SMOKIN' HOGGZ

2011 Jack Daniels World BBQ Grand Champion

2011-10-26T21:25:00.000-04:00

The streak continues. By: Shaune Connolly

2011-07-13T10:17:00.000-04:00

June was a very busy month for us. We had 3 competitons back to back to back; Cape Cod BBQ Championship in Sandwich, MA, Rock n' Ribfest in Merrimack, NH and BBQ at the Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach, ME. It was a tough 3 weeks on all of us but we made it through all of them with some awesome results!

Cape Cod BBQ Championship: Grand Champion BBQ
We had a alot of fun at this competition eventhough it rained the entire weekend and our site looked like Peter's Pond. We always enjoy this competition because its close to home and the ementies at the campground are great...they have showers! It was also our first competition where we got to use our new 10x20 EZ-up, we kept dry the entire weekend....YAY! Saturday night we got to enjoy a potluck with Beverage Brothers and Sweet Chicken...great food and great friends! Sunday was a typical BBQ day and we were happy with everything we presented. Winning Grand Champion again was a big shock to all of us!

Rock n' Ribfest: Grand Champion Grilling, Grand Champion BBQ
This was a busy weekend because we were doing grilling on Saturday and BBQ on Sunday. Bill usually does not like to do grilling but we usually do well so I persuaded him to do it. Categories were shrimp, pizza, sausage and saltwater fillet. Al did his Shrimp Tacos that he won first place for at Memphis in May, I did a pulled pork pizza and Bill did sausage and salmon. We knew what we presented was good but never expected to win Grand Champion.

Again, Sunday was a typical BBQ day. Bill felt a little more stress than normal due to winning 3 champinships in a row. In the end we all pulled together and presented some pretty good BBQ. After everything was done Bill and I were relaxing , talking about the day and having a couple of beers. I said to Bill "wouldn't it be great if I put my hand in this cooler and pulled out a Harpoon Raspberry Beer"(I drank them all on Friday night or so I thought) . He said "there are none in the cooler, Shaune...let it go". So I put my hand in the cooler and what came out....a Harpoon Raspberry!!! I turned to Bill and said this is an omen, we are going to win today! An hour later we won Grand Champion for BBQ! This was just crazy...Bill, Al and I still can't believe it! This was a huge win for us because now we are definitely going to The Jack!

BBQ at the Ballpark: 6th place overall, 1st place brisket, 5th place chicken, 5th place pork
We were not scheduled to do this contest but we were on such a streak that Bill and Al thought we needed to do it so off we went. Unfortunately, the streak was broken at this event by our good friends, Feeding Friendz. It was a fun competition even though it rained Friday and Saturday.

We are off for the next 3 weeks...our next competition is Harpoon! See you all there!

Smokin' Hoggz Receives Prilosec Sponsorship!

2011-06-28T20:18:00.000-04:00

It was announced at the end of May that Smokin' Hoggz would receive sponsorship from Prilosec OTC. We were told that the main reason we received the sponsorship was because of the amount of votes we received. 1673 votes were cast during a 6 week period! Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote for us daily and from multiple computers. We could not have done it without you!

First GC...Roc City Ribfest

2011-06-09T22:07:00.003-04:00

This was our second year coming out to Rochester, NY for the Roc City Ribfest. We had such a good time last year that we just had to do it again. We left early Friday morning and arrived at Ontario Beach Park around 1:00 in the afternoon. The weather was a bit cooler than I had hoped for, but what can you do. Once we finally found our site we started unpacking and setting up what would be our home for the next few days. Our site this year was awesome, we were right along the boardwalk overlooking Lake Ontario.

Around us this weekend was Big Guns BBQ, 2 Worthless Nuts, Lakeside Smokers, Show Me Your Rack and Beverage Brothers. This was going to be a fun weekend!!!!

Friday night we got all of our meat prepped for Saturdays NEBS Grilling Contest (Scallops, Cornish Hen, Tri-Tip, and Bacon) and the ribs for the Roc City Rib Off. The remainder of the night was spent hanging with friends, trying to keep dry and listening to the Bruins game.

Saturday was a good day but we did not finish as well as we hoped in the NEBS Grilling Contest. We ended up finishing 20th out of 57 teams. Our best was the Cornish Hen which came in 6th. Congrats to our friends Mike and Kris from Lakeside Smokers for kicking ass and winning Grand Champion... great job guys!!!!!

Next up was the Rib Cook Off. The event organizers decided to change things up a little on the judging, they charged $20 per person to judge the ribs and all the proceeds went to the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester, NY. They were able to raise about $2000!!!!! We ended up placing 6th out of 124 teams. We were pretty psyched about that!!!!

