John and Mildred Ware: Ex-Slaves Who Found Success in Canada

Meet John Ware.

𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗘 (1845?-1905)

John Ware was born a slave in South Carolina circa 1845.  When the Civil War ended, he decided to exercise his freedom by moving west.  Ware settled in Texas and got a job with a rancher who raised horses.  In 1879 Ware rode north on a cattle drive to Montana and remained in the area.  Three years later he relocated across the Canadian border to Alberta, and in 1884 he filed on a 160-acre homestead west of Calgary.  Ware raised a few cattle and supplemented his income by working as a hired hand for nearby ranchers, specializing in handling horses.

In 1892 Ware married Mildred Lewis, the daughter of one of the few black couples to move from eastern Canada to Alberta during the frontier era.  They eventually had six children but, ironically, no grandchildren.  In 1900 they sold their ranch and bought another in eastern Alberta near the town of Brooks.  The Wares were never economically prominent but they were well known and liked by their mostly Caucasian neighbors.

Mildred Ware died of pneumonia in early 1905 before reaching her thirty-fifth birthday.  Her husband, who was about sixty, died a few months later, on September 12, 1905, when the horse he was riding stepped into a hole, threw him, and landed on top of him.  Both of their funerals were attended by many of their white friends who respected them as good neighbors on the rugged Canadian frontier.  Years later, the citizens of Alberta honored John Ware, who never learned to read or write, by naming a junior high school in Calgary after him.

Let's Get to Tailgatin'! Dub Shack BBQ Presents BBQ Spaghetti

As football season continues and the recipe ideas grow, Part 9 of the Tailgating for Everyone barbecue series presents barbecue spaghetti. Best known as a Memphis-area specialty, this pork-based recipe is yet another perfect solution for all of that leftover pulled pork in the freezer. You can also smoke a pork shoulder or Boston butt for the freshest of the pig; consequently, the big bag tucked away works wonders.

INGREDIENTS

 1 lb. spaghetti noodles

1 can tomato sauce

12 oz. diced tomatoes

Minced garlic

Bell peppers/onions, if desired

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. each kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, The Truth all-purpose rub

Barbecue sauce (I’m using The Truth BBQ sauce)

STEP ONE. If you are using leftover pulled pork, the preferred method is to let the protein thaw out first. This way you do not find yourself dumping in too much pork at one time when the time comes to add it into the recipe. Saute all of the vegetables except the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes or until tender, and then add the garlic for the fragrancy for another minute or two.

STEP TWO. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, BBQ sauce, the rub, and pulled pork to the mixture and let it get happy for 45 minutes to 1 hour over low heat stirring occasionally.

STEP THREE. Prepare pasta according to the instructions and drain.

STEP FOUR. Remove pasta from the heat and pour sauce in the same pot. Add the remaining mixture to the pot combining them until satisfaction – and that includes the remaining pulled pork and more of The Truth sauce.

The very first time I had this recipe was back in 2000 after a job fair in Memphis with a vanload of people from HSU when we stopped at a West Memphis catfish restaurant whose name escapes me, and boy, it was a good combination with said fried catfish and pickled green tomatoes. Unfortunately, I did not get the job I was originally interested in – and I shall not speak of the debacle of losing that WorldCom store right before graduation thanks to that company’s bankruptcy and sudden dissolved state. Nevertheless, barbecue spaghetti is tailgate food taken a step up from the normal hot dogs and hamburgers that can be enjoyed from the pickup or as a way to use up some of that leftover pulled pork. What I will say is this:  Be blessed, be safe, spread the word that every day is a GREAT day for barbecue, and go eat something awesome this week!

Black Smoke Panel From Six Bridges Book Festival 2021

Here is the panel I moderated for the Six Bridges Book Festival from October 27, 2021. Below is the link to watch the entire video session:  Please excuse my delivery as I found myself being a huge fan boy of Mr. Adrian Miller. 

https://youtu.be/HADnjge-gBw

Hey Batter, Batter, Batter, Batter, Swing!

I know that I’ve been trying to protect my family’s privacy (yes, that really was my New Year’s resolution) throughout 2021 focusing more on other things namely barbecue and Black history, but the time warrants itself another chapter from the Dad Chronicles. At this posting Little Miss Sunshine has since completed her first softball season and joined another squad from the league. She had fun learning the game despite all of the losses her team took biweekly and her growth was amazing from where Caeli began in July to where she stands today.

A Great Group of Girls and Their Coaches

While the record shows that the Storm went winless (0-8), that won-loss statistic is meaningless to a group of 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old girls playing together for the very first time. That they did not go home in tears after every game nor wanting to quit was nothing short of admirable character building that some opposing coaches needed to be reminded of even after we parents, fans, coaches, and supporters were justifiably angered following a pair of close late season losses as long as the postgame snacks were flowing. Having their attention on the game played in front of them instead of the dirt through one hour of softball at their ages on Tuesdays and Thursdays was at times a miraculous feat! Over the course of several weeks, something happened:  THEY GREW.

