The Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast
In this podcast I will be chatting to experts in all areas of BBQ. The purpose of this podcast is to help people to once again claim the title King of the Grill and have a hell of a lot of fun doing it!
It's that time of year again, where I head down south of Sydney, Australia, to a tiny town called Kangaroo Valley. KV is famous for having one of, if not THE best Craft Beer and BBQ Festivals in the country. And 2024 did not disappoint.
Join me for another of our 'AFTER DARK' specials where I settle in for a beer and a chat with some of the best competitors out there.
#bbq #bbqfestival #podcast #bbqpodcast
It's that time of year again, where I head down south of Sydney, Australia, to a tiny town called Kangaroo Valley. KV is famous for having one of, if not THE best Craft Beer and BBQ Festivals in the country. And 2024 did not disappoint.
Join me as I spend the weekend at the festival, chatting with competitors, vendors, suppliers and more!
#bbq #bbqfestival #podcast #bbqpodcast
Hello, hello. It's been a minute, hasn't it! Some of you may have thought the show was over, but it is not. But don't read this, press play and get the down low there.
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast was recorded LIVE at the Emerald BBQ and Beer Festival, in beautiful outback Queensland. Enjoy!
Wanna continue the conversation? Come join us over on Facebook at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smokinghotconfessionsbbqcommunity
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is Part 2 of a 2 part ‘After Dark’ series recorded at the always amazing Kangaroo Valley Craft Beer and BBQ Festival. In Pt 2, I’m joined by Chad Griffin from Smoke Masters BBQ in a stint as co-host, as well as Matt Brien from Smokin’ Forties, Drinkin’ Shorties, and Cheyne Whitemore from Long Paddock Meats and That South Coast Rub Guy. So settle in and get comfortable for this really interesting chat with some up and comers on the competition BBQ scene.
Wanna continue the conversation? Come join us over on Facebook at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/smokinghotconfessionsbbqcommunity
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is Part 1 of a 2 part ‘After Dark’ series recorded at the always amazing Kangaroo Valley Craft Beer and BBQ Festival. In Pt 1, we’re chatting with Matt Harris from Shire Smokers BBQ and James Wilson from Smokeface Grillahs, two of the most seasoned BBQ competitors in Australia. Get your pens and papers ready, as these guys share some seriously tasty tips and tricks!
Keep the conversation going in The Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/smokinghotconfessionsbbqcommunity
If you’re serious about BBQ, and let’s be honest, you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t, then you’ll know about Butcher BBQ. Their BBQ rubs and injections are staples of competition BBQ kitchens around the world and have been credited with more trophy wins than any other product out there. The founder is David Bouska - world championship winning Pitmaster, BBQ Pitmasters competitor and champion archer. A butcher by trade, David fell in love with competition BBQ and it wasn’t long before his knowledge of meat gave him an edge over his fellow BBQ competitors. And the rest, as they say, is history.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, David and I get into:
- Smoking Wagyu Briskets (0:59)
- The difference between a meat market and a butcher (8:41)
- Appearing on BBQ Pitmasters (12:30)
- How Butcher BBQ became a business (27:58)
- Butcher BBQ Classes (39:55)
- David’s best tips for people looking to get into competition BBQ (43:37)
Looking to get more from your BBQ? Check out Barbe Con. The library is now open. Learn how to cook better BBQ and become the envy of family and friends. And if you have a BBQ business, learn how to sharpen your game to make those fat stacks of brisket cash!
https://barbecon.smokinghotconfessions.com
If there’s one man who knows how to build an ugly drum smoker, it’s Adam Yorke, founder of Ugly Drum Smokers Australia. A fellow Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner and BBQ lover, it didn’t take long for Adam to go all in on the BBQ game, starting his own BBQ business. And he has several different options available for potential barrel smoker fans. For those who want a DIY smoker and are confident to build a drum smoker of their own, he has a wide range of drum smoker parts including a complete UDS kit. And for those who aren’t so brave with the do it yourself stuff, he also sells complete ugly drum smokers. All of his smokers are completely customisable so your UDS build will be your own.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Adam and I get into:
- Adam’s love of BJJ (0:47)
- Where Adam’s love of food and barbecue came from (6:28)
- What fish Adam likes to catch and cook in his drum smokers (13:36)
- How Ugly Drum Smokers Australia got started (16:15)
- One of his other hobbies that is also popular with BBQers (20:51)
- Why his drum smokers don’t have form lines (31:22)
- Adam’s best tips for cooking on ugly drum smokers (44:57)
Want to continue the conversation, join over on Facebook at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1676305375916142/
There’s not much that Steven West of Moist BBQ enjoys more than going to a BBQ Competition. Except of course winning a trophy at that BBQ competition. Using his own BBQ rubs of course! Steven is the pitmaster and team captain of Moist BBQ, a competition BBQ team that enjoys a good reputation on the circuit. Be it a low and slow Australasian Barbecue Alliance competition, or a Steak Cookoff Association competition, Steven and his team are up for the challenge and are regularly at the pointy end of the board. In fact, they are currently waiting for the next World Championship round of the Steak Cookoff Association, having won a ‘Golden Ticket’ invitation to head to the United States and represent Australia, cooking up the perfect ribeye steak. Off the back of his competition BBQ successes, Steven has also founded Slow Burner BBQ, a BBQ rub company whose spice rubs are on high rotation here at Smoking Hot Confessions.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Steven and I get into:
- How Steven got into barbeque and how Moist BBQ got started (1:31)
- How Moist BBQ keep up on trends in competition BBQ and the wider food scene (12:34)
- Their recent successes at Meatstock Melbourne (15:25)
- What he thinks about a quadruple Steak Cookoff Association competition (22:49)
- How he started his rub business Slow Burner BBQ (26:26)
- Steven’s best tips for starting a BBQ rub business (41:50)
Barbe Con is here! The world's first live online BBQ summit is just around the corner and we have three goals - to save you time, save you money and to become the envy of friends and family. We have the best BBQ pitmasters and BBQ business owners from around the country as well as one or two international guests and we’re bringing them into your living rooms, LIVE! A two day event, the first day is dedicated to cooking BBQ, and the second day is dedicated to the business of BBQ. We’re bringing you cooking demonstrations on Saturday and business presentations on Sunday. Get your tickets now:
https://barbecon.eventbrite.com.au
You have a dream. You’re onto something. You can feel it in your bones. You just have to get there. But there’s a problem. Money makes the world go round, and you don’t have much of it. In fact, you only $500 left on your last good credit card. Do you back yourself and go all in, or do you play it safe and bow out while you still can?
One man who chose to roll the dice is Darian Khosravi. The result? Kosmo’s Q. And the rest, as they say, is history. Kosmo developed his products on the competition BBQ circuit, starting with small batches for friendly competitors, taking on their feedback and that of judges and refining his recipes. His success at BBQ competition after BBQ competition was evidence of his hard work, and the slogan ‘It just wins’ became cemented in the minds of BBQ enthusiasts everywhere.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Kosmo and I get into:
- How Darian likes to cook his catfish (1:42)
- Overcoming being a burns victim as a child (8:54)
- What is was like winning the World BBQ Championships (16:08)
- The story that inspires him to keep going with his business ventures (26:55)
- The Kosmo’s Q Food Truck (35:54)
- The journey from $500 to $50M (40:02)
- Kosmo’s Q Top Tips and Tricks for BBQ Success (48:57)
Barbe Con is here! The world's first live online BBQ summit is just around the corner and we have three goals - to save you time, save you money and to become the envy of friends and family. We have the best BBQ pitmasters and BBQ business owners from around the country as well as one or two international guests and we’re bringing them into your living rooms, LIVE! A two day event, the first day is dedicated to cooking BBQ, and the second day is dedicated to the business of BBQ. We’re bringing you cooking demonstrations on Saturday and business presentations on Sunday. Get your tickets now:
https://barbecon.eventbrite.com.au
#kosmosq #bbqindustry #bbqbsuiness #businesssuccess #competitionbbq #bbqcompetition #meat #smokedmeat
Game meat isn’t for everybody. Atleast, it hasn’t been historically. However one man, Rob Gallina, is set to change that. He’s a builder, contract shooter and BBQ freak who loves nothing more than getting out in the bush for a few weeks at a time and living off the land. Yes, you read that right - he hunts, catches, cleans and cooks what he eats. He’s also the founder of Game On Enterprises, which takes people out into the bush and teaches them how to be self-sufficient in the bush, and live sustainably. He also offers classes, and even has his own range of BBQ rubs, that aim to combine delicious traditional BBQ flavours with game meat to create an industry niche with sustainability at its core.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Rob and I get into:
- The good time he had at Meatstock Toowoomba (0:31)
- Bringing sustainability to the BBQ world (7:06)
- Life as a contract shooter (13:54)
- Taking Big Moe Cason out into the Aussie bush (18:47)
- The rising trend in self-sufficiency classes (22:25)
- How his BBQ business, Game On Enterprises came about (28:13)
- A new idea for competition BBQ categories (35:00)
- Steps toward sustainability you can take (49:08)
Barbe Con is here! The world's first live online BBQ summit is just around the corner and we have three goals - to save you time, save you money and to become the envy of friends and family. We have the best BBQ pitmasters and BBQ business owners from around the country as well as one or two international guests and we’re bringing them into your living rooms, LIVE! A two day event, the first day is dedicated to cooking BBQ, and the second day is dedicated to the business of BBQ. We’re bringing you cooking demonstrations on Saturday and business presentations on Sunday. Early Bird tickets go on sale Friday the 9th of July. Head to our website to get your tickets now:
https://www.smokinghotconfessions.com/barbecon
When asked for their best piece of advice, many BBQ pitmasters will pause, reflect, and say ‘Relax, it’s not rocket science.’ Except, sometimes it is. Such is the case for Dr Howard Conyers, a pitmaster from South Carolina, currently living in Louisiana. Why Louisiana? Because by day, Dr Conyers is a rocket scientist for NASA. Yep, during the week he sends rockets worth countless millions of dollars hurtling through space, and on the weekends, cooks whole hog in the most traditional of ways and teaching the missing history of barbecue on his family farm as part of The 100 Acres Project. Dr Conyers is truly a Guardian of BBQ and The 100 Acres Project is an initiative of his BBQ operation, Conyers Family BBQ. Cooking under his own name is a right that was denied his ancestors and this is the driving motivation behind everything Dr Conyers does.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Dr Conyers and I get into:
- Life as a NASA Rocket Scientist (1:18)
- The story behind his BBQ nickname ‘The Guardian of Tradition’ (7:43)
- Creating the Kingsford Preserve the Pit Program (15:07)
- The Conyers Family BBQ LLC (25:34)
- The Hundred Acres Project (36:40)
- Dr Conyers’ lesson on the missing history of barbecue (46:34)
Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/
Julie-ann Tindall-Davies returns in this very special episode of our BBQ Podcast. If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you’ll know that she’s one half of the dynamic duo behind JAGRD Woodfired, one of the most successful smoker manufacturers in the country. Their competition team was also awarded the KCBS International Brisket Team of the Year in 2020. Recently, she’s taken over the running of the Smokin’ Charity BBQ Competitions, which holds the majority of the BBQ competitions in Western Australia. Combine all that with being a wife, mother, grandmother and business owner and you’ve got a woman who’s earned her title of ‘The First Lady of BBQ’.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Julie-ann and I get into:
- How Julie-ann likes to do an entire crackling pork roast dinner (2:31)
- Winning Runner Up Pit Builder of the Year (6:23)
- Winning Best Innovative Outdoor Design (14:45)
- Taking on Smokin’ Charity BBQ Competitions (23:51)
- Handing over the reigns of her competition BBQ team to Glenn (40:23)
- Tips for staying cool at a BBQ competition (44:30)
Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/
There are few people that you will meet in your life that deserve the moniker, ‘a force of nature’. However Sunny Moody is exactly that. Sunny was awarded, and is the current reigning World Steak Champion, taking out the annual Steak Cookoff Association Championships in 2021. Now winning that prestigious BBQ competition is no mean feat, but there’s more to Sunny than ‘just’ being a legend on a grill. She’s a mother to two teenagers, volunteers taking groups of even more teenagers out into the bush and teaching them how to cook, is a certified nutritionist and physical trainer, and if that wasn’t enough is also a Multiple Sclerosis sufferer. Though in truth, it looks more like she’s kicking MS’s butt rather than suffering from it.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Sunny and I get into:
- The charity work that she does with teenagers (1:12)
- Winning the World Steak Championships (10:31)
- Her special role at the recent NBBQA event (23:16)
- An insight into how the Georgia BBQ Association (36:19)
- Her background in forensic science and how that helps her in BBQ (39:56)
- Sunny’s best tips for delicious chicken wings on the BBQ (46:20)
Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/
Barbecue can be as conformative or as creative as you want to make it. One BBQ pitmaster who refuses to relegate her food to the banality of conformity is Cassie Strohmeyer, head cook and team captain of Smoke on the Water competition BBQ team. Hailing from Gladstone, Queensland, Cassie spends her time traveling the east coast of Australia, competing in low and slow BBQ competitions with the Australasian Barbecue Alliance and hot and fast BBQ competitions with the Steak Cookoff Association. And it’s in these SCA competitions that Cassie truly shines with her creative culinary skills firmly at the forefront. Indeed, her dishes are so creative that she’s captured the attention of the World Food Championships, and at the time of writing, she’s on the final list of potential candidates for their Le Cordon Bleu Academy.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Cassie and I get into:
- Why a potato bake is her favourite thing to cook in a BBQ (1:39)
- Her unique approach to the SCA competition at Meatstock Toowoomba (7:32)
- Her role as a peer judge in the Australasian Barbecue Alliance Annual Awards (18:35)
- The BBQ classes and lessons she delivers (23:19)
- The local products she likes to include in her cooking (35:32)
- Her BBQ catering operation (37:59)
Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/
What do kangaroos, emu and crocodile have in common? They are all delicious on the grill. Jokes aside, despite a reputation of being a barren land, Australia actually has an incredibly large and diverse range of foods - enough to support countless generations of Indigenous Australians for approximately 50,000 years. Sadly, much of this knowledge has been lost. However, one woman is determined to restore and share this knowledge. Amanda Trapnell is cofounder of Native Harvest. She works with Indigenous Australians to harvest Indigenous ingredients and uses them in BBQ products such as rubs and sauces. Her work ensures that Indigenous Australians are equitably compensated for their products and knowledge, and non-Indigenous Australians learn about and gain respect for said products and knowledge. It’s important work and another example of how BBQ can bring people together.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Amanda and I get into:
- Just how small the BBQ world is at times (1:10)
- How Amanda likes to make BBQ pork ribs (3:12)
- Incorporating Indigenous cooking techniques with smoking meat (8:34)
- Her ideas for Indigenous proteins in a BBQ competition (15:55)
- How Native Harvest got started (20:35)
- How all her products are ethically and sustainably sourced (29:19)
- A lesson in how to make a native basil and thyme crusted beef tenderloin (44:10)
Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/
We continue our podcast series featuring the most influential women in BBQ with Ceri Ford, one of the most prolific BBQ judges on the circuit and founder of the Women of Low ‘n Slow Australia Facebook group. She’s a registered judge with the Australasian Barbecue Alliance, Kansas City Barbeque Society and the Steak Cookoff Association. I would challenge any pitmaster to know as much about BBQ as Ceri, or travel as many miles for competitions as she has. She’s also the founder of Healthy Party Girl, a business where Ceri dedicates herself to helping her clients achieve balance and improve their health. In short, Ceri is the very definition of goal setting, hard work, and a dedication to the smokey art of BBQ!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Ceri and I get into:
- The wine club Ceri’s in, pairing wine with BBQ (0:57)
- Differences between Meatstock Melbourne and Meatstock Toowoomba (4:15)
- The difference Ceri has found between ABA and KCBS low and slow BBQ competitions (15:52)
- Founding the Women of Low and Slow Facebook Group (23:31)
- Ceri’s upcoming BBQ cookbook (35:58)
- Ceri tips for finding balance and leading a healthy life in the BBQ world (40:57)
Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/
Bronnie Durston has led a successful career in hospitality, having made a name for herself as a wedding planner. However, after discovering the delicious food of Texas BBQ, Bronnie has dedicated herself to low and slow BBQ. Together with husband Paul, they are active on the competition BBQ circuit, competing as the award winning BBQ team, Bulldogs BBQ, named after Bronnie’s favourite football team. They also have an award nominated BBQ catering operation, 4670 BBQ, and the award nominated BBQ joint, Bundaberg Lunchbox. As if that wasn’t enough, Bronnie and Paul Durston are also the event organisers for the much loved Bundaberg BBQ Battle. Bronnie even shares a surprise announcement during this episode, letting us know about a 5th arm of their BBQ business endeavors, tackling the entire BBQ industry from all angles.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Bronnie and I get into:
- Meatstock Toowoomba and meeting Tuffy Stone (0:53)
- The Australasian Barbecue Alliance Awards Night (10:51)
- How they went in the low and slow BBQ competition at Meatstock (14:40)
- The Bundaberg BBQ Battle and why it’s not happening this year (18:29)
- Catering weddings with 4670 BBQ (27:18)
- Their award nominated BBQ joint Bundaberg Lunchbox (34:06)
- Bronnie’s Mental Health Tips for Success in BBQ (43:58)
Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/
Karina Rumens is a woman on a mission - to ensure that competition BBQ in Australia is held to the highest standards and maintains a reputation equal to anywhere else in the world. Karina is one of the highest Kansas City Barbeque Society Representatives in the country and when you meet her, it’s easy to see why. A consummate professional, Karina is passionate about three things - BBQ, KCBS and Cocktails - though it’s difficult to put them in order! She is a driving force behind the competition BBQ circuit in Western Australia and although most of what she does is behind the scenes, is one of the chief reasons that WA has such a thriving competition BBQ scene.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Karina and I get into:
- Why her favourite BBQ meat is brisket (2:00)
- How Karina got into the competition BBQ scene (4:18)
- Karina’s favourite BBQ competition or BBQ festival (11:53)
- Why Karina prefers sides to mains (19:18)
- How Karina became a KCBS Representative (25:46)
- What happens when the rules are broken (29:49)
- How KCBS score auditing works (33:53)
- Her business grown from BBQ (40:29)
- Matching cocktails with BBQ (44:06)
Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/
#kcbs #kansascitybarbequesociety #bbqjudging #bbqjudge #bbq #barbecue #barbeque #meat #smokedmeat #westernaustralia #wa #perth #competitionbbq #bbqcompetition
Meatstock is not just a BBQ festival - it’s an experience. It’s a BBQ competition, an expo, a rock concert, a car show and much much more. And so it was that I was very excited when it was announced that Meatstock was coming to Queensland. And boy, was it a show. In partnership with Toowoomba Regional Council, Meatstock Toowoomba set the standard for a BBQ event this side of the border. Never one to rest on his heels, founder Jay Beaumont decided that he was going to reinvent his signature event. Meatstock Toowoomba had the signature round of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance BBQ competition, a BBQ expo, a championship rodeo round, live country music on stage from 2pm til late every day, a strongman and strongwoman competition, cooking demonstrations, children's activities and of course only the best food trucks and drinks wagons on the East Coast. There was also this year’s Australasian Barbecue Alliance Awards - an industry event recognising the best of the best from within the BBQ industry.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, I grab my camera and mics and chat with:
- Brad Shorten from Fire and Brimstone Barbeque
- Grant Coleman from Smooth & SmOakey Salad Dodgers
- Rob Beswick-Davison from Meatee Goodness
- Lloyd Budd and Brendon Jones from Lanes BBQ Australia
- Jake Davey
- Bryan Murphy from Hazy Peak Barbecues
- Lukas Armstrong from The Jacks Creek BBQ Team
- Trevor Blanch from Deep South East BBQ Condiments
- Mike Johnson and Christina Fitzgerald from Sugarfire Smokehouse
- Aaron Palmer from Low n Slow Basics
- Chris Davey from Smokin’ Hot Bros
- Michael Page from Heavenly Hell
Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/
There’s BBQ joints, and then there’s Fire and Brimstone Barbeque - one of the best BBQ joints in Sydney. BBQ Pitmaster Brad Shorten is the man behind the smoked meat phenomenon and he’s our guest in this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast. Fire and Brimstone is well known by Sydney foodies as the place to go for delicious smoked brisket, bbq pork ribs, bbq chicken and more. But that hasn’t been enough for Brad. He’s also got his line of Fire and Brimstone BBQ rubs, thought of by many as the best BBQ rubs around.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Brad and I get into:
- What it’s like to be nominated for the Australasian Barbecue Alliance Awards (1:05)
- The thing about chicken skins (7.29)
- The birth of Fire and Brimstone Barbeque (22:15)
- How they balance the wastage margins to maximise profits (29:21)
- Their bottomless Beer and BBQ deal (33:52)
- Brad’s tips for cooking better BBQ (46:10)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
#bbq #bbqjoints #bbqrestaurants #bbqfamily #bbqlove #fireandbrimstone #barbecue #barbeque #brisket #pulledpork #bbqchicken #sydney #sydneyfoodie #foodie
Slinging brisket for cash is no easy feat, but Mackay pitmaster Blair Tomkinson sure makes it look that way. His BBQ catering business, Bears BBQ Low and Slow Catering, has been recently nominated for ‘Catering Operation of the Year’ in the annual Australasian Barbecue Alliance Awards. His brisket and beef ribs are the stuff of legend, and his prowess in Texas BBQ brought him to the attention of competition BBQ royalty ‘Country Boys BBQ’. Blair was quickly recruited to the team and is now in charge of cooking all the beef at the Country Boys’ BBQ competition events. So, not only is he an award winning BBQ pitmaster and an award nominated BBQ business operator, he is also a renowned barbecue pit builder. Yes, he builds all the pits that he cooks on!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Blair and I get into:
• His long history with Australian BBQ legend Barbecue Mafia (3:10)
- His collection of BBQ smokers that he built himself (7:11)
- The most common problem with Gateway Drum Smokers in competition BBQ (13:17)
- Bears BBQ Low and Slow Catering (20:19)
- What type of events he prefers to service and why (28:57)
- Blair’s best tips for smoking brisket (42:18)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
John Austin is many things. A husband. A Father. A serviceman. A backyard BBQ lover. And now a TikTok superstar!
It is impossible to argue that TikTok is a fad - it’s clearly here to stay, and BBQ business owners would do well to get on board. The TikTok algorithm is still very generous, offering a lot of organic reach that has become very hard to come by on other platforms. As such, TikTok should be a part of any healthy social media marketing strategy. John recognised this early on and TikTok is where he has focussed his marketing energies for his BBQ rub business ‘AussieQ Backyard BBQ’. He’s refined his TikTok marketing strategy, paid attention to the TikTok algorithm, and has gained hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers. Even Gordon Ramsay has dueted his BBQ videos. Twice. Which officially makes John Austin TikTok famous!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, John and I get into:
- What John had in his BBQ smoker while we were recording (0:46)
- John’s time as a serviceman in the Australian Army (2:16)
- Cooking BBQ with Nepalese soldiers in Afghanistan (9:15)
- Cooking BBQ while at work with the Army in Australia (15:02)
- Taking BBQ out to Indigenous communities in Central Australia (17:10)
- How his BBQ rub business AussieQ came about (22:29)
- Gordon Ramsay duetting his videos (32:56)
- How John balances active duty with running a BBQ business (39:26)
- John best TikTok Tips (45:48)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Kyle Leffers is a man who loves his BBQ. So much so that he has started not one, but two BBQ businesses, as well as a competition BBQ team. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Kyle and his team compete as Rub and Grub and are carving it up, particularly in Steak Cookoff Association competitions where, at the time of publishing, team mate Adriano Andrade is sitting at #2 on the Australian ladder. Rub and Grub has also evolved into a BBQ business, producing a very successful line of BBQ rubs. In addition to these, they also produce the Weber Go Anywhere Riser, one of the most popular Weber Go Anywhere modifications on the market which enables portable charcoal grill lovers to use a Weber rotisserie with their favourite camping barbecue. And as if this wasn’t enough, Kyle has also co-founded popular low and slow butcher shop ‘Meat Your Needs’ which has been nominated for this year’s Australasian Barbecue Alliance Annual Awards.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Kyle and I get into:
- Reminiscing about Meat Meet in Horsham (0:48)
- How Kyle got into barbeque (3:36)
- His first experience in competition BBQ (8:08)
- How the Rub and Grub BBQ business was formed (17:39)
- The Weber Go Anywhere Riser (25:59)
- The low and slow butcher shop Meat Your Needs (34:00)
- Kyle best advice for making better BBQ (44:57)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
If there is one name that is synonymous with competition BBQ, it’s Malcom Reed. Malcom Reed and his competition BBQ team Killer Hogs are legends of the competition BBQ scene, winning trophy after trophy over a period of nearly two decades. He’s particularly well known for his long history of success at the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, aka Memphis in May.
