smokinghotconfessions

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  

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  

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 

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  

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 

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 

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/

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/ 

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

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/ 

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/