direct medium heat using my trusty old cast iron pan. This mixture will serve as the carmelized glaze that sits atop the cake...

Once the mixture started to boil, I placed the rings into the pan. The missus loves macadamia nuts, so I crushed some and threw them in for good measure. It's no wonder the woman adores me as much as she does...

Then I poured a homemade cake batter into the pan and baked at 350*. Using indirect heat this cake will take every bit of 45 minutes...

The part I love most about grilling and BBQ is the down time.
Nothing.....to.....do.....but.....wait.....

The leftover pineapple juice and rum was good for 3 drinks. Didn't quite get me through the entire cook, but hey, it was only 1 o'clock...

After 45 minutes, I stuck a toothpick into the cake and it pulled out clean. Cake's done!

After letting it cool 15 minutes, I slid a knife around the edge of the pan to help release the cake. I was afraid the cake was going to stick using cast iron and all, but it didn't. It released perfectly.

And there it is... upside down pineapple cake with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Next time I will crush the macadamias up more fine cuz the chunks of nuts robbed my cake of a nice, clean outer edge. Also I will add some rum soaked cherries for not only another layer of flavor, but an added layer of color. Happy Grilling!

Chris Lilly's Rubbed Pork Loin w/ Apple Bourbon BBQ Sauce

2011-12-16T06:21:00.002-06:00

With old man winter rearing his ugly head, I've been trying to get in as much grilln' and smokn' as possible. Take a look at this beautiful 4lb pork loin - wonderful marbelization, pink and fresh! It's a Bubba's Berk's. A few months back I had posted about Bubba's HERE. Folks, I can't say enough good things about the quality of Bubba's pork. Hands down, it's simply the best! Mike and his family are about 1 hour from Glen Ellyn and if you can afford the time, drive out there now before it snows!

I love trying new recipes involving new techniques, rubs and sauces. I recently purchased Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book and thought I'd give Chris Lilly's pork loin recipe a try. As called for, I first applied olive oil as the base and then the rub. Lilly's rub contains granulated sugar, sweet paprika, onion salt, garlic salt, ancho chili powder, cumin, coriander and black pepper.

I then placed the loin directly above medium hot coal for about 7 minutes per side to get some nice char- crust and carmelization goin'. I then switched to indirect heat to finish the cook. After about an hour at 350*, this loin looked absolutely phenomenal.

I also made Chris Lilly's Apple Bourbon BBQ Sauce using Jim Beam (one of my favorite bourbons). I used a Michigan sweet apple and a sweet vidalia onion, both of which I grated coarsely for added texture. Nothing compliments pork better than apple and nothing compliments apple better than cinnamon, which Lilly's recipe calls for, and I added. With about 15 minutes to go I applied the sauce. If you click on the photo, you can see the chunks of onion and apple contained within it, mmmmm...

I cook my loins and chops to 160*, not a degree higher keeping in mind that it will continue to cook up a few degrees while resting. I have found that anything higher than 160* tends to dry out exponentially.

I really don't use a lot of gadgets when Qn' with the exception of electronic thermometers and probes only because they allow me to keep my lid closed a lot longer without having to peak. This Taylor electronic temperature probe works like a charm. I picked it up at Marcel's Culinary Experience last month. Marcel's is located in Downtown Glen Ellyn and is truly an asset to our town. It's stocked with fine cookware and hardworking professional tools. They also host cooking classes. In fact, I just signed up for one on preparing wild game meats, January 20th.

With quality as good as this, there is no reason trying to make it "more" juicy, nor mask its true pork flavor using a brine. You can see the smoke ring and a very slight tint of pink in the center - perfectly cooked and very juicy. This was the most tender pork I've ever made. Chris Lilly's sauce and rub compliment Bubba's pork in both taste and texture extremely well. I wouldn't change anything about it at all. The left overs made for some great sandwiches on homemade buttermilk buiscuits. Man, them were some real good eats. Thanks for looking and happy Friday!

Grilling Kabobs

2011-12-07T20:33:00.004-06:00

I am not a big fan of kabobs, but I am of simplicity. Seeing that I had most of the ingredients necessary to make a great marinade, I figured what the heck...kabobs it is.

Click on my photos for a better view!

First, I put the little man to work earning his keep. Here he is diligently whisking after measuring and pouring the marinade ingredients into a bowl. He's turning into an excellent assistant and future pitmaster.

Next, we separated the onion and green pepper chunks from the beef into two one-gallon Ziplocs. We then poured half the marinade into each, pushed down on the bag ridding it of excess air and threw them into the fridge for 4 hours.

After allowing the beef and veggies to come to room temp, I threaded them onto skewers.

Meanwhile, I got our fire going. I used Kingsford Competition Briquets (100% all natural) for the cook and a couple chucks of hickory for added flavor. I am very pleased to see that McChesney & Miller is still carrying these briquets deep into November. Thanks Bill!

For this cook, I wanted a two-zone fire using both med/high direct and indirect as a safety zone in the event of any flare-ups.

I love the sizzle of beef cooking over open flame.

After a total of about 7 minutes, the beef and veggies charred nicely.

The veggies cooked perfectly - the outer flesh charred and soft, the inners still crisp to the bite. The meat came out a perfect med/rare.

Did I mention that me and my little assistant whipped up some homemade creamed horseradish to complement our beef? Well, we did and it came out superb. We used fresh horseradish, Hellman's, whipping cream and a few other ingredients. Next time, we'll be making the sauce the day before giving the flavors more time to meld in the fridge.

Lastly, looking forward I will not be choosing top sirloin by Ranchers Reserve, but rather beef ribeye or tenderloin form McChesney & Miller or Mike's. I'll also use prime vs. choice cuts (not sure what I was thinking). Although the beef had excellent flavor, it was inconsistent in tenderness. Some pieces chewed like gum, yet others like this piece were extremely tender and delicious. Thanks for looking and happy grilling!

Grilled Asian-Style Sockeye

2011-12-01T20:20:00.004-06:00

A few months ago as I was surfing the web looking for a new shoulder recipe I happened to bump into this Asian-Style salmon recipe which looked incredible. This recipe is as quick and simple as it is tasty and does not require a fully stocked pantry either. In fact, it's so good that I feel obligated to share it with you. After trying it, the word "fish" will no longer be a four letter "f' word when choosing what to grill ~ Pig Daddy guaranteed.

Now, I can't recall where I found it, but if I do, or you do, please let me know and I'll be sure to give the rightful chef his/her due credit. That being said, the tips I am sharing with you are mine and not part of the directions.

(Be sure to click on my photos for a close-up view)

For the rub:

1 teas lemon pepper

1 teas garlic powder

1/2 to 1 teas kosher salt

For the marinade:
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup veg oil

1 1/2 lbs. fresh salmon fillet (I prefer wild caught with skin on)

Directions:

Mix rub ingredients together in small bowl and set aside.

Next, rub your fingers across the fillet looking for any pin bones. Don't be fooled into thinking that because it's a fillet all the bones have been removed. I learned this step the hard way.

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in medium bowl. Place the salmon in a two gallon Ziploc and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal it tightly. Turn the bag a few times to distribute the marinade. Refrigerate for 2 hours, turning occasionally. You do not want to marinate something as delicate as fish for more than a couple of hours.

Prepare your grill for direct high heat. In my case, I cranked my Weber Genesis EP310 to 450*. I have learned that when cooking fish, high, direct heat is your friend. It creates crust which in turn helps the flesh release from the grill grates. The thinner the fillets, the higher the heat.

Remove the salmon from the bag and discard the marinade. Do not rinse the salmon. Season the salmon with the rub. Depending on your taste, you may not use all of it.

Brush clean and oil the cooking grates.

When I purchase fish with skin on, I always start grilling it flesh down. And, I always grill the first side longer than the second, as the second side will start to cook while the first side remains down. This method helps assure a nice crust - the one trophy that most grillers such as me cherish. Resist the urge to flip the fish. Every time you flip you are creating a new chance that the fish will stick and fall apart.

