Friday, December 6, 2013

Brrr... it's cold!!

The temperature at the time I sit and type this is zero degrees! Reminds me of the few years I lived up in Alaska. Brrrrr.

However, the cold does not need to stop you from using your grill or smoker. In fact, more people smoke during the winter season than summer.

The challenge is keeping your smoker to hold it's temperature during these very cold days and nights. Unless you have an expensive smoker chances are you are going to lose heat or go through your heat resource faster. Here are a few ways to help with this:

1. A welder's blanket. Yes, many grill companies make insulation blankets for their products but they tend to be expensive. Sure, they look nice but who cares. It's purpose it to insulate your smoker, not win a beauty pageant. There are a few that exist. The cheapest is a fiberglass blanket. They can run anywhere from $19.99 up to over a hundred dollars. Harbor Freight has them very cheap HERE. Just make sure the blanket does not have asbestos in it. Some say stay away from fiberglass but I have not seen hard evidence to that. I only recommend using the blanket for low and slow cooks. I do warn against cotton treated flame retardant blankets as the retardant can "cook off" over time and the blanket could catch fire. Also, washing them could wash the retardant off. There is a brand called Tillman that is made of thermofelt. Here is the LINK. Some people will cut them up and install them in pieces on the smoker.

2. Gaskets. There are gasket products on the market (we carry some at the store) that will allow you to seal up gaps and such on your grill and/or smoker. These can by cut to size and run around the edge of your smoker lid/door. Some are self adhesive and some use the high temp adhesive.

3. Fire bricks. These will retain heat and help keep the temperature more stable.

4. Aluminum foil. Some claim that simply lining the inside of your smoker with heavy duty aluminum foil will help hold heat in the smoker and keep the heat more stable as well.

None of the above mentioned ideas are really that expensive and will save you a ton on fuel over the winter.

Stay warm everyone and happy smoking!

Dan








Saturday, November 23, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know it's been awhile since I have posted a blog and I apologize. The good news is that Daren and I have had our hands full at the store with classes and pre-holiday sales!

Whew, what a day at the store today. Very busy and have had a chance to talk to many customers about the upcoming holidays; especially Thanksgiving this Thursday! It's that time of year to reflect on everything we are thankful for whether it be good health, family, fortune, or whatever you can appreciate in your life. I know I am very thankful for having the business, such a great business partner and wonderful family and friends. I would say my health but at my age, that can go at any time! :)

So many of our customers smoke their turkeys for the holidays. One question that we get asked quite a bit this time of year is what type of wood works best around the holidays. By far our most popular wood is apple. Apple wood works great with pork and poultry; especially poultry. Mix apple and pecan and you have, in my opinion, the perfect smoked wood combination for smoking a turkey for Thanksgiving. Really any kind of wood works as long as you enjoy it. Many people enjoy maple or cherry which can be more robust flavors. About the only wood that might be different for turkey is mesquite. That is a stronger and harder wood. You either like it or you don't. 

As far as smoking a turkey, as simple as roasting a turkey. My favorite video on smoking a turkey is this one:  


  It is based on the recommendations of Meathead on the Amazing Ribs website. Very simple to do. Really the only difference is not to fill the cavity of the bird when you smoke it to allow the heat to penetrate the middle evenly. 

However you decide to cook your turkey (just please be careful if you decide to deep fry your turkey as that is by far the most dangerous), we here at CBO want everyone to have a safe and joyous Thanksgiving!

As a reminder, we will have a Black Friday sale the day after Thanksgiving. Come on down to stock up on some of your favorite items at great prices! 

Dan

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Slow down and barbecue!

One of the benefits to owning a small retail store is the interaction I get to have with customers. I had an older gentleman come in this morning who had been in one of our classes earlier in the year.

He was what I would call a "good ol boy".  We shared some stories and opinions back and forth for quite a while.

We had a great conversation about how our society has become not only a disposable one but more and more in a hurry. Today if something takes 5 minutes to cook I know I have caught myself groaning. Over 5 minutes!

