57 Smokehouse BBQ

Half way to 90

2011-12-27T00:40:00.000-05:00

Well tomorrow I turn the big 4-5,thats about 30 years longer than my mom gave me. I am looking forward to spending the day with my boys at a Pokemon tourney. I think I will try to make BBQ cupcakes tomorrow night and stick a candle in one. If those turn out like crap then Key Lime Pie it will be. Well guys have a safe New Years and be safe out there.....Alan

57 Smokehouse joins Twitter

2011-12-23T01:33:00.001-05:00

I took the team into the twitter age,like facebook wasn't enough. You can follow use at Alan Walker @57smokehouseBBQ. This should be a little easier to maintain than the facebook page but I will keep them both updated....

Christmas is two weeks out

2011-12-11T23:21:00.000-05:00

That means the new BBQ season is right around the corner and I am ready to get back on the road. Looks like the first contest will be in Blackshear Ga which is about two hours south of us here in Macon.The Pierce County Pig Pickin' BBQ Festival,Feb 10-11th 2012 loks like its going to be a blast. It has the biggest payout for Grand in GBA History-Yeah I am looking at the application-. they are having Friday night ancillary events of Wild Game,Chicken and Peoples choice- we will probably do chicken and not the other two and we will not be vending this event. We are real excited about seeing all the cook teams it seems like it has been a long time since Gordon ( our last cook).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2011-11-26T13:10:00.000-05:00

The holidays are here already man where has the year gone what a blur. I am thankful that 2011 was such a great year, we added Parker to the family, had a good competition year and we all have our health so overall a success. 57 Smokehouse catering is already getting Christmas orders and that really excites me that means I get to cook but man I gotta get a bigger smoker I miss the Bubba grill. The kids are so excited that Santa will be coming agian this year and bringing them lots of goodies. The one thing I love about the season is that TV doesn't really suck and I get to live my childhood through the eyes of my kids with all the old Christmas shows I watched as a youngster. I also love the tunes of the season I keep them downloaded on my MP3 so I can visit them all year long(weird I know). I am really hoping to grow the 57 Smokehouse name in 2012 through the competition scene as well as a few othe plans I have up my sleeve but we will see how those pan out. In short I just wanted to wish all our friends and family a very safe holiday season....
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE...
ALAN,AMBER,JACOB,AYDEN,MAKENNA and PARKER WALKER

2012 New Direction

2011-11-21T18:02:00.000-05:00

I would like to say that the 2011 GBA season was a huge learning curve for 57 Smokehouse on so many levels and showed us we have ALOT to learn in the BBQ world. The lessons learned this past year has given us a new outlook on the 2012 season as well as a new attitude and respect for the BBQ community. We have set our goals high and we a confident they are reachable with alot of practice and hard work. Our focus this coming season will be flavor profiles,improving presentation and overall quality of food. There are many changes in the future for the 57 Smokehouse BBQ Team but we are excited to embrace them and move ahead with a successful season.. 2012 HERE WE COME

2011 year in review

2011-10-20T20:28:00.001-04:00

This was a year to remember for 57 Smokehouse BBQ team and the first of many in the competitive BBQ circuit. I will say that this whirlwind of a ride has fulfillled alot of my dreams and passions and has fueled a fire in me that makes me want to do this every weekend. Our year started in Dublin and I thought we would do pretty good with what we had been doing in the backyard(boy was I wrong). I have so many people to thank for helping me make this dream come true but most of all I have to thank my wife Amber for walking this dream with me. Having a sponsor this year allowed us to cook so many more contest than we could afford and a HUGE thanks goes out to Greens Electric and all their support. The friendships that we have made over the last 9 months have been life changing for Amber and I, we are from the nightclub culture and we are accustomed to "friends" wanting to know what we can do for them. We got our first call the second contest we were in at the Fire Ant Festival and the really got the fire in the belly burning. Lane Packing Company yielded no calls but was a blast anyway. Hawkinsville was without a doubt our worst showing to date. Barnesville was our first taste ofthe FBA and the big boys of BBQ we cooked right beside Jacks New South and for the compitition ther we did fairly well. Plains contest wa also a butt load of fun and we got a call in ribs and met President Jimmy Carter. the summer break was next which was fine with Amber being very pregnate at this point but it drove me crazy. What the break did do though was give me time to bring a very strong new member to the team that could help us with the many weak points we had. Glen and Melanie Musick ( QUE THE MUSIC BBQ TEAM) joined us for the first contest of the fall leg. We got 4 calls including a first in Chicken with a perfet 600 score. Kennesaw was the first KCBS we cooked and there were alot of teams at this event and we had so much fun cooking all the catagories and my first Wagyu brisket (9th place). Ft. Valley was the next GBA event we cooked and got a call in Pork Loin in this event. We skipped the Sumner contest and the last one we cooked was the Gordon event. Brent Cannon (Kinchafoone Cookers) joined us for this contest too cooking the ever dreaded Loin and we got calls in all three catagories for this contest as well. The winter layoff is upon us now and there will be some changes in the future for 57 Smokehouse BBQ team as well I will be looking for additional sponsorship to help offset the cost of doing so many contest. BBQ is addictive-Contest are addictive-Cooking is addictive but it is a very expensive hobby.

In short this was an eyeopening year of learning something I though I had down pretty good. I have been coached and mentored by some excellent people this year and will take all I have learned and in 2012 we a setting our goals high and expect to fulfill them.

MY THANKS

Amber-for indulging my addiction and helping me fulfill a dream
Bobby- For carting my sorry ass around to all these contest
Chuck- For sponsorship and friendship and all the other goodies
Glen and Mel- for being mentors and team mates and friends
Carl and Mary- for being mentors and friends
Brent- for new friendship you are welcome on our team anytime

GORDON FALL LINE FESTIVAL

2011-10-02T21:03:00.004-04:00

This weekend was the Gordon Fall Line Festival BBQ contest sponsored by the GBA in beautiful Gordon Ga. With the GBA season coming to a close in a few weeks this was going to be a good chance to make some points for the Team of the Year standings. 57 Smokehouse was fully loaded for this contest with the addition of Brent Cannon(Kinchafoonee Cookers) and Glen and myself as the cooks for the three catagories. The weather was going to be beautiful this weekend and it was about time we were tired of being hot and sweaty. There were only gonna be thirteen teams there this contest but most were the bigger names so we knew the competition was gonna be tough and it did'nt disappoint. I will say this was a very well organized contest (except for the bathroom situation) and the hospitatlty was top notch. Bobby and I of course got lost getting to a contest 20 miles from the house(imagine that) but we finally found our way there and got set up. We had a huge camp site and made the most of we had, a prep area, a cook area and a TV area for college gameday and still had a butt load of room left over. The cooking duties went as such Brent was in charge of cooking the Pork Loin....Glen had the pulled pork.... I had rib duty. We were doing the chicken ancillary catagory and there was only three of us cooking it so it was WINNER TAKE ALL for this Friday night cook. I thought our product hands down was spectacular and was gonna be real hard to beat(but it got beat). The night went smooth and the meat got preped in a timely manner and we had alot of time to sit and talk BBQ and strategy. It was a pleasure to have Brent cooking with us this trip and he brought alot to the team and taught us alot about cooking loin and was a true pleasure to be around. I will say that the teams around us got introduced to the Genie Bra most of the night as we forgot to turn the tv off and left the volume a wee bit loud (sorry guys). The morning started early as they usually do even though yours truely slightly overslept but got going at a slower pace than usual. The first turn in was loin and Brent was up to bat and guys let me tell you he cooked the best loin I have ever put in my mouth. Pulled pork was next and Glen was bringing a modified recipe to the table for this contest and it hands down was top quality product. Ribs was the final catagory so that put me on the hot seat and I knew I had my hands full to match the previous two turn ins but they didnt disappoint. I can honestly say the three boxes of meat we turned in this weekend gave the most hope of making the finals as I have had in a long time. I was proud of the product we put out and will put it up agianst anyones BBQ in any sanctioning group.

Results
PORK LOIN- 9TH
PULLED PORK-7TH
RIBS-9TH
OVERALL-10TH

To recap the weekend I thought we produces the best BBQ we have turned in to date and the team performed without a hitch. I would also like to say congratulations to HOLY SMOKERS for their first Grand Champion. You guys deserve it and we are proud to call you colleagues and friends.

I have no idea if this will be the last contest of the season for us but if it is I can honestly say this has been an adventure and just chapter 1 for 57 smokehouse. The learning curve has been huge and we have made vauable friendships through this journey. I would also like to thank GREENS ELECTRIC again for the sponsorship this year without you guys we could not have done this.

57 Smokehouse Team

Alan Walker

Amber Walker

Glen Musick

Bobby Wright

Chuck Green

and special guest star

Brent Cannon

Fort Valley quick review

2011-09-23T00:05:00.003-04:00

The Hambone Jam was a blast there were alot of talented teams and the competetion was stiff. The city of Fort Valley really put a great contest, it was organized and very professionally run. The GBA also did a spectacular job on sanctioning this event. The weather was seansonably comfortable and made cooking and hanging out in camp a joy. We cooked a new Loin recipe that got us a 6th place finish. I overcooked the ribs and got my first negative comment card. The pulled pork was excellent and Glen and Amber put together a spectacular box. I was very proud to see close friends of ours (Smokin Willy Squealers) take the Grand for their first time. The kids had a great time hanging with us this weekend and glen had Ayden howling like a wolf at every turn in time. Overall we had a blast and looking forward to Gordon.