My salmon weighed a little over 1 1/2 lbs. and I cooked it flesh-side down for 7 minutes with lid closed.

I then flipped the fillet and cooked an additional 4 minutes with lid closed. Slipping a spatula between the flesh and skin I was able to remove the skin. Typically, the skin will stick to the grates and peel away. Although some people are squeamish about eating the skin, I happen to think it tastes a lot like bacon, a much added bonus.

Look at that! I savor the caramelized - charred pieces. If you want to kick it up, you can add fresh ginger, scallion, or even cilantro to the marinade. You really have to give this a try and because salmon is an oily fish, it is a bit forgiving. If you have any questions, or if I can be of help, drop a comment here. Thanks for looking. Happy grilling!

A Smokn' Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T20:24:00.012-06:00

I have a lot to be thankful for during this wonderful holiday season beginning with a loving and healthy family, amazing friends and neighbors and steady employment. Around the holidays, I love being home to cook and ever since being married, we've hosted Thanksgiving. I do the cooking and my wife does a lot of the prep work, organizing, cleaning and shopping. I've definitely got the better end of the deal. Our family is large and as a result we end up hosting many guests. That being said, as much as I love them all, usually by the time I'm done cooking and plating it all up - in a blink of an eye - the turkey is gone leaving me with nothing but scraps. Over the years, I've learned my lesson saying to myself "Self, not this year!" Aside from the traditional 25lber in the oven stuffed with sage, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, onions, carrots, celery and lemon quarters, I threw a few turkey breasts and some tips on the smoker just for me. Ha!

(Be sure to click on my photos for a close-up view)

These two biddys are about 7lbs apiece.

After using a wet rub consisting of spicy brown mustard and olive oil, I applied a dry rub that I made.

It saddens me to think that although pork is a staple of the modern day Thanksgiving meal, there is no evidence supporting the colonists had butchered a pig when Thanksgiving had first been proclaimed in 1621. Well, Pig Daddy can't have Thanksgiving without pork and seeing that these breasts would take every bit of 5 hours, I threw these rib tips on as a cook's snack and appetizers for our guests. The colonists didn't know what they were missing. I rubbed them with yellow mustard and seasoned them up with some commercial rub - very simple.

Back to the turkey... I had a hard time keeping the smoker temp even as it fluctuated between 225* and 250*all day. My target range for these birds was 250*. Only during a competition would I care, cause timing is everything. But at home, it doesn't bother me one bit. After about two hours the skin is crisping up nicely. I used hickory chunks for this smoke.

After 3 1/2 hours I started to apply a glaze consisting of butter, maple syrup and honey...

At 4 hours she's looking simply marvelous...Yeah baby!

Tips are done. I typically don't apply heavy sauce to my Q, but I know that the family likes it that way and I am to please.

These tips came out perfect - tender, juicy, plump, smoky and delicious. I trimmed them up pretty good before seasoning them so they were not too fatty either.

After 5 1/2 hours the turkey breasts are done and I took a slice for myself. Absolutely delicious! These will make for some good sandwiches tomorrow...

Friday's feast...Italian loaf (which my awesome neighbor dropped off for me as a surprise), green leaf lettuce, a nice plump tomato, avocado, red onion, Hellman's and Bubba's Berk's hickory smoked peppered bacon.

Bubba's bacon is top notch. It's perfectly seasoned, meaty and for Berkshire hog is amazingly lean. There is no substitute.

Some folks get fancy with their left overs, not me. BBQ is meant to be simple and after a full day cooking yesterday, I made me this simple sandwich. To compliment my sandwich, I had some Mesquite Flavored Bar-B-Que Krunchers and an ice-cold Sierra Nevada Celebration to wash it all down. The only thing missing was a pickle. Oh well...Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Moo + Oink = MOINK

2011-11-18T12:38:00.005-06:00

About 3 weeks ago I received a phone call from fellow cook and good friend Greg Bane telling me that he was in the process of smoking some balls. After a few tasteless jokes and some chuckles, G informed me that he was speaking of "MOINK Balls" he had just thrown into his smoker. Needless to say, I had never heard of the term and still hadn't a clue as to what he was talking about. "MOINK what?", I asked. "What are those?" He filled me in and the rest is history.

MOINK Balls roots stem from a gathering of BBQ Brethren members Larry Gaian, Ron "Ron_L" Lewen and Neil "Nthole" Thole (see wikQUEpedia for details regarding the birth of MOINK Balls). Believe it or not, I had the fine pleasure of meeting Ron Lewen for the first time when he and his wife had graciously agreed to judge Glen Ellyn's 3rd Annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off . Since then, I have also become a member of The BBQ Brethren, an online community forum dedicated to the art of low and slow. I highly recommend becoming a member if you're interested in BBQ. The forum covers everything from the backyard to the American Royal and serves as not only a great source of information for the BBQ enthusiast, but as a fantastic source of cooking inspiration.

Back to MOINKS...a MOINK Ball fuses together the two most important proteins in BBQ. Simply put, a MOINK Ball is a BEEF meatball wrapped in PORK bacon and secured with a toothpick. It is then smoked or grilled low and slow. Making MOINKS is a great way to flavor profile new rubs and sauces without spending a lot of dough and time on a rack of ribs, shoulder or brisket.

Paying tribute to my BBQ Brethren and my buddy G, I decided to make me some MOINKS. As you can see, the ingredient list is simple and does not require a fully stocked pantry. I started with beef meatballs, Smithfield-Double Thick Cut Bacon, Teddy Reader's Sweet Rib Rub, Whiteford's Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce and Smuckers Grape Jelly (combined equal parts jelly and BBQ sauce to make a glaze).

One of the first books I bought when I became interested in BBQ was "King of the Qs Blue Plate BBQ" by Teddy Reader. Contained within it are many awesome recipes including one for a sweet rib rub. A few of the ingredients that make up the rub are garlic flake, brown sugar, ginger, red pepper flake, orange drink mix and coriander. I left the rub a bit more coarse than I would normally hoping to impart an impactful 1-2 flavor punch on these little guys.

I cut each strip of bacon in half placing a single beef meatball in the center.

I then wrapped the bacon around each meatball, stabbed it with a toothpick and dipped it in the sweet rib rub. Wow! Lookn' tasty already.

I fired up my Weber Kettle One-Touch Gold using indirect heat and two chunks of Pecan. These bad boys will be cooked at 250 degrees - low and slow.

After about an hour, the bacon has started to render and is smelling absolutely fantastic!

Final product...succulent, sweet and tangy MOINKS. Oh, and what more appropriate than a Beefeater to compliment my snack. Yes, it's the start of a great weekend indeed. Happy Friday!

Smokin' A Fatty!

2011-11-09T19:43:00.001-06:00

Whoa...easy there, it's not what you may be thinking. The only thing this griller is guilty of smoking is 100% pure deliciousness.

A "fatty" in the world of BBQ simply refers to a stuffed, smoked sausage roll. That's right, take a roll of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage, cut a slit in it and stuff it with cheeses, vegetables, meats, or whatever else peaks your fancy and throw it on the smoker. It's as easy as 1-2-3.

Cooking fatties are a great way for the novice smoker to begin learning the many nuances of smoking. The meat in a fatty is always ground and for the most part, well, loaded with fat making them resilient to mistakes and great for practicing temperature control.

Also, did I mention that these little gems are guaranteed to make you friends? It's true. They become irresistible when sliced into mouthwatering medallions.

Saturday, as I was strolling through Glen Ellyn Dominicks, I couldn't help but notice that not only Smithfield - Double Thick Cut Bacon was "buy one, get one" but that Jimmy Dean Premium Pork Sausage was too.

Sunday morning breakfast with my boys was screaming "Fatty!" and the Mrs. was going to be out....no guilt-game on!

