Author Archives: Shane Draper

Vacation Grillin’

Posted on by
Reply
Share

This past week my wife put her foot down and demanded a vacation.  You know those weird things where people/families get time alone together minus distraction, work, phones, email, texts, Facebook…..needless to say I am one of those people who are not good at vacation.  I am good at pretty much everything else, but too much down time with nothing productive to do and I start going crazy in a hurry.

So like a good husband who had been voluntold what to do, I of course packed the truck.  I was told that there would be internet at this cabin, I realize now in retrospect this was a well played ruse to get me to go.  I was fortunate to have cell signal, so internet was pushing it.  I was also told there was a grill there, even though it was a gas grill I at least had something to cook on.  I gave a few minutes of thought about taking a grill or barbecue pit with us, but I didn’t want to make the boss angry.  So I opted for tossing some cherry Mojobricks, a pound of AP Rub and a bottle of Smokin’ Sauce in a bag and away we went to Lake Barkley and our little cabin in the hills.

I will forego the complete retelling of all the madness that was our time on Lake Barkley and instead concentrate on the first meal I had to cook on the grill our first night there.

I remind you I was indeed told that it was a gas grill so I knew going in I would be hampered.  I know, I know I risk sounding like a barbecue snob but let’s be honest 90% of contraptions that are fired by gas and also sold at big box home improvement stores are terrible.  As soon as I got out of my truck I was greeted with the site of what would become the bane of my culinary existence over the next few days, the Char-Broil Classic C-210L.   I knew immediately my chances for turning out non-charred food was minimal.  All I could think was that somehow I must be on a Twighlight Zone version of Chopped or something.  To a grill lover this was the highest form of culinary handicap and unjust on many levels.  Never the less a menu had to be made and food had to be cooked as I refused to cook any of the main dishes inside on the stove during the vacation.

We unpacked and I took a minute to take full stock of the kitchen utensils and the state of the grill.  As you can see from the picture above the utensils were lacking severely and I also found that the ignitor on the grill was broken and I had nothing to start a fire with.  So I did what any man would do, I turned the stove burner on high and lit a piece of cardboard on fire and carried it out to the grill to see if it would at least light.  The burners on the grill at least seemed to be in good working order, it could use a solid cleaning but at least it made fire.

After the dry run it was time to make a grocery list and run out to the store to pick up food.  I decided that everything that was to be cooked on the grill would have to be higher heat short cook time foods.  I put chicken wings, pork steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs and things like that on my list and I knew my in-laws were coming to visit us and bringing ribeyes and all the sides one evening as well.  I already hated the idea of cooking some nice hand cut steaks on this contraption, but it was a bridge I would have to cross later.  Unfortunately, the store didn’t have wings at a reasonable price, rather at a price I was willing to pay for these particular wings anyway.  So I opted for some nice sized chicken leg quarters that were on sale.  I knew these would have to cook longer but decided the savings in the wallet were worth the risk.

Once home it was time to prep the chicken and get ready to start the meal.  I tossed several Mojobricks in the grill around the burner.  I knew they would burn up somewhat quickly but I needed to at least try to impart some resemblance of real smoke flavor into the chicken.  In the pic below you can see the Mojobrick starting to catch fire. You will also notice the burnt cardboard ashes that were used to start the fire and just how dirty this pit was.

I gave the chicken a light coat of AP Rub and tossed them on the fire.  As you can see these were pretty good sized leg quarters.  I then closed the lid and it didn’t take very long at all for the Mojobricks to start filling the air with a great cherry smoke smell.  The pic below gives you a good idea just how much smoke a few Mojo’s can put out.

It was about 20 seconds after the pic above was taken that I learned two things.  First, just how fast a small grill comes up to temp.  Second, how fast a small, dirty gas grill can turn into a bon fire.  I ran and got a large cup of water and kept it on standby from that point on. It was typical to go through two to three glasses of water during each cook.  Anything that hit the drip plate and rolled off dripped right onto the gas flame igniting a healthy flare up each time.  I couldn’t ever get more than about an arms length away from this pit due to flare ups.

Toward end of this first cook I gave up and decided to put the chicken in a pan for it to finish.  This actually worked quite well.  I wish I had figured it out sooner and I’m sure the chicken would have been void of the few char spots it had.  Truth be told though, I like a little bit of char so I wasn’t complaining that much.

I have to admit that I left my trusty Thermapen at home for this trip and it was sorely missed during this cook.  With the flare ups and not knowing what temp the grill was actually cooking at I had no choice but to separate the leg quarter at the joint to get a look at if it was done or not.  Thankfully it was indeed done, if not just a touch over done.  That’s not to say the chicken was dry, but had I left it on for another 10 minutes it likely would have been.

Once I verified the chicken was done I gave it a nice slathering of Smokin’ Sauce and I shut off the gas to the grill and left the lid closed so the sauce could set.