Kennesaw Pigs and Peaches

2011-08-28T18:11:00.001-04:00

57 Smokehouse embarked on the first KCBS contest of our early BBQ adventures and an adventure it was. Bobby and I headed out of Macon around 11:30 on Friday morning and hit I-75 for what we thought would be a straight shot to Kennesaw Ga. WRONG in typical 57 Smokehouse fashion we had to make the simple complicated, who knew there were more than two lanes of traffic and a million road signs you need to pay attention to in Atlanta. I will say the Lenox Mall off of I-85 is a beautiful place but a long way from where we needed to be but thanks to Glen for getting us back on the right track with one phone call. We arrived about 2 and had to get to work right off the bat finishing up setting camp thank god Glen had gotten there earlier and had most of it done before we got there. I will have to say Kennesaw is a beautiful town and that was a well run contest.The cooks meeting was at 4 and was handled very professionally and they even fed us a spaghetti dinner that was delicious. Let me give you guys an idea of how busy you are at a KCBS event.

FOOD PREP
1st PREP THE BRISKET
2ND PREP THE BOSTON BUTTS
3RD PREP CHICKEN ( 24 PEICES )
4TH PREP RIBS (SPARES SO THEY HAD TO BE CUT DOWN)
5TH PREP THE TURN IN BOXES ( EACH BOX TAKES AROUND 30-45 MINS )

Dont let this fool you that its only five steps this takes along time and we finished up around midnight. I am sure we will get alot faster at these processes the more of these we do but it will still be alot of work. The next morning comes real early around 5a.m. to ready the camp for the turn ins that start at noon. We were cooking on the drums again but also had a couple of Treagers with us this time. First up was the chicken turn ins at noon and in my opinion we put some spectacular product in the box. Second came the ribs and again the product was way above par and turn in for tose was at 12:30. Pulled pork was next to be turned in and we had some of the best pork I have eaten in a long time. I was cooked perfectly and the money muscles were spot on. Brisket was the last turn in at 1:30 and ours was the best brisket I have ever eaten ( we used a Wagu for the first time). There were 74 teams at this contest (50 pro 24 backyard) and some really big names were there so we knew the competetion was gonna be tough and it didnt disappoint. I was very proud of the team this cook even though we were two really important people down.

57 Smokehouse BBQ team for Kennesaw
Glen Musick
Bobby Wright
Chuck Green
Alan Walker

The Results
Chicken-39th ( I THINK WE HAD A VEGAN JUDGE)
Ribs-41st
Pulled Pork-13th
Brisket- 9th
Overall- 25th

In my opinion this was a successful cook for us and finishing middle of the pack was not diappointing. The major thing we learned tihs weekend was to gel as a team and not work as individuals. I feel we have a great chance of making an impact in the BBQ world but it will take time and alot of practice. the major factor we were missing this week was Melanie and Amber, they bring alot to the team and their absence was surely felt.

Well guys the next contest is in two weeks in Ft. Valley so I will be back after the HAMBONE JAM...........ALAN

Griffin Ribs and Rolling BBQ contest

2011-08-22T18:26:00.001-04:00

The BBQ adventure started againthis weekend with the Ribs and Rolling BBQ contest and car show in Griffin Ga. Bobby and I headed out of Macon around noon on Friday,we got a late start but Griffin was only about 43 miles from the house so it was a short trip. We got lost as usual trying to find the fairgrounds but all it took was one phone call to Carl Williams(Smokin Willy) and we found it in no time. Glen and Melanie got in around 3:00 and we set up camp only to run into our first obstacle, we had no power or so we thought. Turns out we had a power surge that wreaked havock with a few teams around us and with us too, shorted out the complete electrical in the trailer, took out a fan and more importantly fried Glens Traeger Grill. We entered two of the three ancillary catagories and needed to get chicken cooked and Brunswick Stew hot for turn in later and we were a smoker down. It was time for plan B or should I say plan D and we fired up the drum smokers while Glen got the chicken prepped. We hit both turn ins without a hitch and was pleased with the product we had cooked plus we had leftovers so dinner was served. Glen and I decided to split the cook he was doing the butts and I was doing the ribs and we both did a loin and let the team decide which to turn in. 57 Smokehouse is notorious for late night fireworks and this contest was no different but thats all I will say about that to protect the innocent. Loin was the first turn in and the team went with Glens loin over mine and I agreed whole heartedly with their decision. Pulled pork was next and I watched the presentation of this box very closely and learned more in 20 minutes than in the previous contest we have done. Ribs was our last meat to turn in and by the grace of god Amber showed up in time for her and Melanie to put together a good looking box of ribs. We didn't make the top three in any of the catagories(this time) and you would not believe how hot is was out there,I think we hit 100 around 10 a.m. so the only thing cooking now was us. More to come

Getting Back on the BBQ road

2011-08-11T18:14:00.001-04:00

57 Smokehouse BBQ team is getting ready t get back on competetion circut,we will be cooking for three seperate sanctioning groups before the end of the year. We are going to cook a GBA event in Griffin Ga and we are honored to be joined by Glen Musick and his wife Melanie to cook side by side with us (maybe they can teach me something). Amber is gonna be sidelined for a few contest so I will be without my better half. The following weekend Glen and I and the team will be cooking our first KCBS contest in Kennesaw GA and we are super excited about this one. There is a MBN event being held here in Macon that we will be trying our hand at. Glen and I will be exploring other contest for the future that we can cook. GBA has four events left for the season including the State Championship in Ft. Valley which is also the kickoff to the new season and team of the year points. We are excited to get back and see our friends that cook the GBA group and will kee you guys posted on how we are doing.

New Addition to the Team

2011-08-11T17:48:00.001-04:00

We have added a new team member to the Walker family,Amber gave birth to out second son Monday Aug 8th at 1:41 pm. He was 7lbs9ozs and was 20 1/2 inches long and his name is Parker Collins Walker. His name is a combination of our family names and we are proud he will carry them throughout his life. I hope he knows what he is in for being a part of this crazy BBQ family but if hes anything like his siblings he will be just fine.

Time to update the blog

2011-07-13T21:09:00.001-04:00

It's time to catch the blog up to date. I have been slacking so much with the competetiions and having a baby no alot of time to post but I promise I will get better. We have been trying to get the UDS business off the ground with limited success but we are still getting our feet wet in the new business. We are offering Drum Smokers starting at $125 for a basic model and going up in price capping off at $250 for a custom job. We are running an ad in The BBQ Times news paper www.bbqtimes.com please check it out. We are getting closer to the baby getting here ( Aug 8th is the due date) and we are so excited to get Parker into the family. Looks like the next contest we wil be cooking will be in Griffin Ga. in August, it has been a long layoff with the GBA and we are itching to get back cooking. That means it's time to get practicing soon and hopefully this heat will break soon it has been misreable for the past few weeks and we need a break. I will post again soon guys and thanks for reading

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T12:30:00.000-04:00

57 Smokehouse just wants to say THANK YOU to all who serve our country and keep us free. We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday with plenty to eat and drink. We are going to be doing ribs today at my dads while the kids play in the pool and man is it HOT... Have a safe day all....

Plains Ga

2011-05-23T21:04:00.001-04:00

We had a Great time in Plains Ga this weekend and it all starts with the friendship and advice of Carl Williams and the Smoking Willey Squealers BBq team. This weekend was hot and full of gnats but could have been alot worse if we had not listened to Carl about setting up in the park under the shade and right by the restrooms. Amber being 7 months pregnate and going to cook these contest with us we had to think about her needs first and Carl stepped up to the plate for us and he has no idea how much we appreciate it. What made this weekend different from our other contest this year is we cooked exclusively on UDS (Ugly Drum Smokers) and used some new recipes to boot. Bobby and I pulled in about 1:30pm on friday and went and found Carl in the park and got inspected before we could even starting unloading the truck(thanks Dan). We got the camp set and waited on Chuck and Amber to get there to start preping the meat so we had a couple of beers and walked around Plains.They had a street party during the evening and my guys went and had a great time Amber andI stayed in camp. I finally got to get to sleep some during a contest and it made a big difference the next morning for firing up the two UDS for ribs and loin. Turn in time came around and we made them all in the nick of time with hopes of doing better this contest and maybe getting to walk this time. You would be amazed how the smallest mistake can cost you in the long run in a BBQ contest. Finals came round and we didnt make any but that will change in time so we sat and waited for awards and it was hot but we did have a distraction. It was another friend of ours birthday and we shared cake with Glen Musick of Kudzu Q and his wife. Finals came and started with pork loin (we got no call) then to pulled pork (again no call) and I was startin to get a little upset. Ribs was the next to be called and I knew this was our last and best shot and sure enough we took 6th in ribs and got to meet President Jimmy Carter and his wife. Overall it was a great weekend and had a blast with my team and the new friends we have made this seasonbut we are off until September(not happy bout that) but will give Amber a chance to relax and have Parker... More updates to come........Alan

Barnesville BBQ and Blues

2011-04-24T23:48:00.001-04:00

We had a blast at our first FBA event this weekend and well worth our time. It was a little different with the new catagories we had to cook (Chicken and Brisket). Chicken was the worst of the day almost placing DAL but a learning experiencen and brisket was a hard second worst. We did pretty good in butts and ribs. We had some great neighbors with The PitCrew and Jacks Old South and a most entertaining time with my team. We picked up some GREAT equipment this weekend (thank you Chuck) with getting a thermapen,and two really good knifes. We got the chance to have a good conversation this weekend with Myron Mixon(Jacks Old South) and got to see some of the bigger teams of the BBQ world. In the end we placed 35th out of 49 teams but our scores are on the rise and for our fifth comp I am not disappointed. MORE TO COME FOLKS

