Block party over, we all gathered at Hill Country on Sunday night for some down time and a beer!

The Big Apple BBQ Block Party 2010 has come and gone. For pitmasters the event started on Friday night, setting up their massive BBQ rigs, firing them up, and loading tons of meat from ribs, to brisket, sausage, pork shoulders, whole hogs, and more. It’s a huge event that takes place during the second weekend in June on both Saturday and Sunday, with over 100,000 visitors eating their way through just shy of twenty BBQ stations. The wait can be long, but rain or shine, they stand in line hoping pitmasters don’t run out of the food. The best is when they make it to the front of the line and get served. The worst is when they see a man standing in line with them but holding that blue flag, signaling that the pitmaster is about to run out of “Q”, as was the case with Big Bob Gibson’s award-winning pulled pork sandwich.

Big Bob Gibson’s Chris Lilly at the 2010 Big Apple BBQ Block Party from Anthony Quintano on Vimeo.

full of historical and personal anecdotes...Chris Lilly makes you want to "Q!"

Sunday looked like last year’s Sunday. Gray! And when it finally rained, umbrellas went up, and business went on as usual. I’d been working long hours with Chris Lilly and his crew since Friday night and right through Sunday evening. My body is glad it’s over because barbecuing in a serious way for thousands of people can be taxing. The hard part is knowing that it’ll be a year before I see my Alabama friends. Like Chris always says, barbecue is about so much more than the food. It’s about being in the company of  friends and having a great time, and so I may have worked about 15 hours a day, but I never felt them.

Chris Lilly’s Injection and Dry Rub recipe  for his award-winning Pork Shoulder, adapted from his best-selling book Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book (Clarkson Potter, 2009):

For the INJECTION:

3/4 cup apple juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 salt

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

For the DRY RUB:

1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2-1/4 teaspoons garlic salt

2-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

***Both rub and injection liquid are enough for a 16-18 pound whole pork shoulder. Set your grill/cooker at 225°F. (The charcoal should be set to one side of the pit, leaving the other side void. While bringing cooker to temperature, inject the shoulder with the liquid using a syringe, then rub the shoulder with the spice mix all over. Place the shoulder, fat side down over the void side of the grill. Place lid, and cook shoulder for 14 to 16 hours, or until the internal temperature of the meat has reached 195°F. Transfer meat to cutting board, let rest for 30 minutes, and using insulated rubber gloves, pull the bone from the meat and discard. Then press down the meat and watch it fall apart. Remove any visible fat, and start chopping.

I highly recommend getting a few bottles of Big Bob Gibson’s Championship BBQ Sauce. It’s to die for!

Next weekend…pork shoulder infused with my Asian-inspired injection and rub as well as a new kind of BBQ Sauce. Ingredients such as lychee juice, coconut water, hoisin, soy sauce, five-spice, and more will be used. I’ll be loading up “Smokey” for the first time and testing these new recipes in time for July 4th weekend. It’s going to be an all-nighter!

crowded by Big Bob Gibson's

It’s 1 AM and I’m finally home, showered and in bed “resting my trotters,” as pitmaster Chris Lilly would say. It’s been a long 15-hour day of pulling and chopping close to 200 pork butts (top of the shoulder) to make thousands of the famous Big Bob Gibson pulled pork sandwich. Down to the last few sandwiches at around 4:30 PM this afternoon, Don MacLemore, grandson of the late Big Bob himself, walked down the line of hungry patrons, counting heads and keeping the few lucky ones while turning away the rest telling them, “come back tomorrow early!” This is my second year on the team and in my experience, cookers loaded to the max, we’ve always run out of pork butt early. The meat is that special.

Chris Lilly squirting his secret spicy vinegar concoction and couldn't wait until I was finish chopping!

It’s truly an honor to be here and there’s not one part of my job I don’t love when working this event. Sure, it’s hard work—I’d be lying, if I said that my body didn’t ache right now—but the company is such that every aspect of it is fun as well. Our assembly line is solid. Some of us unload the pork, while others inject, or rub, or load the cookers. And when that’s done, we make the coleslaw. I like to do a bit of everything because every time I do, I learn something new.

chopped and ready for the pulled pork sandwich assembly line

Tonight I picked up on a detail that is almost foreign to me. My attitude has always been “a little bit of this and that” in the kitchen. Something I learned from my grandmother who never measured anything but whose food was sublime. When it comes to barbecue, however, Chris always preaches precision. And while he too goes by feel, his approach is to never leave anything to chance. The ingredients are always the same, and measuring them is key. “The only way you can hope to win in competition is if your product is consistently great.” He’s a champion several times over, so he should know.

after a long day of pleasing the crowd, more injecting and rubbing to be done for the next day...

As we prepare the meat for the last day of this event, Chris will call out “3 full syringes into each shoulder.” For rubbing he’ll make sure the rub has gone all over “except for the flap.” And when it comes time to chop, he’ll feel each hot butt in the cooker until he finds one that “gives just right,” meaning until the meat giggles and falls off the bone. It’s an art and he breathes it. Enthralled by this experience, I begin to imagine my own pork butt loaded with my special Asian-inspired BBQ injection liquid and spice rub. Soon, I’ll be doing more than imagining. Stay tuned!

