Bad and Boujee: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Prime Dip

This happened because of a reheating mistake not too long ago, and since throwing away a $45 piece of meat (I actually got this prime rib for $12 the day after Thanksgiving and froze it since) ain't law, I figured the best thing to eat while the NBA playoffs get into full swing is what I've nicknamed the million dollar dip. 

I just hope the Miami Heat show up and show out.

INGREDIENTS 

Leftover prime rib (any leftover steak will do)

1 package, peppers and onions (for fresher, cut 1/2 onion and one bell pepper)

8 oz cream cheese, cubed 

8 oz pepper jack cheese

8 oz Swiss cheese 

Fire and Society's Thundering Longhorn rub

Heath Riles's Garlic Butter rub 

STEP ONE. Slice the leftover prime rib into bite-sized pieces and put it aside. Do the same thing with the peppers and onions.

STEP TWO. In a disposable pan or cast iron skillet, add the sliced meat and peppers with both Thundering Longhorn and Garlic Butter rubs to the mixture. As the cream cheese comes to a warm temperature, cube it and spread it all around. 

STEP THREE. As the grill comes to temperature, cube all of the cheeses and place them throughout the pan allowing them the ability to play freely with everything else. Add more of both rubs to your heart's desire, and put it aside. 

STEP FOUR. With the two-zone fire we've all become accustomed to by now, set the pan over the coals and let it work its magic. Every fifteen to twenty minutes or so, stir up the goodness to ensure that it all melts together. The recipe is done when the liquid gold is fully melted with the edges browned.

STEP FIVE. Take it off the grill, let it rest a few minutes, and serve immediately!

I had the idea of calling this one the million dollar dip mainly because of the leftover prime rib; alas, it would have been an awesome snack had it gone into the refrigerator instead of cooling overnight in the oven. I suppose I'll run it back soon with the premise that I won't have to delegate product and I am able to remember to take a picture of the finished item. As always, thanks for reading this post in addition to trying out any and all of the DSB recipes. Be blessed,  be safe,  be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Straight Outta Cashville: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches

 When you think of Nashville, what comes to mind?

Country music everywhere with studios, bars, aspiring artists, a burgeoning paradise for visible conservatives in media, and a nightlife scene that could potentially give both Memphis and Atlanta a run for their money?

Young Buck spitting fire bars about Cashville and a shorty who wants a ride with G-Unit in the mid-2000s?

Tennessee State, Vanderbilt, Belmont, Meharry, Austin Peay, and Nashville State?

Home of the National Baptist Convention – where most Black Baptist churches order Sunday School books from?

The early forming of the SCLC as related to the Freedom Riders and sit-ins throughout the Civil Rights Movement?

But what if I told you about some chicken so hot you might need a waiver to eat it?

In this recipe below, your friendly pitmaster is bringing the heat with Nashville hot chicken sandwiches. Make sure you don’t rub your eyes after eating it, and if your mouths cannot handle the flames, have a glass of milk to cool down.

INGREDIENTS

One whole chicken 

Nashville Hot barbecue rub

Hot sauce of your choice

One stick of butter

Coarse black pepper

Garlic powder

Brown sugar

White bread

Pickle slices

Dub Shack BBQ’s Dat White BBQ sauce

STEP ONE. If you’ve seen my other pulled chicken recipe [Dub Shack BBQ Does a Chicken Pickin’ from October 2020], then follow those early steps. If not – and since we are making sandwiches – cut the backbone out of the chicken and save it for some homemade chicken stock. Next, apply the hot rub all over the bird; the more you add, the hotter it will be. To elevate the hottest chicken around, feel free to use either hot sauce or Dub Shack BBQ’s best-selling The Ancestors mustard sauce as your binder. Set aside and light the smoker for 275-300 degrees.