Sat night was a typical night at a contest, hanging out with friends, drinking beer, bourbon and eating Damn Dip!!! The big meats went in smoker around midnight, it ran like a finely tuned sports car all night, the only thing we had to do was fill up the water jug around 4 AM. Sunday morning was here and we were getting ready for crunch time. Shaune did a great job on the boxes as usual, we were ready for our first turn in. Everything was on time and we were very happy with what we turned in. Now it's time to wait for the awards. During this time I like to start packing up, it keeps my mind occupied from worrying about how we did.

Finally it's time for the awards...84 teams waiting eagerly for the results. We were 38th in chicken. 8th in Ribs which was big for us because our ribs had always been average. 11th in Pork, just missed getting a call. 1st in Brisket, WOW, I couldn't believe it!!!! As we were going up to get our trophy, Al and I went to give each other a high five and missed, Al's thumb landed in my left eye temporarily blinding me (look at he pix above), nothing a few PBR's can't fix. Knowing that we had gotten two calls I thought we had a pretty good chance of getting somewhere in the top 20. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a GC, and sure enough they called us for overall winner. Our very first Grand Championship!!!!!!!!!!What an awesome feeling, here it is almost two weeks later and it still doesn't seem real.

2011-05-30T18:04:00.001-04:00

Lexington BBQ Battle

2011-04-24T21:10:00.001-04:00

Cold, rain, and wind. That's pretty much how the weekend weather went. Cold Saturday morning and throughout the day, torrential rain and winds through the night. What else do expect in New England for this time of year. Still that didn't stop 27 of the best BBQ teams from doing what they love...Cooking BBQ.

This contest was hosted by Steve Eastridge from the BBQ team Meat@slims. Steve and his team did a fantastic job planning and organizing this event. All of the proceeds from this event went to support the LABB Collaborative.

This was the first contest we were able to use our new trailer. It was nice to be able to do all of our prep under cover and out of the elements. After a few tugs from the bottle of Gentleman Jack to warm us up, the meat was ready to go on the smoker.

Despite the wind and the rain everything was running pretty smooth, the auto-water on the smoker was working, the pit was holding temp great. It seemed to be smooth sailing, until I checked the temp of the butts and brisket two hours after wrapping in foil, they had only gone up about 5 degrees, not good. I made the decision to finish them on the Weber Kettle grill. After 1.5-2hrs they were happily resting in the Cambro, crisis averted. It's all in how you react...Right Chris??

Smoking Hoggz BBQ had a pretty good weekend all in all. We finished 9th overall, 7th in chicken, 7th in pork and 8th in Brisket. This was an excellent start to the 2011 BBQ season. Congratulations goes out to Fatback Joe's for winning GC and our good friends Mighty Swine Dining for winning RGC, and all the rest of the teams who got calls. Our next event is Memorial Day Weekend, in Rochester NY, Roc City Ribfest. Hope to see you there!!!

The newest addition

2011-04-09T17:16:00.000-04:00

What a pretty site, the newest addition to the Smokin' Hoggz BBQ Team. Now we don't have to squeeze all the equipment plus three people and a dog into the truck. Life is good!!!!!!! Bring on the Q!!!!!!!

Grilled Shrimp Tacos w/Lime Slaw

2011-03-27T12:34:00.002-04:00

This Recipe will make 8 Tacos

1 lb uncooked shrimp(21-24/lb) peeled and de-veined
your favorite seafood seasoning (Smokin' Hoggz all purpose dry rub)
8 6-inch corn tortillas (flour tortillas are ok too)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp mayo
grated zest from 1 lime
juice from 1 lime
16 oz pkg cole slaw mix (Dole)
2 scallions(green onion) diced
1 Jalapeno seeded and diced
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 large tomato seeded and diced
Sweet chili sauce
Canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the slaw(prepared about 2 hours before hand):

In a bowl combine sour cream, mayo, 1/2 lime zest, lime juice. Add cole slaw mix, green onions, jalapeno, cilantro and mix well. Season w/ salt and pepper. Stir in tomato. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the shrimp:

In a bowl toss shrimp w/ oil, the rest of the lime zest, salt and pepper and let sit for about 1/2 hour. I find it easier to put the shrimp on skewers after this and season with the dry rub. Grill shrimp about 2-3 min per side over direct heat, toss shrimp in sweet chili sauce.

For the tortillas:

Grill tortillas over direct heat for about 1 min per side.

To assemble the tacos, spoon slaw mix into bottom of the tortilla, top with 3 shrimp and enjoy!

Auto Water

2011-03-19T12:02:00.001-04:00

SnowShoe 2011

2011-03-16T20:28:00.000-04:00

AHHHH!!!!!!!!!the first contest of the season. The Snowshoe Grilling Challenge. Held right here in good old Abington Ma. one mile from my house, what could be better than that? What a great contest, not only because you get to see your BBQ friends after a long winter, but also because it is a great opportunity to help out the local community and donate to the Abington Food Pantry.
The weather for the day was partly cloudy with temps in the high 40's low 50's and slightly on breezy side, but all in all a good day for grilling (is there really a bad day for grilling, I didn't think so).

