Tennessee BBQ

Time to review some BBQ places I have  been to lately.  But before I do that I want to say one personal thing.  My super cousin and his amazing wife just grew our little family.  I have a new little cousin and she is the prettiest baby since my babies.  So congrats Brandon and Brittany.  Little Cate is beautiful and she is blessed with two awesome parents and two grandparents that will help her as much as they helped me.  She is one lucky little girl.  Now on to the BBQ....

I have spent this week in Tennessee and so what better thing to do in the Volunteer state than eat some BBQ.  I have been in the town of Kingsport the last two nights.  I tried two BBQ places that were very different.

Pratt's Real Pit BBQ
I went here last night.  I was just driving trying to find something to eat and ran across this unique little establishment.  They have a giant Indian in a loin cloth in front of the building so that alone was hilarious.  I went in and met this awesome greeter, Tiffany G.  She was very helpful and directed me in the right way to get the house specialty.  I had some chicken and ribs.  I have to say that the service was great but the food was just average.  The chicken was very dry and the ribs were too.  You had to have sauce on meat to eat it so when that happens, I am just not that happy with the BBQ.  I will say they had some awesome smoked corn.  It was very good.  So, if you are in Kingsport, stop by Pratt's, say hello to Tiffany and get some corn.  

Ridgewood BBQ,  Bluff City, TN
I had Ridgewood recommended to me by one of my customers.  It was a bit of drive but it was a beautiful drive into the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.  I drove up to a small restaurant in the middle of the woods.  Pulled into the packed gravel parking lot and knew I had found a great place.  The smell as soon as I walked in was awesome.  Smoke and frying.  It was a small dining room that had been added on to several times.  The kitchen was literally in the dining room.  The wait staff was great and very friendly.  I had a pulled pork sandwich, baked beans and sweet tea.   The pork was done a little different.  It wasn't really pulled.  It was sliced very thin but man was it good.  The baked beans were just amazing and there really is nothing like good sweet tea in the South.  The whole meal was only 12 bucks! I have to say I was very happy with the drive to some very good BBQ.  If you are ever in the Tri-Cities area of NorthEastern Tennessee make some time to go to Ridgewood.  You will enjoy the drive and love the food.  Ridgewood is an old school restaurant so don't look for  a website.  Just look up the address and go.  You will love it!!  Tell them Trinity BBQ sent you.

I hope you get some help from these reviews.  Share them with your friends and let's Keep on Smokin!!!!!!

Sauced!!!

Sauced!!

You would think that sauced would mean something else that you did way too much of and now you have a headache!  Well not for this blog.  It was a few weeks back but Shannon and I went and attended the Gettin' Sauced BBQ Sauce competition in Austin at Hops and Grains brewery.  What a great time.  We tried so many sauces that you forgot what was what.   I got to meet Kent Black from Black's BBQ.  It was nice getting some info on making a good beef sausage.  We loved some of the sauces from North Carolina.  The crowd was awesome.  The bands that played were great.  Most importantly, I learned a ton!!  I learned what I do and don't want to do.  Trinity BBQ will be a player next year.  Look out because our sauces are going to bring it.  So next fall, run on down to Austin and participate in Gettin Sauced.  You can see us there.  We will be the one with the big trophy!  Keep on Smokin!!!

Follow some of the participants and organizers.  Here are some handles:
@GettinSauced @manupTexasBBQ @hopsandgrain @tmbbqfest

Game Day!!!

Hook Em!!!  Texas! Fight!  The eyes of Texas!

No BBQ review here today.  Just a brief word about today.  Today is the Red River Rivalry or Shootout or whatever is politically correct this year.  Big day in my household.  I will be hunkered down watching the game, tending the smoker while my brisket and ribs are going.  Waiting for the perfect meal to hopefully end a perfect day with a Texas win!!  BBQ and football just go together.  Today is just a great day. 