STEP TWO. Smoke that bird until the internal temperatures are at 165 degrees in the breasts and 175 degrees in the legs and wings. Since it is being pulled and turned into sandwiches for the next tailgate party, appearance won’t mean as much as it normally would as a parted-out item but we still don’t want to serve ugly birds to beautiful people. Once they cool off to a manageable temperature for pulling with the two hands God gave you, grab a skillet to melt the stick of butter and as we are bringing the fire, add both the hot rub and hot sauce to a thin sauce before compounding the pulled chicken to the mixture. Don’t forget to save to save some of the slurry!

STEP THREE. Here’s the fun part: Assembling the chicken sandwiches! Toast the white bread, add the chicken, hot butter mixture, pickles, and Dat White with another hit of the butter mixture. Enjoy!

This is not a substitute for the original Prince’s Hot Chicken which came about decades ago over a man named Thornton Prince who kept the city jumpin’ even during the Great Depression and kept plenty of women in his black book. Legend has it after he stepped out on his “steady girl” he was served a plate of fried chicken that had been doused in hot pepper to teach him a lesson. Despite the unexpected heat, Prince loved the taste of the fiery fried dish and began sharing it with friends and family until it was perfected leading to the opening of BBQ Chicken Shack, now known as Prince’s Hot Chicken. Although I took the barbecue liberty of smoking it, the chicken is usually prepared by marinating in buttermilk, breaded, and deep-fried before coating it in a cayenne pepper-based paste and served on white bread with pickle slices. Since Jim Crow segregation impacted Nashville like every other city and town in the South with its racially separated highways, trains, and freeways – don’t get me started on Interstate 630 in Little Rock, hot chicken was primarily made and sold in Black neighborhoods along the east side across from the Cumberland River.

You’ve gotta love the colonizers who think they ran up on something new because it wasn’t offered on their side of the freeway or tracks.

Enough of the history lesson.

Nashville hot chicken is guaranteed to be the hottest thing popping at the tailgate even if it isn’t from the hot grease. 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!

Happy New Year: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Smoked Blackeye Peas

I normally make a dip with blackeye peas and since I began grilling cabbage, why not make extra room for another side item? We get our NYE elements of pork and cabbage for good luck, peas for wealth, and don't forget the cornbread: Even if it's Jiffy mix out the box, cornbread is crucial entering another year. In addition to the mantra of making barbecue cheap again, this dump-and-go is really easy to prep and goes a long way to filling a crowd.

I'm not promising a Dub Shack BBQ food truck anytime soon and since every town has wavering regulations, finding myself on the right side of Bryant/Benton, Haskell, Alexander, or Bauxite code ordinances would be more complex than simply sharing recipes and slinging sauces from Bubba Gump's replacement.

[RIP Bubba Gump, 2001-2023. This 2001 Ram quad cab served three owners well over the past 22 years and had been a hell of a workhorse. Finding a crew cab pickup that takes bumps and bruises like it is going to be hard yet doable.]

INGREDIENTS

(4) 12 oz. cans of blackeye peas (fresh or fresh out of the can, doesn't matter)

32 oz. chicken broth

Fire and Smoke Society's Pork Perfect

One onion, diced 

Minced garlic

STEP ONE. Get your pot to 400 degrees: Juvenile said it was hot.

Holla at your friendly pitmaster. pic.twitter.com/cQsVpj2bDA

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) October 16, 2022

STEP TWO. Sautee the onion until it is translucent. In 2024, we build flavors!

STEP THREE. Add the garlic, and if you happen to have any nearby, bacon grease from yesterday morning's breakfast and let them play together for about fifteen minutes.

STEP FOUR.  Add the peas, broth, and rub and let them do the Lord's work for 60 minutes until softened. No one deserves to start the year off wrong with chipped teeth thanks to hard blackeye peas so be kind and treat your guests right.

Enjoy!

Even if you don't really mess with the pig - and the Pork Patrol is gonna pop trunk on your friendly pitmaster one day - this is a day where a pork chop, loin, rib, ham, etc. is mandatory. Look ahead to the best year ever!

Nine and a half months later, meet the new-to-me DSB work truck

Happy New Year from your friendly pitmaster and family. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

I guess I ought to do some sort of mic drop here.

