The African Roman Emperor

Only a few people have ever heard of the African Roman Emperor who influenced Britain in the first century. His name is Lucius Septimius Severus, born on 11 April 145 and died on 4 February 211. He was a black Roman Emperor born in Leptis Magna, present-day Al-Khums in Libya. Severus was born into a family of great wealth and they were distinguished and of equestrian rank. His mother was of Italian descent and his father was from North Africa. He was the first emperor born into a regional family of non-Italian origin.

His mother’s ancestors came from Italy to North Africa. They belonged to the gens Fulvia, an Italian aristocratic family that had its origins in Tusculum.

His father was an unknown provincial with no political status. He had two cousins who served as consuls under emperor Antoninus Pius between 138 and 161. They were named Publius Septimius Severus and Gaius Septimius Severus.

The Influence Of Septimius Severus on the British.

He responded to the cry for help by the British governor. He needed protection from brigands who were attacking British citizens.

In response to the danger, he built the walls of Roman London, about a square mile to help protect London. These walls are defined by what Septimius Severus did for Britain.

He set up camp in York and fought alongside garrisons to help protect London from the dangers. After killing the incoming emperor, Didius Julianus, he fought other claimants to the throne and defeated them.

The claimants were Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus. Niger was defeated at the Battle of Issus in Cilicia, while Albinus was defeated three years later at the Battle of Lugdunum in Gaul. A short punitive campaign beyond the eastern frontier won him the Kingdom of Osroene as a new province.

He waged wars in the east against the Parthian Empire and sacked the capital in 197. This helped to expand his territory on the eastern frontier to Tigris. His territory increased and was fortified at Limes Arabicus in Arabia Petraea.

He campaigned in Africa and Mauretania against the Garamantes in 202. He captured their capital Garama and expanded the Limes Tripolitanus close to the southern desert frontier.

I Messed Up Good Food: Dub Shack BBQ Tries Lamb Breast

Even your friendly pitmaster has a bad cook.

I bought lamb breasts from Walmart not that long ago, and from the notes I took plus the extra research and development (R&D) I normally undertake from YouTube University, this one still feels like a failure. Fortunately for me, they were cheap to the tune of $12 as I do have a meat budget at home to abide by - no pressure, right? - and I'd rather give new proteins a trial run at home before foisting them upon friends, family, customers, coworkers, and the "meat list."

How badly did I screw this up? Keep reading and check out the pictures.

INGREDIENTS

Lamb breasts (they come in a 2-pack)

Meat Church's Holy Cow rub

Fire and Smoke Society's The Usual rub

Yellow mustard as a binder

STEP ONE. Remove the breasts from the packaging and rinse them off in the sink before laying them on the rack. If you see any excessive fatty bits, trim them off but don't get too happy; lamb is typically a very lean meat and needs its fat. After yellow mustard is slathered on both sides - trust me, you're not going to taste it - apply both Holy Cow and The Usual and let them meld together as the smoker comes up to a temperature of 275-300 degrees. 

STEP TWO. Like any other ribs, lamb breasts cook the way you position them on the smoker. Below you'll see two racks of beef back ribs serve as a buffer on both breasts, and one of the omissions I made was not adding a water pan to the Oklahoma Joe as proteins smoked together. 

I'm good but I'm not perfect, y'all. Those beef ribs tho...

After one hour check the ribs for color and close the smoker. We know the saying "lookin' ain't cookin'", so get a beer or a bottle of water and keep watching the firebox. This cook used cherry and hickory wood splits, and as a pro tip, preheat the wood before adding it to the offset box. Try to keep the cooker around 275 in the meantime. The beef back ribs are going to cook for a good while longer (read Beef in the Streets from December 2021 for a more detailed approach to how I did those guys), so while you salivate over something new, check the lamb breasts for tenderness.

STEP THREE. Upon probing the breast temperature to 165 or the color of your satisfaction, wrap them up in butcher paper. [If you have aluminum foil, that is OK too; I have a couple of rolls of butcher paper to work through from last year's cooks - and the tragic thing is that I got both rolls just before brisket prices got ridiculously expensive. I haven't smoked one of those to the chagrin of my family and neighbors in nearly a year, and once beef prices begin a downward swing, that may become something for them to enjoy. 

As for the lamb breasts, you're treating them like baby back ribs once they are wrapped. They are finished at 205 degrees as the intermuscular fat renders to a buttery texture. Allow them to rest for fifteen minutes before slicing and chowing down! 

Where else did I mess up? I pulled them off the smoker at 190 degrees because I was sleepy. They were good but I'm sure that letting them get the last fifteen degrees would have made them better. Also, my lamb became some really good rib tips dry or wet with a dollop of my own Dub Shack BBQ's Pop Da Cherry barbecue sauce.