Have you ever been in line somewhere and the wait is maybe 10 minutes and the people in front of you are complaining about it. For 10 minutes. Are our lives really spinning that fast out of control that 10 minutes becomes an eternity?

As the owner of a barbeque supply store, I know some people will never appreciate the patience it takes to make good barbecue. Yes, it takes a few hours to make a good brisket or a rack of ribs but the outcome is fabulous. And while it is smoking, you can be doing something else!

I hate to think in years to come that people will lose their minds over something taking 10 seconds to complete. Eventually we will need to slow down or life will pass us by way to fast. Maybe that is what everyone wants. Who knows.

Our country is one of the youngest out there. Galen (the older gentleman) pointed out that in our country if a building is 100 years old we consider it a historical landmark.  Earlier this year he had been on a visit to England and touring a castle. He struck up a conversation with one of the employees of the castle and inquired about a recent renovation the castle had been through. She replied that they indeed had a recent renovation of the castle... back in 1625!

I was in India for 2 1/2 months for business. I saw forts and temples that were over 2000 years old. And we consider a building that is 100 years old a historical landmark! Amazing.

Take some time to slow down once in awhile. Enjoy what is around you. Try some barbecue now and then. You won't be disappointed.

Dan
Colorado BBQ Outfitters
6850 N. Academy Blvd
Colorado Springs, Co. 80918
719-465-1041

Saturday, September 28, 2013

To brine or not to brine...

One thing I have noticed about barbecue is that there is about 100 ways to get the same result. Everyone thinks their way works the best. The thing is, whatever works for you, works the best. By the way, I am referring to wet brining for the purpose of this blog.

To brine or not to brine has been as old an argument as whether or not to soak wood chips for smoking or cooking the brisket fat cap up or down.

Here is the answer to whether or not you should brine your meat: if you like how it comes out, then do it. It's as simple as that. Everyone has their own way of doing things.

We are getting to that time of year where the media and retailers make us start to think about the holidays coming up.

A very popular meat to smoke during the fall and holiday season is turkey. The brining question doesn't hold more true for this bird.

You see, brining is simply soaking in a salt water solution. As many know, salt is made up of sodium chloride. When meat is subjected to heat the moisture in it starts to evaporate. Sodium chloride binds with the meat proteins and keeps moisture from evaporating so quickly. Hence, salt can help keep meats juicier when barbequing. The problem is, salt draws moisture out of the meat so the natural meat juices are replaced by salt water which is not a good thing. The most simple brine solution is to take a 2 cup measuring cup and pour 1 cup of hot water into it. Then add enough salt to bring it to 1 1/2 cups. Then pour that salt water solution into one gallon of water. You need enough gallons of water to completely submerge whatever you are brining.

Salt not only helps tenderize the meat but adds to the flavor. Salt takes away any bitterness from a food that our taste buds pick up.

Many people like to add to their brining solution. Sugar, spices and using other liquids than water are wildly popular. Poultry does very well with sweet; so sugar and the use of orange juice, apple juice, pineapple juice, etc work great. We carry a prebrine solution by Urban Accents at the store. No hassle, no fuss, just follow the instructions to use the preblended brine. 

This takes all the guess work out of the process and make brining so simple. 

All this being said and done, people ask me what I prefer to do. Well, I actually prefer dry brining. Rubbing salt and spices on the meat without liquid. We carry so many rubs to choose from that there are just about endless possibilities. 

Stop in the store sometime and let us know which you prefer: to brine or not to brine. 

Dan
















Friday, September 6, 2013

New class added!!!

I was informed by a customer today that my blog was very outdated so here I am putting one up. :)

For this blog, I am really just informing everyone that Daren and I have added a new class to our repertoire at CBO.

This one is called the BRP class which stands for Brisket, Ribs and Pork Shoulder.

We will go over how to smoke the best brisket, ribs and pulled pork.

The class not only walks you through each of those items step by step but also will go over food safety, some handy accessories that will make your bbq life easier, and how to set up your grill/smoker to make these.

Our first one will be September 14th, Saturday, starting at 6:30 pm. I am hoping to keep these to about 1 1/2 hours.

