Dreaming of a Jambo Pit by Jamie Geer? Me too. Since the day I turned 16 and got my drivers license I’ve had visions of a 1958 Corvette dancing in my head. From the distinguishing four headlights and immense chrome in the front to the beauty of the Roman Red paint job that covers the exterior you’re sure to turn heads at every stop and then strain the very neck that head is attached to as you excelerate away. The 1958 Corvette wasn’t just a car, it was a work of art – a museum quality piece with its optional 290 horsepower fuel injected V8 engine that made everybody else with a car jealous at first blush.
Today, some 20 years later, I still have the vision of owning that 58 Vette, but it no longer dances alone in the wish list of my mind. It now shares that void with a vision of owning, what can only be called the equivalent of the Corvette on the competition BBQ circuit, a Jambo Pit.
Jambo Pitshave been called by many on the competition BBQ circuit, “The best smokers money can buy.” Pitmasters aren’t just saying that in passing as many of today’s top competitive BBQ teams are putting their money where their mouth is and using these pits hand crafted by Jamie Geer, owner of the Fort Worth, TX based company, all across America. Among the users of Jambo Pits are our friends Tuffy Stone of the Cool Smoke competition BBQ team (who’s pit Jamie is about to give you a tour of) and Mike Richter of Chix, Swine & Bovine competition BBQ team- both of these teams have been enjoy immense success on the competition BBQ circuit.
Jamie has been building quality smokers that offer consistent results since 1989. One of the unique things about Jamie Geer is that he didn’t start out as a pit builder – he started out as a serious competitor on the competition BBQ circuit and has the trophies to prove it. (You might remember him from TLC’s BBQ Pitmastersshow.) He knows what series BBQ’ers are looking for in a smoker and he delivers big time!
If you’d like a Jambo Pit you’ll have to get in line with the rest of us - Jamie is backordered through October and that list grows by the day. Why the demand? These aren’t just functional BBQ pits, they are literally works of art that are handcrafted from top quality materials with an attention to detail that only Jamie can provide as he builds each pit one at a time. Some of the features you’ll find on these beauties include insulated fire boxes, torque flex axles, chrome wheels, white letter tires, custom coatings and paint, stainless steel hinges, and spacious work surfaces. The downside is you’ll no longer be able to blame your smoker if your meats don’t turn out well.
On Jamie’s website he says, “Pull into a competition or your neighborhood with a Geer pit in tow and forget about going unnoticed. These pits will turn heads wherever you go.” We couldn’t agree more! Pull into a BBQ contest with a Jambo Pit and you’re sure to turn and strain a few necks, just like that 1958 Corvette.
While we were at Memphis in May, Pork Barrel BBQ was lucky enough to get a few minutes of Jamie’s time (he was cooking with Tuffy Stone’s Cool Smoke team and about to make the walk with Tuffy to collect their Memphis in May World Championship BBQ trophy for their pork shoulder when we filmed this clip). We asked Jamie to take us on a tour of Tuffy’s new Jambo Pit. Sit back and enjoy our interview with BBQ Pit builder extraordinaire and all around good guy Jamie Geer of Jambo Pits.
If you’re still using a Weber or some other smokers, but would like to ride or Que in the Corvette of smokers give Jamie a call at 817-223-3918 or email him at TXJGEER@aol.com and let him know that Pork Barrel BBQ sent you! You won’t be sorry you called!
This is the first in a series of blog posts on our adventures at the 2010 Memphis in May World Barbecue Championships. Over the course of 4 days we racked up 4 top 15 finishes (we even managed to place 4th in the World Championship’s beef catagory with our brisket) and several hours of amazing videos from some of the most interesting and influential folks in BBQ. We thought we’d kick off our series with a bang – our first entry into our 2010 Memphis in May scrapbook is an interview with TLC BBQ Pitmaster and down right nice guy Tuffy Stone of Cool Smoke and Q Barbeque fame.
Over the course of the past year we’ve had the chance to get to know some of the great legends of BBQ, including guys like Pat Burke and Mike Mills – the founders of the Legends of BBQ Club. Tuffy, a friend and fellow Virginian, is a guy who has made a name for himself and risen to “Legend” status in short order. Tuffy is pitmaster of the Cool Smoke competition BBQ team and owner of Q Barbeque (two locations in Midlothian, VA and Hampton, VA). If the name Tuffy Stone is ringing a bell in your head but you just can’t quite place where you’ve heard it before it is probably because you saw him on TLC’s hit show BBQ Pitmasters.
For a guy with celebrity status and the ability to make anything placed on a smoker taste like a five star meal you might think he’d be working in the distance and shadows of his Jambo Pit built by legendary smoker builder and artisan Jamie Geer (Tuffy’s pit looks more like a cherry red Corvette than a smoker – it performs more like one too!), but he isn’t. Tuffy is as approachable as they come and loves to talk BBQ with fellow competitors, customers and fans.
The best part of the Competition BBQ circuit isn’t the great barbecue found around every corner, it is the chance to meet and become friends with some of the best folk around – like Tuffy. BBQ teams from around the country compete in contests sanctioned by a number of barbecue societies including KCBS, MIM, and MBN. These teams use everything from Weber Grills to Jambo Pits to homemade smokers to compete for prizes and tropies in catagories like chicken, beef brisket, pork shoulder, pork ribs, and whole hog. If you love to grill find a contest near your home and sign up – you’ll have a blast and meet some great folks!
Now sit back and enjoy our interview with BBQ Pitmaster Tuffy Stone of Cool Smoke.
