Rod Gray of the Pellet Envy competition BBQ team won Grand Reserve Champion at the Michigan State BBQ Championships this past weekend in Brooklyn, MI. We had the distinct opportunity to cook with Rod Gray and his Pellet Envy team at the Michigan State BBQ Championships and had an amazing time. Rod Gray’s Pellet Envy Team was the 2009 KCBS Team of the Year, and he and his wife Sheri Gray are the most winning couple in BBQ history with Pellet Envy. Rod Gray is widely known in BBQ circles as the “Hardest Working Man in BBQ.” Rod Gray is in a select group of world champion BBQ’ers like Johnny Trigg from Smokin’ Triggers BBQ, Tuffy Stone of Cool Smoke, and Pat Burke and Mike Mills of Apple City Barbecue. Rod cooks on a Geer pit (known as a Jambo Pit), his is one of the first pits made by famed smoker builder Jamie Geer (check him out at www.JamboPits.com). He is one of a rare breed of professional BBQ’ers who travel the country competing and helping to spread the word about barbecue. Here are some photos from the Michigan Championship:
Some say legends are born – that an opportunity in time presents itself and the stars align and transfer one from a position of commonality into a legend. As a kid I was sure my transformational moment would come in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, a three ball two strike count with my team down no less than three runs in the pivotal game seven of the most important World Series in the history of baseball. With one swift swing of the bat I’d go from a who is he to a legend – that’s how legends can be born.
Others say legends are made – that one can’t go unnoticed for too long if they keep repeating greatness. These are the folks who go about their business not seeking the recognition they deserve, no, they go about their business simply doing what they know how to do at the highest possible level it can be done. Sooner or later people start talking and the legend starts growing. These are legends built over time and many accolades, accolades that are not achieved by the alignment of stars, but through hard work, dedication and skill – that’s how legends can be made.
The word legend is often thrown around without much consideration – after all, if we were all legends none of us could actually be one. What cannot be argued is that barbecue has legends, both born and made. Pork Barrel BBQ was fortunate enough to cross paths with several of them at this years Memphis in May.
It was a hot Wednesday afternoon, as sticky as a good sweet BBQ sauce, as we pulled into our site and struggled to keep cool. At first glance, we failed to note just who our neighbor for the weekend was. At the time there was just too much going on and we were trying to track our rented picket fence down (how would we survive our first Memphis in May without a rented picket fence we were asking ourselves?). The fence finally came, the Weber Smokey Mountains were all set up and the heat of the day began to subside, finally giving us a chance at repose and the time to take note of our surroundings. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we had won the lottery, heck you might have thought we had already won Memphis in May – in many ways maybe we had.
Just inches from our three Weber Smokey Mountains stood the beautiful trailer of Tower Rock BBQ out of Murphysboro, IL. Yes, the Tower Rock BBQ lead by Pat Burke of Apple City Barbecue Fame where he won three World Championships at Memphis in May with his partner Mike Mills. Our first meeting came on Thursday morning and we knew from that moment on we were in for a special weekend.
Pat and his crew showered us rookie’s with their generous hospitality – not only can he cook a mean pork shoulder, he can cook one heck of a bacon and egg sandwich! It was a great honor for us to learn some of Pat’s tips and tricks – he is an encyclopedia of BBQ and truly a legend.
In one year of BBQ competitions Pat and his Apple City team won 14 of the 17 contests they entered – it is clear that his legendary status was made by repeating greatness. Pat was kind enough to take some time to talk BBQ with Pork Barrel BBQ - here is that interview.
Stay tuned for more of our Memphis in May Scrapbook and an interview with Pat’s Apple City teammate Mike Mills, another legend of BBQ.
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.
Since Brett and I started Pork Barrel BBQ I’ve been asked dozens of times by friends, family and customers how I got into BBQ and why I decided to turn my love for it into a business venture. Although there are a number of reasons that influenced my decision, none was as big of an influence as my dad, Rex Hall.
The picture above was the first BBQ contest I ever participated in (and I was lucky enough to be working with my dad) – it was held in Jefferson City, Missouri at the Jefferson City Public Library in the mid-1990′s. We’ve come a long way since then and when I say “we’ve” I mean my dad and I and our quest to always provide the best BBQ to our friends and family that we are capable of providing. Thanks again dad!
I’ve posted before on how important his love of the grill was and how much it has influenced me and helped get me to where I am today. Growing up my dad was like the postal delivery man of the grill – rain, sleet, snow, hail, sun, fog, hot, cold it didn’t matter, winter, spring, summer and fall he was outside grilling up chicken, ribs, brisket, pork shoulder, quail, corn, potatoes and just about anything else that can be grilled for our family meal.