However, Malcom is a high achiever and a room full of competition BBQ trophies was never going to fully satisfy him. Together with his wife Rachelle, they founded the How To BBQ Right YouTube channel and the How To BBQ Right website. How To BBQ Right was a rapid success with audiences religiously tuning in each week to catch Malcom’s latest BBQ recipes. And watch they did, with the How To BBQ Right Channel racking up 1.3 million subscribers at the time of recording, with Malcom’s delicious barbecue food recipes garnering millions upon millions of views. Some of the most popular include his pork ribs recipe, his mac and cheese recipe, his philly cheesesteak recipe, and of course his how to smoke brisket recipes.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Malcom and I get into:
- What does Malcom Reed love to BBQ when he’s NOT making videos? (3:12)
- What is Malcom’s preferred style of BBQ smoker? (6:28)
- What Malcom can remember of his first BBQ competition (11:33)
- What the experience was like hosting a BBQ competition for the first time (21:08)
- How the How To BBQ Right YouTube channel was created (24:21)
- When and why they started the How to BBQ Right Podcast (30:54)
- A disastrous BBQ recipe video (39:54)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
There are big changes afoot for both the Meatstock food festival and BBQ competition, and the Australasian Barbecue Alliance itself. Jay Beaumont is a co-founder of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance, the founder of Meatstock and man oh man does he know how to put on an event! Meatstock is foodie heaven! It is without a doubt the biggest and best BBQ festival Australia has ever seen. But there’s not just one, there’s three! There’s Meatstock Sydney, Meatstock Melbourne and Meatstock Auckland, in New Zealand. That’s right, the love of smoked meat and low and slow barbecue has spread across the Tasman. In fact, the Meatstock barbecue competitions have become so popular that they regularly attract famous, special guest pitmasters such as Tuffy Stone, and Big Moe Cason. But never one to rest while his brisket is resting, Jay is switching things up for both Meatstock, and the Australasian Barbecue Alliance, and I gotta tell you, it’s pretty exciting!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Jay and I get into:
- Jay’s new barbecue video studio in Port Macquarie (0:35)
- Everything to do with Meatstock Toowoomba (5:41)
- Local celebrity pitmasters coming to Meatstock Toowoomba (18:23)
- Meatstock Brazil (22:03)
- Meatstock Saudi Arabia (27:58)
- Recent changes at the Australasian Barbecue Alliance (29:20)
- How the annual Australasian Barbecue Alliance Annual Awards are changing (32:09)
- The new, transparent judging process (37:18)
- The new Awards ceremony (43:50)
- Jay’s Tips for Better Food Videos (46:03)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Amy Jungk is undoubtedly the Queen of Spice. Her official title is Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Old World Spices & Seasonings. However, her actual role is much more and deeper than that. She's actually the third generation to be owning and running one of, if not the biggest co-packer in the United States. In turn, Old World Spices is the co-packer behind many of your favourite brands, including Loot'n'Booty BBQ and Kosmos Q, producing BBQ rubs and more on their behalf.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Amy and I get into:
- Her favourite BBQ food for Game Day (4:22)
- Living in a BBQ legacy (11:37)
- An insight into Old World Spices (26:44)
- How BBQ Juding works at Memphis in May (30:20)
- Advice for pitmasters wanting to start their own BBQ rub line (43:55)
- Tips and Tricks for Pitmasters with plans for more (49:07)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
The Arctic Circle is a low way from Australia. Almost the exact opposite end of the Earth. But there is one thing that unites us - BBQ!
Olav Skogaas is one Norwegian who is seriously into his barbecue. Not only does he run the biggest BBQ blog in the Arctic Circle, he's also on the Traeger Pro Team, using his Traeger Pro 34 to compete and create incredibly delicious smoked meat.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Olav and I get into:
- How to smoke Beef Chuck on a Traeger Pellet Grill (3:46)
- Why he can't make smoked brisket in Norway (4:38)
- How he got his Traeger Pro 34 (8:04)
- How he got into the Traeger Pro Team (18:09)
- Traditional BBQ of Norway (22:40)
- Tips and Tricks for managing temperature in a BBQ (46:29)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
#norway #traeger #traegerproteam #meat #smokedmeat #bbq #barbecue #barbeque #brisket #beefchuck #beef #pelletgrill
If you've been with our channel for a while, you'll know that here at Smoking Hot Confessions, we're all about low'n'slow BBQ. You'll also know that we love to mix things up. And so when I met Adriano Andrade for the first time, I knew I had to have him on the show.
You see, Adriano Andrade is from Brazil and now calls Australia home. His passion is Brazilian BBQ Fusion. Yep, you read that right. He's bringing traditional Brazilian flavours to the world of low'n'slow barbecue. And he's got some killer flavours. His picanha rub is a favourite here at Smoking Hot Confessions and is on high rotation!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Adriano and I get into:
- How he likes to cook a picanha (3:41)
- Growing up with BBQ in Brazil (6:08)
- His favourite competition BBQ experience to date (13:57)
- How Brazilian BBQ differs to Australian BBQ (21:01)
- Brazilian sausage flavour profiles (26:56)
- Creating Brazilian flavoured BBQ rubs (34:47)
- How to Grill Chicken Hearts (41:55)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Joe Wilson is a man who can see the future. And what does he see from his front porch in Bentonville, Arkansas? Squirrels, that's what. And so the World Champion Squirrel Cook-Off was born.
Now, many of us outside of the USA have grown up with Disney squirrels and can't imagine a cooking competition where squirrel is the main dish. However, for a large portion of the American population, especially those that have lived through economic depressions, the humble squirrel has been a staple dish for generations.
But this isn't the only project that Joe is part of. He's also the founder of Steaks for Sheepdogs, an organisation that provides BBQ steak meals for LEOs (law enforcement officers) during times of crisis.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Joe and I get into:
- How to make beef shank pastrami (3:26)
- His first catering gig at age 14 (8:39)
- How he's seen the Steak Cookoff Association change over the last 5 years (11:50)
- How the World Champion Squirrel Cook-Off came about (13:05)
- The creation of Steaks for Sheepdogs (24:48)
- Tips and Tricks for Hunting and Cooking Game (37:15)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Steven Raichlen is a legend in the world of meat and all things BBQ. I’ll wager there isn’t anyone reading this right now who hasn’t heard of him. Furthermore, I’ll wager that many of you have one of his many BBQ books on your shelf right now. He’s a best selling author of incredible cook books such as ‘Project Smoke’, ‘The Barbecue Bible’, and most recently, ‘How to Grill Vegetables’. A foodie obsessed with smoking food and cooking outdoors, Steven is a BBQ guru whose delicious recipes have inspired millions around the world, including hundreds of thousands of BBQ pilgrims who’ve attended Barbecue University, now at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs. There, the happy few at each year’s event learn how to smoke brisket, pork belly and a prime rib roast, and of course, how to grill the perfect steak. And of course, let’s not forget all the TV shows. He’s been the host and star of 3 seasons of public television’s ‘Project Smoke’, and before that, 4 seasons of PBS’ ‘BBQ University’. Being fluent in French, he’s also hosted his own cooking show in Quebec. Did I mention that he also has 5 James Beard Awards? Yes, five!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Steven and I get into:
• Why Steven loves lamb and what he cooks it on (3:35)
- His tour through Europe, studying medieval cooking (5:30)
- What’s up with Cambodian grilled eggs? (9:50)
- The most exotic foods he’s encountered in his travels (16:09)
- Barbecue University, the original BBQ school (22:24)
- Smoked Cocktails - yes, it’s a thing! (30:36)
- Steven’s tips for grilling vegetables and a Thanksgiving Turkey (41:24)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Erica B Roby is a woman on a mission. Her mission: to become the best pitmaster in the world. And here’s a hint: she’s already up there with the best! Her work has been recognised around the world via her incredibly popular Instagram profile (@bluesmokeblaire), however it was when she was invited to appear in Season Two of BBQ Brawl from The Food Network that things really kicked into gear. Erica doubled down, got in touch with her pitmaster roots (she grew up cooking BBQ with her Dad, her business partner at Blue Smoke Blaire) and fought her way through the coals and smoke to win the competition and be awarded the title of Master of ‘Cue. Since then, she’s received a grant from the Kingsford Preserve the Pit program, which has the goal of preserving the culture and history of Black barbecue in America and investing in its future. Throw in some sponsorships with Pit Boss Grills, Dalstrong Knives, and Mason Hill Cattle, as well as a book deal, and you’ve got a pitmaster who is really going places! I have no doubt Erica is a future World Champion BBQ Pitmaster.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Erica and I get into:
- How she likes to grill her Denver Wagyu Steak (3:46)
- How being a stay at home Mom lead her to barbeque (9:49)
- Her close connection to Salt Lick BBQ (16:09)
- Why she left being a lawyer to become a pitmaster (17:52)
- How she came to be on reality tv show BBQ Brawl on the Food Network (27:58)
- What opportunities have arisen now that she is the Master Of ‘Cue (44:13)
- Erica’s tips for mastering live fire cooking (48:03)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
There are those of us that love BBQ, and then there’s Chris Terlikar. What makes Chris different? Not many of us have, or would, go and live in Austin, Texas for three months and work for free in an internship under Tom Micklethwait from legendary Texas BBQ joint Micklethwait Craft Meats, known for having some of the best barbecue in Texas. Chris brought this passion for American barbecue back to Australia and set about creating Bluebonnet Barbecue, an iconic BBQ joint and one of the most famous restaurants in Melbourne. So if you’re wondering where to eat in Melbourne, you can head to Bluebonnet BBQ for some deliciously good food including smoked brisket, barbecue ribs, pulled pork, beef ribs and a delicious blend of American and Australian food.
But you can’t build an icon and not expect a few bumps and bruises along the way. In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podast, Chris and I get into:
- The Ole Hickory Pits Smoker he has in the restaurant (4:44)
- Chris’ introduction to low’n’slow BBQ (7:54)
- Training under Tom Micklethwait and Evan LaRoy (16:08)
- The secret behind the Blue Bonnet Barbecue name (25:15)
- How Blue Bonnet Barbecue came to be (26:38)
- Why barbeque has taken off so well in Melbourne (38:09)
- Tips for how to cook a brisket (41:59)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Junior Urias is a man of action, who isn’t afraid of a little hard work. Or a lot of hard work for that matter. Odds are, you’ve seen Junior before - he was a competitor on the popular TV show ‘BBQ Pitmasters’. But there’s so much more to Junior than a season of reality television. He started in the BBQ industry at a very young age and has explored almost all facets of the industry since then. He’s run successful food trucks and BBQ catering businesses, growing them into a full scale BBQ restaurant in Midland, Texas. He’s now working on building a new restaurant in Early, Texas, and so many more different projects. It’s sometimes difficult to keep up with all the irons he has in the fire. And when I say he’s building a new restaurant, I mean it. Like, with his own two hands. Literally building the restaurant. The new restaurant is much anticipated with his previous restaurant, Up In Smoke BBQ in Midland Texas, having quickly earned the reputation of having some of the best BBQ in Texas. The menu includes mouth watering smoked brisket, BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, and of course, smoked sausage.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Junior and I get into:
- How to grill Romaine lettuce (4:18)
- Junior’s introduction to competition BBQ in high school (10:24)
- How he almost didn’t get on BBQ Pitmasters (11:20)
- How Junior built his own BBQ joint by hand (22:22)
- What smokers Junior is running in his BBQ trailer (29:31)
- The new Market that he’s also building himself (34:38)
- Junior’s predictions for where in the BBQ industry people should start a new BBQ business (43:04)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Texas BBQ, often regarded as the best BBQ in the world, has inspired many, many pitmasters around the world. One of those pitmasters is Rob Thraves, from Smokin Hot N Saucy. Together with his wife Randi, herself a native of Texas, Rob took a tour of Austin, Houston, and all the best BBQ joints in between. They came home inspired with a vision cemented firmly in their smoked brisket fueled minds. It all started with a BBQ trailer. From the food trailer, they moved into a bus. That’s where we left Rob when he was last on the show way back in Episode 21 of the podcast. He’s now created something of a BBQ empire, known for having the best BBQ brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, BBQ chicken and sausage… hell, let’s just call it the best barbecue in the country.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Rob and I get into:
- How Rob does fish on the BBQ (4:13)
- How and why they opened their first BBQ joint (6:20)
- How 2020 affected their business and how the responded (12:33)
- Opening not one, but two BBQ joints (15:47)
- Inside their incredible BBQ competition events (20:05)
- Rob’s best tips for how to cook brisket (36:17)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Stand-up comedy is not an easy game. You have to be very, very brave to get up on stage and try to make a room full of people laugh. And yet this is the career that southern gentleman Vic Clevenger pursued, working for over two decades as ‘The Cooking Comedian.’ The big world changes in 2020 saw Vic’s business model brought to its knees, and so he had to pivot and explore an entirely new career. Deciding to pursue his other major passion, refining how to cook the perfect steak and participating in Steak Cookoff Association competition cooking events, he created ‘The Chimney Cartel’. It’s an incredibly unique type of charcoal grill, designed with the sole goal of being the best cooking competition grill and becoming an integral part of the collective knowledge of how to cook the perfect steak. But of course, given that it’s come from the mind of Vic Clevenger, it’s also at home at a tailgate party!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Vic and I get into:
- THOSE boots! (2:47)
- Why his favourite smoker is an offset smoker (12:30)
- How he came to be The Cooking Comedian (20:13)
- How The Chimney Cartel came into being (27:08)
- How The Chimney Cartel cooker works (29:35)
- His new cooking adventure tour (35:52)
- Tips for how to develop as a cook (41:53)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
#chimneycartel #steak #steakcookoffassociation #competitionbbq #bbqcompetition #podcast #bbqpodcast #meat #smokedmeat #lamb #bbqlamb #wagyu #wagyusteak #christmasdinner #christmaslunch #barbecue #barbeque
Low and slow BBQ is a growing food movement all around the world. It now has a solid competition scene not just in Australia, but also in New Zealand. In fact, the scene is growing so quickly in NZ that there are now several BBQ rub and BBQ sauce companies as well as BBQ joints and restaurants that rival the best in the world.
One man leading the charge is Luke Seeney, the head of the New Zealand Barbecue Alliance. He is at the forefront of the competition BBQ scene in NZ and is responsible for putting on the biggest and best BBQ festivals in the country. His passionate work in introducing and growing this popular food sport has led to the birth of an entire industry in the land of the long white cloud. His work is both tireless and inspirational. And he’s pretty creative on the BBQ himself!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Luke and I get into:
- Luke’s love affair with Wagyu Steaks (2:52)
- How the NZ BBQ Community has evolved as an online community (15:22)
- The growth of the competition BBQ scene in New Zealand (22:20)
- How the New Zealand public have embraced the BBQ competition scene (26:35)
- What the NZ spin looks like on the competitive BBQ scene (32:38)
- How to stay fresh and creative with BBQ (42:43)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
BBQ Spit Rotisseries is a success story in the world of BBQ businesses, and co-founder Rhiannon Peterson is a driving force behind it. Rhiannon is a highly motivated, hard working entrepreneur and foodie who, starting with just a rotisserie, an idea and a never give up mindset, has built the country’s largest independent BBQ store with shops in Melbourne, Victoria and Sydney, New South Wales. Not only do they have their own brand of BBQ smoker and spit rotisserie, Flaming Coals, they also import some of the best grills from the United States by way of SnS Grills and a veritable truck load of the best BBQ rubs and sauces available. And they also work with some of the best competition BBQ teams Australia has to offer.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Rhiannon and I get into:
• Why a rare steak is her favourite (3:59)
- Why people are moving from pellet grills to offset smokers (14:42)
- How BSR came to be (20:52)
- When the worst possibility occured (23:28)
- BSR’s brand new BBQ studio kitchen (33:45)
- Rhiannon’s best tips for cooking a Greek gyro on a spit rotisserie (41:26)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
There are BBQ restaurants, there are BBQ joints, and then there’s Bluebird Kitchen and Smokehouse. Inspired by American barbecue, Jim and Katie Osborn have brought authentic Texas BBQ to Warwick, Queensland. Armed with a love of food, a do it yourself attitude and plenty of brisket, pork ribs, sausage and chicken, this husband and wife barbeque foodie team have created what is, in my opinion, one of the best restaurants you’re ever going to find.
All of the food is done in traditional Texas style. All the smoked meat is done on site in an offset smoker, using nothing but the best woods available. Combining outdoor cooking with indoor dining, everything in this restaurant is simply delicious. Mentioned above, not only is the smoked meat incredible, but all of the side dishes are first rate as well. I can personally vouch for Bluebird - I’ve been there once, and I’ll get there again soon. Seriously, it’s some of the best BBQ I’ve ever eaten. You should do yourself a favour and eat at this restaurant: it’s first rate.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Jim, Katie and I get into:
- How they like to BBQ their salmon on their kettle grill (2:56)
- Why they look to cook on drum smokers at BBQ competitions (4:07)
- Winning the GC at Mackay (16:06)
- How Bluebird Kitchen and Smokehouse came about (21:58)
- How and Why they have a seasonal menu (35:11)
- Jim and Katie’s best tips for getting into competition BBQ (42:51)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Designing and Building Smokers is Glenn Tindall-Davies passion. Half of the husband and wife duo that is JAGRD Wood Fired, Glenn designs and builds the smokers that he and Julie-ann then use in BBQ competitions to great success. All of their smokers are competition proven, with JAGRD Wood Fired currently sitting at #1 for Brisket and #2 for Pork Ribs on the KCBS International ladder.
A long time tinkerer, Glenn truly found his calling when it came to designing and building smokers. His love of metal, welding, and of course smoked meats have combined to form some of the most versatile BBQ smokers that I've ever cooked on. I have one of their 'Stretch' smokers at the moment and have been shooting some cooking videos on them, and they are very, very impressive.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Glenn and I get into:
- Glenn's favourite way to make BBQ chicken (4:10)
- How their wood fired pizza business morphed into a competition BBQ team (7:16)
- How racing speedway cars fueled his love of welding (11:22)
- Where Glenn's ideas for his BBQ smokers come from (20:43)
- The massive JAGRD Wood Fired massive raffle for charity (34:23)
- Glenn's IKEA inspired, bold new business move (40:42)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
BBQ has a power to connect people and heal relationships. It's no secret to anyone who's a part of the barbecue community. This unique ability of BBQ, among all of the different styles of food out there, has been recognised by Matt Logie from Smokin' Sappers BBQ Team. He uses barbeque, and his team to help rehabilitate current and veteran service men and women suffering from PTSD as a result of their service to our country.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is no joke. It can be brought on by any number of traumatic events, can be debilitating, and is prevalent in our defence force and first responder communities. Cognitive therapy is often prescribed, and this is where Matt and his team come in. They introduce veterans to low'n'slow BBQ and use the environment and of course the cooking processes to help reintroduce the PTSD sufferers to our mainstream community.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Matt and I get into:
- Matt's go to for feeding a group of hungry teenagers (4:18)
- Matt's first forays into competition BBQ (10:24)
- What is PTSD? (19:32)
- What treatments are available for PTSD? (25:51)
- How Smokin' Sappers help veterans with PTSD (29:02)
- Matt's budget busting tips for getting into competition BBQ (45:50)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
If you’ve been following SHC for a while now, then you’ll know that I love to cook BBQ, eat BBQ, and talk about BBQ. One man that loves barbecue almost as much as I do, is Ryan Guinea, from the BBQ Talks podcast, based out of the United Kingdom.
Now a quick confession - I bungled the audio on my end. Ryan still sounds awesome, but the recording of my end of the conversation isn’t as good as normal. It’s not terrible, it’s just not the usual sound. Luckily, it’s a really interesting conversation about the state of barbeque in the United Kingdom, and Ryan does most of the talking.
You really should do yourself a favour and check out The BBQ Talks show. Host Ryan Guinea hails from the land of merry old England, but he doesn’t let the rainy weather stop him from getting out there on his grill and sharing low’n’slow barbecue with all his friends and family. In fact, he loves BBQ so much, he started his own podcast to spread the love even further and wider.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Ryan and I get into:
- What exactly is a ‘kebab’ in England? (6:45)
- Why Ryan’s favourite BBQ to cook on is an Ugly Drum Smoker (12:30)
- The thing about brisket… (19:01)
- The BBQ Talks Podcast (25:57)
- Ryan’s tips for trimming and breaking down meat (46:14)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Daniel Barrington from Smoked Beyond Smoked joins me in The Confessional for this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast. We recorded this shortly after he was awarded Grand Champion on the second day of the incredible Brisbane BBQ Festival. This was an Australasian Barbecue Alliance double-header event, an Australian first, and just makes Daniel’s feat even more incredible - he won the second competition of the weekend, meaning he outcooked AND outlasted many other BBQ pitmasters there with more experience than himself.
With a lifelong passion for food and a dream of being a chef, competition BBQ came naturally to Daniel and he’s dedicated his life to becoming the best pitmaster he can be, and wanting to turn out some of the best BBQ in the world. In fact his dedication to Southern food has been recognised by many others in the industry and Daniel was recently hired as head pitmaster at the new Phat Boyz Smokehouse & Kitchen in Walloon.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Daniel and I get into:
- Baking cheesecakes in a smoker (4:49)
- His love for cooking on his OzPig (7:59)
- How he prepared for the Brisbane BBQ Festival (15:58)
- What he learned from his Mum about cooking (24:23)
- How he came to be at Phat Boyz Smokehouse & Kitchen (32:59)
- Daniel’s best tips and tricks for getting into competition BBQ (40:14)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Luke Nagel is a man who knows meat. Luke is a career butcher and the manager of Kelly’s Meats. One of the most well known low and slow butcheries in Melbourne, Kelly’s Meats is responsible for sponsoring many of the best competition BBQ teams in the country, supplying them with only the best steak, beef, lamb, pork, brisket, chicken, and whatever else the promoters might throw at them.
However, not only is Luke one of the best butchers in the country, his love of food has taken him much further into the meat industry. He is a competition BBQ pitmaster, having represented Australia at The American Royal BBQ Competition in Kansas City, after competing locally. He’s also been on the other side of a BBQ competition, having hosted his own series competitions here in Australia, with both the Australasian Barbecue Alliance and the Kansas City Barbeque Society.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Luke & I get into:
- How Luke likes to do a hot and fast lamb shoulder (5:00)
- What drew Luke to butchery all those years ago (10:43)
- How he got into competition BBQ (17:03)
- The history of Kelly’s Meats (21:08)
- The differences between competing in Australia and the US (28:13)
- How his experiences shaped his own competitions here in Australia (32:31)
- His best tips and tricks for getting into competition BBQ (40:12)
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
If you’re in the mood for American BBQ in Sydney, you absolutely have to check out BlackBear BBQ. The Texas BBQ inspired restaurant has become a Sydney food destination thanks to its delicious, mouth watering low and slow smoked meat including brisket, beef short ribs, pulled pork and even picanha. There are many that argue that BlackBear BBQ is one of, if not the best Sydney barbecue spot.
Joining us for this episode is Haydn Graham, Managing Director and co-founder of BlackBear BBQ. What started out as an experiment with friends has grown up to become one of the most iconic American barbecue joints in the country. Not just that, but it’s expanded into a multisite venture, serving up some of the best BBQ all over Sydney.
In this full episode of The Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Haydn and I get into:
- Where Haydn likes to holiday away from the barbeque world (4:01)
- His strong family connection to the world of Texas barbecue (9:48)
- When BlackBear moved out of a car park and into a shop (22:57)
- How Haydn handles the pressure and obligation to take care of his BBQ family (28:56)
- Hosting the Australasian Barbecue Alliance Invitational (35:03)
- His best tips and tricks for cooking up a perfect picanha (43:41)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, OzPig. If you love the outdoors, camping, and food, be sure to check out the OzPig range. With three different models and countless accessories, the OzPig is your perfect outdoor camp cooker! Check out:
https://ozpig.com.au/
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Sonia Cattell is one of the top BBQ pitmasters in Australia at this time. She and her competition BBQ team Signature Smoke have risen from Beginner to Pro level in just two short years, racking up a number of trophies and two back to back Grand Champion wins. Whether it’s an ABA, KCBS or SCA BBQ competition, they always bring out their best competition BBQ recipes, producing outstanding pulled pork, brisket, smoked chicken thighs and more delicious food. I can personally vouch for their incredible creations.
With her partner Stix, they’ve leveraged their championship BBQ success and have since opened a BBQ popup with their competition BBQ trailer and have even had a wonderful residency at a popular club in Brisbane.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Sonia and I get into:
- What Sonia likes to BBQ when she’s camping (4:00)
- How their first BBQ competition went down (7:57)
- Their offset smoker trailer and its significance to the Australian scene (14:28)
- The different business opportunities their successes have opened up for them (25:49)
- The biggest issues they’ve had to overcome in their BBQ business endeavours (28:46)
- Sonia best tips to help you become a better BBQ pitmaster (43:12)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, OzPig. If you love the outdoors, camping, and food, be sure to check out the OzPig range. With three different models and countless accessories, the OzPig is your perfect outdoor camp cooker! Check out:
https://ozpig.com.au/
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
If there is one thing that separates Aussie BBQ from American BBQ, it’s got to be lamb. In fact, we love lamb so much that it’s a standard category at almost every BBQ competition we have. There are many that even believe they have perfected this iconic Aussie protein. However, there is one man that keeps coming here and beating Aussies at lamb. That man is Sterling Smith from Loot’n’Booty BBQ. And boy does he know how to cook a rack of lamb!
If you’ve heard of Loot’n’Booty before, that’s because Sterling Smith is one of the leading BBQ Pitmasters in the United States. He’s a regular winner at the American Royal, Memphis in May, Hogs for the Cause and more. He’s leveraged his success into a lucrative business too, with his range of Loot’n’Booty BBQ rubs, BBQ sauces and even BBQ pretzels!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Sterling and I get into:
• How he likes spend 4th of July (4:29)
- How he learned how to cook lamb (7:19)
- What his lifestyle is like on the road (16:08)
- How Loot’n’Booty BBQ came to be (26:03)
- Tips and Tricks for putting on BBQ classes (31:26)
- How he does his BBQ competition winning barbecue chicken drumsticks (45:23)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, OzPig. If you love the outdoors, camping, and food, be sure to check out the OzPig range. With three different models and countless accessories, the OzPig is your perfect outdoor camp cooker! Check out:
https://ozpig.com.au/
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
AmazingRibs.com is without a doubt one of the most highly used BBQ resources in the world. In fact, Forbes Magazine recently announced that it was the #1 BBQ website in the world. Furthermore, it’s founder and chief content writer Meathead Goldwyn was very recently welcomed into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame. This is an honour that is reserved for those who have made significant contributions to the advancement of barbecue. And so it is our privilege to have Meathead on the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast.