We had a very good day we finished 8th overall in a tough field of 24 teams, I felt that we turned in some really good food, and the judges thought so too.

The categories were: Strip Steak 18th

Pork Tenderloin 9th

Sausage Fattie 9th

Chefs Choice (Shrimp Tacos) 7th

Congrats to all of the teams that got called and to Heritage Foods GC, and I Smell Smoke RGC.

Next contest for Smokin' Hoggz BBQ will be April 16-17, in Lexington Ma.

New Logo

2011-03-05T14:01:00.000-05:00

Got Charcoal!!

2011-02-26T16:04:00.001-05:00

Looks like the BBQ Fairy left me a present!!!!!!

Smoker Cart

2011-02-21T18:20:00.000-05:00

These smokers are pretty heavy, this one alone weighs about 275 lbs. I bought the cart at Lowes for $100. I think it's a pretty good investment that will save me a lot of back pain.

New Website

2011-02-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

Hey All, Just wanted to let everyone now that we now have a website!! It is not completely finished yet, but it is up and running. Here is the link http://www.smokinhoggzbbq.com/. I will be working on it over the next couple of weeks to get it 100% functional. On the site you will find a tentative 2011 competition schedule, so come on over and check it out.

New Addition!!!!

2011-01-09T22:17:00.001-05:00

I am happy to announce that Smokin Hoggz BBQ has added a new member to the team, a Backwoods Fatboy!!!!!!! I am so looking forward to start cooking on it. Hopefully this will make things run a little more smoothly during comps.

Shelby, NC

2010-11-27T21:54:00.000-05:00

I know it is a little late, but I am finally getting around to writing about our trip to Shelby, NC. Hog Happenin contest.
     The trip started out on Wed nite around 11 pm, we hit the road. I was expecting to arrive down in NC sometime around 12 - 1 PM on Thur. We got there around 1:30ish, not too bad considering it rained pretty much from the time we got into PA until we pulled into the BJ's parking lot in Mooresville NC (The town that Dale Earnhardt JR lives in - right Shaune...LOL). We got all of our supplies, oh and by the way Yeungling was only $15/case and PBR $13/case Yeeeee Haaaaa!!!, and headed into Shelby to drop off our stuff and set up the site.
     The contest is held at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds. They have all the teams (82 of them) set up around, and inside this oval track, the sites were very large, big enough for an RV if you had one. We had reserved a site on the outside ring, and we had a spot right next to Smoke on Wheels (Andy & Rob), I don't think that they will be the same after the Al experience. We got all set up, and headed to the hotel which was only about 2 miles down the road (Awesome). We ended up going to a BBQ place for dinner (when in Rome) called Big E's BBQ, we got there about 20 min before they were closing so we had to decide real quick what we wanted to eat, for me it was a no brainer, I love pulled pork. So, I got the LARGE pork dinner with and homemade mac n cheese and hand cut fries, which also came with hush puppies (deep fried corn bread balls) that's what I talking about. If you are ever down that way you have to check out Big E's.
     Saturday we get back to the site and start getting everything prepped and ready to go. Saturday was a lot of fun, we walk around and met some of the teams. One team that was real fun to hang with was Carolina Backyard BBQ (Jesse & Mike), After meeting Jesse for about 3 min Jesse says "hey, you guys want a drink?" I new right then we would get a long just fine, they even fed us dinner that night too, fillet Mignon with baked potato, Delicious!!!! Later on that night Shaune played in a corn hole (not what you think) tournament with our new found friends, unfortunately they got knocked out in the first round.
     It got pretty cold during the night on Sat in to Sun (35F-40F), I am just glad I brought the propane heater, we had all the sides up on our 10 x 20 EZup. We got the temp up to about 85 degrees on the low setting....that was Awesome.....all we had to do was set up the air mattresses and we were good to go.
     We got the Butts and brisket on the cookers about midnight, and got up every couple of hours just make sure things were going as planned. Everything was going good until I decided to look at how much charcoal was left in the smoker (at about 7AM) that's when I started to panic, the charcoal was nearly out. So, as you can imagine I started scrambling around to get some more charcoal going, after about an hour things were back to normal (thankfully!!), it actually work out kind of good because the Butts and Brisket we going to be done too soon. Everything else went on the cooker as scheduled.
     We turned in all of our entries in on time, and we were very pleased with how everthing came out, Although I am pretty sure I turned in the wrong side of the brisket. After the box left I continued slicing the rest of it and notice how much more juicy it was compared to what I had turned in the (I was kind of mad but what can you do). Everything had great flavor and was tender and juicy, very very happy with everything.
     We ended up 29th overall out of 82 teams, not to bad considering this was our first time cooking a new program. 12th in pork, 16 in chicken, 40th in ribs, 55th in brisket, and 6th in sauce.