So the most complete answer to how I got into BBQ and decided to turn my love for it into a business is because of my dad, a great teacher of many lessons to me. He taught me how to BBQ – from lighting a fire to seasoning meat. He, along with my mom, taught me that no star was out of my reach if I wanted to hold it in my hand – all I had to do was reach for it and work hard. They taught me the importance of doing whatever you are doing to the best of your ability – no one can ask more if you do your best. They also taught me about the importance of integrity, honesty and good communication – all traits we promise to bring to Pork Barrel BBQ on a daily basis.
Dad, thanks for sharing one of your passions with me because without your guidance and lessons there would be no Pork Barrel BBQ today.
Pork Barrel BBQ made its debut at the National Harbor Food & Wine Festival this weekend at the National Harbor just outside of Washington, D.C. One of the highlights for us was getting to hang out with Season 5 Top Chefs Carla and Ariane. What a thrill it was for us. We can’t even begin to tell you how cool they were!! They rock!!!!!
Thanks so much for all the tips and pointers on making it in this business. Your encouragement meant a ton to us and best of all the fact that you liked our All American Spice Rub and our pulled pork made our day!!!
Best of luck to you guys in your future endeavors! We look forward to crossing paths in the future! Be on the lookout for video of our encounter with Carla and Ariane! And don’t forget to visit us on our website.
We often get asked why we started Pork Barrel BBQ and how we became so interested in BBQ so we thought we would share a bit of our story with you and a couple pictures that were taken a few years ago when Pork Barrel BBQ was just an idea percolating in our heads as a dream that was a long way from reality.
Heath and Bobby Flay
Brett and Bobby Flay
Bobby, we look forward to the next time our paths cross and hope you’ll do us the favor of letting us know what you think about Pork Barrel BBQ – after all you are part of the reason we exist.
For more information on Bobby Flay check him out on the web at www.bobbyflay.com.
Thanks again for your inspiration and bring back Boy Meets Grill!!!
The simple fact is we were lucky enough to grow up around great BBQ so we come by our love of it honestly — and we like to eat a bit (this is also a good motivating factor). As we graduated from high school and moved to college a trend was starting around the country – chefs could actually become celebrities and they were bringing new and exciting food ideas to the masses. Folks were cooking things they’d never heard of only months earlier let alone tried to cook. One of these innovators was Bobby Flay – both Brett’s and my culinary and grilling hero.I’ll never forget the first time I crossed paths with Bobby Flay – it was on a fledgling television network known as the Food Network. Right on the screen in front of me was this city slicker named Bobby Flay and a good ol‘ country boy named Jack McDavid. Jack was all about charcoal and wood and Bobby was all about gas. I immediately sided with Jack and felt he was the real authentic BBQ’er on the show because I believed no one in there right mind would use gas to grill (why not stay inside and use your stove and oven if you’re going to use gas was what I was saying to myself). I loved the show, it was a couple of armature TV actors who could cook, but couldn’t act. They went on to win no Academy Awards, but they both ended up winning me over. The show was short lived, but I had warmed to Bobby by the time the show was taken off and intrigued by his cooking.
The rest is history. Bobby has become one of the most recognizable cooks in all of America if not the world (who else has stood on a cutting board in Japan and lived to talk about it?). Bobby has matured into an excellent on air personality, but it has always been about the food for him and you can still see this on his current show Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Win or lose he has fun and enjoys learning the tricks of some of the best cooks in America.
We’d be comfortable in betting that Bobby has inspired many cooks across this country to try a new dish, eat something a bit different at a restaurant, get the grill out in the rain or snow, or in our case, along with our family and friends, get the courage to start a small business dedicated to great BBQ. Thanks for the inspiration Bobby!!!
Several years ago we were lucky enough to get the chance to meet Bobby during a visit of his to Congress where he was lobbying on behalf of technical education and trade schools. He took five minutes out of his busy schedule to stop and talk with us and answer some questions we had. He even had to step aside to get a picture taken with a Member of Congress and told us to hold on because he was going to come back and finish our conversation after he was finished with the picture and he held true to his word.
It is true that both Brett and I have loved exploring our culinary talents (at least the two of us think we have culinary talent — thinking is sometimes more dangerous than knowing) on grills and smokers for many years. It is also true that we’ve had our empty plates out in anticipation of what might be coming off a family member or friends grill during those summer BBQ’s and still vivid in my memory is dad grilling and smoking meat on those cold snowy or raining winter nights. I think my dad’s BBQ motto was similar to the Post Office motto and went something like this:
Neither rain nor hail nor sleet nor snow nor heat of day nor dark of night shall keep this BBQ’er from the swift completion of his brisket, ribs, chicken, steaks, pork chops, or baked potatoes.