On a personal note, Amazing Ribs was one of the first BBQ resources that I found when I was first getting started in BBQ a decade ago. It’s filled with delicious recipes for everything from pulled pork to beef brisket to ribs, to smoked turkey. In fact, his articles such as How to Make Bacon and How to Smoke a Turkey are some of the most frequent BBQ pages on the internet. This is in addition to endless product reviews, scientific experiments and of course, his deep exploration of the Maillard Effect.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Meathead and I get into:
- What is Meathead’s real name? (4:07)
- His admission into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame (5:34)
- How he got the nickname ‘The Barbeque Whisperer’ (14:52)
- What exactly is ‘The Stall’ (18:58)
- The low-down on AmazingRibs.com (23:40)
- His recipe for homemade pastrami and his obsession with the Reuben Sandwich from Katz Deli (32:11)
- His new book ‘The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling’ (38:05)
- BBQ Mythbusting with Meathead (43:48)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, OzPig. If you love the outdoors, camping, and food, be sure to check out the OzPig range. With three different models and countless accessories, the OzPig is your perfect outdoor camp cooker! Check out:
https://ozpig.com.au/
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
The Que Club is without a doubt, one of the country’s most iconic BBQ spots. But it’s hard to define exactly what it is. The brainchild of competition BBQ pitmasters Andrew Kavanagh and his amazingly patient wife Pam, The Que Club is all things to all BBQers. Is it a BBQ joint? Yes. Is it a BBQ shop? Yes. Is it a bar? Yes. Is it an import and distributor? Yes. Do they sell brisket, ribs and more? Yes. Does it host BBQ competitions? Yes, yes yes!
Based out of Melbourne, Australia, and inspired by Texas BBQ, it’s hard to find a true BBQ aficionado who doesn’t know of The Que Club. Indeed, the Kavanaghs and their Que Club have become inspirational pioneers, leading the way within the BBQ industry in this country. They have mentored other BBQ business owners with their influence being seen all around the country.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Kav and I get into:
- Barbecue Jenga - what is it, and how does it work? (4:33)
- How Kav, a lifelong foodie, got involved in barbeque (9:46)
- How being on TV show Aussie BBQ Heroes changed their lives (11:36)
- The birth of The Que Club (24:30)
- What makes The Que Club BBQ Classes so good (30:10)
- The Natural Born Grillers simple tricks for better BBQ (43:20)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, OzPig. If you love the outdoors, camping, and food, be sure to check out the OzPig range. With three different models and countless accessories, the OzPig is your perfect outdoor camp cooker! Check out:
https://ozpig.com.au/
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
In the world of competition barbecue, Kell Phelps of the Barbecue News Magazine is a man who’s seen it all. Since 1990, Kell and his family have been documenting the competition BBQ scene in their magazine. From their HQ in Georgia, there is nary a BBQ contest that they haven’t been to, including Memphis in May and the American Royal BBQ Competition. They not only report on the barbecue competition, they also have articles on who’s who in the BBQ scene, trends in the BBQ industry, product reviews and of course many a delicious recipe to satisfy any meat eater. There is even a regular column which features a different BBQ podcast every month!
In the 31 years that the magazine has been in print, Kell and his staff have seen every rise and fall in competition BBQ and and every trend come and go in the wider BBQ business industry. He’s also seen many things that he’s had to overcome in his own BBQ business, such as the so-called ‘death’ of print media, and the rise of digital media. But Kell is not the kind of man to shrink from facing adversity. Rather, he sees opportunity in every challenge, pivoting his business to ensure he stays up to date, current and relevant in the BBQ industry, despite the print media vs digital media battle.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Kell and I get into:
- Why not even a tornado can keep Kell from a BBQ competition (3:58)
- What the hell is going on with the McRib? (7:53)
- How he got into BBQ (11:53)
- The origin of the Barbecue News Magazine (24:45)
- Pivoting in the face of the ‘death of print media’ (33:08)
- Kell’s 5 Tips for Better BBQ (44:16)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
I’m not going to lie - this is a total fanboy episode for me. Mark Lambert is a goliath in the BBQ world. Firstly, he’s a ridiculously successful competition BBQ pitmaster. He’s a 6 time World Champion, 4 time Memphis in May World Champion, and 2017 American Royal World Champion in Ribs. He’s also the founder of the powerhouse rub, sauce and distributing brand Sweet Swine O’ Mine. You know who I’m talking about - we’ve literally all had a bottle of his rub in our cupboard. I think I have three in there right now actually.
But Mark is so much more than just a champion competition BBQ Pitmaster. He’s an entrepreneur, a visionary, and in short, an inspiration. His work extends beyond his BBQ competition successes and his business that have grown from that. He’s also a philanthropist - he’s a cornerstone member of the one and only Operation BBQ Relief and most recently Steaks 4 Sheepdogs. He’s always looking for ways to give back to the communities that have supported him so much.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Mark and I get into:
- Why his Pit Barrel Cooker is his favourite BBQ (5:02)
- His work with Steaks 4 Sheepdogs (9:46)
- His experiences at Memphis in May 2021 (16:42)
- When and how to scale a competition BBQ team into a BBQ business (26:00)
- How to be successful with the right BBQ Business Mindset (44:13)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
The Houston World’s Bar-B-Que Contest in Texas is quite possibly the most highly contentested BBQ competition in the world. And our very own Grant Coleman from the Smooth and Smoakey Salad Dodgers has represented Australia there not once, not twice, but three times! Competing as Manning Valley Natural Smokers, Grant and his team took it to the world, going up against a field of 250 other teams from around the world, including top tier pitmasters such as Darren Warth of Iowa Smokey D’s, and Stan Hays of Operation BBQ Relief.
While over there, Grant proved that he can cook some of the best BBQ in the world, taking out 2nd place in Brisket. Not just that, Grant didn’t use a Texas brisket - he brought some home-grown brisket from right here in Australia. He most definitely showed the Houston BBQ scene what we Aussies can do.
But now he’s doing so much more for the wider BBQ community. He’s now an event promoter, and has even become an SCA official!
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Grant and I get into:
- How Grant likes to do his pork ribs (4:30)
- Why Grant has switched from his Radar Hill Offset Trailer Smoker to a fleet of GMG Pellet Grills (6:59)
- His trips to Houston Texas for the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest (12:24)
- His work as a promoter (28:56)
- How and why he likes to introduce new people to competition BBQ (31:17)
- Grant’s top tips for putting on a BBQ competition (40:17)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
There isn’t a butcher in Australia who knows more about the butchery industry than Glenn Dumbrell from Char Char Char in Melbourne. He has several decades experience in butchering meat, and for the last ten years has been running a butcher shop of his own, Char Char Char. He’s seen all the market shifts and changes, has been a huge part of Butcher Wars at Meatstock, and was a part of the Meatstock pilgrimage to the Churrascada Festival in Brazil!
Of most interest to us here at Smoking Hot Confessions is how low & slow changed butchery in Australia. And if anyone can fill us in on how it all went down, it will be Glenn.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Glenn and I get into:
- Why lamb is his favourite cut of meat (4:53)
- His thoughts on dry ageing beef, pork and more (10:54)
- How low and slow changed the butchery industry in Australia (17:53)
- The origins of Char Char Char (23:26)
- Why he’s so passionate about stocking organic, free-range, local meat (34:26)
- Glenn’s top tips for selecting the right barbecue cuts (38:59)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Joey Machado is something of a legend in the BBQ industry in the United States, a marketing guru, if you will. He’s known as the man who built B&B Charcoal into the powerhouse that it is today, and is now working with Blues Hog BBQ and Gateway Drum Smokers, legends in their own right! I first met Joey at the World’s BBQ Championships in Houston, and really got to know him at the 2019 NBBQA Annual Conference in Kansas City. I can say without a doubt that Joey is one of the most skilled, knowledgeable and generous people in the business today.
A trophy-winning competition BBQ Pitmaster in his own right, Joey, Blues Hog BBQ, and Gateway Drum Smokers are a match made in heaven. Blues Hog are famous around the world for their near perfect barbecue sauce, Tennessee Red. Gateway has, of course, taken the world by storm with their incredible drum smoker or barrel smoker, well known as the best drum smokers on the market. And this is where Joey works his magic - spreading the good word about these products and backing it up with his trophy winning competition bbq results.
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Joey and I get into:
- His recent successes with Central City BBQ Pitmaster James Cruse at Hogs for the Cause in New Orleans (4:19)
- What a day in the life is like for a marketing guru like Joey (15:41)
- How Joey came to be involved in BBQ (21:48)
- Joey’s thoughts on Brand Ambassadors (36:01)
- How and when you should bring a new brand to market (42:58)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Chay Adams from Smokey Days BBQ is one happy pitmaster. He's just won his first Grand Champion prize at the recent Smokefest Gold Coast BBQ Competition, using an offset smoker that he built himself. Yes, you read that right - not only does this man know how to cook a brisket, he also knows how to build an offset smoker!
With a background in metal fabrication, Chay Adams is a man who has become obsessed with creating the best barbecue that he possibly can. He’s hell-bent on mastering how to cook a brisket, how to make bite through skin on competition BBQ chicken, as well as all the other meat involved in food sport. His true passion though, is Stockyard Smokers - his business that aims to build the perfect Texas offset smoker. And there’s more than just a few features that make them unique!
In this Ep of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- Why smoked brisket is his favourite thing to barbeque (5:21)
- A little BBQ accident that he had (9:55)
- His thoughts on Smokefest Gold Coast (17:33)
- How Smokey Days BBQ prepare for a BBQ competition (23:56)
- What Stockyard Smokers is all about (27:03)
- Tips and Techniques for Welding (36:31)
Barbe Con is coming soon - stay tuned for the confirmation of the date.
New to BBQ? Grab your free copy of our eBook 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' at our website now:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Lukas Armstrong is back! And he’s better than ever. Now sporting the new competition bbq team moniker of The Jacks Creek BBQ Team, Lukas is wasting no time in 2021, taking full advantage of all border openings and lockdown restrictions to get to as many competitions as possible to make a play for the top position in this year's competition BBQ circuit in Australia.
Just in case there are some of you who don’t know Lukas, he is one of Australia’s best BBQ Pitmasters, having travelled all over this great country competing in every low and slow barbecue competition he can find and wowing judges with his smoked brisket and bbq ribs. Now he’s adding Steak Cookoff Association competitions to his repertoire, mastering the SCA Steak and serving up many an incredible ribeye steak.
In this Ep of the show we get in to:
- The changing of the team name from Rolling Smoke BBQ to The Jacks Creek BBQ Team (6:35)
- The disaster that befell him at Smokin’ in the Downs (14:19)
- His entry into the world of competitive ribeye steak cooking (27:50)
- The truth behind ‘String Gate’ (32:42)
- Tips and tricks for streamlining your competition barbecue preparations and experience (41:24)
Barbe Con is coming soon - stay tuned for the confirmation of the date in July.
New to BBQ? Grab your free copy of our eBook 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' at our website now:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Bill Dumas is a living legend of Texas BBQ. Currently with Brotherton’s Black Iron BBQ in Austin Texas, known for having some of the best bbq in the world, Bill is an old-school pitmaster who isn’t afraid of hard work. And what he’s working on at the moment isn’t just creating perfect American barbecue: he’s working on creating the perfect Texas Sausage. In fact, he’s more obsessed with his sausages than he is any other kind of barbecue, be it smoked brisket or otherwise!
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Bill and I talk all things BBQ including:
- What it’s like working a restaurant that serves the world’s best BBQ (5:22)
- What he got up to when he came out to Australia for a low n slow BBQ festival (14:58)
- A break down, and the origins of Central Texas style BBQ (18:40)
- All the different types of sausages he’s created (27:44)
- The different types of offset smoker that he likes to cook on (31:52)
- A lesson in handling restaurant operations (39:15)
Barbe Con is coming soon - stay tuned for the confirmation of the date in July.
New to BBQ? Grab your free copy of our eBook 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' at our website now
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
P.S. If you’re looking for some of the best barbecue in the USA, you need to put Brothertons Black Iron BBQ on your BBQ roadtrip plan ASAP!
Ghost Kitchens - it sounds like a great name for a horror movie, but they could just be the future of BBQ. Shawn P. Walchef, founder of iconic California BBQ joint Cali Comfort BBQ is our guest on this incredible episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast.
A serial entrepreneur, Shawn also happens to be one of the best BBQ Pitmasters not just in San Diego, but on the West Coast, and his barbecue smoked meat, including brisket burnt ends are the stuff of barbeque legend. But that’s not it. He also loves digital media and fully believes that investing in digital technologies is essential to the longevity of barbeque businesses. His first foray into digital media was the award winning Behind the Smoke Podcast with friend and colleague Derek Marso. That show won Best Audio Series at the NBBQA Conference in 2019. At that point, Shawn founded Cali BBQ Media and the Behind the Smoke BBQ Podcast became the Digital Hospitality podcast. Then the world changed, and Shawn doubled down on the power of digital technology and has literally transformed Cali Comfort BBQ into something new and ready for the new world.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Shawn and I get into:
- His newest smoker, a Traeger (4:55)
- The $5,000,001 business pitch to Amazon (7:51)
- How Cali Comfort BBQ was founded (18:40)
- The story of the Behind the Smoke Podcast and how it evolved into the Digital Hospitality Podcast (27:08)
- How to set up a Ghost Kitchen (41:27)
- Tips for Business Pitching (49:54)
Barbe Con is coming soon - stay tuned for the confirmation of the date in July.
New to BBQ? Grab your free copy of our eBook 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' at our website now:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
He likes them big. He likes them chunky. Offset smokers, that is. Specifically, traditional Texas BBQ offset smokers. In this Ep of the show, we're joined by Craig Wegert, head pit builder at Bullockhead Creek Smokers. And man, does this guy sure know how to build an offset smoker!
Craig has an undeniable passion for BBQ. And as an ex-olympic athlete, once he finds a passion, he goes all in. His offset BBQ smoker pits are well known throughout the country, with his builds ranging miniature novelty, but fully functional, offsets all the way up to (at the time of recording) the largest trailer mounted offset smoker in the country.
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- What his favourite type of BBQ is to eat (3:31)
- The biggest offset trailer smoker he's built (9:07)
- How Bullockhead Creek Smokers started out (21:35)
- His amazing tow bar mounted tail gate smokers (34:29)
- His best tips and tricks for those of you wanting to know how to build an offset smoker (39:20)
Barbe Con is coming soon - stay tuned for the confirmation of the date in July.
New to BBQ? Grab your free copy of our eBook 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' at our website now:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
This is the second part of our two episode special from the incredible Meat in the Dilly BBQ Festival. In our previous BBQ Podcast episode we brought you our fantastic 'After Dark Special'. Here, we take you through the Festival, minute by minute over both days, so you can experience the festival as if you were there. We've got a tonne of great information here for you from competitors, promoters and more.
Grabbing my video camera and microphone, I headed around the Festival, striking up conversations with some of the most interesting people on the competition BBQ circuit. With a keen eye for new and interesting conversations, I chatted with many of the best and brightest. Guests on this week's episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast include:
- Robert Cosgrove - LSH BBQ Smokehouse & Event Promoter
- Steven West - Moist BBQ & Slowburner BBQ
- Shane Harris - Rollin' Shane
- Matt Staunton - Kids Que Nation Australia
- Tony Gimellaro - The Beard & The BBQ
- Shawn Apsey - Q Fit for Valhalla
- Jye Healey - Smokeface Grillahs
- Anthony Moran - Doctor Cue
- Cameron Davidson - BBQ Spit Rotisseries
- William Plotz - Team B&B Charcoal
- Adam Roberts - Piggy & The ABA
Barbe Con is coming soon - stay tuned for the confirmation of the date in July.
New to BBQ? Grab your free copy of our eBook 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' at our website now:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
What do you get when you cross three competitive BBQ Pitmasters, one overly enthusiastic podcaster, and several beverages in the middle of the night on the eve of a BBQ Competition?
I'm very excited to be able to announce that it's finally time for another After Dark Special! It has been a year and a half since I've been able to do one of these episodes here at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, and it was great to assemble a panel of some of my good friends, who also just happen to be great Pitmasters.
First of all, we had Ben Shute from @moonshine_bbq on the panel. Moonshine BBQ is a boutique, artisan BBQ rub manufacturer where each batch is handmade from seasonal ingredients to make them fresh and unique.
Next up, we have Linda Zammit from Pits Perfect BBQ. Pits Perfect were one of the first all-female BBQ teams on the competition circuit and have a great reputation for having fun and cooking outstanding BBQ in equal measure, vouched for by both BBQ judges and their BBQ Catering customers.
Rounding out the panel, we have Ryan Sheen from The Fellowship of the Grill, formerly known as The Sheen Shangrila. With his father Craig having recently retired from the barbecue scene, Ryan has now taken over the team, rebranding it and carrying on the tradition of great BBQ that he started with is Dad while carving a new path of his own.
Barbe Con is coming soon - stay tuned for the confirmation of the date in July.
New to BBQ? Grab your free copy of our eBook 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' at our website now:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
There are two questions that many of us in the BBQ want to know the answers to: 1. How to Build a YouTube Channel and 2. How to Make Money on YouTube. Fortunately for all of us at home, Aaron Palmer from Low n Slow Basics has got us covered. This is essential viewing for anybody with a BBQ business who is looking to attract more customers via social media.
Aaron has been in the meat industry his whole life, beginning his career as a butcher. This is where he learned everything he knows about meat and what inspired him to start his family friendly YouTube channel, Low and Slow Basics. From there he got involved in competition BBQ, winning himself a Golden Ticket in a Steak Cookoff Association for cooking a perfect steak. His channel now covers all things barbecue including how to smoke brisket and many more BBQ tips and BBQ techniques.
In this Ep of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- His BBQ collection (5:53)
- What food Aaron cooks for himself (10:14)
- Aaron's background before Low n Slow Basics (12:25)
- How and when he won his Golden Ticket in the Steak Cookoff Association competition (16:08)
- How Low n Slow Basics came together (21:58)
- How to Make Money on YouTube (34:59)
- Aaron's advice on how to build and grow a YouTube channel (39:01)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Check out our award winning eBooks, 'The Bacon Manifesto' and '27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ' on our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
Chad Griffin is without a doubt the quintessential Aussie. He loves his family. Loves BBQ. Loves a cold beer. And he loves helping his mates. In fact, he's got a reputation for helping out his mates in the BBQ industry, be it in BBQ catering or competition BBQ. I've personally seen this guy helping out his mates as far north as Brisbane and as far south as Melbourne. And every time I've seen him, he's happy as, with a big smile on his face and loving BBQ life.
Now, as well as helping his friends get their BBQ businesses off the ground, Chad has also built himself a career in Content Marketing, specifically video marketing and vlogging. Formerly, he was employed in content management for a major national outdoors brand, responsible for their YouTube cooking channel and is personally responsible for introducing thousands upon thousands of people to low n slow BBQ. He's also held similar digital marketing roles in both big business and small business, but now he's striking out on his own with his newest venture 'Wingy's Wicked Q'. It's a YouTube cooking channel which will be producing cooking videos all about BBQ, teaching people how to make delicious smoked meat such as pulled pork, brisket and ribs, all done over charcoal.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Chad and I get into:
- His experiences and thoughts on pellet grills, specifically the Weber SmokeFire pellet grill (7:20)
- His most recent purchase - a PK Grills PKTX (10:06)
- How TV's 'BBQ Pitmasters' influenced him (15:20)
- His experiences working in content marketing for 4WD Supacentre (16:53)
- His newest role in managing a BBQ retail business (26:11)
- What it's like working in a Weber store (30:50)
- His new YouTube cooking channel 'Wingy's Wicked Q' (33:24)
- Tips and Hints that he learned from his time in BBQ Catering (39:14)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Check out our award winning eBooks, 'The Bacon Manifesto' and '27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ' on our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
It's that time! Our BBQ Podcast, the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast has hit 150 Episodes! We've travelled hundreds of thousands of kilometres, been to over 100 BBQ festivals and competitions and interviewed over 300 people in every single aspect of the barbecue industry. Oh, and we might have eaten an unknown number of kilos of smoked brisket, and pulled pork, and perhaps a beer or two along the way!
For this very special episode, we decided to do something a little different - we brought in our great friend Michael from Very Media to interview both Bree and I about what we've been up in the last 12 months since our 100th Episode Special, and what we're working on next. It's a great look behind the curtain of our barbeque business, from our podcast, to our content creation and also the work we do for event promoters around the world.
In this Ep of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- How Ben discovered low'n'slow BBQ & how and why Smoking Hot Confessions came about (5:05)
- Bree's version of events! (7:17)
- What it was like competing at the World's Barbecue Championships in Houston, Texas (13:45)
- What happened to Smoking Hot Confessions in the events of 2020 (23:05)
- Virtual BBQ Competitions (29:24)
- Our participation and success with the National Barbecue & Grilling Association (32:13)
- How we evolve and keep things fresh (35:02)
- The role of family in the business (37:36)
- The importance of failing forward (42:29)
- What we've got lined up for the future, including Barbe Con (48:55)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Check out our award winning eBooks, 'The Bacon Manifesto' and '27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ' on our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
#bbqpodcast #smokinghotconfessions #smallbusiness
BBQ is all about Family. Always has been, always will be. But do you know what's better than sharing a Family BBQ? Starting a Family BBQ Business. In the case of Todd Hill from Jackalope Trading Co, it's a Family BBQ Rub Business. And when it comes to small business ideas, isn't that the best kind?
In all seriousness, Jackalope Trading Co spice rubs are some of our favourite BBQ rubs here at Smoking Hot Confessions. Their 'Dark Side' seasoning is quite possibly the best coffee rub on smoked brisket that we've ever tried. In our offset smoker, it's just magic. The aroma this dry rub gives off while the food is cooking is otherworldly. And no, we're not sponsored by Jackalope!
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Todd and I get into:
- How Todd likes to make pastrami at home (5:36)
- Why North African Barbecue is one of his favourite styles (10:27)
- His interesting new business model (15:50)
- What motivates Todd to keep up such an intense work ethic on his food business (19:56)
- How last year was a good thing for his business (25:49)
- Why he prefers to grind his BBQ rubs by hand (30:56)
- How to balance flavours with cooking food with barbecue seasoning (37:47)
- The difference between a herb and a spice (45:59)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Check out our award winning eBooks, 'The Bacon Manifesto' and '27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ' on our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
Brendan Reisima from The Smoking Meathouse is the current #1 BBQ Pitmaster in New Zealand, having won Team of the Year in the NZ Barbecue Alliance. In quite a short amount of time he has gone from just starting out in competition BBQ to becoming one of the best BBQ Pitmasters in the country, having represented NZ in Texas and Australia.
Whereas many pitmasters are all about low'n'slow BBQ, Brendan prefers Hot'n'Fast Smoking, and well, the results speak for themselves. In fact, his hot and fast brisket, (a wagyu brisket), is one of the best received BBQ competition hand-ins in the country.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- What's the deal with smash burgers? (5:23)
- Working with the new MultiQ from Octopit (10:26)
- His journey to the top of competition BBQ scene in New Zealand (22:25)
- How he keeps his team organised at competitions (32:06)
- Tips and Tricks for Hot'n'Fast Smoking (39:37)
- LIVE Viewer Q&A (47:31)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Shoot Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Check out our award winning eBooks, 'The Bacon Manifesto' and '27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ' on our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
BBQ Catering is a very tempting prospect to many of us in the barbecue world. The idea of being able to leave your job and spend your time making fat stacks of brisket cash in your very own food truck is a sweet, sweet fantasy. But, is it really all it's cracked up to be?
My guest in this Ep is Andrew Donn-Patterson (ADP to his friends) from Black Iron Smokers and BBQ, one of Australia's best BBQ Pitmasters. His smoked meat and his incredibly sexy offset BBQ trailer smoker have become a staple of the BBQ Festival scene all up and down the East Coast of the country, as far south as Tasmania and as far north as Brisbane. His brisket, short ribs, pulled pork and all the trimmings are the stuff that BBQ dreams are made of. And in our chat today he takes us into the world of BBQ vending and catering and tells the truth about how things really are on that side of the smoker.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- Why Andrew doesn't actually eat barbecue (6:12)
- Why Andrew collects Silver Creek Smokers trailers and offset smokers (13:34)
- How Black Iron Smokers and BBQ become a BBQ business (21:09)
- The TRUTH behind running a BBQ Catering and Food Business (23:08)
- Andrew's move into building offset BBQ smokers himself (35:13)
- Tips and tricks for how to smoke a brisket on on offset smoker (42:16)
Barbe Con is coming soon! The world's first virtual BBQ conference will be brought to you by Smoking Hot Confessions. Stay tuned for more details!
New to the world of BBQ? Get your free copy of our eBook, 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' - it's everything you need to know to get you started on the right track to delicious, smoked meat.
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Paul Reitmier of Silver Creek Smokers is about as close to Aussie BBQ Royalty as it gets. He built his first standard flow smoker, an offset smoker of course, in 2005, almost a full decade before the Australasian Barbecue Alliance was created, and we have the scene we have today. Inspired by traditional Texas style offset smokers, his style of bbq smoker trailer is considered by many BBQ pitmasters on the competition BBQ circuit to be the best offset smoker for the money. In particular, his BBQ trailer and food trailer designs are extremely highly regarded. And the best part? They're all Australian made!