More Practice

2010-10-29T17:11:00.001-04:00

Ribs 2

Practice......Mmmmmm Good!!!!

2010-10-26T21:44:00.000-04:00

Chicken

Ribs

Coming to an end

2010-09-25T09:47:00.000-04:00

Well this year has certainly has had its ups and downs as far as contest results goes. Apparently the BBQ gods didn't quite understand what I meant when I said that one of our goals was to be consistent. Well, we achieved that goal, and we were constantly mediocre all year long. We did have a few bright spots along the way, and we definitely learned a few lessons also. Overall we still had a blast, seeing old friends and meeting new friends, isn't that what it is all about anyway.

We just got back from the Harvard Fall Festival. This contest was one of our high points of the season. We ended up finishing 4th overall in grilling with a 4th in sausage, 4th in dessert, and 5th in shrimp. We also finished 16th out of 44 in BBQ, with a 14th in pork and a 13th in brisket. But the real highlight of the weekend was the overall win in BBQ by our friends from Mighty Swine Dining, They took 1st in Chicken, Ribs, Pork, and 12th in Brisket, what an amazing accomplishment!!!!! Congrats guys on a job well done!!!!!!! Also, congrats goes to IQUE who took 2nd in BBQ and Lakeside who took 3rd in BBQ, ISS for the overall win in grilling, and all the rest of the teams who got called to the stage.

Summer is here!!!

2010-06-19T13:54:00.000-04:00

Three in a row

2010-06-15T12:19:00.000-04:00

Back in January we started planning out our BBQ schedule, Roc City looked like a good place to start then two weeks later was Merrimack. Then when Peter's Pond was added to the NEBS schedule we thought, sure we can handle three weekends in a row, why not!! Man let me tell you, although we had an awesome time at all three, I feel like I have been run over by a convoy of tracker trailers, I don't know how all these teams can do 20+ contest a year, My hat goes off to all you.

Roc City Rib Fest

Our first adventure started out memorial day weekend. Friday morning at 5AM, truck was packed and we were on the road headed to Rochester NY, for the Roc City Rib Fest, this was our first time going to this contest, we did not know what to expect. We got there around 1PM, first thing we noticed was the view of Lake Ontario, AWESOME!!!!! is the only way to describe it, we were literally about 100 feet from the beach. Brian from Good Smoke BBQ was the contest organizer, and he and his staff did an outstanding job making sure all of the teams feel welcome, Free ice all weekend, Trash removal, Pot luck dinner Friday night, Saturday night catered dinner, and a full breakfast Sunday morning, it was fantastic.

Saturday was grilling, and a rib contest. We took 11th overall in grilling with a 5th in dessert, A big thank you goes out to Shaune for her Fabulous Peach Cobbler.

Sunday was the BBQ, we didn't fair so well at this one, with a 49th out 69 teams and our best finish was ribs that placed 19th. Overall we had a great time, the weather was terrific all weekend long, and there even a sighting of two pasty white whales (AL and myself) swimming in lake at 7AM Sat morning, man was that water cold, but damn refreshing.

Congrats goes out to IQUE for GC in grilling and 3rd overall in BBQ and Mr BOBO's for winning the Rib contest.

Peter's Pond

Next weekend we had Peter's Pond, in Sandwich MA. After a year from being off of the NEBS schedule, Ted from Q Haven BBQ brought it back, better than ever. Thanks Ted, Fantastic job. This year teams had a choice to sign up for a site on the field or an actual RV site (full amenities), what a great option. Next year I am definitely getting the RV site.

I really like this contest, for one it is close to home, and two it is at a camp ground which means they have full bathroom facilities (showers!!). The BBQ gods spared us for the most part, with the exception of Sat mornings rain storm. Sat night there was an anything Butt contest, which means anything but the 4 KCBS categories(chix, ribs, pork, brisket). we didn't do so well in that. I was a little heavy handed with the heat, oh well.

Sunday was the BBQ, we were 22nd out of 33 team with our best finish being a 16th in pork. All in all we had fun and looking forward to next year.

Again Congrats goes to IQUE for getting GC and Yabba Dabba Que for RGC

Merrimack, Rockin' Rib Fest

Finally the third weekend arrives and we head up to Merrimack NH. We set up next to our friends Charlie and Alan from Mighty Swine Dining, we had a lot of laughs and a lot of beers, good times.

Saturday was grilling, and we ended up finishing 16th out of 27 with a 1st place in Pork chops, WOOO HOOO!!! I know the presentation does not give these pork chops any justice at all, but the flavor was awesome!!! cooked perfectly tender and juicy. I have to give out an huge congratulations to Mighty Swine Dining for getting GC and Yabba Dabba Que for RGC in grilling. Awesome jobg to both teams.