Today also makes me think of something else.  Today is not only Texas-ou but it is my dad's birthday.  My dad, my grammy and myself really had fun with today.  On the rare occasion when Texas would lose my grandmother would be the first to call my dad and tell him that ou won because they had better Texas boys than the Horns had.  Yes, I will admit here and in public.  I am 100% Texan but I do have okie blood as my dad was an okie.  I know, I know.  So Dad, I know you will be up there rooting for your sooners and I will be rooting for my Horns and I will miss you and Grammy and I just hope she doesn't elbow you and say, "You're Texans were better than our Texans."

I love you and miss you both and I will keep on smokin today thinking of you two.

The Pit Ain't the pits!

I have spoke many times about the beauty that is Texas BBQ and it will always be my favorite.  I do however appreciate almost all BBQ.  Each region has their own style and flair.  Well, I have always heard about how great Carolina BBQ is and I finally found out this week.  

I went to a place a local Raleigh resident told me I should go.  Stand back, he's going to The Pit.  The Pit is a great place in downtown Raleigh.  As soon as I walked in I could smell the smoke.  Oh what a smell!!  When in Rome right?  So I ordered the pulled pork and ribs.  The pork was great without any sauce and when I added that classic Carolina mustard vinegar sauce, it was off the charts.  The pulled pork is done old school.  It is truly a pig pikkin! I moved on to the ribs and they were amazing (The Pit beat Bobby Flay in a throw down).  Carolina style ribs are a little bigger and meatier.  Trust me, you will love them.  I got sides of mac-n-cheese and fried okra.  Don't know why because I only ate the meat!!  Yes, the meat was that good.

BBQ is a cultural thing and each culture has their own tastes and likes.  I love Texas BBQ but that doesn't mean I don't love Carolina BBQ too.  If you want to taste some great authentic Carolina BBQ to see what I mean, stop by The Pit in Raleigh, North Carolina.  You can't go wrong there.  Even the fried pimento cheese was great!!  (you are in the South remember!)

Enjoy some pulled pig and keep on smokin!!!

Rudy's BBQ and a Pink Ribbon

I have to tell you that pink is now one of my favorite colors.  If you know me, you know why.  I will also say that you don't think of pink and BBQ unless it is a smoke ring on a well smoked brisket.  Shannon and I found a great combination of pink and bbq this morning with nothing to do about a smoke ring.

We had ourselves a good little workout this morning and went to Rudy's BBQ in Allen for a rewarding brunch of breakfast tacos.  Rudy's has some of the best breakfast tacos out there.  The eggs are cooked great and the BBQ with the eggs is just awesome.  But the key to a good breakfast taco is a good tortilla and their tortillas are great.  I don't know where they get them or if they make them but they are good.  Overall, I say that Rudy's is a good choice for a good lunch and a great choice for an excellent brunch.  My big surprise this morning at Rudy's was the iced tea (great sweet tea by the way) and not really the iced tea but the cups for the iced tea.  Rudy's has changed their cups for the month of October to pink cups in honor of breast cancer awareness.  I love to see that.  I am a huge supporter of breast cancer awareness as it has impacted our family in many ways.  Seeing a local business supporting the cause is just great.  

So go by your local Rudy's , buy an amazing iced sweet tea and donate a buck to a worthy cause.  You will get a free tea next time and an awesomely cool pink cup to make all your friends jealous.  Thank you Rudy's for supporting this!

Holy Mouse, Batman!! Where's the BBQ?!

So spent the last couple of days in Orlando Florida.  Great place if you are a kid or love freakishly large mice, not so much if you want truly unique food.  I think I have found the birthplace of the chain/theme restaurant.  Now don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with chain restaurants.  I love a good Chili's burger as much as the next guy but when you travel for a living, well let's just say I don't want my Chili's baby back ribs.  I went searching for a BBQ place last night and just couldn't find one.  I know there are good unique places there and it is a fun town but House of Blues is not what I personally call a BBQ joint and neither is BB King's  (BB King's on Beale St. is a different story by the way).  

So if you follow me on twitter (@trinitybbq67) or Facebook and were looking for a BBQ review and recommendation, sorry.  No such luck.  I'm sure I will be back soon so please send me your suggestions.  In fact, just tell me your favorite places to eat BBQ around this great country.  Would love to hear it.  BTW, if you are looking for a good app for your phone, download Texas Monthly's BBQ App.  It is on the app store.  Great app!