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Paul and I get into all things BBQ, including:
- Paul's first offset smoker build (8:31)
- What the Australian BBQ scene looked like before the ABA (10:10)
- The founding of Silver Creek Smokers (16:52)
- How the trends in the Australian manufacturing of smokers has changed over time (20:06)
- Some of the iconic smoker trailer and competition bbq trailers he's built (29:02)
- Tips and Hints for wanting to know how to build an offset smoker (36:27) including:
-
- The Stack Effect and the importance of Draw (37:53)
- The differences between having a pipe smoker and a rolled smoker (41:22)
Don't forget that Barbe Con is coming! June 26 & 27. Keep on the Smoking Hot Confessions socials for more details coming out soon!
New to BBQ? Make sure you head on over to our website and pick your free copy of our eBook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ'.
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
A change is as good as a holiday, and in this episode, we head over to New Zealand to talk all thing bbq with Alex Lawson, cohost of the Barbecue Base Podcast. Not only is Alex a BBQ guru and host of a great BBQ podcast, he is also the Pit Boss of the competition bbq team Burnt Beginnings BBQ.
With a solid twenty year career in marketing and advertising under his belt, he's now focussing his attention on building a strong BBQ brand. He's doing this on two fronts, with content creation (the podcast) and dominating in low n slow bbq competitions. As a result, he's built a reputation as being a one of New Zealand's top BBQ Pitmasters.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Alex and I get into:
- Our mutual love of BBQ chicken wings and Alex's fascination with South Carolina BBQ Sauce (5:24)
- His favourite new lump charcoal grill, a PKTX from PK Grills (9:35)
- The Barbecue Base Podcast story (15:48)
- His Burnt Beginnings BBQ competition team, and their perfect scoring wagyu brisket with burnt ends (26:59)
- Tips and tricks to build a strong BBQ brand including content creation and social media (40:57)
Barbe Con is coming, June 26th and 27th. Follow us on all the socials for more info soon!
New to the world of low and slow barbeque? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' over on our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
How to Create a Low n Slow BBQ Masterclass is a common question that many BBQers are asking themselves these days. It's one of the ways that a competition BBQ team can raise funds to help them get to big events such as the Jack Daniels' World Championship and the American Royal World Series of Barbecue at the Kansas Speedway. Fortunately for us, Big Willy from Badass BBQ has pioneered the way and is sharing his experiences with us.
Badass BBQ are a staple of the Aussie BBQ scene. Not only are they low and slow Australian BBQ Pitmasters who have conquered the competition BBQ scene, but they have also harnessed their BBQing skills to create a business that has a line up including BBQ rubs, a beef injection, a pork injection and a lamb injection. In fact, their Voodoo Beef Dry Rub is a firm favourite in our household. The lads are equally well known for their ridiculously run Low n Slow BBQ Masterclasses which they have delivered all around the country. And that's what we spend most of our time discussing here.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Big Willy and I get into:
- Making the move onto a Traeger grill and why he thinks they are the best pellet grills (5:47)
- Their first BBQ competition at Meatstock Melbourne, cooking on ProQ bullet smokers and a Silver Creek Offset Smoker (9:06)
- Opening up their spice rub and meat injection business (20:17)
- What a meat injection is and why it's important (27:30)
- How to Create a Low n Slow BBQ Masterclass (29:26)
- Tackling the Texas barbecue flavour profile while competing at the American Royal (47:53)
Keep the weekend of the 26th and 27th of June free for Barbe-Con, where you'll get more from your BBQ. It will be the world's first virtual BBQ Conference. We'll be showcasing leaders of the BBQ industry with the Saturday being dedicated to smoking BBQ food including brisket and pulled pork. Sunday will be all about BBQ businesses. More details coming soon.
New to barbeque? Get yourself a free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' on our website:
https://www.smokinghotconfessions.com
In honour of International Women's Day, it is our pleasure to welcome back great friend of the show Julie-ann Tindall-Davies from JAGRD WoodFired in Western Australia. Jules shares her exciting news - their competition BBQ team 'The Smokin' Hot JAGRD Edge' has just won the 'KCBS International Brisket Team of the Year' award for 2020! This is a tremendous achievement for the husband and wife Pitmaster team.
In my own humble opinion, this fantastic achievement was inevitable. Myself and the rest of Australia recognised that Jules and Glenn are excellent BBQ Pitmasters who know how to smoke meat in 2016. As a result they were invited to compete at the World's BBQ Championships in Houston, Texas. Drawing on inspiration from their barbecue idols such as Harry Soo, they showed off their best BBQing skills, showcasing their outstanding low and slow competition brisket and burnt ends.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Jules and I get into:
- JAGRD's expanded range of outdoor BBQ smokers (5:20)
- Women in BBQ and International Women's Day (18:26)
- Becoming the KCBS International Brisket Team of the Year for 2020 (24:58)
- How to use a BBQ rub effectively (27:34)
- Tips for how to make smoked barbecue for BBQ Judges (32:55)
- Cooking BBQ with friends at their JAGRD Mega Meatup BBQ Classes (35:18)
- Tips and tricks for how to cook brisket and how to make burnt ends (43:42)
Don't forget! Barbe-Con is coming soon. Keep the weekend of June 26 & 27 free because it's time to Get More From Your BBQ! Details will be available soon on our website.
Speaking of our website, if you're at the start of your barbeque journey, head on over to our website and get your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ'. It's every thing you need to get you started in the world of smoked meat.
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we're chatting with Dave Kenyon from Black Glove BBQ and Matt Redman from Primal Iron BBQ, the Reserve Grand Champion and Grand Champion winners of the Kondari BBQ Festival respectively.
We're really lucky in this episode to have these incredible pitmasters with us. Between them, they took at prizes in smoked brisket, bbq ribs, barbeque chicken, and more. Not only do they compete in Australasian Barbecue Alliance competition, but they have also competed in more than one Steak Cookoff Association bbq competition. Together, they share enough great info in this episode to make sure you come away from it knowing how to bbq right.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- What Dave had to go through just to get to the competition (4:25)
- How Dave puts together his pork rib box (9:17)
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Some tips and tricks for smoking and presenting beef brisket (13:46)
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How Matt found operating out of a hotel room at a bbq competition (25:51)
- Primal Iron BBQ's barbecue chicken hand-in (29:08)
- Tips and tricks for ensuring consistency in their BBQ smoked meats (35:11)
Barbe-Con is coming! The world's first online BBQ conference is coming June 26th and 27th. We're bring the best pitmasters right into your living room to help you get more from your BBQ. Join us in the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook to stay up to date.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/smokinghotconfessionsbbqcommunity
New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
Time, Temp & Feel are the three tenets of real low'n'slow barbecue. If you can master these three things, there's no stopping you. Booma, from Booma's BBQ has mastered these three things and his results speak for themselves. Booma has been team captain of the hugely successful Full Metal Kettle competition BBQ team. He's created a few hybrid teams for special events which have also been successful. He's created a wildly popular video series with famous BBQ filmmaker Jay Beaumont of Meatstock fame. And now he's working on a digital magazine in a partnership with Heat Beads.
With all this experience, as you'd expect, there's nothing he can't cook. Burgers are a favourite at the moment, with beef, cheese and bacon jam. Smoked brisket is a breeze for him, as well as pork collar butts for pulled pork, pork ribs, and he also loves to do some barbeque lamb too. His videos of steaks are amazing and he's had great success in Steak Cookoff Association Competitions, cooking the perfect steak - his tomahawk steaks are just incredible.
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- Bacon Jam Smoked Cheeseburgers (4:09)
- How his mother influenced his BBQ journey (06:36)
- The Full Metal Mettle competition BBQ team story (9:40)
- How to build the ultimate burger for Instagram (20:41)
- Making videos with Jay Beaumont from Meatstock (26:03)
- His digital magazine 'Fire It Up' with Heat Beads® (32:12)
- A run through of how he does his competition BBQ chicken thighs (36:21
- Tips & Techniques for mastering Time, Temp & Feel (38:42)
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, Heat Beads®. Heat Beads® have been a part of the BBQ family in Australia for over 50 years, fuelling fires and have a wide range of BBQ charcoal, briquettes, and other products. Learn more at:
https://heatbeads.com.au/
New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
The Steak Cookoff Association is taking the world by storm, and right at the storm front are Shane & Chloe from Forrest Lump BBQ. They have absolutely dominated the steak category, winning a Golden Ticket to compete at the SCA World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. However, their true talent clearly shows in the ancillary categories. In fact, they won the points chase for Australia for 2020 in the Ancillary category.
The Steak Cookoff Association competition is made up of two parts - the steak category, and then the ancillary categories. The ancillary categories are at the discretion of the event promoter and range from mild to wild. Such as? Well, it could be everything from Hotdogs and Bloody Mary's, or chicken wings to deep fried desserts. It's this no-holds barred barbecue arena in which Forrest Lump BBQ truly shines. I've spent a lot of time photographing SCA judge's tents, and the hand-ins from Forrest Lump BBQ are no doubt the most creative, inventive and artistic Steak Cookoff Association hand-ins I've ever seen.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- How Forrest Lump BBQ came to be
- Their experiences in Low'n'Slow BBQ competitions such as KCBS and ABA
- How they like to do their Golden Ticket winning reverse seared steaks
- The work that goes into their incredible SCA Ancillary hand-ins
- Tips and Tricks for Steak Cookoff Association beginners
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, Heat Beads®. Heat Beads® have been a part of the BBQ family in Australia for over 50 years, fuelling fires and have a wide range of BBQ charcoal, briquettes, and other products. Learn more at:
https://heatbeads.com.au/
New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
If you had a catastrophic, life-changing accident involving a BBQ, I'd wager that you'd never want to go near a barbecue ever again. But not Cam.
Cam House, from Cam's Q suffered a huge accident in 2019 when a fully loaded Weber Kettle grill fell on him, resulting in 3rd degree burns to his arm and hand. The resulting surgeries, skin grafts and complications have taken their toll on his and his partner's lives and finances, but Cam is not to be deterred.
His love of low and slow BBQ food, smoked brisket, pulled pork, BBQ chicken and BBQ ribs as well as all things wood and charcoal just couldn't be denied. Despite his horrific burns, he's now rebuilding himself a brand new BBQ life, centred around barbeque and is forging a new path, creating an industry for himself that didn't exist before.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- Live on a cattle station outside of Townsville, QLD (6:07)
- His past life as a chef (10:27)
- The Accident (12:50)
- His new business 'Cams Q' (28:33)
- What is a freelance BBQ sales rep? (32:22)
- Becoming a BBQ TV star (39:57)
- How to properly represent yourself and your brand on social media (43:58)
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, Heat Beads®. Heat Beads® have been a part of the BBQ family in Australia for over 50 years, fuelling fires and have a wide range of BBQ charcoal, briquettes, and other products. Learn more at:
https://heatbeads.com.au/
New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
Support the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/smokinghotconfessions
Gus Gallagher from Perth BBQ School is a man who has discovered his true passion and is now living his dream. Imagine this. You love BBQ. You love hanging out with your mates. How good would it be if your job could be hanging out with your mates and teaching them how to cook barbecue? And what if you could actually pull it off?
This is exactly what Gus has done with Perth BBQ School. He teaches people how to use a Weber kettle, how to smoke a brisket, how to make pulled pork and so much more. This is in addition to operating a BBQ Food Truck, and catering events. If it can be cooked with fire, Gus is all over it, and teaching his students how to do it too!
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- Gus' giant offset smoker trailer (6:47)
- The challenges and victories and opening Perth BBQ School (9:12)
- How Perth BBQ School had to adapt in the face of COVID-19 (20:35)
- What is a 'Brisket Lab'? (29:24)
- How to smoke and glaze a ham at home (35:53)
- Busting Beginner BBQ Myths (40:21)
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, Heat Beads®. Heat Beads® have been a part of the BBQ family in Australia for over 50 years, fuelling fires and have a wide range of BBQ charcoal, briquettes, and other products. Learn more at:
https://heatbeads.com.au/
New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
Brett Connell, Bretto to his mates, is captain of one of Australia's oldest competition barbecue teams, Flamin' Mongrels BBQ. They've competed as far south as Melbourne and north as Rockhampton and have amassed a wide range of trophies for smoked brisket, beef ribs, bbq chicken, and even Brahman Hump!
But that's not all - they also have a reputation for being the most friendly, enthusiastic and welcoming guys on the circuit. Oh, and throwing some of the wildest and best parties on the circuit!
An entrepreneur through and through, Bretto has long been a friend of the show, and is one of these people that seems to pop up with sage words of wisdom whenever we've been needing some direction. They've recently changed direction themselves too, with COVID-19 forcing Bretto to make the move into BBQ catering to help him take care of his family. His love to Texas Barbecue shines through everything he does, and his catering ventures have been very successful.
This is Bretto's second appearance on the show. You can get Bretto's BBQ back story all the way back in Episode 10. In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- Grilling Seafood and why salmon on the BBQ is king - 5:45
- The best party he's ever been too at a barbeque competition - 7:50
- Making to move into catering - 17:55
- Moving from a traditional offset smoker to Gateway Drum Smoker - 29:48
- Possible new business directions for Flamin' Mongrels BBQ - 37:07
- Tips and Tricks for starting a BBQ catering business - 44:17
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, Heat Beads®. Heat Beads® have been a part of the BBQ family in Australia for over 50 years, fuelling fires and have a wide range of BBQ charcoal, briquettes, and other products. Learn more at:
https://heatbeads.com.au/
New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
There are many who believe that there is an overreliance on gadgets and technology in BBQ. One of the Pitmasters pushing for a return to traditional ways of preparing barbecue is David Ong, from Pitmaster University. As well known as he is for his long Facebook posts, David has been a part of the Australian Barbeque scene since Day 1, and was even awarded the first ever Australasian Barbecue Alliance Personality of the Year Award. Since then, he’s started a YouTube channel that’s garnered millions of views (if you haven't seen his Crispy Pork Belly Recipe you haven't lived), and now heads up Pitmaster University, a BBQ school based in Perth, Western Australia, teaching traditional Texas BBQ to those who want to learn how to make barbeque at home.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into:
- How Ongy nearly burnt his house down using a Weber Kettle (10:50)
- The likelihood that Ongy is a serial killer (13:11)
- How he got involved with KCBS in Australia (23:55)
- When and how Pitmaster University came about (30:16)
- How you can best use your five senses when cooking barbeque in your backyard (40:22)
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, Meat N Fire Media Services. To save 50% off their 'Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Marketing' course, use the codeword 'Santa' at checkout!
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com/
New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
It's no secret that wood is essential to barbecue. Not only can it be used as a fuel to burn, but also as smoking wood on a charcoal fire. In fact, it's the smoke from the wood that gives barbeque it's unique flavour profile. Whether you're making BBQ ribs or a smoked brisket, wood is an important ingredient. But how important is it to get the right wood? And what is that right wood exactly? What's better - logs, chunks or wood chips? Those are the questions I seek to get answered in this conversation with Russ from Natural Smoke BBQ Woods, a family owned and operated business from Adelaide, South Australia.
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Russ and I get into:
- Why he loves his offset smoker and his brand new ugly drum smoker (UDS) (3:48)
- How his kids influence his cooks (8:08)
- How Russ got into BBQ (9:16)
- Why Russ is so interested in wood (22:39)
- Russ' grassroots, guerilla marketing techniques (30:55)
- Tips for matching and pairing woods and meats
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, Meat N Fire Media Services. To save $100 off their 'Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Marketing' course, use the codeword 'Podcast' at checkout!
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com/
New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
What's the deal with the Kamado Joe? Matt Harris from Shire Smokers Barbecue leads me down the rabbit hole of ceramic obsession and does his best to induct me into the Kamado Cult. With claims of being able do a smoked brisket in 5 hours, I have to admit - he's close to getting me over the line!
Shire Smokers Barbecue is one of the oldest teams on the competition BBQ circuit in Australia and have seen the scene change a lot over time. As a result Matt is well respected on the circuit, at one stage holding the record for highest BBQ chicken score. Matt spends a lot of time giving back to the BBQ community, running classes, founding the largest Kamado group on Facebook, and running charity side-competition with... ahem... devon, raising money for local schools and other great organisations.
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Matt and I get into:
• Matt's barbeque origin story (13:58)
• How Montreal Smoked Meats changed his life (16:03)
• His competition team, Shire Smokers Barbecue (22:14)
• The for-charity Devon competition he runs every year at the Kangaroo Valley Craft Beer & BBQ Festival (34:13)
• How to BBQ Right on a Kamado Joe (42:02)
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, Meat N Fire Media Services. To save $100 off their 'Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Marketing' course, use the codeword 'Podcast' at checkout!
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com/
New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. I first heard these words when I spoke with Paul Lange for the first time at Smokin’ on the Water in Perth, Western Australia when I spoke with him about Smokey Q - his barbeque rub and bbq sauce business. I was really impressed with his attitude to planning and execution. Not just hard work, but smart hard work. So it was a great pleasure to catch up with him two years later. Not only had he done all the things he told me he was going to do, he’s exceeded them and is really blazing the path for successful BBQ businesses in Australia. In short, he’s building a BBQ rub empire. And these successes haven’t gone unnoticed with Paul having secured a spot in the second season of Dipper’s Backyard BBQ Wars on TV’s 7Mate - if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to get onto it quicksmart!
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Paul and I get into:
- His fascination with the Weber Kettle (6:02)
- His secret way of importing BBQ rarities into Australia (7:12)
- Life on Dipper’s Backyard BBQ Wars (14:40)
- A deep dive into Smokey Q and how he’s grown the business so successfully (24:28)
- Tips and advice to help you successfully write your own business plan (45:41)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Shoot Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Check out our award winning eBooks, 'The Bacon Manifesto' and '27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ' on our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
James Grubbs, known simply by surname as ‘Grubbs’ is known around the world as the ‘Backwoods Grill Billy’ (his words!). You know him as one of the pitmaster contestants on Netflix’s ‘The American Barbecue Showdown’. While he didn’t win, he was definitely one of the most interesting people to watch, and one of my personal favourites. His work on the BBQ was inspiring, fun, and looked delicious! This was easily the best Netflix show I've seen this year, and would have to get my vote for best Netflix Series 2020.
Given that Thanksgiving is just around the corner in the US, we spend a lot of time talking turkey, turkey brine, and we even get into hunting and processing deer and bear. Yes, bear!
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, James and I get into:
- Grubbs' background in BBQ - 2: 55
- Georgian style BBQ - 7:10
- Game meats including bear - 16:25
- His experience on Netflix - 23:59
- Lesson on brining poultry - 50:58
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Wood Fired. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check them out at:
http://www.jagrdoutdoorovens.com/
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Shoot Ben an email on ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
How to cook the perfect steak is a question that has haunted one of Australia's leading BBQ Pitmasters, Dane Cowan, and has done for almost as long as he can remember. Starting out in Australasian Barbecue Alliance competition BBQ, it wasn't long before Dane discovered the Steak Cookoff Association and was hooked. He soon dedicated his life to mastering the ribeye steak and has since represented Australia twice in the Steak Cookoff Association World Championships in Texas!
If you're familiar with competition BBQ in Australia, you'll know that the Australasian Barbecue Alliance is a low'n'slow competition, using wood-fired smokers. SCA competitions however, use charcoal grills, with two of the most common being the Weber Kettle and the PK Grills. In this episode we not only talk about which Dane thinks is the best charcoal grill, we also get into:
- How Dane got into barbecue (10:26)
- His transition into competition barbeque (11:40)
- Early successes and disasters in competition BBQ (16:42)
- Representing Australia in Texas (27:20)
- Tips and Tricks for How to Cook Steak (40:22)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Shoot Ben an email at and let’s get that conversation started!
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Check out our award winning eBooks, 'The Bacon Manifesto' and '27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ' on our website:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
Shannon Walker from Butcher Wars and Black Bear BBQ is our guest on the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast this week. A man who is often behind the scenes, Shannon steps out on to the centre stage here and let's us know what really goes on at so many of the BBQ icons we know and love.
In this Episode we get into:
- His career as a butcher (4:15)
- Working at Black Bear BBQ (11:55)
- Butcher Wars (22:14)
- 'The Butcher's Cookbook' (34:15)
- Hunting, Cleaning, and Cooking Game (40:35)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next BBQ, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Shoot Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!
To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', head to:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
David Linton from Lick of Smoke BBQ joins me in The Confessional this week. You’ll remember David from Episode 78, recorded LIVE at the Fat Drip BBQ Competition last year. In that episode, David and I had a brief chat about how they’d managed to rise so quickly on the national competitive BBQ ladder, getting to 8th place in under a year. And then 2020 happened!
In this Ep we get into:
- David is over brisket! (4:57)
- How 2019 finished up for him and his team (13:41)
- What the BBQ scene looks like for him in 2020 / 2021 (17:43)
- Starting a BBQ rub business in lockdown (21:14)
- Competition Chicken Tips and Tricks (38:47)
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next BBQ, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well.
https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au
If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Shoot Ben an email and let’s get that conversation started!
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
Tom Damin from Smoky Pastures BBQ is our returning guest in this week's episode of the Podcast. Tom is an expert in agricultural science and last time he was on the show we got into the Beef Industry. In this episode we get into:
- The two new rubs in the Smoky Pastures BBQ line up (2:44)
- Different ways to cook bacon (12:55)
- The science behind pork production (15:55)
- The science behind lamb production (31:08)
- How to make bacon at home! (45:00)
Massive thanks to this week's Podcast Partner, Meat N Fire Media Services. Use the codeword 'Podcast' at check out to save $100 off their course 'Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Marketing'.
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com/product/brand-building-through-strategic-social-media-marketing
If you'd like to become a Podcast Partner, shoot Ben an email and let's have a conversation!
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
It doesn't get much more Australian than this: talking to a bloke named MAKA about BBQ and leatherwork!
In this Ep of the SHC BBQ Podcast, I chat with Michael Kerkham, AKA MAKA from MAKA Toolbelts and Kniferolls. We get into how he started his business hand making leather goods in a garden shed in Tasmania, all the way up to shipping his works around the world to literally all of the biggest names in the game. We finish up the interview with some tips for taking care of your MAKA kniferolls and aprons to make sure they become family heirlooms.
Would you like a MAKA Kniferoll of your very own? To celebrate MAKA's first appearance on the show, MAKA is giving away a fully customised 5 pocket kniferoll to one lucky listener / viewer. Here's what you have to do:
- Head to this video on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SmokingHotConfessions/
- Like and Share the video on Facebook
- Like the Smoking Hot Confessions page
https://www.facebook.com/SmokingHotConfessions/
- Like the MAKA Toolbelts and Kniferolls page
https://www.facebook.com/makatbandkr/
- Comment under the post that you've done it so we know to include you
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is brought to you by Meat N Fire Media Services. If you need photography, videography, podcasting or social media help, Meat N Fire is here for you. Learn more at:
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
Also, we are currently calling for businesses to partner with for the show. We have experienced massive growth in the last few months and are now looking for passionate enthusiastic businesses who are keen to get their message seen and heard by raving mad BBQ fans. To find out more, shoot Ben an email at:
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
Wanna know how to make award winning BBQ sauces, and how to use them? We’ve got your back!
Ray Sheehan is a man on a mission. His mission is to put New Jersey on the BBQ road trip map. Founded in 2015, BBQ Buddha has built an incredible reputation for BBQ sauces and more recently, rubs. The awards started coming early and simply haven’t stopped. This year in particular, BBQ Buddha performed extremely well at the National Barbecue and Grilling Association’s Excellence Awards, winning a first place award for Vinegar Mild BBQ Sauces, and getting several other call ups. As well Ray’s wins at the NBBQA, he’s also achieved a serious life and professional goal, publishing his first cookbook, Award Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them. And, you guessed it, it’s winning awards, taking out 1st place at the Page Street Publishing International Book Awards.
In this Ep Ray and I get into what New Jersey has to offer to the BBQ scene, his path to success with BBQ Buddha, and of course we close out the Ep with a fantastic lesson in sauce making for those of you keen to get into it at home!
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is brought to you by Meat N Fire Media Services. If you need photography, videography, podcasting or social media help, Meat N Fire is here for you. Learn more at:
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
Also, we are currently calling for businesses to partner with for the show. We have experienced massive growth in the last few months and are now looking for passionate enthusiastic businesses who are keen to get their message seen and heard by raving mad BBQ fans. To find out more, shoot Ben an email at:
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
BBQ and Mexican food is a match made in heaven. Michael and his partner Miroslawa definitely agree and have created an incredible fusion restaurant, named Mexican Street Food by Little Flock, in Melbourne, a city known for its new and exciting restaurants. However, I don't need to explain how 2020 has been difficult for restaurants.
In this Ep, Michael and I talk about restaurant life under COVID restrictions. We talk about forced evolution, the coming together of the industry, including finding new ways of supporting each other, and of course we get right into some of those delicious fusion flavours of traditional Mexican and low'n'slow BBQ.
This is a much watch for anyone working in the industry!
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is brought to you by Meat N Fire Media Services. If you need photography, videography, podcasting or social media help, Meat N Fire is here for you. Learn more at:
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
Also, we are currently calling for businesses to partner with for the show. We have experienced massive growth in the last few months and are now looking for passionate enthusiastic businesses who are keen to get their message seen and heard by raving mad BBQ fans. To find out more, shoot Ben an email at
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
Admit it - you want his job. I want his job. We all want Kevin's job. Being Head Grill Master at Weber has to be one of the coolest jobs ever dreamt up. The opportunities and the experiences are mind blowing. Such as? Think key roles in new product development, recipe development, BBQ classes, competitions, world travel and so much more! Kevin has also landed a sweet gig teaching meat science at the University of Illinois.