If you are interested, call us at 719-465-1041 to get a seat before it fills up.

Dan
Colorado BBQ Outfitters
6850 N. Academy Blvd
CSC 80918

Friday, August 23, 2013

Green BBQing!!

Many people tell me that barbecuing isn't "being green" due to the use of woods for the smoke, use of lighter fluid to start charcoal, the smoke that is emitted from the smoker/grill, etc, etc.

We here at Colorado BBQ Outfitters believe in "green barbecuing". What the heck does that mean you ask? Well, let me tell you...

1. Own a good grill/smoker! According to Popular Mechanics, replacing a grill every 3 to 4 years does far worse for the environment than purchasing a good quality grill/smoker for the simple fact those crappy cheap made grills end up in landfills more often than quality grills do. Grills don't need to be tossed away when something goes wrong. There are many places that sell parts for grills and repairing is cheaper than replacing.

2. Never light your charcoal with petroleum based products such as lighter fluid, etc. Always use natural ways to light your charcoal such as all natural gels, or Primo Quicklights, or a chimney charcoal starter.

3. Use all natural hardwood lump charcoal instead of briquettes. I know what you are thinking: "but Dan, they have to chop down rain forests and trees to get that charcoal". Not necessarily. Many companies have government contracts to extract what they call Slash from the forest floor (fallen trees, etc) to use to make the charcoal. Many charcoals that come from South America are produced on private farms so as not to cut down natural growth. Our charcoal line, Wicked Good, is a perfect example of this.

4. If you are a pellethead (own a wood pellet grill), make sure the pellets you are using are all natural and do not come from cut trees. Our line of pellets, Lumberjack, also have a government contract to clear out fallen slash from forests which promotes better growth in the forest.

5. If a branch falls from your apple tree and decays, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it puts off the same amount of carbon as it would if you burned it.

6. Want to pollute the environment? Grab the family, jump in the car, drive to a restaurant, over spend for prepared food, then drive back home. Instead of doing that, buy fresh meats and vegetables from the store and make it yourself. Grilling/smoking in the summer decreases your use of your oven and stove which, in turn, saves on your utility bill.

7. Even so much as rubbing an onion on your grate to season it instead of spraying it with harmful chemicals or non stick spray from a can will help.

Barbequing and smoking are better for the environment than most think!!!

Dan
Colorado BBQ Outfitters
6850 N. Academy Blvd
Colorado Springs, Co 80918
719-465-1041


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

The ABCs of Charcoal

Charcoal is still a very popular way to grill and/or barbecue so I thought I would jot down some dos and don'ts, etc about the use of charcoal. 

First of all, what is charcoal? Charcoal is simply wood that has been subjected to heat with very little oxygen turning it basically into carbon depleting it of moisture. The result is called CHAR. 

By processing hardwood this way it causes the resulting Char to burn at a hotter temperature and more consistently and offers a wonderful flavor for cooked food. 

First thing I want to point out is that there is a huge difference between the cheaper briquettes you see in most stores and all natural hardwood lump charcoal. Briquettes is a four letter word in the world of barbeque unless they are all natural. Most briquettes contain anthracite coal, mineral charcoal, starch, sodium nitrate, limestone, sawdust, and borax among other chemicals. We here at Colorado BBQ Outfitters never recommend the use of briquettes that are not all natural. 

Also, never, ever, ever use chemicals to light your charcoal such as lighter fluid. Not only can it damage your grill it will impart a petroleum flavor to your food. It is considered a deadly sin in the world of barbecue.

Now that you know what NOT to buy, let's talk about what you should use. Only use all natural hardwood lump charcoal. Although the brand isn't very significant, Colorado BBQ Outfitters carries the Wicked Good Weekend Warrior Blend which has been voted number one by The Naked Whiz website http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm. We also carry Primo all natural hardwood lump charcoal. When it comes to charcoal, you get what you pay for.

