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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  

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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 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 

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 

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