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, I chat with Kevin about how he came to be at Weber, what the last two decades have been like working at the most well known BBQ brand in the world and we close out the episode with a really cool lesson in meat science. You really don't want to give this one a miss!
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is brought to you by Meat N Fire Media Services. If you need photography, videography, podcasting or social media help, Meat N Fire is here for you. Learn more at:
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
Also, we are currently calling for businesses to partner with for the show. We have experienced massive growth in the last few months and are now looking for passionate enthusiastic businesses who are keen to get their message seen and heard by raving mad BBQ fans. To find out more, shoot Ben an email at
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
The key principle of entrepreneurship is finding a need, recognising the opportunity and seizing that opportunity. Trent Barrett is one of these people. He and his wife Cassie have just opened the Gold Coast’s first dedicated low’n’slow BBQ store - Smoked BBQ Co. Located in Miami, Smoked BBQ Co is soon to become a familiar haunt for BBQ aficionados from all over South East Queensland. And it’s easy to see why. There’s products to suit every BBQ’ers need, with an unprecedented emphasis on Australian products, including rubs and sauces from all the big Aussie players and the whole suite of incredible woods from Ministry of Smoke.
In this Episode, recorded during the Grand Opening weekend of the store, Trent and I explore what led to the opening of the store, how the process went, what the store has for customers, and what makes it different from the rest of the BBQ stores. We close out the episode with a bit of a lesson from former chef Trent on how backyard BBQers can put on a perfect 5 course BBQ degustation!
Check it out now!
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is brought to you by Meat N Fire Media Services. If you need photography, videography, podcasting or social media help, Meat N Fire is here for you. Learn more at:
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
Also, we are currently calling for businesses to partner with for the show. We have experienced massive growth in the last few months and are now looking for passionate enthusiastic businesses who are keen to get their message seen and heard by raving mad BBQ fans. To find out more, shoot Ben an email at
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
There aren’t many people that can claim their family as Royalty in the Aussie outdoor lifestyle, but Anthony Shepherd is one of them. His parents were the founders of OzPig - the outdoor BBQ / camp kitchen / wood stove that has become an integral part of quality family time for so many Australian families. Now Anthony is running the family business and the OzPig has gone from strength to strength, with a whole host of new products and distribution in several countries around the world.
In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into the early days of OzPig, the development process, and the transition of the business from one generation to the next. We learn about the growth that’s happened now the company is in the hands of the second generation, the wide range of new products now available, and we get a sneak peek into what’s next for this family-owned Australian business. We close out the interview with a lesson on how to put together the Ultimate Camp Dinner - an easy topic for Anthony given his family legacy of camp cooking.
Check it out now!
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is brought to you by Meat N Fire Media Services. If you need photography, videography, podcasting or social media help, Meat N Fire is here for you. Learn more at:
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
Also, we are currently calling for businesses to partner with for the show. We have experienced massive growth in the last few months and are now looking for passionate enthusiastic businesses who are keen to get their message seen and heard by raving mad BBQ fans. To find out more, shoot Ben an email at
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
Rusty's Food and Barbecue hasn't been open long, having launched during, yes during, the COVID lockdowns. However, in these brief few months, Rusty has managed to create something very special. Every night, their venue is filled to the COVID capacity, the crowds are ecstatic with the food and, most importantly are loyal, with the majority of the crowd being repeat customers. So how has Rusty managed to put such a successful BBQ business together in such a short, difficult time?
In this Episode we get into Rusty's journey to where he is now. We start right at the beginning and trace all his steps, and missteps, tracking all the decisions to where he finds himself today. We learn about his introduction to BBQ, his obsession with Weber Kettles, and his jump into and successes with competition BBQ. We look at all of these things with particular attention to how those experiences shaped him into the Pitmaster and BBQ joint owner he is today. This episode is a must listen for anybody who's looking to get more from their passion for meat and fire.
This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is brought to you by Meat N Fire Media Services. If you need photography, videography, podcasting or social media help, Meat N Fire is here for you. Learn more at:
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
Also, we are currently calling for businesses to partner with for the show. We have experienced massive growth in the last few months and are now looking for passionate enthusiastic businesses who are keen to get their message seen and heard by raving mad BBQ fans. To find out more, shoot Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
Jason Meldrum is a man on a mission. A mission to grow the BBQ scene in Western Australia by any means possible. Not only is he a Pitmaster, he's a BBQ Competitor, a Pit Builder, a Caterer, an a BBQ teacher. And you've seen his work before - it was his big beautiful blue offset trailer smoker that I fell in love with when I was at a competition in WA at the end of 2018 and have been fawning over it ever since.
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we get into Jason's BBQ origin story, an update on the BBQ scene in WA, and then we get into his three businesses. We chat about building smokers with Southern Ocean Smokers, serving the masses with Smashed As Burger Co and teaching people how to get the best out of their own smokers as a co-owner of Pitmaster University.
Lastly, we close out this interview with a special session for those of you out there who love a good bit of DIY. Molly gives us a great lesson in how to build your own offset smoker. We talk about design fundamentals, materials, tools, and much more.
You definitely don't want to miss this one!
We currently have a free mini-ebook available for you all - 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ'. Simply head on over to our website, have a click around and enter your details in the pop-up and we'll send it straight out to your inbox.
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Also, we're currently looking for enthusiastic, modern BBQ businesses to partner with here at the show. We're looking at adding video shoutouts for episode sponsors who have a message they want to get into the eyes and ears of BBQ fans. If this sounds like you, send Ben an email:
ben@smokinghotconfessions.com
RG has fast become a staple of the Adelaide BBQ scene. And it's little doubt why. A one minute conversation with founder Rik Carr and it's easy to see why.
Rik has boundless energy and he directs 150% of it into his passion for meat and BBQ. Indeed, his passion for BBQ has led him into not one, not two, but three different careers within the meat industry. And he brings the culmination of that knowledge to RG - his BBQ store and food truck.
In this episode we find out about Rik's various careers in the meat industry and how he settled on RG. We get into the shop and discuss the importance of branding, and about how 'the experience' is equally as important as the food itself. We then get into the the advantages and disadvantages of running a food truck and talk about how a food truck can get your business by during these difficult times. We learn about how the BBQ community has got behind him and helped him on his journey, and finally, we close out the episode with a lesson on BBQing at scale, including Rik's Top Three tips for folks looking to open up a BBQ business of their own.
Today's episode is sponsored by Meat N Fire Media Services. If you need help with your digital or social media, MnF have your back. Make sure you check out their new online course: 'Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Marketing' at:
https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
Harry Soo is our very special guest in this week’s episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast. Harry really needs no introduction, being one of America’s most well-known Pitmasters, having been on BBQ Pitmasters, Chopped, Food Network and many more. In fact, you might remember him as the underdog in Season One of BBQ Pitmasters, who surprised everyone, beating many of the top Pitmasters and favourites to win. And his future has only gotten bigger and brighter since then. He’s since competed very successfully, winning 27 Grand Champions, more than 100 first places, taught over 200 classes, and instructed over 3,000 pitmasters in the USA and around the world.
In this Episode, Harry takes us poolside at his house in Los Angeles where we combine a live cooking demonstration with a podcast interview, resulting in a really unique experience for viewers and listeners alike. As we talk about Harry’s experiences and views on the BBQ scene, Harry also takes us through some seafood recipe experiments on his trusty Weber Kettle, explaining all the different flavour profiles that he’s combining. All the while, Harry draws on his wealth of knowledge and experience to ensure that he shares as much as possible - something that is very important to him.
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is sponsored by Meat N Fire Media Services. Do you need help with your digital and / or social media? Meat N Fire is here for you. It’s a one-stop-shop to help you get your digital and social media on track and building a strong brand presence in the digital space. To learn more, check out their website: https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
BBQ Judges. They’re often overlooked and under-appreciated. And let’s face it: we BBQ competitors often scapegoat the judges when we don’t get the scores that we want. However, that doesn’t change the fact that BBQ Judges are the ‘other side’ of the coin in Competition BBQ. Sure, you can’t have a BBQ Competition without competitors, but the flip side of that is that you also can’t have a BBQ Competition without Judges. Now, that being said, the reason for this disconnect is a lack of transparency in the BBQ Competition systems. That lack of transparency is both deliberate and essential in order to keep the judging system blind. But it doesn’t help judge - competitor relations.
So, in this Episode, Australia’s #1 BBQ Judge, James Park, is taking us behind the scenes of the BBQ Judging game and telling us about what really goes down in that big tent. We’re going to talk about James’ experiences judging around the country, take a look at some of the things that the different BBQ sanctioning bodies are doing right, some ways that they could improve and then we’re going to get into a new project James is working on. Hint: He’s designing his own BBQ Judging system!
This episode was brought to you by Meat N Fire Media Services. If your business needs photography, videography, podcasting and more, check out their services at https://meatnfiremediaservices.com
Stagg and Co founder, Scott Bothe is our guest in this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast. An Australian first, Stagg & Co are a BBQ dedicated co-packer that is committed to helping Australian BBQ brands make a name for themselves and get their products out into the world. Scott himself is no stranger to the BBQ world and has already conquered the scene in Australia, being one half of the 2017 Australasian Barbecue Alliance Grand Champion winning team. He’s even represented Australia at The Royal, in Kansas City - the most famous BBQ competition in the world. Now he has a new team, Bison BBQ, and managed to GC their very first competition straight out of the gate.
In this interview, we find out about Scott’s experiences with competition BBQ, his proudest achievements in the world of meat and fire as well some hilarious things that have been less than an ‘achievement’! We then move into the story behind Stagg & Co, learning about how it was formed and what they do. This is fascinating for anybody looking to take their spice rubs to market. Scott also drops some great tips for people developing recipes right now.
Finally, we move into the third segment where Scott shares some tips and advice not only for competing solo, but also for competing FIFO. That is, ‘Fly In Fly Out’. He draws on his extensive experience doing this around Australia and the United States and shares some surprising information about his record doing so.
This is a great episode and is a real insight into the booming business of BBQ in Australia.
For the best looking BBQ t-shirts, hoodies, caps and more, check out:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, I chat with Drue Be of Dru-B-Q. He’s a man who’s taken his love of all things BBQ and combined it with his skills with a welder to create some truly world-quality drum smokers. Inspired by the imported ones, Drue has set about developing not just some great quality drum smokers, but also a wide range of really unique and ingenious accessories to maximise the flexibility of the drum smokers. Also, not only are they great quality, but they look amazing, with Drue calling on his network of classic car enthusiasts to do some incredible custom paint jobs. His drums are clearly getting a good recipe as we are seeing more and more of them appearing in the competition BBQ circuit and his brand, Dru-B-Q is developing a cult following in the BBQ scene.
Here, Drue shares his stories about how he got into BBQ, and how he fell in love with competition BBQ. We learn how the drum smoker business started, and what makes his drums so unique. Then we get into the range of custom accessories he’s developed, before finishing up with a lesson on best practice for using a drum smoker.
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is sponsored by Meat N Fire Media Services. If your business needs help with media - both digital and social, Meat N Fire can help you out. Right now, they’re offering a special for podcast listeners. Use the codeword ‘podcast’ at checkout to save $100 off their online course ‘Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Marketing’ course.
Head to https://meatnfiremediaservices.com/product/brand-building-through-strategic-social-media-marketing and use the codeword ‘podcast’ at checkout for $100 off.
How many, and what’s the rarest Weber Kettle you own? I bet it doesn’t matter what you have, Dean ‘Schuey’ Schumann has you beat!
Schuey’s BBQ has come a long way in a short time, but that’s exactly the way ‘Schuey’ had planned it. A photographer by profession, Schuey has combined his love photography with his passion for BBQ and created a very successful YouTube channel Schuey’s BBQ, where you can learn to ‘Master Your Grill’. And when we say grill, we don’t mean just any BBQ - we’re talking about the granddaddy of BBQs - the Weber Kettle.
This project has come about after Schuey’s time as a founding member of popular TV show ‘Dipper’s Backyard BBQ Wars’. We talk more about this in the episode but the short story is that it is the only BBQ show in Australian history to make it to a second season - so you know they’re doing something right!
But back to the Weber Kettles, Schuey is a self-confessed Weber addict and has one of the biggest and widest range of Webers I’ve ever heard of. I don’t want to tell you exactly what he’s got here - you’ll have to watch the episode. But he’s got quite the range of models, sizes, shapes, colours and ages. All he needs is one more bump in Weber prices, and Schuey will be able to retire!
In this episode we get into how Dean got hooked on meat and fire, what it was like to be a part of Australian BBQ TV history, and we’re going to get the story on the creation of his YouTube channel. And, Schuey being the generous guy that he is, doesn’t give us one lesson, but two! In the third segment of the episode, Schuey shares some great advice about how to take better food photos, and how to shoot a great YouTube video.
Check it out!
This episode is sponsored by Meat N Fire Media Services. They help your business put the meat on the table. If you need help with digital or social media for your marketing campaigns the Meat N Fire is here for you. They offer photography, videography, podcasting, voiceovers and graphic design. They even offer online courses for those of you looking to up your skill set and give yourself an edge. Right now they’re offering $100 off their online course ‘Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Marketing’. To enrol, head to https://meatnfiremediaservices.com/product/brand-building-through-strategic-social-media-marketing and use the codeword ‘podcast’ at checkout.
BBQ Events Australia like to do things differently to everybody else. Right from the start they’ve looked beyond the traditional business models within the BBQ industry and have sought to innovate at every opportunity. Jason Linto and his team are responsible for bringing several big name BBQ celebrities from the US to Australia, to share their wisdom with us. Two of those names include Harry Soo and Big Moe Cason. I was privileged to meet Moe and hang out with him at Smokin’ on the Water in 2018. But that competition was just one of the things that the BEA boys had him doing!
Perhaps the biggest thing that BEA is known for is bringing Brew’n’Que to Australia. The lads have set this up as a sister competition with the original in NorCo, California. The winner of each event wins an all-expenses paid trip to compete at their sister event. So the Australian winner goes to compete in California and vice versa. This is a truly incredible experience and opportunity for Australian BBQ competitors.
In this episode Jason and I chat about the formation of BEA, the challenges and successes they’ve had, as well as their brand new Backyard Barbecue Series and the exciting opportunities there. And finally, we close out the interview with some tips and advice for people wanting to get into competition BBQ for the first time.
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is brought to you by Meat n Fire Media Services. To get $100 off the cost of their ‘Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Management Course’, head on over to https://meatnfiremediaservices.com/allcourses and use the codeword ‘Podcast’ at checkout.
Nawaf Refai, owner and head pitmaster of 2 Smokin Arabs would have to be one of the most gentlemanly fellows in the Australian BBQ scene. Known as Raf by his friends, he was bitten by the BBQ bug several years ago, and what started out as a casual toe-dip into the competitive BBQ scene has evolved into so much more.
Raf has gone all-in with his food truck - 2 Smokin Arabs and has grown the business to an incredibly successful level in an incredibly short period of time. And there’s big things coming for him just around the corner - but I’ll leave that for him to tell you in the episode.
But it’s not just his track record on the competition circuit and the food truck scene that sets him apart. He is a man who understands that his business owes its success to the support of the community that he services. And so he does everything he can to give back. In last year's bushfires he and his team hit the road and not only served the first responders, but also put on fundraising dinners, with the proceeds paid directly to said first responders to help them make sure they had everything they needed. And this is just the tip of the iceberg that is this man’s generosity.
In this episode we not only discuss the phenomenal growth of 2 Smokin Arabs, but also the community work that he does, and we close out the episode with a lesson from Raf on how to cook the perfect brisket. Check it out!
Check out 2 Smokin Arabs at: https://www.instagram.com/2smokinarabs_/
Grab the hottest BBQ merch in the world: https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
Ever wondered what a virtual BBQ festival would look like? In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast I'm giving you a look at how the 2020 Virtual Mike Carney Toyota- Townsville BBQ Battle went down. It was a full day of BBQ, live music, crosses to sponsor sites and more. We were literally jumping in and out of peoples' back yards, from Melbourne all the way up to Townsville.
This episode is a window into the day's events. We have a Q&A session with Chris from The Smoking Hot Bros, we jump into the back yards of competitors Anthony from Heat Check Barbecue, Dean from Beserker BBQ, Glenn from Smoking Dog BBQ, and the one and only Chloe from Chloe's Que.
Get some of literally the best BBQ merch in the world:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
Heavy Kettle Smokers hail from New Zealand, and considering how much they love BBQ over there, the nickname of ‘The Land of the Long White Cloud’ seems fitting. Daniel Tate is the team captain of the competition BBQ team ‘Heavy Kettle Cookers’. His passion for BBQ is overwhelming, and he’s competed at almost every competition ever held in New Zealand. His passion has been recognised by some big name sponsors such as Kingsford charcoal and Matangi Angus Beef. His real passion however, is for Weber BBQs. In fact, Daniel and his team cook exclusively on Webers - kettle and Smokey Mountains. Daniel is very proud of his collection of both new and rescued Webers and clearly knows how to use them!
In this episode we find out about how Daniel got into BBQ, and his life growing up in rural New Zealand cooking BBQ with his grandfather. We get into the BBQ scene in New Zealand - we learn about BBQ in NZ culture before the explosion of low’n’slow, including a quick lesson on the iconic ‘Hangi’. Then we explore the boom of low’n’slow and competitive BBQ in NZ. Finally, we close out the episode with a lesson from Daniel on how to restore rescued Webers to life and make them look brand new again.
To learn more about Heavy Kettle Smokers, check out:
https://www.facebook.com/HeavyKettleSmokers/
Stay warm this winter with some killer hoodies and beanies from SHC:https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
Smoky Pastures BBQ are an award-winning competitive BBQ team based in South Australia. Tom Damin is the team captain and Pitmaster. He just also happens to be an expert in Agriculture and Primary Production. Whilst the year has been quiet with regards to BBQ competitions, Tom and the rest of the lads from Smoky Pastures BBQ have not been resting on their laurels. They have headed into the lab, and have come to market with an exciting new range of rubs.
In this interview we not only cover the development and release of these rubs, but we also get into what is very clearly a passion for Tom - Agriculture and Primary Production. Focussing specifically on beef, we discuss the impact of Covid on the Australian beef industry, the development of the Black Angus breed, the importance of pasture balance on the final product, and we put the argument of grass vs grain fed to bed for good!
Stay tuned for Tom to return in another few weeks - an hour was just not enough. We barely scratched the surface in regard to the agricultural industry and the relationship with BBQ.
Learn more about Smoky Pastures BBQ:
https://www.facebook.com/smokypasturesbbq/
Grab our award winning merch now:
https://www.smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
The Townsville BBQ Battle was a highlight of the 2019 BBQ Competition Circuit - and I’m not the only one to say so. It was the perfect combination of sunny Queensland weather, a beachside location, and an incredibly warm and welcoming public. In fact, on a per capita basis, the Townsville BBQ Battle had a better turnout than any Festival I’ve been to before. Quite the feat for a debut event.
But all that has changed for 2020.
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, I chat with Dan Wilschefski, a co-founder of the Townsville BBQ Battle. We get into the ins and outs of the competition, learning how they managed to pull off such an incredible BBQ festival on their first run out of the gate. We also talk about the monumental changes they’ve had to put in place for 2020. Like so many other events, the Townsville BBQ Battle is unable to go ahead in 2020 due to Covid. So, the 2020 Townsville BBQ Battle is going Virtual!
To find out more about the festival, be sure to head on over to their page on Facebook, throw them a ‘Like’ and turn on Notifications to make sure you don’t miss any of the action:
https://www.facebook.com/events/874201009724033/
Winter is here! Check out our range of winter merch in our online shop:
https://www.smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
Meatstock founder, Jay Beaumont, is a fan-favourite amongst the BBQ scene in Australia and New Zealand. Not only is Jay the founder of Meatstock, the largest and most successful BBQ festival in both Australia and New Zealand, but he’s also one of the co-founders of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance (ABA) - the organisation responsible for kicking off the competition BBQ scene in both countries. Moreover, what really stands out is Jay’s ability to create brands that people not just like, but flock to get behind.
As stated above, Meatstock is the biggest and most successful BBQ festival in Australia and New Zealand with 3 festivals per year across the two countries. The festivals are all-encompassing, including not just a BBQ competition, but live demonstrations, butchering competitions, barber competitions, hot rod shows, axe throwing and so much more. The Meatstock festivals go far beyond just the meat and fire, and embrace all aspects of alternative rockabilly culture. The festivals have proven so successful internationally, that they attract famous international guest Pitmasters, such as Myron Mixon, Tuffy Stone, and Big Moe Cason.
Starting in Sydney, the Meatstock festivals have become a phenomenon, growing rapidly, with festivals now occurring annually in Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland. They have become a staple of the BBQ scene for anybody interested in meat and fire and make regular appearances of everybody’s calendars.
In this chat, we get into how Meatstock came about, how it’s been affected by Covid, and we wrap up the interview with a lesson in how you too can build a brand that people flock to.
N.b. In this interview, we won’t be getting into the story of how the ABA was formed. To catch up on that piece of BBQ history, check out Episode 001 with Adam Roberts, another of the ABA co-founders.
More on Meatstock: https://meatstock.com.au/
The history of the ABA with Adam Roberts: https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shcpodcast001/
Check out our killer merch and support the show: https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
Bush Cooking has won the National Barbecue and Grilling Association’s award for Best Website for the last three years, which is an extraordinary achievement. Saffron’s passion for cooking with fire and her technical prowess earned her the recognition of the NBBQA, resulting in her being appointed as Executive Director. Well, her time there has recently finished and in this interview we discuss what she learned from that experience, before getting into what social media platform BBQers should be focussing their attention on, and finally we get a lesson in SEO - essential for every BBQ business with a website. Oh, and we also talk Doomsday Prepping!
Learn more about Bush Cooking here: https://bushcooking.com/
Grab your SHC Beanies before they run out! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/product/shc-beanie/
This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is something very different to anything we’ve done before. In this Episode, I interview Jim Fuller, the founder of FABLE. FABLE is a mushroom-based meat substitute, backed by Heston Blumenthal and is set to take the world by storm. I’m not gonna lie - I was super skeptical. But I was also intrigued. It’s not every day that a BBQ podcast is contacted about a meat substitute so I had to admire the guys cahones. He essentially threw his gauntlet at my feet in a challenge.
So we emailed back and forth for a while and it turns out, Jim is a BBQ-lovin’ good ole boy from Texas who just happens to be a mushroom scientist. So a guy with this background is bringing me a meat substitute? I knew it was going to be a good story. And you will too!
Find out more about FABLE at: https://fablefood.co/
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, we dive into the deeply complex world of butchery. That’s right, we’re chatting with Scott Evans, owner of East Blaxland Butchery in western Sydney, Australia. Scott and his team sponsor many of the hottest teams on the competitive BBQ circuit, in NSW and beyond. But we’ll get into that later. In fact, not only has his passions for low’n’slow BBQ taken him all the way to ‘The Royal’ in Kansas City, Scott and the team at East Blaxland Butchery are the most recent winners of the highly coveted ‘Butchery of the Year’ Award at the annual Australasian Barbecue Alliance Awards.
In this episode, we go behind the scenes of the #1 butchery in the country, we find out about their extensive involvement in the competitive BBQ scene, Scott’s wild ride to The Royal, and we close out the episode with Scott giving us some advice for how BBQ teams can initiate and build a working relationship with their butcher. It really is ‘What Women Want’ for BBQers!
Learn more about East Blaxland Butchers here: https://eastblaxlandbutchery.com.au/
Anju Khanal is undoubtedly one of the pillars of the BBQ community in Townsville, Far North Queensland. Not only is she the team captain of FNQ’s first ever all-female BBQ team, she’s also co-owner of the very popular Townsville Barbecues Galore. She literally lives BBQ 24/7. Her passion for BBQ is so strong that now only is her Barbecues Galore store the #1 sales leader for Traeger in Australia, they also attracted Diva Q to F.N.Q for an incredible in-store cooking class and exclusive dinner!
In this episode we learn about how Anju came to be involved in BBQ, their store and how they’re battling Covid-19, and of course Queens of Q, one of the most interesting and fun teams on the national circuit.
Learn more about Queens of Q: https://www.facebook.com/queensofq/
Learn more about Barbecues Galore Townsville: https://bit.ly/3eFKBR1
Grab yourself some outstanding BBQ merch: https://smokinghotconfession.com/shop
Another podcast that was also recently recognised by the National Barbecue and Grilling Association’s Annual Excellence Awards was the BBQ Beat Podcast. Kevin Sandridge is the host and does a fantastic job covering the BBQ scene in the United States. Similar to the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, the BBQ Beat podcast has episodes that are deep dives with industry experts as well as LIVE episodes that are recorded on site at BBQ festivals and competitions. Make sure you subscribe to the BBQ Beat podcast for more delicious goodness in your earbuds.
In this episode, Kevin and I chat about the BBQ scenes in our respective countries and Kevin gets the full backstory on Smoking Hot Confessions - where we came from, how we grew, and where we’re going from here. Enjoy!
Check out the BBQ Beat Podcast on Spotify:
https://spoti.fi/2VpRm1R
The thing about BBQ is that it brings people together. We all know that. Matt Staunton especially knows that. That’s why he’s brought Kids Que Nation to Australia. If you’re not familiar with KQN, it’s a competition BBQ body from the United States that is only for kids. They have competitions similar to Steak Cookoff Association competitions with trophies, a ladder and a championship round in Texas at the end of the year. Matt saw this incredible initiative and has brought the organisation to Australia so our kids can join in the fun too!
