royaloakcharcoal

The open-fire cooking season officially is launching into high gear as we hit mid-April. For those backyard cooks wondering what type of charcoal - hardwood lump, briquette or pellets - are best for them, check out our conversation with Craig Verhage. Known as “The BBQ Ninja,” Craig offers some advice and also tells us what’s new in the world of Royal Oak Charcoal, where he is marketing director and lead brand ambassador. It looks like another strong year for Team Royal Oak, whose roster of pitmasters captured Team of the Year honors in seven sanctioning bodies in 2023. Craig also previews some big events on his calendar, including Memphis in May which is closing fast. It’s always a pleasure to talk BBQ with Craig, one of the most-knowledgeable and enthusiastic folks in cooking.

While Memphis is May is nearing, so is Minnesota in May. Sixty Masters' Series teams plus a good crop of Backyard teams are expected to fire it up in the premier KCBS competition in the northern United States next month and David Ellis, from one of Minnesota’s top pro teams, gives us a preview. Machete Boys BBQ out of Minneapolis has become a force on the KCBS circuit, winning its first two career Grand Championships in a span of three weeks last fall. David says Machete Boys BBQ is shooting for bigger and better in 2023 and he gives us a rundown.

Meanwhile, it was a busy week of cooking for co-hosts Lyndal and Steve and they recap what was on the menu and what might be next on the smoker while also recapping the competition news of the last week.

Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Iowa BBQ Store #iowacornercookers
Clark Crew BBQ #clarkcrew
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq #proudsoulsbarbecueandprovisions
Randy Vanslyke and Pro Technology Solutions
Affordable Financial Services
Allquedup #arkassippicombo
Vietti Marketing Group #marketing 
In the Garden of Eden
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza

Have a great BBQ week and thanks for listening! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

On Episode 190 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we catch up with one of the busiest people in BBQ a day after the launch of not one, not two, not three … but SIX new Blues Hog spice rubs. Tim Scheer of Blues Hog, Gateway Drum Smokers and Marble Ridge Farms joins me with a description of each of the new rubs, plus a breakdown of a 2022 season that included a Memphis in May World BBQ Championship. The planning for a title defense next May on the riverfront is underway.

We also welcome a former show “Under the Radar” guest who’s now blazing quite a trail in the competition world. It’s Brian Peyton of Meat Me in St. Louis, fresh off his first KCBS Grand Championship against a star-studded field at the Atlanta BBQ Store Classic. Brian discusses that cook, plus other career highlights including a world baked beans championship at this year’s American Royal World Series of BBQ.

Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve preview their Thanksgiving cooking plans, touch on the merits of tofu turkey (not that anyone who eats tofu listens to this show) and take a quick tour of the sports world.

A big thanks to our great sponsor/marketing partners who make Season 4 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Fergolicious BBQ, Affordable Financial Services, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Pro Technology Solutions, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s.

We have just three episodes remaining in Season 4. If you’re interested in joining us as a show partner for Season 5 in 2023, shoot me an email at lscranton755@gmail.com

Have a great BBQ Week and thanks for listening! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Malcom loves “Fat Boy Fall”, full of fun flavors and festivities (00:41). Baseball is better than football to watch at the stadium (04:58). Our fan from Vermont sent us a box of goodies he makes from Maple Sap (09:40), and Malcom took it off his list of foods that he refuses try (18:07). We spent this past weekend at the Royal Oak Invitational (20:08), and Malcom got to try a new type of steak (29:27). The bathroom in the BBQ trailer smells like an old Memphis Zoo staple (41:58). This week’s recipe was a BBQ Chuck Roast (46:30), which Malcom paired with some jalapeno slaw (54:41). Malcom’s doing a Butter-Basted Turkey recipe for Traeger (1:00:50), and he’s already thinking about his Thanksgiving Turkey recipe (1:05:00).

This week on the HowtoBBQRight Podcast, we talk about Malcom’s new Picanha recipe video (03:43), and where he sourced the wagyu meat for the video (06:36). I ask Malcom and Craig how Wayu is pronounced (07:48). Craig talks about his new experiences cooking on a drum smoker (09:56), and then goes on to talk about a funny story at the SCA World Championship (12:38). I bring up one of Malcom’s oldest drum kits we smoked on (14:34), and he talks about the most expensive part of making his drum back in the day (15:30). Craig begins to discuss his Mossy Oak cooking experience (16:48), and Craig asks what Malcom’s favorite Mossy Oak Wild Game recipe was his favorite (19:06). The BBQ Ninja dives deep about his braised rabbit meal he did at Mossy Oak (20:52). Malcom briefly goes on about the different kinds of meats offered by GamekeeperMeats.com (24:20), and he talks about the uncertainties that came with traveling to Mossy Oak to cook (27:04). Craig reminisces about Malcom singing karaoke at camp (30:02), and how Craig killed a huge buck to be produced on a Mossy Oak video (31:40). Malcom tells a story about how his boots almost got burned by the Mossy Oak staff (35:42). I ask The BBQ Ninja about how many events he has been to this past year (37:00), and we discuss if Memphis in May will happen this year (38:03). Malcom jokes about the winter storm social distancing everyone for a week (39:45). The BBQ Ninja talks about his experience at IBCA comp (40:35) and the Dallas World Championship next week (45:00). He discusses the 2020-2021 Royal Oak Charcoal branded teams (46:15), and Malcom asks how the Royal Oak board goes about picking who is selected for those teams (48:26). Craig talks about events he is hoping to traveling to in the near future (1:03:00).

This week on the HowToBBQRight Podcast, we talk to Craig Verhage about how he joined the legendary Ubon’s BBQ team (2:56), where “The BBQ Ninja” originated (7:04) and the experience of Food Network’s Chopped Grill Masters (10:20). Then we talk about Craig’s new job with Royal Oak Charcoal (18:46) and how Royal Oak chooses their sponsored teams (22:48). Then we talk about cooking gator (29:32)! First we talk to Craig about how he hunts gators (32:24), how he learned to cook gator (36:25) and using Turkey Brine for gator (39:59) and why Malcom didn’t use Jolene (43:43). Then we get Craig’s famous chicken wing recipe (46:34).