Keep on Smokin!!!!

Houston BBQ!!!

I was in H-town last week.  I went by a classic Texas BBQ place for dinner.  I tried several meats they had there.  The turkey was pretty good.  Had a good spicy rub on it.  The brisket was good, not great but good.  The sausage was very good.  It was very cool seeing sausage advertised as Czech sausage.  You don't see that a lot and it is totally a shout out to the Czech heritage in Texas.  If you don't know much about that, you should Google Czech and Texas.  You will be surprised.  So, next time you are in Houston, stop by Goode Co.. on Kirby.  Great sausage and served in the classic Texas style.  You won't be disappointed in their style and flavor of a classic Texas past time.  Tell them Trinity BBQ sent you!

Keep on Smokin!!

Oldie but a Goodie!

I'm back.  Been awhile I know.  The road is quite a fun thing.  I've decided to make a change to the blog.  I tend to get long winded here. Going to focus on BBQ joints, recipes and Texas!  I will still go on a rant from time to time so just smile and say "Bless his heart."  

Oldie but goodie is right.  I went to visit an old customer today and stopped by a local BBQ joint in Bartlesville,OK.  Place has been there a while and overall the BBQ was ok but I didn't go there because they have some earth shattering rub or sauce.  I went there for the best side known to man.  Onion Strings!!!  Thinly, and I mean thinly, cut onions.  Lightly battered and deep fried.  A half order is as big as my head.  Take those things and put ketchup and their BBQ sauce (not a bad sauce either) and man, that is all you need.  I did try their brisket and sausage and they were ok but again, nothing to really cheer about.  But if you are ever in Bartlesville, OK, stop by Dink's Pit BBQ (Dink's BBQ).  Grab an iced tea and onion strings.  You will not be sorry!!!

Thanks for listening and keep on smokin!!!!!

"La Futura" = Good BBQ!

All right folks.  It is time for me to channel my inner Uncle Gerry and no not the extremely funny side of him but his uber talented music reviewer.  My Uncle Gerry used to be the concert/music reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and he wrote some really great stories (both music and life) and met some amazing and historic musicians (I'm still upset he didn't take me to meet ZZ Top! I don't care if I was only like 7.) Check out his stuff now on Cruising Squared Cruising Squared. A great blog about cruising around the world. So anyway.  Now to my review.

ZZ Top released a new album yesterday.  It is called La Futura.  I have to say that I was worried after I heard the EP earlier this year.  The songs didn't sound that fresh or interesting.  Kind of sounded the same.  Really sounded like Eliminator and let's face it, this isn't 1983.  So when I started listening last night to the whole CD, I was pleasantly surprised.  The album gets back to the Boys roots.   Great bluesy sounds.  Growling lead guitar.  Thumping bass from Dusty.  Drums from Frank keep the rhythm perfectly paced.  If I have to say the guitarist's name, just quit reading now.  :) Heartache in Blue brings to mind the blues riffs from ZZ's First Album and Big Shiny Nine, well let's just say Pearl Necklace is a good song.  I can listen to this for a long time and trust me, it will definitely be playing when the smoker is going.  This new ZZ Top CD is the perfect music to BBQ by while drinking a cold beer.  Like the Reverend says, " Ease up on the sauce and heavy on the meat."

Keep on Smokin!

Happy Birthday!!
I tell ya, there is nothing like a birthday party that incorporates BBQ into it.  We did a job this weekend for a birthday party and man was it great!  The BBQ was the first one that had all of my smoked meats in it.  I smoked up about 110 lbs of meat.  Many animals gave their life for everyone's happiness.  Let's all have a moment of silence to thank them.....


Ok.  Enough of that!  We also have a new side item.  Shannon helped me develop an awesome green bean recipe.  Let me just say this, bacon is an amazing ingredient!  I also debuted two new sauces that were well received.  Nothing like waking someone up with a little sauce.  So another gig is in the books.  It went great and thanks to the Beauchamp family for your business.  It was a great time and we look forward to many more!

Here are some pics for your enjoyment and keep on smokin!!!!