As this was intended to be a breakfast fatty, the main ingredients included bacon and sausage. For stuffing, I chose portabellinis, green pepper, white onion, garlic and cheese.

A "fatty" in its most basic form is a roll of smoked sausage, but wrapping it in bacon adds a whole new dimension of texture and taste. I started my fatty by creating a bacon weave and dusting it with Cimmaron Docs Sweet Rib Rub & Bar-B-Q Seasoning,

Next, I flattened out the sausage roll into a square leaving room around the edges. Then I added sauteed portabellinis, green pepper, white onion, garlic and cheese,

Once loaded, I rolled the sausage layer completely sealing the stuffing inside. I then rolled the bacon weave around it using the wax paper to keep it all in place and from sticking.

I placed the fatty on my Weber Kettle One -Touch Gold using indirect heat with two chunks of Pecan. For indirect grillling I use Char-Baskets. Moving charcoal around the bottom of a grill can be a real pain. Not only do these hold your charcoal in place, but seem to create a nice even flow of heat.

Because of the amount of fat in this fatty, I chose to smoke it at 225 degrees hoping to render much of the fat...yeah right, who am I kidding?

Making a meal on my Weber Kettle using Kingsford Blue and cracking open an Old Style reminds me a lot of my late father. Although, come to think of it, he never drank his beer from a glass.

Oh boy, if you could only smell it! After about 3 hours on the Weber Ketttle, the bacon is starting to crisp up. What a beauty!

Of course I had to add a little sweetness, so I glazed it using Whiteford's Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce letting the bacon almost candy.

After letting it rest a few minutes, I cut it in two. Nice smoke ring, juicy and delicious!

Yeah, don't come to my house looking to lose weight or lower your cholesterol. Smoking this fatty took much longer than I had anticipated and by the time it had finished it was afternoon. But in the end, it was worth the wait. These juicy, smoked medallions along with a few fried eggs is nothing short of heaven. Thanks for looking. Cheers!

Pig Daddy Becomes a KCBS Certified Judge!

2011-11-05T18:05:00.008-05:00

The Kansas City Barbecue Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbeque, is the world's largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts with over 15,000 members worldwide. KCBS sanctions over 300 barbeque contests coast-to-coast throughout America.

Last year I became a member of KCBS because I support and believe in KCBS's mission of promoting, celebrating, teaching and preserving barbecue as a culinary technique, sport and art form. Like KCBS, I believe in promoting barbecue as America's favorite cuisine.

Today, I took a KCBS judges class in Westmont and became a KCBS Certified BBQ Judge. I learned a ton and met lots of good people.

It's a great day!

Me and Mike Lake, Former President of KCBS - Nov 5, 2011

Thanks Everbody!

2011-10-01T17:35:00.005-05:00

Triblocal Sept. 23, 2011: "The fortunes of the Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Cook-Off in year three continued to rise fast and sweet like the smoke from the grills of its 40 contestants."

Bar-B-Crew- 2011

Wow! I'm not exactly sure where to begin....

On behalf of myself and the rest of the Bar-B-Crew, we want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to the many, many supportive friends, family, neighbors, spectators and businesses who have taken their time and resources to help us. Without your support, Glen Ellyn’s 3rd Annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off would not have been possible.

We would also like to thank each of our contestants for choosing to compete in our Cook-Off. Our goal is to become the most fun, highest quality, authentic BBQ experience in the Western Suburbs while giving everyone in town and from out of town a true taste of the best of Glen Ellyn in terms of both food and local character.

Together with your support, we raised over $19,000 for Bridge Communities, Inc., a local Glen Ellyn grass-roots charity dedicated to transitioning the lives of homeless families.

As many of you may know, we brought the event from the town’s “backyard” in our residential neighborhood near Taylor and Willis Streets to Glen Ellyn’s Downtown District or “front yard” this past September 10th.

The move was in part out of necessity as our event outgrew its first venue due to increasing popularity among contestants and attendees. It also allowed the event to fulfill one of its original goals which was to create a fun reason for people from both Glen Ellyn and outside communities to come to town and experience the town’s sense of community and love of American traditions like barbecue, jazz, Fourth of July, and volunteerism.

Our biggest challenge was to do all that and not lose the unique community vibe that made it special in the first place. Well, because of you, we pulled it off and for that we are forever grateful!

Plans are underway for year four. Based on feedback we’re getting from attendees, we're looking to expand the food options available for spectators to purchase, adding some additional kids activities and games, and putting together some BBQ tutorials and expositions and the like. We’re always expanding and evolving, and, looking for more ways to make the event more fun, more widely known, promote Glen Ellyn’s unique charms, promote BBQ, pick up more community support, and, generate more awareness and financial support for Bridge Communities. If you have any suggestions for us, please comment here.

Folks, we've got a great town and great event, in large part because of each and every one of you who all made it possible.

Thank you!

Tom “Pig Daddy” Koprowski

Winners of GE's 3rd Annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off!!!

2011-09-11T19:29:00.019-05:00

Congratulations and thanks to all the participants for making this a record year, and thanks with a bit of jealousy goes out to the judges!

I can hardly wait until next year!

If you have any questions on how your team did, drop me a note — I have the tally sheets for the entire competition and will send you your scores.

1st Place Best Ribs: Hot Diggity Hog

Best Ribs

1st Place: Hot Diggity Hog - Wheaton

2nd Place: Smokin Tasty - Huntley

3rd Place: Hon-e's - Downers Grove

4th Place: Team Patriot - Glen Ellyn

5th Place: Bawling Hawg BBQ - McCook

6th Place: Porky Joes - Des Plaines

7th Place: Boss Hog Smokin'- Glen Ellyn

8th Place: 2 K's Que - Lisle

9th Place: Rack Masters BBQ - Aurora

10th Place: Running with the Boars - Hanover Park

1st Place Best Dish: Running with the Boars

Best Dish

1st Place:Running with the Boars - Hanover Park

2nd Place: Team High Life - Lombard

3rd Place: Southside BBQ - Chicago

4th Place: Bawling Hawg BBQ - McCook

5th Place: Head's Red BBQ - Roselle

6th Place: Running with Scissors - Glen Ellyn

7th Place: Hot Diggity Hog - Wheaton

8th Place: Boss Hog Smokin'- Glen Ellyn

9th Place: Mile High BBQ - Normal

10th Place: JJ's BBQ -Plainfield

Showmanship Award

Showmanship Award: Smokin Tasty

Smokin Tasty - Huntley

Thanks, everybody! —Pig Daddy

2011 GE Backyard BBQ Press...

2011-08-26T15:02:00.026-05:00

Triblocal - Sept. 23, 2011: The Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Moves to Front Yard and Smokes All Expectations
"The fortunes of the Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Cook-Off in year three continued to rise fast and sweet like the smoke from the grills of its 40 contestants."

Naperville Sun - Sept. 21, 2011: Barbecue Event Raises Funds for Bridge Communities
"Mark Milligan said that the cookoff “was a great community event that represents what Bridge Communities is all about.”

Triblocal - Sept. 12, 2011: Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ For Bridge Organization
"This Backyard BBQ contest is a wonderful example of neighbors getting together to promote community spirit that helps those less fortunate in life..."

Glen Ellyn Life.Com - Sept. 8, 2011: Glen Ellyn’s 3rd Annual Backyard BBQ Continues to Sizzle
"Glen Ellyn’s Backyard BBQ Cook-Off returns for a third year of food, fun and festivity in a relaxed, downhome atmosphere..."

Naperville Sun - Sept. 8, 2011: Barbecue Event OffersTasty Way to Help Good Cause
"Organizers report that a record 40 teams from throughout the state have registered for the competition..."

Daily Herald - Sept. 8, 2011: Glen Ellyn's Backyard BBQ Cook-Off is back
"For the first time, the event will be held in Glen Ellyn’s lovely historic downtown commercial district and we are extremely excited, event coordinator Tom Koprowski said."