So if you shouldn't use lighter fluid, how do you light your charcoal? There are many ways you can do this:

1. My personal favorite is a charcoal chimney starter. We carry the Steven Raichlen chimney starter.
These work very simply. You fill up the starter with charcoal, stuff newspaper underneath, light the paper and let it burn. Air is pulled up through the starter along with the fire from the paper burning lighting the charcoal within about 10 minutes. Better yet, if you have a side burner on your gas grill, set it on there for a few minutes. Then you simply pour the lit charcoal into your grill. Simple as that. 

2. The use of all natural fire starters such as Primo Quick Lights. These are similar to the logs you use to start fires in a fireplace. Always remember to only use all natural fire starters. 
3. Electric charcoal starters work very well also. These do need an electric power source. They are basically a heating element that you place in the charcoal and it ignites the charcoal to cause it to start burning. 

There are other products out there but the above three are what I would recommend for most average grillers/barbecuers. 

How much charcoal you need is directly related to what you are cooking or grilling. A small handful is enough for a steak or two or a few burgers. If you are smoking a big brisket, you will need more to keep it at the temperature you want for a longer period of time. 

Come visit us at Colorado BBQ Outfitters at 6850 N. Academy Blvd Colorado Springs, Co. (Northwest corner of York and Academy) or call us at 719-465-1041 and we can show you some interesting ways to barbecue with charcoal. 

Dan
Colorado BBQ Outfitters

Sunday, July 7, 2013

BRP Class coming soon!

First of all, I owe all my customers who have been asking for a more advanced BBQ class than the BBQ 101 a big apology.

Colorado BBQ Outfitters has been so busy this barbecue season that I have been remiss in getting this class going. Guess that is a good thing!

I have the curriculum completed, I just need to do a test class to work out kinks and get my timing down.

I want to keep it to 1 1/2 hours. 20 minutes or so for each topic and then a Q&A session and taste test at the end is my thought.

I will run the test class this week and then get the word out as to dates so keep an eye out for the email and/or the Facebook notice about it. I am hoping to hold the first one next week (July 15-19).

I am really excited about this class and hope people enjoy it as much as I will teaching it!

In the meantime, come on down to Colorado BBQ Outfitters and check out all we have to offer for the bbq season. Whether you are a BBQ master or a grilling fan, we have what you need to make your grilling and smoking feasts super easy.

Thank you to all who have been patient with me in getting this next class set up. :)

Dan MacDonald
Colorado BBQ Outfitters
6850 N. Academy Blvd Colorado Springs, Co. 80918
719-465-1041


Friday, June 28, 2013

July 20th Firefighter fundraiser

This week I just want to reach out to everyone and request help with a fundraiser that Colorado BBQ Outfitters will be involved in on July 20th.

One of our neighboring businesses (Three Tigers Martial Arts) reached out to Daren and I to see if we want to be involved.

The event will consist of setting up an area (either in front of Three Tigers or in front of the shopping center across York from us) where people can come down and either donate items that the firefighters will then donate to the victims of the Black Forest Fire or proceeds will go to help thank the firefighters themselves.

My thought is to have us make some pulled pork and sell pulled pork sandwiches and then donate all the proceeds to the fund. Colorado BBQ Outfitters will provide the grills, pellets, rubs and sauces and will be looking to either our friends or local grocers to donate the meat (pork shoulders), plates, napkins, forks, etc.

If you think you can help in any way possible, please contact either Daren or myself. This is chance to help not only victims of the fire but the firefighters as well.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department will have one of the fire trucks there for the public to check out.

Please help any way you can.

We can be reached at the store at 719-465-1041, or email at info@719bbq.com, or hit us up on Facebook on our page.

Dan MacDonald
Colorado BBQ Outfitters
6850 N. Academy Blvd
Colorado Springs, Co. 80918
719-465-1041

Thursday, June 20, 2013

BBQ Safety

In lieu of the recent wildfire tragedy I thought it would be appropriate to discuss grilling and barbecuing safely.

First of all I want to make clear that you CAN grill and barbeque even with the current fire ban. You can only do so at a private residence and you still must use common sense.