…and if you haven’t had a Big Bob Gibson pulled pork sandwich, stop by 27th and Madison. It’s worth the wait, but like Don MacLemore says, come early. We start serving at 11 AM until we run out!

(photography © by Anthony Quintano. All rights reserved.)

Chris Lilly (in blue) injecting pork butts, me directly across occasionally squirting my neighbors...no syringe needles broken this year!

… here again at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party working alongside celebrity pitmaster Chris Lilly…

It’s that time of year when pitmasters from around the country gather at Madison Square Park to serve tourists and New Yorkers hungry for ribs, sausage, brisket, and pulled pork. I’m here again at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party working alongside celebrity pitmaster Chris Lilly of the legendary Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, AL, and best selling author of Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book (Clarkson Potter, 2009).

Reporting for duty last night, our assembly line was full of eager-to-learn friends. We unloaded pork butts from cartons. Weighing an average of 10 pounds a piece, we transferred close to 200 pieces onto our workstations where we injected them with a spicy and savory liquid concoction and rubbed them with a spice mix. By 9 PM, the cookers were fully loaded and I was on coleslaw duty, tilling shredded veggies including cabbage, carrots, onions, and peppers, with sugar and mustard dressing. Up to my elbows in sticky, creamy, deliciously sweet goo, my arms practically fell off by the end of the evening. I’m not complaining, and in fact I’ll be back at it again today, absorbing fine details of true barbecue, as I unload juicy, savory and sweet pork butts, chopping them for the much sought after pulled pork sandwich Big Bob Gibson is known for.

Now my Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is at home waiting for me to fire it up for some serious Asian-inspired BBQ. I’ve not forgotten you “Smokey,” I’m just here learning from the best, only to return with the tools I need to load you up with confidence, YA hear…

Starstruck...here with "The Legend" Mike Mills, author of Peace, Love & Barbecue (2005)

I’ve infiltrated the world of competitive barbecue. I’m in with the big boys…

Barbecue is like a sport. I never thought about this until Saturday, October 24th, 2009, pulled up at a table preparing to judge my very first competition and most prestigious of them all, the 2009 Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue, simply and most often referred to as “The Jack.” I am as excited to be here as a kid in a candy or toy store.

I’ve infiltrated the world of competitive barbecue. I’m in with the big boys—Paul Kirk, Mike Mills, Adam Perry Lang (this year’s honorary pitmaster), and Ray Lampe to name a few. Collectively responsible for putting barbecue on the culinary map, they are celebrity pitmasters and renowned cookbook authors who have competed on the circuit from the Eastern to Western, and Northern to Southern United States. I’ve prepared for this moment. I’ve trained my palate over many years, seeking out the best ribs, brisket, pork, chicken, and BBQ sauce

judges autographing aprons...great tradition! (photo by Karen Walker)

this country has to offer. I’ve stood in front of my own cooker for hours, maintaining a low-and-slow temperature to render all sorts of seasoned meats tender to the bone. I’ve learned techniques from one of the greats, Chris Lilly of the legendary Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, AL. I’ve taken a 4-hour judging course with master judge Ron Harwell, Ph. B. (no I’m not making this up, it’s a doctorate in barbecue!) and am now a Certified Barbecue Judge, according to the Kansas City Barbecue Society and own a monogrammed maroon KCBS T-shirt and “CBJ” pin to prove it. I’ve recently started to read The Bull Sheet and the National Barbecue News at the breakfast table, in lieu of The New York Times. I’ve come a long way, and now, here in Lynchburg TN (pop. 400+/-, but during event 25,000+), I am ready to taste multiple entries of sauce, choice meat, chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket, with dessert thrown in the mix. It’s a tough job, but I’m ready to handle it like the trained pro that I am.

Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ...

This 2-day event begins with a party “up on the hill” at the Jack Daniel Distillery on Friday night. And though we’re in a dry county, all is forgotten as pitmasters, judges, and event organizers get in line for the 80-proof nectar, ordering it straight up, on the rocks, or with coke or lemonade, the latter referred to as the Lynchburg Lemonade. Though no barbecue is served on the eve of the big competition, the dinner menu is still very typically southern, as in “meat and three,” including fried chicken with mashed potatoes, cornbread, and sugar snap peas. The place is packed with cheerful people eating and drinking, standing or seated at long communal tables. The four-piece band is excellent, playing classic rock tunes, and occasionally shifting gears to more contemporary stuff to please a crowd varying in age. I grab my friend, Traci Rodemeyer (aka @PorkPrincess) who seems to show up with her “Pork, The Other White Meat” team at every BBQ event on the planet, and say “let’s dance!” And we do to Sweet Home Alabama hoping to get some to join in, but no one does. Now, if the party were in New York City, boys and girls would be cutting the rug. I quickly realize that it’s the eve of the competition, a moment they’ve all been waiting for. They drink and eat sensibly, and are simply too preoccupied to really let loose. At least that’s what I tell myself as we both quickly leave the “dance floor” and return to our table where Ray Lampe, Jack-and-Coke in hand, is holding fort and catching up with fellow BBQ pitmasters.