Sunday was again time to BBQ and again we struggled to get 26th out of 37, with the only highlight being a 7th in pork. Congratulations goes out to Lo'-N-Slo' BBQ for GC and T'N'T Dynamite BBQ for RGC.

The last three weekends have been a blast, very tiresome, but a lot of fun. As for our BBQ, I think what we put out there for the judges is top quality BBQ. For all you judges out there, just remember how much time and effort each team commits to producing their BBQ.

Lastly I would just like to thank Chad and Nicole from Humphrey's Chips and Chunks for their continued support and confidence in Smokin' Hoggz BBQ. You guys are Awesome!!!!

New Smoker Carrier

2010-04-20T15:06:00.000-04:00

This is the new Cargo Carrier that is going to be used to transport the smokers to and from BBQ contests. It has been modified slightly by Chad Humphrey of Humpheys Chips and Chunks. We added 4 adjustable and retractable stabilizer supports along with shortening the insert that goes into the receiver on the truck. We also gave it a new paint job and added some Stainless hardware. We are also having a sign made up by Nicole Humprhey, that will be mounted on the back as well. The center is being saved for a new 22" Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) cooker. I am so excited about this because not only is it going to be easier to move the smokers around, it is also going to give me more room in the back of the truck for all the other stuff that we bring to a contest.

Pizza

2010-04-11T10:04:00.001-04:00

More Chicken

2010-04-02T23:13:00.000-04:00

Chicken Wings!!

2010-04-01T17:22:00.000-04:00

IMG00134-20100319-1908.jpg

2010-03-23T15:48:00.001-04:00

Pulled pork and beef brisket sliders at the Red Rose Cafe in Weymouth MA

IMG00133-20100319-1907.jpg

2010-03-23T15:45:00.001-04:00

Frito pie at the Red Rose Cafe in Weymouth MA

First try @ Corned beef and Pastrami

2010-03-18T12:51:00.004-04:00

Well seeing that I have had a large amount of time on my hands as of late, I figured I would try and make corned beef and pastrami by curing the meat myself. I bought a 15.5 pound brisket, I separated the point and the flat and trimmed off most of the fat. Instead of putting the meat in a brine for 10-14 days, I decided to dry cure the meat. I made up very simple rub of 1.5 cups of kosher salt and 1.5 cups of ground up pickling spice. I rubbed both cuts of beef with the rub and placed in to 2.5 gallon bag and put it in the fridge for 5 days. I took the meat out and rinsed off the rub and soaked them in water for a couple of hours (changing the water every hour). For the corned beef (point) I braised it in 24 oz of beer (Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale) 1/2 cup of whisky about 12 oz of water, 1 Tbsp garlic and 2 Tbsp pickling spice. I cooked it for about 3 hours @ 275, then I added about 2.5 lbs of potatoes and 2 lbs of carrots and let cook for another 2 hours. during the last half hour of cooking I took a head of cabbage, quartered it and seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled it. I must say that it came out pretty good for a first time, a little on the salty side but overall Good!!

For the Pastrami I used the flat cut of the brisket and coated with a 50/50 mix of my brisket rub and coarse pepper. I put it on the smoker for 3 hours @ 250, then wrapped in foil and back on the smoker for 2 more hours. I let the meat rest for about an hour then put it in the fridge to let completely cool. A few hours later I sliced it up and made a huge sandwich on pumpernickle bread ,swiss cheese, Jack Daniels old no. 7 mustard and Dr Gonzo's Smoke Isle Elixir. I must say very good. Would I do it again? of coarse I would. I think the next time I will try with the brine method.

Snowshoe 2010

2010-03-08T12:00:00.004-05:00

Wow!!! what a great turn out for such a fun event. The Snowshoe raised over $700 and over 200 lbs of food and supplies for the Abington Food Pantry. Congrats to all the teams who got calls and to the top teams overall:
1. I Smell Smoke
2. QHaven
3. Lakeside Smokers
4. IQUE
5. Meat @ Slims
All I can say is the weather could not have been better for the first weekend in March, a little cool and breezy in the morning, then around 11 AM it really started to warm up, it really made for an awesome day for grilling.
The Snowshoe is usaully the first event of the NEBS season, it is a one day grilling event, and is a very fun event to do. We did pretty well for our first event of the season,We place 12th overall in a very strong field of 21 teams and we got two calls:

7th in Ribeye

10th in Chefs Choice (Salmon)

We also placed 11th in Chicken wings and 17th in Sausage Fatty (think Jimmy Dean) for those who do not know what a sausage fatty is. All in all it was a great time, and it was awesome to see everyone again. Now bring on the BBQ!!!!!!!!!

