BBQ Competition Checklist

As you may know, I am part of the Axe-Men BBQ competition BBQ team that participates in KCBS events in the Midwest. Here is a little checklist of things you may need if you don’t have a monster trailer with multiple sponsors who will throw free stuff at you. I have removed some of our top secret items, but this should give you a good start if you are looking to get into some KCBS events…

Meat				Camp Equipment
?	?			10×10 Canopy	1
?	?			10×10 Canopy with 3x Walls	1
?	?			Folding Chairs	4
?	?			Tent to sleep in	1
Rubs/Sauce/Presentation				Pop up Tables	4
?	?			Cinder Blocks	4
?	?			Tarps	2
?	?			Fire Pit	1
?	?			Wood for fire pit	5 bundles
?	?			Wood starters	2
?	?			Buckets for water/hold down tents	8
?	?			Small water hose w/ nossel	1
?	?			?	?
?	?			Bungie Cords	24
?	?			Fire Extiguisher	1
?	?			Ash bucket and shovel	1
Ketchup	1 jar			Duct Tape	1
Mustard	1 jar			Electrical Tape	1
Apple Juice	1/2 Gallon			Tool Box, Full	1
Salt	1 jar			Portable work light	1
Fresh Curly Parsley	6 Bunches			Flashlights	2
Additional Food/Drink				Extension Cords	3
Ice	Lots of it			Generator (If we have one)	1
Salt and Pepper	1 jar each			Cart or dolly	1
Water/gatoraid/beer/monster	A bunch			Rachet Straps for trailer	6
Snacks/Dinner/Breakfast	A bunch			Small broom and dust pan	1
Smokers/Grills/Fuel				Toilet Paper	1
?	?			Batteries for flashlights	3 sets
?	?			Battieries for Thermometers	3 sets
?	?			Large clock or timer set at competition	1
Propane Burner	1			Larger binder clips or table clips	4
Propane Tank, Full	1			Paper Towel Dispenser	1
?	?			Bulk rope	30ft
?	?			?	?
?	?			Bug Spray	1
?	?			Sun Tan Lotion	1
?	?			Ponchos	6
Stick Lighters	4			Sanitation/Disposables
Tools/Utensils/Pans/Storage				Paper Towels, Roll	2
Cambro Camcarriers	2			Shop Towels	1
Coolers	4			Parchment Paper	1 box
Kinfe Roll	1 Full			Bus Tubs	3
Cutting Boards	2			Sponge/Scrub Brush	2
Cutting Board skid	2			Dish Soap	1
Electric Knives	2			Sanatiser Spray	1
Injectors	2			Lysol Wipes, Tub	2
Grill Scraper	1			Sanatiser Bucket	1
Tongs	2			Aprins (Maybe)	2
Seasoning Shakers	3			Hand Sanitiser	1
Sauce Brush	2			Bleach, Small	1
Large Spatchula	2			Garbage Bags	1 roll
Grill Glove	2 pair			To-Go containers	2 dozen
Plastic Tray Inserts	6			Ziplock Bags XL	12
?	?			Ziplock Bags L	24
?	?			Solo Cups	12
Large Water Pot w/ lid	1			Aluminum Foil, Roll	1
Thermometer Probe	3			Plastic Wrap, Roll	1
Thermopen	1			Disposable Gloves, box	2
Thermocouple	1			First Aid Kit	1
Large cups/bowls for sauce/brine	4			Disposable Plates	24
Toothpicks	1 box			Disposable Silverwear	24 sets
Half sheet pans	3			Personal
Full aluminum pans	12			Pillows
Half aluminum pans	12			Blankets
Full sheet pan	1			Toiletries
Other				?	?
Directions
Sign In Documents
KCBS Info
Sponsor Info
Pens/Note Pads

Spicy Peruvian Lima Bean Succotash – Recipe

Spicy Peruvian Lima Bean Succotash – http://www.nerdsteak.com

Here is a tasty recipe using Peruvian Lima Beans. They are quite a large bean that ends up having a very creamy consistency when cooks, so be gentle when mixing.  I soaked them overnight, then boiled them for about 1-1/2 hours for this recipe.  Watch them close when boiling because they can go from cooked to a mushy mess in a few minutes.