Playing with Fire Ants

2011-03-28T16:44:00.001-04:00

This weekend was the Fire Ant festival in Ashburn Ga and it was our second competetion and a total BLAST. We would like to thank our sponsor again for a great weekend of cooking and fellowship without Greens Electric this would not be possible. Friday was a beautiful day,Bobby and I headed out of Macon around 11a.m. and had about an hours drive ahead of us. We got into Ashburn around 1:30 after a short stop in Byron to meet with our graphic designers to pick up our new banner and drum magnets. The Fire Ant Festival was a smaller version of the Cherry Blossom Festival but it was very well organized. Chuck(sponsor),Mitch,Cody and Chris were about two hour behind us. I had to get there kinda early so I could prep the food for the Friday night Ancillary cook that consisted of Chicken,Brunswick Stew and BBQ Sauce. I was also to meet with Carl Williams of SmokinWilly Squealers BBQ Team because he was bringing me some Red Oak to try instead of the White Oak I have been using. I got the 15 chicken Thighs trimmed and prepped and gave Bobby the rest to use on the UDS he brought to prepare dinner for the guys that night. Amber joined us right after the sauce turn in at 5:15 and just in time to get the Brunswick Stew ready for turn in at 5:45. I got the chicken cooked and boxed for turn in at 6:30. Competetion Meat prep was next which was a little butt rubbing and rib tickling and the loin ready for the brine. We got a little down time to go explore the sights for a few hours. Amber found a variety of good fair food to tempt her pregnant taste buds and it was a very festive atmosphere complete with a great fireworks show. We got to spend some times with friends that we had made in Dublin out of Atlanta (SmokinGrills BBQ Team) and tried some of the food they were vending and in return we took them some stew for something a little different. I got the rig fired up around 10p.m. and ready to put the butts on a while later.

That red oak that Carl brought me to try was really good and burned really slow and even making holding temps in the rig a little easier. I got a little sleep early that morning while Amber got the ribs and loin on the rig. Our first turn in was between 10:15 and 10:30 and it was loin, the next was between 11:15 and 11:30 and was pulled pork. Our last turnin was at at 12:15 and 12:30 and was the final catagory of ribs, then waited to see if we made the finals.Amber had to leave early to pick the childern up and Bobby and I stayed for the awards ceremony that was held at 5. At the end of the Day we got two calls that day we took second in Brunswick Stew and 5th in Pork Loin. I really have to work on my timing with the butts and ribs as I was'nt happy with what we turned in and it reflected in the scores.
Our Results were as follows
Ribs-18th
Pulled Pork-21st
Pork Loin-5th
Friday nights cook
Brunswick Stew-2nd
Sauce-10th
Chicken-8th
Overall Finish- 12th
We improve considerably from the first contest and we are looking forward to the rest of the season.
Thanks for sharing our contest with us
Alan

FIRE ANT FESTIVAL TWO WEEKS OUT

2011-03-14T22:13:00.000-04:00

The Fire Ant Festival in Ashburn Ga. is two weeks out and this will be 57 Smokehouse BBQ second event and we are jacked about cooking again. I have'nt made alot of adjustments to our flavor profiles but some major changes on the timing aspect of the cook.I learned alot at the Dublin contest about how different cooking at a comp is a world away from cooking in your driveway. I would like to thank Carl Williams from SmokingWilly Squealers for the great conversation and a little insight into the comp world I may not have seen. This festival is going to be a large event and in its 17 year and should be a blast for the whole family. The Fire Ant Festival has Friday night events so this will be our first attempt at our Sauce,Brunswick Stew and Chicken,all of these are Ambers specialties. Next weekend will be practice cook time again and I need it with the Pork Loinand work on the timing with the ribs... I will keep you guys posted...

24th out of 36 in Dublin

2011-03-06T23:06:00.002-05:00

The Dublin contest was an adventure in fun and learning. We placed 24th with our highest score coming in Pulled Pork and our lowest in Pork Loin. Our ribs were really good but could have stayed on the smoker for another 30 mins and they would have been perfect. We had a GREAT radio interview with Darryl Mast of BBQ Superstars www.bbqsuperstars.com please go and take a listen under the Dublin interviews. I would like to thank Chuck Green of Greens electric for coming out and having a great weekend with us and for sponsoring the 57 Smokehouse BBQ team as well as the rest of the team. Amber assymbled all the turn in boxes and they were very professionally done. We met alot of good people we are friends with on Facebook and The BBQ Brethren, We had great neighbors in the teams of Kudzu Q and B&T BBQ teams(sorry if we got a little loud). Timing seemed to be our downfall this weekend and something that I will get better at with practice. I really want to thank my whole team for the effort and I promise we will bet better the futher we get into the season.

TEAM 57SMOKEHOUSE

Alan Walker-Head Cook
Amber Walker-Head Cook/Presentation
Chuck Green(Green Electric) Sponsor/inspiration and support
Bobby Wright-UDS Division/Right Hand Man
Kerry White-Beer and Ice Guy
Mitch Harris-True inspiration and the voice of reason
Cody King-practical jokes thats gonna get him killed
Mike Brown-Just Thank You for giving me the opportunity to make a dream a reality....Thanks Brother
Jill Walker- Photography and Designs

3 More days til Dublin

2011-03-01T17:03:00.000-05:00

Three more days til 57 Smokehouse BBQ makes it competetion debut and I am so excited. There is alot of prep for a contest that I never thought about but thank God for finding a checklist on the net. I am probably taking way more than I should but I want to be prepared for the unknown. I started this blog over a year ago in hopes of learning all we could about competetion bbq and to share our journey and it all starts Friday in Dublin,GA. We will be cooking in the GBA(Georgia BBQ Association) where Amber and I have been judges for a couple of years. Again we would like to thank Chuck Green and Family for joining us on this journey I will keep everone posted throughout the week and weekend. Wish us luck ALAN

We have a new 57 Smokehouse family member

2011-02-22T19:28:00.001-05:00

Amber and I would like to welcome Chuck Green and the Green Electric family to the 57 Smokehouse family. Chuck and his families company will be sponsoring the team this season(which s our first). We are so lucky to have a sponsor that has a passion in BBQ and wants to learn and grow with us. We will be cooking the GBA this season and try to get in at least the spring portion of the season before the baby gets here in August. Dublin Ga will be our first contest on March 4th and 5th and we are so excited to get started.Chuck and his crew will be a welcomed addition to the family and we are looking foreward to aving a blast out on the road...

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T17:34:00.000-05:00

Amber and I would both like to wish all our blog,facbook and BBQ Brethren friends a very HAPPY VALENTINES DAY and we hope all your romantic wishes come true. Alan..

A beautiful day for smoking

2011-02-12T18:47:00.001-05:00

Today was such a beautiful day that I had to have an excuse to fire the rig up and nothing says excuse like a BBQ BRETHREN THROWDOWN. This weeks theme was food you eat with your hands so I went with Turkey Legs. I found some legs on sale at Food Lion and bought up 9 of them for $7.00 what a steal. I coated them liberally with our BBQ rub and got them on the smoker for about 2 hrs. They came out pretty good for ole turkey legs but it was a fun day of smoking.. hanks for looking..Alan

Lets get caught up.

2011-02-07T16:34:00.000-05:00

It has been an intresting start to the 2011 year for 57 Smokehouse BBQ full of highs and lows already. As some of you guys know we have been doing fund raising for Sams Club for their MDA and CMN charities, well that has come to an abrupt end until we get our (very expensive) vendors license. We are now on the search for a commercial kitchen we can use as a base of operation as well as a vending trailer. I have a lead on a few trailers that Coke is selling but I dont know if I can modify them enough to suit our needs but def worth a look. We would like to thank Sams for the opportunity that they provided us and all the great people we met through our short stint there. 57 Smokehouse will be back on the road soonbut until then I guess we will concentrate on finally getting into the competetion scene and see how we do there.. Thanks guys Alan

What a Weekend

2011-01-12T18:50:00.000-05:00

We had a big catering job this weekend on the heels of an incoming Ice storm. I had 15 Butts,200 Chicken Quarters and 600 Wings smoked before 7pm Sunday night and we started 7am Saturday morning. We did the after holiday-Holiday party for the local Sams Club and we had nasty weather headed for us. I was so busy that I only took a very few pictures of the whole cook and aftermath. I have a new appreciation for cold weather now and the effects it can have on a cook. Sorry for being so slack on the blog but the holidays are gone and the big caters for the moment are behind us so I will be updating alot more. I would like to welcome our new followers and would like to invite anyone else to please join us...Alan

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-23T20:18:00.000-05:00

From eveyone at 57 Smokehouse to all the people that read our blog we would like to wish you guys and gals a very Merry Christmas and keep Qing....
Alan, Amber,Jacob,Ayden and Makenna

Time to update the blog

2010-12-12T12:51:00.000-05:00

Well as you can see we survived Thanksgiving and really looking foreward to the Christmas holiday. The holidays are always a hectic time around the Walker house but we manage to get things done. On tap for today is the ground meat throwdown and I will be doing a Christmas inspired Meatloaf..YES MEATLOAF and as usual I wil post pics as I take them. Amber is also cooking in this throwdown and will be preparing a ground Turkey burger that will also be prepared on the smoker. Next weeks throwdown is Potatos and I have the wheels turning for this one but nothing nailed down yet. I will keep everyone updated on this one.

