5 perfect gifts for barbecue lovers in your life
With December holidays fast approaching, you may still be looking for the perfect gifts for the barbecue lover in your life, whether it’s a frequent backyard griller, a barbecue historian, or someone who simply loves to eat barbecue.
You may have bought a few things during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but you likely have a few things left to buy, whether it’s stocking stuffers or something for that hard-to-shop-for person in your life. We've picked out five items that we personally vetted and can confirm are good quality. They vary wildly in price, from $15 all the way to $99 a month, so we know you’ll be able to find something in your price range.
Our five barbecue gift recommendations are:
A sampler pack of four rubs (see above) from Jess Pryles’ Hardcore Carnivore. These include Amplify (for any meat), Red (for pork), Black (for steaks and beef), and Camo (for lamb and game meats) varieties.
A monthly barbecue subscription to Goldbelly, which will deliver you high-quality barbecue from all over the country for either 3 months or 6 months. Items that may be delivered include brisket from Austin’s Salt Lick BBQ Texas, burnt ends from Kansas City’s Jack Stack BBQ, or ribs and pulled pork from North Carolina’s King’s BBQ.
One of our favorite barbecue books of the past few years, Praise The Lard, by Mike Mills and Amy Mills of 17th Street Barbecue.
A gift pack of four sauces and one rub from Kansas City’s top barbecue joints, including Arthur Bryant's, Gates, L.C.'s, Jack Stack, and Joe's.
A Thermapen thermometer from ThermoWorks, which will measure the temperature of your meat in three seconds or less. This is better than any standard meat thermometer we’ve ever used.
All of these will entertain or help barbecue lovers in your life, and you’ll also probably receive some benefits too. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and we’ll post a few more ideas on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as well. Stay tuned!
Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist) and Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
Blacket is a new barbecue joint in Italy, proving Texas-style barbecue can be found just about anywhere in the world these days. (Photo by J.C. Reid)
J.C. Reid of the Houston Chronicle found Texas-style barbecue at Blacket in Como, Italy, of all places.
A fire broke out this past Sunday at Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston, South Carolina, which damaged the roof of the smokehouse but did not harm the restaurant interior where patrons dine. Operations returned to normal on Monday.
Wyatt Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution considers the notion that side dishes may be responsible for making barbecue interesting and complex in this review of Alpharetta’s King Barbecue.
Hill Country Barbecue Market, a chain of BBQ restaurants in New York and Washington, D.C. just opened a new “food park” in Brooklyn with barbecue and much more, inspired by Austin’s food truck scene.
Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly describes why the increasingly popular trend of marrying Tex-Mex and barbecue, two of the most beloved cuisines in Texas, makes for the creation of “the perfect couple.”
K5 News in Seattle recently took a look at the barbecue sundae served at My 4 Sons BBQ. While there is no ice cream in the dish, it does combine all of the necessary components of a barbecue meal.
Cienfuegos, a Cuban rum bar and restaurant in New York’s East Village will be reborn as a Honeybee’s, a Texas-inspired vegetarian barbecue restaurant next spring.
The Otheroom, the bar at Forum Shops at Caesar’s on the Las Vegas strip, will become Smoked Burgers & BBQ in the new year.
Seattle’s iconic R&L Home of Good Bar-B-Que has closed its doors after more than six decades in the business.
Foo Fighters fans are speculating whether frontman Dave Grohl is starting his own barbecue-focused project called Back Beat BBQ.
Here are few BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Watch: Food Safari - Fire
Food Safari is an Australian docuseries that explores how cultures around the world cook with fire. In this visually spectacular 10-part series, host Maeve O'Meara (above) learns the secrets to grilling, smoking, roasting, and baking from some of Australia's top chefs, cooks, and barbecue devotees. Watch it here.
Listen: Behind the Smoke: BBQ War Stories - Episode 81
How profitable is a successful restaurant? This is the question Sydney Lynn from Restaurant Solutions tackles with hosts Shawn Walchef of Cali Comfort BBQ and Derek Marso of Valley Farm Market. Sydney breaks down the dollar in sales and explains the impact each cent has on your overall operations. Tracking the weekly behavior of your business gives a more accurate picture of what the bottom line looks like and the ways it can benefit your restaurant. Listen to it here.
Read: Whole Hog BBQ: The Gospel of Carolina Barbecue with Recipes from Skylight Inn and Sam Jones BBQ - by Sam Jones and Daniel Vaughn
In Whole Hog BBQ, authors Sam Jones and Daniel Vaughn create the definitive guide to one of America’s most iconic barbecue traditions — Carolina-style chopped pork. The book recounts the history of the Skylight Inn and shares step-by-step instructions for cooking a whole hog at home — from constructing a pit from concrete blocks to instructions for building a burn barrel. It also features more than 20 family recipes for large-batch barbecue, sides, and desserts. Available for pre-order here.
November 30 - December 1: Backyard BBQ Skills and Holiday Smoking & Grilling with Heath Riles and Malcom Reed - Tempe, Arizona
Pitmasters Heath Riles and Malcolm Reed are teaming up to offer two instructive and informative barbecue classes at BBQ Island, Inc. in Tempe, Arizona. The Backyard BBQ Skills class on November 30 will cover ribs, brisket, ribeye steak, and side dishes. In the Holiday Smoking & Grilling class on December 1, Heath and Malcolm will share their secrets to cooking turkey, ham, prime rib, and sides for the holiday season. More info here.
December 9: Houston vs Austin BBQ Throwdown - Austin, Texas
The Houston Barbecue Festival and Friends & Allies Brewing have announced the second annual HOU-ATX BBQ Throwdown featuring top barbecue restaurants from Houston and Austin. They’ll be competing to determine who reigns supreme when it comes to Texas barbecue. Austin joints include Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, and Micklethwait Craft Meats. Houston joints include Beaver’s, Daddy Duncan's BBQ, Harlem Road Texas BBQ, and Victorian's Barbecue. More info here.
December 14-15: 6th Annual Downtown Throwdown - Las Vegas, Nevada
The Nevada BBQ Association will host the 6th Annual Downtown Throwdown barbecue competition on December 14-15, 2018 at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, Nevada. More info here.
December 28-29: Arizona National BBQ Stampede - Phoenix, Arizona
The Arizona National BBQ Stampede is a special event brought to you by the Arizona National Livestock Show in collaboration with the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS). Teams will be able to enter the competition to earn points at the first event of the KCBS competition season. More info here.
December 31-January 1: South Florida's Fired Up Kosher BBQ Battle and Festival
The Jay Feder Jewelers Fired Up Kosher BBQ Battle and Festival will be held on January 1st, 2019 at the South County Regional Park in Boca Raton, Florida from 1:00-5:00 pm. The event will include a barbecue competition, food for sale, and family activities. Proceeds will help support Hadar High School for Girls. More info here.
Smoked Pulled Beef from a Smoked Chuck Roast
For this week’s Recipe of the Week, Susie Bulloch from Hey Grill Hey shares her simple and versatile recipe for Smoked Pulled Beef from a Smoked Chuck Roast. Susie seasons with equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic and uses oak to add a bold smoke flavor to the chuck roast. This dish is tender, full of beefy flavor, and can be used to make a delicious smokey pot roast or even French dip sandwiches.
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