3 Delicious BBQ Recipes To Make This Memorial Day Weekend

We recently shared three delicious new BBQ cookbooks to improve your summer in order to inspire you to expand your barbecue and grilling horizons. With the Memorial Day holiday coming up this weekend, we wanted to share some delicious recipes from these books that you can make for your family and friends.

Here are three delicious BBQ recipes you need to make this Memorial Day weekend.

Reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Big Green Egg Cookbook by Chris Sussman. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. (Photo credit: Chris Sussman)

Gran Judy’s BBQ Cups – Chris Sussman
This recipe was inspired by Chris’ mother-in-law, Judy Buckman (a.k.a. Gran Judy). The original dish uses ground beef and canned sauce, while this version uses leftover pulled pork and BBQ sauce. You will find yourself going to this recipe time and time again to satisfy the hungry mouths in your family. VIEW THE RECIPE HERE.

Reprinted with permission from Blackstone Griddling by Josh Hunt. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. (Photo credit: Josh Hunt)

Big Mac’n Flatbread Pizza – Josh Hunt
Pizza + Big Mac = all your childhood food fantasies come to life! This is a fun take on a classic. It has all the ingredients you’ve come to expect from the iconic burger in a fun fusion pizza, pulled together for perfection on your Blackstone. VIEW THE RECIPE HERE.

Reprinted with permission from The Grill Sisters’ Guide to Legendary BBQ by Irene Sharp & Desi Longinidis. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. (Photo credit: Irene Sharp & Desi Longinidis)

Divine Chocolate Fudge Brownies – The Grill Sisters
These Divine Chocolate Fudge Brownies are what every chocolate connoisseur’s dreams are made of. They’re rich and decadent, with just the right amount of fudgy goodness, topped with an exquisite chocolate sauce that you can enjoy hot or cold. Turn your grill into an outside oven by setting it up to cook indirectly, with the lid closed. These brownies are fabulously fudgy and will be a hit at your next party. VIEW THE RECIPE HERE.

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If these recipes aren’t enough, check out our Recipe of the Week section for a special bonus recipe from Bon Appeteach that you won’t want to miss.

Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Shee

—The Ribbdiculous Bar-B-Krewe team from New York won Grand Champion at Memphis in May this weekend.—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

This past weekend, 150 teams competed at the 2023 edition of the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, which returned to Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis. The Grand Champion of the event was the Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe team from New York, which included Shane McBride of Pig Beach NYC and John Wheeler of Memphis BBQ Company. The team also won first place in the Ribs category. Notably, this is the first time in 22 years that a team competing in ribs won Grand Champion. First place in Whole Hog went to Hometown BBQ, first place in Shoulder went to Sweet Cheeks, and Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q placed first in the Kingsford Tour of Champions. SEE ALL THE WINNERS HERE.

In one of the most intriguing international stories of the week, the town of Zibo in eastern China has become one of the country’s hottest tourist destinations because of its distinctive barbecue style. The New York Times reports that Zibo has become overrun with visitors, fueled in part by social media influencers who showed off the huge barbecue scene there. “Inside this Coachella for barbecue, visitors could pose with a mascot dressed like a meat skewer. They could watch a concert against an LED backdrop of radiating flames. They could eat from one of the hundreds of grills scattered across the grounds the size of 12 football fields — if they waited hours for a table, and if their chosen meat purveyor hadn’t run out of food.” READ MORE.

After 40 years, Cousins BBQ in Fort Worth is going new school with BBQ trays, updated side dishes, and more, Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn reports. The article also notes that Cousins is offering a “new ‘All You Can Meat (AYCM)’ option of unlimited portions of six different smoked meats and eight sides at all three stand-alone brick-and-mortar locations. It rolled out three days a week last month for $30 per person (no doggie bags), but it has since expanded to every day, and the price has been lowered to $25.” READ MORE.

ADDITIONAL READS

Eater created the ultimate guide to Aaron Franklin’s Hot Luck Festival to allow you to get the meatiest experience the Memorial Day weekend has to offer.

Texas Monthly reports that the Olmos Bbq pop-up in Fort Worth offers traditional brisket, sausage, and ribs, but the tacos have taken center stage.

Garden & Gun shares pitmaster Rodney Scott’s recipe for a spice-rubbed bacon burger.

In Aaron Franklin’s recipe for a côte de boeuf, he dry brines the ribeye before letting the flames do their work.

Pitmaster Erica Blaire shares her recipe for the fun “BBQ Blitz Bowl,” which includes pulled pork, mac n cheese, and toppings.

Check out these 71 side dish recipes from Epicurious to add some zing to your next cookout.

Here are the St. Louis area barbecue joints to try before you die, according to the Riverfront Times.

—In a new show on The Cooking Channel, Michael Symon travels across the country to learn tips and tricks from some of America’s best pitmasters.—

WATCH

Season One, Episode One: Bring Your Brisket! — BBQ Across America
Michael Symon is the ultimate guide to the tips and techniques that turn out amazing barbecued meats. Hitting up all the major hotspots, he meets with seasoned pitmasters to dig deep into the techniques and flavors of all their barbecued specialties. In the first episode of the season, Michael gets into the nitty gritty of what makes the best beef brisket. WATCH HERE.
 

LISTEN

Meathead Memorial Day Special 2023 — BBQ Nation
In this episode of BBQ Nation, Meathead from AmazingRibs.com joins hosts JT and LeeAnn Whippen to discuss Memorial Day BBQ foods and techniques. Meathead shares his favorite foods to cook for Memorial Day, food safety tips, as well as tricks for getting the perfect grilled burger. LISTEN HERE.
 