Will the weekend ever get here?

I am finally heading home from Florida.  While the weekend and Monday morning were awesome, this week has been incredibly long.   I did do some hunting for BBQ joints in Miami. I found 2. One was closed and one was, well let's say I like a McRib more.  I guess it is hard to smoke a grouper, huh?  Hmm, as I am writing this I am creating.  Well, I'm not creating anything earth shattering, just something I am going to try.  Why not smoke a grouper? Why not smoke a catfish?  I will tell you why because catfish is best fried! But I do want to smoke some fish this weekend.  Time to make a new rub!  Woohoo.  Nothing more fun than rubbing your cod, huh?  I am thinking I will smoke a redfish. I am about to commit blasphemy but time to break out the gas smoker.  I have never used it but for fish, I think it will be best.  So if you want to give me a hard time about it, go ahead.  Seriously, let's hear your opinion on that.  I have friends that have used a gas smoker for years and it does an awesome job.  I am all for using whatever to create great food.  As long as you are loving what you are doing, why question it?  Smoke away and eat until you can't eat anymore!  

So I know I have talked about multiple things here but check back next week and see how the fish turns out.  I'm sure there will be pics on twitter(@trintybbq67) and Facebook (Trinity BBQ) so follow us or like us to check 'em out.  Keep on Smokin'

Florida Fun!!

Good afternoon everyone!!  I hope everyone had a great weekend doing something fun and relaxing.  I know Shannon and I did!!

We just spent the best weekend with the best people in the world.  My aunt and uncle are just the best.  We arrived Friday night and my aunt had a room with robes, towels and assorted goodies for us to relax with and enjoy.  If you know me, you know I have a bit of a sweet tooth for chocolate and frosting.  I know...I know....  Well, of course the coolest aunt in the world had some chocolate frosting there for me.  See?  Coolest ever!  Well, we spent an entire weekend relaxing, laughing, joking, eating and smiling.  My uncle and I talked about firing up the grill but we decided no, let's make something else.  So yes, I agreed to not grill.  I guess there are things besides BBQ and grilling.  We all jumped in the kitchen, that includes a wonderful cousin and his beautiful wife, and made the best fish tacos ever.  My uncle is a master fryer.  The fish was light and perfect.  We had such an enjoyable dinner.  Followed by more laughter and stories.  Breakfast the next morning was amazing.  My cousin's wife made the most awesome German pancakes.  If you have never had them, you should definitely try them.  Ol' Southern Pancake House in Fort Worth by TCU has some wonderful ones (not as good as this weekend's though).  We wrapped the weekend with a dip in the pool.  So, what a wonderful weekend.  Thanks to my aunt, uncle, cousin and his beautiful wife.  Shannon and I had the time of our life and ate so good.  Here are some pics from the beach.....

So yes, I can eat things besides BBQ and I loved it.  So tell me what your favorite food is.  I would love to hear it.  As for me, I would love to have some of Grammy's fudge, just no nuts!

Keep on Smokin'!!!!

The City by the Bay and Another Gig!

Howdy everyone!

I hope everyone had as good a weekend as I did.  Shannon and I spent the weekend in San Francisco and had an amazing time.  Let's see 68 degrees for a high temp or 106 degrees?  Hmmm.  I think I will take 68.  We walked so much and saw so many interesting people.  Haight street was interesting to say the least.  We went to a place called the Stinking Rose and had garlic ice cream.  If you have never had it, try it if you are ever out there.  That's all I will say.  Just try it.  

So I guess you are saying, "where is the BBQ tie?"  Well hold on to your shorts.  It is coming but I wanted to tell you how cool San Fran was but Texas is still the best, I don't care how hot it is.  We actually saw one sign on Haight street for a daily BBQ special that was for Texas BBQ.  Now, I of course had to stop by and see what that was about. First, Texas BBQ must have brisket.  No brisket.  It was only Texas BBQ Chicken.  Well, that is ok right?  Let's take a look at this Texas BBQ chicken.  Hmmm, covered in sauce.  Strike two.  No smoker anywhere?  Strike three.  I know San Fran isn't known for BBQ but I always check out BBQ no matter where I go.  So I checked it out and decided to stick with seafood, garlic and sourdough while in the city by the Bay.

