My guess is that New Yorkers have discovered what we Southerners have known for a lifetime – there’s nothing like some good ol’ Southern food!  In the South, it’s not just about the food, it’s about the time spent with family and friends while you’re cooking the food.  You would be hard-pressed to find a Southern food that wouldn’t double as comfort food.  

From time to time, I get questioned about how we stay trim and healthy eating all of the rich, Southern food we cook at Masterbuilt.  I’m sure you’ve heard it said, but it’s the truth – moderation is key.  We do love to deep-fry just about anything here at Masterbuilt, but we also love to put our own modern twist on old Southern favs and substitute lighter ingredients.  When may skip the fryer and throw a pork chop on the grill instead.  (Which balances the meal out when we throw some fried okra or mashed potatoes on the plate!)

We’ve cooked up Southern Food on the streets of NYC and it always draws a crowd.  Like I said, it’s not just about the food.  Southern food has a way of pulling folks in.  The smell of BBQ or deep-fried turkey is like an elixir to our overstressed souls. 

I’m glad Northerners are realizing the value of our dadgum good Southern food.  What’s one Southern dish you would tell your Northern friends they have to try?  (I would definitely say BBQ ribs and smoked mac n’ cheese!)

-John

Our Lapper Trays have been designated as “Tailgating Approved“.  To celebrate, we’re giving away a set of 2 Lapper Trays!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post and tell us:  “My fav tailgating food is __________________.”

You can read more about our Lapper Trays here and view our infomercial with Anthony Sullivan.

We will choose a winner at 9 am EST on Wednesday, September 14.  Only comments left on this blog post will be considered in this random drawing.  You must leave your email address to qualify, so that we can contact you if you win.  Your email address will not display in your comment.

Congrats to Tina B., the winner of the Lapper Trays!

We had lunch with Barb of Creative-Culinary.com at Big Papa’s BBQ.  Give the bison ribs a try if you eat at Big Papa’s.

Barb is one of those people that loves to entertain and share good food, so she became our instant friend.  She has a post on her blog with a recipe for bacon-wrapped pretzels.  Can’t wait to try those!

For dinner, we dined at the oldest restaurant in Denver – The Buckhorn Exchange - with Shannon Wilson of Grubology.  I would highly recommend you visit this piece of history if you are in Denver.  They have liquor license #1 in Denver!  They have a table that belonged to Buffalo Bill and mounts cover the walls, including a brown zebra and a 2-headed calf.  After your meal, take some time to walk around and take it all in. 

Tomorrow morning we’ll be over at 9 News Daybreak, then we’re headed home.   

-John

P.S.  Forgive some of the photo quality…cell phone photos!

We started last night with a BBQ dinner with Chris Baccus of GasStationTacos.com and TheConsideredCook.com.  We tried the brisket, pulled pork and ribs at Sonny Bryan’s.  I would highly recommend the brisket – it was very tender and had a good amount of smoky flavor.  The smoked sausage appetizer was a nice start to the meal; the mustard dipping sauce has quite a kick! 

Chris is a great guy and we enjoyed talking with him about food, media, football and just about anything.  We look forward to teaching him how to make some “Dadgum Good” BBQ very soon when he is in Georgia.  We hail from a land where gas stations have Frozen Slurpees and hot dogs on a roller, so it’s interesting to see that Chris has found authentic Mexican food at “fillin’ stations”. 

This morning, we taped a segment at the “Good Morning Texas“ studios.  Our segment was originally meant to air live, but the wild fires in Texas dominated the news this morning.  My prayers are going out to those affected by these fires – I hope they are able to get those under control very soon.

The folks at WFAA were awesome to work with and we hope to go back again soon.  We made some Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Espresso Sauce, Smoked Mac n’ Cheese, and Super Smoked Sweet and Spicy Wings.  The segment should air on Thursday, but could possibly run on Labor Day (we’ll keep you posted on our Facebook page). 

One of the highlights of the day was meeting Duff – the “Ace of Cakes” – in Dallas.  Such an authentic guy.  If you watch his show you should know, he’s the same guy in person.  I gave him a “Dadgum, That’s Good!” cookbook.  I wonder if he can make some BBQ cake?!  One of our Facebook fans made that suggestion.  Sounds good to me!

In the morning, we are taping a couple of segments at Good Day Colorado / Daybreak on Deuce.  We’ll keep you posted on those air times, also. 

I’m looking forward to meeting a couple of bloggers tomorrow also.  For now, it’s time to turn in here in the Mile-High and get some rest. 

-John

Whole Cabbage

1 1/2 teaspoons Steak Seasoning

1 stick of Butter

2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes

Directions:

Core out the cabbage.  Place the stick of butter down in the center of the cabbage.  Place 2 chicken bouillon cubes on top of the butter.  Sprinkle with steak seasoning.  Wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil, leaving top open.  Smoke at 225 degrees for 5 to 6 hours.