They've come a long way from Poland to compete and did win a prize

It’s dark and cold, but the air is definitely sweet.

The party over by 9 PM, competitors get on buses heading back to the grounds. I decide to follow them for a closer behind-the-scenes look. It’s dark and cold, but the air is definitely sweet. Aisles formed and dotted by uneven lighting, I start to walk up, down, and around each tent complete with cooker, workstation, and RV. A Team from the Mississippi Delta sings the blues while strumming guitars in need of tuning. Another blasts Bon Jovi on the radio, while another puts finishing touches on jerry-rigged oil barrels turned cookers. And though the teams are U.S.-based for the most part, it is an international event with competitors from Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, and England as well. Like them, I can’t believe I made it here. It is a big deal, and more exciting to me than judging, is seeing these guys—and occasionally gals—light up their cookers, mop their ribs, rub their briskets, and inject their pork, for the chance to win the big prize. They smile as I make the rounds, but I feel the tension in their faces. It’s almost as if they can’t wait until it’s over even though it is just the beginning. Technically I can’t talk to them, and don’t other than congratulate them for having made it to The Jack and wishing them luck as they prep and cook. The truth is that while I’m looking forward to judging, what I really want to do is get my hands dirty and cook with them.

Adam Perry Lang, 2009 Honorary Pitmaster and owner of NYC's Daisy May's (FYI: excellent short ribs!)

The oath!

It’s morning and the competition is about to start, but not without first being sworn in with the following oath:

I do solemnly swear
To objectively and subjectively evaluate
Each Barbeque meat
That is presented
To my eyes, my nose, my hands and my palate
I accept my duty
To be an Official KCBS Certified Judge
So that truth, Justice, Excellence in Barbeque
And the American Way of Life
May be strengthened and preserved
Forever

…on the sweet and sticky side…

Now I’ve judge food competitions before, but must admit that this one feels different. The fact that I’m a classically trained chef and food professional, having written 6 cookbooks has no bearing here. I’ve sat through a mandatory 4-hour “how to judge BBQ” class to prepare for this and taken an oath. As I sit, ready to judge the first category, the table captains (a wife and husband team) recite numbers as I note them down on my scorecard. Six to seven entries total each for sauce, then meat upon meat entries presented on parsley or green oak leaf lettuce (not red, an automatic disqualification) and set in Styrofoam boxes. Some are tender, some chewy, some sticky, with varying flavors many of which tend to be on the sweet, sticky side, we the six judges at my table concur (after the judging is over that is, for we can’t talk during).

Good ‘ol Jack would have been proud

Some will go home with a statue of Jack Daniel, some with a bottle of No. 7, others with prize money ranging from $100 to $5000 (the top!), and one team will go home with the title of Grand Champion and braggin’ rights (I-QUE from Massachusetts, the big winners this year!), and the right to compete next year.

Judging BBQ competitions is fun, and I’m already penciling in two more I’d like to judge next year, Memphis in May and The American Royal in Kansas City. And the more I get to know pitmasters from around the country, the more I realize that competitions are really an excuse for them to come together and have a good time. In this case, everyone is winner. Amen!

Entering Smitty's

What I got was a crash course in brisket and BBQ lingo

Friends say that I’m obsessed with barbecue. I’ve always preferred the word “passionate,” myself.  It is an ongoing curiosity with me, and the art—because it is an art—of barbecuing fascinates me to no end. It’s also the people I’ve met while exploring this great culinary tradition that keeps me coming back for more. My Southern friends are like my European friends and family in many ways. They love to take their time to live, enjoying their meals over several hours while eating, drinking, and telling stories. Having lived in New York City for twenty or more years where everyone always seems to be in a rush is something I’ve never gotten used to. So naturally, I look forward to my trips to Austin, TX, where I get to take it all in at a slow and steady pace from the minute I land at the airport and imagine a distinct, enticing smoky aroma tickling my nose.

Kreuz' brisket

On this most recent trip I was on a mission to find the best brisket because that’s what Texas barbecue is known for. The problem is that I’ve tried brisket many times but have never really enjoyed it, finding it dry especially when compared to other cuts of beef I much prefer for their melt-in-your-mouth moist and tender character. For example, a buttery hanger steak, grilled until slightly charred on the outside and juicy medium-rare on the inside, and served with a pile of thin golden frites, a classic French bistro fare; or braised short ribs or oxtail with that sinewy tender meat that locks in all sorts of rich sauces like the fragrant traditional Vietnamese kho, a caramel and fish sauce-based braising liquid spiced with star anise, lemongrass, garlic, and chilies; or a thick slice of prime rib roasted in a hot oven until golden crisp, each bite sprinkled delicately with coarse sea salt and served with a large baked flaky potato on the side. So it’s not that I don’t love red meat, as some friends have argued when I’ve turned down brisket. I love it, but will admit to having shied away from this Texas favorite, until now.

Whole Foods' brisket: the turning point, no pun intended!