Spicy Peruvian Lima Bean Succotash

5 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 tablespoons Aleppo chile flake
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups cooked Peruvian Lima Beans
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup picked cilantro leaves
1/4 cup roughlly chopped arugula

Fry bacon on medium heat in a large skillet until crispy, then remove to drain on a paper towel, leaving excess rendered fat in the pan.
Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add garlic, chile flake, salt and pepper and sauté just until aromatic, about 1 minute.
Add cooked Peruvian Lima Beans, tomatoes and corn to pan, and cook just until tomatoes are tender, about 4 minutes.
Finish by adding sherry vinegar, then turn off heat, fold in cilantro and arugula and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes about 6 servings

NERDSTEAK Product Review – SexyPop Popcorn

The people at SexyPop (http://sexypop.us) were kind enough to send NERDSTEAK some of their product to review! I received a case of samples yesterday, and here is what I though:

• Packaging appearance – I will say that the packaging looks pretty nice. They have a large swirl logo right in the middle with their brand name on top, and variety on bottom but I have two concerns with what I received.  First, my samples were VERY pillowy.  Obviously this helps insure minimal broken pieces of popcorn in the bag, but they were so pumped with air, it was a little difficult to do the ‘pinch and open’ on the top, which could have happened due to the product being air shipped which can change the pressure inside the packaging. This is a minor detail, but worth noting. The second concern is that their brand name is aligned so high on the the top of the packaging, and the variety is so low, that on a standard grocery shelf, it might be difficult to read what it is. There are a lot of different tag lines on the packaging, along with a goofy ‘poppin’ rap like lyrical treat on the back.
• Product appearance – The popcorn itself looked very nice, with most of the contents being whole popped pieces, with little to no unpopped kernels. None of the varieties looked overcaked with seasonings, and the white cheddar variety had more cheddar flavor vs. what I assumed it would have based on appearance (that’s a good thing).  The popcorn had a nice white color and didn’t appear shiny or oily.
• Eating Experience – I would say all the varieties had a favorable flavor and texture, with my favorite being the Bangin’ Cheddar.  I would have like just a touch more black pepper flavor from that specific variety but still tasted great.  I noticed a lot less of the ‘seasoning on my fingers’ problem you might find with other popcorn brands.  I personally like salt, however the Lightly Salted was right on point with having just enough.
  
• Value – After doing a quick search with comparable products online, the current price for SexyPop is a little on the high side, but you are getting slightly less calories per serving.  I would assume that once SexyPop can stock shelves and move more volume, they will be able to lower the price to be more competitive in the better-for-you popcorn market.
• Overall – I give SexyPop an overall score of 3.5 out of 5.  The product itself is very tasty, but the price point is a little too high to be competitive with the other brands.  I do like the fact that as opposed to promoting their product as ‘healthy’ since it is a lower calorie snack as well as GMO-free, Kosher, cholesterol-free, and trans-free, they are going with the ‘trendy’ marketing campaign similar to what the pistachio people are doing.  If you have a chance to try SexyPop, I recommend it!

NERDSTEAK is more than happy to review any and all products you have to offer! Please contact us directly to arrange shipping of samples.

Food Factoids – v1.

Rapid fire food factoids…AAANNNDDD…GO!

• The Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend is the current world record holder for hottest chile with over 2million SHUs.
• It is recommended that honey should not be fed to infants, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems due to the honey naturally containing botulism spores.
• The myth of a McDonald’s hamburger lasting 12 years due to chemicals in the meat is false.  With little moisture, small size, and topical seasonings, the burger dehydrates before it can spoil almost preserving it like jerky.
• The optimal doneness for a steak is medium-rare.  This allows most of the marbled fat to render and provide and juicy and flavorful steak.  Too rare, and you will have unrendered fat which will not provide optimal taste…too well and you will have excess fat and moisture loss.
• The juice that comes from steak is nat actually blood.  It is called myoglobin, and is only found in the bloodstream during injury.  It normally resides in muscle tissue, which is the part we commonly eat.
• It does not matter if you use Crisco, margarine, butter, lard, canola oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, or palm oil…they all contain 9cal/gram of fat.  There are other positive and negative health concerns associated with each, but they still supply the same amount of calories.
• 80% of the world’s nations eat bugs as a form of food.
• Heavy mayonnaise weighs less than regular mayonnaise.
• One of the main flavoring agents in Worcestershire sauce is anchovies.
• Taste, texture, and apparence actually have little do to with the flavor of food compared to its odor.
• There are more Subway restaurants on the planet than there are McDonald’s.
• There is only one McDonald’s in the world that does not have golden arches. it resides in Arizona, and is turquoise so it does’t clash with the natural red rock formations.
• Durring emergencies, coconut water can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.
• Alaskans eat more ice cream per capita than any other state.
• Cotton candy only costs about $0.06 to make, making it one of the most profitable snacks at any state fair.
• Bubblegum will melt at 125°F.
• It is estimated that 40% of all bottled water is actually standard tap water with no additional treatment.

Add to the list!