Dip for the Soul: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Collard Green Dip

During spring break, we intentionally sought out the local eateries in Myrtle Beach to escape the dread of constantly eating McDonald's and other common fast food restaurants you can hit with a rock in almost any direction. Most of the local stuff was pretty okay, and next time I need to bring not only a little more money but also passengers who are able to get me a positive return from eating any of the all-you-can-eat calabash seafood buffets up and down Kings Highway. One item in particular stuck out as something worth replicating is the collard green dip from Big Mike's Soul Food just a few blocks away from The Breakers resort - and highly recommended by one of the company's maintenance crew members. 

For the low, low price of $10 this is the most interesting dip I've had in some time. In the meantime,  hold your ice cold beer and watch your friendly pitmaster at work.

INGREDIENTS 

Collard greens (1 lb)

Cream cheese (8 oz)

Swiss cheese, shredded (3/4 c)

Worcestershire sauce 

Hot sauce

Mayonnaise (1/2 c)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Your favorite SPG rub 

Half an onion, finely diced (optional)

Baguettes or sturdy tortilla chips for dipping 

Of course, ingredients can be adjusted to your party or family who showed up to snack on Barbecue Sundays before the featured presentation is served. 

STEP ONE. Like most dips, this is a dump and go recipe. Since I am also known for doubling recipe sizes for mass consumption during Barbecue Sundays in the neighborhood, find a medium to large aluminum disposable pan and add the softened cream cheese, mayo, Swiss and Pamesan cheeses, a splash of both hot and Worcestershire sauces, and the salt/pepper/garlic barbecue rub. If you are needing to evade vampires, feel free to load up with minced garlic instead but make sure the salt and pepper combos are equal. Fold in the collard greens until it is satisfactory. 

STEP TWO. Light the grill to a medium high heat of at least 375 degrees. Hint: Wave your hand over the lit charcoals. If you have to move your hands quickly over the burning embers, then it is time to bring the future dip to the grill. Those who use pellet and electric grills, set your dials to 375 and grab me a Pawleys Island Gray Man stout: That may be the hardest part of this cook for you. Once to temperature, top with more Swiss and Parmesan cheeses and set directly above the coals. Feel free to stir every fifteen to twenty minutes until the mixture is fully melted and bubbly. 

STEP THREE. Remove from the grill and wait only a few minutes before serving with those baguettes and/or sturdy tortilla chips. 

From both of our trips to Myrtle Beach, my wife and I have tried to make it a priority to eat as the locals do instead of sticking out like sore thumbs as tourists tend to do running through the same drive-thru windows we have at home. Thanks to Big Mike's Soul Food* for putting this dip into my life, and if you're in this part of the country, make it a priority to stop over there for lunch or dinner! Parking might be a bit scarce but the vibe inside and outside at the picnic tables is well worth it. As always, thanks for reading this post. Try this one out as a snack prior to Mother's Day dinner or any Sunday after church whenever friends and family get together.  Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

*Address for Big Mike's Soul Food 

504 16th Avenue N

Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

843.712.2048

Spiritual Misuse and Abuse

Most of you know about my sabbatical of sorts in 2022, and as the world evolves, the church has a tendency to remain the same sometimes as the bedrock of our communities and sometimes a visual example of the organization that completely misses the point of its purpose. 

Here is one of the most misused texts in the entire Bible below. 

Let all things be done decently and in order.

1 Corinthians 14:40

To some, the phrase decent and in order is something the saints and aints casually roll off the tongue as if it is oxygen. For the critical thinkers, it sparks a hypocrisy: Decent and in order for you does not apply to me. It doesn't have to be that way, however. 

So...why do we use it - or misuse - the verse so often?

Simple: We are still spiritual babies perfectly content with being bottle-fed the Gospel holding on to tomes spoken of long ago. There is a time and a place for everything yet the way criticism is levied tends to cut a bit too deeply for some when it should merely be there as a teachable moment. For them, that plank in the eye is conveniently excused (see Matthew 7:1-5) when the script is flipped. 