As you can see it’s not the sexiest yardbird ever cooked, but you know what it was kind of nice to eat good ole “regular joe” barbecue.  It had some char to it.  It was just the slightest bit over cooked.  It wasn’t evenly sauced.  It was…..good.  It was just good chicken.  It was refreshing to be reminded what just good barbecued/grilled chicken tasted like. It didn’t require a muffin pan or a bottle of blue butter.  It lacked pretentiousness and fussiness, but it didn’t lack flavor and in the end that is a destination that we should all travel to while on vacation.

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

GMG’s Response To Our Reviews

Posted on by
Reply
Share

Barbecue fans I am glad to be able to bring the content below to you direct from the manufacturer’s mouth.  Jason Baker was kind enough to take the time to be a part of our 3 part GMG review series.  Jason’s willingness to do this says a lot about Green Mountain Grills and their commitment to excellence and most of all their customers.

I can tell you that from the phone conversations and interviews that we have done with Jason and hours of research in pellet forums that GMG is the real deal.  They have a feature rich, quality product at a fantastic price that they stand fully behind.  As far as I am concerned you just can’t ask for much more.

– Shane

Dear Draper’s,

Thank you for taking the time to review our grills.  We appreciate your enthusiasm and support in bringing pellet grills to the forefront of the barbecue world and into the hands of more consumers.

Some minor clarifications:
Current models of our grills default to a startup temperature of 150 degrees.  The Daniel Boone unit that you tested defaults to 320 degrees.  The lower starting temperature saves pellets and time.  Both still adjust from 150 to 500 degrees.

You mentioned our “turbo mode.”  The Green Mountain pellet grill uses our proprietary Sense-Mate Technology™ which monitors outside air temperature.  When it gets very cold outside, Sense-Mate kicks the grill into “turbo” mode so that you don’t have to wait longer for the grill to heat up in the winter.  This allows you to enjoy the remarkable taste, aroma, and flavor of pellet-grilled food virtually year-round.

You also noted the availability of a remote controller with some of our models.   Our remote control unit is a complete extension of the grill’s controller.  It gives the grill operator complete information , as well as control over a full range of settings and selections.  The RF transceivers negotiate walls, windows, trees, etc., from up to 100’ away, so the pitmaster can escape the blistering heat or brutal cold outdoors and operate the grill from the comfort of home.   The low pellet alarm even displays “FUEL” on the remote handheld device to let you know if you’ve run low on pellets. It also has a setting for “Fan Only” mode, which will take the grill down to 150 degrees.   Depress and press again, and it will display a “fan” reading on the controller.  This feature not only blows the ash out of the firepot, it serves as an extended safety feature.

Our grills are sturdy and well-constructed.  Our Daniel Boone model weighs in at 154 pounds covered in heavy gauge steel.  The Jim Bowie model weighs in at 183 pounds.  These models weigh in at about 40% more than similarly-priced competitors.  I have owned my grill for almost 4 years, and it has held up incredibly well.

It is important to note for all consumers that pellets impart true wood flavor to your food. This is not a heavy, acrid, smoky taste, but one which derives from guaiacol (gweye-a-kol), the flavor molecules which get released when you burn the lignin present in all wood.  Our grills are designed to capitalize on this flavor and built to last, backed by a proven player in the pellet grill business.

Kind regards,

Jason Baker
GMG

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

BK BBQ Style…..

Posted on by
Reply
Share

You ever do something you are mildly ashamed of?  You know one of those things while you are doing it you are thinking “man I’m probably going to regret this…I know better.”  Well today was one of those days.  The past couple of weeks at Draper’s BBQ have been stress filled and well just a plain mess.  So I found myself in my truck this afternoon on the hunt for some lunch when I glanced down to see a coupon from Burger King (enter Jaw’s Theme here).  On the coupon I saw the picture of the Texas and Carolina Whopper’s.  In what amounts to a moment of self loathing I thought “well, I’ve eaten worse, let’s see how bad this thing is.”

So off I went to the local Burger King which is just around the corner from my office.  My coupon was a buy one get one deal (yes you calorie counters I got TWOOOOO of them, thanks for making me feel worse.).  I got to the drive through and opted for one Carolina Tendergrill (grilled chicken version) and one Texas Tendergrill.  My reasoning for the chicken was two fold.  1 – I needed to feel someone not completely terrible about the calories I was about to consume.  2 – I figured the chicken would interfere less with the flavor of the barbecue sauce.  That after all is what makes these sandwiches barbecue, because it sure as heck isn’t the way they are cooked.

I started with the Carolina Tendergrill.  I have to first comment that this sandwich was actually put together very nicely.  IE…all parts of the sandwich actually made it somewhat between the bun and it at least resembled the picture in the advertisements.  The pic above is what I found when I opened the box.

The Burger King website describes this yardbird on bun as:

A juicy fire-grilled premium white meat chicken fillet topped with pepper jack cheese, naturally smoked thick-cut bacon, freshly chopped iceberg lettuce, red onions and ripe tomatoes, smothered with a sweet southern sauce and the tang of Carolina BBQ sauce, all on a warm toasted, artisan-style bun.