Also in this episode we talk about his relationships with B&B Charcoal and M Grills, and we explore his BBQ career, from his very first experience right up until the current day. Check it out!
The award winning Hail Mary BBQ T-Shirt is available now in our shop. Get yours today at: www.smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
The Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is turning 100! In this episode, Mrs Smoking Hot Confessions, Bree, interviews your host Ben to take you behind the scenes of Smoking Hot Confessions. In this episodes we get into Ben’s background, what lead him to BBQ, and how Smoking Hot Confessions was formed. We get into the various milestones that SHC hit throughout its growth, how those milestones were hit, and where SHC is going from here.
In this episode we talk about:
The NBBQA - https://www.nbbqa.org/
The Smoking Hot Confessions Shop - https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
Graeme Stockdale, the man with the magnificent beard is our special guest this week on the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast. Graeme is the pitmaster of Pit Crew BBQ and the Stockpot Kitchen in Lismore, author of ‘Red Hot & Smoking’, founder of Big Red’s Rubs & Sauces, and you’ve undoubtedly seen that hilarious Baywatch spoof video they did to announce the opening of their restaurant!
In this Ep we chat about Graeme’s movement from back yard, to pit yard, to full-time smokehouse. We discuss how the Corona Virus has affected his smokehouse and what strategies he’s put in place to ensure they can continue dishing up that glorious Crack Chicken and brisket. And we also get a lesson aimed at beginners in BBQ - which is a great opportunity for those just getting into the game to hear some words of wisdom from one of the greats in Aussie BBQ.
As promised in the episode, here’s the link to check out that hilarious video:
https://bit.ly/2Vgos2Z
Beanies are coming! Check out the Smoking Hot Confessions Merch Shop at:https://bit.ly/2URXRKn
Cairns. It’s a long way away. In far north Queensland, it’s a good three day drive from Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland. But you know that’s not going to stop BBQ’ers from getting it done! And that’s definitely the case with this week’s guest, Drew White from Cairns BBQ Company. Starting from his own garage, Drew has built his dream into a reality, founding Cairns’ first dedicated low’n’slow BBQ shop.
In this episode we find out the story behind Cairns BBQ Company, and Drew not only shares some important business marketing tips but also drops some knowledge on his favourite grill - the Big Green Egg!
Grab the hottest BBQ merch in town:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
They say it's not what you know, but who you know. And that's certainly been the case for Dan Ryan of Gryphon Smokehouse. Dan is one of the originals of the Australian BBQ scene with his career in the smokey arts starting over a decade ago. Starting with one Weber Smokey Mountain, Dan has dedicated himself to studying the art of barbecue and has built Gryphon Smokehouse from the ground up. He now owns and runs one of the most popular smokehouses in Perth. I've been there personally and can vouch that it is definitely the business!
In this episode, Dan takes us behind the scenes of the development of his fantastic smokehouse, reveals his mentors and shares a lot of wisdom from his years of experience as a professional BBQ'er, competitor, and international student of BBQ!
If you'd like to support the show, please head on over to the SHC Online Shop and check out the killer merch we have available - t-shirts, hoodies, tumblers, caps, and of course, stickers!
Links for this episode:
http://gryphonsmokehouse.com.au/
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
Steve Allan of Smokin’ Steve’s BBQ joins me in the Confessional for this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast. Steve had a ripper of a year in 2019, finishing 5th of the KCBS Australia ladder. Hailing from the city of Perth in Western Australia, Steve has been a part of the BBQ scene over there since its inception. And his experience shows in his results.
In this episode, we get into how his 2019 went as well as what he’s got up his sleeve for 2020. We also cover how he got into BBQ, the Western Australian BBQ scene, and then Steve drops some serious chicken tips. Did I mention that he was #1 on the KCBS Australia ladder for chicken for 2019? Oh yeah, very cool!
Get your hands on the hottest BBQ merch in town! Check out our awesome t-shirts, hoodies, caps and tumblers. No doubt, the best looking gear around. Check it out:
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Our special guest in this episode is Dan White, captain of the legendary Country Boys BBQ. Dan and his team are known for two things - winning BBQ competitions, and travelling huge distances to get there. The last time I met up with Dan in person was at the Townsville BBQ Battle. I flew there. Dan drove 1600km in each direction!
In this episode we catch up on how his 2019 season went and what his plans are for 2020. Here’s a hint - that awesome new logo is just the start! We also get into Dan’s best tips for competing interstate, the pros and cons of competing solo and as a team, and we round out the episode by getting into the highly contentious Open Beef category. It’s a ripper of an episode!
Check out the most awesome BBQ merch out there at our shop on the Smoking Hot Confessions website. We have the coolest hoodies, t-shirts, caps and tumblers! Check them out at:
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Dan Barret is about as close to BBQ Royalty as it gets in Australia. As the one man team ‘Big Smoke BBQ’, Dan has risen through the ranks on the competition BBQ scene and now travels around the country, and the world, absolutely dominating on all fronts. In 2019, Big Smoke BBQ finished 4th on the KCBS Australia ladder, which is already very commendable, but when you find out how many KCBS competitions Dan had to do to get there, you’ll be surprised!
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Dan takes us through the whole Big Smoke BBQ story, starting in 2015, right up to the present. We discuss the highs, the lows, and most importantly the lessons that he’s learned that’s made him a better BBQer. We find out about exactly how his 2019 went and what got him to the pointy end of the KCBS Australia ladder. And very excitingly we learn about what he’s doing (or should I say where he’s going!?) in 2020.
We round out the interview talking about some very interesting topics. We learn about different business opportunities that his success in competition BBQ has led him to, as well as a complete career change. More interesting though, is the closing segment where we discuss pellet grills. As a brand ambassador for Green Mountain Grills, Dan was the perfect person to explain all about how they work and why he’s so in love with them. In fact, Dan was cooking on pellet grills years before they were trendy on the Australian competition BBQ scene. He even shares some secret tips and tricks to make sure that you can get the most out of your pellet grill!
If you’d like to get some of the best looking merch around, check out our line up in our online shop. We have our sensational Hail Mary T-Shirts and Hoodies, Kettle Caps, Tumblers and some large, high quality stickers. They are hands down the best looking gear around!
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Grillas in the Mist most definitely need to be on your list of teams to watch. Originally a two man team and now a husband and wife team, Grillas in the Mist charged through 2019 to take out The Invitational, Australia’s first world invitational, which has set them up beautifully for their future.
In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Wookie fills us in on their backstory, including their career-long love affair with GMG Pellet Grills. We get into the his competition bbq experiences, complete with all the ups and downs. Wookie does his absolute best to sell me on GMG pellet grills and convince me as to why he thinks a GMG Pellet Grill is the best grill on the martket today, and we close out with a lesson that’s very different from anything we’ve had to date. Wookie is going to let us know some of his little secrets - his BBQ tips and BBQ tricks that get him those extra couple of points and separate him from the pack. Armed with these BBQ tips and BBQ tricks, your outdoor cooking is going to soar to new heights. Your brisket, pulled pork and more will become the best BBQ in your neighbourhood!
If you want some of the hottest merch around, you gotta check out the Smoking Hot Confessions shop. We’ve got the best t-shirts, hoodies, caps and tumblers going around. Check them out at:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
Big Boy BBQ are big in the Australian BBQ scene and it’s obvious to see why. The brainchild of pitmaster Lance Rosen, Big Boy BBQ is just one piece of his multi-pronged take on the BBQ industry. Firstly, there’s the Big Boy BBQ Competition BBQ team, which is usually Lance running solo, at KCBS competitions all over the country and in the United States. Then there’s the Big Boy BBQ restaurant, the Southern Grace Diner, and of course his cookbook ‘Temples of BBQ’. The latter winning the international ‘BBQ Cookbook of the Year’.
In this episode we get into Lance’s background and how he got into the BBQ. We hit each of his different BBQ projects mentioned above. I choke on my jealousy as we talk about his most recent trip to Texas for Camp Brisket. And we close out the episode with a lesson from Lance on the importance of, and how-to, select the best ingredients for your cooking adventures - whether they be in the backyard or on the competition circuit.
Want to be a part of the best BBQ group on Facebook? Come join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community. It’s fun, friendly, respectful, and family-friendly. Check it out at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/smokinghotconfessionscommunity/
In this episode of The Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, I pick the brains of Jye Healey, the captain / not captain of the multi-championship winning BBQ team Smokeface Grillahs. These lads are absolutely at the pointy end of the ladder, finishing 3rd on the Australasian Barbecue Alliance ladder in 2019 and 2nd in 2018. They have competed around Australia, New Zealand, and the United States and have found success everywhere they go.
Here we chat about their story so far in competition BBQ, and what they have lined up in 2020. Most interestingly though, Jye has a background in science and a nose for statistics and identifying patterns. So in this episode we have a very interesting chat about patterns he’s identified in competition BBQ in different states around Australia. And we round out the episode with a look at how he’s taken a buzzword from the business world and applied it to his BBQ team and the results he’s found.
For more BBQ goodness, check out:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, I chat with Nathan Armstrong, captain of the Smoke N Daggers BBQ team. Smoke N Daggers BBQ are still comparatively young in the world of competition BBQ. They have completed a grand total of ten competitions, yet in 2019 managed to finish number 2 on the KCBS Australia ladder!
Here, we chat about how they got into competition BBQ, where they want to go with it, and of course, how their 2019 season went. In a show-first, Nathan sent me a spreadsheet of all their results from every BBQ competition they've been in. We go over these results, examining both the highs and the lows. We also chat about how winning the stunning Burleigh BBQ Championships has changed their lives. Finally, we close out the episode with a deep dive into the contentious 'Open Beef' category, discussing why it's such a big deal and if all the concern is warranted.
For more BBQ goodness, check out:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com
Rollin Smoke BBQ is one of the biggest names in the Australian competition BBQ scene. They are also one of the longest competing teams, and in that time, they've proven themselves to be nothing if not consistent. If you see Rollin Smoke BBQ at a competition, you know they aren't going home without at least three trophies.
Lukas Armstrong is the team captain of Rollin Smoke BBQ, and this is his second time on the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast. He was first in the Confessional way back in Episode 8 of season one, when he shared with us his tips and tricks for achieving consistency in BBQ.
In this episode, we find out about his journey through 2019, which saw the lads finish 2nd on the Australasian Barbecue Alliance competition ladder. We find out what this success has led to in 2020, why he's moved on from offset smokers, what the transition was like and what he's moved on to and so much more.
For more BBQ goodness, check out:
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/
In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, I get into it with Paul King, the Head Pitmaster of The King and his Q. Last year was their very first year on the competitive BBQ scene and what a year it was! But Paul had a few tricks up his sleeve that I'll let him fill you in on!
I learn all about Paul's history in the food industry and the BBQ scene before diving into his 2019 year on the Australian KCBS competitive BBQ circuit. From there we dive into what he's got planned for 2020. Then, before we round out the show, Paul gives us a step by step breakdown of how he likes to do his pork butts. And remember, this is KCBS BBQ style we're talking about here, where pork butt is a category all to itself. Listening to this man's secrets absolutely made me hungry and want to go light up my own grill!
As I announced on the last episode, the Smoking Hot Confessions team are heading stateside again in April. We're heading back to the NBBQA annual conference, except this year, I've been invited to be a presenter. I'll be delivering a session called 'Building Brands with Social Media: A Strategic Approach to Digital Media Management'. To say we're excited is an understatement!
If you'd like to help us out, head on over to our shop and check out the awesome lineup of merch we have available. We have t-shirts, hoodies, caps, tumblers and sticker packs available. Any purchase you make is greatly appreciated and will give us a few bucks towards our trip.
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
So without further ado, grab yourself a nice big bowl of KCBS BBQ style pork butts and join me as I found out about life at the top of the ladder, with Paul King from The King and his Q!
Butchers Axe BBQ have had an absolutely incredible 2019 on the Australasian Barbecue Alliance and Kansas City Barbecue Society (Australia) circuits. They had a seemingly endless run of back to back Grand Champion wins and were heads and shoulders above the competition.
In this episode Michael and I break down the 2019 that the Axe boys had - the good, the bad, and the... oh who are we kidding, 2019 was great for them! I find out what their success has lead to, what's coming up in the future, and very excitingly, a step-by-step walk through of EXACTLY how they do their multi-trophy winning pork ribs! Caution - don't listen hungry!
Grab the hottest BBQ merch now!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
This is a bonus episode for Season 5. There is one comp on everyone's lips right now - the Cairns BBQ Classic. And there's one reason why. The Grand Champion winner is going to walk away with a cheque for $20,000. This will make it one of the richest BBQ competitions in the country! The total prize pool is $50,000, equal to that of Australasian Barbecue Alliance's Invitational.
But where has this competition come from? How have they managed to secure so much prize money, and why host one of the country's richest competitions in Far North Queensland, so remote from 95% of the Australian population? Evo, the promoter behind the Cairns BBQ Classic reveals all this and more in this very candid interview!
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now!
This is Episode Fifteen of Season Five. And this episode is very different from anything you’ve heard from Smoking Hot Confessions before. Typically, SHC podcast eps are quite structured and have a clear purpose and outcomes. For this episode, I was chatting with Nick from Scotch n Smoke and Matt from Shire Smokers when we decided to flick on the audio recorder. Shark Island Brewing saw what we were up to and made sure we had all the hydration that we’d need. The result is a kind of ‘relaxed fit’ episode, which when I think about it, is probably perfect for BBQ! Make sure you let me know in the socials if you like this style of episode and if enough of you are into it, I’ll add it to the roster for 2020! Oh, and there are a couple of bad words in this episode, so if you’re listening with kids you might want to warn them.
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now!
This is Episode Fourteen of Season Five. The last ABA comp of the year is always the Kangaroo Valley Craft Beer & BBQ Festival, and fittingly, it’s always a great party. With meat, mates, beer, pigs, helicopters and racing ride on lawn mowers, this year was the best by far! Located 2 hours south of Sydney, the festival drew competitors from as far as Brisbane and Adelaide. Some came for a last chance to score some points for that hotly contested ladder, and others came based purely on the reputation of the event. Whatever their reason, the result was a weekend of incredible fun and good times with mates.
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out on our shop now!
This is Episode Fifteen of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. If you haven’t heard of the Steak Cookoff Association, you might well be living under a rock. It is the fastest growing competitive cooking association in the world and is borne completely from the work of Brett Gallaway and Ken Phillips. In this interview we’re going to get into the nitty gritty of the SCA and learn some shortcuts from their experience to help us start our own competition bodies!
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now!
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQCommunity is a great place to continue the conversation.
This episode is the end of this Season. But don’t worry - I’ll get plenty of Smoking Hot Confessions into your earbuds again real soon. Til next time, take care of each other, and keep on Q’ing.
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Smartfire - An Australian designed pit temperature controller, to make your BBQ life easier
JAGRD Woodfired - One of Australia's biggest smoker manufacturers: Smokers, Asado Grills, and Custom Builds!
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in November!
This is Episode Thirteen of Season Five. 2019 is winding down, which means it’s the perfect time of year for me to head across to WA for the Smokin in the Valley Charity BBQ Competition put on by the Mondo Community Warriors. This year, the funds raised were going direct to Lifeline WA who do some incredible work over there, helping out the most vulnerable people in our community. It was however, one of the hottest Spring days ever, at just over 40 degrees and the total fire-ban really threatened to throw a spanner in the works! Not just that, but being the last KCBS competition in Australia for the year, made it the most important of the year - the Australian Team of the Year was going to be decided at this very comp, which drew teams all the way from Sydney and Melbourne, desperate to snag the top spot!
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now!
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQCommunity is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a wide-brimmed hat some broad spectrum sunscreen and join me at the fantastic, community focussed Smokin in the Valley 2019!
This is Episode Fourteen of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. Kathy Pullin is a dynamo in the world of BBQ. She’s the owner and founder of renowned BBQ catering setup ‘Pullin’s Premium BBQ’. She’s got a regular TV spot as ‘Grillin’ with Kathy’ and she’s a successful Brand Ambassador for not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR separate brands. All this is in addition to her work raising awareness of domestic violence issues of which she herself is a survivor.
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now!
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a slab of un-sauced pork ribs and something sudsy and join me as I learn about the world of brand ambassadorship.
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Harvey's Kitchen - Rubs, Sauces and Signature Dusts, Harvey's got what you need!
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in October!
JAGRD Woodfired - One of Australia's biggest smoker manufacturers: Smokers, Asado Grills, and Custom Builds!
This is Episode Thirteen of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. Legends of the BBQ scene don’t come much bigger that Ray ‘Dr BBQ’ Lampe. He got involved with the competitive BBQ scene when it first kicked off in the ‘80’s. He’s apparently ‘Retired’, and I use that term very loosely, he’s still extremely active in the comp scene as a Brand Ambassador for Big Green Egg, is frequently involved in BBQ TV Spots and has even opened a bricks’n’mortar BBQ joint in Florida, essentially bringing ‘real’ BBQ to that part of the States. Whew!
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now!
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQCommunity is a great place to continue the conversation.
So without further ado, grab yourself a thick, salty slice of Picanha and some Irish-upped Alabama White Sauce and join me as I get to take a trip in the way-back machine and find out what competition BBQ was like in the 1980’s with the one and only Ray ‘Dr BBQ’ Lampe!
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Ranch Hand Foods - With over a decade of spice rub manufacturing, Ranch Hand are the OG's of spice rubs in Australia!
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in November!
Ozpig - It's the ultimate cooker for the ultimate outdoors person!
This is Episode Twelve of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. There is one world champion BBQ’er who has done so much to grow the BBQ scene in Australia that we should just make him an honorary Australian. And that man is Andy Groneman, Pitmaster of Smoke On Wheels Competition Team. Born and bred in Kansas City, Andy preaches KC Style BBQ around the US and indeed the world. And so he was the perfect person for us to get a lesson in what makes KC BBQ so unique.
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now!
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQCommunity is a great place to continue the conversation.
So without further ado, grab yourself some Kansas City Style Ribs and some Bourbon, and join me as I learn about what makes Kansas City Style BBQ so unique!
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in November!
Harvey's Kitchen - Rubs, Sauces and Signature Dusts, Harvey's got what you need!
JAGRD Woodfired - One of Australia's biggest smoker manufacturers: Smokers, Asado Grills, and Custom Builds!
This is Episode Twelve of Season Five. As you’re aware, I’ve spent a lot of time this year in the southern states, working with BBQ Promoter Rob Moir. He started with one competition in 2018, four competitions in 2019 and 2020… well… I can’t tell you about that until he makes it public, but it’s going to be big and will change the BBQ scene in the southern arena. For this episode of the podcast, I headed to my 3rd comp of Rob’s, Fat Drip. Fat Drip has been on my bucket list for a while - I mean, it’s a BBQ comp, in the Barossa Valley, one of the most famous tourist icons in Australia. Well, Rob found a way to up the ante this year by holding it at a craft brewery. Yep, you heard that right. A BBQ comp, at a craft brewery, in the heart of Australia’s wine country. It. Was. Awesome.
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now!
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQCommunity is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a medium-rare ribeye steak and a cheeky, icy cold craft beer, and come behind the scenes with me at Fat Drip - the BBQ competition in a brewery, in the Barossa Valley!
This is Episode Eleven of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. While I was at the NBBQA Conference, there was one name that seemed to get called out more than any other at the Excellence Awards, and that was Veterans Q. So naturally, Steve was one of the people I had to grab for a deep dive episode of the podcast. A Veteran himself, Steve has founded a BBQ business whose sole purpose is to support his fellow Veterans, a group of people in our community who do so much for us and receive little in return. But I can’t tell you much more about that without giving too much away!
With summer coming up, it’s time for a new favourite t-shirt, and I’ve got just the thing. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, comes in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now!
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a sweet, sticky chicken lollipop and some malt liquor and join me as I learn about life behind the lines of a successful community-focussed BBQ business.
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Ozpig - It's the ultimate cooker for the ultimate outdoors person!
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in October!
Ranch Hand Foods: - With over a decade of spice rub manufacturing, Ranch Hand are the OG's of spice rubs in Australia!
This is Episode Ten of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. This is the third and final episode recorded live that the NBBQA’s annual conference in Kansas City. The last day of the event was a double-headed Steak Cookoff Association competition. That’s right, two rounds in one day. The competition was fierce as all of the professionals who’d just spent two days cooped up in the Mariott for two days came bursting outside to the square across the street ready to light charcoal and have a good old throw down. There was an awesome festival feel to the event, despite being literally in the middle of busy Kansas City. There was even one BBQ trailer that periodically shot bursts of flame into the air while blasting out rock music. It. Was. Awesome!
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Hail Mary T-Shirt as well as hoodies, hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a perfectly grilled rib-eye steak and whatever day-time BBQ Festival drink you like, and join me at Barney Allis Plaza in the middle of down town Kansas City for the NBBQA BBQ Classic!
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
JAGRD Woodfired - One of Australia's biggest smoker manufacturers: Smokers, Asado Grills, and Custom Builds!
Ranch Hand Foods: - With over a decade of spice rub manufacturing, Ranch Hand are the OG's of spice rubs in Australia!
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in October!
This is Episode Nine of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. In this episode I once again head to the Marriott in downtown Kansas City again for the second Day of the NBBQA Conference. Not only was I able to record a series of killer interviews, but you’ll also find the recording of the Excellence Awards Ceremony where the who’s-who of BBQ were recognised for all their hard work.
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Smoking Hot Confessions Tumbler as well as hoodies, hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a truffle loaded, 70/30 blended burger topped with bacon jam and something cold and bubbly and join me for another day of juicy BBQ know-how at the NBBQA Conference.
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Ozpig - It's the ultimate cooker for the ultimate outdoors person!
Fired Up BBQ - For all your catering needs, AND a BBQ school!
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in October!
This is Episode Eight of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. This episode sees us hit up Kansas City for the NBBQA Conference. The full event was four days long. There was a pre-event on the Wednesday where we hard core BBQ junkies jumped on a bus and headed to Plowboys, Slaps and Joe’s. That was an incredible experience and I was super excited to find the person sitting behind me on the bus was none other than Meathead from amazingribs.com! Thursday and Friday were the Conference days with sessions delivered by numerous experts within the BBQ industry. The annual Excellence Awards Gala was on the Friday night, and Saturday was the Steak Cookoff Association’s NBBQA BBQ Classic competition where they actually ran two rounds in one day!
In this episode, you’ll find a collection on interviews I recorded on the Thursday - the first day of the conference sessions. The beauty of these industry conferences is that attendees are the most hardcore BBQ professionals who as also keen to network and share their knowledge and skills with others and I definitely found that to be the case here. I’m excited to be able to share these stories and lessons with you.
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Smoking Hot Confessions Tumbler as well as hoodies, hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself some homemade bacon and some brown liquor and join me at the NBBQA Annual Conference!
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Ranch Hand Foods: With over a decade of spice rub manufacturing, Ranch Hand are the OG's of spice rubs in Australia!
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in October!
JAGRD Woodfired - One of Australia's biggest smoker manufacturers: Smokers, Asado Grills, and Custom Builds!
This is Episode Seven of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. In this episode, Saffron Hodgson, the woman behind Bush Cooking steps into The Confessional. Saffron is an Aussie expat, living in Seattle, Washington who is taking the US by storm. It was actually Saffron who kicked off this year’s trip to America when she invited Smoking Hot Confessions to be part of the official media team covering the National BBQ and Grilling Association’s annual conference. Here, we get an insight into what it takes to get a profitable website off the ground and then we go even deeper into what it takes to run a successful professional conference within the world of BBQ.
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Smoking Hot Confessions Tumbler as well as hoodies, hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a hearty cyber-brisket burger, and join me as I go behind the scenes at a professional conference with Saffron from Bush Cooking!
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in October!
JAGRD Woodfired - One of Australia's biggest smoker manufacturers: Smokers, Asado Grills, and Custom Builds!
Fired Up BBQ - For all your catering needs, AND a BBQ school!
This is Episode Six of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. In this episode I get to have a good yarn with my old mate the BBQ Ninja. You know the guy. Bushy beard. Wears a bandana. Has a real thing for flame throwers. The plan was originally to record this session on site at Hogs for the Cause, but he arrived into New Orleans a little late and I had to leave New Orleans a little early. However being the kind of guy he is, we found another time to record over the phone and we had a great chat about the incredible ways in which BBQ can be utilised for philanthropy before getting into the finer details of hunting, cleaning and smoking alligator!
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Smoking Hot Confessions Tumbler as well as hoodies, hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a fan boat and a shotgun, and join me as I learn all about smoking alligator with The BBQ Ninja.
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
JAGRD Woodfired - One of Australia's biggest smoker manufacturers: Smokers, Asado Grills, and Custom Builds!
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in October!
Barbeques & More - The smoker shop with the lot!
This is Episode Five of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. It is party time in this episode, as you might tell by the time we get to the last interview! In this episode I head to the University of New Orleans for the annual Hogs for the Cause BBQ competition. This is a charity competition who’s sole purpose is to raise money for kids with brain cancer. The beautiful people from Ubon’s BBQ Of Yazoo, Mississippi had adopted me for the weekend and man oh man did I learn a lot from them about cooking whole hog! Interviews in this Ep range from professional competitors to champions of BBQ fundraising to one man who was hand-picked by President Barrack Obama to be a culinary ambassador to Australia!
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Smoking Hot Confessions Tumbler as well as hoodies, hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a Michelob Ultra Light and a fist full of pig spaghetti and join me as I wander around the always incredible Hogs for the Cause Charity BBQ Festival.