Glen Ellyn Patch - Sept. 7, 2011: Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Competition Fires Up for the Third Year
"On Saturday, Sept. 10, 40 pit masters will square-off in the third-annual Glen Ellyn BBQ Cook Off at the Glenwood Avenue parking lot near Crescent Boulevard..."

A Note to All 2011 GE Backyard BBQ Competitors...

2011-08-24T18:23:00.011-05:00

Please read comment!

SORRY, BUT THE 2011 BACKYARD BBQ IS FULL!

2011-08-23T04:11:00.005-05:00

Based on limited availability, Glen Ellyn's Backyard BBQ will no longer be accepting applications for its 2011 Cook-Off. We've booked a record 40 teams from all over the state. Any applications received after August 23rd, will be returned to you. However, please send your contact information to BBQ@GLEN-ELLYN.com and in the event we have any cancellations, we will contact you immediately.

We are still accepting applications for our bags tourney. Click Here For a Registration Form or contact Bob Solak at bob_solak@yahoo.com or 630-930-1086 for more information.

Thank you for making this our best year ever!

2011 Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Overview....

2011-08-07T11:47:00.001-05:00

Categories are Ribs and Best Dish. Best dish can be anything at all from grilled bacon wrapped stuffed hot dogs... to grilled pineapple cakes... to soft tacos with red snapper and tomatillo-avocado salsa. Best dish is all about your best dish on the grill.

This tasty experience is for ALL teams, regardless of experience.

As was the case in 2009 and 2010, this community event is a great launch pad for “local” and “new teams” to cook in a fantastic learning environment for honing experience and skills. It’s also a great place for “seasoned” teams to try out new recipes and techniques.

The event location has changed. This year it will be held in the Glenwood Ave. parking lot - Downtown Glen Ellyn [MAP]

Entries in each category must be able to accommodate four judges. Prizes will be determined by the number of competitors; there is a small entry fee.

Teams should bring uncooked and unseasoned pork ribs (spares or baby backs), and/or uncooked and unseasoned ingredients for Best Dish. All dishes must be cooked on site. Contestants must provide their own equipment; charcoal and gas grills/smokers are welcome, electric grills/smokers and open pits are not.

A 9x9 Styrofoam “Clamshell” will be provided for each dish. Garnish for Ribs is optional, but if used is limited Green Leaf Lettuce and or Green Parsley only.

Teams may arrive as early as 8:00 AM and begin cooking once their coolers have been inspected.

Judging for best dish will be at 2:30pm and judging for best pork ribs will be at 4:30pm.

Turn-in-Times: (There will be a 5 minute window on either side of turn in times)Interested in participating? Great! Here are the Rules and an Application.

** Please make checks payable to Bridge Communities, Inc. and send to my attention at: 744 Willis St. Glen Ellyn, Il.**

Be sure to check this summer for any changes or updates. And mark your calendars for Saturday, September 10, 2011!

— Pig Daddy BBQ@Glen-Ellyn.com (630-890-0465)

Glen Ellyn's 3rd Annual Backyard BBQ Entertainment Line-Up.

2011-07-28T21:08:00.023-05:00

Folks,
It's gonna be blues all day long!!!!

THE BILL ANDE BAND

Glen Ellyn's Backyard BBQ proudly welcomes the Bill Ande Band at 12PM. Bill Ande's music ranges from traditional to modern, hard rocking blues. The whole band is made up of veteran players with various influences from blues, jazz, rock, and gospel music.

Each member has the ability to light up the music with their playing, thus creating an exciting environment!

Website

Check out his new CD 'START OF THE BLUES'

AMY KELLY

That's right folks, hang onto your hats and buckle your seatbelts as local favorite AMY KELLY, who has electrified audiences in Chicago's hard-core blues clubs such as Buddy Guy's Legends, B.L.U.E.S on Halsted, and Lee's Unleaded Blues to name a few, agreed to perform live blues and soul at Glen Ellyn's 3rd Annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off beginning at 1PM. Is it September yet?

THE BLUZ BROTHERS

Elwood: It's 106 miles to the Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.

Jake: Hit it.

Folks, I'm telling you, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, THE BLUZ BROTHERS Chicago's premier tribute to Jake and Elwood will playing live at Glen Ellyn's 3rd Annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off beginning at 4:30PM. The Bluz Brothers are an eight piece band dedicated to the great R&B sounds made popular by Jake and Elwood Blues of Calumet City, Illinois.

Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Bags Tournament!!!

2011-07-02T08:52:00.012-05:00

The 2011 Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ is very pleased to announce its first Bags Tournament. Come enjoy Whiteford's BBQ, an ice cold beer, listen to the blues and toss some bags!

Tournament Check-In Time: 10:30-11:30 AM (boards are available for practicing)

Tournament Start Time: 11:45 AM First Round Begins; Final Four approx. 4:00 PM

Tournament: We will use a 2-person team, double elimination format. The first round will be best 2 of 3, all subsequent rounds will be 1 game each (thus, each team is guaranteed to play three games). Male, female, or co-ed teams allowed. No substitutions of team members after the team is checked-in.

Awards: 1^st Place wins a trophy and a set of Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ cornhole boards. 2^nd and 3^rd place teams will receive a trophy. Winners will be announced on the main stage of the bandshell.

Registration: The entry donation is $30 per team minimum (more is always appreciated!). Registration will be closed after 32 entries are received (net proceeds benefit Bridge Communities).

BAGS TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION FORM

Best Showmanship Category

2011-05-13T13:12:00.001-05:00

Howdy Y’all

Another category we decided to add in 2011 is the Showmanship category. A Showmanship award will be presented to the one top team with the most decorated booth and/or best costumes or uniforms. Entertainment that the team provides is also part of the judging criteria, i.e. skits, music, dancing, or other forms of entertaining the public while at your booth. Showmanship will also be judged on originality.

· This category is open to all contestants

· Pre-registration is required (just send me an email or let me know the morning of)

· There is no entry fee for this category

2011 Competitors (as of August 12, 2011)

2011-04-26T07:03:00.041-05:00

GE BBQ Competitors - 2011

▪ Porch Club - Glen Ellyn

▪ Chasing Smoke - Glen Ellyn
▪ Porky Joes - Des Plaines
▪ Rack Masters BBQ - Aurora
▪ Running With The Boars - Hanover Park
▪ Smylin Symon Smokers - West Dundee
▪ Porkus Uninterruptus - Glen Ellyn
▪ Pigs In Paradise - Streamwood
▪ Head's Red BBQ - Roselle
▪ Boss Hog Smokin' - Glen Ellyn
▪ Porkapalooza - Glenview
▪ JJ's BBQ - Plainfield
▪ Man B Que: Western Burbs Chapter - Batavia
▪ 2 K's Que - Lisle
▪ The Rib Rubbers - Glen Ellyn
▪ Running With Scissors - Glen Ellyn
▪ Hot Diggity Hog - Wheaton
▪ Bawling Hawg BBQ - McCook
▪ Long Tongs BBQ - Chicago
▪ Hone-e-s Barbeque - Downers Grove
▪ Nightowl Smokers - Bolingbrook
▪ Southside BBQ - Chicago
▪ Celtic Fire - Glen Ellyn
▪ Glen Ellyn BBQ Boys - Glen Ellyn
▪ Smokin Tatsy - Huntley
▪ Mile High BBQ - Normal
▪ Pork Barrel Stimulus Smokers - Glen Ellyn
▪ Off Da Bone - Glen Ellyn
▪ Team Patriot - Glen Ellyn
▪ Team Highlife - Lombard
▪ Uncle Jimz Ribz - Wheaton
▪ Cloudy With A Chance Of Pork - Westmont
▪ Pork & Ladders - New Lenox
▪ That's Barbeque - Yorkville
▪ Fitzmaurice - Wheaton
▪ Fine Swine-N-Dine - DeKalb
▪ Smoking J's BBQ Crew - Glendale Heights
▪ Lill St. BBQ - Glen Ellyn
▪ Bogyo's Mojo - Western Springs
▪ The Full Slabs - Mokena

Whiteford's Gourmet BBQ Products Now Available at Buikema's ACE

2011-04-21T22:24:00.003-05:00

Hey Y'all

Father's Day is just around the corner and if you're anything like me, you'll be spending your day of well deserved recognition amongst loved ones while also tending to your pit. For fathers who like to grill and chill, nothing is more perfect than receiving the gift of Whiteford's Gourmet BBQ Sauces and Rub.