Thanksgiving - A week out

2010-11-18T00:23:00.000-05:00

OK guys here we go we are a week out of Thanksgiving and the orders are starting to roll in at a pretty steady pace.I am going to post our menu on Facebook and see if we get any hits. I still haven't decided what we are going to cook for the holiday but will make that decision soon. I created a group on Facebook and will be posting this blog on there to see if I can increase our followers. We are offering smoked or fried and smoked-fried Turkeys for as little as $35.00 whole Boston Butts for $25.00

Summer Reeves Benefit

2010-11-08T22:34:00.000-05:00

The Benefit was a success and we were very pleased with the result. We sold lots of BBQ and had a great time shooting the bull with some great people. we had some great sponsors and would like to thank Geico and Georgia Legacy Foundation for their support and help.I would also like to give Sams Club a huge THANK YOU for letting us do this at their facility. We went through 14 butts ans 120 wings a bushel of boiled peanuts and a bunch of hotdogs. We hope that this will not be our last fundraiser for this little girl.

Filet Mignon

2010-11-01T23:18:00.000-04:00

Amber gave us a great treat tonight by finds some Filets on sale today and man were they good. She marinaded them in worchestershire sauce, garlic and melted butter. I fired up the kettle and got the grilling on full speed.I don't know about you guys but I love a good steak.

Summer Reeves Benefit

2010-11-01T23:08:00.000-04:00

57 Smokehouse BBQ Team is doing a benfit for Summer Reeves this weekend from 11am to 6pm at Whiskey River. The little girl is from Jackson Ga and is a cancer survivor and we are trying to raise money for her family to offset medical bills. We will be selling Pulled Pork plates for $8.00 that will include cole slaw and baked beans. We have some GREAT sponsors for this event that include Geico,Harveys supermarket,Whiskey River and the Ga. Legacy Foundation and we would like to thank all of them for their involvement. We would like to extend and inventation to all in Macon and surrounding area to join us in helping this family.

FATTY TIME

2010-10-14T22:08:00.000-04:00

After a long absensce from the throwdowns with the BBQ Brethren we made our return this week. The catagory was FATTIES and we made a couple that were so good. We decided to have breakfast the other night so Amber made a breakfast fatty that consisted of Hasbrowns,Scrambled eggs,Cheese,Sausage wrapped in Bacon. I made a pulled pork fatty with a pork butt that I had smoked the following weekend. We are palnning a huge batch of Brunswick Stew this weekend but that will be a different post...

Indian Celebration cook this weekend.

2010-09-20T17:22:00.000-04:00

We had a huge cook this weekend at the Ocmulgee National Monument(indian mounds)this weekend and we had a blast. We cooked for all the volunteers and vendors both Saturday and Sunday and of course I left the camera at home both days so no pictures. Our days started with cooking sausage for breakfast for 400 people and Saturday we did hamburgers,Sunday we did sausage peppers and onions. Let me tell you cooking for a large crowd of people is a thrilling thing to do as well as exhausting. We got this opportunity thanks to Todd Lowe from Harveys supermarket in Hawkinsville. We got tour of the grounds and I learned things I didn't know and I have been going there my whole life. The crowds were huge and the volunteers and staff were top notch and we were made to feel right at home. I wish I had pictures but I don't

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-03T16:57:00.000-04:00

Man it has been a while since I posted so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to do so. 57 Smokehouse is going to have a quiet weekend and thats not to my liking as I wanted to do some catering this weekend but wasn't in the cards. We are going to drag the rig to papas house on Sunday and do a load of ribs, homemade pork rinds and some sausage. I am looking foreward to spending the weekend with the family and cooking some good food and maybe do a little fishing. We have some good friends that are going to join us for the feast and help with the cooking . I am secretly training a BBQ team they just don't know it yet. I will post pics early next week.

Harveys Promotion

2010-08-22T13:45:00.000-04:00

57 Smokehouse will embark on our newest adventure Tuesday, we have been asked to be part of a promotion at Harveys Grocery store in Hawkinsville Ga. The Manager(Todd Lowe) a good friend of mine has invited us to bring the rig and team to take part in a Pork Roast promotion that the company is launching this Wednesday. I know that this involves some 200 pork roast going on the smoker for a while and a real good chance to show off the equipment and get the team name out. I have been toying with the idea that I have borrowed from the BBQ Brethren and throwing on about 10 racks of Baby Backs and doing a BUCK A BONE promotion to showcase our food,of course permission will be needed. We are really excited for the opportunity to expose the catering side of our team and hope we can get lots of contacts out of this opportunity.

PO-BOYS BABY

2010-08-09T17:41:00.000-04:00

This weeks throwdown was Po-Boys and did we have fun with this one. Amber did a Tri-Tip steak Po-Boy that was dipped in au-jus topped with a spicy cajun mayo with shredded lettuce and fresh tomato. I made a Catfish and Bacon Po-boy that was topped with a remolaude sauce with lettuce and tomato. Needless to say we ate so good that night. The next Throwdown is going to be a challenge as we have to work with CHEESE. Stay tuned this is going to be a fun one and we have no idea what we are going to do.

250R Smoker in the yard

2010-07-29T17:15:00.000-04:00

Amber and I have a friend that was a bar owner and recently got out of the business and no longer had use for his Smoker so he has let us use it for a while. The smoker is built in Haddock,GA by a company called Bubba Grills who happens to be owned by our past president of GBA Lonnie Smith. I have had my eye on one of the smoker for sometime but could never find the extra cash to purchase one. Our friend Mike told us to park it ,use it and treat it like ours. He said that he didn't use it enough and knew we were getting into comps and we do catering and needed a bigger rig than we had. It is a beautiful unit and I am looking foreward to firing it up this weekend after a good cleaning.

First Throwdown Win

2010-07-22T22:52:00.000-04:00

I wont the 4th of July throwdown with Chipotle BBQ Chicken Wings and I was so excited. Now to be fair there were only 4 entries and they all looked good and I only won by 2 votes but the way I look at it a win is a win. I get to pick a catagory coming up probably for the Labor Day throwdown and I won a great cookbook as we get prizes for the special throwdowns. I used a BBQ sauce that was sent to me in our Brethren trades from Northern California and it was a very good sauce in appearance as well as flavor. Well this weeks throwdown is MYSTERY MEAT and Amber and I have no idea what we are going to do but I will keep you posted.. Just wanted to share the win with the blog.

Cuban Sammie

2010-07-18T19:00:00.000-04:00

Amber entry into this weeks throwdown for "PULLED" was a cuban sandwich. She bought half a pork loin and dusted it with our rub and it went on the UDS for 3 hours and then pulled. She found a Cuban loaf at Kroger which was lucky as they are hard to find around here. A Cuban sammie consist of pulled pork, ham, swiss cheese,pickles and mustard and usually put on a panini press. Amber put the assymbled sandwich back on the UDS and let the cheese melt. We love these samwiches and could eat them all the time.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

2010-07-18T18:47:00.000-04:00

This weeks throwdown was "Pulled" which means any cut of meat that can be smoked and pullled such as Boston Butts,Pork Loin,Chicken and a whole variety of others. I decided to try a new recipe with pulled chicken coated in a Buffalo Wing Sauce and mixed with a Mac and Cheese. I smoked 10 chicken thighs for three hours on the UDS,I picked thighs to keep with the dark meat of the wings. Amber made me a beschemel type sauce that would help bind the mac and cheese, she used a variety of cheeses including a Habanero cheese I haven't used before. I put the mixture back on the UDS and smoked it for about 30 more minutes and topped it with the cheese blend and popped it in the oven for 10 mins to let it melt.

Vacation was a blast

2010-07-17T20:02:00.000-04:00

Amber and I took the kids down to Mexico Beach Fla. for 5 days and we had a blast. We left Macon right after Amber got off work Friday night and drove down to meet dad in Tallahassee. We made the trip in about 3 1/2 hours and on a quarter tank of gas in my big van. We left Tallahassee about 10am and headed for the beach the trip went real fast and we got there real early and had to wait for the house. We had lunch at Mango Marleys and it was OK at best,we got the house about 1:30 and we unloaded and headed for the ocean. The wind was a factor and the waves were real rough but the boys had a great time getting there butts kicked by the ocean. We stayed at the Dunes #6 and it was nice,we have stayed at this complex before but was our first time in this unit. Money was real tight for us on this trip so concentrated our attention on the kids having a good time and we believe they did. I can honestly say this is the first trip in a long time where seafood was not a factor but that's ok with me amd neither was fishing or crabbing but when you got little ones priorities change and thats ok too. I want to thank my dad and my sister and her husband for making this trip possible for us. Ok back to BBQ and I have alot to catch up on so expect a bunch of post in a very short time.

Taco Throwdown

2010-07-05T18:41:00.000-04:00

This weeks throwdown was TACOS and Amber went all out with Tequila Lime Shrimp with home made salsa and guacamole and broccli slaw.The shrimp marinaded if tequila,beer, and various spices for about 2 hours before they went on the smoker. These were without a doubt the BEST tacos I have ever had. I did a breakfast taco for my entry,pig candy,fatty and an egg over easy with a little salsa to top it off.

PIG CANDY: Thick cut Bacon dusted with our rub and topped with light brown sugar and smoked til done.
FATTY: Jimmy Dean Sausage dusted with our rub wrapped in bacon dusted again then smoked til internal temp of 160

4th of July weekend

2010-07-01T18:35:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th folks we hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend. The Walker family has no plans for the weekend. I got a new BBQ sauce from California that I want to try on some wings and some ribs need to go on the smoker but we have no family plans. Guess I could use this weekend for practice for the Macon contest that is coming up in 2 weeks. Amber and I hope this weekend is a blast for everone and be safe.