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Ranch Hand Foods: With over a decade of spice rub manufacturing, Ranch Hand are the OG's of spice rubs in Australia!
JAGRD Woodfired - One of Australia's biggest smoker manufacturers: Smokers, Asado Grills, and Custom Builds!
Dragon's Breath Charcoal - made from native Australian Gidgee, Dragon's Breath launches in October!
This is Episode Four of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. In this episode I jump back in my Chevy and head across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway again to head up to Covington, about an hour north-ish of New Orleans. If you’ve been watching my videos for a while, you will have seen me using a bunch of Grill Beast gear. Well, in this episode I meet with Dave Johnson, Founder and Owner of Grill Beast. Grill Beast is what happens when a career marketing guy is ALSO a BBQ fanatic. Dave’s social media marketing techniques are so refined that he’s built a following on Facebook of over 200k Followers, a Facebook Group of almost 40k and another 30k Followers over on Instagram. In this episode I get the history of Grill Beast and then take a deep dive into how to master social media to skyrocket your sales. This was a great interview and it went so well that Dave even invited my family to come back to his home the following Sunday to be part of his Feast with the Beast online TV show where we had a huge cook up of traditional Louisianan Crawfish and Bloody Mary’s.
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Smoking Hot Confessions Tumbler as well as hoodies, hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a pile of fresh-boiled crawfish and a jug of Bloody Mary’s and join me as I learn how to master social media marketing!
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
JAGRD Woodfired - Smokers, Asado Grills, and custom builds!
Clean Heat Charcoal - Burns Hot, and Burns long. Available nationally!
Fired Up BBQ - For all your catering needs, AND a BBQ school!
This is Episode Eleven of Season Five. In February this year I went to Adelaide for the incredible Up in Smoke BBQ Festival and you can catch up on all that action in episode two of this season. It was an incredible weekend of meat, and mates so when promoter Rob asked me if I’d like to come down to Horsham in Victoria for the Meat Meet BBQ Competition, you’d believe I was all over that. It was an Australasian Barbecue Alliance competition, and one of the last large competitions of the year so it was strategically very important for the teams currently at the top of the ladder. I think it’s fair to say that this was the most important competition of the year! And if you haven’t caught them yet, make sure you hit up Smoking Hot Confessions on Facebook and Instagram for my pics from the event. The hand-ins at this comp were singly the best I’ve ever seen with creativity scores through the roof!
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our delicious Hail Mary Hoodies. They’re thick, warm and perfect for keeping away the chills on late nights tending the firebox. With our classic logo on the front and the beautiful Hail Mary on the back, the SHC Hoodie is the perfect pityard accessory for yourself or for that special BBQ nut in your life. Check them out at smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQCommunity is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a slow-smoked lamb shank and some oak-aged liquor and join me at the incredible Meat Meat BBQ Competition.
This is Episode Three of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. In this episode I head down to the National Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans. There I chat with Dan Robert, the curator of Meat Science Programming. Dan was born into a family-owned meat processing and smokehouse business in Louisiana and after earning a degree in Food Science, had a 25 year career with the USFDA, travelling the US and the world inspecting thousands of meat packing plants. In this fascinating interview, I get a lesson in the history of meat in the US and we also get into different meat processing methods from around the world.
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Smoking Hot Confessions Tumbler as well as hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a cup of thick black coffee and a big ole lamb loin chop, and join me as I take a journey through the history of meat in the USA.
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Barbeques & More - The smoker shop with the lot!
Clean Heat Charcoal - Burns Hot, and Burns long. Available nationally!
JAGRD Woodfired - Smokers, Asado Grills, and custom builds!
This is Episode Two of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. In this episode I head downtown to the #1 voted BBQ joint in New Orleans - Central City BBQ. There I met James Cruse Jr, the head Pitmaster of Central City and also team captain of the all-conquering Aporkalypse Now Competition BBQ team. After a tour of the very impressive facilities, we grabbed a couple of local microbrews and a plate of pulled pork egg rolls and chatted at length about what goes into running the #1 BBQ joint in a city voted #1 for food in the world, and I even managed to get James to give me a step-by-step run through of how he does his competition-winning pork ribs. And for those of you wondering, those egg rolls were to die for!
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Smoking Hot Confessions Tumbler as well as hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a local microbrew and a pulled pork egg roll, and join me as I rap all things BBQ with James Cruse.
Please show your support for the people that supported this episode including:
Clean Heat Charcoal - Burns Hot, and Burns long. Available nationally!
JAGRD Woodfired - Smokers, Asado Grills, and custom builds!
Barbeques & More - The smoker shop with the lot!
Welcome to Episode One of Season Six, my U.S. Road Trip Part II. In this season I kick things off with two weeks in New Orleans where I head to a couple of competitions and spend some time hanging out with the who’s who of Southern BBQ. From there it’s up to Kansas City for four days of BBQ Nirvana at the NBBQA’s Annual Conference and Excellence Awards. The final two weeks of the journey see us head into Arkansas for some R&R, including bass fishing; monster trucks, a Steak Cookoff Association competition, an AK-47 and a brush with a tornado! And of course, you’re all coming with me!
This episode sees me head out to Hammond, an hour outside of New Orleans. We’d arrived in New Orleans from Australia at 4pm on Friday, and by 8am Saturday I was meeting some absolute legends of the game. What impressed me about this competition was the complete community backing of the event. Hammond is a small town. There is one main street in and out, split right down the middle by a parallel train line. Both sides of the road are shut down and filled with BBQ teams. This year, there were 47 professional teams, 45 amateur teams, and 4 kids’ teams. The town was packed as the whole community came out to support the event and raise money for the local community which was heartwarming to see. And in true Louisianan style, the trophies were pyrographed Crawfish Pot Paddles!
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome merch shop. We’ve got our incredible Smoking Hot Confessions Tumbler as well as hats, t-shirts and stickers. There’s also two amazing ebooks - 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ and the delicious Bacon Manifesto.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a crawfish po-boy, and join me as I hit the pavement and chat with the champs at the Hammond BBQ Challenge!
Please support the sponsors that support the show:
Fired Up BBQ - For all your catering needs, AND a BBQ school!
Clean Heat Charcoal - Burns Hot, and Burns long. Available nationally!
JAGRD Woodfired - Smokers, Asado Grills, and custom builds!
This is Episode Ten of Season Five. Once again, it’s a local competition for me: the Brisbane BBQ Festival. This year marked the fifth year that this festival has run. The first year was my first ever judging experience and you can read about that on the website. I’ve been involved every year since and this year was perhaps the biggest yet. There were two stages running - a live music stage and a BBQ stage. On the BBQ stage we had demonstrations, Q&A sessions, exhibitions and eating competitions running over two whole days. It was a killer weekend and I was really excited to have been a part of it.
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome online shop. Our Hail Mary T-Shirt has been hugely successful, and this week I’ve just updated the shop with our second order which includes Big Boy sizes, all the way up to 5XL. The shirts are black, have the classic SHC logo on the front, Mary on the back and come in both men’s and women’s cuts. If you’re after some of the best looking BBQ shirts out there, check them out at smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a double-hopped IPA and some soft, squishy burnt ends and join me at the sunny Brisbane BBQ Festival!
This is Episode Nine of Season Five. For this episode, it’s a local comp - just a quick drive up the motorway to Brisbane for the BBQ & Beer Roadshow. This year’s festival marked a hat trick for BBR, marking three years in a row of a great weekend of BBQ, Craft Beer, live music and good times. And, it was the first ever KCBS competition in Queensland so that was exciting to see all the teams getting involved in that. And boy, did that comp draw them in. We had competitors travel all the way from the other side of the continent to be a part of this which was just amazing.
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome online shop. If you, like me, have a thing for BBQ caps, you’ve got to check out our awesome SHC Kettle Cap. It’s a white on black trucker style cap with a snap-back fitting. The unique design sums up our two favourite things in life: BBQ, and Podcasts about BBQ! Check them out now at https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab your favourite gluten-free, low-carb, micro-brewed craft beer and some slices of juicy, grilled tri-tip and join me at the always incredible BBQ & Beer Roadshow.
This is Episode Eight of Season Five. In this episode I’m on the road again and this time heading to far north Queensland for the inaugural Townsville BBQ Battle. It’s the dead of winter in Australia right now, so a trip north was exactly what the doctor ordered. I had left my hoodie in my truck at the airport, but it didn’t matter. Situated right on the beach, the sun was hot, the skies were clear, and the fresh ocean breeze was only heightened by the delicious smell of meat, fire and smoke.
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome online shop. New to the shop is our Hail Mary T-shirt. Drawing inspiration from the iconic BBQ pop culture art by Gil Elvgren, the Hail Mary T is black, like all good BBQ shirts should be, come in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of sizes and of course feature Mary, who likes her BBQ smokey, spicy and just a little bit naughty. Check her out now at smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat, and join me in beautiful, sunny Townsville for their first ever BBQ Battle!
This is Episode Seven of Season Five. In this episode I get in the ears of the Reserve Grand Champion and Grand Champion winners from Smoke in Broke last weekend. So I kick things off with Richard from Beer-B-Q who reveals some very interesting things about the smoker that they cooked most of their hand-ins on. After that, I chat once again with Jye from Smokeface Grillahs - the team that just can’t stop winning. We get into what it’s like living with a Myron Mixon H2O, and how the point end of the national ladder works under the 2019 ABA rule changes.
Before we get into it, I’d like to let you know about our awesome new shop on the website. If you love bacon, you’re going to want to check out ‘The Bacon Manifesto’. It’s an ebook we’ve put together with everything you need to know about making bacon at home, and then some delicious recipes about what to do with it, including our iconic Maple Bacon Pecan Pie.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
In a huge week for competition BBQ in Australia, we've had 4 competitions in just 7 days. We've had a sneaky mid-week ABA Lite competition hosted by Angus Reserve in Albury. Then, on the same weekend, we've had a Steak Cookoff Association competition at the Que Club in Melbourne, the Booval Barbecue Festival in Ipswich and Just Smokin' in Gloucester.
In this episode, of the podcast I get a hold of the winners of three of the four competitions and pick their brains on a huge range of topics, from steaks, to cookers, to the position of the Australian beef industry in the wider global market.
I'd also like to let you know that our killer new line up of merch is now available in our online store. We've got our super cool Kettle caps, the sexy Hail Mary t-shirts, our very versatile SHC Tumblers and some of the largest BBQ stickers on the circuit! Check out them all out on our online store!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
In this episode I pick up the phone and catch up with my old mates Booma from Full Metal Ketal and Jye from Smokeface Grillahs. These lads picked up RGC and GC respectively at the 2019 Iron Jack BBQ Challenge at the Western Hotel in Ballarat. We cover lots of things, from changing smokers mid-season, to vehicular disasters, to having food poisoning inside a BBQ trailer!
I'd also like to let you know that our killer new line up of merch is now available in our online store. We've got our super cool Kettle caps, the sexy Hail Mary t-shirts, our very versatile SHC Tumblers and some of the largest BBQ stickers on the circuit! Check out them all out on our online store!
https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, let's catch up with Booma and Jye!
This is a bonus episode for Season Five. It's the first of a new format that will be trialed here at Smoking Hot Confessions whereby after each BBQ competition, winners will contacted by phone for a quick round up. These episodes are going to be more raw, and unpolished than usual, but will be more timely and authentic because of it.
In this Episode I have a chat with Brandon and then Adam from the Wizards of Q. Not only did Brandon win his Golden Tickets in the Steak Cookoff Association competition at Meatstock Sydney, but the entire team won Reserve Grand Champion in the Australasian Barbecue Alliance main event!
Before we get started, I’d like to let you know that my new ebooks are now available on the website. There is the second edition of my well-loved ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ and also the deliciously new ‘Bacon Manifesto’. The ‘Bacon Manifesto’ includes what you need to know about making bacon at home and then some incredible recipes to give you an idea of what to do with it.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, let's find out what's happening with the lads from Wizards of Q!
This is episode three of Season Five. This season covers the 2019 Australian Competitive BBQ Circuit and includes recordings from some of the biggest and best festivals from all over this beautiful wide brown land of ours. In short, I’m going to be spending the year flying, driving, eating, walking and talking my way around Australia and I’m bringing you along for the ride!
In this episode I jump in a car, then a plane, then another plane and then another car to get down to Hobart Brewing Company for the Hobart Blues, Brews and Barbecues Festival. It was my first time on the Apple Isle and I fell in love with the beauty of the land and warmness of the people. And what a spot for a BBQ Festival! Folks, it was literally a waterfront brewery! Add some smoked meats, icy cold beers, warm summer sunshine and beautiful blue skies and well, that’s my kind of heaven! The Tassie BBQ scene is obviously alive and well and it was great to see such camaraderie and mateship between competitors. I can’t wait to get back down there again next year!
Now, this will be the last episode for a little while. Season Five is the 2019 Australian Festival Series and it’s going to be a little while before I head to another competition in Australia. However, in three weeks time I’m heading to the States for a month. I’m going to the Hammond BBQ Challenge, which you would have heard about when I interviewed the promoter Eric Phares in Episode 7 of Season 3. It’s been the biggest competition in the state of Louisiana for the last 18 years so that’s going to be awesome. I’m then going to be interviewing several Louisianan pitmasters over the following week before partnering up with The BBQ Ninja at Hogs for the Cause, a huge charity BBQ Festival in New Orleans. You’ll remember Craig from Episode 6 of Season 3. We’re then road tripping up through Memphis and St Louis before hitting up Kansas City for the National BBQ & Grilling Association’s Annual Conference and Festival. There’s four days of BBQ Nirvana going on there including a tour of the most famous BBQ joint in KC, the Conference, the Awards night, a live recording of TV cooking show ‘Culinary Food Fight’, and a Festival which includes an SCA competition.
From there, we’re having a few days R&R, white-water rafting in the Ozark Mountains and then I’m competing in an SCA competition in Conway, Arkansas and checking out the headquarters of PK Grills in their hometown of Little Rock. Then it’s back to Australia and back to my day job for a rest! Naturally, I’m taking my recording gear with me and will be sharing the entire trip with you. So Season 6 will be my U.S. Road Trip Part 2!
Before we get started, I’d like to let you know that my new ebooks are now available on the website. There is the second edition of my well-loved ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ and also the deliciously new ‘Bacon Manifesto’. The ‘Bacon Manifesto’ includes what you need to know about making bacon at home and then some incredible recipes to give you an idea of what to do with it.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a brisket pie, some microbrewed beer, and join me as I soak up the sunshine and good vibes of the Hobart Blues, Brews and Barbecues Festival 2019!
This is the second episode of Season Five. This season covers the 2019 Australian Competitive BBQ Circuit and includes recordings from some of the biggest and best festivals from all over this beautiful wide brown land of ours. In short, I’m going to be spending the year flying, driving, eating, walking and talking my way around Australia and I’m bringing you along for the ride!
This episode is another first for me - this time it’s Adelaide, South Australia. I drove from the Gold Coast up to Brisbane airport, flew down to Adelaide, spent two days at Up in Smoke and then did the reverse home again. It was a big weekend, but totally worth it. I’d seen Up in Smoke the last few years in other people’s Facebook posts and had always wanted to get down there. This year there was a new promoter running the event, a new location, and a new partnership with the Let’s Go Caravan and Camping Association. We had 30,000 people through the gates over the weekend and it was a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the best BBQ in the country.
Before we get started, I’d like to let you know that my new ebooks are now available on the website. There is the second edition of my well-loved ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ and also the deliciously new ‘Bacon Manifesto’. The ‘Bacon Manifesto’ includes what you need to know about making bacon at home and then some incredible recipes to give you an idea of what to do with it.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a custard apple jaffle covered with crunchy toffee and something on ice and join me as I explore the Great Outdoors at Up in Smoke 2019!
This is the very first episode of Season Five. This season covers the 2019 Australian Competitive BBQ Circuit and includes recordings from some of the biggest and best festivals from all over this beautiful wide brown land of ours. In short, I’m going to be spending the year flying, driving, eating, walking and talking my way around Australia and I’m bringing you along for the ride!
I’m kicking things off a bit early this year and hitting the ground running at the Kondari BBQ Festival on Australia Day. The Kondari Hotel is in Hervey Bay on the Central Coast of Queensland, and I was there competing on my friend Anthony’s team, Black Bark Barbecue. True to form, Australia Day lived up to its reputation - it was hot. Really, really hot. We had two 3 by 3 metre marquees up. The one in front was open, and it was 45 degrees in the shade. That’s 115 Fahrenheit for our American listeners. The back tent was our camp kitchen, and with three walls up to keep the dust off the proteins, it was 55 degrees, or 130 Fahrenheit. Despite this, the competition was even hotter, but I’ll save that for a surprise.
Before we get started, I’d like to let you know that my new ebooks are now available on the website. There is the second edition of my well-loved ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ and also the deliciously new ‘Bacon Manifesto’. The ‘Bacon Manifesto’ includes what you need to know about making bacon at home and then some incredible recipes to give you an idea of what to do with it.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a chicken rib and pale ale and turn your aircon up to 11 and join me as I melt in the hot Aussie sun at the Kondari BBQ Festival!
This is episode ten, the final episode of season four of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast. In this season, I’ve been flying, driving, walking, eating and talking my way around Australia, going to BBQ festivals all over this wide brown land and having some fascinating conversations with some of the biggest names in the game, and some up-and-comers too. In this episode I’m back on a plane and this time flying to Sydney then driving out to the luscious Kangaroo Valley Craft Beer and BBQ Festival. This one had been on my list for the last couple of years but I’d never been able to get there, so I was super pumped to have been part of the team for the 2018 competition.
Before we get started, I’d like to let you know that my new ebooks are now available on the website. There is the second edition of my well-loved ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ and also the deliciously new ‘Bacon Manifesto’. The ‘Bacon Manifesto’ includes what you need to know about making bacon at home and then some incredible recipes to give you an idea of what to do with it.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself some sticky pork ribs and an adult beverage, and join me as I fly, drive, eat, walk and talk my way around the 2018 Kangaroo Valley Craft Beer and BBQ Festival.
This is episode nine of season four of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast. In this season, I’ve been flying, driving, walking, eating and talking my way around Australia, going to BBQ festivals all over this wide brown land and having some fascinating conversations with some of the biggest names in the game, and some up-and-comers too. In this episode I jump back on a plane and fly right across the middle of the country to hit up the Smokin’ on the Water Charity BBQ Competition in Perth. I’d never been to Western Australia before and so I was super excited to have been invited to be a part of the competition.
Before we get started, I’d like to let you know that my new ebooks are now available on the website. There is the second edition of my well-loved ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ and also the deliciously new ‘Bacon Manifesto’. The ‘Bacon Manifesto’ includes what you need to know about making bacon at home and then some incredible recipes to give you an idea of what to do with it.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself some fatty brisket slices and something on the rocks and join me as I travel across the country for Smokin’ on the Water 2018.
This is episode seven of season four of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast. In this season, I’ve been flying, driving, walking, eating and talking my way around Australia, going to BBQ festivals all over this wide brown land and having some fascinating conversations with some of the biggest names in the game, and some up-and-comers too. In this episode I head into rural Queensland for the Toowoomba Brews and Barbie Bash. I was competing on the Black Bark BBQ team, which is part of our BBQ Family. It was blazing hot all weekend and the competition was even hotter!
Before we get started, I’d like to let you know that my new ebooks are now available on the website. There is the second edition of my well-loved ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ and also the deliciously new ‘Bacon Manifesto’. The ‘Bacon Manifesto’ includes what you need to know about making bacon at home and then some incredible recipes to give you an idea of what to do with it.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself something, anything wrapped in homemade bacon, and a bloody mary with a homemade bacon swizzle stick and join me as I battle the heat and the other teams at the Toowoomba Brews and Barbie Bash 2018.
Head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website for full show notes!
In this episode my buddy Anthony from Black Bark Barbecue and I jump in the faithful Smoking Hot Confessions Mobile and make the annual pilgrimage to BBQ Mecca - the annual BBQ Wars in Port Macquarie, the biggest competition on the Australian calendar with over 100 BBQ teams fighting it out for BBQ glory.
Before we get started, there’s just a week left to get my ebook ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ available for free on the website. I’ve recently put together a second edition of that book, working with a professional graphic designer and I’ll be releasing that soon. Which means that the free, 1st edition is only going to be available for another week. After that, the second edition will be available for purchase, and there is even going to be a second book available, but I’m keeping the details under wraps for now.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.
So without further ado, grab yourself a pulled pork sammich and a frosty and join me as I hit the pavement at BBQ Wars 2018.
Head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website for full show notes.
This is episode six of season four of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast. In this episode I get to stay pretty close to home, heading down to the Bangalow BBQ & Bluegrass Festival. It’s a competition and festival whose sole purpose is to raise money for local schools, so I always make sure I’m there, doing what I can to help out.
Before we get started, I do have a couple of announcements. For some time now, I’ve had my ebook ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ available for free on the website. I’ve recently put together a second edition of that book, working with a professional graphic designer and I’ll be releasing that soon. Which means that the free, 1st edition is only going to be available for another two weeks. After that, the second edition will be available for purchase, and there is even going to be a second book available, but I’m keeping the details under wraps for now.
I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.
So without further ado, grab yourself a Kettle-Koned Buffalo Wing and something cold and bubbly to wash it down, and join me at the always incredible Bangalow BBQ & Bluegrass Festival.
Head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website for full show notes.
This is a very, very important episode for three, very very important reasons. Firstly, it’s Episode 5 of Season 4, which means we’re halfway through. Secondly, this episode was recorded at the Fabulous Burleigh BBQ Championships, the jewel in the crown of competition BBQ in Queensland and my personal favourite. Smoking Hot Confessions also kicked some serious butt at this comp, but more on that later.
And finally, with this episode, the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast turns 50. That’s right folks, the big 5-0. So I want to just take a minute and say a big thanks to all of you for your support of the show. If you weren’t listening, I would be doing this, and I love doing this, so thanks.
For full show notes, head on over to the Smoking Hot Confessions website.
This is the fourth episode of Season 4, the 2018 Festival Season. Throughout the year I’ve been travelling around the country to various BBQ festivals and in this episode I’m on a jet plane again and heading down to the always beautiful Forster in New South Wales. I was super proud to have been invited to be a part of the first ever Cue For A Cause competition, raising money for the Great Lakes Women Shelter. It was a fantastic cause to get behind, and a ripper of a weekend away.
For full show notes, head on over to the Smoking Hot Confessions website.
This was the 4th year for the Brisbane BBQ Festival, and the 4th time I've been involved and I gotta tell you, if this comp isn't the jewel in the QLD circuit crown, it's gotta be close.
In this Ep I chat with teams about their hand-ins, and one team even gives me a live recording of them PREPARING their hand-in, talking me through how they do it all. Check it out now!
For full show notes, head on over to the Smoking Hot Confessions website.
In it's second year, the BBQ & Beer Roadshow has capitalised on everything that made it great last year, and ramped it up to 11. A great weekend out in Cleveland, just an hour from home let me catch up with a bunch of old friends, and make a whole lot more. This Ep includes interviews with competitors, a Q&A with well known Pitmasters, and of course a recording of the Awards ceremony.
For full show notes, head on over to the Smoking Hot Confessions website.
This is Episode One of Season Four: the 2018 Festival Series. In this episode I hit the streets at Meatstock Melbourne, one of the jewels in the crown of the Australian BBQ scene. Armed with a Media Pass, I was able to access all the VIP areas, and had a great chat over a couple of bourbons with this year's special guest Big Moe Cason.
For full show notes, head on over to the Smoking Hot Confessions website.
Alrighty, this episode is the last in our US Road Trip series and sees me finish up with an interview recorded live in a BBQ joint in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Ralph from Pink Flamingo is something of a legend in that corner of the state. He was making so much money at BBQ competitions that he quit his job as a banker and opened up a BBQ joint. There is a trophy cabinet in his restaurant that stretches an entire wall, and his place is so popular that CNN comes in once a week to record a sports chat show in there. But how did he get there? Let’s find out.
Much thanks and appreciation to this episode's sponsors:
Black Angus Reserve - the best briskets in the game
Clean Heat Charcoal - burns long, burns hot, and is eco-friendly
Pit Brothers BBQ - delicious rubs and exquisite charcoal
Okay, so the final stop on our tour of the US was Fort Smith, Arkansas, the home of WalMart. My wife’s family is from that town so were there to visit the Aunts and Uncles. Not that that stopped me tracking down some very interesting people to talk Q with. The first was Daniel from the Fort Smith BBQ Society. This is a very passionate group of local people looking to make a difference in their local area. They get out there, get dirty, and help some of the most needy in their community. But if I tell you any more, I’ll spoil it.
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episode's sponsors:
Smokey Q - Delicious spice rubs proudly made in WA
Shire Smokers - Teaching 'Q 1-on-1 and in small groups
Wyld Smoke - Outstanding QLD made BBQ rubs
Folks, this one is special. I was walking through the French quarter of New Orleans, drinking a giant can of mango margarita to calm my nerves, having just visited the most haunted house in America, the La Laurie Mansion. Earlier in the day our city tour guide had told us some things about the heritage regulations of the French quarter and I was discussing these thing with my wife and her friend from college. We were going over it trying to get it straight in our heads when we passed a woman sitting on the steps of her original colonial cottage enjoying the last of the afternoon sunshine. So of course, I stopped to ask her about what the guide had told us. Turns out that Bonnie is a New Orleans local, loves to grill lamb chops and has some very interesting things to say about life in the Big Easy.