Given that description I will respond to each of their claims.  The meat did indeed appear and taste fire-grilled.  It was pretty juicy, at least not dry in any way that I noted.  It was in fact topped with a white cheese, although if it was pepper jack I didn’t get any hints of pepper at all.  It did have nice pieces of bacon, and they were even what some might consider thick-cut.  The lettuce, could have been fresher, but better than what I have come to expect from most fast food establishments.  The tomatoes were ripe and nice.  I opted for no onions, because I personally am not a fan of fast food onions typically due to indigestion issues.  The bun was nice but I would call it “artisan-like” instead of “artisan-styled.”  It wasn’t a bad bun at all, but a stretch to claim artestry there.

Now the important piece, the sauce.  Now being a sauce guy I expected I would rip this area apart.  You know what?  I really have nothing bad to say about the Carolina sauce.  Now is it true to Carolina?  Eh, that might be a stretch much like the artisan bun.  It is however, sweet and tangy and a nice complement to the sandwich overall.  Dare I say that I actually enjoyed it?  Yes, I am ashamed to admit that I did.

Next I tried the Texas Tendergrill.  You can pretty much copy all the features and comments about the Carolina Tendergrill and insert them here.  For the record this is how Burger King describes it though:

A juicy fire-grilled premium chicken fillet topped with a thick slice of melted American cheese, freshly cut iceberg lettuce, red onions, ripe tomatoes and jalapeño slices, smothered in a smoky and spicy Texas BBQ sauce all on a warm, toasted artisan-style bun.

Other than the change in sauce and cheese and the addition of jalapeno’s it is the same sandwich.

My overall take on the Texas version is unfortunately not as favorable as the Carolina version.  The sandwich and toppings themselves are fine, until you get to the sauce.  The Texas sauce was just too heavy handed with liquid smoke.  I, for the record, don’t mind liquid smoke and it has it’s place when used correctly.  Unfortunately, this is not one of those instances.  The Texas sauce in its effort to be bolder just comes off as off putting.  I did like the spice it had, but I think most of that could be attributed to the jalapenos and not the sauce.

So if you find yourself in a moment of weakness and in the line at a Burger King I say give the Carolina Tendergrill a shot, you may find like I did that it’s actually pretty good.  Now….who do I call at BK Corp for making a pulled pork sandwich??!!!! HERESY I SAY!

Love, peace and pork grease folks!

Shane

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

Make No Q-Bones About It

Posted on by
1
Share

I get asked all the time to try new sauces and rubs and to even advise companies on how to get their product to market.  A little over a year ago my friend Chef Ben Wilson started asking me questions about the sauce business and I am proud to be one of the first to publish a review of his product, even if he doesn’t know I am doing it :)

I first met Ben at Memphis in May as part of the Tucker Cooker team that we both are a part of.  The first thing you learn about Ben is that he is an accomplished chef.  Second interesting barbecue factoid about Ben you quickly learn is that he has lived in both Kansas City and Memphis.  So right from the jump you know that Ben does indeed know barbecue and has a great reverence for it.  I will vouch for him, he is one heck of a chef and an even better barbecue pitmaster.

Since that first meeting Ben and I have spend many hours on Facebook chatting, exchanging ideas and he sent me samples along the way requesting input.  Ben has always maintained his own voice throughout the development process and I like that very much about him.  Taking advice from those that walked down the path before you is one thing, but always walking to your own cadence and taking side alleys occasionally is essential to ensuring the end product is what you, the creator, intended.

During one of the chat sessions I remember us having was when he was tossing product names back and forth trying to find the right tone.  He mentioned 5 or 6 and I countered with another 4 or 5.  It wasn’t long that one of us combined one from each side and viola Q-Bones was the working title.  It survived throughout the process and made final cut.


I am proud for Ben because I know what a long road this has been for him.  Ben is a great guy, excellent chef, entrepreneur and an excellent family man.  Friends like Ben are a rare find and I am glad to call him my friend.So all of that said you must be thinking there is no way that Shane will now be fair, comprehensive or honest in his review of anything Ben does.  To the contrary, nothing is further from the truth.  I call them like I see them and I did so each time Ben asked me directly for advice.  So with that here is my 5 minute take on Q-Bones Chipotle barbecue sauce.

Packaging

The first thing you will notice is that Ben obviously spent a lot of time on his logo and product packaging.  It’s smart, fun and welcoming.  It is a touch busy but since he kept the use of color down and contrast high it is a very readable label.  So a solid thumbs up on that part.  My only fear is that the package is so polished it may almost be off putting to some competition folks who are more used to a “mom and pop / small company” feel to the products they are using to compete with.  That isn’t so much a negative as I imagine Ben’s focus is more the Whole Food’s crowd while maintaining his barbecue sensibility.  All in all great bottle and logo.

The Nose Knows

Right away when you open Q-Bones Chipotle you get a nice sweet nose with a hint of tamarind to it.  It doesn’t smell overly spicy or overly sweet.  It does have a background note of smoke to it as well.  Overall pleasing to the sniffer.

Pour Me Out

I poured some sauce on a white plate.  You will notice VERY quickly that this is a THICK sauce.  In fact the picture above was taken about 5 minutes after the initial pour and you can see how it maintained its initial shape with almost no expansion.  This sauce will stay put wherever you put it.  That is both a positive and a negative depending on what you are using it for.