Ambers Throwdown entry

2010-06-28T14:28:00.000-04:00

Well guys the sausage throwdown entry I was going to make turned out to be a complete failure so I didn't enter this week but Amber got hers together. She made Italian suasage meatballs with a light maranara sauce and pasta. I put the meatballs on the smoker for about an hour and a half and used apple wood for flavor enhancement. The dish turned out really well and should get a bunch of votes this time.

Sausage Throwdown

2010-06-24T19:07:00.000-04:00

This weeks throwdow is Sausage and I am making an intresting entry. CORNDOGS yep Sausage corndogs I am smoking Brats with dill pickle slices wrapped in pepper bacon at this moment.When the sausage is finished smoking I am going to bring them in to cool for a while and the they are gettig a hushpuppy batter bath then into the fryer. I am going to present it with a Ice cold beer and some mustard. This recipe was inspired by my Sams Club Rep Rochelle who was telling Amber and I about pickled corndogs she had one time so I wanted to try a variation of it,we'll see how it does.

Piedmont Chicken

2010-06-21T22:27:00.000-04:00

Amber makes this killer chicken dish called Piedmont Chicken. she usually starts with boneless chicken breast that is browned in a skillet, she then sautes mushrooms and onions in butter til soft. Once the chicken is browned it is layered with sour cream,onions and mushroomsand topped with mozerella cheese. It goes into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling. This might sound like a weird dish but until you have tried it the taste is unbelieveable. It is a MUST TRY and you won't be sorry.

Thank You Sams Club

2010-06-17T20:39:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to give a huge THANK YOU to Rochelle and the staff at Sams Club for the opportunity for 57 Smokehouse to serve our BBQ for the past 5 weeks. It was a great experience for Amber and I to be able to get our product out to the public. We made some great contacts as well as friends and customers. The feedback was so positive about our food as well as our service. We helped raise money for The Childrens Miracle Network and it was our pleasure to support such a great cause. We hope that in the future we can do these types of cooks for other charities and groups. This has been a golden opportunity for us to get alot of practice cooks in for preperation for the contest in Macon in July,it will be our first and we are so excited. Th future looks bright for us at 57 Smokehouse and the sky's the limit.

With A Bone

2010-06-15T19:10:00.000-04:00

Don't let your imagination get the best of you but the next Throwdown is "With A Bone" which means we have to cok something that has a bone in it. Iam undecided about what to do with this one so I amgoing to leave it up to you guys. I am going to post a poll and let yall decide. Thamks for the help.

Sams was hot as Hades

2010-06-14T20:53:00.000-04:00

Saturday at Sams was so hot I was surprised we sold as much food as we did. I guarentee I lost 5lbs just in sweat and I know 15 bottles of water had to go into my body.Enough about the heat,we had the second best day since we started this fundraising. The chicken wings were a big hit again and we went through almost every Italian sausage we had, pulled pork went well also. I came home with very little food and the sides blew out just as fast as the meat did (potato salad and baked beans). Next week is our last schedueled week to do this at Sams and I want to take it out in grand fashion but I have no plans as of yet, I'll keep you guys posted. %7 smokehouse has alot of irons in the fire now this summer should be an intresting one and I will keep everyone up to date as our goings on.

Fruit Throwdown

2010-06-13T13:02:00.000-04:00

This weeks throwdown is Fruit and Amber has made an excellent entry, Stone Fruit Cobbler. She started off with peaches,apricots and mangos,I was already doing steaks on the kettle so the stage was set for some awesome grilled fruit. The fruit stayed on the grill for about 2 mins a side and then came off before they got too charred. The intense heat of the grill really caramelized the natural sugars in the fruit and made their sweetness intense. The fruit was then chopped and mixed with cinammon and sugar and a little water then into the pan. The cobbler part consisted of Flour,Milk,Sugar and Almond Extract and she popped it in the oven til it was golden brown and delecious. I haven't entered the throwdowns in a couple of weeks but my time has been consumed with the Sams Club cooks I will be back next week in full force.

Next to last weekend at Sams

2010-06-10T16:43:00.001-04:00

This will be our next to last weekend at Sams club and I an depressed about it we have had such a good time doing the CMN fundraisers. This week we will be doing pulled pork as usual and going to spice things up with a wing weekend. We had such good success with the wings last weekend that I have tripled the amount we will be taking. We sold out of wings in the first hour and a half so I thought why not make them a feature and see how we do. We will also be offering the Italian Sausage for the second week but not at the quanity we did last week. I am thinking of offering a silent auction for our last week to feed a family and 10 friends but I need to work out the kinks so I am not giving away a party for $20. I really want to Thank Rochelle for all her help this past 5 weeks and I hope we can do this many times in the future. We have learned so much doing this and the experience has been priceless. We are looking foreward to the future of 57 Smokehouse and this has opened many doors for us. The sky is the limit from now on and our focus will always be customer service and not profit.

Weekend Wrapup

2010-06-07T00:18:00.001-04:00

Our day at Sams started off slow but got better as the day progressed. The Italian Sausage didn't go over like I wanted it too but the chicken wings were a hit. We sold out of wings first and people were raving about our baked beans as well. Saturday wasn't a sell out and it was so hot and the weather wasn't the best either. Let me tell you how my day started though I got my van stuck in the ditch in our front yard-like a dummy I misjudged spacing in our yard to turn it around. When we got to Sams we had another vendor in our spot so we had to share space(not that I minded).Pulled pork did good as usual and we had more than a few request for potato salad(which we didn't have that day)and we took bruswick stew which got mixed reviews. We have two weeks left doing these fundraisers but we have some other things in the works and I will let you guys know about as more light is shed on them.

Sams Club Week 4

2010-06-04T15:51:00.000-04:00

This will be Amber and I fourth weekend fundraising for CMN at Sams club and this will be our biggest yet. We will be expanding our menu for the event this weekend to include Italian Sausage, Chicken Wings and Brunswick Stew. Our hopes are high for Saturday and hope that the weather holds out for us it has been horrible in the afternoon all week long.I have to fire the offset up in a little while to get the butts on and of course it is raining as I type. I will also be smoking rib tips to cut up and go into our smoked Baked Beans. We got to see the new Logo design yesterday and we are real excited about getting it finished. I will post it when we get the finished product. I am excited about getting some shirts and banners done with the new logo on them. Oh well off to fire up the smokers in the rain.

Memorial Day Weekend the wrap up.

2010-06-01T21:31:00.000-04:00

We had a spectacular Memorial Day Weekend we attended Morgans birthday party and Bobby and I cooked MOINK balls on his UDS and shared a couple of beers and watched the children play. Sunday was a blast Amber and I decided to do a Low Country Boil we put a big pot on the turkey fryer and put potatos and corn and onions as well as Old Bay seasoning. Then came the sausage,crawfish,shrimp and then crab legs as well as mussels. I also did some chicken quarters for the childern. We spent the majority of the day in the pool before the skies opened up and let it rip. Monday our menu was Baby Back ribs,potato salad,cole slaw,fruit salad and baked beans. The ribs were probably the best I have cooked in over a year. Bobby,Rochell,Morgan and Ryan joined us both days at Dads and we ate like pigs. We caught frogs,turtles and fireflies,it was like being a kid again.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

We want to wish everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend. We have a few things going on this weekend, we are going to a birthday party Saturday for Bobby and Rochells daughter Morgan(her 6th). Ambers potato salad has been requested for the party and I am going to make MOINK balls so I can show Bobby how to use his UDS. Sunday and Monday will be spent by the pool at dads house and I will have the drum fired up. Sunday we will be doing BBQ Chicken quarters(cleaning out the freezer) the side have yet to be determined. The weather is supposed to be nice for the weekend so the kids will spend the majority of the time in the pool,this will give Amber and I time to cook as well as work on the tans. Monday will be a long awaited RIB DAY it has been a few weeks since we have done those. I think I will do baby backs instead of spares so the cook time will be alot shorter. We also have to work on our throwdown entries for the week the theme this week is -A Place We Would Like To Visit. I'll post later in the weekend what we decide to cook for this.Everyone have a safe weekend and don't drink too much.

Saturday Was A SELL OUT

2010-05-25T14:47:00.000-04:00

We had such a great time saturday at Sams it was well worth the time it took to cook all that food. We got there and was informed that the associates were being served free pizza from the snackbar for meeting their 30 day safety review. Rochell(our Sams sponsor) was pissed and almost in tears. We assured her that we would still have a great day,so we pulled a grill to the sidewalk and fired it up for asthetics purposes only. Amber took the first butt out of the cooler and not long after the line started. We sold out of pulled pork pretty fast but we were also selling chicken quarters just as fast and the potato salad and beans were a hit also. We had GBA members stop by and buy some plates(thanks Mr. Giles and his wife)from us and made a big contribution to CMN. We are going to take this weekend off from fundraising though ,I really don't want to but it is a holiday weekend and most people will be making their own BBQ. I have no idea what our plans are for the memorial day weekend but rest assured it will involve cooking. I am in the mood for RIBS.

Ok Guys Here We Go

2010-05-21T20:16:00.000-04:00

Ok I have started the cooking for the Sams club fundraiser this Saturday. We are doing 72 chicken quarters and 6 butts and it wil be a long night but this is what I love so it's worth it. I put the Boston Butts on the offset so I will have to babysit the smoker for the majority of the night. I will start the chicken around 5am and we will start serving around 11am. Amber is making homemade potato salad and we are also doing baked beans on the smoker and you can get this meal for $5.00 at Sams tomorrow. This is such a good cause and one we support that the sacrafice is well worth the time.