You CANNOT grill or barbecue at most parks, open spaces, National Forests, etc. The safety of your back patio is perfectly legal in Colorado Springs city limits. Unincorporated El Paso County does have a ban on charcoal only but they informed us they are not enforcing it as long as, again, you use common sense.

One of the reasons Colorado BBQ Outfitters sells wood pellet grills is the fact they are the most safest of all grills on the market. Wood pellet grills; even though they burn pellets, do so in a fire pot that is safe inside the grill. There are no embers that can get outside the grill. Charcoal offers some danger with regard to hot coals that can be fall out of the grill onto wood decks, dry grass, etc. Wood pellet grills do not offer any chance of the fire getting outside of the grill as it is contained in a fire pot that is covered by a heat deflector which is then covered by a drip tray. They only disperse heat which is done through the top of the grill. Never have anything flammable hanging over a grill while it is hot. Below is a diagram of how a wood pellet grill works. Notice the fire pot is safely contained well within the confines of the grill itself.



Gas grills offer some challenge with safety as they have an open flame of course. You should always check your gas grill for gas leaks making sure all the connections are tight. Make sure any rubber hoses are not showing signs of wear. Double check all connections and that your propane tank has not expired. Yes, propane tanks do have expiration dates on them. Always keep your burners unclogged and well cleaned. Never, ever let grease or drippings collect in the grill. Not only will this ruin the taste of what you cook on your grill is can cause flare ups and once melted can drip down out of the grill. If your gas grill comes with a drip cup, make sure it is cleaned regularly. Always turn all knobs to off when done grilling and turn the gass off from the propane tank. The Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association (HPBA) has a great website on gas grill safety... http://www.hpba.org/consumers/barbecue/gas-grill-safety/

Charcoal grills offer a challenge given the way you must get the charcoal lit. We here in the BBQ community never, ever encourage the use of petroleum based products like lighter fluid. One, it is dangerous and two is ruins the taste of your food. (I know the HPBA site I will share talks about using lighter fluid. Ignore it.) Never, ever, ever put lighter fluid on already lit coals!!! There are plenty of other products that are safer to use when lighting charcoal. Charcoal chimney starters, electric charcoal starters, products like Quicklights are just some of them. All require the use of common sense. Make sure you are not lighting charcoal in the wind. It will blow embers that can start fires in dry condition. Always let charcoal completely cool before dumping out the ash and always dump the ash in a non-combustible container after soaking thoroughly with water. Tips for safe charcoal grilling: http://www.hpba.org/consumers/barbecue/charcoal-grill-safety

Again, wood pellet grills do not offer any of the dangers mentioned above. Turn it on, set the temperature and let it go. My only recommendation is to use a GFI plug for the grill. Since they are electrical, do not use them in a rainstorm so the electrical components can get wet.

Never attempt to grill in a non-ventilated area such as a garage or inside. Know your grill. Read the owner's manual! I know you men out there are thinking yeah right but do it! Make sure your grill will not fall over once lit. Keeping a fire extinguisher handy is important. (Yes, it's time to get those fire extinguishers checked by the way) Never try and move a grill that is hot. Another great resource from the HPBA site is the grilling fact sheet: http://static.hpba.org/fileadmin/factsheets/product/FS_SafeBBQ.pdf

In the event you are grilling on a wood deck or on the ground with dry material, I highly recommend a good grill mat. These are made of noncombustible material and are placed under the grill. I also recommend a good pair of leather or heat resistant silicone gloves when working around a hot grill.

Remember, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO GRILL AT YOUR HOME!!! Just please be safe and enjoy the fruits of your barbecuing labor!

Colorado BBQ Outfitters always wants you to enjoy this favorite past time but please be safe when doing so.

Dan




Thursday, May 30, 2013

Big Box Stores Versus Specialty shops

Occasionally, I have a customer come in and point out that Home Depot or Lowe's carry grills and smokers cheaper than we have them.

I have an answer for that and would love to share that philosophy.

First of all, the big box stores operate on volume profit. This means they sell a ton of something for a lower profit margin (lower price). The more they sell, the more they make. The cheaper they can buy the product and sell a bunch of them, the more they make.