Upon very close inspection you can see some black pepper flakes in the sauce, but there isn’t a lot of spices that are overly large here.  It is a well blended sauce.

Pow Right In The Kisser

Next I tasted the sauce straight up.  I have to say after looking at it on a plate looks are quite deceiving.  I honestly didn’t expect, or even remember, this sauce being spicy but it is.  I for one am glad!  I’m so tired of the word Chipotle being included in everything and never tasting it or getting any heat from it.  You certainly do here with Q-Bones.  In fact the heat factor in this sauce rivals the “hot” version of our sauce that I have yet to release.  So if you like some heat in your barbecue sauce this one is for you.

In addition to the heat (which isn’t over powering, but solidly present) you get some nice bold, round flavors and some smoke.  Ben spent a long time really getting these flavors right.  This is a sauce that stood up to the fattiest pork sandwich I put it on as well as a hamburger that was loaded with cheddar cheese.  This sauce was a bold and unapologetic guest to whatever party I included it in.

Final Thoughts

Q-Bones Chipotle manages to be a contender and not an also ran like so many other sauces out there.  I really like it and even find myself loading a sandwich with it just to see if I can make my nose run from the heat.  For the record…I can :)

Go pick you some up as soon as it becomes available!  Q-Bones also has a regular barbecue sauce and a mustard sauce soon to be released.  All of which will be a great addition to your sauce cabinet!

Love, Peace and Pork Grease!

Shane

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

Decisions, decisions……

Posted on by
1
Share

It has been said that in life there are no easy decisions.  I don’t believe that to be true.  I think the decisions are easy it’s living with the aftermath that is difficult.  The same is true in business.

This year for Draper’s BBQ has been a turbulent one filled with success, triumph and a few set backs.  We’ve hit a few home runs and we’ve also struck out on a couple of things.  All I can do as the CEO at the end of each day, week and month is accept what we have and do my best to aim the company where we hope to go and do my best to get us there intact.

We were recently blessed with being picked as the sixth, and final, contestant in Chile Pepper Magazine’s Quest for the Perfect Rib.  Mike Owings wrote up a post earlier this week in case you missed it.  We will be competing against some of the top talent in the country (literally) and it is a great honor to be included on the same contestant list with these other phenomenal pitmasters.

Unfortunately, the actual contest will take place in Houston, Texas right before Paducah’s BBQ on the River.  I know we have many fans, friends and family members that consider BBQ on the River the biggest and toughest event in barbecue.  They also fully expect us to return again this year and claim more of the top prizes there.  It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform you that we will not be competing at BBQ on the River this year.

The time table of events makes it impossible to do both contests at a high level and I refuse to allow us to do anything as a company without the ability to ensure it is successful.  BBQ on the River just takes too much in the way of man power and preparation for us to be able to do it well right after returning from Houston.  We are a very small team and do not have the people in place to make it happen.

I know this disappoints many of our fans.  For that I am truly sorry.  Believe me there is no one more disappointed than I am.  I love to compete and as crazy as it may sound I really felt like this was our year to win it all.

On a positive note the event inHoustonhas national exposure and will go a very long way in helping Draper’s BBQ to become more of a household name.  Every major sauce distributor in the country will be there along with Food Network and many industry bloggers.  To say getting picked to go out and compete in this event with Chile Pepper Magazine is big is an understatement.  This may well be the break we have been waiting for.

I want each of our Western Kentucky and Heartland friends and family to know that you are valuable to us, but we are first and foremost a sauce and rub company.  As the CEO I must keep that in focus as I make decisions concerning what’s best for the company.  At this point in time doing what we can to sell more sauce and rub nationally is of the utmost importance.  Achieving that will allow us to do things like hire local people to be apart of this company and our family.

We wish everyone at BBQ on the River the best and look forward to doing this event next year.  Remember when you are eating that pork sandwich that it typically supports a good cause and while we may not be able to be at this one event, we are here in West Kentucky year round.  Just email or call us and we will do our best to always support your Draper’s BBQ Addiction.

Peace, Love and Pork Grease my friends!

Shane

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

DBQ Atomic Bacon Explosion (ABT meets BE)

Posted on by
1
Share

Last week I had to come up with a recipe for a “cooks choice” entry at a small unsanctioned barbecue competition.  Truth be told I relish doing these smaller unsanctioned events since many of the larger, sanctioned events have lost their luster for me personally.  I don’t know if it is the expense of the larger entry fees or the pressure to do well, but the larger events have just lost favor with me.   I have come to love these smaller events because we can go out as a team, have a good time, experiment and typically we do pretty well.  These events are refreshing and much needed.  

After slogging through a few cook books and bouncing around the internet I had a few ideas in mind.  It had been awhile since I had cooked a Bacon Explosion and I was craving one, so I figured that was a good place to start.  I also hadn’t had a A.B.T. in well over a year.  So that was the spark.  I started trying to figure out how I could make this work.  I knew there wouldn’t be any time to practice the dish before the competition so all the trial and error would have to be done in my head.  This violates rule 1 of competition – don’t try new stuff at competitions.  Of course that rule violates my number 1 rule….have fun no matter what.  Give you one guess as to which one I went with.   

