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“BBQ MADE SIMPLE”

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

By TexasBBQRub.com

For Those That Enjoy Cooking on Grills and Smokers

October 2004, Volume 18

Contact Information:

   Bill Cannon

   BBQ Made Simple

   Real Texas BBQ Rub, Inc.

   10701 Corporate Dr., Suite 295

   Stafford, Texas 77477

   Phone – 281-240-7110

   Fax – 281-240-7111

   Email addresses: bill@texasbbqrub.com

                               texasbbqrub@hotmail.com

If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter go to www.texasbbqrub.com/join.htm and take a few seconds and subscribe NOW.

Take just a couple of seconds and send this to 5 of your friends right now. They will thank you for it.

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS ISSUE OF BBQ MADE SIMPLE

1.      From Texas BBQ Rub – Sorry, we missed a couple of newsletters

2.      A Word about our First Annual Q-Fest, October 2004

3.      Beef tenderloin – Try This Out on a Special Occasion

4.      Guest Writer – Ritchey Robin – www.gatorpit.net answering your questions about pits and smokers

5.      Message Board/Forum – Join us NOW, We need you to participate

6.      What you will find in future issues of BBQ Made Simple

A SPECIAL OFFER FROM TEXAS BBQ RUB – WE MISSED A COUPLE OF NEWSLETTERS

 

I must apologize for missing a couple of the newsletters. As many of you know I am a CPA and the last three tax deadlines of the year just wiped me out. Seems a lot of folks were putting off filing for 2003 till the end and then I got swamped. So, I do apologize for not getting out the newsletters that we have promised you for every month.

We are going to get out a couple in the next two weeks to help catch us up a bit.  

FIRST ANNUAL Q-FEST, OCTOBER 2004, CISTERN, TEXAS

Wow, we pulled it off. Q-Fest 2004 was held in Cistern, Texas, October 21-24. We had a great group of guys who came from all over America to come join in the fun. The theme of this years Q-Fest was “Preserving the Heritage of Texas BBQ” and we took time to talk and exchange ideas and to get to know one another. We cooked some barbecue and for those that were interested in participating in a barbecue cook-off several teams went to Cistern on Friday to set up and participate in Czhilispiel. On Friday morning before everyone scattered to the cook-off in Flatonia, Texas we visited Smitty’s in Lockhart, Texas. Smitty’s is over 100 years old and they are still cooking barbecue like they started in the 1930’s. The original pits are still being used and we spent time talking to the pit master himself. We all came away with a better respect for barbecue as it was cooked and served over 70 years ago.

I would like to thank all of those that traveled to Q-Fest and spent time with us. We have started to develop a very nice family of guys who like to cook barbecue here and it was fun meeting everyone. We are going to do it again next year so be waiting to hear about it in future newsletters or on the forum.

If you would like to read a lot more about Q-Fest and what happened there and get some of the inside information go to our forum at www.texasbbqrub.com/phpBB2 and read some of the post about Q-Fest. We are working on a picture gallery to also post up about the event.  

This brings us to our real topic for discussion this month, cooking beef tenderloin (a whole beef rib-eye or as some would call it a beef standing rib roast).

RIB ROAST (BEEF RIB EYE)

OK let’s say you just bought the entire rib roast with the ribs on. You have cut off the ribs and have a beautiful rib roast left to cook. How do you cook it?

We can do a couple of different things with the rib roast (ribs off). This is what you will usually find in the store. Most people buy them in whole and have the butcher or they will cut the rib roast into 1 to 1 ½ inch thick steaks. These are the rib eye steaks that have such a great flavor and cook up so well on the grill.

You should be able to get about 10 to 13 rib eye steaks from the rib roast.

If you want a really special dish cook the entire rib roast on the smoker. It makes a very special dish for a special occasion or if you just want to try something new. The rib roast is more tender and tastier than a brisket, but they cost like 5 times as much as well.

Again, I usually cook my rib roast the same way as I cook most of my meats. I use the 3 minute formula and get the roast ready for the pit. But this is one piece of meat that I will let stand in the frig overnight. It seems to be a little better this way but sometimes I just rub and throw on the pit.

Anyway cook this again at a low temp. You can get on up to 225 to 250 degrees for this piece of meat but the lower the temperature is the better. This particular piece of meat is best cooked to a medium rare point so the cooking time is somewhat less than other pieces of meat. It should be done in approx. 3 to 5 hours. You will want to check the internal temperature on this piece of meat and it should be 145 or 150 degrees.