Don't get me started on how the King James Version of the Bible is in truth slaveholder religion: Ever read Colossians 3:22-23? 

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

Colossians 3:22

To combat the overuse and misuse of this verse, we must remember to take a good look in the mirror each day at ourselves as we remain mindful of the plank in our eye when we cast judgment on one another. While it is true that none of us are perfect and we are striving to be more like Christ than our sinful selves living hedonistically from one moment to the next, the effort is what matters. 

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Matthew 7:5

The irony of this happens to be the "only God can judge me" crowd casting shade on those they deem inferior. ¡Que lastima!

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Matthew 7:4

Lastly and because I have time, decent and in order has been used throughout time to justify some pretty sickening stuff in the church. Why won't the leaders sound the alarm? Why does the body wallow in shallow groupthink when real issues are boiling underneath the surface like mini geysers surrounding Yellowstone National Park? When they finally do blow into the atmosphere, not only will those holding the bag discover the cost of FAFO but also rigidly grasping to the old ways will further push the greatest difference makers away. At the end of the day, false decorum can get you a one-way ticket to hell as quickly as willfully wilding out.

Make It Cheesy: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Ham Macaroni and Cheese

When I was a younger man struggling to not only find my place in adulthood as well as something I can reliably cook and eat for my own sustenance, I began throwing cubed ham into my macaroni and cheese with English peas on the side. In my weathered state - and somewhat still in the struggle - comes a better M&C recipe than the best I could afford out of a Kraft box in the early to mid-aughts. I should have smoked it, and if you happen to read the comments section or my own notes, I'll suggest that as it is my preferred method.

Wanna see how I made this? 

INGREDIENTS 

1 lb macaroni noodles

1/2 c butter

1/2 flour

(2) 8 oz cubed ham

16 oz cream cheese

8 oz each shredded cheddar, Colby jack, Gouda, Parmesan cheeses

1 lb cubed Velveeta cheese

6 cups milk

Salt 

Black pepper

Fire and Smoke Society's Pork Perfect rub 

STEP ONE. Cook macaroni noodles to al dente per package. Drain and set aside.

STEP TWO. Melt 1/2 cup of butter and add the flour, making a paste. Be sure you stir in all of the flour to prevent clumping.

STEP THREE. Slowly add milk to the mixture. As we build flavors, be mindful of the flour and keep stirring until the milk begins to bubble up. 

STEP FOUR. The next invitations to the party are the cubed block of cream cheese, one-half of the shredded cheeses, 8 oz. of Gouda, and half a pound of cubed Velveeta and one of the cubed packages of ham. Continue to stir until the creaminess is to your satisfaction.

I like my M&C creamy and full of cheesy flavor but adjust to your own preferences. 

STEP FIVE. Using a disposable pan (this travels well, freezes even better), spray the pan - or cast iron skillet for today's dinner - with extra virgin olive oil on all sides. Add the pasta, the rest of the cheeses, the other package of cubed ham, salt and pepper, and a moderate shaking of Pork Perfect throughout the mixture. 

We're not done yet...and this is where we veer.

STEP SIX. Because time got away from your friendly pitmaster, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once it is ready, cook uncovered for 45 minutes and let it sit afterwards for ten minutes before jumping into the casserole dish and burning your mouths. 

On the barbecue side, set your grill up for a two-zone fire and cook it over direct coals for roughly an hour stirring every twenty minutes to prevent noodles from sticking until everything is ooey, gooey. Like the indoor version, wait ten minutes before devouring dinner!

I should have taken pictures of everything else I cooked and shared them to the barbecue groups I participate in but trust me when I say everything was great the first time around! As always, thanks for reading this post: In addition to trying it out for yourselves, be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

You Don't Hear Me Though

I took a break from doing so much exhaustive research and development into blogging not so much because this began as a hobby that took on a life of its own but the analytics did not support my work. This might be because a lot of you are not fans of reading for pleasure, and for others, my words are not encapsulated in a bite-size format unlike the barbecue my family, neighbors, friends, and the like have gotten so accustomed to. (Barbecue Sundays are a 2023 thing. Show me your pictures or simply show up in Springhill Manor one Sunday afternoon to see the smoke and get something to eat).

But this isn't entirely one of those posts. 

What is known is Brother Martin's love of ribs but what if I told you the Poor People's March was scheduled for Juneteenth 1968 in Washington? Why June 19? Why did the US object so fiercely against him as his nonviolence energy entered the geopolitical space as he simultaneously empowered the least among us locally? 

It was time to break up the triple axles of American greed, racism, and avarice, and for many people (yes, they're still living. See your doctors, pastors, local school board members, politicians, business people, bankers, managers, etc.) that was too much. American history was and still is predicated on cut-and-dried victories without acknowledging the missteps (Vietnam and the second Iraq wars) and glossing over those wins that are at best, incomplete such as the Civil Rights Movement. Think about why the straw men and women who are manipulated into indulging into culture wars do so: It's to perpetuate a fairy tale. They are so comfortable with living a lie that the truth that shatters every semblance of what was falsely taught in schools and at home must be suppressed if not outright whitewashed by any means possible, and when it is presented in real time, it offends their wee little feelings. 

Remember the "f**k your feelings" crowd? Me too. 

On everything I love, they are the biggest snowflakes around.

Why June 19?

June 19, 1865 is the date the slaves in Galveston found out they were free - a full TWO years after the Civil War ended. It also signifies the first time in American history Black freedom was officially recognized albeit a limited state as the South detested our independent movements free from the discriminatory glare of white society and politics. By claiming this date as ours, Juneteenth became the catalyst for deeper societal changes which sadly, are still bereft in our nation. It is said that toward the end of his life, Martin had adopted a pro-Black stance as he questioned why he helped lead us into a burning house that integration became. In other words, anytime Black people took a breath it would be construed as political: This idea dates back to President Andrew Johnson and more recently, former Vice President Mike Pence. 

Guess what? The Morehouse man (and greatest Alpha, according to my Alpha Phi Alpha friends) had always been B1. 

The Poor People's March was to organize the least among of us as one massive coalition, and frankly, it terrified the powers-that-be back then just as it did three years ago after the state-sanctioned murder of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic when people realized they were being played like cheap fiddles by employers large and small. Unfortunately with his death, the March never materialized; for an America that thought meaningful changes were coming too swiftly for its liking, losing him effectively silenced that movement. Folks resumed being comfortable amid the unpopularity of the Vietnam War and along with some deregulation, the gap between the rich and poor is now a chasm. It also didn't help that the more privileged chose to align themselves with their racial groups more than the promise of a few lines in the I Have a Dream speech that gets trotted out every January 15 or to beat back accusations of racism (see FL Gov. DeSantis) by opening segregation academies and the massive growth of bedroom communities caused by white flight (ex. Bryant/Benton, Cabot, Conway). 

As I mentioned a few years ago, the United States of America was cool with civil rights albeit at a glacial pace. What was deemed unacceptable is demanding silver rights as restitution for state-sponsored abuse economically, legally, and yes, even spiritually. 

Furthermore, taking our dollars out of the hands of those who devalued us and redirecting those same bucks into our local communities and businesses was too much for a nation that witnessed so much upheaval during a decade. Black unity then - and today - was perceived as the biggest threat to a facade of patriotism when the rest of the world knew it was bull. If you disagree, read some of the words from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover about the most pressing issue of his day (and mind).

It turns out that bullies don't like the light shone upon them.

But you still don't hear me though. 

The work is still incomplete at best, and for many, it will remain that way until Jesus returns for that church with neither a spot nor wrinkle. In the meantime, why not work at being more Christlike? Is it too hard as it takes us out of our comfort zones where we are not centered as the GOAT? Hate to break to some folks, but having a heart full of hate and a mouth (or social media post) overflowing in Scriptures isn't the way to eternal life. Until we get that through our thick skulls and over the rote and routine and performative parts of religion, we resemble the Saducees and Pharisees instead of those people clearly set apart to take up the cross and follow Him.