So of course I cooked it and turned it in.  Unfortunately I don’t think the judges knew what to make of it since we finished in the middle of the pack for that category.  The people at the competition who were walking by loved it and raved about it, that was enough for me.  So I figured why not post this for the world to see and make use of.

In the interest of full disclosure I am not trying to take credit for this mishmash of recipes, nor am I claiming I thought of it first.  It was truly an original idea, in that I had no previous knowledge of existence of a bacon explosion with an A.B.T. in it.  Given that the internet is filled with billions of talented chefs then I have to imagine somehow, somewhere, someone has done something similar before now.  So before I get any hate mail about “hey you stole my idea,” congrats on thinking of it before me and shame on you for not calling and telling me about it! 

Without further delay here it is.  One part Bacon Explosion, one part A.B.T and two parts awesome that I like to call the DBQ ABE (Atomic Bacon Explosion). 

Ingredients:
2 Packages of thick cut bacon
1 package of your favorite brats
1/4C Fromaggio blend cheese (Asiago, Parmesean, Romano)
3-6 Jalapenos (size dependent)
1 package cream cheese
1 bottle Draper’s Smokin’ Sauce
1 bottle Draper’s A.P. Rub

Step 1
Wash, cap and core your jalapenos.  Using a tool such as the “Pepper Whipper” really speeds up this process.  If you’ve never seen a Pepper Whipper it is the clear plastic tool on the cutting board.  They are very inexpensive, simple and easy to use and if you do very many A.B.T.s then you need one.
Step 2
Place cream cheese in a bowl, either put in the microwave for a couple of seconds to soften or allow to sit out for 20-30min on your counter to aid in easier mixing.  Add 1/4c of the mixed cheese, 1 ½ TBS of AP Rub and 3 TBS of Smokin Sauce to cream cheese and mix well.  The mixing can of course take place in a stand mixer on the low setting.   A note on the mixed cheese, you can use any cheese you wish, I have been a fan of the sharper, dry cheeses in my A.B.T.s so that is what I went with here.  The Parmesan, Romano and Asiago blend works well.
Step 3
Place cheese mixture into a plastic ziptop bag.  Remove one corner of bag and pipe cheese mixture into jalapenos.  Make sure you get the cheese all the way to the bottom of each jalapeno.
Step 4
Lay bacon out on cutting board, making a bacon weave.  Coat completed weave with AP Rub.
Step 4
Remove casings from brats, mix meat together and then spread into one even layer on the bacon weave.  Dust sausage with AP Rub and then drizzle with Smokin’ Sauce.
Step 5
Cut the tip off of one jalapeno.  Place it in the middle of weave / sausage canvas and then place a jalapeno on either side of it.  This will create one long jalapeno.
Step 6
Roll weave and sausage around the jalapenos forming a roll.  Dust with more AP Rub.
Step 7
Smoke on a 250 degree pit until internal temp reaches at least 145 degrees or until you achieve the firmness and color you are looking for.  I like a more direct heat or cooking on the side of the pit with the most heat to ensure the bacon gets fully cooked.  Brush with Smokin’ Sauce the last 15min of cook time and add a second coat just as you are removing from the pit.
Step 8
Let cool for at least 25min before slicing to allow the cream cheese to solidify again and enjoy.

Notes – There are a million and one changes that can easily be made to this recipe.  That is the core of the genius of the basic Bacon Explosion that Jason Day came up with.  If you don’t own the book he wrote with Aaron Chronister (BBQ Makes Everything Better) go check it out, its a great book full of ideas.  

Additions I would consider to this recipe?  Maybe adding chopped onion to the sausage layer or maybe even some bleu cheese.  Adding a small piece of pineapple or other fruit inside the jalapeno before you pipe the cream cheese in.  Using two jalapenos stacked on one another to form a “figure 8″ design in the middle of the roll.  Or maybe even figuring how how to do 4 peppers stacked together to form something akin to a four leaf clover.  Literally the options are endless, use your imagine, don’t be afraid to explore and for goodness sake have FUN with it.  

-Until next time folks….Love Peace and Pork Grease!

Shane

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

The Unofficially Official BBQ Pitmasters Drinking Game

Posted on by
1
Share

In conjunction with the release of this over on Big Wayner’s BBQ.com I wanted to post this here on our site as well.  This game was the brain child of Wayne and myself and well is done in fun first and foremost.  Wayne being the poet that he is there is little need for me to reformat or change his original release copy.  I just wanted to make sure that I did my part to ensure this game get’s the widest dissemination to all barbecue fans as possible.  So without further delay…..here’s the post:

If there is anything that is a natural fit to be paired with BBQ, it’s beer.  Beer and BBQ.  The stuff that many festivals throughout the country are made of.  This perfect combination of food and beverage is the basis for the Unofficially Official BBQ Pitmasters Drinking Game!

The idea came about as a result of brainstorming between myself and Shane Draper of Draper’s BBQ.  It’s one of those things that we thought would be fun.  Now you have more of a vested interest in watching BBQ Pitmasters on Sundays!