My newfound interest in brisket started this past June while I was on my book tour. There I was at Whole Foods on 6^th (the original!) preparing to teach a class celebrating my newly released book, Noodles Every Day (Chronicle Books, 2009) when I noticed a young man sitting in the classroom. He was wearing his chef’s whites and so I decided to strike up a conversation about brisket. It went something like this, “so what’s the deal with barbecued brisket?” Born and raised in Texas, he walked over to me and introduced himself as Lawrence Kocurek, the executive chef of this upscale supermarket. With great enthusiasm he responded, “I love it!” Naturally, I was curious as to why anyone would love a piece of meat that was dry. “Our brisket is not dry. It’s really good and juicy,” he insisted, “would you like to taste it?” I had convinced myself that it would be a waste of time, but when he asked “lean or fatty?” my ears perked up instantly. Nobody had ever given me a choice before in any of the barbecue joints I’d been to in the past. Excited, I quickly answered, “fatty, please,” which seemed logical to me.

Moments later Chef Kocurek returned with a white paper plate containing three thick slices of clearly juicy and fatty brisket. I couldn’t wait to take that first bite, and to my delight, it was tender, juicy, with the right amount of fat. “Why is it so good?” I asked him. “We cook our brisket at 220°F for at least 16 hours.” He then went on to describe the brisket as having two distinct parts, the fatty “top hemisphere” and the lean “bottom hemisphere.” When I explained to him that in the many years I’d been coming to Austin, not one pitmaster had ever offered me the fatty part, he responded, “yeah, they won’t unless you specifically ask for it.” Then I thought, not one of my Texan friends had ever informed me about the two cuts of brisket either, and when I’ve complained about how dry the meat was, it never occurred to anyone, not friends nor pitmasters, to explain to me that there were indeed two ways to order brisket. I was simply floored!

Shannon (meat coma, I think, but what a pal) as we finally get to City Market, our last BBQ joint on this tour.

I wanted a thicker bark and smokier flavor.

After my experience with Whole Foods’ brisket, I was intrigued and wanted to dig into the subject further. I wanted a thicker bark and smokier flavor. I called up my friend Shannon Henry, a competitive extreme mountain biker, and the only friend crazy enough to go BBQ joint hoping all day to taste brisket after brisket with me. I also knew it was Shannon’s favorite meat, and so he picked me up and we were on our way to Lockhart, a town in Hill Country, about an hour outside of Austin.

In preparation for this adventure, I sent out an “S.O.S to all pitmasters” I knew, asking them about the top and bottom hemisphere of the brisket. What I got was a crash course in brisket and BBQ lingo: 1) the whole brisket can be referred to as the “lobe,” “whole,” or “packer;” 2) it consists of two parts known as the “top hemisphere” and the “bottom hemisphere;” 3) the “bottom hemisphere” is also known as the “flat” or “lean;” 4) the “top hemisphere” is often called the “point,” “fatty”, “deckle,” or “good part;” and if you ever were curious as to where the “burnt ends” (quite literally) used to flavor baked beans came from, that would be the “point.”

“…think of it [brisket] as the unruly child of the BBQ world.”

Still, to make sure I had all of my ducks in a row, and before embarking on this beef-eating escapade, I thought I would reach out to pitmaster Bob Devine (most recently of Brother Jimmy’s in New York City) for some last words of wisdom, and sure enough he warned, “brisket is the hardest meat to cook to perfection. You have to think of it as the unruly child of the BBQ world. Not one of them is the same, every piece having a different fat and collagen content. Some will just never cook to completion. So producing a great brisket is something I admire a great deal.” This would explain the inconsistencies I’ve experienced when eating brisket.

And so with all of this in mind, Shannon and I were on our way to Lockhart where we would go to such famous places as Black’s, Kreuz Market, Smitty’s Market, and Chisholm Trail. We also went back to one of my old time favorites City Market in Luling, not to mention The Salt Lick in Driftwood, and Iron Works (known for their beef ribs, especially) in Austin the day before, without forgetting of course Whole Foods where my curiosity about brisket grew drastically upon tasting theirs. But by the time we got to Lockhart, I was confident about ordering, and when I came face to face with the pitmaster in each place I would ask for “brisket. The fatty please!”

At Black's slicing the "good part!"

Black’s was our first stop. When I reached the pit room where the pitmaster was slicing brisket, I asked for “the fatty, please,” to which he responded “ah…you want the good part,” and with that we both smiled as if we were in on a little secret no one else knew about. I walked off the line with brisket, sweet potatoes, and pickles on my plate, which I shared with my friend. I couldn’t wait to dig in and with gusto I took that first bite. Succulent with a good amount of bark, not too dark and not too light, not to thick and not too thin, it was basically balanced, perfect, more perfect than that of Whole Foods. And with that, Black’s’ brisket would become my new standard.

Kreuz was next. The massive, imposing cookers with fire pits off to the side at the very end projected about 1000 or more degrees. They were loaded with brisket among other meats, and made quite an impression. But while their brisket was good, it was not nearly as good as the first I’d tasted, being ever so slightly springy. Still this place was well worth the try and I would certainly go back just to take a closer look at these cookers. (The “original” sausage ruled, though!)