Tentative 2010 BBQ Contest Schedule

2010-01-30T12:21:00.001-05:00

Here is the tentantive schedule of BBQ competitions that we will be doing this Year, you can get more information on these contest at www.nebs.org or www.kcbs.us :

Mar 6 Snow Shoe Grilling-Abington, MA

May 28-31 Roc City Ribfest - Rochester, NY

June 5-6 Peter's Pond - Sandwich, MA

June 12-13 Rockin Ribfest - Merrimack, NH

July 2-4 I love BBQ Fest - Lake Placid, NY

July 24-25 Harpoon - Windsor, VT (only if we get selected)

Aug 7-8 Mainely Grillin' and Chillin' - Eliot, ME

Aug 20-22 Hudson Valley Ribfest - New Paltz, NY

Sept 18-19 Harvard Fall Festival - Harvard, MA

Oct 1-3 American Royal Open - Kansas City, MO

Oct 23-25 ??????

Simply Salmon

2010-01-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite fish to eat and cook is Salmon, it doesn't matter how it is prepared, from to sushi to lox and bagels or just simply grilled with a little lemon and dill. There is just something about the flavor and the texture that I just love.
I decided to go to the local fish monger and pick out a nice Salmon fillet (about 1.75lb). It was such an awesome day, I thought it would be good to fire up the Weber and cook it with a little indirect heat with some sugar maple wood chunks for a little smoke flavor as well.
All I did to prep the Salmon was, first cut the fillet in half and then seasoned with a little bit of Smokin Hoggz all purpose rub and some brown sugar. I wanted to try out a new finishing sauce also. I made a nice Balsamic reduction glaze that came out very good, sweet with a little tang.
The salmon went on the pre heated grill (275-295) for about 40 minutes total cook time, about half way through (20 min) I applied some of the glaze and at the end of the cook as well.
The Salmon came out great, the flavor was awesome, the fish just melted in your mouth. Here are pix I took of it so you can get an idea, enjoy.

Chicken Time

2009-12-16T08:14:00.000-05:00

For last nights dinner I wanted to cook a chicken on the smoker, I haven't done that in a while, and yesterday was a real nice day to cook outside. I started with about a 6 lb bird and liberally coated it with the Smokin' Hoggz chicken rub and a little drizzle of olive oil. Started the coals for the smoker, with a full chimney of unlit Humphrey's hard wood lump charcoal and then a half of chimney of lit coals, I also added couple of pieces of black cherry and oak as well. I cooked it at about 250 degrees for the first hour (applied a thin glaze of sauce after first hr) and 300 degrees for the rest of the cook (1 1/2 hrs). Total cook time was about 2 1/2 hrs. After it was done I let it rest for about 15 min. The chicken came out awesome, I couldn't believe how tender and juicy the white meat was. I tell you if I could get this to work for competition, watch out. until next time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Practice Brisket

2009-11-29T20:26:00.002-05:00

Here is a brisket I cooked today. I've been thinking about some different combinations of marinades,rubs, and injections and decided on one to try. This one came out very good, the meat had very good flavors and was very moist, but just a little on the overcooked side. I think I need to work on the the timing a little bit, but hey, that's what practice is for.

Pics from BBQ Brethren

2009-10-29T12:24:00.000-04:00

6th Place Chicken

4th Place Pork

Meat @ Slims wins Battle of the BBQ Brethren

2009-10-26T23:22:00.004-04:00

Well we just got back from the Battle of the BBQ Bethren and had a real good time despite almost getting carried off by the Nor'easter that came through on Saturday night. First off I would like to congratulate the Meat @ Slims BBQ team for winning Grand Champion, they got calls in chicken(4th), ribs(1st), and brisket(7th) Awesome job guys!!!!! With that win they get an invitation to the 2010 American Royal and get put into the draw for the 2010 Jack Daniels.

We also had a very good weekend, we finished 16th overall out of 45 teams, and got two calls also, chicken(6th), and pork(4th). Pork has been one of our worst categories all year long, no matter what we did nothing worked. Looks like all of that practicing the past few weeks has payed off.

We didn't feel like driving down the NYC and dealing with all of the city traffic, especially on a Friday afternoon. So we drove to New London CT and took the ferry over to Orient Point, from there we had about an hour and a half drive to Sayville. I never realized there were so many vineyards on Long Island, it was a very scenic drive to Sayville, and I would definately go that way again.

Anyway, we got there around 2:45PM and there was one other team there waiting, I talked to Eric Devlin, one of the organizers, he said it would be about another hour until they would be ready for the teams to start setting up, that was fine because I still had to go out and buy the pork butts for the contest. Come to find out there was a Restaurant Depot about three mile down the road, and also if you are a KCBS member you can shop there(they are not open to the public) All I have to say about Restaurant Depot is AWESOME!!!!!!