Below are the initial rules for the game:

  1. If you spot a product that you know, even though the brand is covered up, take a drink.
  2. Every time Myron Mixon swears, take a drink.
  3. Take a drink every time there is trash talking.
  4. Take another drink if the trash talking is between judges.
  5. If a judge finishes all of his sample for judging, take a drink.
  6. If an entry gets trashed by the judges, take 2 drinks.
  7. Episodes may have their own special rules that apply just for that episode.

Here’s the problem: we need a couple more of really good rules.  So this is where you come in.  Submit your best ideas for a rule in the Unofficially Official BBQ Pitmasters Drinking Game.  The best ideas will be added to the official rule list, with full credit given to the originator of the idea.  You can submit your ideas in many different ways:

  • Post it in the comment section below.
  • By email at bigwaynerbbq@gmail.com.
  • Post it on the Facebook Page for Big Wayner’s BBQ Blog.
  • Post it on Twitter.  Make sure to include @brownkw in your tweet as well as the hashtag #BBQPitmastersDrinkingGame.

Remember, this is only a game.  Keep it fun, and drink responsibly.  If you are doing this away from your home, please have a designated driver and do not drive while intoxicated.  Thank you!

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

Father’s Day Gifts – 2012

Posted on by
Reply
Share

Ok everyone one and their play cousin has published a Father’s Day Gift Guide already. In typical Draper’s fashion we are one of the last to post our recommendations.  It’s ok to save the best and most comprehensive for last though.  You would expect a barbecue company to give a Father’s Day Gift Guide chocked full of grilling related items, accessories and sauces.  You will find some of those here, but being the renaissance men that we are, we wanted to provide you  a list of items that addresses all the parts of good ole dad.  Dad isn’t a one dimensional guy and while he may love barbecue and grilling the most we are betting he also has a humorous side and an intellectual side as well.  So our gift guide was designed to address every side of your special guy’s persona and give you ideas in which we know he would love.

Idea 1 – T-Shirts

Before you think we’ve lost our marbles and have gone all cheap on dear ole dad hear us out.  If your dad is stuck in khakis or slacks and a button down all day, at that 9 to 5 grind he calls a job to put you through school, then I can promise you one of his favorite things to do is put on a pair shorts, a t-shirt and some comfy shoes and chill out.  To add to that putting on a funny t-shirt only makes it better.  So check out some of our favorites from Tanga.com all of which are under $10!

Idea 2 – Bacon

Dad understands that bacon is not a food it’s a lifestyle and we believe it’s one that should be celebrated in every way possible.  We firmly believe nothing says “I love you” quite like bacon.  So here are just some accessories that will be sure to please the giver-o-the-allowance.  If you want even more, even crazier gifts just Google “Bacon Gifts.”

The Bacon Wallet

Bacon Wallet – Because its cool! – $9

Bacon Hot Sauce

Bacon Hot Sauce – What’s better than bacon? HOT BACON! – $7

Bacon Bandages

Bacon Bandages – Because sometimes dad’s Ninja impersonation ends badly. – $5

Bacon Wrapping Paper

Bacon Wrapping Paper – Why? Because EVERYTHING should be wrapped in bacon. – $6

Baconnaise

Baconnaise – Want the ultimate BLT? Then you need this! – $15

 Idea 3 – Tech

Every dad is a tech dude to a certain extent, yes we know he still can’t program the correct time on the 15yr old VCR but we promise he will like these tech gifts.

Logitech Harmony 650

Logitech Harmony 650 – Because he deserves the remote control at all times! – $60

Klipsch IMAGE S4 Earbuds

Klipsch IMAGE S4 Ear buds – Because yes your mother does talk too much…. sometimes.  shhh Dont tell! – $65

Roku LT Streaming Player

Roku LT – A Roku of his very own! He will love recording his favorite bbq shows on this! – $50

Idea 4 – Grilling

We know your dad is already the Greatest of the Grill Grates but just in case he isn’t or perhaps he just doesn’t have these items then you know what to do.  HOOK HIM UP!  These are the our personal favorite things from around the grill and we know your dad will love them as well.

Thermapen

Thermapen – Super fast and now even cooler! – $96

Firewire - Flexible Skewers

Firewire Flexible Skewers – These are awesome for those bbq grills that are tight on space! – $10

Victorinox Knives

Victorinox Knife Set – If dad travels to bbq competitions this is a fantastic set of knives to have! – $130

Grill Grate

Grill Grates – There arent many universal bbq tools that make everyone a better cook but this is one of them! – $55

MeatRakes

MeatRakes – Help dad stop fingering his food and RAKE some MEAT. – $20

Draper’s BBQ Moo’d Enhancer with Shaker – No list would be complete without some Draper’s products. This package contains our super successful beef rub and the best shaker dad will ever have! – $20

Yoder YS-640 Pellet Smoker

Yoder YS-640 Smoker – This smoker got the most votes on our panel for its combination of cooking size, features, build quality and pricing. – Starting at $1300

Idea 5 – Books

Before you start saying “books??? LAME!” Just wait and hear us out.  These aren’t regular books, they are reference/recipe books and are of course barbecue related.  These books represent a mix of our personal favorites along with the best that has been released this year.  I can promise dad will thumb through these books over and over again getting ideas and inspiration for his barbecue.  What we love about books is that they work just as well in great weather as they do in bad.  They are a year round gift that keeps us inspired and thinking about what we really love, barbecue.  :)  Oh don’t cry we still love you too.

