What BBQ means to me.

I have wanted to write this for quite some time. I have been asked why I like BBQ so much by many people. This question got me to thinking of all the things that I do love about Q. My first memories of BBQ are when my dad used to grill with his brother over in Clovis, NM. We would visit my uncles almost every weekend. My dad and Mario would start the grill and pop a top on a cold beer. Me my brother and all my cousins would run around playing. I remember the smell of the meat. Once it was done we would all eat and then go play again. The parents would all sit around and talk about whatever it is they talked about. Those were great times and great memories.

Now many years later I find myself carrying on the tradition. I get together with my family and friends and we grill and have fun while the kids play. So what does BBQ mean to me? BBQ means a gathering of family and friends to consume grilled and smoked meat while enjoying each others company, creating memories that are unforgettable. I Love my family and friends and I Love "Q"! 

Who the hell is this guy?

Brisket doesn't suck. Josh Ozersky does!!!

Here is a crazy article on Texas Monthly regarding this dumbass talking trash on Brisket. I read the article over and over and am surprised at this crap. Anyways I hope that someone takes him up on his Brisket challenge. Hell I hope someone just punches him in the face lol.  Ok ok now violence is never the answer... Ok well sometimes it is but anyways I think this guy deserves a good old fashioned assbeating but not with fists with BBQ. Feel free to check out this article and leave a comment with how you feel about it.

#brisketmafia #respectthebrisket

Read the article here

The Pitmaster Oath!!!

The Pitmaster Oath.

500 briskets, that's the number I figured when I was a kid. 500 briskets and you could consider yourself a legitimate pitmaster. You need them for experience. To develop leather skin. So I got started. Of course along the way you stop thinking about being tough and all that. It stops being the point. You get past the silliness of it all. But then, after, you realize that's what you are.

Best or Worst Brisket video ever?

I saw this video on Youtube and was just amazed. Tom the Pitmaster for Wholy Smoked LLC has an instructional video on how to cut brisket. I thought it might be a good video to watch so I sat through the whole video then watched him just massacre the brisket.

Why season your brisket with a good rub just to cut the bark off? Some people might watch this video and think it is great but I for one do not. So feel free to watch the video then leave a comment and let me know what you think.

The BBQ Brethren Forums

I just wanted to post a blog about this great website. The website is very informative and contains a wealth of information. Many people into BBQ are already members of the website but if you are not then do not hesitate to join today. My name is DirtyQng on the site so feel free to message me if you do join up.

The website forums are so jam packed with information. They have everything from cooker info to recipes and pretty much anything BBQ related that you could possible think of. Here is a link to the website BBQ Brethren.

This is a short post but one that had to be addressed lol. So have a great day and get your Q on!

Texas Monthly The List: The Top 50 Barbecue Joints

Last week Texas Monthly came out with their list of the Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas. Here is a link to the article.

Texas Monthly List

It is a good list to review for everyone that is interested in Texas BBQ. I kind of feel bad that my town Lubbock didn't make the list. Well we really don't have any outstanding places for BBQ in town so I guess it does make sense.

We are really going to have to step up our game lol. Anyways the Texas Monthly list is great. Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue is #1. If you have been living under a rock and do not know much about Aaron Franklin, here is a link to a great article about him.

Franklin Barbecue

So check out the Texas Monthly List when you have a chance. Good reading.  So get on it and then get to Qng, BBQng that is!

Time to Q it up!!!

I have been really busy lately working overnights but am finally getting adjusted to it. Have been MIA from posting some Q and am now ready to get back to work. This weekend I will be Grilling and BBQng for all the fans out there. I will be sure to document and photograph it all for your pleasure. Well it is time to get up and ready to get to work. Be sure to come back this weekend to view the Q updates!  

My Ugly Drum Smoker aka UDS Build

Welcome to my blog on the creation of my UDS.

Please feel free to like this page and leave comments to help others find this page.

I will keep updating this page until I feel that the page is perfect. Which of course will be never so check back often for updates.

Here are all the best links on the internet regarding a UDS Build. Check them out and you will have all the resources you will ever need to build a UDS.