Would I do it again? Armed with the knowledge and the shameful feeling that a meat beat me, one day I'll try again. If you attempt lamb breasts, feel free to compare notes in how yours turn out. As always, thanks for reading this post and supporting the movement. Don't forget that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! Be blessed, be safe, and be good to each other.

The Glass Cliff

A must-read post by equity activist Tara Jaye Frank 👇🏿

What Brian Flores and Hue Jackson claim they were subjected to--essentially being set up (and even paid) to fail--is what Black people in corporate America call "glass cliff" assignments. 

A "glass cliff" assignment is one in which a Black leader gets promoted into a role that company leaders do not expect to succeed long-term and that requires borderline heroics. There are several types of glass cliff assignments:

1. Unimportant: The company may feel pressured to create or maintain a specific role, but the role is not important to the company, so it has no power, no resources, and an insufficient team. When the Black leader fails to make progress, they are scapegoated.

2. "Impossible": The challenges are great and the tools are few. The goals attached to the job have a 50/50 (or less) chance of being met. If the Black leader succeeds, they are rewarded with praise (but not always money or opportunity). If they fail, they are labeled as failures and their careers begin a steep decline, while white male leaders can fail multiple times and get opportunities to try again. 

3. Controversial: The Black employee is asked to lead a body of work that is inherently difficult and comes with built-in resistance. The work may be counter-culture and come with high reputation risk. If the Black employee doesn't have incredibly strong relationships, they will not be successful, since relationships are often the only force that overcomes culture barriers. 

There you have it. I'm tired. But you needed to know this. 

We know when it is happening to us, but we often want the benefits of the promotion, so we take it, hoping we will persevere. If you read this and it disturbs you, analyze your decisions through this lens and make sure you're not perpetuating this dangerous phenomenon. 

I'm turning over all the soil and digging up the weeds. We can do better than this. 

Magical Wings: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Mango Party Wings

As I try to do my part in the Make Barbecue Cheap Again movement, this recipe takes us to another meat that I should've shared a recipe of by now: barbecue wings. Whether or not you happen to be a drum or flat person (I really have no preference), barbecue wings can be taken in so many ways. With the Super Bowl coming up (it's the same day as Little Miss Sunshine's seventh birthday), having plenty of wings to go around for the Big Game is going to be critical - and I hope you planned ahead. With the strange shortages, finding party wings at this hour might be a little tenuous but possible. 

(Hint: I bought two bags - one at the Value Foods nearest our house, and the other at Sam's Club)

INGREDIENTS

Party wings, 5 lbs. (You might need more for a larger group)

Mango Magic barbecue rub

Dub Shack BBQ's Dang! Oh, Mango barbecue sauce

*As always, this can be made in your own touch and flavor profile. Next time, I may go cherry with the birds. 

STEP ONE. Using a wire rack, position all of the chicken wings that you think your party are going to eat and let them air dry overnight in the refrigerator. To aid the crispiness of those wings, you may add a bit of cornstarch before putting them to bed. One thing that absolutely does NOT need to happen is to let raw chicken sit outside with no regard because salmonella is a very real thing. 

STEP TWO. Light your grill in that two-zone fire we like so much. Since I haven't bought the compartment parts for my Weber Kettle yet, I used a split of pecan wood with charcoals on one side and the empty space to place the wings. In the meantime, season the wings with Mango Magic on both sides allowing them to sweat it out for a spell. Once the temperature gets to 350, place those guys on the cooler side of the grill and let them work their magic.

 

STEP THREE. You don't have to stand over wings but be certain to check them for color after fifteen minutes with the Thermapen, and turn over for even color on both sides. Chicken is ready at 165 degrees but with this cut, they can go to 175 or 180 without any issue. 

STEP FOUR. This is optional due to the fact I like a crunchy wing combined it with the love of the craft, get a cast iron skillet out to pour about 1/3" of peanut or vegetable oil into the pot. Of course, the use of a deep fryer is way easier; set it up for 350 degrees. Since the wings are already at a healthy cooking temperature, this is only a flash fry to maintain the smoke and lock in flavors from the mango rub. Fry away for two or three minutes on both sides and remove to a cooler locale, and repeat until all of the wings are done. Although some people like a dry wing, I chose to make the fried mango wings wet with my own Dang! Oh, Mango sauce. 

Dry wings before Dang! Oh, Mango was drizzled over each flapper

The same wings, wet. What do you think?

STEP FIVE. If you so desire, center your dipping bowl in the midst of those wings. I think these guys are good enough on their own with the rub and sauce but feel free to make it your own. Grab one for a taste and enjoy!

I've been smoking meat for this long and Tuesday is the first time I thought about writing down my methods for wings. I cannot believe it, but...it is what it is. This hopefully rectifies a deficiency from the barbecue side of AD&AD and as party wings can be made in any way, shape, form, and fashion, make them your own and thanks for not only reading this post but also supporting the movement by evangelizing the party in your mouth Dub Shack BBQ aspires to be. Of course, tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! Be blessed, be safe, and be good to each other.