I am partial to #9

Instead of waiting for the batted balls to stop in the outfield or along the fences, our stars began to see the light and played as such by stopping the ball and throwing (or running) to the nearest base to prevent the runners from getting an extra base or even stealing plates. Once they started making contact with the ball, each girl began to find her own confidence in her own abilities in addition to enjoying the praise and encouragement from her coaches, parents, and her teammates. In addition, they all became really good friends attending birthday parties and of course, those impromptu play dates.

Pregame with Coach Michael 

As I look at the position chart one last time mainly to be sure I don’t forget anyone (and apologies to coaches Zach and Aaron whom I couldn’t tell apart until the latter cut his mustache), we have to give one more tip of the hat to Caeli, Eden, Hallie, Caroline, Briar, Charli, Addy, Piper, CJ, Emmy, and Summer for becoming better players and continually battling back each Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Thanks to Coach Rob for assembling a ragtag group into a team that will make waves next season as they develop into some of the most fundamentally sound girls while they maintain their joy. Thanks to Coach Michael for recruiting Caeli back in July for an experience she’ll never forget; you and Karli can feel free to come downhill and grab her whenever Tato needs a workout – or a playdate. Thanks to Shelbi for the additional coaching and the team media – your pictures are the ones littered through this blog. Thanks to the homies Seth and Holden for assisting our daughters during the doldrums of summer practice. Thanks to Lacie, Sean, Courtney, Laura, Kaitlin, Randy, Annie, Renee, Patrick, Mikayla, Marianne, and every other parent and Storm booster for welcoming us into the family, and for those whose names I forgot, charge it to my head and not my heart as I am human.

I leave you with four key words:  SHOW ME YOUR GLOVES!

Baby's Got Back: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Baby Back Ribs

Hot take time:  I’m getting out of the barbecue game.

Just kidding – or am I?

It doesn’t mean that I am selling the grills or smoker or the new bag of B&B cherrywood splits will be sitting on the curb for giveaway as much as implies that one of the ways I maintained my own sanity over the past several years has slowed down considerably. I am also transitioning to the barbecue sauce arena as a more efficient way of managing my time – childhood happens only once, and before I blinked an eye, my daughter is six years old. In the midst of being the dude paying bills around here, she has grown up so quickly that I want to slow down the days and enjoy them with her before she gets too cool for Daddy and only sees me as her personal ATM.

Wait, Caeli may already be too cool for me.

You’re not here to read a Dad Chronicles post – this is a barbecue post. However, this is a parallel to my very first barbecue post:  ribs. I’ve made some unreal ribs and I’ve really screwed up some racks, yet I shall persevere to continue making some of the best product around these parts. If I won’t eat it, what makes me think anyone else would?

One rack of baby back ribs, Touch of Cherry rub, and Pop Da Cherry sauce are all it takes

Six years after the original post, I’m giving the people baby back ribs with a cherry flavor profile:  cherry rub, cherrywood splits, and Pop Da Cherry sauce as a finishing glaze. I don’t feel that I have any secrets to withhold but I still won’t give out the recipe for the cherry sauce. However, I'll gladly accept a $10 donation in exchange for a bottle. 

Cherry Baby Back Ribs

1 rack of baby back ribs

Cherry-flavored pork rub

Apple cider vinegar

Dub Shack BBQ’s Pop Da Cherry barbecue sauce

STEP ONE. This is from smoking ribs at least once a month for the past six years and my methods at this point are proven on the offset smoker yet make your methods your own. Using a butter knife, peel back the membrane on the bone side and give it a nice tug. Hopefully you are able to get it all in one swoop, but if not, don’t despair; try again until the entire thing is off the rack of ribs. Once completed, use a binder such as mustard to make the rub stick to the protein and go outside to light up the cooking vessel. If you have one, fill your water pan with the liquid of your choice (I still use water; some of you may prefer apple juice or beer, among other things).

New weapon of choice:  Weber kettle grill

STEP TWO. As the weapon of choice reaches 250 degrees, bring the ribs outside and lay them down on the grates. A true statement:  Meat cooks how it is laid, so be mindful of positioning. Close the smoker and enjoy a cold beverage of your choice – remember the adage “if you’re lookin’, you ain’t cookin’” – and go do something useful, like tell tall tales or watch the neighborhood kids play freely. At one hour, spritz the ribs with apple cider vinegar, turn them for even cooking, and close the smoker.