Grilling & Barbecue - Cooks IllustratedSlow Fire by Dr. BBQ - Ray LampeWicked Good Barbecue - A. Husbands & C. HartBeerlicious - Ted Reader

Alright kids that pretty well covers it.  If you can’t find something on this list for the older dude in your house you call dad, well you just aren’t looking very hard.  We did our best to cover a wide price range and provide you with gifts that any dad would love to have.  In the end though we dads would prefer spending the day just hanging out, manning the grill cooking up something for those that love us and call us dad.  Of course doing that on a new pellet smoker, drinking a nice cold and frosty beverage, using new barbecue tools, to cooking up a new recipe from a book you got us wouldn’t be all that bad either.

Peace, Love and Pork Grease to all the men out there who go the extra mile to be involved in their families lives and earn the title Dad.

- Draper’s BBQ Staff

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

Texas Jr Brush – Review

Posted on by
2
Share

I always seem to be the last to be in the “know” or at least the last to actually review / get the latest and best in barbecue gear. My introduction the Texas Brush is no different. I have seen them around on the internet and I’ve even seen some of my good friends, like John Dawson of Patio Daddio BBQ and Robyn Lindars of Grill Grrrl review them.

So when Jay Prince asked me to try out the Texas Brush in the Jr size and write a review I of course accepted. Jay’s idea was that I have several different types and sizes of barbecue pits that might be more of a fit for this hulk of a grill cleaner. For this review I decided to try the Texas Brush (TB from here forward) on our Old Hickory CTO, Tucker Cooker and Grilla Pellet Grill.

About Texas Brush
On the TB website there is a great story about where and how TB got started. I don’t think it needs too much added to it, instead I’d prefer to quote it.

“Founded in 1996 in Beaumont, Texas, the Texas Brush was the brainchild of two retirees eager to make a little golf money. What started as a few brushes, has evolved into a full-scale manufacturer with distribution nationwide.

The Texas Brush is no ordinary brush. Each brush is hand-crafted to achieve consistency and durability. All of our component parts have been carefully chosen and manufactured to our strict standards.

Each wood block stabilizer is cut from an actual tree, chosen for us in Gadsden, Alabama. We discard any discolored or blemished wood, then dry, cut and sand each block. Creating both an attractive and functional brush, for our customers.

Our handles are cut thick, 1-1/4″ and over 4′ in length, for comfort and safety. And as you may guess the handles are also made in Texas.

The brushes we use are tempered carbon steel designed to take the heat.

Our goal is to offer innovtive and durable products that exceed the expectations of our customers.

Thanks for your support,”

EC Tuttle and Alvis Garretson
“The Brushmen”

Initial Impressions
The first thing you will notice when you get the TB is the size of the box. It’s a pretty good clue that this is NOT your average grill brush. The TB is large, heavy and almost menacing in its simplicity. I’m pretty sure the TB shares its DNA with some sort of medieval torture device. Essentially as you can see in the picture the TB consists of a couple of large wood blocks sporting two kinds of wire that is attached to a heavy broom handle.

There is nothing overly complicated about the TB but it is very, very well built.  Holding this thing up is akin to raising Thor’s hammer to the sky and waiting for the God’s open the clouds in an attempt to get a glimpse of this mighty grime buster.  Ok, so that might be over stating it, but you get the idea.

The delivery of the Texas Brush occurred just before my trip to compete at the World Barbecue Cooking Contest at Memphis in May. So I did some basic testing with it and figured what better place to complete the review than at the competition since there are typically 4-5 Tucker Cooker’s there that need cleaning and about 15 different Tucker owners there to provide feedback.

Upon completion of the competition I posted on Facebook asking those that got some time with the TB to post the comments. Again, I think they speak for themselves.

“Well, I have to say this is a very nice brush for gettin’ the crud off… I used it over the course of Memphis in May on some grills that just weren’t going to get clean with some ordinary backyard grill brush. When you take a first glance at the brush you know it means business. When you put this brush in your hand you know you have a brush to clean with and it will get the job done! It wasn’t too heavy in weight but I didn’t have to use much pressure due to it had just enough weight but not overly weighted. You also have a choice of two types of bristles which to choose from aggressive and damn aggressive! The one side has nice stiff bristles to get the grime and caked on matter of the expanded grates with out effort while the other side you could use to get down deep and scrape off paint and rust if you needed too but your grill & grate would have to be a total train wreck if you need to use the side which these grates where almost to that point. It only took me a few minutes to knock out my job and got those cruddy grates nice and ready for the food to be cooked. When I get a chance one of the babies will be in my possession and you should get one too.”  - Capt Ron Worby

“I didn’t use it, but I have to say that thing was MASSIVE!” – Wayne Brown

“I used the brush at the site and ordered one on Monday– delivered yesterday.” – Jim Loggins

“I liked it and plan on ordering one.” – Hoyt E. Liggins Jr

My Thoughts
After Memphis in May and getting the chance to use the TB on a couple of our other pits I really like this brush. In fact it lives inside our Tucker Cooker now as part of our standard load out for cooking. The ultra stiff, thicker bristles will blast though any crud and took my grates down to bare steel with just a couple of passes. The finer, slightly less stiff bristles are prefect for every day clean up and are the side 98% of users will typically use.