Whiteford's complete line of gourmet BBQ products, including hot sauce and bloody mary mix are now available at Buikema's ACE Hardware. Click here for a complete listing of those locations: Whiteford's "Love Your BBQ"

BBQ Chicken...

2011-04-17T09:31:00.007-05:00

They say that chicken is one of the easiest categories to prepare and cook for a KCBS competition, but I am beginning to have my doubts. I've been reading about cooking competition chicken including the types of things judges look for. The Holy Grail appears to be crisp, bite through skin. When bitten, the skin should not slide off, nor should it have shrunk away from its edge during the cook. I found a website called The Pickled Pig which outlines one method I found interesting. Although a ton of prep-work, the method made sense to me, so I thought I'd try it.

Using Purdue thighs, I first removed the skins...

Next, I deboned each thigh, cut them into same size rectangles and marinated them in Italian salad dressing for 2 1/2 hrs. I then scraped the fat from the skin....

After seasoning each thigh with my blend, I re-wrapped the skin around the meat and sprinkled on a little more blend...

I then braised the thighs in the smoker using Parkay for 30 minutes at 250 degrees. Tell me that doesn't look good...

After taking them out of the Parkay, I placed them back into the smoker for another 40 minutes at 250 degrees. I used Maple wood for the smoke.

I finished them on my Weber over high heat to crisp up the skin. Once done, I dipped them in my homemade apple BBQ sauce. Admittedly, some of the skins did not come out as crisp as others, some shrank away and even slid off. I will probably toothpick the the skins into place next time. But I think with some practice, this method has potential. Afterall, no pain, no gain!

I think for competition I'd double the batch, thus increasing my odds of ending up with 6 pieces I'd be proud to place in my box. The chicken was delicious, packed with flavor, extremely moist and super tender. This particular specimen was very crisp.

Gettn' Ready for Grillin' For Our Girls Competition

2011-04-11T06:24:00.002-05:00

A few months ago, a good friend of mine had asked I join his team to compete in the 2011 Grillin' for Our Girls Competition to be held on Sunday, June 5th, 2011 at "The Barn" at Arabian Knights Farm in Willowbrook, IL. We are all BBQ lovers; however, none of us have any KCBS experience and have never Q'd together...let alone in competition. But being a worthy cause and because we all share a genuine passion for BBQ, I accepted.

This past weekend we held a practice assigning everyone a category and holding everyone accountable to a turn-in time. My buddy Bill and his brother Chris are responsible for pork ribs, their other brother Bob is responsible for brisket, D is responsible for chicken and yours truly has taken on shoulder.

I arrived at Bob's house at 6:30 am to start a 7lb shoulder. I have never cooked on a Chargriller Outlaw before, but it went very well. Not a bad pit for the price. I happen to be in the market for a new pit and may consider it.

A picture of our camp and one hungry pooch....

Shoulder was on precisley at 7:00 am, brisket at 10:00 am and a rack of spare ribs just for fun...

Ribs for turn-in and chicken went on later in the day....

During the process we kept notes and have learned a ton, including items we forgot to bring, positioning of meat in our cookers in order to adhere to turn-in, how to better trim our meat for the sake of presentation and even what not to use in a turn-in box (flat leaf parsley doesn't hold up well). We all acted as each other's critics.

We all nailed our turn in times, and our taste was second to none, but we definitely need to work on presentation a bit.

A picture of final ribs...

A picture of final chicken...

A picture of final brisket...

A picture of final shoulder...

A picture of us fellas...

We'll be competeing under the team name "Smoke, Wind and Fire" so stop by and say hello.

A Road Trip to Bubba's Berk's

2011-04-03T21:44:00.005-05:00

Last year, after competing in Wetsmont's Red, White and BBQ, I've been on a mission to cook with the freshest ingredients I can find. A very good friend of mine had told me about Berkshire hogs and the unusual quality associated with them. So with a little research we found a hog farmer in Varna, Il that breeds Berkshires - Bubba's Berk's .

Zach "Bubba" Siwinski along with his father Mike and mom Kathy own and operate Bubba's Berk's.

After placing an order for myself and two good friends, me and the boys road tripped it to Varna yesterday. Varna is about 1 hour and 45 minutes from Glen Ellyn. And as expected, Mike greeted us with a very firm handshake and offered me and the boys a tour. We couldn't resist.

Bubba's Berk's uses no growth hormones, steroids or antibiotics and the hogs are pasture raised rather than being kept in confinement.

For being 100% natural, Bubba's Berk's is priced very competitively. Shoulder was $2.50 lb; Spareribs $2.75 lb and BabyBacks were $5 lb. Needless to say, the quality is outstanding and when I'm investing hours in a cook, I have absolutley no problem paying that little extra.

Today, I was having the in-laws over and decided to smoke some Bubba's Berk's spare ribs. The meat is gorgeous, nice and pink, good fat throughout. It doesn't get more fresh than this.

I rubbed them with my homemade blend and smoked them using maple wood...

Glazed and finsihed them on my Weber...

The final product...gone within minutes.

If you are as serious about BBQ as I am, I'd highly recommend trying Bubba's products. His pork loin is second to none. You can call the farm at (815) 452-2935 and/or email at Siwinski@gmail.com.

Glen Ellyn's Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2011

2011-03-25T22:52:00.004-05:00

Glen Ellyn's best asset is its single family residential neighborhood character. Glen Ellyn’s Backyard BBQ Cook-Off provides the perfect environment for Glen Ellyn folk, out of town people, friends and family to enjoy great food and great atmosphere.

For the last 2 years, we have hosted our event on a residential street in a neighborhood. We intended our event as structured be really different for a public event like that, very intimate and authentic hospitality and community.

That being said, we think we may have out grown our space and are debating moving our Cook-Off to the backyard of Bridge Communities (our charity) in Downtown Glen Ellyn located at 505 Crescent Blvd.

Moving it to this location allows us much more space to accommodate many more teams which in turn may allow us to raise more money.

We are thinking of having a BBQ vendor (Whiteford's) and a beer tent to serve the public, live music and a bags tournament. On the downside we risk losing our unique quality of residential, neighborhood appeal - that which separates us from the rest. As we grow, moving locations is inevitable, just trying to figure out if we go for it this year.

We'd love to hear your thoughts and/or suggestions about our proposed change in venue, the addition of a bags tournament, bbq and beer sales.

Many Thanks - Pig Daddy

Whiteford's Bloody Mary Mix

2011-01-30T11:08:00.004-06:00

Have you started thinking about how you'll kick-off your Superbowl Sunday? We've got the perfect solution! Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Judge and Commitee Member Matt Whiteford has officially launched Whiteford's Bloody Mary Mix and it's on trial at Binny's in Glen Ellyn, Downers Grove and St. Charles. If you're around one of these locations, grab a bottle to help sales. Also try Whiteford's Cayene Pepper Sauce while you're there - it's outstanding!

Cabin Fever

2010-12-22T21:07:00.001-06:00

With the weather being as cold as it has been and me not wanting to spend a whole lot of time tending to my Weber, me and my boys decided to put together a Cajun Seafood Gumbo with Andouille Sausage (indoors) in honor of my friend Jim Quinn of Grub Seeker. I've been a fan of Jim's blog for some time. His posts and his passion for food constantly serve as a source of inspiration.

First, we made a basic seafood stock, mainly consisting of shrimp shells I had frozen from prior feasts.

