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BBQ SAUCES OF THE YEAR!

We reviewed 40 barbecue sauces this year. It being the end of the year, we thought that it would be a good idea to do a roundup of the best ones that we came across this year. The following list is in no particular order. 

Smithfield's Grilling & Dipping Sauce - Nice simple vinegar-based sauce. 

Cajun Island Sweet Blackened Sauce - Funky Cajun-Asian concoction. 

RedRum Golden BBQ Sauce - Hot hot hot! 

Bill's Black Label BBQ Sauce - Unique peppery Piedmont-style sauce. 

Bone Suckin' Sauce - Another fantastic vinegar-based sauce. 

The Slabs Kyle Style BBQ Sauce - Thicker sweet and spicy sauce. 

Sauer's Barbecue Sauce - Great tangy tomatoey sauce, not too sweet. 

Smoky Mountain Smokers Barbecue Sauce - Delicious sweet and savory sauce.

Thank you for reading this year! Barbecue Sauce of the Week will return in 2010!

On the Next Episode of BBQ Pitmasters......

Myron gets shigged....



Tuffy gets organized....



Pablo Diablo BBQ comes in last place again....

Christmas Gift Ideas: Ghetto Gourmet

Cookin' with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price
by Artis Leon "Coolio" Ivey, Jr.

THERE'S ONLY ONE THING THAT COOLIO'S BEEN DOING LONGER THAN RAPPING: COOKING

Coolio started making thirty-minute meals when he was ten years old and has since developed a whole new cuisine: Ghetto Gourmet. His recipes are built around solid comfort foods with a healthy twist that don't break the bank. Start your Ghetto Gourmet adventure with some "Soul Rolls," follow-up with "Finger-Lickin', Rib-Stickin', Fall-Off-the-Bone-and-into-Your-Mouth Chicken," and finish off with "Banana Ba-ba-ba-bread" sweetened with golden honey. Chapters such as "How to Become a Kitchen Pimp," "Chillin' and Grillin'," and "Pasta Like a Rasta" will guide you through creating 5 star meals at a 1 star price. You can't find fusions like Blasian (black Asian) or Ghettalian (ghetto Italian) in restaurants, but you can have them cooking away in your kitchen faster and easier than ordering takeout. As Coolio says, "All you need is a little bit of food, and a little bit of know-how."

BBQ SAUCE OF THE WEEK: Fork 'n Halo Original Sin

First of all, I love the packaging and product name of this sauce. It's a very clean-looking label, a memorable brand name, and a great name for this basic version - "Original Sin" (other sauces in this line are called "Heavenly Hickory" and "Fire & Brimstone"). The sauce is manufactured by Wicked Good Barbecue (with the name "Wicked Good," could they be from anywhere but Massachusetts?).

The sauce itself has a very bright flavor - lots of fresh tomato, with notes of apple and mustard. It's also got a lot of sweetness, courtesy of honey and molasses. There is a mild amount of heat, too. The texture is thick and smooth, with a dark, dark amber color. Overall, this is a decent barbecue sauce with a very distinct personality.

Grade: B

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BBQ Pitmasters on TLC

Tonight the BBQ Pitmasters series debuts on TLC. There is great anticipation from within the bbq community, and it will be interesting to see how the show is perceived by the general viewing public. I have been checking out some of the tweets and there are some mixed emotions about the promo.

The show will feature seven competitors, following them at five KCBS events as well as the Big Pig Jig and a grandiose finale tabbed the Johnny Trigg Shootout.

Here are the five KCBS events:

Smokin' in Mesquite Nevada Open BBQ Championship - Mesquite, NV
Decatur Jaycees 15th Annual Riverfest - Decatur, AL
Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off - Murphysboro, IL
30th Annual American Royal Barbecue - Kansas City, MO
Diamond State BBQ Championship - Dover, DE

Here is the lineup of the featured competitors with my own commentary:

Paul Petersen is competing as PABLO DIABLO BBQ. Petersen is a classically trained chef that is competing in bbq competitions for the first time as part of this show. He will be cooking on a new Klose pit, but I think the viewers will see that there is a lot more to bbq than just being a good chef. Don't let me spoil it for you, but he definitely doesn't dominate the competition. Knowing that he finished DAL or close to it, it will be interesting to see how the show plays this out.

Lee Ann Whippen, aka Token, of Wood Chicks BBQ is the only female in the competition. This offers the obvious Man vs. Woman in a male dominated competition storyline, but Lee Ann is not someone that was just pulled off the street. She has competed for several years and has won several competitions all across the country. Lee Ann cooks on Big Green Eggs and I think that she will relate to most of the viewers.

