Me So Hungry: Dub Shack BBQ Presents BBQ Shrimp

To maximize my precious time, I will sometimes do multiple cooks, and for those occasions, there had better be a snack that will make your guest scream the pitmaster's name. This BBQ shrimp happens to be one of those, and in ten minutes' time, they will be ready sooner than your date when you pick her up for dinner.

INGREDIENTS 

One pound of shrimp, preferably deveined

Avocado oil 

One stick of butter, sliced into tablespoons 

Minced garlic

Razorracks BBQ's All Day all-purpose rub

A few teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

STEP ONE. If frozen, thaw the shrimp per package instructions. Otherwise, clean them up by deveining and/or peeling shrimp. Season the shrimp on all sides with All Day and set aside.

STEP TWO. Since my Weber kettle and cast-iron skillet got the assignment, light the grill up for a two-zone fire at 350 degrees. Because shrimp cooks so quickly, do not worry about adding a smoke flavor to those crustaceans; save the pecan wood for next time around. Add avocado oil to the skillet and place it directly above the coals, and then add the butter, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to play together before the shrimp joins the party. Turn after five minutes to even doneness on both sides, and pull at 145 degrees or just before they curl into tight circles. Another way to know - and particularly with a larger size - is paying attention to the shrimp's shape: You want them to look like the letter C for no one is interested in overcooked seafood.

STEP THREE. Remove from the grill, let the skillet cool down a few minutes, and devour!

Hope you have a baguette to sop up the butter mixture. 

Like the classic smoked shrimp recipe, this won't last long. I usually keep shrimp on deck meaning that if I run out, it's just a quick trip outside to cook up another batch. As always, thank you for reading and sharing this post among friends, family, neighbors, and anyone looking to score a bite. I do appreciate the eyes and views T4E brings, and they alone are the encouragement to keep coming up with all of the awesome ways to eat barbecue. Y'all be safe, be blessed, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Where the Party At? Dub Shack BBQ Presents Party Ribs

If you began singing or dancing to Jagged Edge when you read the title, you're my kind of people. If not, peep the "Where the Party At" video featuring Nelly circa 2000 to find out where the party is - or otherwise, you're too young for this rib tasting.

Where the party at? Closer than you think

INGREDIENTS 

One rack of baby back ribs, cut into individual ribs

Fire and Smoke Society's Pork Perfect rub

Dub Shack BBQ’s The O.G sauce

Brown sugar

1/2 stick of butter, sliced into tablespoons 

For this cook, my ribs were for the low because I did them the same day. Don't be scared of the yellow stickers at Walmart if you do it right

STEP ONE. Unwrap the ribs and remove them from the package along the way remembering to pat them dry. Follow the bone structure and slice between then to ensure even sizing; we don't want Don or Quan crying over having the smallest baby back rib or the one with the least amount of meat. As it is optional, you can use mustard as a binder for the rub to adhere to those party ribs. Set them aside and light the smoker. 

STEP TWO. Just like any other rib cook, light your smoker - or grill - to 250 degrees, depending on the size. Since I have a brisket working on Junior, the Wal-Mart special gets the assignment. Your wood choice may not matter in this cook; if it does, then select a wood that will not overpower pork such as apple or if you're lucky, peach. This is going to be a two-zone cook that may be even quicker than doing the whole rack. 

STEP THREE. Let these babies for an hour before peeking inside for color and temperature. The ribs should have a nice color depending on the rub and perhaps even some pullback on the bone; feel free to probe each party rib for a temperature of 165 degrees before moving them to a aluminum pan for a tender bath in butter, honey, brown sugar, sauce, and the aforementioned favorite rub to reinforce the original flavor profile. Pull after the ribs reach 210 degrees for fall-off-the-bone ribs, or 202 for bite-through ribs. Cool for fifteen minutes and serve immediately!

My thoughts: I may never smoke a whole rack of ribs in the traditional way for the family ever again. The color was there, yet the reason I went longer is to prevent that dried out taste that often comes with newer cooks - and those of us who aren't paying attention to the product - of pork chops. Per the FDA, pork chops and loins can be eaten safely at 145 degrees while ribs, Boston butts, pork shoulders, and pork belly can cook to around 202 degrees without risking trichinosis and other forms of food poisoning. 