One quick note.  TrinityBBQ had our second big gig.  It went well.  Lots of great feedback.  Sauce was another big hit.  My BBQ Chicken went fast!  Thank you to Tony Cachere for awesome Cajun Injection to make it a winner.  Lots of requests for more sauce.  Question for everyone.  If I were to start bottling the sauce, who all would want some?  What about if I sold my brisket and rib rub too?  Any interest?

Let me know!  Keep on Smokin!  Enjoy the Holy Smoke!!!

The first one is in the books!

Happy Sunday morning!

Trinity BBQ catered our first BBQ yesterday and I have to say it was a success.  We catered an engagement party for Chad's cousin.  Best wishes to the newly engaged couple.  We wish you the best.

I learned a lot from doing this event and I can't wait to do more.  I was so nervous going into it.  I put a lot of time into making sure everything was done right. Started prepping for it Thursday.  Got the beans and potato salad perfected Friday.  Woke up at 3am Saturday morning to fire up the smoker.  It was so much fun.  And plus since I was up so early, I got to learn about some awesome new tools and gadgets to save me hours on infomercial TV!  As I was preparing the meats and prepping them for delivery, I realized that as tired as I was, I didn't care. I didn't care because I truly love doing this.  Going to be a great thing to do to bring happiness to others.  When Chad cut into that brisket last night, my heart jumped for joy.  The brisket was perfect. 

So in the end. the flavors, the sights, the smells and the party was perfect.  That is one down and many more to go!!!

So let's keep smokin!!!!

Here are some pics for ya.....

 
 

Movin' on up!

I sat down today to write my blog.  I've been in the kitchen today and last night working on getting things ready for my first real BBQ catering job.  (more are lined up so look out!)  I got to thinking that things are starting to roll here and was thinking "what should I title this outburst today?"  And it hit me.  Movin' On Up in honor of one of my favorite shows as a kid. "The Jeffersons" and Sherman Hemsley.  I will walk around like him all day today.  No pictures please.  So Chad and I are doing our first real catering event Saturday.  I am very excited.  We are catering for 50 people and I hope they love it as much as I love cooking it.  I decided to jar up some of my sauce to send with the BBQ.  Take a look....

So it looks like we are becoming a real business.  As you can see in the picture, I named this first sauce " Shannon's Sauce".  It is sweet and sassy just like my lovely wife.  If you want the whole story of why I named it that, drop me a line.  I will say that she inspires me daily so some of her has to be a part of what her and I are building.

Well, ya better get crackin' on hitting us for your BBQ.  The calendar is filling fast...well, it is filling.  Drop us a line and let us help you.  So keep on smokin and let me know if you  want to hear a story of strength and courage.  Until next time, hook 'em!

Rootin around in Razorback land....

Well this has been an interesting week.  I have been in Little Rock, AR.  I will tell you that downtown Little Rock is pretty nice.  They have some nice bars and restaurants there with some interesting people.  I did go to one BBQ place called The Whole Hog Cafe. http://www.wholehogcafe.com/   The ribs were very good.  Moist and tender and cooked just about perfect.  I was with a co-worker and she got herself a brownie for dessert but this boy went the the ribs for dessert!  Nothing like some smoked pork for dessert.   Well Whole Hog has several sauces and if you know me, I am not a fan of the sauce so much.  Some good Carolina Vinegar sauce on a pulled pork sandwich is great but that's about it.  Whole Hog had six sauces.  Now call me crazy but isn't that a little excessive?  They were all ok but none of them made me say, "Wow!  That was awesome.  Can I have that as a drink?"  


I make  three sauces.  I have what I call Shannon Sauce which is sweet and spicy (hence the name), a savory sauce that I haven't been able to name yet and Kakk's sauce.  Kakk's is very spicy and was handed down to me from my mom who had it handed to her from my grandfather and he had it handed to him from an old BBQ man in North Fort Worth.  I think I have spoken about sauce before but it can be such a huge topic, it never hurts to marinate a bit (I know...poor joke but couldn't resist)  I didn't touch on the potato salad but I think that is a topic for another day.....