Jamie Geer of Jambo Pits just might have to change his phone number after this show airs, because three of his pits will be prominently featured on this show (Jamie, Tuffy, and Johnny). I don't know all that much about Jamie other than his pits have one more contest than any other cooker.

Tuffy Stone of Cool Smoke is the owner of Q Barbeque, and the 2007 KCBS Team of the Year. That year, Tuffy won six contests and he still manages to win several contests a year while opening a new bbq restaurant. Tuffy is a really nice guy and it will be interesting to see if the show plays him out to be a nice guy or a bad guy.

Johnny Trigg of Smokin Triggers is so often called the "grandfather of bbq" that it is becoming cliche. Johnny is what you think of when you think of a Texan, and I would say that it is a safe bet that the show will play up his Texas roots.

Harry Soo of Slap Yo Daddy BBQ is most famous for taking first place in all four categories at the Way Out West BBQ Championship in Stockton, CA. Being from California, Harry will be playing the role of the "outsider" considering he does not fit the primary stereotype of a BBQ Pitmaster.

Myron Mixon of Jack's Old South is definitely going to be portrayed as the bad boy of the show. Don't be fooled though - the all black look is not something that was done up for this show. That is his full time look. Myron is a three time winner of Memphis in May, and at the Murphysboro MBN contest he got a chance to strut his stuff.

So tune in tomorrow night at 9pm CST. I will also try to post my thoughts after each episode.

For more information on the show check out this great interview with the executive producer John Markus.

BBQ SAUCE OF THE WEEK: Mary's Gourmet Original

When you read the ingredients and you see both brown sugar and high fructose corn syrup before any kind of tomato or vinegar related ingredient is listed, you know you're in for a sweet sauce. Such is the case with Mary's Gourmet Foods Original BBQ Sauce. Lord knows I like it sweet, but this is too much. It starts sweet, transitions to sweet, and finishes sweet. There's a hint of vinegar and tomato, but literally not much else. And honestly, I'm not wild about the texture of the sauce either. It's thick as thick can be. Very gloppy. If you took this stuff out of the refrigerator, it would be nearly the consistency of marshmallow fluff. Not recommended.

Grade: D

November Pumpkin, Part 5: Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

My pumpkin pie recipe (oddly, like many of my recipes) came together by accident. I was trying to follow a simple recipe for pumpkin pie, but I misread and messed up the spices, I dumped in a can of sweetened milk instead of evaporated milk...but the pie was a hit. Give it a try with your fresh pumpkin in your favorite pie crust.

The INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs
2 cups of pumpkin mush
3/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of cloves
1 can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

The Pumpkin Pie FILLING:

Beat your eggs in a stand mixer. Beat in the pumpkin, sugar, spices and sweetened milk. Pour the mixture into a standard, 9-inch unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 425 degrees for the first 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Bake for another 50 minutes. (You may need to use foil or a pie crust shield around the edges towards the end, I did.)


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

November Pumpkin, Part 4: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

The INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar
6 tablespoons of COLD unsalted butter
1 cup of finely chopped pecans
1 8 ounce block of cream cheese (softened)
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of pumpkin mush
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of cloves

The CRUST:

In a food processor, pulse together the flour and brown sugar to combine, then cut in the butter. Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the pecans. Pull out 3/4 cup of the mixture to use as a crumble top later and press the rest into a well-greased 8" or 9" square baking dish. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove, set aside and cool.




The Pumpkin Cheesecake LAYER:

Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin and eggs, followed by the vanilla and spices. Pour the mixture over the crust and sprinkle the reserved crumble over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.



Let the bars chill overnight in the refrigerator.

BBQ SAUCE OF THE WEEK: Big Bob Gibson White Sauce

Since this is turkey week, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about a sauce that's made to go with poultry. One of Big Bob Gibson's specialties is barbecue chicken with a special white barbecue sauce. It's a North Alabama favorite. You might like this sauce and you might not, but you will definitely agree that it's like no other.

When uncapped, the aroma bears a striking resemblance to that of Miracle Whip. And while it's definitely related to Miracle Whip in that they're both in the Mayonnaise family, this white sauce is more tangy than sweet. It's got a significant vinegar component that will pucker you up if you're not ready for it. The vinegar also gives it a thinner consistency - it's got about the same consistency as a thin salad dressing.