Next, we made a medium-brown roux-aka Cajun napalm. Roux provides a real nice nutty flavor and gives food like gumbo a real nice texture.

Aside from Andouille, our grocery list included crawfish, crab, gulf shrimp, and oysters in their liquor.

No exaggeration, this was the best gumbo I've had. Washed it all down with a PBR and a shot of Beam. Here's to you Jim!

The Glen Ellyn 2011 Backyard BBQ Cookbook

2010-12-09T19:22:00.005-06:00

Howdy Y’all

Glen Ellyn's best asset is its single family residential neighborhood character. Glen Ellyn’s Backyard BBQ Cook-Off provides the perfect environment for Glen Ellyn folk, out of town people, friends and family to enjoy great food and great atmosphere.

With great food comes great recipes. Recipes evoke special memories of family and friends with meals that were enjoyed. In keeping with who we are and what we’re all about, Glen Ellyn’s Backyard BBQ Cook-Off Committee is collecting recipes from folks such as yourselves to be included in our 2011 Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Cookbook.

Send a complete copy of your favorite grill or BBQ related recipe(s), including but not limited to rubs, sauces, sides, desserts, cocktails, teas and main dishes along with your name and/or team name, contact information and any pics to BBQ@Glen-Ellyn.com.

Net proceeds from the sale of our 2011 Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Cookbook will benefit Bridge Communities, Inc.

Please do not post your recipe here.

Many Thanks! - Pig Daddy

A Great Article on Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Judge and Committee Member Whiteford. Way to go Matt!

2010-10-23T14:46:00.000-05:00

The Glen Ellyn Sun reported, Right on 'cue

"Like many people caught up in the current economy, Wheaton resident Matthew Whiteford has had to reinvent himself. And as the local entrepreneur explains it, his story is very much about “when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade” — but in this case, it was barbecue sauce instead...."

Latest Press Coverage...

2010-10-04T07:39:00.002-05:00

The Glen Ellyn Sun reported, Barbecue contest has residents fired up...

"Summer may be winding down, but folks in Glen Ellyn were still grillin’ and chillin’ Sept. 18 as the Glen Ellyn Backyard Barbecue Committee held its second annual BBQ Cook-Off event, in order to pit grill masters against one another and raise money for the Bridge Communities charity of Glen Ellyn..."

Thanks Everybody!

2010-09-27T07:35:00.000-05:00

Howdy All,

We just wanted to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to the many, many supportive friends, family, neighbors and businesses who have taken their time and resources to help us. Without your support, Glen Ellyn’s 2nd Annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off would not have been possible.

We would also like to thank each of our contestants for choosing to compete in our Cook-Off. Our goal is to become the most fun, highest quality, authentic BBQ experience in the Western Suburbs while giving everyone in town and from out of town a true taste of the best of Glen Ellyn in terms of both food and local character. With your participation, we are well on our way to accomplishing this.

Together with your support, we raised over $1,000 for Bridge Communities, Inc., a local Glen Ellyn grass-roots charity dedicated to transitioning the lives of homeless families.

We hope that our neighbors, Glen Ellyn folk, out of town people, friends and family loved the feel of our event. There was great food and great atmosphere. We intended our event as structured be really different for a public event like that, very intimate and authentic hospitality and community.

Glen Ellyn's best asset is its single family residential neighborhood character. At our BBQ Cook-Off, families were hanging out on their lawns and the parkway and the street just having a good time, but definitely had some world class BBQ going on all around them.

Besides family and friends enjoying a great American tradition by bringing grills out of the backyards to the front yards for a day, we had unique American food in BBQ and unique American music in the blues. So on that note, I’d also like to thank Amy Kelly & the Bill Ande Band.

Whether it's jazz, blues, soul or gospel, live music draws a crowd. It's also that something special that creates a sense of community. Amy Kelly was the heart and soul of our event. She's a terrific performer and earned herself tons of new fans. There is something about her music and her ability to relate to a crowd that separates her from the rest.

We’d also like to thank Politically Incorrect, a local grade school band. Because of the rain, we weren't able to listen to all of their sets, but based on the few songs they did play, no one can deny how truly talented these kids are.

Glen Ellyn’s 2nd Annual backyard BBQ Cook-Off was a lot of fun. In only its second run, we hope it scored well enough in terms of enjoyment, entertainment, uniqueness, and capturing the spirit of the town at its best and one of the great American traditions - BBQ to rank right up there with other great events that blend Glen Ellyn and American traditions and fun like the 4th of July or Jazz Fest! We've got a great town and great event, in large part because of each and every one of you who all made it possible. Thank you!

Can't wait to do it again next year!

All the best,

Tom “Pig Daddy” Koprowski

Relive the Memories...

2010-09-22T21:51:00.001-05:00

Here 'tis!

Images from the Second Annual extravaganza...

2010 GE BBQ Slideshow

A special thanks to photographer Sue Nelson. Enjoy!

Winners of GE's 2nd Annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off!!!!

2010-09-21T07:03:00.018-05:00

There were 29 great teams competing in this year's Second Annual Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Cook-Off. The competition was divided into two main contests, Best Ribs and Best Dish.

Congratulations and thanks to all the participants, and thanks with a bit of jealousy goes out to the judges. I can hardly wait until next year!

If you have any questions on how your team did, drop me a note — I have the tally sheets for the entire competition.

Best Ribs

1st Place: Bogyo's Mojo - Western Springs
2nd Place: Hot-Diggity-Hog - Wheaton
3rd Place: Smokin' Tasty - Huntley
4th Place: Pigs In Paradise - Streamwood
5th Place: Whatchoo Smokin'? - Glen Ellyn

Best Dish

1st Place: Hawg Holler BBQ (Adobo Shrimp Taco with Avocado, Tomatillo & Corn Salsa)- Marseilles
2nd Place: Porky Joe's (Peachy Pork Tenderloin) - Des Plaines
3rd Place: Bogyo's Mojo (Grilled Spicy Halibut w/ Mango & Pineapple Relish)- Western Springs
4th Place: Glen Ellyn Bar-B-Q Boys (Mesquite and Hickory Grilled Chicago Prime Bone-In Rib Eye)- Glen Ellyn
5th Place: Smokin Valley BBQ (Vietnamese Sandwich with Grilled Pork Sausage, Daikon, and Fresh Herbs)- Glen Ellyn

Thanks, everybody! —Pig Daddy

More Press Coverage...

2010-09-19T23:01:00.000-05:00

Speaking of media reports about the Cook-Off (see the post directly below about Glen Ellyn Patch's coverage of this year's event), here are a couple of links I should have put up sooner (but, y'know, I was busy...)

They're stories that came out a little before the Pig Event:

Glen Ellyn neighborhood BBQ grows in its second year — Daily Herald, September 17, 2010
Glen Ellyn's Backyard BBQ Cook-Off - Slow Cooked to Perfection — TribLocal, August 27, 2010

The Glancer also gave us a great writeup in their September print issue.

Thanks to all for the ink! —Pig Daddy

Press Coverage of the 2010 Cook-Off...

2010-09-19T11:58:00.001-05:00

And the Award for the first online media report about the Second Annual Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Competition of September 18, 2010 goes to...

Glen Ellyn Patch for Backyard Barbecuers Battle for Bragging Rights at Glen Ellyn BBQ Cook-Off. Story! Photos! Winners!

Patch also has some additional photos online.

Thanks to everyone who participated! You're the ones who made it great!

(GE BBQ T-Shirts and Aprons are still available in the Store... and, as usual, Donations are always welcome (Click the ”Donate“ button under the pig logo on the left.)

Thanks Again! —Pig Daddy

A Note to all GE BBQ Competitors...

2010-09-11T11:02:00.008-05:00

Trophies Have Arrived...

2010-09-07T20:41:00.002-05:00

2010 GE BBQ Press...

2010-09-04T12:11:00.003-05:00

The Glancer Magazine has published, within its September issue, an article about Fall traditions around the community including one about Glen Ellyn's Backyard BBQ called "Bring On the Best".