Week 3 at Sams Club

2010-05-19T17:44:00.000-04:00

Amber and I will be at Sams for the third week in a row doing the Childrens Miracle Network fundraiser. We have done pulled pork for the last two weeks with good success and we have raised some money for them. This week we will be doing chicken quarters and potato salad and maybe some pulled pork. we have had the CMN rep for Sams helping us for the past two weeks but this week she has to work so Amber and I will go it alone. We are so excited about getting our name and food out to the public. We will be selling plates for $5.00 this week as you get more food. This cook will also be a challenge as I let the butts run allnight but the chicken doesn't take that long to cook so I will have to get an early start of it Saturday morning. We did get orders for butts from last weekend that need to be filled so I will be cooking the better part of Thursday and Friday. We are looking foreward to the challenge of making money for such a great charity.

Amber joins the Brethren

2010-05-17T16:29:00.002-04:00

Amber decided about two weks ago to join the BBQ Brethren and enter her own entries in the throwdowns. We have such a good time doing this we thought two entries would be twice the fun. This weeks catagory was something stuffed. Amber made a variation of maicotti,she used eggplant instead of the noodles. Her filling was a manicotti filling that consist of italian sausage,ricota cheese,parm cheese, and a variety of spices. The eggplant and sausage were grilled as per the requirements of the throwdown. She then rolled the eggplant around the filling and placed them on a bed of tomato sauce covered with mozzerela cheese and onto the smoker. My entry was a MOINK ball stuffed poblano pepper covered with mozzerela cheese. Both entries turned out so good and as expected Amber is killing me in the vote so far. Next weeks catagory is ROOTS-I will keep you posted.

Sam's Club Update

2010-05-11T18:07:00.000-04:00

We had the best time at Sam's this Saturday Selling our BBQ for the Childrens Miracle Network fundraiser. Let me start from the beginning,We picked up a case of Boston Butts from Sam's on Thursday along with cole slaw fixings and charcoal and headed for the house to get ready for a big cook. Amber had to work that night so rubbing the butts was my job luckily I have rubbed alot of butts in the past. We use our homemade rub for all our BBQ applications so it was time to get dirty. It took me about an hour to get all eight butts rubbed down and wrapped in plastic wrap and into the cooler for a 20 hour rest. Friday got here and work came and went and I was ready to get cooking. I pulled all 4 UDS around to the front of the house ,set up the table and got ready to fire up two smokers. The butts went on the smokers about 4:30 at 225 degrees. The good thing about a UDS is that you don't have to babysit it as it holds constant temps for a long time. I checked the temps about 2:30 and they were stalled at 160 so I knew it was ok to go to bed. I got up about 9am and checked temps 7 were at 195 and one at 190 so I pulled and foiled wrappped in towels and coolered. I arrived at Sam's around 10:30 and we got set up,I had taken two UDS with me for display purpose and to hopefully sell. We started selling well before I got done setting up so I was hopeful it was going to be a great day and it did not disappoint. Rochelle was our Sam's host and she did a bang up job helping me sell the whole time we were there. We went through 6butts pulled for sandwichs and we sold two whole and went through a load of cole slaw and chips. We did so god they have invited us back to do the same for next weekend and we are so excited. Updates as well as pictures will be posted as soon as we have time,nothing like being busy cooking and selling BBQ.

Whats New for 57 Smokehouse.

2010-05-06T17:44:00.000-04:00

For the next 6 weeks the 57 Smokehouse crew (Amber and I) will be busy on Saturdays cooking for our local Sams Club fundraiser. We were contacted this week and was asked to cook for the Childrens Miracle Network fundraiser. Sams is providing all we need to accomplish this feat so we will be doing pulled pork,cole slaw and our sauce. This is a GREAT oppurtunity for us to get our name and food out to the masses as well as valuable time for practice. We will be serving this Saturday from 10am-2:30pm an abbreviated time but I have inventory at Staples this Saturday. I will start a case (8) of butts Friday about 4pm and let the chug along all night. As we figure we should be able to get about 200 sammie out of 8 butss maybe a little less and that should make CMN a little money our first time out and hoping the amount increase week to week. We will be taking orders for whole butts as well as by the pound and offer sides. Fathers Day and memorial day being right around the corner I am hoping we can pick up some orders. I will be also sell my UDS smokers at a great price and try taking orders on those. This is a great oppurtunity to grow our business. Wish us luck.

Good looking ribs

2010-05-03T16:37:00.000-04:00

SUNDAY the second of May was a day that yeilded lessons to be learned. The day started harmless enough with two racks of spareribs and a cold beer. The spares were trimmed down to St.Louis style and membranes were discarded,next came a generous application of Ambers rib rub and wrapped for a couple hours in the fridge. I then fired up the UDS with kingsford and split pecan and got it chugging along at 225. This cook I utilized both racks in the UDS,rib tips went on the lower rack and the two racks went on the top. Amber had taken the boys to the movies and Makenns and I stayed home so I could cook. The ribs went on at 5 after 3 and cooked beautifully. Two hours into the cook I pulled the rib tips off after a liberal saucing. HERE IS WHERE THE TROUBLE STARTS... The two rack still had a few hours to go since I was doing a comp practice run. I go into the kitchen to find our sauce Amber makes for our ribs and all I found was the pulled pork sauce(yes we make our own sauces). I texted Amber to find out if we had anymore of the sauce and guess what FRESH OUT. Plan B had to come into play so I decided to use the SPECIAL SAUCE we get when we judge GBA competetions. Amber says I never put enough sauce on the ribs so I was determined to sauce these good so I did. These were some good looking ribs but little did I know that the sauce was way too spicy for what I was doing.
Lesson 1-Don't run out of sauce
Lesson 2-When using an unfamiliar sauce- TRY IT FIRST

Cornish Game Hens

2010-04-29T17:58:00.001-04:00

This weeks throwdown was MINI FOWL so we did 4 Cornish Hens. Ayden and I did the prep work on the birds by rubbing them in Grillmates spices. We did twobirds in the Smokey Maple and two in Montreal Chicken. THe two maple birds got the beer butt treatment but we used Dr. Pepper instead of beer. I was doing a season burn on a new UDS so we threw some corn on it so Amber could make Black Bean and Corn Salsa. Ayden wanted to throw the birds on the New Braunfels offset, so I got it fired up with lump charcoal and split some pecan logs for the smoke. The hens rode the grill for about 2 1/2 hrs til the breast were at 165 then we pulled them. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed it outside with the kids on the swingset and some cold beer doesn't get any better.

Giant Sammie

2010-04-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

Ok guys and girls here are the pics of Italian sausage sammie. I made two of these and they fed almost 10 people. My co-workers are loving the cooking spree I have been on.

Giant Italian Sausage Samwiches

2010-04-22T15:53:00.000-04:00

Tonight I will tackle the XL THROWDOWN and my entry will be two giant samwiches. I am going to grill sweet and hot sausages as well as big links of plain pork sausage, sautee onions and green,yellow,red and orange peppers. I bought two big Italian loaves and we are in business. We got a new camera two weeks ago and we are still learning the settings,it has showed in our last two throwdown challenges. BIG FAT ZERO'S... We should do alot better this go round. I'll keep everyone updated of the results.

Rib Practice

2010-04-18T00:13:00.000-04:00

Got our first comp coming on less than a month in Hazlehurst and it's time for alot of practice. I am going to start this session with three racks of Baby backs at my dads tomorrow. I have had the most trouble with ribs so it's a great starting point for the upcoming weeks of practice. On a different note I got a vital part of my competetion needs taken care of this week which is transportation that can accomadate getting everything we need to the comps. I got a big Dodge B2500 van with a butt load of space so getting everthing there should be no problem. NEXT COMES THE RIG....

Beef Ribs and a Picnic Shoulder

2010-04-11T20:01:00.000-04:00

We did beef ribs for the Brethren throwdown and turned around and sold them before we ever tasted them but they looked so good. I also threw a picnic on the UDS and smoked it all night long and it's in the oven right now reheating and I can't wait to get a slice of it , it smells sooo gooood. I am so looking foreward to the next throwdown ... BURGERS.....

The weekend finally

2010-04-09T16:57:00.000-04:00

I am so glad this weekend is here so this is whats on tap. I am going to go through my contest checklist this weekend to se what I'm missing. Our first competetion is May 14th and 15th in Hazlehurst GA. I am so excited as well as nervous finally getting to compete. I still have two UDS to build and I might start on those tomorow. As far as cooking this wekend I have some beef ribs out as well as a picnic shoulder for Sunday. The brethren throwdown for the week is BEEF RIBS and next weeks is BURGERS and that will be so much fun. Got some new brethren appearel this week so we will be representing in Hazlehurst. Everybody have a great weekend and be safe.

Tamale followup

2010-04-07T18:04:00.000-04:00

Well here's my review-That was awesome and I will have those again tonight. Amber spent the better part of the night making tamales and we got about 5 dozen so we can eat them for a while. We are hugre fans of authentic mexican food and now she makes it at home LUCKY ME!

Tamale Night

2010-04-06T19:52:00.000-04:00

I cooked two big boston butts for easter and we had alot of leftovers so tonight is our first attempt at tamales. Amber started the tamale sauces last night by usin a mixture of Guajillo peppers,cumin,chili powder,garlic onions,beef and chicken broth,tomatillo and a pre-made mole. The house was smelling so good last night I almost couldn't wait. Well she found out how labor intensive making tamales is but I am sure it will be worth the time. We are at the time I writing this about 10min from them coming out of the steamer so I will quit writing now and continue when done with the review.