STEP THREE. Once the ribs get the desired color, briefly take them off the smoker and wrap them with aluminum foil. It is during this time that they get introduced to Pop Da Cherry as well as a couple pats of butter, honey, and brown sugar. Return to the smoker as soon as possible and resume 🧢capping🧢 (lying) all the while keep paying attention to the temperature. Try to keep a steady 250 throughout the cook; if it drops below 225, add another cherrywood split or a chimney full of hot coals and get it back in range.

STEP FOUR. Most bone-in meats will let you know when they are finished cooking. Therefore, when the rib bones begin to poke out (this requires looking at a rack), you can either take them out of the foil, run one more application of Pop Da Cherry, and let it set for five-to-ten minutes. The trick is to make the ribs glisten like Christmas presents under the tree without having too dark of a rib; people do eat with their eyes first and no matter how good they taste appearance is still everything.

STEP FIVE. At 190 degrees, bring the ribs inside to rest for about 30 minutes before slicing between the bones. If your bones f**k around and fall off, then congratulations; you just overcooked ribs. Save face and turn them into rib sandwiches far better than anything McDonald’s offers. Serve them with a big grin and enjoy the fruits of your hard work!

As my neighbors, friends, coworkers, and really, the general public has found out over the past several years - wherever there is smoke, there is a combination of fire and meat cooking. I felt a need to revisit the very first barbecue-related post on AD&AD not only to see how far I have come as a pit master but also to test the limits of my creativity and experiment with different sauces – living in a Hunts or Sweet Baby Ray's kind of world gets to be a bit boring, and being the one to introduce you to an expansive range either leads to something extraordinary or a dud that should have never left the testing bottle. Yeah, I’ve had some bombs [ask me about Candy Licker] and the most notable successes [The Ancestors, Get Honey, and Dang! Oh, Mango among others]; everyone’s taste buds are varied. It is my sincere desire to spread the idea that every day is a great day for barbecue and as a sauce connoisseur, it would be remiss on my part to pass around the same old stuff. Any count, stay safe and be blessed!

 

Bringing Back the Classics: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Beer Bratwursts

In Part 7 of the Tailgating For Everyone series, your friendly pitmaster cooks brats on the PK. 

During the course of this series, I'll be the first to admit that my ambitions don't always match up with our bank accounts or family's culinary needs and Costco might eff around and get me in some real trouble (but it's so cool, y'all) by bringing wagyu beef home or the planned bison hot dogs recipe fortunately aborted by my local store not carrying them in stock. I know, it's 2021; I could have simply ordered them online or chopped it up with the nice folks at Breitweisers in Benton but alas, that didn't happen. Snagging those dogs would have made backyard barbecue - and in this context, tailgate party food - too bougie for regular brothers like me. Remember, barbecue is for a good time not a contest to see who can cook the priciest foods. I'm more impressed by excellent food than expensive food but I'm just a workaholic with a careful eye on our budget. 

Now back to the classics.

INGREDIENTS 

Beer brats

Hot dog buns

Spicy brown mustard (regular mustard or Dub Shack BBQ's The Ancestors sauce are also popular)

One onion

One stick of butter

One beer to cover up everything in the pan

Optional:  bell peppers

Fire Society's Holy Garlic rub

Killer Hogs' The BBQ Rub

Disposable aluminum pan

STEP ONE. Slice the onions (or peppers - I had both) and set them in the bottom of the pan. To save time, I melted the butter and poured it into the pan but it can go onto the hot grill cooking until it is sauteed. Add Holy Garlic and The BBQ Rub to the vegetables and set aside.

STEP TWO. If you haven't already lit your grill, what are you waiting for? This is one of the very rare times I won't use a wood chunk for smoking flavor as that bag of lump charcoal does a fine job of getting hot but if you choose to, a couple of cherrywood chunks will give the color best associated with great barbecue. Get the grill to at least 350 degrees before bringing out the brats.

STEP THREE. On top of the onions and peppers, add the brats and beer making sure you cover it all with the beer. Whether or not you drink the rest of the beer is your prerogative; the name of the game is infusing the beer flavor in the protein. Close the grill and walk away for a bit until the sausages reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.

Sidebar 👉🏿 In the meantime, I did a thing: Don't knock pizza dip until you rock it. Da Dips will release separately on Thursdays for the remainder of Henderson State (or Arkansas high school regular season) football.

I put my hand upon a chip

When I dip you dip we dip

STEP FOUR. In the miracle of time, the beer brats have reached 165 degrees and been seared off for those lovely grill marks. Using that beer sauna, take them off the grill and serve immediately! 

Wanna take this classic to a whole new level? Toast the buns. 

Thanks for reading and supporting the movement known as Dub Shack BBQ where every day is a GREAT day for barbecue! Bratwursts are a classic tailgating item that travels so easily and can literally be set up on the tailgate of a pickup - in my case, a weathered Ram quad cab eager to work. As this is homecoming weekend at my alma mater THE Henderson State University, stay safe, enjoy the weekend, be good to each other, and eat something awesome this week! 