Thanks for listening and keep on smokin!!

Road trip!!

I haven't been to the best city in the world in a while so I think it is time for a road trip and research.  Heading to Austin this weekend to see my awesome mother and stepdad.  We are going to help out the VFW Auxiliary (VFW is an amazing organization that helps veterans.  They do a ton for cancer research and you should help them out.  Check out their Facebook.http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-VFW/124432532534).  After we do some work for them, I am going to go and try to hit a couple of BBQ places for research. Yeah, that's what I will call it. Research.  Research is just a way to make me feel better about eating a lot.  I love to drive around and try new BBQ and get new ideas.  Every time I watch a show or go to a new BBQ shack, I get a new idea of what to do or what not to do.  What are some of your best cooking ideas and how did you get them?  I can tell you that the basis of a lot of my cooking is around how my family cooked.  My grandfather was one heck of a BBQ guy and I loved it. Still use some of his recipes.   


So drop me a line and let me know how you learned to cook.  If you have a great idea, let me know and I will give it a shot.  


Keep on smokin'!

Some more thoughts on Europe and the smoke...

So it is time for another weekend and I am sure I will be firing up the smoker.  I fired up the ol' girl last weekend (the smoker, not Shannon!) .  I tried something new with my brisket.  I discovered something in Europe that really opened my eyes.  Less is truly more.  The dishes we ate in Italy, France and Spain were very simple.  They were simple but very delicious.  The portions were smaller and the seasoning simple.  I thought a lot about this on the very long flight back from Spain.  I put it to the test last weekend.  I went with a simpler brisket that was trimmed as opposed to untrimmed and went with my simple rub.  Didn't inject it.  Didn't wrap it.  Didn't mess with it a lot.  Just rubbed it, smoked it, cut it and ate it.  I have to tell you that the European people got it right!  That brisket was great.  So besides all of the wonderful architecture, art and history I learned about, I came home with new theories about BBQ and cooking.  Excellent Texas beef, sharp mesquite smoke and a simple savory rub is my key to a wonderful brisket.  I hope everyone had a great 4th and keep on smoking!!


A few pics of wonderful food we had in Europe.

Back in the Saddle!

Howdy!!  How is everyone?  It is great to be back home.  We loved the travel.  Saw so many lovely and ancient places, art and architecture.  We had enough food to last a lifetime.  Norwegian Cruise Lines was awesome.  The staff was amazing.  The clubs and restaurants were so much fun and so good!  The White Hot Party was so much fun.  Check us out!

So the trip and our honeymoon was the trip of a lifetime.  But it is always great to get home.  Seeing family.  Talking to friends.  Getting back to work.  Home is definitely where the heart is.  Are you asking why hasn't he mentioned BBQ yet?  Well funny you should mention that.  I am definitely a BBQ traditionalist but I have to tell you, I think I have some new ideas for some BBQ dishes.  I won't reveal too much now but stand by and keep reading because I will be posting pics and descriptions soon.  Will be unique but why not add a European flair to the Q?  Let's give it a shot!!  Keep on smoking and I will talk to you soon.

Don

Quick note while we are away!

So this is just a quick note to let everyone know that we are having the time of our life on this cruise.  I will post a lot more later but let me say that I actually am not having BBQ withdrawals.  The food on board the ship is amazing.  Wonderful cocktails and amazing steaks.  We ate at a small Italian cafe today called Nene. What an experience.  The waitstaff was so friendly and even gave us a Lemoncello drink before we left.  The pizza and antipasto was more than amazing and until you have had true Buffalo Mozzarella, you haven't lived.  Anyway.  Thanks for reading and keep on smoking!!  Grazi and Ciao!!!

Time to hit the road...