For more information on Pork Barrel BBQ and to follow our adventures at Memphis in May 2010 stay tuned to our blog and Twitter pages.
Want to build your own BBQ Smoker? Here’s a great post from popular mechanics on how to build your own backyard BBQ smoker – http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/metalworking/3372796 I really liked their statement at the beginning of the post – you can cook good BBQ in anything – and that’s right – great BBQ is about taking the time, achieving a constant temperature, and having patience! This post is a great 11 part post on step by step plans for building your own BBQ backyard smoker – so enjoy!
Build Your Own Backyard Smoker
Real barbecue involves cooking tougher, fattier cuts of meat like pork butt and beef brisket over a duration of 4 to 6 hours or longer at temperatures near the boiling point of water. The payoff: tough meat becomes flavorful and succulent, fat is rendered out and the low, smoky fire leaves the aroma of smoke permeating the meat. A good cook can make good BBQ in anything. I decided after years of working with a small water smoker–and recently acquiring a vacation house–to build one of my own. This project involves a lot of welding, but several wire-feed welders are sold at The Home Depot and Sears, and you can learn to do simple welding with only an hour or two of practice. Salvaged materials will be fine for your smoker’s frame. You can use old water pipe, rebar or even electrical conduit.
Jasper Saunders and his family are officially the coolest BBQ’ers ever – check out the most awesome Snowman ever constructed – a Pork Barrel BBQ Grillman! We are sending Jasper a free Pork Barrel BBQ t-shirt for taking the photos of BBQ Grills in Snow idea to such amazing extremes! Tell your friends about the Pork Barrel BBQ Grillman – this is how legends are created – GO SAUNDERS FAMILY!
Pork Barrel BBQ Grillman by Jasper Saunders (Note his Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce!)
Having finished their Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce - Jasper and Grillman Move on to Frosty Beverages
Congrats to Sean Buzzard for being the 3rd person to respond to our tweet – he wins a free bottle of Pork Barrel BBQ sauce for his awesome PIG GRILL! See new photos below! BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND for the Great Washington D.C Blizzard of 2010 – BBQ Grills and BBQ Smokers in the snow – there is nothing more beautiful than a good BBQ grill in the winter! Please send us your photos of BBQ grills in the snow to porkbarrelbbq@gmail.com and we will add to our post at http://www.PorkBarrelBBQ.com with links to your site!
Sean Buzzard Pig Grill
Jasper Saunders Where's the BBQ Grill
James Wilkerson 2 Webers and a Gas Grill
Leslie Staples' Cap'n' Cook in Del Ray neighborhood in Alexandria
Heath's Weber BBQ Grills and BBQ Smoker
BBQ Grills and Smokers from Kit Rudd at http://deguellobbq.wordpress.com
Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker in Snow! #SnOMG
BBQ Gas Grill in Washington D.C. - #SnOMG
Beautiful BBQ Grill in Snow!
Please send us BBQ Grills and BBQ Smokers in the Snow – #BBQSnOMG and @SnOMG!
Check out this amazing modified Weber Grill Pizza Oven (known as the FrankenWeber or Franken Weber) created by Pizza Hacker – you can visit him at http://www.twitter.com/pizzahacker.
This crazy awesome Franken Weber 22 inch Weber grill reaches temperature of over 1000 degrees F and cooks some sweet pizza pie.
Also be sure to check out the great Franken Weber modified Weber grill video here:
How To Cook Pork Barrel BBQ Beer Can Chicken by PorkBarrelBBQ.com – Margo Thompson (Mom of Pork Barrel BBQ’s CEO) shows how easy it is to cook a Beer Can Chicken – even on a Weber Genesis BBQ Gas Grill. Learn how to cook a perfect beer can chicken here with this great Pork Barrel BBQ Beer Can Chicken Recipe! Thanks Mom!
Thanks for all the amazing comments on our photos of BBQ Grills and BBQ Smokers in the snow – there is nothing more beautiful than a good BBQ grill in the winter! Please send us your photos of BBQ grills in the snow to porkbarrelbbq@gmail.com and we will add to our post at http://www.PorkBarrelBBQ.comwith links to your site!
Wow! Look at this amazing photo from Lisa De Pasquale at @CPACnews in Alexandria, Virginia:
Beautiful BBQ Grill in Snow!
Here’s a great photo from Dave Bass in Sterling, Virginia – I think he likes the Dallas Cowboys!
Weber Genesis BBQ Grill with Washington Redskins Cover
Look at this wonderful photo from Kelli & Jeff DiPietro in Bowie, Maryland!
Grill in Snowfall from Kelli & Jeff DiPietro in Bowie, MD
Thanks to Kit Rudd, for sending photos of his THREE BBQ grills in the snow!!
Weber Genesis, WSM and Santa Maria Style Grill in the Snow!
Look at this amazing photo from The Marcums in Amagansett, New York!
Wow! That's a lot of snow!!!
Check out this great photo from Joe Paschal in Maryland – but wait, where is the BBQ grill (HINT: under the snow its a Char Griller Combo Charcoal Gas Grill with smoker attachment!)?
Dude, Where's the Grill?
Here’s a great shot from @NOVAFoodandWine – can you see the BBQ grill in the photo? It’s the big lump of snow!!
There is something very special about BBQ Smokers and Grills with a fresh coat of snow on them! We wanted to share our holiday greetings with a beautiful photo of the Pork Barrel BBQ Smoker and Grill in the D.C. Blizzard of 2009!
Pork Barrel BBQ Smoker and Grill in D.C. Blizzard!