I’d been to Smitty’s before. It’s quite the place. With an old world character, it had a long dark hallway with industrial fans hanging from the ceiling, and a shop outfitted with old ice boxes, butcher blocks, meat scales, and old cash registers off to one side, with the prep and storage room next to it. The place felt as if time had stopped. Sitting at one of the long benches lined up against the wall, I quickly imagined the place decades earlier, people eating or ordering at the meat shop. I then went on to the pit room, where it was just like I remembered it years earlier. I loved the all brick cookers in a rather cramped space, noticing everyone sweating while standing on line in the steamy hot room, getting their orders served on craft paper. In the brightly lit dining room, another counter offered sides of avocado, pickles, and beverages. I ordered the dill pickle to accompany the brisket, which was good, tender, but definitely no match to Black’s’. Shannon and I moved on…

Black's BBQ Two Step!

“…I’d like to taste the point, the deckle, the good part…you know…the fatty,”

As proud as I was to know how to order “the fatty,” I would encounter push back at Chilsholm Trail when the guy completely ignored my request. I asked again, and he returned a look of disbelief asking while holding up the “flat,” “isn’t that fatty enough for you?” Standing at about 6′ and weighing about 300 pounds to my just shy of 5’4” and 125-pound frame, I pushed back “actually, no! I’d like to taste the point, the deckle, the good part…you know…the fatty,” trying every word in the BBQ brisket dictionary to make sure he understood what I was looking for. He returned with the fatty asking “how much?” And with that I said, “one slice, please!” (Remember, this was one of many I would taste that day, so I had to pace myself.) Chilsholm Trail’s walls were adorned with all sorts of recent awards. Strangely enough, their overly salted barbecue brisket (not to mention sides) was nothing to write home about.

Black’s was definitely hard to match, but still we decided to drive to Luling for City Market’s BBQ, one of my old time favorites. There’s something special about City Market. To this day, I’ll never forget the first time I went, which was about 14 years ago. Three guys just outside the joint, on the sidewalk, selling their pecan pies and peach pies while tap dancing and singing the blues, is a scene still vivid in my mind. It was one of those moments you couldn’t make up if you tried, and 14 years ago it was there for the taking. It’s a special place because this is where my love of barbecue began, where I understood for the first time how complex it was, and that it wasn’t just massive amounts of meat cooked in a large pit, but something refined with layers upon layers of flavors and textures intermingled into something that explodes in your mouth, while trying to figure out, “what?” “How?”

Black's brisket...the winner, this time!

Think of it as a religion…

Today, the brisket at Black’s’ wins. Who knows tomorrow? Everyone is entitled to an off day, and to be perfectly fair barbecue is better had during the early part of the day as opposed to late afternoon. Also, I should mention that when discussing BBQ, one should do so with caution. Think of it as a religion, as die-hard, loyal fans will swear by a specific joint, pitmaster, and style as in “wet” or “dry.” Lastly, realize that it is very much a matter of preference. For example, I like my sauce on the side, if any.

And with that, after eating barbecue for days, I came home from my trip appreciating brisket with a desire to learn more about this tough piece of meat turned tender by the low-and-slow cooking process. As soon as I opened the door to my New York City apartment, I dropped my bags and immediately went to my cookbook library, picking out my two favorite books on the subject: Ray Lampe’s Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2005), and Chris Lilly’s Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book (Clarkson Potter, 2009). Written by two of our country’s most celebrated competitive champion pitmasters, both books are loaded with information on technique, styles, as well as tips for competing, not to mention delicious easy-to-follow recipes. Turning to page 59 in his book, Lampe explains that, “the whole brisket consists of two distinct muscles with two textures and very different fat percentages. The grain in both muscles is very coarse, but it runs in different directions,” which is why the brisket is generally split in two parts, the “flat,” being the “prettier muscle of the two,” and the “point” being the fattier and rarely sold alone because it is generally turned into burger meat instead. Turning to page 84 in his book, Lilly further explains that, “the toughest cuts can be made palatable through the slow-cooking process. These results are achieved by breaking down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues, yielding tenderness.”

Reading this book is like talking to Ray Lampe...Fun read with great recipes!

Full of historical and personal anecdotes, Chris Lilly makes you want to "Q!"

Combined, pitmasters Ray Lampe and Chris Lilly have over 40 years experience putting into practice what they preach, and when they talk I listen. I’ve also had plenty of practice eating barbecue, and have even gotten my hands dirty a few times (check out the video right here!). I’ve become a die-hard fan of barbecue over the years, and I too have my favorite pitmasters, BBQ joints, and styles. This year I’m especially excited about the subject because on October 24th in Lynchburg, TN, I will be judging my first barbecue competition and most prestigious of them all, the 2009 Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue (sign in and click on “Happenings”). I can’t wait to sink my teeth into some award-winning barbecue from around the country when over 70 teams compete for “bragging rights,” while I satisfy my on-going craving for all things smoked…amen!

Join me and celebrated pitmasters Ray Lampe and Chris Lilly for more on BBQ on the “Home and Lifestyle Show with Ron Smith,” Saturday, Oct 17 from 9 to 11 AM on 106.7 FM TALK RADIO, San Antonio, TX.

