The Real Meaning of Black Thanksgiving

Forget everything the colonizers have told you.

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the Black family and traditional Black values.

Black family traditions. 

1. God first

2. Then family

3. Education

4. Business/entrepreneurship

5. Service to others —neighborhood, community, etc.

Chillin' With My Homies: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Chili Cheese Dip

In another way of making barbecue cheap again - it's always been fun - and as an appetizer for the next game day party or as most families do stacking up on top of each other to watch the Lions or Cowboys each Thanksgiving, this week's Tailgating For Everyone recipe is chili cheese dip.

Thanks to Kosmo for inspiring this dip.

INGREDIENTS 

Cream cheese 

Kosmos Q's Cow Cover Rub

Leftover chili (or the stuff in the can, if available)

16 oz Mexican style shredded cheese 

Fire Dancer BBQ's Chicken Rub 

STEP ONE. Since this is yet another dump-and-go recipe, let's start with the base of cream cheese. Add as much or as little of Cow Cover as you like, and layer up the chili, cheese, and Chicken Rub. 

STEP TWO. Light your grills to 350 and let it come up to temperature. Once there, slide your pan (I'm cheap - I don't always use my cast iron skillet outside, but when I do, you'll know) on and let the magic happen for 35 minutes or until the cheese is melted enough for your stomach and heart's desire.

Serve hot with chips and enjoy!

That's all. To some, I just deconstructed one of those beloved items from the Taco Bell menu from long ago, and to others, I made a tailgating experience worth their while. Will I ever put the show on the road? That is a great question I haven't found the best answer for yet, but stick around and let's find out together. As always, thanks for reading this post. Before the weather gets too cold, go outside and cook something awesome everyone can enjoy. 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! 

Thicc: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Grilled Brownies

I like 'em real thick and juicy.

In a bonus Tailgating For Everyone post - and postseason edition since HSU beat the archrivals from across the street and won the three-way tiebreaker to make the D2 playoffs, I might as well share with the world one more dessert. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I'll need more room than what the kitchen can afford me in regards to cooking space. 

INGREDIENTS 

Butter flavored cooking spray

Raw chocolate chip cookie dough 

Oreos Doubled Stuffed cookies*

Betty Crocker Delights Supreme Triple Chunk brownie mix

*Since the Dollar General nearest the house is only four blocks away versus one-and-a-half mile trip to either Kroger or Walmart, I went there instead. But, do you, man.

STEP ONE. Spray your disposable pan with the butter-flavored cooking spray. If you feel like it, feel free to put down a wax sheet afterwards; otherwise, on to the next step.

STEP TWO. Follow the second step in constructing the brownie mix from the box and set aside. In the meantime, prep your grill for a two-zone fire. You'll be ready to start grilling brownies in a little bit.

STEP THREE. Like a player, layer in this order: cookie dough mix, the cookies themselves, and brownie mix. Take out to the grill once it reaches 350 and bake for 35 minutes or until its internal temperature reaches 210 degrees. For the average kitchen artist, this is also the time that inserting a toothpick happens. If it is dry, then pull from the cooker and let it rest a minimum of fifteen minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!

Note: In the pictures, I had so much room in my pan that one half is triple chocolate chunk brownies, and the other half is salted caramel. Take a guess which is which. -ACedA

I thought T4E would have ended last week with the Battle of the Ravine, but since Henderson looked so impressive in their win against the then 10th-ranked Ouachita squad, the NCAA decided the Red and Grey deserved to continue its season for at least one more week. Even if the campaign had ended, your friendly pitmaster has a bit of a sweet tooth that needs to be satisfied (Remember in Week 1, we smoked peach cobbler on the Weber). The holidays - and my birthday - are around the corner, so...thanks for reading this post. Since this is perfect smoking weather, go outside and cook something awesome for the family, friends, and other folks. 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! 

Arkansas In Every Way: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Oxtails

I know oxtails aren't exactly tailgating food but what a way to close out T4E this season. Unfortunately, since HSU isn't going to the D2 playoffs, my beloved Red and Grey might as well play spoiler and simultaneously own Arkadelphia for another year by beating the archival across 10th Street: 14th-ranked Ouachita. 

Well, since the governor happens to be an OBWho alum as is her redneck pappy, let's say misery loves company. They can cry after a Reddie win.

Back to what matters: barbecue content.

But first, oh friendly pitmaster, what are oxtails?

Cow tails. 

INGREDIENTS 

Beef oxtails

Killer Hogs' The BBQ Rub

Braising liquid

Beef broth

Bear and Burton's W Sauce 

Red wine

Tomato paste

Optional: Basamic vinegar (your call)

STEP ONE. Trim the excess fat from each oxtail and set aside. If you don't know what is excessive, look for the hard fatty bits that will not render during the cook. Once that is done, set aside and prepare to give them Killer Hogs' The BBQ Rub on all sides. 