As you can see in the photograph, there is a fair amount of bits hanging around in the sauce - mostly pepper. The bits tend to settle at the bottom, so you want to give it a good shake before you pour. Since this sauce is so specific to a certain type of protein, I think that you really have to try it on chicken to properly evaluate it. But I like what I taste when I taste it plain - very unique and very flavorful.

Grade: A-

Happy Thanksgiving!

November Pumpkin, Part 3: Pumpkin Ravioli

Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce



PUMPKIN PROSCIUTTO FILLING:

2 cups of pumpkin mush
1 tablespoon of butter
1/4-pound of prosciutto (chopped in small pieces)
fresh sage
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan
1/4 cup of ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
salt and pepper

1. Over medium-high heat, warm the pumpkin mush and butter.

2. Stir in the prosciutto and 1 to 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh sage. Cook for a few minutes as you keep stirring.

3. Reduce the heat to low and add the heavy cream and parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir until the filling is reduced to about half of the original amount.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the ricotta cheese and nutmeg. Set the mixture aside to cool.

5. When cool, you can use the filling in your favorite pasta or use wonton wrappers. We used square wonton wrappers and folded them into triangles, sealing the edges with water. To cook, drop the raviolis into boiling water and cook for just a few minutes until they float.


BROWN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE:

For the sauce, I used a recipe by my friend Mario.

Butter and Sage Sauce
by Mario Batali:

* 4 tablespoons butter
* 8 sage leaves
* 1/2 lemon, juiced
* 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

While your pasta cooks, melt butter in a 12 to 14-inch saute pan and continue cooking until golden brown color ("noisette") appears in the thinnest liquid of the butter. Add sage leaves and remove from heat. Add lemon juice and set aside. Drain the pasta, but leaving some cooking water, and gently pour into saute pan and return to heat. Add the cheese, toss to coat and serve immediately.


** I didn't use the lemon (because I forgot to buy it) and I used regular parmesan cheese.

November Pumpkin, Part 2: Pumpkin Mush

Now we're going to start cooking with the pumpkin, and first we have to make the pumpkin mush. With all of the seeds and stringy insides scooped out, slice the pumpkin into small (6 to 8 inch) sections. Rub the insides with melted butter and place the pumpkin pieces face down (skin side up) on baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour. Lots of juices will run out - and since I didn't put anything under my baking sheet, I got to clean out my oven the next day.

When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and place the pieces in a food processor. A few pulses will turn it to mush. Depending on how liquidy the mush is, you may want to cook some of the water out of it until it has a thicker consistency. Store your pumpkin mush in an airtight container in the refrigerator and freeze any that you don't use within a week.





The mess factor is pretty high here, so I didn't take many pictures during the process. I found a great blog though that has awesome pictures and detailed instructions on cleaning and prepping your pumpkin. I didn't use water and they didn't use butter. If you're gonna skip one, it's gotta be the water.

Friday Night Slice, Part 21

Caesar's Ristorante Italiano Yes, technically it's an Italian restaurant and not a pizzeria, but they make one of the best pizzas on this side of town, and by far the best one that will deliver to my house. Caesar's is located in the heart of Lion's Head on White Bridge Road. Those of us who've been around awhile will remember that the corner space that Caesar's occupies was once home to Q-Zar. Many birthday parties and Saturday afternoons of fun were had there. And not to brag, but I was pretty dominant in the Q-Zar arena. I had this strategy for scoring at the other team's base that was rock solid. By the way, apparently Q-Zar is still alive and well in other cities, and I have to admit that that makes me more than a little jealous. But I digress. Behold the Caesar's story:

Born in Carini, Palermo, a small city in Sicily, Caesar Randazzo graduated as an engineer. Because of the work shortage, he came to America and worked as a dishwasher and pizza delivery boy for his uncle's pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York. There he worked his way up and learned much about the restaurant business. Caesar migrated to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1976, and opened five Italian restaurants, only to sell them all seven years later and move back home to Sicily. Caesar spent two years in Sicily before deciding that his future was in the U.S. He returned to Nashville, got lost, and ended up on White Bridge Road. Says Caesar, "I saw the parking lot at Lion's Head full of cars and people standing in a long line. I thought it was Times Square in New York." The people had come to the movie theater, and Caesar noticed that the restaurant space next to the theater was for rent. He contacted the landlord, and three months later opened his Ristorante Italiano.