Unfamiliar Foods You May Want To Try

Here is a list of some interesting and no-so-popular ingredients you may want incorporate into your menu:

• Scorpion Chile – Sorry Ghost chile, there is a new, (not really that new) king of fire in town. This is a variety in the capsicum chinense family that on average, has a SHU measurement of 1.2 million.  That is face melting heat, and the current world record is held by the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion burning at over 2 million SHU’s.  New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute regulates the testing and authentication of these chiles.  These chiles also have a a sweet, fruity flavor profile which you may forget after your tongue falls off.
• Wiri Wiri Chile – Averaging at around 70,000 SHU’s, this chile still packs a punch but add a delightful fresh, bright flavor when used.  Works great when blended into a hot sauce sweetened with fruit.
• Yellow Eye Steuben Bean – This bean has a mild flavor and a beautiful mustard colored spot on a off white background.  The hold up exceptionally well when cooked and make an excellent carrier for strong flavors.  They are actually related to the kidney bean.
• Chinese Black Rice – This is a medium grain glutinous rice perfect for all kinds of interesting recipes.  It is relatively sweet and slightly sticky, but will impart its deep indigo color to anything you cook with it.  Stop using a boring all purpose white rice already!
• Grano – This is an ancient whole kernel pearled wheat berry from Italy. It has a texture between al dente pasta and brown rice, but with a vibrant golden hue.  Grano is made from durum wheat, the same used to make most upscale pasta. This grain holds up great after cooking, so use in soups, salads, and pilaf dishes, and can be ground then used like a hot cereal.  (I used it to make this salad.)
• Kaniwa – A close relative to quinoa and also a member of the goosefoot family.  It is used just like quinoa in many applications and has all of the same nutritional benefits, Kaniwa has the added bonus of not containing saponins, which sometimes causes quinoa to be bitter.
• Fregola Sarda – This is a toasted form of couscous and comes in a variety of sizes.  It has a rough texture which help sauce cling to it, and the toasted gives it a beautiful browned color and and firm bite.
• Sumac – The North America variety is poisonous, however varieties grown in the Middle East impart a sour flavor the same way you might use lemon or lime juice.  It also has a dark red color which makes for a fantastic presentation.
• Black Garlic – Originally made by letting garlic cloves ferment over vats of soy sauce, black garlic imparts a deep molasses-like profile with tangy garlic undertones.  The texture becomes soft and gooey similar to dried fruit.  It does not leave you with the pungent fresh garlic flavor or odor you may be used to.
• Long Pepper – This was the first pepper variety brought to the West.  It has a more intense flavor compared to traditional peppercorns, as well as sweet undertones.  It can also be ground just like it’s black or white peppercorn brethren.
• Fleur De Sel – Most chefs and foodies will know this is the purest, most pricy sea salt available.  Produced in France, it has a bright white color, a wet, grainy texture, and is best used to finish a dish, as well as up-charge your guests.
• Hemp Hearts – Considered a ‘super-food’ due to their nutritional value, they are the soft, creamy nut inside the hemp shell.  Very high in plant protein, vitamin E, and omega-6 fatty acid, they make a great alternative to those with nut allergies.

What are some of your not-so-familiar food ingredients???

Pretend To Be Smart – Fancy Food Terms v2

Here is another list of fancy food terms explained so you can impress your foodie friends…

A LA CARTE – The fancy version of this is a menu broken down into separate parts so you can order whatever you want for your meal, as opposed to all together…for us normal folks, just think of it as a ‘dollar menu’ for expensive stuff.

MINCED – Just cut any food item to heck and back…basically minced.  One step above pulverized with a laser.

CANAPEAS – Think of a Ritz cracker with a piece of cheese on it.  Now change the cracker to a slice of artisan bread, and change the toppings to a red onion marmalade, torched Bree, and crispy lardons.  Can-of-peas.

CARAMELIZED – A fancy way to say, ‘I almost done burnt it.’

NAPPE – Confirming your sauce is thick enough by its ability to coat the back of a spoon.  You don’t want paste, and you don’t want water.  Nappe is that sauce sweet spot.

APERITIF – Pre-gaming to get the mouth party started.

UMAMI – If you taste meat-like-flavor in something without having the confirmation of actual meat being present, verbally state you get a strong ‘umami’ profile from the dish.

AU JUS – The natural juice of whatever food item you just cooked.  If you cook a shoe and juice comes out, you can serve it with shoe au jus. Don’t cook a shoe. Gesundheit.

CONFIT – Cooking a food items in its own fat. If you cook a shoe its own fat, you can serve shoe confit.  F.Y.I. shoes don’t have fat unless your foot is in it, but that wouldn’t be shoe fat…it would be you fat.