Below is the definition of trichinosis: 

Trichinosis is a food-borne disease caused by a microscopic parasite called Trichinella. People can get this disease by eating raw or undercooked meat from animals infected with the parasite. Often these infected meats come from wild game, such as bear, or pork products. 

Just make sure your pork is fully cooked, and for those members of the Pork Patrol, I fully understand. For a biblical context beyond Leviticus 11:17, read Matthew 8:28-34 for the Demons and the Pigs parable and likely the real reason our Muslim brothers and sisters do not eat pork.

If anyone wants to know where the party is, pull up with this tasty pan of party ribs for the next event. As always, thank you for reading and sharing this post among friends and family members. In what amounted to two hours from start to finish, these are also a quick way to feed the folks. Y'all be safe, be blessed, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Lessons Learned and Otherwise Ignored Four Years Later

Most of us remember what 2020 was like.

Yes, I wore a mask in 2021. This is from vacation week in Myrtle Beach before I got my locs

How has the four years since changed for the better, worse, or indifferent as we have found ourselves digging deeper into the hollow chambers that so comfort us? Do moral appeals mean much anymore?

As a FYI, there will be no slander of Black women in this space or anywhere near me. Try Jesus, not me. I throw hands.

For the ways things have improved on the surface although in every Southern state, the governors and legislatures are deigned on rolling back the clock to a time where equality (and equity - but you're not ready for that conversation) is at best lip service and more often than not a glacial matter reserved for the by-and-by of eternity where the earthly problems are of no concern. To that extent, some of you want to throw up "No Vacancy" signs where you dwell. I could be wrong, but NIMBYism is contrary to what Christ spoke of. Aren't we all supposed to be neighbors? But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. 

We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see? 1 John 4:20

https://bible.com/bible/392/1jn.4.20.CEV

I do miss sitting outside and watching the neighborhood kids play each afternoon initially for a short amount of time for fresh air, and later as long as they could handle the sun rays while learning how to throw horseshoes, play baggo or basketball in my driveway, and return home with barbecue on their breaths. The ribs were an occasional event, but they got Popsicles and bottled water daily. For a brief period, the world indeed slowed down as most of you were working remotely from home for the first time (Rineco refused to extend that privilege to me - and based on my last couple of internal interviews, still ain't gonna happen. God's plan is probably to stay put as a sage for the overnight crew for some strange reason or until a much better opportunity presents itself.) How many of you remember paying 85 cents for gas in the early parts of COVID, and why fuel prices dropped so much? Hint: No one beyond the essential ones drove, office spaces were ghost towns, and the oil oligarchs were getting raked over the coals. To that extent, I swear some folks are more ungrateful than the Israelites who crossed the Red Sea with Moses clamoring for a return to Egypt. It also makes me think that both mental enslavement and sepia-colored nostalgia lenses are causing them to desire a past which for 60 percent of people was unequal at best and a certified nightmare for anyone not of the lucky sperm and egg club.

Where did the past four years go right?

Nearly everyone saw some sort of financial appreciation with new business pursuits, rising property values, and/or getting more for trading perfectly reliable cars, trucks, SUVs, etc. for the next best thing; if you did not, look in the mirror and reassess your life choices. I love the fact that our house has effectively doubled in value since we bought it yet if the day to sell would ever arise, we would not be able to afford to live in Bryant anymore. If that day comes, we're NOT moving to Conway. Period. There isn't enough money in the world for me to move back to the town of my birthplace, not even for that brand new lifestyle construction home across the street from Dad and Mom which eventually may price out a bunch of legacy families that have called Friendship home for as long as I can remember. 

Where did the past four years go wrong?

Well...the simple answers would be inflation; the circumstances and responses surrounding January 6, 2021; the backlash to all of those clearly empty promises made during the political campaign that induced those who are more prone to conspiracy theories and looking to someone else to solve their life's problems; and others in the moneyed classes feigning ignorance when asked to define the difference between equality and equity; and so forth. All of those things and my own pro-Black sentiments being dismissed not only by the folks we'd expect to stymie our progress but also some who should know better.

Ya know, not all skin folk are kinfolk.

Also, some (not all) white Gen Xers have disappointed their Black counterparts by becoming their parents instead of facing head-up against the wiles of this evil world alongside us which now they perpetuate by staying in their blind lanes more concerned about stuff rather than lives different than their largely homogenized existences. [Yes, I know; I live in Saline County. Read #DearWhitePeople from 2015 to understand where I am venturing with the former sentence]. I'm trying not to curse as my pastor reads AD&AD yet he somehow understands my rage. 

Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry. -Ephesians 4:26

https://bible.com/bible/392/eph.4.26.CEV

What about the indifference?

Although the movement has largely faded away and some conflate the organization with it, there are historical significances behind Black Lives Matter. 

American citizens are by and large lemmings. Before y'all get too upset and shoot the messenger, here is why: News media (the fourth arm of our legal system) has repeatedly, consistently, and blatantly lied to us so frequently that a healthy distrust of today's institutions would almost be a good thing particularly how the words liberty and justice for all mean a hill of beans. Think about where we get our news from: It comes from a place that comforts us in one way or another. Some watch MSN, and some consume Fox. Others enjoy CNN, OAN, Sinclair, our local newspapers, and so forth. Instead of being the educated population we profess to be, a whole of people are gullible enough to fall for fake stories manufactured to gin up hysteria or suppress real time events. Of course, when rectifying this nation's original sin of slavery, the same folks would prefer to do a study (see HR40), kick the can down the road as their favored lawmakers further rig the game to what at worst becomes South Africa pre-1990s, or even outright deny the events leading to today's circumstances by minimizing and whitewashing history.

Remember, the oppressors will not arm you with the education necessary to overthrow them.

Whoever you choose between the first day of early voting and November 5, be certain that he or she best aligns with your personal values and is able to serve the people with dignity, sound mind, body, spirit, and judgment without castigating one group or another as inferior or begin World War III. We know the adage of "money can't buy me love " contrary to lobbyists and PACs selling their interests to the highest bidder - and the most extreme loudmouths - each season, but do we truly adhere to it?

All in all, we should be aware enough to remember life four years ago instead of clinging to bits and pieces of hysteria that show the absolute worst of us. As I have remarked several years ago and occasionally since, some folks are selfish enough to allow their own material gains supersede the greater good of all of us - and you don't have to look far to see who they are, as social media has provided them with a megaphone (for some) that needs to be taken away, and certainly presents a heart of deceit and malice alike as evidenced on the third Monday in January, amongst other times. However, I do appreciate the honesty. 

When it is all said and done, did we attempt to live my favorite verse in John 15:12 or was it all a ruse to maintain status quo without directly implying it? I'd love to sit down and engage in a conversation while smoking brisket and throwing down a couple of sides such as an unannounced dip or a favorite side item from the pits and grills. 2020 was only four relatively short years ago, and a time when most of us were witnesses to an illness that took friends and family members from us. I know a number of people who moseyed around unvaccinated and proud of it to eventually use it as an excuse to get ten days' paid time off from work, and to them, your stance is your stance. It also exposed glaring hypocrisies in the so-called patriotism masked [figuratively, and in the cases of a few, literal] of people who are genuinely disinterested in the truth that may very sully the names and reputations of their ancestors; a legal system that declines to demand accountability; and criminalizes the very existence of community for those seeking it the most by the not-so-discreet dogwhistles.

Don't we all? 

Dear Father, I pray that we are able to review the moments past with a critical eye to both advance Your loving kindness in action more than empty platitudes and recall what got us in the positions we are in today. Gird us up and protect our sanity and provide rest to the weary in this perilous hour that we continue to seek You first. Forgive us for placing our agendas above what you deem necessary; turn us around and mold us to be better than what we were just a moment ago. All other things we desire of You, Amen. 

K.I.S.S.: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Honey Lime Wings

The best barbecue is often the meats kept simple such as salt and pepper beef briskets. If you need another example, keep reading below for the best party wings you'll eat this week and another superb sauce flavor from your friendly pitmaster. 

INGREDIENTS

Chicken wings

Avocado oil 

Big Poppa's Jallelujah Lime rub

Dub Shack BBQ’s Get Hot Honey sauce 

STEP ONE. We are using the K.I.S.S. philosophy; if you never knew what the acronym stands for, it is Keep It Simple Stupid. Trust me when I say I am guilty of violating that basic credo of life and cooking outdoors. Start by removing the chicken from the package and pat them dry; if any of the flats or drummettes have feathers, pluck them off and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add both the avocado oil and Jallelujah Lime to the pieces and mix thoroughly until all sides are coated in the rub. 