UDS Build Links:

• BBQ Brethren UDS Build
• HowToBbqRight.com UDS Build
• Facebook Ugly Drum Smokers Page
• The Smoke Ring Ugly Drum Smoker
• SmokingMeatForums.Com UDS Build
• ThePickledPig.Com UDS Build
• BBQ-4-U.Com UDS Build
• BBQPitBuilders.Blogspot.Com UDS Build
• CowgirlsCountry.Blogspot.Com UDS Build

So the basic design of the smoker is really very simple.
1. You have a 55 gallon food grade metal barrel.
2.You then drill either 3 or 4 barrels about 2 inches up from the bottom of the barrel spaced evenly apart with a metal hole saw or a step bit.
3. You will then drill the holes for the grill grate bolts.
4. I then drilled 4 holes in the lid to bolt on a handle.
5. The next step is to have some exhaust holes on your lid.
6. I had a closed lid so I drilled 4  1 1/8 holes equally around my handle.
7. If you have bung holes on your barrel you may even add pipe to make some exhaust on your lid.
8. You may want to add handles to help move the barrel to the sides of your barrel.
9. The barrel is now sand blasted to remove any contaminants.
10. I then primered my barrel and painted it with some high temperature black engine paint.
11. Some people use black pipe nipples on the bottom intake holes. I left the holes open. If my temperature gets to high, I simply just put a piece of aluminum foil in a hole to control the temperature and have not had any issues at all.
12. I then purchased a pit thermometer and inserted it right below my grate.


Here is a picture of the final Product. She smokes and maintains a temperature better than smokers that cost thousands of dollars. So feel free to follow my build and comment or contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

I first started out with a regular 55 gallon food grade metal barrel with lid that I found on Craigslist. I paid $40 for the barrel.

The barrel had quite a bit of grime and some surface rust on it. I needed to get rid of all the contaminants inside the barrel and also get the outside cleaned up. I did a burn out of the inside of the barrel but it did not fully clean out the barrel. I then thought about getting a wire wheel and grinding out the inside and out. I googled all the other forums about UDS builds and then decided that I did not have the time nor did I want to go through all the hassle of using a wire wheel. I again googled sand blasters in my area. I called a few of them up and got various quotes from $20 to $80 per barrel sandblasted.

I decided to have a local guy sand blast it for me. He only charged me $20 and did it in about 15 minutes. It was also pretty nice to see the process. He has some sort of heavy duty sand blaster and does everything from full cars to 1000 pound metal transformers and much more. Here is a picture of him knocking out the barrel and lid both inside and out.

I should have taken a picture of the barrel after he sand blasted it but I forgot to get it done. It looked really good afterwards. The barrel looked like a shiny gray color and kind of looked like it had some glitter in it. He blasted everything off the barrel. It looked brand new and ready to go.

Here is a picture of the firebox I built full of charcoal and some mesquite chunks of wood. Works like a dream. The side is a piece of expanded metal that I wrapped into a circle and used hog rings to clasp the sides together. The bottom of it is a grill grate that I attached to the expanded metal with more hog rings. I didn't attach legs to my fire basket. I simply used 3 small tomato sauce cans that are emptied and cleaned. I have them on the bottom of the barrel and just sit my fire basket on top. It allows the ashes to fall through and keep the fire going and hot. 

Here is a picture of a great cook. I had a rack of ribs, country style ribs, and sausage. The foil contained, onions, little red potatoes quartered up, and bell peppers covered with olive oil, salt, and pepper. When it was done all of the food tasted great and I did not have any complaints. 

I should have taken more pictures of this cook but forgot to. I cooked a 8 lb. brisket along with some baked russet potatoes. The brisket was moist and tender and is the best brisket I have cooked to date. I promise to cook another brisket and document the whole process and post them on here for everyone to view.

So this is how I built my Ugly Drum Smoker aka UDS although I call this one a Beautiful Drum Smoker lol. So be sure to get started on your drum smoker today. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me. Have a great day and get to Qng!

 

Here are some UDS Videos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Fajita Recipe

Great Fajita Recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

Spices - Salt, Black Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Cayenne Pepper

 

4 Steak skirts

 

1 Green bell pepper

 

1 Yellow bell pepper

 

1 White onion

 

2 Avocados for the fajita tacos

 

1 Package of corn or flour tortillas

 

Pico De Gallo - I cheated and got the premade version

 

1 Bag of tortilla chips

 

1 jar of Hot sauce - The recipe will be posted soon

 

Directions:

 

1. Season your steak skirts by sprinkling the powder and rubbing it in

 

 

2. Spread the salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powder on the meat and rub it in

 

 

3. Wash your bell peppers and then slice them along with your onion

 

 

 

 

 

4. Season your vegetables with a dash of salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper

 

 

 

5. Prepare your grill to a nice high heat

 

6. Place your meat on the grill and sear each side then let it finish cooking

 

 

 

7. It should take a few minutes to finish the meat

 

 

8. Place the vegetables on the grill, being sure to flip them

 

9. Cook the vegetables to your desired taste

 

 

 

10. Slice your avocados into slices for your fajitas

 

 

 

11. Warm your tortillas up then place the meat, vegetables, and pico or hot sauce on the meat

 

 

 

 

12. Eat and Enjoy!!!

Beef Kabobs!!!

Just a great video on Beef Kabobs! 