I had a blast in California. Flew in on Friday August 14, 2009 and went right to Sur La Table for a hands-on cooking class in San Francisco. Enjoyed a full class of eager-to-learn couples. we could have sold this as an “Oodles of Noodles for Lovers!” Every time I teach everyone seems to want the popular summer rolls using rice paper with the spicy peanut sauce for dipping. I’ll make it on television, talk about it during radio interviews, and demo the technique in a classroom setting. Once you learn how to use rice papers, dipping them in water until pliable, you can fill them up with all sorts of fresh vegetables and cooked shrimp or leftover shredded meats, for example. It’s all so much fun to watch them as they learn and eventually perfect the technique.

Enjoyed the next day in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley at the Seghesio Family Winery where I sampled some terrific Zinfandel’s including Home Ranch, San Lorenzo, and the Old Vine and their new Pinot Noir. These beautiful wines were had with delicious sweet heirloom tomatoes from the Healdsburg Farmers Market. Sprinkled with sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil they not only paired well with the wines, but the local Jack cheese with whole peppercorns as well as a doughy spelt bread. Dessert? some of the most fragrant yellow peaches I’ve ever eaten. So fragrant I could smell them from aisles away.

Heirloom tomatoes from Healdsburg Farmers' Market with Seghesio Pinot Noir. A fine picnic lunch!

Sunday August 16 was a beautiful sunny day when Omnivore Books on Food hosted an event for me…it was a full house in this quaint little specialty book store. Not one seat left empty, instead filled with people who shared the same passion as me. We talked about noodles and so much more in a family-style setting, gathered close together.

I then decided to visit Chef Hoss Zare at his charming restaurant Zare at Fly Trap. This is a man who stands behind his ingredients, allows them to shine through, enhancing but never masking…cardamom, rose water, pomegranate are only but a few flavors to be enjoyed in any number of specialty dishes. I love the cucumber linguini (no wheat in this dish, just Persian cucumber cut into long, elegant strands) tossed with smoked trout and garnished with trout caviar. The smoke-cured pheasant served over crunchy, bitter leafy frisee, peppery watercress, roasted walnuts and refreshing sweet figs, I could eat everyday. This is indeed some of the most memorable foods I’ve had, and the best part was that I got to share it with my friends at Chronicle Books, publicist David Hawk, and editor Amy Treadwell. My heartfelt thanks to Hoss, too!

Sustainable cooking as a matter of course…

While in Los Angeles, I lectured at the 2009 Sustainable LA Conference on cooking “green” or “sustainably” as being the norm in Asian cultures. Many times in Southeast Asian countries especially, no refrigeration means going to market several times a day, where freshly slaughtered meats including offals and all sorts of seafood are on display. Not unusual is owning a pig in Asia. No only is it inexpensive to feed because all it means is giving it kitchen scraps, but when ready to kill, the meat can be cured to last for a long time and feed many mouths, and all the parts are used, from the blood, to the heart, spleen, meat, trotters, etc…I never gave “sustainable” cooking much thought because it is something that is ingrained in me. It’s second nature. Asian cooking is by definition a no-waste type of cooking, and not only when it comes to seafood, poultry, and meat, but also vegetables. I talked about a Japanese home cook I had met while on one of my trips to Kyoto. I recalled her using the crunchy peel of a squash in her stir-fry, while braising the soft spongy inside, and applying liquid soap to the stem-end to wash the pots she had just cooked in. I also talked about our very own food culture often making assumptions about what parts of foods are good versus those that are considered to be less than desirable. As examples I presented the scallion, mentioning how recipes in cookbooks (some of mine included because of some standard dictated by the publisher and current trends) would instruct using the “white parts only,” when the entire scallion white and green parts are perfectly edible and delicious, indeed the green part being more interesting for color alone. I also talked about how often I hear chefs preferring to use only the lower 6 to 8-inches of the lemongrass in a recipe, when again all of it should be used, the bruised leaves and tough grassy parts to flavor a stock, while the meaty creamy 6 to 8-inch stalk grated for marinades, for example. How many times have I seen fish bones and heads tossed in the garbage. In fact there is more flavor in the head of the fish, the cheeks being even more of a treat, than the fillets. The bones are perfect for stock as are vegetables scraps. How much of an onion do we throw out when chopping it? It’s mind boggling when you think about how much waste goes on in the food industry. Hopefully we don’t have to have conferences like these to make such a simple point, rather this simple approach to cooking should be matter of course in every kitchen.

Let’s Get Cookin’…

My California tour ended with a wonderful hands-on cooking class at Phyllis Vicarelli’s Let’s Get Cookin’ school celebrating the publication of Noodles Every Day (Chronicle Books, 2009). I find teaching extremely rewarding on a personal level. To share with others what I know and watch them explore ingredients on their own, puts a smile on my face. We made summer rolls with peanut sauce…I can’t stop making this popular snack. They also loved working with soba and cellophane noodles, watching the latter turn transparent when cooked through. It was an eye opener for the students, and for me another great experience.