STEP TWO.  Light the grill. Today, I'm back to my beloved PK and really, there is no need for two-zone cooking as I am centering the charcoal briquettes (look, I'm using what is already in my shed. Be cool - when I'm up, I'll bring back lump charcoal instead for a quick cook. Once the grill reaches 350-400 degrees, place each flat or drum on the grill flipping at twenty minutes. Depending on the temperature, you might want to turn sooner than later. As chicken wings can easily handle 175 degree temperatures for doneness without sending anyone to the ER for undercooked bird, one would heed Bobby McFerrin and "don't worry, be happy". The trick to superb chicken wings is getting a good char without burning them. Pull around 185-190 degrees and serve after a five-minute rest.

STEP THREE. Remember the bottle of Get Hot Honey? You can go in either direction of serving it from a 2 oz cup and dry wings, or toss them in the newest DSB sauce. 

Enjoy!

In the course of thirty minutes, we have some bomb wings. Go outside and do some quick grilling before frying up some onion rings and fries as complimentary side items. Beyond the weekend, this can be a midweek dinner for some households - unfortunately, my own daughter is too picky and set on Ramen to know what she is missing. 

I'll keep trying. At least Caeli loves my pork chops.

Thank you all for reading this post and sharing great food among friends, family, coworkers, and people who simply like getting together for barbecue and more. Y'all be safe, be blessed, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Bacon Makes the World Go 'Round: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Bacon Wrapped Ravioli

Bacon makes the world go 'round.

Bacon makes the ravioli go down.

What is your friendly pitmaster smoking this time around?

If you guessed bacon, you're absolutely right. 

If you guessed ravioli, you're also right. Here's how bacon makes the world go 'round, and wrapping it around ravioli makes it not only a good snack to consume before the featured presentation is ready. I know enough of you who show up for the pulled pork and briskets only, so give me a fighting chance to let both meats rest before you eat us out of house and home.

Before I get into the rest of this recipe, thanks to Heath Riles (this year's ribs grand champion at Memphis in May and the dude who keeps my inner fat boy coming out for some dope combinations) for creating this recipe.

INGREDIENTS 

Regular, thin-cut bacon

Frozen cheese ravioli 

Fire and Smoke Society's Pork Perfect barbecue rub

Marinara sauce, for dipping

STEP ONE. Open the package of raviolis and set them out on a wire rack. [Oh, snap! Spray the rack with avocado or olive oil]. Next to that same rack, find that regular cut bacon and cut each strip in half: As much as we like bacon, be certain that you have enough pork to wrap around the pasta; otherwise, someone is making a trip back to the grocery store. Wrap each half-strip of bacon around each ravioli and feel free to season with Pork Perfect.

Why do we not use thick-cut bacon when we are smoking or grilling wrapped items? Because by the time thick-cut bacon is ready, the product wrapped around is is overcooked - if it is a lean protein such as turkey or deer, it will be drier than the last training class you went to at work. 

STEP TWO. Go outside and light your smoker to 325 degrees. Once there, leave the prepared food on the same wire rack and place it on the weapon. In my case, Junior gets the assignment since it did so well on the initial burn and seasoning session. In about an hour, the bacon should be cooked to doneness; bonus points if the cheese oozes out of the ravioli.

Say hello to Junior 

Thanks, Jason and Michelle

STEP THREE. Wait about ten minutes, serve with marinara sauce, and enjoy!

This is easily a Tailgating For Everyone recipe since it presents itself as party food for those block parties (Summer on Stivers '24 isn't happening, sorry), baby and wedding showers, family reunions, graduations, etc. that will empty a bowl and have guests asking for more. Go outside and cook something awesome this week! Thanks for reading this post: Show us what you're doing outside and enjoy the sunlight or smokehouse in the backyard! As always, be safe, be blessed, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Mercy, Mercy, Me! Dub Shack BBQ Presents Prime Rib Sliders

Get ready to class up the tailgate even more than normal!