Happy Easter eveyone

2010-04-04T22:16:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a great Easter we did had a great time.I decided to do pullled pork for the holiday and it turned out so good we ate ourselves stupid. The kids had a blast today we hid about 300 eggs today and kept them busy for a while.

Easter Sunday is coming and what to cook?

2010-04-01T22:04:00.002-04:00

Well this sunday is Easter and I stil have'nt decided what to cook. I was thinking going traditional and doing a ham but that's no fun. I have a brisket and a loin defrosted in the fridge and was going to do those tomorrow for some practice. Lamb would be a good choice but I don't know if the family eats that much lamb and probably be wasting food. Ribs seem to be the way to go everyone loves them and they would give me a practice run for my upcoming comp,kill two birds one stone. Everyone have a safe and happy holiday and I hope the Easter bunny is good to everyone.

UGA themed UDS

2010-03-23T19:56:00.000-04:00

I finally finished my first flat top build and it came out excellent. I decided to UGA theme this smoker so I could test the waters on selling these. I am asking $150 for the smoker and I think it is a fair price. I want to be able to turn this into a small business and make a generic smoker plus custom orders but we will see.

Sunday started the UDS build

2010-03-21T21:13:00.000-04:00

I actually started the build yesterday with the initial burn and that took all day. Today I brought the drum home and had to sand the inside to get rid of the residual liner. A quick trip to Lowes for the supplies needed to complete the build. The inside of the drum was then sprayed with cooking spray to protect from oxydation and rusting. I then headed to wally world for some paint and decided on the red paint scheme for this one. The pictures are the drum with three coats for the day. Tomorrow I will apply another three coats and the start with the hardware. I should be ready for the season burn by tomorrow night. A trip to Academy is still in order for the thermo and basket as well as the grates.I will do the season burn with cherry and pecan woods. As you can see by the looks of my porch alot of spring cleaning is needed and will be accomplished this week,depends on the weather. Everyone have a safe and productive week.

Did some chicken today and Jill made it look real good.

2010-03-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

We did chicken quarters today at my dads house on the UDS and they were so good. Today was such a beautiful day and the kids had a blast. I took one of the new drums over to be burned and took my first UDS to dads to stay for the summer. Today was the final day to submit a photo for the brethren throwdown "FOWL" and Jill took some great pics of the final product. She is doing the same thing I am which is trying to make a dream a living and she is well on her way. She takes some of the most incredible pics and I will use her when I can to take my throwdown pics. Thanks Jill for the great food pics I'll let you know what the next throwdown is and when.

3 New Drums to play with

2010-03-18T16:51:00.000-04:00

I picked up 3 new 55 gallon drums today for my set of Comp UDS. These things will need a good hot burn because they have a liner on the inside that has to come out. These drums are different from my other two as they have lids and rings which will cut way down on my build cost. The third drum I will build to be sold,I don't need 5 UDS or I will take it to my dads for summer BBQ's by the pool. I will burn these over the weekend provided the rain stays away. I should be able to put my hands on as many of these I want and will start building them to sell at a flea market a little later in the season or when the weather straightens itself out.

Happy St Patricks Day

2010-03-17T13:55:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy St. Patricks Day remember to wear your green and eat your corned beef. We smoked some pastrami last night for sammies tonight of course I could'nt wait so I had one for lunch. We also did a rack of St. Louis style ribs which I overcooked(fall off the bone tender). Thats ok for home cook but I am practicing for comps so it ticked me off still we will eat good. As you can see the lasagna fatty came out real good and will make it's way onto my menu with a little tweaking.Overcooked ribs means one thing to me,I gotta do them again and get them right this time, but not today it's raining again of course. Well everybody eat well and have an ice cold beer and enjoy your St. Pattys Day

It's Monday YIPPEEEEEE!!!!

2010-03-15T20:57:00.000-04:00

Well I have survived another wet weekend here In Macon and cooked absolutley nothing. I will make up for the lack of productivity this week, this is what I have planned- tomorrow I will be making a lasagna fattie recipe thanks to a member of the brethren and while the UDS is hot might as well do a rack of St.Louis style ribs (practice). I also started soaking a corned beef brisket tonight for pastrami on Wednesday. I think all we need is some green beer and we will be set for St.Patricks day. The new throwdown catagory is FOWL and I think Amber wants to do her Asian inspired duck. This should be a busy week for my UDS as well as Amber and I. I will post results of the cooks as soon as they happen. Have a good week and for heavens sakes smoke something.

Saturday and what to do

2010-03-13T14:50:00.000-05:00

Well the rain has finally let up and maybe I can break out the smokers. I am at an impass on what to cook, do I want to go long or short burn or take it easy with apps. I was thinking of doing ribs but I have been practicing with those for over a month and think I need to change it up. I might go get a bag of chicken quarters and try those on the UDS I haven't done those yet and they won't go to waste. We don't cook chicken in the GBA for comps but we are thinking about joining the KCBS and it is one of their catagories so practice would be welcomed. I got UDS #2 to break in and Amber wants to learn to use these things and today would be a perfect day to show her. I am so thankful she shows intrest in my not-so-new found hobby(obsession) and she wants to learn more about it. I will let you know how the day progresses.

Steak Night

2010-03-10T19:54:00.000-05:00

I think Amber is trying to kill me last night was kabobs and tonight was T-Bone steaks. We have eaten good since the contest on Sat and gonna have practice run loin tomorrow night. I have really had to refurbish my skill on the grill not used to cooking with high heat but it comes back fast. I need a nap after tonights meal and looking foreward to the rest of the weeks meals. The rain needs to get out of here so I can fire the smokers up for the weekend I need to do a few runs on butts.

Kabob throwdown entry

2010-03-09T20:05:00.000-05:00

The next throwdown on the brethren is shiskabobs and we love doing kabobs.We decided to do chicken marinaded with a orange and honey BBQ sauce that was sent to us from Indiana. We also did steak sprinkled with bacon salt and mixed veggies. I haven't grilled over high heat that much since I started low and slow BBQ so it was a little challenge believe it or not. I will be posting our pics to the brethren tonight as well as here.

We ate way too much

2010-03-06T18:49:00.000-05:00

The contest is over and as usual we ate way too much but had a blast. The contest was well organized and we had a record number of cook teams and about 50 judges show up. The food was awesome and the decesions were hard but we made it through it. As promised I posted pics from todays contest and it was a beautiful day finally. The fellowship of the judging corp is priceless and they are a great group of friends. Our next contest is in Thomasville in about two weeks and that one will be an overnighter. I'll keep everyone posted on upcoming events. Long day and ready for a nap so on that I will say goodnight

GBA season opener

2010-03-03T15:48:00.000-05:00

This weekend Amber and I will be heading to the beautiful city of Dublin ,Ga for the GBA season opener we have been off since the second week of December. This contest is in conjunction withthe St.Patericks day celebration and no better city than Dublin. Looking foreward to the green beer and good food. We are not competing in this one but will be judging so I will come home full-guarenteed. I plan on taking lots of pics of the teams as well as the turn ins and yes I will share. I got to fire up the offset tonight and do a bunch of fatties for co-workers gonna do some abt's also. Everyone have a good night and I will post pics when I gotem

Aydens Pig Candy and Ambers salsa

2010-03-01T21:51:00.000-05:00

Ayden and I decided to try our hand at making pig candy tonight. We got us some real thick bacon and we gave it a good coating of light brown sugar and took it to the UDS. Two hours later we had ourselves some pretty good pig candy. I will introduce our newest venture to my co-workers tomorrow, Amber said it needed more sugar so we shall improve on it next go-round. Amber is making a huge batch of salsa tonight,she has started canning our BBQ sauce and is going to do the same with the salsa. Kaye if your reading you need to call me I know you want some. Her salsa is all hand cut and the freshest I have ever tasted real good heat but not overwhelming

Brethren Trade

2010-02-25T19:33:00.001-05:00

Amber and I have been members of an online BBQ forum since December. The BBQ Brethren has been the best information I have ever received on BBQ,smoking,rubs sauces heck you name it. What makes this place special is you are never looked down upon no matter what question you have about anything pertaining to but not limited to BBQ. You have a wide variety of subjects you can join in on,You have a catering question there's a section for that,wanna talk Q section for that,wanna let off steam yep section for that. One of our favorite things is the throwdown:A topic is chosen lets say Surf and Turf ,anyone can join in just cook(smoke or grill)something pertaining to the topic post your pics and sit back a have fun. When the time limit is up you get to vote on the best presentation. The winner gets a certificate and the choice of the next topic and of course braggin rights. Amber and I got involved in the trading post this time,you sign up and get matched with someone from across the country and you trade regional rubs and sauces with each other. Our partner this time was in Indiana,we sent them a variety of Ga. specialties as well as our homemade rubs and sauces. We received our package today with a variety of goodies from Indiana(see picture)we will definitly do this again. In closing I would like to tell you guys what I admire the most about this group of people. It is VERY much a family oriented site and is heavily moderated and I for one am glad to see this there is too much trash on the net and I'm glad to be able to talk what I love and not worry about putting up with a bunch of crap. I would like to thank everyone there for their fellowship and friendship.