Caesar's serves a full menu of Southern Italian and Sicilian favorites. You can order off of the menu, or they have a lunch buffet Monday through Friday. The place has a certain kitschy Italian charm, and the staff is very laid back and friendly, so it's a fun place to eat. The real appeal for me, however, is their delivery service. They deliver their full menu until...wait for it...4 AM! - seven days a week! That's right - if you have a craving for Veal Saltimbocca at 2:30 AM on a Tuesday, you can get it. Or you could get a pizza.

The pizza usually comes in one of those generic "PIZZA" boxes. This time it arrived in a plain white box.

They call it a Neopolitan-style pizza, but to me it seems like a New York style pie. It's got that thin, hand-tossed crust and it's very foldable. The crust is fantastic - crisp and chewy on the outside, and soft and warm on the inside. What really makes this pizza great, though, is the sauce. It's got vibrant tomato flavor, with lots of basil and oregano and some red pepper - it's definitely got some zip to it. The cheese is classic mozzarella, and there's plenty of it. Pull-away factor is high. Pepperoni is meaty and spicy.

Overall, a very good pizza, in my opinion. I don't think it's quite as good as the Manny's/Joey's gold standard, but I'd definitely put Caesar's among the best pizzas in town. Thank you, MRS, for letting me guest host F.N.S. the last two weeks! It's been fun! 

Caesar's Ristorante Italiano

72 White Bridge Road (Lion's Head Village), Nashville, TN 37205

615-352-3661

dine-in, delivery, carry out 

* * * * * Cold Pizza: 

Friday Night Slice, Part 1: MAFIAoZA's and Joey's House of Pizza 

Friday Night Slice, Part 2: Pizza Perfect and Pizza Perfect Kebobs 

Friday Night Slice, Part 3: Rudino's Pizza and Grinders 

Friday Night Slice, Part 4: Chicago Style Italian Beef 

Friday Night Slice, Part 5: Pie In The Sky 

Friday Night Slice, Part 6: Castrillo's Pizza 

Friday Night Slice, Part 7: California Pizza Kitchen 

Friday Night Slice, Part 8: Ahart's Pizza Garden (Murfreesboro) 

Friday Night Slice, Part 9: New York Pizza Depot (Clarksville) 

Friday Night Slice, Part 10: Matteo's Pizzeria 

Friday Night Slice, Part 11: Angelo's Picnic Pizza (Antioch) 

Friday Night Slice, Part 12: Manny's House of Pizza 

Friday Night Slice, Part 13: Nashville Pizza Co. 

Friday Night Slice, Part 14: Brick's Cafe 

Friday Night Slice, Part 15: Sal's Pizza (Hermitage) 

Friday Night Slice, Part 16: Painturo's (Mt. Juliet) 

Friday Night Slice, Part 17: Brothers' Pizza (Franklin) 

Friday Night Slice, Part 18: Snappy Tomato, Roma Pizza and Jet's Pizza 

Friday Night Slice, Part 19: Geadello's Pizza 

Friday Night Slice, Part 20: Michaelangelo's's Pizza

Smokes & Ears

Last night, I checked off one more item from the Garden & Gun 100 Southern Foods You Absolutely, Positively Must Try Before You Die.

Martin's Redneck Taco - check
Prince's Hot Chicken - check
Bolton's Hot Fish Sandwich - check
Middendorf’s Thin Fried Catfish - check
Arnold’s Fried Green Tomatoes - check
Waffle House's Pecan Waffle - check

Big Apple Inn's Pig Ear Sandwich - check

That's right I had a pig ear sandwich. It was a take-out order from all the way down in Jackson, MS. This famous gelatinous sandwich is prepared on a brown and server roll with mustard slaw and some hot sauce. You would think that the texture would be somewhat chewy, but it is actually quite tender. However, it does not have the greatest flavor in the world. The ear its self is not too bad, but the roll and the slaw were not so great. These are the rolls that you would find in the freezer section at your local save-a-lot, and the mustard slaw was a little disappointing. I really think that it might be somewhat of an acquired taste.

I also had the Smokes sandwich. This sandwich is ground up sausage that is in a red casing with the mustard slaw and hot sauce. Again I had the same issue with the roll and the slaw, but I still would be willing to try them again hot off the griddle. To be fair, I don't think that a Krystal would be quite as good after it crossed state lines. It is really key to get them right off the cook top. Some day I would like to get the full experience of the Big Apple Inn, and stop in for 3 Smokes and 3 Ears.

I had never even heard of a pig ear sandwich until last week when I saw Joe York's short film about the Big Apple Inn, and it was compelling enough to make me want to try one. Watch the video for the full history of the pig ear sandwich.

SMOKES & EARS from Joe York on Vimeo.