Now take it out and cut off 1 inch slices. This will just melt in your mouth. So go ahead and cook one of these for a very special occasion. This would be a great meat for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

GUEST WRITER – RITCHEY ROBIN – WWW.GATORPIT.NET - ON GRILLS, SMOKERS

Ritchey Robin has again continued answering your questions concerning barbecue pits and grills in this issue of our newsletter. If you missed any of the first 8 questions you can go to the July 2004 newsletter and find those questions and answers.

  1. What about the maintenance of the pit, painting and cleaning: 

It is simple to maintain your pit for years of great cooking.  Always clean the ash out of the firebox.  Ash, combined with moisture, is very acidic.  If you don’t, you will prematurely rust-out the pit and find yourself needing to replace the firebox or buy a new pit.  This can be costly, depending on the pit.  Use a clean-out rake or other tool to scrap the ash out.  If equipped, keep the grease drain open to allow juices to drain out of the food chamber of your pit.    You can use clean water to rinse the pit out and leave the doors open so that the pit can dry-out and then you can close the doors for storage.  Some retail store bought pits offer covers.  Covers will assist in protecting your pit from the elements.  If possible store under cover like a patio or garage.  Whether you have this option or not, periodically touch-up the exterior of your pit.  Wire brush or fine sand any areas that have begun to rust.  You can use soap and water to wash the exterior of your pit.  Once dry, brush or spray paint a high heat BBQ paint. This can be found at most hardware stores.  Make sure the paint is a high heat paint for BBQ grills/smokers/stoves.  I also recommend using a cooking oil, such as peanut or olive oil, and coat the exterior and interior again.  This will assist in premature rust and will add in helping your pit look new and last longer.  In short, clean out the ash and every couple of months touch up the paint.

  1. How long should a pit last:

There are many factors that influence how long a pit will last.  One is the previous question.  Wall thickness, quality of construction, type of paint, maintenance, etc. will determine the longevity of your pit.  I will keep it general.  The thicker the wall of the pit the less likely it will burn-out and the longer it will take for rust to take it’s toll on the pit.  Maintain it as I stated above and the thinner, less quality pits will last you years.  Do the same to the thicker wall, better quality pits and they can very well last you a lifetime.  Custom-made pits, generally, will last you a lifetime due to the fact that they have a minimum wall thickness of ¼” and the quality of construction is much greater than that of a store bought, bolt-together pit that comes in a box.

  1. Where can I find good replacement parts when needed:

Always contact the manufacturer of your pit.  They should carry or be able to provide you with replacement parts.  Ask the question and/or research the manufacturer to see if they are able to supply parts if needed.  You may find that it is easier and more costs effective to simply buy a new pit in relation to the time spent finding the part and the cost of it.  You will find that custom-made pits are less likely to require replacement parts due to their construction.  Parts that may require replacement on custom pits will be pretty much limited to wood/charcoal grate, temperature gauge, drain valve, wheel/tire.  All of which should be offered thru the custom-maker.  The internet is a great way to find what you need.  Search the world wide web.  It is a great source.

In the next issue, we will continue to answer questions.  If you need assistance, please feel free to contact the Gator Pit facility info@gatorpit.net.  My staff and I will be more than happy to assist you.  Thanks, Ritch

Ritchey L. Robin,

President

Gator Pit, LLC

11161 West Little York

Houston, Texas 77041

www.gatorpit.net

 

Call toll free 1-888-869-5166

TEXASBBQRUB.COM – MESSAGE BOARD/FORUM  (Your BBQ Information

                 Source on the Internet)

We have reached nearly 400 users on our message board/forum. Come join in the fun and learn about barbecue.

The link is www.texasbbqrub.com/phpBB2/ and we want and need each of you to come to the message board and join us in the fun. We would love to hear your questions, comments, suggestions, and just talk BBQ with all of our members. If you have not already done so, please click the link above right now and join in the fun.

Don’t be shy. All questions are good questions and we have a lot of pros to answer you questions or make suggestions for you. Remember we will all learn from each of your comments. That is what we are all about here, learning how to BBQ or passing along our thoughts to others. Whether you are just beginning to learn how to Q or you consider yourself a pit master come visit our forum today. We need everyone to jump on in there. It is FREE to join and takes just a few seconds to get registered, so do it now. We all will be happy you did.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

Remember this is your newsletter, so we want you to send us any suggestions or comments you have about the newsletter. If you think we need to add another section let us know and we will work on it. We want you to be a part of this. It is for YOU. So keep us informed.