Unfortunately, in order to purchase their products cheaply they usually purchase their product overseas where products are made with very low quality. Again, the thought is just sell a bunch. If it breaks down in a year;  no worries, the customer will just come back and buy another. They also do not usually offer good warranties on their products due to their lower quality. If you are lucky you will get a year tops but most are about 90 days. They figure if it works 90 days, you are good.

Secondly, they make up some of their costs by charging assembly fees meaning they charge to put it together for you. Or, you can just load the box up and fight through the instructions putting it together yourself hoping it works. So now you have purchased something for a price not realizing in order to take it home assembled you need to pay more!

Thirdly and lastly, if you have a question or an issue with your product, who are you going to talk to? Are you going to ask the lady who they assigned that day to that department? Pretty sure she won't be an expert. Who do you call? Their headquarters? The manufacturer of the product? They just tell you to contact the store. Good luck on that one.

A small business specialty store MUST offer these services in  order to complete with those big box stores. Yes, our grills might be a bit more than what you can buy at Home Deport or Lowe's BUT they are much better constructed, most are actually made here in our own country, and will actually last.

Smaller specialty stores such as Colorado BBQ Outfitters will assemble your product for you and test it to make sure what you are taking home works 100%. Should something go wrong, you know who to call. We will answer your questions or offer suggestions. Colorado BBQ Outfitters will even on some occasions go out to your house and fix whatever is wrong. Any warranty issues will be taken care of by us.

Oh, and by the way, the warranty on our grills compared to the big box stores are much longer. In some cases up to 20 years!! Specialty stores such as ours will take care of any warranty work for you in the slim chance you will need it. Will Home Depot or Lowe's do that for you? Most likely, no.

The owners of small specialty stores love talking about their business and products. It is their livelihood compared to the employee of a big box store making minimum wage. Use them for their expertise.

We here at CBO assembled, at no cost to our customers and test each and every one of our grills and smokers.

So basically for the cost of one premium coffee at Starbucks a day you can receive special treatment now and in the future from a specialty store. If you are looking for cheap, inexpensive product with little to no support, then the big box stores are for you! However, if you are looking for hands on service, great conversation and constant support, come visit us at Colorado BBQ Outfitters or any of your locally owned specialty stores.

Dan


Thursday, May 23, 2013

BBQ classes

As we come into the "bbq season" (I say that referring to the novice barbecuer), I realize that we need to hold more barbeque classes here at Colorado BBQ Outfitters. My intent with this week's blog is to type out my class goal and follow through with it!

Many customers have come in asking when we are going to hold more detailed or specific classes such as how to smoke briskets, ribs, chickens, and so on.

I am excited to put a class for these topics together but at the same time very nervous! Our classes are so much fun but I always get stressed out wondering how the class will go or if my samples taste good. I don't know why I do as each class the feedback has been very positive for both the class and the food. :)

My initial thought is to add a BRP (brisket, rib and pork or "burp") class as those are the most commonly barbecued meat. From there I can branch out to chicken, fish, turkey, and maybe; dare I say,  healthy choice class for veggies, etc.

I have already put together a holiday (turkey, roast, ham) class as well as a jerky class. Can't wait to get those up and running.

For those of you that have been waiting for more classes, I promise not to disappoint soon. It is my number one priority. They will not last as long as the 2 - 2 1/2 hour BBQ 101 class and will be more detailed and offer open discussion about how to smoke or bbq the various types of foods.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention our National BBQ Month in May and Father's Day promotions that we have going on at the store...

Watch for our Market Treasury coupon coming out in the next week to a mailbox near you. We are also running a Living Social ad for our class starting the 25th of May so keep an eye out for that as well. Our in-store promotions include sales on sauces including a free Air Force Academy sauce if you buy $15 worth of regular priced sauce. Our bbq bucks are going strong. You get a $10 bbq buck for every $50 you spend. The bbq buck can be used on any $30 purchase which gives you 30% off!!!

Come on down and visit us.