Much thanks and appreciate go to this episode's sponsors:
Smokey Q - Rubs & sauces proudly made in WA
Black Angus Reserve - The best brisket in the game
Clean Heat Charcoal - Burns hot, long and is ecofriendly
Folks, there are only a handful of times in your life when you get to meet an innovator, an OG. This was one of them. I was very lucky to be introduced to Eric from Hammond BBQ. Eric is a BBQ competitor, event promoter and was on the ground when Hurricane Katrina hit the deck in Louisiana in 2005. Every year, Eric and his team put on the Hammond BBQ Challenge, which has been the biggest competition in the state of Louisiana for almost two decades and has raised some serious cash for charity. Let’s get into it.
Much thanks and appreciated go out to this episode's sponsors:
One of the things I love about BBQ comps is the networking that happens when you’re not even aware of it. One of the fantastic connections I made at the Houston World’s BBQ Championships was Craig Verhage, the BBQ Ninja. He was there helping out one of the British teams and was working with another team as well, doing whole hogs for their evening soirees. He’s been competing for four times longer than our whole scene has been operating, has a wealth of knowledge, he’s a TV celebrity and in this episode he’s going to be giving us a lesson in whole hog cooking.
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episode's sponsors:
Clean Heat Charcoal - burns hot, long, and is eco-friendly
Smarfire BBQ - making you BBQ life easier
Hogpit Smokers - Custom Aussie made smokers
Let’s get into it folks. For our final episode recorded live at the Worlds BBQ Championships, I hit the pavement to catch some interesting conversations with some interesting characters. Now, this was a long festival. We arrived to start set-up on the Wednesday and it was all done and dusted on the Saturday night so as you can imagine, the longer I spent hanging out with people the more I learned about them. I was also able network with a lot of new people which led to some of the upcoming episodes later in the series, and I even managed to catch up with my buddy Chris, who first invited me to the World’s BBQ Championships 3 years ago. Check it out.
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Black Angus Reserve - the best briskets in the game
Wyld Smoke BBQ Seasoning - delicious Aussie BBQ rubs
Pits Perfect BBQ - The mentor your BBQ business needs
This is episode is part two of a pair of episodes where I turned the mic over to guest host Saffron from Bush Cooking while we were at the Houston Livestock Rodeo World’s BBQ Championships. This is a very special episode that’s stayed with me ever since we recorded these interviews. Saffron sits down with the lads from Operation BBQ Relief - a fantastic group of gentlemen who’ve taken the idea of doing good with their BBQs and ramped things up to eleven. I really can’t tell you any more than this without giving too much away.
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episode's sponsors:
Clean Heat Charcoal - hot burning, long lasting eco-friendly charcoal
Black Angus Reserve - the best brisket bar none and sponsor of Manning Valley Natural Smokers
JAGRD Woodfired - the all purpose outdoor cooker
Okay dokey folks. I have something a little different for you in this episode. This is the first episode of a two-parter where I turn the mic over to Saffron from Bush Cooking to be guest host. Saffron is an ex-pat now living in the US and absolutely kicking butt on the BBQ scene. Most recently she hosted the NBBQA Conference and Awards in Fort Worth, Texas where she also was nominated for and won the Best Website category for 2018. She joined our team for the World’s BBQ Championships in Houston where she shared her wisdom and knowledge with us in a stunning array of Aussie solidarity. So join us now as we hit the pavement at the Houston Livestock and Rodeo competition and have some very interesting conversations.
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episode's sponsors:
Wyld Smoke BBQ Seasoning - Exquisite Aussie competition BBQ rubs
Black Angus Reserve - the best briskets in the game
JAGRD Woodfired - the all-purpose outdoor cooker
There are few BBQ joints that have a lineage like Salt Lick. In this case, the BBQ joint in question has been passed through three generations and the family itself can trace their BBQ origins all the way back to the Wild West in the days of wagon trains and cowboys. As part of our trip, we headed out to their original location in Driftwood, Texas on the family’s 500 acre ranch. Miriam the Chief Operations Officer and Johnny and Shane, resident Pitmasters, took us on a guided tour of virtually every inch of the place including the old family mansion. And the food! Man, the food just kept coming and coming and every bite was better than the one before. So tune in now as Miriam takes us through the history of Salt Lick, and schools us on some of the finer points of working with beef.
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episode's sponsors:
Clean Heat Charcoal - hot burning, long lasting eco-friendly charcoal
Black Angus Reserve - the best brisket bar none and sponsor of Manning Valley Natural Smokers
Pits Perfect Low and Slow BBQ - your one-stop shop to get your BBQ venture up and running
In this episode I’m chatting with owner and operator of Lockhart Smokehouse, Jill Bergus. If you’ve heard the name Lockhart before, that’s because it’s one of the most famous BBQ joints in Texas: it’s overall history stretches back 100 years, it has been listed in the Top 50 BBQ joints in Texas by Texas Monthly and the Lockhart Smokehouse team competed in Season 4 Episode 1 of TV’s BBQ Pitmasters. So there’s not many people out there who are in a better position to teach me all about Texas BBQ.
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episode's sponsors:
Black Angus Reserve - the best brisket bar none and sponsor of Manning Valley Natural Smokers
Pit Brothers BBQ - divine rubs and exquisite charcoal
JAGRD Woodfired - the all purpose outdoor cooker
Earlier in the year I was lucky enough to be able to take my family on a road trip through the United States, competing at the World's BBQ Championships in Houston, Texas before road tripping through Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. I stopped as often as my stomach could handle, and interviewed BBQ competitors, BBQ joint owners, event promoters and more.
The results is Season Three: U.S. Road Trip - a collection of 10 interviews with some of America's finest.
The whole season drops December 1. Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss it!
To close out Season Two ‘Living the Dream’ I sit and talk ‘Q with the one and only Jess Pryles. Jess is an Aussie who’s now taking it to the Americans, living in Texas and teaching them their own game. In this interview Jess takes us through what it takes to become an internationally published author after the launch of her BBQ cookbook ‘Hardcore Carnivore’. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
Jess is the quintessential carnivore. She has a passion for meat and has built a business around it. That includes her aforementioned book, her line of spice rubs, her blog, demonstrations, lessons and public appearances. Such is her profile in the BBQ scene that she is now a brand ambassador for several brands. If you think you’ve got a book in you, this Ep is for you!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Ministry of Smoke
Pit Brothers BBQ
Pure Meats Robina
Get your free ebook now!
Julie-ann swings by the Confessional for Ep 14 of Season 2 ‘Living the Dream’ to take us behind the scenes of successful Western Australian smoker manufacturer JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. In this episode, Julie-ann walks us step-by-step what you need to do to start your own smoker manufacturing company. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
Julie-ann and Glenn are a husband and wife team whose skills really compliment each other perfectly. They’ve been working together for several years and have all their systems down. The result is the stunning range of smoker ovens known as the JAGRD Black Beauty series. If you have a design and the desire, you gotta catch this Ep!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Clean Heat Charcoal
Pit Brothers BBQ
Ministry of Smoke
Get your free ebook now!
Cameron from BBQ Spit Rotisseries takes a knee in Ep 13 of Season 2 ‘Living the Dream’. Cameron runs the Sydney branch of one of Australia’s most successful independent BBQ retail stores. In this episode, Cameron takes us behind the scenes of what must be a dream for so many of us - he gets to hang out and play with BBQs and talk ‘Q with people all day long. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode
With a strong background in retail, Cameron has brought his well-honed skills to the world of BBQ. For him, Customer Service is the key to success and in this episode, not only does he tell us what it takes to run a BBQ business, he gives away a fair few of his secrets to help you with your business. If you’ve ever dreamed of running your own BBQ shop, this is your episode!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Pure Meats Robina
Pit Brothers BBQ
JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens
Get your free ebook now!
Ricki from Bully BBQ is my special guest in Ep 12 of Season 2 ‘Living the Dream’. Ricki embodies the very concept of living the dream. Unhappy in his job, he designed the lifestyle he wanted and then built a BBQ business to fit that lifestyle. The result was Bully BBQ - a travelling BBQ school. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
Having spent a year living in the States as an exchange student and married to an American, BBQ is now well and truly in Ricki’s blood. He’s had countless trips back and forth to the States and studied under the greats such as World Champion Chris Marks. He is a competitive BBQer, caterer, and BBQ teacher who mastered the art of living his dream. If you’re thinking of starting up some classes of your own, this Ep is for you!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Harvey's Kitchen
Clean Heat BBQ
JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens
Get your free ebook now!
A quality butcher is vital to success in BBQ and one of the best butchers around is Brad from Pure Meats Robina. He’s a classically trained butcher who’s become a low’n’slow specialist butcher. He has a tonne of knowledge and his shop is known as the only place to go for low’n’slow cuts on the Gold Coast. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
As a young kid in rural Victoria, he grew up running around his grandfather’s farm learning the trade from the old man, himself a traditional butcher. As soon as he could he started his apprenticeship and quickly developed a passion for ‘the old way’ of doing things. The low’n’slow movement affords Brad the opportunity to explore his passion for organic, all natural meat products and saves so many cuts from the mincer! If meat is your passion, you’ve got to catch this episode!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors
Ministry of Smoke
Pit Brothers BBQ
JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens
Get your free ebook now!
One of the friendliest guys in the BBQ scene, Gus from Gusface Grillah joins me in The Confessional for Ep 10 of Season 2 ‘Living the Dream’. You’ve seen the glorious pictures of his ‘Stoner Burger’ on social media and you may have had a crack at recreating it. Hell, you might have been the motivation for it! Gus runs a business based around his blog and in this episode details how he did it. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
He’s been in the BBQ game since since before the ABA even started in Australia. He’s one of the first BBQ bloggers in the country and was one of the first teams to ever compete. He’s been here, in the scene from day one and has built himself a business that mirrors his passion. If you have ever wondered what a blog is and how it works, make sure you catch this episode.
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Ministry of Smoke
Pit Brothers BBQ
JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens
Get your free ebook now!
Adam from Primal Iron BBQ is my special guest in Ep 9 of Season 2 ‘Living the Dream.’ In this digital age, if there aren’t pics on Instagram and Facebook, then it never happened. But it’s so frustrating when you’ve had the cook of your life but just can’t get a good shot of your work. Pitmaster Adam is a professional food stylist and will be taking us on a tour through the world of styling foods for authors, magazines and creative agencies. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
A French-trained chef by profession, Adam has made the big switch to American BBQ and has been responsible for some of the most successful BBQ restaurants in the Brisbane area. He is now the captain of competitive team Primal Iron BBQ and works as a freelance food stylist. If you want to up your Food Porn game, this is your Ep!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Harvey's Kitchen
JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens
Ministry of Smoke
Get your free ebook now!
Joy from Homestead Lovers drops in to the Confessional for Ep 8 of Season 2 ‘Living the Dream’. She helps us explore the world of food dehydration and rub manufacturing. Making rubs is something that all BBQ enthusiasts enjoy doing and take great pride in. Joy is here to help you take it to the next level. She also drops some very helpful hints and tips for people wanting to get into manufacturing their own spice rubs. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
Homestead Lovers is based in South Australia and utilizes only all-natural organic products in their creations. They’ve been involved in the Australian BBQ scene since its inception and are regular sponsors of the always fantastic Up In Smoke festival. If you’re in to making your own rubs, this is the episode for you!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Pure Meats Robina
Harvey's Kitchen
Clean Heat Charcoal
Get your free ebook now!
Mark from Smartfire takes a knee in the Confessional for Ep 7 of Season Two, ‘Living the Dream’. In this incredible Ep Marks takes us through the painstaking process he went through to create on of Australia’s best BBQ inventions in decades. Moreso, he teaches us how to get own ideas off the back of a napkin and out to consumers. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
Mark has been running Smartfire for approximately two years and has developed a very strong following. This is partly due to the very high quality of his Smartfire device, and partly due to his excellent customer and after sales service. In February 2018, Mark is even taking his Smartfire to the United States to pit it against some of the best BBQers in the world at the World’s Championships in Texas. If you’ve ever dreamt up a gadget of your own, you’ve got to listen to this!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
JAGRD Woodfired Smokers
Pit Brothers BBQ
Clean Heat Charcoal
Get your free ebook now!
In Ep 6 of Season Two, ‘Living the Dream’, Aidan from Cut Throat Knives swings by the Confessional to reveal what goes on at an artisan blade smith. Whether it’s forging or stock-removal, Aidan tells us exactly just how far he will go to ensure that his knives are the most beautiful and functional knives on the market. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
Aidan and his team have been running Cut Throat Knives for three years now and have built a reputation that is second-to-none in the industry. His knives have most recently been seen at Meatstock where not only was he a sponsor, but his knives were actually contracted to be the trophies! If you love your knives and can’t imagine working in the kitchen without them, this episode is a must.
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Harvey’s Kitchen
Ministry of Smoke
Pure Meats Robina
Get your free ebook now!
For Ep 5 of ‘Living the Dream’ Bronnie from 4670BBQ takes a seat in the Confessional to reveal all the behind-the-scenes goings-on at BBQ competitions. She tells all the stuff we don’t know about how BBQ competitions are put together, executed, and of course how she navigates the political minefields that typically separate competitors from sponsors and vendors. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
Bronnie and her husband Paul run 4670BBQ, a catering and events management business out of Bundaberg in QLD. They compete as Bulldogs BBQ, and they are the event promoters behind ‘the friendliest competition on the Australian circuit, the Bundaberg BBQ Battle. If you’ve ever had the idea of running your own comp, this episode is for you!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Ministry of Smoke
Harvey’s Kitchen
JAGRD Wood-fired Smoker Ovens
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Ep 4 of ‘Living the Dream’ sees me having a good chat with Abel from Clean Heat Charcoal about all things fuel. Clean Heat is renowned for their environmentally friendly wood-based charcoal products and is making serious waves in the Australian BBQ scene. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
In this Ep, Abel lets me in on how his charcoal briquettes are made, and more interesting for me, how his lump charcoal is made. It was fascinating to learn what goes on in an international manufacturing and importation business. He also lays out some great advice for people looking to open a business of their own. Check it out!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Harvey’s Kitchen
JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens
Pure Meats Robina
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In Episode 3 of ‘Living the Dream’, Hillbilly Wes from Bovine & Swine takes me through all the steps involved in opening a bricks’n’mortar BBQ joint. Bovine & Swine is based in Enmore, Sydney and is one of, if not the, most popular BBQ joint in Australia. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
Wes covers just about every topic you can think of in this interview. He discusses the pros and cons of going into bricks’n’mortar, the advantages and disadvantages versus catering, and what it takes to be successful. He also gives us all the details of his background and how this has helped him get to where he is. This is an episode not to be missed!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Clean Heat Charcoal
Harvey’s Kitchen
Pure Meats Robina
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This is Episode 2 of the ‘Living the Dream’ series and in it, I talk vending and catering with Rob from Smokin’ Hot’n’Saucy. Smokin’ Hot’n’Saucy is based in Newcastle, NSW and hits the road as far south as Melbourne and as far north as the Gold Coast. Rob was trained in BBQ in the United States and has spent significant time competing there and also in Australia. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
Rob has won several Grand Championships competing as Smokin’ Hot’n’Saucy and now brings his award winning BBQ to the public. In this interview he’s going to take us through how he got into catering, the differences between catering and vending, and how you can get into it too. He delivers some serious advice for all those thinking about getting into the business and many other tips and secrets. If you have dreams of catering, this is just for you!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
JAGRD Wood Fired Smoker Ovens
Pit Brothers BBQ
Clean Heat Charcoal
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In Episode One of the ‘Living the Dream’ series, I was very privileged to have the opportunity to interview Mikey from Man Meat BBQ, based out of Chicago in the USA. Man Meat BBQ is one of the most popular BBQ podcasts out there and Mikey has leveraged the success of this, along with a cult-like following on Instagram into a very tidy business. Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review of this episode.
With some 150 podcast episodes and 80-odd thousand Instagram fans, Mikey has built a very commanding platform from which to leverage a business. Through the course of this interview, Mikey takes us not only into how he built these platforms, but also the different business models he’s developed from them. If you’re into your social media, you don’t want to miss this!
Much thanks and appreciation go to this episodes sponsors:
Pure Meats Robina
Harvey’s Kitchen
JAGRD Wood Fired Smoker Ovens
Get your free ebook now!
Season Two of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast is called 'Living the Dream' and in it I'll be interviewing 15 successful BBQ entrepreneurs to find out how they got there, and how you can do it too.
The first three episodes will drop December 2 and then there will be one episode every week for 12 weeks after that - your new Summer addiction is here!
Episode 18 of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast sees me head to Port Macquarie for the Blues & BBQ Festival, or as it’s known in the circuit, BBQ Wars. With 101 teams, not only was it the biggest comp in the Southern Hemisphere, it was the biggest competition ever outside of the US. What started out as a fun weekend away with mates quickly evolved into something very unexpected…
The mates in question were Mark from Smartfire and Keith and Mick from Because Brisket. We normally compete in our own teams, but thought it would be fun to get together for a comp. Mark travelled up from Melbourne, Keith and Mick from Newcastle and I came down from the Gold Coast. We formed a brand new team ‘Smoking Hot Smartfires’. Keep an eye on this name, as I’m sure this team will be hitting the circuit a few more times in the near future!
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
I hit the pavement at the fabulous Burleigh BBQ Championships 2017 to chat to as many people as possible. I got to meet up with a range of new and experienced teams and event got some one-on-one time with BBQ great, Andy Groneman, which I of course recorded and am sharing in this episode.
Did I mention I was also competing? It was a busy weekend for sure! Tune in to catch up on all the action!
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ!
This episode was recorded live at the BBQ & Beats Competition at the NightQuarter on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia. It’s a very interesting episode as it documents a BBQ competition that was the first of its kind in Australia – a day competition.
It was a small comp teams-wise – there were only 8 of us. Yes, I said us. I threw my hat in the ring and decided to take a swing. I was up against some big names though – Smokin’ Sappers, Smokin’ Hot Bros, Country Boys BBQ, Smoke Kings, Meat Sweats, Flamin Mongrels and Grillin’ in the Name of. These were all trophy winning teams and in the case of the Meat Sweats, a multiple Grand Champion team. I definitely had my work cut out for me.
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
This episode is coming to you hot off the mic. Just this weekend past I jumped in the car and headed up to Brisbane for the annual Brisbane BBQ Festival. It was the third year in a row that I’d been. The first year was my first ever BBQ judging experience and the second year I covered the event for the Smoking Hot Confessions website and got one of my most popular photo galleries. This year, Dom asked me to be a part of the team – I got to be MC for the event!
On top of all this, I grabbed my camera and more importantly for a podcast, my field recorder and had some great conversations with teams, retailers, suppliers and sponsors. I was so busy running around that by the end of the festival, I’d walked 10.3kms on Saturday 9.1kms on Sunday. That’s almost 20 kilometres of festival awesomeness. Here’s how it went down…
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
Not too long ago I was very privileged to have the opportunity to MC the Clean Heat Charcoal BBQ Rib-Off for Underground BBQ. It was the first competition of its kind in Australia and it was a hell of a great day out. It was essentially a down-and-dirty grudge match to work out who cooks the best pork ribs in Australia once and for all, earning themselves the title of Rib King or Queen. Oh, and a cool $1,000. In cash!
The contestants were a veritable who’s who of Australian BBQ: the top three scoring teams for pork ribs from the 2016 season, and two wild card teams teams who are famous for their smack talk about their ribs.
However, Rohan wanted a level playing field so supplied nearly identical smokers, charcoal and smoking woods and even ribs from the same supplier too. As soon as he filled me in on this plan, I knew I had to be involved.
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a BBQ competitor? Can you remember what your first ever competition was like? In this bonus episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast I interview Michael Trajkovic from Butchers Axe BBQ before, during and after their first ever BBQ competition.
Now this wasn’t just any BBQ competition. This was Meatstock Melbourne, one of the biggest, most popular festivals on the Australian circuit. These guys aimed high. Despite being underdogs, the lads did extremely well, finishing 17th out of 48 teams, with a few surprises that I’ll leave for the interview.
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
This very exciting bonus episode is an opportunity to either relive or live vicariously through me, the recent Melbourne Meatstock festival.
I was very lucky to be able to head south to Melbourne to the first Meatstock festival. It was the largest BBQ competition in Victoria’s history and it was a weekend full of amazing surprises.
This episode is a compilation of many mini-interviews I did over the weekend, ranging from competitors to suppliers and promoters to BBQ royalty. In these interviews I get tips and advice from all the big names and get to introduce you to some serious up-and-comers.
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
This very exciting bonus episode is a recording of the Q&A session that I hosted live at the BBQ & Beer Roadshow 2017. Please be sure to Subscribe to the Podcast and leave a Review to spread the love.
The theme I came up with was ‘From Back Yard to Pit Yard, what inspires Competitive BBQ’ers’. I then enlisted the always helpful Ralph and Kris from Shank Bros BBQ, who’ll you’ll remember from Episode 9, Boyd from Sandgroper BBQ, currently the number two ranked team in Australia and had travelled 56 hours across the country from Western Australia, as well as George and Shaun from Serial Grillers, a brand new team, making their debut at the Roadshow.
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
In Episode Ten of the Comp Ready series of The Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I chat with Brett Connell from Flamin’ Mongrels BBQ on one of the hottest topics in competition BBQ: Sponsorship. Please be sure to Subscribe to the Podcast and leave a Review to spread the love.
The Mongrels have had a ripper of a last twelve months, competing in TV’s Aussie BBQ Heroes, performed very well throughout the 2016 competitive BBQ circuit, picking up a Grand Champion prize and spent most of the season in the top ten. They are also very well-sponsored and so Team Captain Bretto was the perfect person to tell me all his secrets on where to find and how to secure sponsorship.
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
In Episode Nine of the Comp Ready series of The Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I chat with Ralph Barnett from Shank Brothers BBQ on one of the more ‘businessy’ aspects of competition BBQ: Branding. Please be sure to Subscribe to the Podcast and leave a Review to spread the love.
If you haven’t heard of the Shank Brothers, you might just be living under an actual rock. The Shank Brothers are without a doubt Australia’s highest profile BBQ team. This is not only because they consistently turn out top ten quality BBQ, but because they are also deadly consistent in their branding which is so important for building a public profile.
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
In Episode Eight of the Comp Ready series of The Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I chat with Lukas Armstrong from Rollin’ Smoke BBQ. Please be sure to Subscribe to the Podcast and leave a Review to spread the love.
Rollin’ Smoke has been consistently at the top of the competition ladder throughout the season and at the time of recording were preparing to make a run on second place after the upcoming Kangaroo Valley Competition. They are known in the game as having the best ribs in the country… except for Tony and Adam!
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
In Episode Seven of the Comp Ready series of The Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I chat with Rohan Peterson from Ro’N’Slow BBQ Team, or as I like to call him, the Thunder from Down Down Down Under, as he hails all the way from sunny, warm Tasmania.
The Ro’N’Slow BBQ team competes on the mainland and if I was interested in teasing him, I’d say that that makes him one of Australia’s few International competition BBQ teams. In this Episode, Rohan is here to talk to us about teams and teamwork, quite possibly one of the most important topics in this series.
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
In Episode Six of the Comp Ready series of The Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I chat with Tony Gimellaro from The Beard and the BBQ. Please be sure to Subscribe to the Podcast and leave a Review to spread the love.
Tony’s team is currently in the Top Ten in the country, he’s a caterer, and now a sauce producer with his signature line of sauces available nation-wide in the chain of Barbeques Galore stores. In this podcast Tony shares everything he knows about rubs and sauces.
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
In Episode Five of the Comp Ready series of The Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I chat with Rod Duggan from the Ministry of Smoke. Please be sure to Subscribe to the podcast and leave a Review to spread the love.
Rod has been cooking over wood fires since the 1960’s and has literally decades of experience to share. In this interview Rod shares heaps of information about different types of fuels, especially hard woods, where to find them, how to season them, how to best manage your fires and so much more!
Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
In Episode Four of the Comp Ready series of The Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I chat with Chris Davey from the Top 10 team The Smoking Hot Bros. Please be sure to Subscribe and leave a Review to spread the love.
The Bros cook on both offsets and verticals, so Chris was the perfect person for me to put on the spot and dive deep into the arguments for and against both offsets and verticals.
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
Want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
In Episode Three of the Comp Ready series of The Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I chat with Dan Midgely, owner and Master Pit Builder at BSG Smokers.
Dan is a straight shooter who answered every question I could think to ask about buying, building and using an offset smoker.
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
Want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
In this, the second episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I interview Billy Gibney, owner and operator of Meat at Billy’s, a premier butcher in Brisbane, specialising in competition cuts.
In this interview Billy gives us insights into competition cuts of meat – how to find them, how to select them, and shares some hints on what to do with them!
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
Want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
In this, the first episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast, I interview Adam Roberts, co-founder of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance. Adam is one third of the team that has brought the Low'n'Slow movement to the forefront of Australian culture.
In this interview Adam reveals not only his own background as a foodie and BBQ enthusiast, but also the history of the ABA, what you need to know as a competitor, how to become a qualified judge and gives us a sneak peak of what's coming for the ABA in 2017.
Thanks and appreciation go to Coastline Barbeques and Heating for sponsoring the first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions podcast. Check out their page http://www.coastlinebbq.com.au/ for more!
Want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQat http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/
Welcome to the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast.
The first series of the Smoking Hot Confessions Podcast is called 'Comp Ready' where I interview experts in the field of competition BBQ and share their advice and tips with you, so you too can be 'Comp Ready'.
To find out more about the podcast, check out www.smokinghotconfessions.com/