Who Wants The Pork? Dub Shack BBQ Presents Pulled Pork Nachos

Part 6 of the Tailgating For Everyone series brings us to a classic:  pulled pork nachos. Use up some of those leftovers from the last cook, or if you've been blessed with it, freshly smoked pork butts and shoulders. If you need that recipe, click on the underlined link to take you there. 

INGREDIENTS 

Pulled pork 

Tortilla chips 

Melted nacho cheese

Barbecue sauce and rub of your choice

Salsa

Diced jalapeno peppers 

Rib tips weren't the only pork getting smoked that day 

STEP ONE.  This can go one of two ways: If the leftover pulled pork is frozen, thaw it out and slowly reheat it to at least 165 degrees and set aside. If you're fortunate enough to have a fully smoked pork butt or shoulder, keep it whole until you decide to pull the meat. Either way, it's gonna be good. 

STEP TWO. Using a bed of tortilla chips, spread them all over each surface of a serving platter, plate, or the paper boats from the restaurant supply stores (or Sam's Club - they tend to be a little cheaper there, FYI). Make sure there is enough coverage in the container but not so much it resembles the extra handful of chips you get disgusted with from the Nachos Bell Grande that Taco Bell employees sometimes go heavy on. How do I know? I'll admit I did that periodically to make the appearance of a full platter when I worked there eons ago. 

STEP THREE. Add in no particular order the pulled pork, nacho cheese, barbecue rub and sauce, salsa, and jalapenos along with any other toppings unmentioned in the above description such as sour cream and guacamole. Vegans know to sub out the pulled pork for jackfruit - your friendly pitmaster got love for you too - and of course, the alternative items can take their starting roles. 

STEP FOUR. Enjoy! 

Man, if you only knew how this tasted...

We are in the midway point of the Tailgating For Everyone series and I hope you've been cooking something good for friends, family, and yourselves each week. As the weather begins to cool, the food in the coming weeks will become heartier to your stomachs as standing for three hours at a time cheering on our favorite teams to victory. In the meantime, the fall sauces Dem Berries and Deez Apples will make a return to the roster replacing Block Party Pineapple and Blue MF, respectively. Thank you for reading and continue to support the movement that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Dub Shack BBQ Makes Cheesesteaks

In Part 5 of the Tailgating for Everyone series, I’ll share my way for making cheesesteaks. Hint:  You don’t need to book a flight to Philadelphia for these delectable guys. Just do it in the backyard but due to the rain, I kept this one inside and worked it in a cast-iron skillet.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. shaved steak (or one ribeye steak, thinly sliced)

Bell peppers and onions

Hoagie buns

4 tbsp melted butter

Grapeseed oil

Kinder’s The Blend barbecue rub

Provolone cheese

Shredded mozzarella cheese (I used fiesta cheese because I left the store without mozzarella)*

*In lieu of shredded cheese, a cheesesteak more often than not uses Cheez-Whiz

STEP ONE. Normally I would have found a way outside to make this cook happen except for the forecast forced me inside – and proof that tailgating food can be prepared in the kitchen.

But seriously, here is Step One.

Heat up a cast-iron skillet with grapeseed oil and saute the vegetables for 3-4 minutes and put them to the side for a little later. Next, add the shaved steak to the same skillet and cook it until it is no longer pink on any side breaking it up into smaller pieces and place. Don’t forget to season the meat with a salt, pepper, and garlic blend such as Kinder’s The Blend barbecue rub, and do the same to the veggies.

STEP TWO. This is a next-level move and it is completely optional:  Toast the hoagie buns and slather them with melted butter. Throughout the course of this year, I have taken a liking for toasting bread on the grill; it is indeed really simple and adds a layer of flavor to the sandwiches. Of course, soft buns will suffice as this recipe can be altered to your preferences.

STEP THREE. After this bit of light work is finished, the time to assemble sandwiches is near! To do so – or see how I did it – look at the picture below:

With the first brush of butter on hoagies, add the following in order:  bottom half of the bun, provolone cheese, the steak, peppers and onions, more shredded cheese or Cheez-Whiz, and the top half of the bun. Repeat for the number of sandwiches necessary for your tailgate party, add a second brush of melted butter to the top half, and serve immediately!

From the first bite to the last, cheesesteaks are relatively easy to cook and put together plus a gameday favorite among so many of us. This is a recipe I have used off and on depending on time and event since it finds itself in the rotation as a variation of comfort food. As always, thanks for reading and supporting the movement known as Dub Shack BBQ where every day is a GREAT day for barbecue! If there is anything you'd like to see, let me know and I'll get it out to you.

Be blessed, be safe, and be good to each other! Oh - and eat something awesome this week!