We got back to the site and we set up. It pretty much rained on and off all night until the morning, then it cleared up and it was pretty good all day until about 8 PM, when all hell broke loose. There was so much rain and wind, half of our site was under water. Poor Shaune thought we were going to be sucked up in a twister like in the Wizard of Oz, she was holding on for dear life while Al and myself sat there drinking beer. It was amazing that there was not any damage, except for one EZup from one of the vendors. Thankfully we got through it without a scratch.

All in all it was a great weekend. We definatley ended the season on high note.

Battle of the BBQ Brethren

2009-10-19T15:22:00.000-04:00

Well it has been about 4 weeks since my last post. I needed to take a break and regroup from the last couple of contests in which we did not do so well in. We have been able to do a few practice sessions to try and work out some of our problems, and it seems to be going in the right direction. We have one more practice session this week as we prepare for the our next contest. We are going to Sayville NY, to participate in the Battle of the BBQ Brethren, this will be our first time competing in this event, and we are very excited. There are about 44 teams signed up for this event. Time to put on our game faces and bring home the money.

Harvard Fall Festival

2009-09-21T10:46:00.005-04:00

GC - Ique
RGC - I Smell Smoke
3rd -Lakeside Smokers
4th -Uncle Jed's BBQ
5th - Mighty Swine Dining

Congratulations to Ique for winning GC and I smell smoke for RGC at the Havard Fall Festival, also congratulations goes out to the boys over at Mighty Swine Dining for placing 5th overall in a very strong field of 40 teams, and also getting a 2nd in Saturdays peoples choice (Chicken Wings) and a 1st on Sundays Peoples choice (Pulled Pork), great job guys you deserve it.
We on the other hand, did not fair so well, a very disappointing weekend for the Smokin' Hoggz BBQ team (35th out of 40). We tried a couple of new things that didn't go over very well with the judges. Looks like it is back to the practice kitchen for us. Although we didn't do well, we had a great time hanging out with good friends and meeting new teams competing for the first time. You know it is really good to see new teams competing at all the events, it just shows how big competition BBQ is getting.

Oysterfest, Norwalk CT

2009-09-15T16:37:00.002-04:00

Congratulations goes out Mike and Kris from Lakeside Smokers for their win at the Oysterfest, this makes 3 GC's (Grand Champion) this year for them. Keep up the great work. Also congrats goes out to Ocean County Pig Assassins for their RGC (Reserve Grand Champion).

Busy couple of weeks ahead

2009-09-09T11:17:00.005-04:00

The next few weeks are jam packed with stuff going on. This weekend we are getting ready for the Oysterfest in CT, hopefully we do better than we did in Maine. We have been working on a couple a new things with pork, and I think I finally have something good enough to compete with, all year my pork has been average at best, so it would be awesome if it does well.
After this weeknd I have the Pats game monday night, which I can't wait for. I can't believe football season is upon us, I think the Pats are going to do very well this season, especially with Brady back in the drivers seat.
After the Pats game, the following weekend is the Harvard Fall Fest. Last year we had a great time, it was the first contest we did with the new team. I can't believe that it has been a year already, how time flies. The Harvard Fall Fest will be our 6th contest this year with one more to do at the end of October (The Battle of the BBQ Brethren), so seven in all for this year. Next year I hope to do about 10, we'll see what happens.

2009 Jack Daniels

2009-09-04T15:45:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to all the teams from New England who are going to the 2009 Jack Daniels World BBQ Championships:

Mass/Vermont - I Smell Smoke,
New Hampshire - Lakeside Smokers,
Connecticut - R2-BQ,
Maine - Ique,
New York - lunchmeat,
New York Rep - Mr. Bobo,
New Hampshire Rep - Yabba Dabba Q.

Good luck, and kick some Butt!!!!!!!!!

Mixed results from the Maine Grillin and Chillin Contest

2009-08-13T14:33:00.006-04:00

Just got back from the Maine Grilling and Chillin Contest. We had a great time, but didn't do so well in the competition. We ended up finishing 20th overall out of 29 team, not our best showing by any means. We got 8th in chicken, 11 in brisket, the other two, ribs and pork didn't do so well. The ribs were over cooked and a little on the dry side, but they tasted good. The pork I think was a little under cooked(too tough) but also tasted good. We have been really struggling with our pork, and can't seem to get it consistent. We will have about three weeks before the next contest to try out a couple of new ideas, we'll see what happens. Overall it wasn't a bad event. Also Congratulations to the IQUE BBQ team for winning Grand Champion.