 

How to cut Chicken Wings

I was clicking around on the Grilling.com website checking out all that they had to offer. I then saw an interesting blog about how to cut chicken wings from a whole wing. I saw a similar article online about this a few years ago. Anyways I just wanted to post a link to this blog for everyone to enjoy.

Check out the blog and enjoy.

Click here for the article: TIPS FROM THE PROS: COOKING CHICKEN WINGS

New Recipes

Need some new recipes or maybe something different on an old recipe you have? Well check out the recipes page. I have added some of my own personal recipes. I have also added some links to some great recipes that I have seen online.

Check them all out and feel free to comment and let me know if you have a recipe you would like to add to the website. Check it out today.

Atomic Buffalo Turds / Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients:

20 whole, fresh jalapeños
2 8-oz blocks of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 to 2 pounds of thick sliced peppered bacon

Brisket

Are you ready to smoke a brisket? Check out this great recipe. It makes some great brisket that you and all your friends and family are sure to love.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper or more depending on your taste
• 1 Bottle of mustard
• 1 beef brisket
• Or you may simply use your own brisket rub

 

Here is a great rub that just tastes great! You can find it at pretty much any grocery store.

 

 

Mix all of your spices together. Spread a nice thin layer of mustard all over your brisket. The mustard will help keep all your spices on the brisket and you will not taste the mustard at all when you are done. Now spread your spice rub all over the brisket being sure to rub the entire surface with a great coat of your spices.

Once your smoker is ready then place your brisket on the smoker. There are two types of people in this world, fat side up and fat side down. I myself prefer to put the brisket on with the fat side up.

You will want to keep your meat between 225 to 250 F. You will want to do your best to maintain the temperature throughout the cooking process. The length of time to cook your brisket will be at about 11/2 hours per pound of brisket.

Once your brisket reaches a temperature of 170 F then you will want to remove it and wrap it in aluminum foil. Return the brisket to the smoker and let it cook for another couple of hours. Once the brisket reaches 190F then you may remove it and let it sit for about 30-45 minutes.

Once it has cooled down then you may slice it and serve.

How to Pick a Grill

When it  comes down to picking a grill there are numerous choices available to you. There is the choice between picking a gas grill or a charcoal grill. Charcoal grills are usually less expensive than gas grills.

The next decision for you to make is how big of a grill do you want or need? Do you just cook for yourself and a couple of friends or do you cook for large groups. The smaller the grill the cheaper it will be. Some large grills however are very affordable.

You will also want to try and figure out what types of food you are wanting to cook. Most grills can pretty much cook anything but some grills will be a lot better for certain foods.

Once you have decided on the food and size than you will want to go online and view the various grills available or go to Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart or a local store to view the various types of grills.

Convenience is also another factor that you will need to think about. Gas grills are much easier to cook something on at the spur of the moment such as hot dogs or hamburgers. You can also refill your propane tank easily just by taking the propane tank to the local convenience store and exchanging your empty for a full one.

Charcoal grills on the other hand take a while to get the fire started and get the grill up to temperature. You also have to buy charcoal and have to restart the fire over if you run out of charcoal.

Once you take these factors into consideration you should be able to make a great choice of a grill. You are also more than welcome to message me and I would like to help you make a great decision.

BBQGuys.com is a great website to check out various grills starting from $30 and up to the thousands of dollars.

How to start a fire with a Charcoal Chimney

Lighter fluid is one of the easiest ways to start a charcoal fire. I used lighter fluid like crazy when I started out grilling. The problems I have with lighter fluid are that fluid isn't cheap and it also leaves a certain taste on the meat.

One day I heard about a chimney starter. A chimney starter is a cylindrical shaped metal structure with a small grate at the bottom. It allows you to start your charcoal quick and easy. You no longer have to spend any money on lighter fluid.

 

The way it works is as follows. Flip the chimney starter over. You will have a small space on the bottom that will allow you to fill it with rolled up newspaper. Get a sheet of newspaper and roll it up diagonally like you would a handkerchief and put the ends together to make a circle.

Now insert this circle in the bottom of the cylinder and repeat the process again. Once you have 2 sheets inside the cylinder then turn the cylinder right side up.

 

Place the cylinder on a surface that can take the high heat that the charcoal will produce. You may want to put it on the grill surface or a place that you won't mind possibly burning a mark into. Choose the place carefully as it will recieve a large amount of heat.

Fill the cylinder with the amount of charcoal you want to use. Light the newspaper and let it burn completely and it will then light the charcoal from the bottom up.

You do not want to wait until it is all ashed over as the charcoal at the bottom will be spent. Once you have some of the charcoals starting to ash over at the top then you may want to dump the charcoal into your grill.

Once you have dumped it then place your chimney starter in a safe place. It will be extremely hot and will take some time to cool down.