I look forward to going to Alabama and Tennessee next.

It’s not everyday that I get to help inject, rub, pull and chop over 3000 pounds (that’s over a ton!) of pork butt and mix hundreds of pounds of coleslaw to feed thousands of hungry mouths…but on Friday, June 12, 2009 I did just that when I reported for duty at the 7th annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party at Madison Square Park in New York City.

Lined up along Madison Avenue and turning the corner and all along 26th street were barbecue rigs—aka cookers or smokers—from some of the best known BBQ joints in the country including The Salt Lick from Driftwood, Texas, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que from New York City, and the legendary Big Bob Gibson’s from Decatur, Alabama where I would be working for two nights and two days in a row, putting in long hours at the pit.

I should premise this with the fact that my fascination with true barbecue began in 1995 when I first visited Austin, TX…and before that my only experience with smoked meats were mediocre-at-best greasy baby back ribs piled up on a plate and covered in sticky, sweet reddish BBQ sauce. Served with sides of equally greasy ruffled potato chips and mayonnaise-laden coleslaw, they could be had in any number of New York City’s theme restaurants or steakhouses. So off putting were these barbecue meals—I think I may have tried 3 times before giving up—that I hesitated for a long time before giving BBQ another try…until I got to Texas, that is.

I was excited to be in Austin because I knew that BBQ was very much part of the food culture there. Of the dozen or so joints I tried in a span of 3 days, the most memorable were The Salt Lick in Driftwood and Central Market in Luling where everything from sausage, to ribs, chicken, turkey, and the much sought after Texas-style barbecue brisket were smoked using 100 percent oak wood. As the former test kitchen director of Saveur Magazine, I had also tested recipes for Kansas City-style barbecued ribs and brisket seasoned with dry rub. Maintaining my pit at a somewhat standard temperature of 225°F, the meat cooked for 12 hours or so, until fork tender. Naturally after these experiences, I knew a thing or two about barbecuing…or so I thought.

low-and-slow cooked pork butts

In October of 2007 I was invited as one of the four guest chefs at a Kingsford Charcoal event that took place just outside of Phoenix, Arizona. One evening, about 80 media guests enjoyed a horse-drawn hayride, followed by barbecue, drinks, and lively conversations at picnic tables or seated around a bonfire in the sandy desert. Just as we were about done with dinner that same horse-drawn wagon pulled up and our attention quickly turned to the tardy guest who happened to be Chris Lilly, a “pitmaster.” I didn’t know anything about him but noticed how everyone was excited to hear that he would be demonstrating barbecuing techniques during the three-day event. A fit, medium-built man with piercing greenish-gray-blue eyes, light brown hair, and sporting a goatee, he showed up wearing a cowboy hat, boots and shirt, and a pair of mildly worn out jeans. Short of wearing riding chaps, his getup, stride, and twang in his speech somehow convinced me that he might indeed know a thing or two about good ‘ol American BBQ. I was intrigued.

Chris Lilly at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party

It was late when we got back to the ranch where we were all staying, when Chris started walking over to his cooker with a bunch of us in tow. That night he started prepping pork butts. What got my attention was the syringe he picked up in his hand, filling it with a spiced, sweet and savory apple juice and Worcestershire-based liquid concoction. Holding the meat with one hand, with the other he quickly hit the butt every inch or so with this syringe, inserting and twirling it deep into the muscle. It was the first time I’d learn about injections, or injecting meats in general. Rubbed with a spice mix, the butts were loaded into the cooker. It was way passed midnight when many in our group turned in as I asked Chris how long the meat needed to cook. “Low and slow throughout the night,” he said smiling. “I’ll get some rest and will check back for temperature in the middle of the night.” The next day we all gathered around the cooker in anticipation, while Chris transferred the steaming hot meat from the cooker to the chopping board. With his gloved hands, he pressed and pulled on the meat, which came apart effortlessly. What I tasted was extraordinary and by far the best, most juicy and succulent, perfectly seasoned and balanced piece of pork I had ever eaten…so memorable, I had been craving it ever since.

“well okay Miss Corinne!” drawled the pitmaster, “let’s unpack the pork!”

Me, injecting

Fast forward to June 12, 2009…after a few phone calls over the period of a couple of months preceding the event, I had convinced Chris that I would make a great apprentice at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party. That night the fun began…“well okay Miss Corinne!” drawled the pitmaster, “let’s unpack the pork!” pointing to the too-many-to-count piled up boxes. Strong as I am, I was sure glad John, Ken, and Owen, my newfound friends (and veterans) were on the job doing their fair share of heavy lifting and encouraging me on.