Our thirteenth wedding anniversary was recent, and since I had the prime rib I had smoked and put away in the refrigerator largely to be forgotten or eaten that weekend, I figured it was high time to repurpose one of those premier cuts of beef into something edible for the three of us to enjoy as a midweek meal. [Y'all are seeing this as a T4E recipe due to the time. -ACedA] 

INGREDIENTS 

One beef prime rib, sliced (this one was 5.5 lbs)

Swine Life BBQ's Mississippi Grit and Grind rubs 

Half an onion, sliced thinly

Two sticks of butter

Provolone cheese

Beef broth (au jus works as well)

Slider buns

Everything Bagel rub

STEP ONE. Using the leftover prime rib - and bonus points if it is boneless for this one time only, slice it as thinly as possible without going full paper thin as a slice of roast beef from a lowly eye of round can be. Next, slice the onion in half and further into the slimmer rings and set them aside briefly; in the meantime, melt one-half of a stick of butter before adding the onion to the hot skillet. Some people like using peppers or mushrooms and feel free to make it your own as these sliders are for the tailgate party; in this application, only the onions are needed at the moment. 

STEP TWO. As the onions are being sautéed, warm up the sliced beef in beef broth for no more than 30 minutes in the oven at 250 degrees because it will catch a blasting of heat in the very end. To reinforce the flavor, add a moderate shaking of both bottles of Swine Life BBQ's Mississippi Grit and Grind runs and allow them to play together in the oven.

Set aside for the build.

STEP THREE. Spilt the rolls in half and butter the bottom half following which add the Provolone cheese, the prime rib slices, those sautéed onions, and its crown. [Strictly optional: When you melt the second stick of butter to add to the top half of the slider buns, add a nice amount of Everything Bagel to the party and slather accordingly. Your attendees will thank you later. -Friendly Pitmaster] 

While we pretty up the sliders, return to the oven and set it to broil for approximately 30 seconds. Any longer, the top buns might burn and otherwise ruin the look of the best spread in the parking lot.

Serve warm after a fifteen minute resting period.

My thoughts: Man!

As we embark on the final Tailgating For Everyone season together, let us head outside to make good food and better memories. Barbecue does not have to be a great ordeal, and with a bit of effort, legends can be created. Y'all be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Struggle Season Still Tastes Good. Dub Shack BBQ Presents Bologna Burnt Ends

Entering Season 4 of the Tailgating For Everyone experience, I decided that this is the last campaign not too long ago. Although the food has been incredible and in some cases, the only reason folks read AD&AD, I simply just don't have the time. Maybe I should've told the meatlist first; they know exactly who they are and how we do it. As I test a hotter version of Get Honey, some sauces will be getting retired at the end of the year.

But we're here for bologna burnt ends, right? See how this moves you.

INGREDIENTS 

One chub of bologna

Fire and Smoke Society's Pork Perfect barbecue rub 

Razorracks BBQ's All Day Sweet barbecue rub 

Mustard as a binder

Your favorite BBQ sauce*

*The sauce is my Dub Shack BBQ’s The O.G. barbecue sauce; make it your own

1/2 stick of butter, cut into pats

STEP ONE. Remove the packaging and make a slit across the top no more than a quarter-inch deep to denote home. Slice into 1" thick as if bologna steaks are on the menu; following that, cube into 1x1" bites and set into an aluminum pan. Slather the mustard and All Day Sweet liberally to ensure all sides are covered. Place onto a wire rack and light up the smoker. 

Layer like a player

STEP TWO. Bring the smoker of choice to 250 degrees, and use whichever wood you prefer (like most DSB pork recipes, I'm using apple wood - cherrywood is more than a suitable option). Once your cooking vessel reaches 250, bring the burnt ends from the wire rack to its smoke bath. Bologna is already been cooked a time or two, so the name of the game is reheating to a consistent color as we aren't reinventing the wheel today.

STEP THREE. In the miracle of time, the burnt ends look good BUT they aren't ready yet. Return them to the original pan along with brown sugar, half a stick of butter, and The O.G. sauce before the second voyage into smoke. Cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil and wait until they are super tender around 205 degrees internal. 

STEP FOUR. Let them rest for fifteen minutes and serve as a part of your charcuterie board.

Wanna know my thoughts? As good as it looks, this is for a recurring event my friends do annually - and sadly, I did not try one single bologna burnt end: You'll have to ask Heath how it turned out.

Bologna burnt ends are some really easy and affordable items for the charcuterie board, and in an ongoing theme of making barbecue  cheap again, the chub was only nine bucks at Walmart. I'd personally love to see brisket return to $1.97/lb., but that won't happen anytime soon. As always, thank you for reading this post and trying out something super easy and ridiculously awesome this weekend or whenever the mood to smoke meat strikes you. Y'all be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!