"In addition to barbecue, boasting and billowing smoke, this event will feature the Amy Kelly Band, a local blues and soul group. Celebrity judges this year include Village President Mark Pfefferman, College of DuPage Culinary Arts professor John Reed and Kansas City Barbecue Society certified judge and Jim Beam's National BBQ Pit master, Matt Whiteford..."

Whiteford's "Love Your BBQ"

2010-08-31T21:48:00.011-05:00

I am pleased to announce that each 2010 Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Cook-Off team will receive one complimentary bottle of Whiteford's BBQ sauce and/or BBQ rub. You may learn more about Whiteford's "Love Your BBQ" by clicking Here! Or you may view Pitmaster Matthew Whiteford in action Here!

Local Businesses Attending GE's 2010 BBQ

2010-08-28T19:24:00.003-05:00

Oberweis Dairy will be serving ice cream and chocolate milk beginning at 10am;
Wine Styles in Glen Ellyn will be serving wine samples between 2-4pm;
Bells & Whistles Snackery will be serving freshly brewed coffee;
Soukups Hardware and Appliances will be demonstrating the how-tos of cooking on a Weber grill;
Towntees will be selling Glen Ellyn BBQ Apparel and
WeDeal will be offering discounted deals and/or promotions for local businesses and restaurants.

Glen Ellyn BBQ Raffle

2010-08-27T13:58:00.009-05:00

The fine folks of PaQui Tequila have generously donated its family of Tequilas for raffling at Glen Ellyn's 2010 Backyard BBQ Cook-Off. This package includes one bottle of Resposado, Anejo and Silvera. All 3 bottles will be raffled as a single prize. Winner need not be present.

The entire package retails for over $150. Tickets will be sold for $2 each or 3 for $5.

See what Spirits Review is saying about PaQui Tequila or, click Here to learn more about PaQui Tequila.

Proceeds to benefit Bridge Communities.

To learn how you can purchase a raffle ticket email BBQ@Glen-Ellyn.com

Glen Ellyn BBQ Apparel

2010-08-25T18:43:00.003-05:00

Folks, we've got the "HOTTEST" apparel on the net! Click Here for details.

Head's Red BBQ Sauce

2010-08-24T21:56:00.004-05:00

I am pleased to announce that each 2010 Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Cook-Off team will receive one complimentary bottle of Head's Red Award Winning BBQ Sauce. Head's Red BBQ sauce is a product of Head’s Red BBQ which is based out of Roselle, Illinois. You may learn more about Head's Red BBQ by clicking Here!

Live Music: Amy Kelly

2010-08-22T16:12:00.003-05:00

While grilled and smoked meat will take center stage, there is much more to this year’s event than just barbecue and grilling. This year, local favorite Amy Kelly, who has performed in Chicago's hard-core blues clubs and mainstream venues will perform live blues and soul at Glen Ellyn's 2010 Backyard BBQ Cook-Off beginning at 1pm.

SORRY, BUT THE 2010 GE BBQ IS FULL

2010-08-09T04:37:00.010-05:00

Based on limited availability, Glen Ellyn's Backyard BBQ will no longer be accepting applications for its 2010 Cook-Off. Any applications received after August 9th, will be returned to you. However, please send your contact information to BBQ@GLEN-ELLYN.com and in the event we have any cancellations, we will contact you immediately. Thank you!

2010 GE BBQ Overview.....

2010-07-17T19:52:00.004-05:00

A great time was had by all last year... so this fall we’re going to do it again!
We are once more seeking volunteer helpers, sponsors... and cooks who want to put their grilling skills to the test in the Second Annual Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Competition.

Categories are Ribs and Best Dish. Best dish can be anything at all from grilled bacon wrapped stuffed hot dogs... to grilled pineapple cakes... to soft tacos with red snapper and tomatillo-avocado salsa. Best dish is all about your best dish on the grill. (We'll be adding recipes to these pages on a regular basis to give you ideas and keep your taste buds interested.)

This tasty experience is for all teams, regardless of experience.

As was the case in 2009, this community event is a great launch pad for “local” and “new teams” to cook in a fantastic learning environment for honing experience and skills.

It’s also a great place for “seasoned” teams to try out new recipes and techniques.

The event is held as an enhanced Block Party on Willis Street at Taylor Avenue in Glen Ellyn, a short block north of the Taylor Avenue underpass. [MAP]

Entries will be judged by a group of local notables; entries in each category must be able to accommodate three judges. Prizes will be determined by the number of competitors; there is a small entry fee.

Teams should bring uncooked and unseasoned pork ribs (spares or baby backs), and/or uncooked and unseasoned ingredients for Best Dish. Also, teams should bring food and beverages for themselves. All dishes must be cooked on site. Contestants must provide their own equipment; charcoal and gas grills/smokers are welcome, electric grills/smokers and open pits are not.

A 9x9 Styrofoam “Clamshell” will be provided for each dish. Garnish for Ribs is optional, but if used is limited Green Leaf Lettuce and or Green Parsley only.

Teams may arrive as early as 8:00 AM and begin cooking at 9:00 AM. Judging for best dish will be at 2pm and judging for best pork ribs will be at 4pm.

Turn-in-Times: (There will be a 5 minute window on either side of turn in times)

Local sponsors are offering generous discounts to competitors!

Interested in participating? Great! Here are The Rules and a link to the sign-up sheet.

We learned a lot last year, so some of the information may change for 2010. Be sure to check this summer for any changes or updates. And mark your calendars for Saturday, September 18, 2010!

— Pig Daddy BBQ@Glen-Ellyn.com (630-890-0465)

2010 BBQ Sponsors and Discounts

2010-07-17T19:16:00.008-05:00

Whiteford's "Love Your BBQ" (Wheaton, Il) has generously agreed to provide each 2010 Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ team with a bottle of Whiteford's BBQ Sauce and/or BBQ rub.
Head's Red BBQ (Roselle, Il) has generously agreed to provide each 2010 Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ team with a bottle of Head's Red Award Winning BBQ Sauce.
The Bleu Olive (216 W. Front Street, Wheaton) has agreed to give all competitors a very generous 10% discount on spices, rubs, oils and vinegars for use during the 2010 competition. You must present your application as proof of entry in order to receive your discount.
McChesney & Miller Grocery and Market (460 Crescent Blvd., Glen Ellyn) has agreed to give all competitors a very generous 10% discount on the first $30 of meat purchased for use during the 2010 competition. You must present your application as proof of entry in order to receive your discount.
Soukup's Hardware & Appliance Store (419 Main St., Glen Ellyn)
Soukup's Hardware & Appliance Store has agreed to give competitors a very generous 20% discount on BBQ accessories, including charcoal and propane for use during the 2010 competition. Simply present your completed application as proof of entry.
Clancy's Corner Butcher Shoppe (15 S. Park Ave., Lombard) has agreed to give all competitors a very generous 20% discount on meats purchased for use during the 2010 competition. Simply present your completed application as proof of entry.

2010 Great Cardboard Boat Regatta Slide Show...

2010-07-13T12:03:00.010-05:00

Now online! Photos from the July 4th weekend 2010 Great Cardboard Boat Regatta! Just click on the little thumbnail slideshow in the left-hand navigation column for the full-screen extravaganza...

Westmont's Red, White, & Bar-B-Q

2010-05-24T14:17:00.002-05:00

Team Pig Daddy competed in Westmont's fourth annual Red, White, & Bar-B-Q contest on Memorial day weekend!!!!!