READ

Smashed: 60 Epic Smash Burgers and Sandwiches for Dinner, for Lunch, and Even for Breakfast―For Your Outdoor Griddle, Grill, or Skillet — Adam Walton and Brett Walton
Outdoor-griddle cooking, whether on a dedicated “flattop” griddle station or simply on a cast-iron or steel griddle pan placed over a hot grill, is the biggest news in outdoor cooking in a long time, and the smash burger is everyone’s favorite thing to cook on such a device. The YouTube stars of the outdoor griddle, the Walton twins—known as the Waltwins—serve up here the definitive guide to smash burgers in 60 recipes that are both easy to master for flattop rookies and full of brand-new ideas for griddling vets. You will find the best versions of cheeseburgers and beef burgers you’ve ever imagined, such as the Rocky Mountain Smash Burger and the Mushroom and Swiss Smash Burger, along with things like the Chicken Cordon Bleu Smash, Smashed Black Bean Veggie Burgers, and Fish Sandwiches a la Smash. You’ll even find delicious smashed sandwiches you can wake up to for breakfast, and some sweet dessert smashes, like Smashed S’Mores, for the end of the day. PRE-ORDER H

—You will definitely want to make these easy and delicious sliders from Bon Appeteach for your next gathering. (Photo by Lauren Nagel)—

Pull Apart Sliders

By Bon Appeteach

This pull-apart slider recipe on King’s Hawaiian rolls is truly an easy recipe that will become a family favorite. These pull apart sliders can also be cooked in one pan, added to the individual rolls, and topped to your liking with all your favorite sauces and favorite toppings. If you love takeout style cheeseburger sliders made with ground beef, slices of cheese, and topped with crispy pickles, then this recipe is for you.

—Rib King NYC is coming up in Brooklyn on May 27.—

May 27, 2023: Rib King NYC — Brooklyn, New York
Food Karma Projects – the producers of Pig Island NYC and Brisket King NYC – are bringing you the ultimate memorial day barbecue and picnic with Rib King NYC. The event will feature amazing ribs from joints all over the NYC metro area, a Sauce King NYC showcase, Hard Cider Alley, plus many other food products, spirits, and drinks. It’s all happening at Industry City in Brooklyn. BUY TICKETS HERE.

May 27-28, 2023: Denver BBQ Festival — Denver, Colorado
The Denver BBQ Fest, held at Empower Field at Mile High (where the Broncos play), is a huge event that brings barbecue fans together to get a taste of great local and national barbecue bites. On top of the top-notch food, there’s also live music and great drinks to enjoy. To get a taste of this event, be sure to read writer Ed Reilly’s recap of the 2022 Denver BBQ Festival. If you’re near Denver, don’t miss this. MORE INFO HERE.

June 16-17, 2023: Discovery Fire at Settlers Creek — Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
The Discovery Fire event (formerly From the Ashes Idaho) returns June 16-17, 2023, with the big food, flavors and fun that you've come to expect from this annual summer Smoked and Fired Foods Adventure. It will include a Light the Fires Dinner on Friday night and a Pitmaster Showcase Event on Saturday. MORE INFO HERE.

June 23-24, 2023: Q BBQ Fest — Kansas City, Missouri
Arrowhead Events, the special events arm of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Eximius Productions have announced that the third-annual Q BBQ Fest – Kansas City will return to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for a two-day event on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24. This year's elevated barbecue festival format will be held inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time, giving guests the chance to sample the best barbecue from local, regional and national pitmasters inside the home of the Chiefs. MORE INFO HERE.

July 13-16, 2023: Windy City Smokeout — Chicago, Illinois
Get ready for beer, BBQ, and country tunes, because the Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival is returning to Chicago. The Windy City Smokeout is one of the largest barbecue festivals in the U.S. and typically features the world’s best pitmasters and more than 15 musical acts. MORE INFO HERE.

Sept 1-3, 2023: Pinehurst Barbecue Festival — Pinehurst, North Carolina
The Pinehurst Barbecue Festival is a celebration of taste and tradition, featuring award-winning pitmasters from across North Carolina in one of the most picturesque settings in the entire state. Presented by Pinehurst Resort, US Foods, and Our State Magazine, the three-day festival, staged in the Village of Pinehurst, offers a unique culinary experience of various barbecue meats, seafood, and traditional sides, plus bourbon tasting and BBQ classes. MORE INFO HERE.

September 4-7, 2023: Barbecue University 2023 — Solvang, California
BBQ master Steven Raichlen will once again be hosting Barbecue University this year. This time, it will be held at Alisal Ranch in Solvang, California. You'll get a chance to experience Steven’s inimitable teaching style designed to help you take your grilling to the next level and much more. Get ready for Steven’s spontaneous improvisations, the Instagram-worthy presentation table, the final exam, and of course, the coveted Barbecue University diploma. MORE INFO HERE.

Sept 27 - Oct 1, 2023: American Royal World Series of Barbecue — Kansas City, Kansas
The American Royal World Series of barbecue is the largest BBQ competition in the country. On top of a massive KCBS competition with roughly 500 teams, this signature Kansas City event includes public-facing activities, including live music, delicious BBQ and local food, a lineup of kids activities, and a vendor fair authentic to Kansas City and BBQ enthusiasts. MORE INFO HERE.

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