In the next couple of weeks we will be sending out a special newsletter discussing smoking a turkey on your pit. So be watching your mail for this issue of the newsletter.

TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS

We here at Texas BBQ Rub want you to cook the best tasting, juiciest BBQ you have ever cooked. We have spent the last 8 years developing a system to make BBQ’ing the easiest it can be. We want to save you time, money, energy, headaches, and heartbreaks.

We have the easiest method of preparing BBQ ever revealed. It is tried, it is tested, and it works. It works on every kind of meat. It just does not get any better or easier than this.

And on top of all of that, This Simple 3 Step Method produces some of the finest BBQ you or your friends, neighbors, and relatives have ever sank your teeth into. Go to www.texasbbqrub.com/ourrub.htm and find out for yourself what you have been missing.

Here is what a couple of our customers have emailed to us in the past month.

             “Well guys, you made another convert Labor Day weekend!! I took receipt of my new

               Party Gator Pit (gatorpit.net) 09-04-04 and followed Rich’s instructions to “Cure” the

               pit. By the way, this is my first wood smoker!!

               After the curing process, I followed Bill’s instructions for proper meat preparation and

               rubbed my brisket and rib racks with Bill’s “TexasBBQRub.com”. Maintaining the proper

               Temperature on the pit was tricky at first, but after a while, all was good!

               When I pulled the meat off the pit, I rubbed two of the rib racks with Pineapple Habanero

               and Pear Habanero (texaspepperjelly.com).

               Gentlemen, I have found a new way to impress everyone who visits my backyard!!! Thank

               you so much for all you do. My ten guests left my home with a new appreciation for my

               “Backyard BBQ Skills” and are spreading the word as they travel back home to Louisiana!!”

                                                                                   

                                                                                                      Thanks again,

                                                                                                      Kenny M., Katy, Texas

              “Hi Bill;

                Our ribs carried us to the overall championship in Viroqua Wisconsin this weekend. We used one

                of the three slabs with Worchestire sauce and Texas BBQ Rub for turn in and took the top prize.

                You have a great product and I am proud to be using it. It has taken our BBQ to another level.”

                                                                                          Pork of the North BBQ Team

                                                                                          Larry S., Saginaw, Wisconsin

                                                                                                  

Find out what so many people have already found out. Order TexasBBQRub. Order it right now. The link is www.texasbbqrub.com/ourrub.htm Don’t put it off any longer. So go ahead and order NOW. With the holidays coming up you better get two bags of rub for all of the holiday cooking. By the way our rub makes a great present for those that love to cook.

If you have a comment or want to send us your testimonial please feel free to do so. Send it to Bill@texasbbqrub.com and we will feature you in an upcoming newsletter or on our site.

A GLANCE AT THE NEXT ISSUE OF BBQ MADE SIMPLE

Well that ends this month’s newsletter. As we go into the heart of the holiday season we are going to send out a special newsletter around November 15 discussing smoking turkeys.

We will get Ritchey Robin to write another article for our newsletter and get some of his wisdom relating to barbecue pits down on paper. By the way if you are in the need for a new smoker, grill or whatever kind of cooker you can imagine, visit Ritch’s site at www.gatorpit.net and look at what he builds. There is no better pit out there, period.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

Remember that we still have many of our troops in both Iraq and in Afghanistan protecting our freedom and helping others achieve their own freedom. Keep them in your prayers and hearts for the many months to come. They are there serving US.

Cooking is a great way to get the family interested in doing something together. Kids make great helpers around the grill and let them feel like they made a difference. Always include your children when cooking (if they are old enough). They will grow to love it and they will always want to help you out. Ask them to help and give them important jobs to do, like rubbing the meat, be the fire attendant, or running errands for you. PASS ON THE ART OF COOKING TO YOUR CHILDREN…..YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID AND SO WILL THEY.

That concludes this month’s issue of BBQ MADE SIMPLE. Do me a favor and pass this along to 5 of your friends right now. They will thank you for it and I will too.

Keep on Cook’ in

Bill

You can contact us at bill@texasbbqrub.com if you should have any questions or comments.

Newsletter | Brisket  Ribs | Chicken | Pork Butts | Rub | BBQ Tools | History | TexasBBQrub.com | Home