And then came the moment I had been waiting for since my trip to Arizona… “Pick up the syringe!” Chris instructed. I held that syringe tight in my hand while pricking that meat like mad, squirting my eyes and prep partners a few times in the process…but fear not, at about pork butt number 30, I had my injection technique down, as the pitmaster preached “injections are a quick and more efficient way to infuse and season large cuts of meat throughout, as opposed to marinades which flavor the shell of the meat only.” I hung on every word while using up about a half a dozen syringes, bending the needles on the blade bones I had been warned about! “…and this apple juice-based injection I’m using provides lots of flavor without overpowering the natural flavor of the pork,” and with that the pork butts on our assembly line passed hands…

Me, chopping

The rub was next. Chris pointed to the latex gloves on the table, but “nah, I actually like to feel what I’m doing!” and with great confidence turned them down. He grinned and again at about pork butt number 30, I walked over to the sink, washed my hands, and put on the gloves…so much to learn. We talked about rubs for a moment. For the longest time I had wondered about them, why some were left on the meat for several hours to marinate, while Chris basically rubbed just before cooking. “The potency and concentration of spices within the rub dictates when you should apply it to the meat,” he answered. Of course it all made sense and with that, on the first night we rubbed and immediately loaded up just shy of 200 butts, packing them tightly into 6 massive cookers. They would be cooking “low and slow” all night, and while I didn’t want to leave for the fear of missing out on the action, it was well passed 1 AM when I walked back home. Somewhere between loading up the pork butts, getting a midnight snack, and going home, however, I decided to help the rest of the family…Don McLemore, great grandson of Big Bob himself was on coleslaw duty. I was up for the challenge and tilled several hundred pounds of shredded cabbage, carrots, onions, and peppers with quarts after quarts of mustard dressing and sugar into what would be served as coleslaw the next day.

photo by Nick Solares for Seriouseats.com

On the morning of Saturday June 13, folks started lining up for a chance to taste Big Bob Gibson’s pulled pork sandwich, but also to watch Chris Lilly in action hacking away at the meat. We ran out of pulled pork at around 4 PM, took a half an hour break, and started all over again unpacking, injecting, rubbing, and loading up the cookers with pork butts…and making more of that deliciously sweet, sour, and spicy mustard coleslaw for the next and last day of this amazing event.

Many times I’ve heard this 10-time World Champion pitmaster and most recently cookbook author Chris Lilly say, “barbecue is more than the meat off the grill. It is what you do while cooking outdoors and who you spend your time with. Barbecue is a celebration which if done right, culminates into a grand outdoor feast.”

signed copies here...reads like a memoir with award-winning recipes...fantastic!

…most humbling yet rewarding of culinary experiences I’ve ever had…

I made many friends that weekend during this most humbling yet rewarding of culinary experiences I’ve ever had…and the taste and texture of that tender, juicy pulled pork drizzled with the “winning competition sauce,” and served in a spongy soft bun is deeply ingrained in my mind. I look forward to my next encounter with my favorite “BBG” sandwich, but most of all I look forward to spending time with my friends (and the family!) next year when I’m back behind the pit.

AMEN!

photograph by Adam Waterson

The media event organized and hosted by Chadwick Boyd of Lovely & Delicious was amazing. The Art Institute of Atlanta’s culinary team was phenomenal. Thank you also to KA-ME and Decantus for sponsoring a great event. On the menu celebrating both my cookbooks including The Asian Grill (Chronicle Books, 2006) and Noodles Every Day (Chronicle Books, 2009) were: Asian Mango Salad, Grilled Shrimp Sate, Grilled Beef in Grape Leaf Rolls with Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Fish Sauce Dip (Nuoc Cham), Cold Soba Noodles with Watercress and Shiitake Mushrooms, and Tossed Leafy Greens with Walnut-Miso Dressing, and Tofu Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce. Great food, great talk, great audience!

The Tofu Summer Rolls and Soba Noodle dish from Noodles Every Day (Chronicle Books, 2009) are both highlighted here on my live segment with co-anchors Mark Hayes and Suchita on Good Day Atlanta (Fox 5 News)…check it out right here… Corinne Trang Prepares Hot Weather Fare Lastly, you can tune into my segment with Chadwick Boyd on Join Us At The Table – blogtalkradio.com What a trip this was…keep checking in with me for more on my book tour!

L to R: Greg, Nancy, and Sean

A week before my pre-launch book party for Noodles Every Day at bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy in High Falls, NY, I spent a wonderful evening with bluecashew’s business partners Sean Nutley and Greg Triana, and Nancy Greenwald at her Arbor Bed & Breakfast, all great friends I’ve made over the last 10 years in the Hudson River Valley.

I’m grateful for their friendship, support, and constant encouragement. Writing a cookbook can be a lonely process, except of course when you test recipes and the crowds gather!

And so we spent time together that evening discussing the upcoming event, but also just relaxing and enjoying a delicious meal, each one of us had a hand in preparing. I made my sate marinade for the shrimp on the grill, and Greg added his touch by cooking them on alder wood. Nancy made one of her famous colorful tossed salads with strawberries, cucumbers, and avocado scattered over beautiful leafy greens, and Sean served the wine and made sure the glasses were filled. We raised our glasses and wished for a successful tasting and book signing event, and on May 16th, our collective wish came true.

Thank you for coming to my tasting and book signing, everyone…and if you missed it, know that Greg and Sean always think ahead for their customers and had me autograph books before leaving the store. Take a moment and browse through their cookbook collection. Then call them to put any of my books on hold for you. If you want a special message included, they will call me to drive over to the store and put pen to paper…and I happily will.

Cheers to all!