Dan MacDonald
Colorado BBQ Outfitters
6850 N. Academy Blvd
719-465-1041
www.719bbq.com


Friday, May 17, 2013

Running your own business can be rewarding but it certainly has its challenges at times.

I left a 25 year career in corporate america to pursue my dream of having my own business. I believe I prepared myself and did my homework as much as humanly possible.

I researched starting a small business on the internet. I attending a small business start up workshop sponsored and provided by SCORE and was assigned a mentor who helped me determine if I was even cut out for owning a small business.

My partner and I decided to take the leap and created an LLC, again, all online by ourselves.

Now, a year later, I can say the amount I have learned is overwhelming. Tracking inventory, determining what type of inventory sells or what does not, doing the accounting of the business, paying bills, etc, etc.

My partner and I compliment each other very well as he is the creative "think out of the box" type and I am the analytic numbers guy.

Daren and I both are willing to learn. We both don't do things just because we should. We do them because it makes sense most of the time.

We debated holding classes at our store last year. There was so much we didn't know. We felt like we had to be experts to do it. There is no such thing as an expert when it comes to BBQ. There are a thousand ways to get the same result. We received so much support from our family and friends.

We held our first class late last year and both had a blast doing it. Not to mention the benefit to the store as well! We still continue to hold the classes and have refined them over time. We have received very positive feedback on the laid back atmosphere of the class and humor Daren and I through into the class. (Having samples at the end of class doesn't hurt either!)

Interested in learning about barbecuing? Know someone who enjoys barbequing but needs some help? Give us a call and sign up for one of our classes. They are a lot of fun and I guarantee you will learn something.

Come on down to the store at 6850 N. Academy Blvd (northeast corner of York and Academy) or call us at 719-465-1041 for more information.

Look for our Living Social half off class deal beginning May 25th!!!

Dan

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

How to BBQ the lazy man's way

Many people ask me as the owner of a BBQ supply store how do I have to patience and whatnot to make good barbecue. 

I simply explain to them that making barbeque isn't hard if you have the right gadgets! It doesn't hurt to be a male as we guys like our toys. 

First, I bbq on a wood pellet grill. These are the latest in bbq technology. You plug them in, fill the hopper with bbq grade allnatural wood pellets, set the temperature and walk away. The grill does everything else for you. An auger feeds the pellets into a firebox and are ignited by a hot rod  Once the pellets are burning, the control board of the grill tells the auger how fast or slow to go regulating the temperature of the grill. Truly a "set it and forget it" way to cook. 

The next toy on my list is a digital wireless thermometer. You put the insulated probe into your meat and take the wireless control into the house, take a nap on the couch and wait for the alarm to go off once the meat is at the correct internal temperature. They are fully programmable for each type of meat and taste. We carry the Maverick brand at the store. The wireless digital thermometers take all the guess work out of knowing when your meat is ready to take off the grill. 

When it comes time to take your food off the grill, I use either my heavy duty leather gloves to remove hot cookware or grates; or, insulated food gloves to just take the hot food off the grill. No mess or burning your fingerprints off. A good pair of tongs helps moving food as well. 

Grilling or barbecuing at night? No problem. There are magnetic and clamp on led lights now for your grill so you can see what you are doing no matter what time of day you are cooking. 

If you haven't tried pizza from a wood pellet grill, you are missing out. It is just like pizza cooked in a wood fired oven. A good pizza stone makes barbecuing pizza super easy. 

Starting your hardwood lump charcoal with lighter fluid is a cardinal sin. Chimney starters are the way to go for this job. You put your charcoal in the chimney, stuff some paper under the starter, light it and in about 10 minutes you have hot coals to pour in your grill. You can make it even easier and start your charcoal using Primo Quicklights. All natural, they strike like a match and burn long enough to get a good set of coal white hot. 

I could go on and on about all the different gadgets one can use to make awesome bbq. 

Come on down to Colorado BBQ Outfitters at 6850 N. Academy Blvd Colorado Springs to see what we offer to make grilling and barbequing a piece of cake. Or piece of steak in our case.