The TB is large, that is true. Most who don’t have pro sized cookers will find it to be too big. For those of us though that have had to literally crawl inside of our cookers to clean them properly will love the size and reach of the TB.

The weight of the TB will turn off some, but while it is weighted I don’t find it overly heavy to use. That might not be the case for a petite woman, but I don’t think it would be that big of deal even then. The weight once you get the momentum going works in your favor and helps break up the crud even faster.

Texas is at the heart of the TB when you look at build quality. It is genuinely something you will pass down to your children and you can even order replacement heads and parts if you should ever need them. Seriously though I cant think of a way to use this thing enough to damage it though.

Some will balk at the price. I would equate the TB to the Thermapen. It’s just one of those things that until you use it or been around it you can’t understand how it’s worth the money. Once you have though, you get it and you order one without delay. When I consider that I have probably spent $100 in my life time on several other grill brushes, well the TB starts making a whole lot of sense. This is the last grill brush I will ever use or buy.

What I Like
- The TB just works. Simple as that. It does the job advertised with no fuss.
- Build quality – It’s built for a lifetime, literally. I will be passing this down to my children.
- Design – Simple, effective, heavy enough to be useful but not too heavy that its too big for larger pits.
- Modular Parts – If you ever some how managed to wear out a part of your TB you can order replacement parts, which is awesome.
- Made here – More things should be made in the USA, this is and I appreciate that.
- Options – You can work with the fine folks at TB and basically custom design and personalize your own brush.

What May Bother Some
- Size – Make no bones this thing is big. If you have a Weber Kettle this likely isn’t for you. This is for big pits weighing 100lbs or more. Otherwise I could imagine you could knock them over operating the TB.
- Price – It does have a high price of entry, but dare I say it’s the last brush you will ever buy. Try that with something you can get at Wal-Mart.

All in all the Texas Jr. Brush is a great product.  It is well made in the USA and is exactly what you would expect from something that carries Texas as part of it’s name.  Go buy you one, its the last grill brush you will ever need.

Shane

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it:

Changes…I Promise This is Better Than That Hope and Change Stuff :)

Posted on by
2
Share

Hey sauce fans I just wanted to be the first to touch base with you and talk about some of the articles we have coming up and also shifts that will occur for Draper’s BBQ.  Ever since starting this crazy sauce and rub business there has only been one constant that I can count on and that is change.  Nothing ever quite ends up the way I imagine or plan it and that is a good thing.  For me it proves time and time again that God is control and I am just doing my best to be a willing participant in the plan.  I am thankful and blessed for all the opportunities that keep coming our way and for the friends we continue to make along this path.

I wanted to take the time to personally tell you about a few behind the scenes things that are coming as well as some articles that we are working on that will be published soon.

First and foremost it is time everyone meet the rest of the DBQ Team.  I know I get to be the face of things a great many times and I am the knucklehead attempting to steer us down the road, but truth really is without my good friend Mike Owings, my father Mike Draper and my wife Megan Draper there would be no Draper’s BBQ.  Mike Owings’ wife Debra also has helped when the opportunities present themselves.

You will see more and more posts from Mike O as time moves forward and as I pry him from behinds the scenes and shove him into the spot light.  It is not that Mike O is not capable, far from it actually.  It’s that he prefers to be behind the scenes and I for one think credit needs to be place where it’s deserved.  Mike does so much to help me with flavor profiles and the everyday cooking and operations that are DBQ that I think it’s a shame he doesn’t get the same recognition I do.  So that will end starting tonight as he will be on the Getting’ Sauced radio show with me.  So please welcome him with open arms and treat him no differently than you treat me….actually be nicer to him than you are me as he probably deserves it more.

Secondly we will be bringing in more guests bloggers as part of our social media team.  The @drapersbbq accounts will still go direct to me and I will post there, but I have recognized (finally after much debate) that I cannot in fact do it all.  So I will be introducing some DBQ friends who will be writing, reviewing and posting on our blog.  This will free me up to do more radio related stuff.  These writers will range from competition pro’s to new Draper’s users.  It’s a solid range of voices, skill levels but all are focused on barbecue and the products, flavors and people that drive this industry.

Thirdly as we free up more of my time and Mike’s time we will be fleshing out the Recipe’s section of the blog more and more and we are exploring doing more video tutorials and recipes as well.

All in all it is a very exciting time for Draper’s BBQ and we hope you continue to support us as we weather these changes and continue to ramp up our staff to meet the challenges that being a bigger business brings.  We will always put the Draper’s BBQ Family first and if you have ever used our products we consider you family.
Respectfully,

Shane

Share
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it: