Made You Lolli Lolli: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Chicken Lollipops

I reckon it's time to turn a weekly standard into something both kid-friendly and a super appetizer for the next T4E event. In the meantime, might as well keep it simple and showcase one of the DSB sauces - or one of the two Mitch's womp sauce I recently snagged from Academy for $3.

INGREDIENTS 

One package of chicken drums

Your favorite chicken rubs (I'm using Fire Dancer's Chicken Rub and Heath Riles's Garlic Butter)

Your favorite barbecue sauce (I'm also using The Truth Sauce Sweet Heat)

Lolli lolli lolli lolli lemme see you pop that body (or eat this chicken lollipop), whatever they said #DubShackBBQ🏚 #everydayisaGREATdayforbbq #pitmasterlife #igotthesuces #TailgatingForEveryone #chickenlollipops pic.twitter.com/pgZLhs0EQp

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) October 6, 2023

STEP ONE. After opening the package of chicken legs, trim the thick ends to stand them up with a sharp knife. Once finished, find the tendons and cut them off by going all the way around the bone.

STEP TWO. Following the previous step, round off the chicken to make the meaty portion look as much like a lollipop as possible. If you do not have a tool to stand your drumsticks up, then ensure that they are able to stand up on their own. 

STEP THREE. Season the chicken with both Garlic Butter and Chicken Rubs and set up your cooker with a two-zone fire. Once it reaches 350 - remember,  this is grilled chicken, position your birds close to the hot coals but not directly over them and let them work peacefully. Chicken lollipops are normally ready at 160 degrees but since I do not play around with poultry, they went to 175 degrees before pulling them from the grill.

STEP FOUR. After giving them a fifteen-minute rest, feel free to paint The Truth Sauce on the lollipops to make them look like meat candy. They certainly make for a kick-ass appetizer, and it can serve enough to keep the rib fanatics from destroying that part of the table. 

So much drip on those birds

Enjoy!

This is a real easy recipe that can become a hit on game day or the upcoming holiday parties. With a little bit of sweat equity in cutting through the bones and removing tendons, these balls on a bone are the meat candy we all need. Thanks for reading this post and as the weather finally cools down, go cook something awesome outside. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Bang Bang Shrimp

Although today's title invokes a 1968 comedy starring Dick Van Dyke, I would like to think that the barbecue version is a whole lot easier to digest and enjoy than a rebuilt jalopy. Bang Bang shrimp is way easier than it should be - and in truth, the prep time takes longer than the actual cook.

INGREDIENTS 

2 lbs. jumbo or colossal shrimp

Bang Bang rub

Great Value Boom Boom Shrimp sauce

STEP ONE. Open the bag of shrimp and rinse in cool water. Peel the shells - and depending on your bag or the raw package found in the grocery store/fishmonger/favorite warehouse, the shrimp may need to be deveined. If you want to keep the tails on, feel free; my cooked bag was deveined with the tails off. 

Even Benton residents appreciate seeing Dick Van Dyke #chittychittybangbang pic.twitter.com/DX9fLNTSJw

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) October 1, 2023

STEP TWO. We believe in "working smarter, not harder", right? Skewer the shrimp positioning them to lay flat for the grill: We do this to be able to turn them without having to pick up every single individual crustacean. Light your grills to high heat and season the shrimp with the Bang Bang rub on both sides. 

STEP THREE. Once the grill reaches that screaming hot temperature, lay each skewer directly over the flame but DO NOT walk away from shrimp unless you and your guests like them rubbery and curly. From this cook, I turned the skewers at three minutes and pulled them after six minutes. Give your hot shrimp a shower of Boom Boom Shrimp sauce and serve immediately!

I know, I could have done the entire thing from scratch...but ain't nobody got time for that. Besides, Bonefish Grill might see this and have a quick word with your friendly pitmaster 😬.

Chitty chitty bang bang. pic.twitter.com/oFhQEyYdkf

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) September 30, 2023

Bang Bang shrimp made me say ugh.

It's also ridiculously easy to make, and if the shrimp are breaded, only add the sauce at the very end after it is fully fried. 

Thanks for checking this week's Tailgating For Everyone recipe. Go, put down your phones, tablets, and computers, and enjoy the great outdoors better known to most of us as our backyards with great appetizers. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Another One. Dub Shack BBQ Presents Grilled Cauliflower

I swear I'm becoming some sort of hitmaker that DJ Khaled wants a piece of the action.

Facts. #DubShackBBQ🏚 #everydayisaGREATdayforbbq #pitmasterlife #igotthesauces pic.twitter.com/GQW0ggy5Mp

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) September 21, 2023

Instead of meat, your friendly pitmaster flipped it and grilled cauliflower. 

Hold up, don't take my man or pitmaster cards away. Lemme explain:

See, what had happened was...I was perusing my way through the produce department at my local Wal-Mart when the idea hit me to try grilling cauliflower. I need to eat healthier than the steady junk diet I've shoved down my pie hole lately, and since the missus is on a modified diet, why not try it out? 

This is what came of it.

INGREDIENTS 

One head of cauliflower 

Olive oil

Fire and Smoke Society's Rodeo Ranch*

*The rub you choose is immaterial to the discussion. Among others, find a salt-free one that you like or even do a basic SPG plus paprika mixture. 

STEP ONE. Wash the cauliflower and pat it dry without breaking it apart, and then lather it in olive oil. If it has its base, keep it; otherwise, ensure that the vegetable can stand on its own - and don't forget to trim the larger leaves. 

STEP TWO. Light your grill to 350 degrees. If you can wave your hand over the fire and not move it super quickly, then it is not time to bring out the cauliflower. Once that moment arrives, place the standing head directly over coals and let it work for the next half-hour. Cauliflower is ready when it softens to a crisp-tender. Pull it from the grill, slice the into either florets or steaks, and serve immediately!

I knew I ran up on a hit with this one when my wife asked me to do it again expeditiously!

Grilling cauliflower - and any other vegetable - makes for some awesome sides as the someone's cousin punishes the table with baby back ribs and brisket burnt ends leaving only scraps for the rest. 

Hey, even vegans get love from your friendly pitmaster. 

As always, thanks for reading this post. If you like it and have the time, go cook something special outside with the usual strip steak and colossal shrimp for the loved ones. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Smoked Chicken Pot Pie

Not my recipe but please believe that I'll make it!

Made some smoked chicken pot pie seasoned with Holy Gospel and Voodoo! Best chicken pot pie I've ever had!

You'll need:

1 costco rotisserie chicken 

2 cans of cream of chicken 

1 cup of whole milk

4 oz of shredded cheddar

1 can of corn your choice

1 cup of diced carrots

1 cup of chopped asparagus

1 can of biscuits cut into quarters (not the layered kind)

Seasoning your choice to taste (I chose my go to's Voodoo and Holy gospel)

Smoke the whole chicken at 200 for 30 minutes or however long you want smoke flavor to get into meat.

In a 9x13 pan fold together your veggies, cream of chicken, milk, cheese, biscuits and Seasoning. 

After you've smoked your chicken remove and shred the chest meat (don't wanna get my comment removed lol) and fold it into pan. Chest meat was plenty. 

Smoke on top rack if you got one at 400 for 45-60 minutes or until top biscuits are crisp to your liking. 

Let rest for 20 minutes if you can and enjoy!

Make Barbecue Cheap Again: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Chuck Roast Burnt Ends

Making barbecue is clearly a passion of mine - and a great way to go outside away from the jibber-jabber of the world for anywhere between a few hours and a full day to make some really good food for family, friends, coworkers, and special events. One thing that sometimes gets overlooked is the relative inexpensive cost of entry: You don't need the priciest grills and proteins to make some impressive chow. In this week's recipe, your friendly pitmaster is smoking chuck roast burnt ends.

Do they taste like brisket?

Keep reading to find out.

INGREDIENTS 

Beef chuck roast

Wright's BBQ Meat Rub

Heath Riles's Garlic Butter rub 

Brown sugar

Beef broth

Honey

Your favorite barbecue sauce (of course, I'm using Dub Shack BBQ’s The O.G. sauce)

*If so desired, beef tallow to fortify the meat even more

STEP ONE. In the quest to make barbecue cheap again, pat down the beef chuck roast and slice it into 1-2" cubes. Apply both rubs onto all sides before placing the faux burnt ends on a wire rack. 

STEP TWO. In the meantime, light your smoker to 250-275 degrees. While the choice of wood is certainly your call, I went for mesquite wood splits due to the fact it is my favorite smoking wood for brisket. If you're using hickory, pecan, or post oak, then do your thing; after all, this is your cook. By the time the smoker reaches 250, bring out the burnt ends on the rack [work smart, not hard] and place it on the grates until they hit an internal temperature of 175 degrees.

STEP THREE. Think you're done? 

I'm sure the color is there, but the job is halfway done.

Once those cubed morsels show that they are at least 175 degrees, transfer them from the wire rack to a disposable pan with the following: beef broth to fortify the beef part of the chuck roast burnt ends; The O.G. sauce; several pats of butter; brown sugar for the caramelization; honey; or if that isn't enough, add a dollop of beef tallow to power up the experience. Return to the smoker and check again in about two hours. Chuck roast burnt ends are finished not at a certain temperature - although mine were an average of 210 degrees - rather at how they feel. If they are squishy, then you're finished! Let them rest for some time because piping-hot meat in the mouth can lead to some suffering. 

To answer my main question from earlier, does it taste like brisket?

No.

Good, and I wouldn't throw it off my plate. 

Thank you for reading this post and taking the time to cook it, share with the aforementioned family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and anyone within six degrees of yourselves. Although not exactly like brisket burnt ends, the chuck roast counterparts are pretty dang good and at a third of both time and money, they are awesome for anytime of the week plus your next gameday charcuterie boards. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Gettin' It Poppin': Dub Shack BBQ Presents Bratwurst Poppers

Matt Pittman of Meat Church BBQ fame made some two days ago.

Kosmo wrapped his in bacon yesterday. 

Your friendly pitmaster is making game day fun again - and during county fair week, at that.

What are we eating? Bratwurst poppers.

No matter how they are prepared, these joints will be some good snacking at the tailgate. 

INGREDIENTS 

Bratwursts

Cream cheese, preferably whipped

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Your favorite rub of choice

STEP ONE. Using a sharp knife, open the brats only piercing the skin to flatten them for even cooking. These poppers are going to be stuffed; giving them a boat for the cheese mixture to melt. Don't hollow out the meat only open the links.

STEP TWO. To ensure that they indeed are poppin', make several - and set your grills to 300 degrees. Once the lucky vessel reaches temperature, bring your tray full to the pit and load them up. With my number of brats, I chose to leave the wire rack underneath them (y'know, work smart - not hard) and let them cook until they reach 160 degrees internally. Remove and enjoy after a fifteen minute resting period.

My wife is on a modified diet for health reasons, and although it makes barbecue a bigger challenge than usual, I want her around as long as the good Lord finds it fit for us to enjoy each other and be here for Little Miss Sunshine. Try this one at your next cookout without the bun and you may never go back to having to tote one...but if you need a bun, bratwurst poppers will fit just fine. As always, thank you for your support of the movement and reading this post. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!