You start with canned refrigerator biscuits.  Homestyle preferred – the small generic brand ones that come in bundled packages of 4 cans (10 biscuits per can).  Don’t use flaky or buttermilk. 

Combine 1 cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.  Spread on a plate, or put in paper bag.

Heat your oil to 325 degrees. 

Open the canned biscuits.  You have 2 choices on the size.  We fried them whole and also cut them in half; we preferred the half-size. 

Gently place the biscuits into the oil and fry for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes, until golden brown (make sure you flip halfway through the cooking time).

Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.  While still hot, roll biscuit in cinnamon-sugar mixture on a plate and cover evenly.  If you have a paper bag, you can shake the hot biscuits in the bag with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

We dare you to eat just one!

Without a doubt, one of our most popular recipes is our Four-Cheese Smoked Mac n’ Cheese.  I receive requests almost daily for the link to this recipe.  Once someone views a cooking segment on local media or QVC, they just have to have that smoked mac n’ cheese!  I must admit….I don’t blame you! 

When we are done with our airings at QVC, the crew members line up with plates and forks in-hand to scoop up this dish.  I love taking my plate of mac n’ cheese back to the greenroom and reading your comments on Facebook and Twitter after a successful smoker airing.

Here’s the link to our recipe…

FOUR-CHEESE SMOKED MAC n’ CHEESE

This makes a no-fail, crowd-pleasing side dish for your summer BBQ.  Give it a try and let us know what you think.

-Alicia

YOU’LL NEED:

Marinade:

3 cups beef stock

¾ cup Worcestershire sauce

½ cup ketchup

½ cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon Asian chili paste

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon celery seed, ground

2 teaspoons seasoning salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon granulated onion

Rub:

1 ¼ cups light brown sugar

½ cup kosher salt

¼ cup garlic salt

¼ cup seasoning salt

¼ cup granulated onion

¼ cup unseasoned chili powder

¼ cup paprika

¼ cup black pepper

2 tablespoons lemon pepper

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

Brisket:

1 (6 to 10 lb.) beef brisket

Sauce:

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

¼ cup water

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

5 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Marinade:

1. In a large saucepan, combine all marinade ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Marinate brisket for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator. Remove brisket from marinade, dry with paper towels, and let it sit for ½ hour.  Reserve marinade for basting during smoking.

3. Trim excess brisket fat, leaving to a ½-inch layer. Be careful not to cut into the meat.

Rub:

1. In a medium-size bowl, combine all rub ingredients, and apply the rub to brisket just before placing in the smoker.

Brisket:

1. Load the wood tray with one small handful of wood chips and preheat the smoker to 250° F.  Reduce heat to 225° F, then add the brisket.

2. Place the brisket in the smoker and cook at 225°F for 4 hours, until a bark begins to form.  Apply marinade every hour to prevent the brisket from drying out. Continue to smoke the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 165° F. (Total smoking time is approximately 60 minutes per pound.)

3. After 4 hours, remove the brisket, wrap in aluminum foil, and continue cooking an additional 3 to 4 hours until the temperature reaches 195° F. Remove from smoker and let stand for 15 minutes in foil before carving.

Sauce:

1. Pulse onion and ¼ ­cup water in food processor for 30 seconds. Strain mixture to obtain ½ cup juice. Discard solids left in strainer.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the onion juice, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, molasses, and hot pepper sauce. Set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add garlic, chili powder, and cayenne pepper; cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in ketchup mixture and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered until sauce is thickened, about 25 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature before using.

JOHN SAYS:

Making a great beef brisket starts with choosing a great cut of meat. You’re going to want a brisket that’s well-marbled, but make sure it’s not too fatty on the outside. Look for a ½ ­-inch layer of fat on the top. That’ll help produce a moist, tender outcome.  To tell whether you’ve bought a good piece of brisket, pick it up and hold it in the middle. It should be flexible. If the brisket is stiff, you’re starting on the back foot. Bigger could equal tougher, and remember you’ll be slow smoking it for 1 hour per pound at 225° F.  Serve with the sauce on the side. Some say a good brisket needs no sauce.

We love hearing from you via Facebook, Twitter and our blog when we make TV appearances.  To thank you for your support, we’re having a Summer Smoker Giveaway. 

Just leave a comment on this blog post and tell us….

If you could invite anyone in the world to your backyard BBQ, who would it be?  What would you cook in the smoker?

You MUST leave your email address with the comment (it will not display in your comment, but will allow us to contact you if you are a winner).  We will close comments at 11:00 pm EST on Tuesday, August 2nd. 

The winner gets a 30″ Electric Digital Smoker from Masterbuilt.

CONTEST CLOSED….The winner is Tom Deschenes.  (Tom – We sent you an email.  Please respond with your shipping address. Congrats!)

The next time you grill corn, this is great way to let each person add their own toppings  (butter, onion, garlic….) and identify their corn cob right away when it’s done.

- John