Competition Check list- a must have

2009-08-05T12:33:00.000-04:00

When I first started competing, I didn't have a lot of equipment. All I had was a brinkman bullet, chimney starter and a cooler for beer. I didn't have to worry about bringing any of the supplies, becsause all the other guys on the team had everything we needed, it was kind of nice because I all I had to do was just show up. As time moved on, so did team members and I found myself buying more and more equipment, not just for the BBQ contest, but stuff I would need for tailgating at the Pats games as well(Tables, more coolers, EZUPs, etc...). It wasn't until last year, when I decided to start my own team, I realized I only had about 25% of the equipment I would need to compete with, I still neded to get cleaning supplies, more tables, paper goods, storage bins etc.. I was thinking that someone on line has to have some sort of an eqiupment/supply check list that I can use as a starting point. Well I came across a couple of different checklists that I was able use and finally came up with my own checklist, and I have to tell you, without that checklist I would be totally and completely lost. If I have any advise to give to a team starting out, is to have some sort of checklist to go by, trust me on this it will make your life a whole lot easier and the competition will be far more enjoyable. Here is a link to a couple of checklists that have been very helpful to me http://www.smokingunsbbq.com/docs/Contest_Check_List.pdf and http://www.smokingunsbbq.com/docs/checklist.pdf

Finally a free weekend

2009-08-01T15:54:00.000-04:00

I have been going non-stop every weekend for the past 2 months, not that I am complaining, because that is what the summer is all about, but it is nice to have nothing on the schedule where I don't have to do anything, but drink a few beers and sit out by the pool and listen to satellite radio, the 80's channel, Oh Yeah!! . I am not even going to start up the smoker this weekend, although I will definately be grilling something, I am thinking of something seafood, I love grilling seafood, Mussels, Shrimp, and Scallops and some summer squash, zuchinni, and tomatoes in a nice white wine sauce serve over some linguine. Any way back to the sun and fun, catch you later. Have a great rest of the weekend.

A Great Weekend

2009-07-27T08:47:00.000-04:00

Second Place Chefs Choice: Peach Cobbler
First Place Fish: Salmon

It's Harpoon Time!!!!!!!!

2009-07-22T09:04:00.000-04:00

Wow I can't believe it has been this long since I last posted, Sorry to all of my beloved fans. LOL. Well only two more days until Harpoon. I am very excited to do this one, this competition has to be my most favorite one to do.

There are going to be about 42 teams competing this weekend. All the top teams from New England will be there, so there will be some great competition.

Saturday will be the BBQ part of the contest and Sunday will be Grilling, I have decided to let the team do the grilling event, that way I can just sit back and relax. I am going to try and focus just on the BBQ part. Making her debut this weekend during the grilling event is my lovely girlfriend Shaune. She is going to be doing the chefs choice category, she has been working on it all week and I think it will be great. I will have to admit that it will be tough for me not help out and put in my 2 cents, but I have all the confidence in world that she will do a great job.

I would like to congratulate Mike and his wife Kris from Lakeside Smokers on getting Grand Champion for the Troy Pig Out contest in NY this past weekend, Great Job!!!!!!

Well off to do all the last minute stuff before we leave on Friday, Hopefully I will have good news when we return.

Merrimack

2009-06-23T12:43:00.000-04:00

Just got back from our first Competition of the year. What a great time!! We got there around 11:30 Friday, it was drizzling a little, and after about an hour or it stopped and cleared up. After all the talk of the weather being crappy the whole weekend, it turned out great, no rain until Sunday afternoon.

I must say I am very happy with how well we did this past weekend, out of a field of 37 teams we finished 9th overall, 19th in chicken, 15th in ribs, 13th in pork, and 8th in brisket.

The next Competition is in two weeks out in Lake Placid NY. I am very exited about this one, seeing as that I have never been there before. The contest is being held inside the Olympic Speedskating oval.

I have to also give out a big congratulations to Mike from Lakeside Smokers for getting Grand Champion this past weekend. Mike and his wife Kris are great people and are very deserving of this. Along with getting Grand champion, they also earn an invite to the prestigious Jack Daniel's World BBQ championships this year at the end of October. Again congratulations Mike and Kris.

Ok here it goes!!

2009-06-17T11:07:00.000-04:00

Alright here it is my first blog ever, why? you ask. Well, why not. Basically this Blog was created to keep track of all my BBQ experience this year, and to share them with anyone who wants to read my ramblings. So here it goes!!

Ah!! The first Competition of the year ( Rockin Ribfest in Merrimack, NH ) I have been practicing for this competition all winter and spring. I think, I have something that will allow me to compete against some of the best teams New England. I am totally psyched for this year, as this will be my first year with my new team, hence the name of this Blog. We did one event last year ( Harvard Fall Festival ) in which we got a call in Brisket ( 5Th ), we were all very pleased with how we did ( 18Th ) overall, despite the awful weather on Sunday morning.

I think we are ready for this event, I am feeling confident that we can do well. All that is left to do is pack the truck and hope we don't forget anything, ya right. Anyway, wish us luck, and we'll see you on the flip side.