Now you have a way to start your charcoal easy and without having to buy fluid over and over.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

This is a great recipe for a different kind of snack on the grill.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

1 large bag of tater tots
2 packages of bacon
1 box of toothpicks
1 salt shaker
1 pepper shaker
1 container of Ranch Dip your preferred choice


You will want to start your grill up. While your grill is getting up to temperature you can start perparing the tots for grilling. You will want to have a large container ready for your tater tots to hold as you prepare them. Hint it helps if you do this with a friend or two. The process goes so much faster.

You will pull out the bag of tater tots and let them sit out a little bit so that they are not completely frozen. You will also want to have yout toothpicks, bacon, salt, pepper, and a sharp knife setup.

Pull out your bacon and go ahead and cut the strips into 3 pieces each. You may do them individually or as a group of bacon slices. The bacon slices are a little easier to cut if the bacon is a little frozen.

Now wrap each slice of bacon around a tater tot and the insert a toothpick through each to hold the bacon in place. Frozen tots are hard to push a toothpick through so be sure to let them thaw a bit. Keep doing this until your bacon is all used up.

You should have all the bacon wrapped tater tots in the container now. Sprinkle each tater tot with a litte bit of salt and pepper. Be very careful with the salt as the bacon is already going to be a little salty. Once all the tots have been seasoned go ahead and place them on the grill.

You will want to space them out evenly. Watch them as they grill and rotate them as needed. Once the tater tots and bacon are nice and crisp then just pull them from the grill. Let them sit and cool down for a minute or two.

Serve them with a container of ranch and watch as they disappear one tater at a time.

BBQ Pitmasters

BBQ Pitmasters a show on Destination America is a pretty interesting show in its 4th season. I am watching some reruns right now from season 2 the "Up in Smoke" episode. This is the one where Kyle Laval gets eliminated and then flips off the judges after being told to turn his pit off.

The show is pretty good and has become better as the seasons progress. The new format is a good one with Myron Mixon, Aaron Franklin, and Tuffy Stone as the judges. I really like the blind judging at the end. The competitors are gathered together and get to watch the judges as they taste and evaluate each dish.

The episodes generally start out with an introduction of the judges. The competitors are then given a small introduction each. Once everyone is introduced then the competitors are informed about what dishes they are assigned for the contest.

The show then follows the teams as they prepare their dishes. Some episodes have some drama due to mistakes, the high heat causing medical issues and what not. The only real issue I have is that after every commercial break the show recaps the whole episode up to that point. It can sometimes be lengthy and waste valuable watching time.

My overall vote is 2 thumbs up! Some episodes are a lot better than others but its a pretty good show.

Here is a video showing all the judges from YouTube.

Here are a couple of links about the show.
BBQ Pitmasters Wikipedia page
BBQ Pitmasters Official page

BBQ with Franklin

Aaron Franklin of Pitmaster fame has just started a new series of videos on YouTube about BBQ. He has videos about wood, smoking, ribs, brisket, and many more other videos. His restaurant Franklin Barbecue in East Austin was named best BBQ in America in 2010 by Bon Appetit magazine.

Here are his videos for you to watch. Maybe he can give you some tips or at least provide you with some BBQ entertainment.

Video #1
Introducing BBQ with Franklin

 

Video #2

Introducing BBQ with Frankin- Episode 1 Outtakes

 

 



Video #3
BBQ with Franklin: The Brisket

 

Video #4

BBQ with Franklin: The Smoker

 

 

Video #5

BBQ with Franklin: The Wood

 



 

Video #6

BBQ with Franklin: Thanksgiving part 1

 



 

Video #7

BBQ with Franklin: Thanksgiving part 2

 



 

Video #8

BBQ with Franklin: Thanksgiving part 3

 



 

Video #9

BBQ with Franklin: The Cook

 



 

Video #10

BBQ with Franklin: The Payoff

 

 

Video #11

BBQ with Franklin: Ribs part 1

 

 

Video #12

BBQ with Franklin: Ribs part 2

 

 

 

Wecome to DirtyQng!!!

 

I would like to thank you all for visiting DirtyQng.Com! I created this blog to help share my love of BBQ with the world. I have been grilling and smoking for about 18 years now. I have cooked, and burned it all from wienies to briskets lol! I now plan to share all the knowledge I have gained to help you make the perfect steak instead of a black, burnt failure of  a steak.

I have numerous grills and smokers which I will introduce to you along this adventure. I have 6 different grills and smokers along with a disco as of today and I am sure this number will only increase.

I would also like to thank my fiance Serena for putting up with all my craziness. She has put up with me wandering the spice and meat market aisles for what probably seems like an eternity to her. I also like to take her iphone when mine dies to go to Craigslist and view: smokers, bbq, tank, propane and firewood haha. The poor girl puts up with all my BBQ craziness and still Loves me.

So to the BBQ world and to Serena, I dedicate this site to yall!