Why am I only using one rub?

Because I am braising the gang later. 

STEP TWO. If your weapon of choice (in my case, the Weber kettle) is lit and ready to go at 275 degrees, you have done a fine job. Otherwise, go light the rig up! What we are shooting for in this portion of the cook is a mahogany color across each oxtail; flip over halfway through the first hour. [Don't be like me and let them get too dark for the eyes to get hungry. They may mess around and get hangry!] 

STEP THREE. Once the oxtails get that candy red color, take them off the grill and add them to the braising liquid to take us to the finish line. In my disposable pan - I'm too cheap to get a cast-iron set of skillets and Dutch oven pans - are the following: beef broth, the W sauce, tomato paste, and red wine. Return to the grill and cook until they are falling apart. 

Lately my Weber kettle has been cooking fast, so it may not be too long before it is time to eat.

STEP FOUR. Be sure you check the temperatures of each oxtail before calling the cook done by probing each one for tenderness - or the feel test. Oxtails are done around 210 degrees for that falling apart taste,  and if your feelers do a better job than a tool (don't let it be the only thing to determine tenderness), squeeze one. Give them a bit of a rest before serving!

I know mine aren't candy red the same way Utah YouTuber (and Houston native) LesBBQ presents his oxtails from each of his videos, but they will be next time! I think I did a pretty good job of making mine Arkansas in every way the first time around, and I suppose they can be run back. 

Rocky gives the paw of approval

This concludes Season 3 of Tailgating For Everyone. Thanks for sticking around to this point and trying some wicked-awesome items to cook at the next party, cookout, event, or in my case, Barbecue Sundays at the Dub. With this slew of recipes, may your next cook be the best one ever! 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! 

Ba Da Ba Ba Ba: Dub Shack BBQ Presents My McRib

Because it is that time of year again when that fast-food franchise with the Golden Arches begins to inundate us with a dog bone shaped piece of ground pork with a ton of sauce on it to resemble a wet rib and has the audacity to call it a limited time promotion, we should seek out something better to call a rib sandwich. In addition, I think I can do it better: Come to the crib and find out!

Next season, I'm looking for taste testers who wouldn't mind eating free barbecue once - or twice - a week on those research and development days sharing those grinning faces and perhaps provide feedback on the cooks. The #meatlist members have a seat at the table; come join them!

INGREDIENTS 

Two racks of baby back ribs

Your favorite barbecue rubs (I'm using Fire & Smoke Society's Sweet Preacher and Killer Hogs' The A.P. rubs)

Your favorite sweet barbecue sauce (In true Black Arkansan fashion, I'm using Aisha's sauce)

Sliced onions

Hamburger pickles

Sandwich buns

STEP ONE. Prepare your ribs by first removing them from the cryo-vac packaging they come in and patting them dry. Next, peel back the membrane on both racks and score the bottom of both racks for maximum coverage and flavor to permeate the ribs. Since this is a very wet rib, you have the option of using a binder such as mustard or Bear and Burton's W Sauce before applying the desired rub(s) on both sides. Set the ribs over on a cutting board and allow them to hang out while you light the smoker. 

STEP TWO. Once the smoker reaches 250-275 degrees, place the ribs on the smoker and let them get happy in the applewood smoke for a while until they get to an internal temperature of 175 degrees. In the meantime, grab a beer, give the dog some love, or do something productive in the yard that the missus would appreciate.

STEP THREE. Well, both racks of ribs have that pretty mahogany color and are ready to eat, right? Not quite yet. Once they start feeling good to touch,  bring them off the smoker and wrap meat side down with butter and brown sugar underneath them and as an option, add another layer of honey or a liquid of choice. [I typically add apple juice, but do your thing]. After both racks are wrapped, return to the smoker - you don't have to add any more wood as the flavor has made its presence in the featured presentation. Continue cooking until the ribs pass that wave test or until they are falling off the bone at a temperature of 210+ degrees. 

Make sure these ribs are still tender before someone tries to roast the pitmaster. 

STEP FOUR. Remove the ribs from the foil and add the sweet sauce but be careful of how long they are back on the cooker. Remember, we eat with our eyes first, so please don't spoil your hard work with super dark ribs. Let them rest for at least fifteen minutes; if the bones are falling out, then get them out of the way and slice into sandwiches. When you build them, start with the sauce, add the meat, sliced onions, another layer of sauce, dill pickles, and close it down. Bonus points for serving them with piping hot fries with salt and a beverage of your choice. Enjoy!

I'm lovin' it, are you?

With the end of this season's Tailgating For Everyone recipe series near, it would benefit all of to look back and smoke something special this weekend. [Next week's season finale is going to be unreal, y'all.] As always, thanks for reading this post. If you're not eating the best barbecue you've had in some time, whoop that trick and find yourselves a friendly pitmaster like me to grace the tables, grills, and coolers. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!