So I haven't written anything this week and for good reason.  I have been getting ready for a wonderful European cruise with the lady of my dreams.   I know this blog is about all things BBQ but please indulge me this one time to speak of something besides BBQ.  I am going to Europe for my honeymoon.  Just over two months ago I married the woman of my dreams.  I never thought it would truly happen but it did.  Tomorrow we leave on the adventure of a lifetime.  I am a bit of a history nut and getting to visit Pompeii, Rome and Pisa is simply  beyond words.  I can't wait to experience all of the history those places house.  We are going via cruise and I have been told by people that know (Cruising Squared, if you haven't checked out their blog, please do.  Amazing insight into cruising by people who know what they are talking about), that cruising is the best way to see Europe for the first time.  So I will be enjoying some wonderful food onboard and abroad and recharging the batteries with my special lady.  Enjoying the wonderful world we live in.  I hope you all have a wonderful couple of weeks.  Hold tight because when I get back, I will be roaring and ready to go with more BBQ knowledge, stories and insight than you can imagine.  Thanks for listening and keep on smokin!

Weekend and no BBQ?


Yep.  You read that right.  The VooDoo Child is quiet this weekend.  I can't believe it either.  Especially after I just spent two hours watching BBQ PitMasters.  If you haven't seen this show and you are a fan of food, not just BBQ, you should watch it.  I learn something every time I watch it and get hungry (which explains why my pants keep shrinking!)  But speaking of BBQ cookoffs.  I could never do that thing.  I know everyone judges true BBQ masters on how many trophies they have.  But I don't think a bunch of trophies is a good indicator of how good your BBQ is.  I don't understand all of the it has to look a certain way and be presented a certain way.  If the meat falls off the rib bone it is overdone.  Really?  I call that awesome!! The meat has to be presented in a styrofoam box sitting on top of lettuce?!  First off, I don't want a salad with my pulled pork.  And everybody knows the best BBQ is served on butcher paper.  So you can keep your little trophies and contests.  I for one just want to sit down at a table with my family and friends and tear into some good BBQ.  Who is with me?  Do you want pretty BBQ or good BBQ?


Thanks for reading and BBQ it up.

Hot sauce and home...

Well the Carolina trip is over and sadly, I had no Carolina BBQ. No time in the schedule and I know, I know. There is always time for good BBQ. Well, I stayed in last night and just had a sub. The sub place I went to had a ton of hot sauces and it got me to thinking. How many hot sauces do you really need? My personal opinion is that hot for hot's sake is a waste. I recently tried some scorpion sauce at a little shop in Fredericksburg, Texas. ( we will talk about that awesome town in later blogs). That sauce was so hot, it burned my tongue for almost an hour and had almost zero taste. Is that necessary? Do you need to prove how tough you are by eating super hot things? I love some heat in my food but a nice dusting of cayenne or a liberal amount of Frank's Hot Sauce (my favorite and I will eat it on just about anything) is enough heat for me. So I am headed home to have some BBQ sausages I made with some spicy mustard and Mrs. Bairds bread. You can keep the heat and I will take the taste. How do you feel about super hot stuff? Let me know!

Sitting in the Windy City.... So I am traveling for work today and waiting on a layover in Chicago headed to Charlotte. Two cities that are somewhat familiar to the smoke. I have to say that I have never had BBQ in Chicago but I do love the pizza and have enjoyed my fair share of Brats watching a game at Wrigley. Heading to Charlotte makes me think of the numerous trips I have made there. I have to say my second favorite BBQ is in Charlotte, I hope everyone knows my first BBQ love. Carolina BBQ is unique and each place I have been there has been amazing. I dig the mustard sauce and have to say that I use Carolina basics when smoking my pork butts. Is there anything like a good ol' pulled pork sandwich with some tangy sauce and cole slaw. Awesome! Dang! It is 8:45am and now I'm hungry. My doctor is going to kill me...let's see.... Is there a BBQ place in O'Hare?......oh yeah, thanks for dropping by....I...I've got to go. Talk to you soon...excuse me, sir...do you know....

Holy Smoke!


Welcome to Trinity BBQ's blog. I will discuss all things BBQ.  Please ask me questions and I will do my best to answer them.  Expect to see things here like funny bbq stories, new recipe ideas, and stories of bbq's that Trinity BBQ hosts.  I hope to educate and entertain.  I will be having some fun here so I hope you do too. 


I hope you will enjoy what you read and let me know what you think.


Thanks everyone.