2010 Competitors (as of August 9, 2010)

2010-03-20T15:58:00.039-05:00

GE BBQ Competitors • 2010

•Hawg Holler Marseilles
•Glen Ellyn Pork District Glen Ellyn
•Toasty Buns Aurora
•Porkus Uninterruptus Glen Ellyn
•Smokin' Tasty Huntley
•Pigs in Paradise Streamwood
•Pork Barrel Stimulus Smokers Glen Ellyn
•Hogs Gone Wild Glen Ellyn
•Smylin Symon Smokers West Dundee
•Smokin Valley Glen Ellyn
•Chasing Smoke Glen Ellyn
•Big Willy's Southside Q Chicago
•Heavy D's Chicago
•Smoke, Wind & Fire Chicago
•Bogyo's Mojo Western Springs
•JJ's Barbecue Plainfield
•Porch Club Glen Ellyn
•Whatchoo Smokin'? Glen Ellyn
•Celtic Fire Glen Ellyn
•Pork-A-Palooza Glenview
•Big Bites Lombard
•Cloudy With A Chance Of Pork Westmont
•J&S BBQ Vernon Hills
•Porky Joes Des Plaines
•Running With The Boars Schaumburg
•Hot-Diggity-Hog Wheaton
•Yeast of All Glen Ellyn
•Paqui Glen Ellyn
•Corner Cookers Glen Ellyn
•Glen Ellyn Bar-B-Q Boys Glen Ellyn

Seeking Certified Judges

2010-03-16T21:56:00.003-05:00

We are currently seeking certified judges to judge the "Best Ribs" category of this year's contest. Please contact Tom “Pig Daddy” Koprowski (630-890-0465) and/or Tom Nelson at BBQ@Glen-Ellyn.com for details.

2009 Competitors, Judges and Award Winners...

2009-12-15T21:35:00.007-06:00

GE BBQ Competitors • 2009:

Big Bites Lombard
Chasing Smoke BBQ Glen Ellyn
Cloudy with a Chance of Pork Western Springs Best Ribs First Award
Corner Cookers Glen Ellyn
Daddy-O’s BBQ Hanover Park Best Ribs Second Award
Don’t Call Me Carl Glen Ellyn
Flying Pig Glen Ellyn
Hogs Gone Wild Glen Ellyn
Johnny D’s Q Glen Ellyn Best Dish First Award Salsa-Stuffed Poblano Pepper
New Meat Glen Ellyn
No Name BBQ Glen Ellyn
Pig Daddy’s BBQ Glen Ellyn
Pirate Bones Glen Ellyn
Read “Like a Book” Glen Ellyn
Smokin’ Mad Grillers Glen Ellyn Best Dish Second Award Prosciutto-Wrapped Scallops
Swat Team Glen Ellyn
Taylor Avenue Bar-Be-Cuties Glen Ellyn
Toasty Buns Aurora

Every entry was of winning caliber; the Judges had difficult decisions as well as BBQ sauce on their hands...

GE BBQ Judges • 2009:

Mark Pfefferman Glen Ellyn Village President
Danny Sronkoski Owner, Tap House Grill
John Reed, Culinary Arts Educator, College of DuPage and Owner, Customized Culinary Solutions

2009 GE BBQ Press...

2009-12-15T19:20:00.000-06:00

GlenEllynLife.com has published some great stories about the GE BBQ, complete with pictures. Thanks, Erik!

Here's Glen Ellyn Backyard Barbecue Cook-Off Savors Success in Inaugural Event which reported on our first event in October,2009...

“It wasn’t just hot dogs and hamburgers cooking at Glen Ellyn’s Inaugural Backyard Barbecue Cook-Off held last week on October 10th, on the 700 block of Willis. Eighteen teams competed for first and second place trophies along with bragging rights for the year...“

And here's an earlier story, Glen Ellyn Backyard Barbecue Cook-Off, that explains how the whole thing got started...

“...The new event's key ingredients were ... one part friendly trash-talk about who made the best ribs and other grilled dishes, mixed in with a few handfuls of ideas as how best to generate foot traffic into Glen Ellyn's charming and historic downtown, along with a couple of pounds of fun and community spirit...”

The Daily Herald also reported on our first gathering, with First Backyard BBQ turns into one big block party in Glen Ellyn...

“...'the community has helped tremendously,' Koprowski said. Three area businesses have offered discounts to contestants. Local artist Tammy Miller created a logo for the event, and Glen Ellyn Village President Mark Pfefferman will serve as one of three judges...”

And the Glen Ellyn News said, Grassroots barbecue cook-off a first...

“...[Village President Mark] Pfefferman said the barbecue is another example of Glen Ellyn residents’ passion for fun.
'They say we’re the village of volunteers and this is just another proof of that. People are very passionate about our own town and they want to help out any way they can,' Pfefferman said. He said the cook-off idea is outstanding and perfect for residents who take pride in their barbecuing abilities. 'So having a competition just seems perfect. And it’s for charity as well. What a great combination.'...”

Thank Yous...

2009-12-06T18:36:00.029-06:00

What a great village! For the First annual Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ...

McChesney & Miller Grocery and Market offered competitors a very generous 10% discount on the first $30 of meat purchased for use during the competition.
McCowan's Seafood Market offered competitors a very generous 20% discount on seafood used during the competition.
Soukup's True Value Hardware & Appliance Store offered competitors a very generous 20% discount on BBQ accessories, including charcoal and propane.
Tap House Grill. THG owner Danny Sronkoski contributed priceless promotional assistance and additional support that “got the word out.”
Ladesic & Scott Custom Builders. Pete Ladesic supplied the all-important, couldn’t-a-done-without-it, porta-potty!

And a special thanks to Tammy Miller for designing our logo, and to Amy Thompson for taking the point on getting it emblazoned on our T-Shirts. Sue Nelson served as our talented “Official Photographer” — you can see larger versions of her BBQ photos by clicking on the little slide show images to the left.

In fact, thanks to everyone who contributed time and talent — you made this our best First Annual event ever!

We're actively recruiting even more local support for 2010! Interested? Please contact event organizers Tom “Pig Daddy” Koprowski (630-890-0465) and Tom Nelson at BBQ@Glen-Ellyn.com for details.

The GE BBQ Store...

2009-12-06T18:07:00.035-06:00

Folks, we have the "HOTTEST" apparel on the net!

To ensure you get the size you want, we take only advance orders through Paypal. Once you complete your Paypal order, you may pick up your merchandise at TownTees at 501 Duane Street in downtown Glen Ellyn. You must bring your receipt with you.

We hope to soon add a few more items that are sure to become treasured and collectible memorabilia as the years go by.

The Rules...

2009-12-06T17:04:00.010-06:00

The Rules follow. A pdf of The Rules suitable for printout is online, which includes the Sign-Up Sheet for prospective competitors to print out, complete, and mail in. The Rules are subject to change without notice; please check back before to the event for possible changes and updates.

Glen Ellyn Backyard Barbeque Cook-Off ･ The Rules (Updated December 9, 2009)

The decisions of the GE Backyard BBQ Committee are final.
Each team will be made up of a head cook and as many assistants as the head cook permits.
Contestants must provide all equipment.
Water will not be provided.
No open pits or holes are permitted.
It is the responsibility of the contestants to see that their area is kept clean during and after the contest.
All charcoal and wood products must be extinguished and deposited in the assigned area.
All equipment must be removed and trash placed in the assigned area.
No refund of the entry fee for any reason.
No electric grills/smokers permitted.
Contestants must adhere to all electric, fire, and other city, county, state, and federal codes.
First aid will not be provided.
No cooking or meat prep may begin until the Official Meat Inspector has inspected meat (smokers and grills may be pre-heated prior to 9:00 AM)
Once meat has been inspected, it must not leave the contest site.
Head Chef meeting is at 8:45 am Saturday morning (Optional).
Use of gasoline or other auxiliary heat sources may result in immediate disqualification.
Meat must start out raw. No pre-seasoned meat will be allowed, except sausage.
Garnish is completely optional. If using garnish, the only acceptable garnish is Green Leaf Lettuce and/or Green Parsley.
No generators.
Most Important Rule of All...
HAVE FUN!!

For more information, please contact event organizers Tom “Pig Daddy” Koprowski (630-890-0465) and Tom Nelson at BBQ@Glen-Ellyn.com.