Ambers first fattie

2010-02-24T17:35:00.000-05:00

I have been making fatties for about 3 weeks know for people at work and for us at home. A fattie is any ground sausage in a roll that can be stuffed or left in original form wrapped in bacon or not that is smoked for about 3 hours at 250 degrees. Amber decided to try her hand at this fattie business the other night. She started with two rolls of Jimmy Dean mild sausage, she sauteed green onions,mushrooms and potatos in butter. She then took chorizo sausage,monterey jack cheese and layered it on the other sausage,next came the veggies and then rolled. She then wrapped it tightly in bacon and out to the smoker it went for a 3 hour smoke bath. It came off a golden brown and dying to be cut. I will say that was the best tasting fattie I have tasted so far. I have stuffed them with pepperoni and cheese and they were good but this one brought fatties to a new level and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

2nd UDS almost complete.

2010-02-23T16:32:00.000-05:00

My second Ugly Drum Smoker is almost complete ,it still has no lid or thermo's. I did the season burn on it Sunday night and got it up to about 700 degrees. I didn't think it would get that hot but boy was I wrong. I am beginning to see multiple uses for these smokers. I should have the remaining parts for the smoker at the end of the week. I will have two functional smokers and will begin hardcore practice for the upcoming BBQ season. I would like to shoot for the contest in May in Hazlehurst. We did our first allnight smoker on the first UDS last night,we did a picnic shoulder. Started the smoker at around midnight and I am posting at 4:00pm and the smoker is still at about 200 degrees some 16 hours later on 8lbs of charcoal. I never thought that I would even contemplate cooking comps with 55gal homemade smokers but why not. Our season starts next month and I really am glad this winter layoff is for the birds. We will judge the first two contest before I look into cooking.

Big cook tomorrow

2010-02-16T19:53:00.002-05:00

Gonna throw the first boston butt on the UDS tomorrow along with a couple of racks of spares for a client. I hope it warms up a little i'm tired of being cold can't wait til spring. I am planning an overnight unsupervised cook for the butt and the ribs will go on in the afternoon for a 31/2 hour cook. I see some fatties in the cook somewhere also prob stuffed with pepperoni,cheese,mushrooms and onion. I have spent alot of time on the BBQ Brethren forum this week , what a wealth of information. The next throwdown was issued this week and it is Surf and Turf. Amber wants to enter this one. Our trade partner was announced this weekend and we will be making a trip out to Lane packing company this weekend to find some regional sauces to send to Indiana. We are looking foreward to receiving our package from the trade. I will put picture up of the cook and the trade as they unfold. Everybody have a great night Alan

Valentines day UDS cook.

2010-02-14T18:00:00.000-05:00

Like I needed an excuse to cook but it sounds good. Today we threw a couple of racks of baby backs on the UDS along with a couple of phatties. Last time I did ribs I went with the 3-2-1 method and they were overcooked today was the 2-1-1 method and they came out so much better. The difference between the UDS and my offset are night and day. Thank god for the brethren and all the ideas and advice from those guys it has shortened the learning curve on the new smoker and the food is alot better. The second UDS burn and build will be next weekend with a few new tweaks to the design.Should get a new load of barrels next week and build a few more to sell. All that being said I really wanted to wish everyone a happy Valentines Day and I'll post pics in a bit.

Little off topic but what the hell.

2010-02-13T00:46:00.001-05:00

Amber and I had a great day with the kids and a few inches of snow. We rarely get snow in Macon so it was a treat for all of us. Ayden and Makenna had a blast hitting each other with snowballs. All I did today was watch my smokers get covered in snow but I was real tempted to fire those suckers up. Had a great conversation with a fellow judge today while at work and I may have a new team member for a few cooks this season. Practice with the UDS will resume this week with it's twin being built this week.

UDS completed

2010-02-08T17:02:00.000-05:00

I got my barrel burned on Saturday and the build and season smoke was Sunday. Today I am doing my first cook on the UDS and I am so happy. this smoker is one of the easiest I have ever used. My plans are to build two more of these and get them tuned right then off to a comp. Don't get me wrong there is a rig in my not to distant future but these things are great. Todays cook is a rack of St.Louis style ribs and I am starving. Alan

Tonights trial super sunday cook.

2010-02-03T21:23:00.000-05:00

Tonight I put a couple of beer butt chickens on the smoker and decided to try ABT's for the first time and also did a fattie stuffed with peperoni and string cheese. I got two empty 55 Gal drums this week and will start making my UDS this weekend. We got signed up for the swapmeet on the BBQ brethren and we are excited about doing this. We will be paired with someone across the country and we will swap local BBQ sauces and rubs. I will post pics when the food comes off the smoker. Good nite Alan

What to do for Superbowl Sunday.

2010-01-31T23:34:00.000-05:00

I can't decide what I want to cook for super Sunday. I have been cooking alot of ribs trying to get my timing down right. It has been a while since I cooked a boston butt for pulled pork. Then again a brisket would be good so I can try injecting it. I definetly want to do some ABT's for an appetizers. I think a poll is needed so I will post one I hope people are reading my blog this will let me know something. Alan

Brethren Throwdown

2010-01-27T21:23:00.000-05:00

The BBQ Brethren issued an Asian throwdown to the members. We have to smoke a protien and present a dish. It is then judged by the members and a winner is selected.Pics will be posted in a sec. Alan.

This weeks plans

2010-01-25T19:10:00.002-05:00

The plans for the week will be find me a couple of 55 gallon empty drums to make a couple of UDS(ugly drum smokers). Gonna try these smokers as I have heard these are the bomb for cheap smokers (we'll see). I also plan on finally getting together with my judge friend and going to see the 250 trailer smoker he has. I am also going to be getting in touch with the Health Dept. to look into the catering end of the business. May as well make some money doing what we love. Got a few orders from work to fill but nothing to big or detailed. We received our invitation for the upcoming GBA event in Dublin GA for St.Pattys day, we will prob judge as we are no where ready to compete yet but working on it. I have cooked twice in the past two weeks and have not been happy with either result. If I have learned anything it's that the meat will be done when it's done. I will be cooking a pork loin on Wednesday and it will be done when it's done.Tired of bad results but we all go through this when trying new stuff. See you guys tomorrow Alan

Week full of highs and lows

2010-01-23T15:13:00.000-05:00

This week has been a rollercoaster ride full of highs and lows. The week started on the brethren reading a thread that was 4000+ on an oppotunity that I think will work real well in this market. I love a good business adventure with a great profit making potential. We'll see how this works out. We really racked up at Kroger this week with all the meat specials.Got a great catering opportunity that turned out to be too large of a job for our company at this time-THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I have got some rib tips on the smoker today and will post pics later here and the brethren. Alan

Practice ,practice ,practice

2010-01-18T18:42:00.000-05:00

In the coming months leading up to the comp season I get many happy days of practice. The family and friends should be eating good. Heck I'm even gonna try to sell some the Q. Amber is a bartender at one of the largest County bars in town and we know how well BBQ and BEER go together should be an easy sell. Amber went and loaded up at Krogers meatapolooza today which means many hours on the smoker for me. I love going to work the next day smelling of smoke even after 3 rounds of showers. Co-workers asking why I didn't bring them any (a little donation will get you fed )one day they will get the hint. Amber and I are going to get the catering end of our new endeavour put into high gear in the coming months also. I figure I'm already poor might as well be happy being poor and cooking BBQ makes me happy. Alan

Vertical Smoker Research

2010-01-14T17:59:00.000-05:00

I have spent the better part of the day researching vertical smokers. I have looked at the FEC100,Spicewines,Backwoods and the Stumps. I can see a certian advantage of the verts over the stickburners. Better temp control, no babysitting, fuel consumption, and easier to transport. Just call me oldfashioned but the asthetics of the offset makes you feel like your getting your moneys worth. Some of us don't mind the babysitting or using more fuel. To me the verts takes the challenge of producing quality BBQ through sweat and tears,long hours and the feeling that you have accomplished something. To me this is what BBQ is about , knowing that your whole cook depends on a team effort to control heat ,tenderness and tatse of the product you are producing. With the verts it puts the I in team in other words you dont need a team. Being new to the scene it seems to me that this started as a team sport and thats the way I want to cook it. Don't get me wrong I see nothing wrong with using the verts and I would love to cook on all above mentioned but not at first. I feel I should earn my stripes in the BBQ world and the only way to do this is to stick with the way I love to cook. So my first shall be an offset and maybe later when I get the experience that I want and need I can make room for a vertical smoker. Alan

Thanks Tony

2010-01-13T20:54:00.000-05:00

I want to give a huge thanks to Tony in FT. Worth Tx for the great conversation and advice today. We had a great talk among things as smokers,catering and competetions. This was my first real conversation with someone who is on the larger circuits and I just wanted to thank him for his time and information. I hope to have many more opportunities to pick his brains. Thank you again Tony it was very inspirational. Now we had a great dinner tonight- St Louis style ribs,baked potato and a salad. I put the ribs on the smoker about 3p.m. and pulled them around 7p.m. Check out the pics. Going out to Bonaire to see the rig this weekend. Hope the price is right. Well going to make this one short I made a mess in the kitchen now I have to clean it up. See you guys and girls tomorrow Alan

Gonna play with my new toy.

2010-01-12T17:38:00.000-05:00

Finally warm enough to get out and use the rib rack Amber gave me for christmas and get in a little practice. No news on the cooker front but soon. I wanted to thank the guys at the BBQ Brethern for checking out the blog and for the feedback for improvement. We are going to explore the catering route but I am sure the red tape here in Ga. is going to be ten miles long and expensive but I'm ready for a change. I will post pics of the cook in progress and end result photos tomorrow everyone have a great night see ya tomorrow Alan