smokinghotconfessionsbbqpodcast

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  

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  

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  

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  

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 

Chad Griffin is without a doubt the quintessential Aussie. He loves his family. Loves BBQ. Loves a cold beer. And he loves helping his mates. In fact, he's got a reputation for helping out his mates in the BBQ industry, be it in BBQ catering or competition BBQ. I've personally seen this guy helping out his mates as far north as Brisbane and as far south as Melbourne. And every time I've seen him, he's happy as, with a big smile on his face and loving BBQ life. 

Now, as well as helping his friends get their BBQ businesses off the ground, Chad has also built himself a career in Content Marketing, specifically video marketing and vlogging. Formerly, he was employed in content management for a major national outdoors brand, responsible for their YouTube cooking channel and is personally responsible for introducing thousands upon thousands of people to low n slow BBQ. He's also held similar digital marketing roles in both big business and small business, but now he's striking out on his own with his newest venture 'Wingy's Wicked Q'. It's a YouTube cooking channel which will be producing cooking videos all about BBQ, teaching people how to make delicious smoked meat such as pulled pork, brisket and ribs, all done over charcoal. 

In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Chad and I get into:

• His experiences and thoughts on pellet grills, specifically the Weber SmokeFire pellet grill (7:20)
• His most recent purchase - a PK Grills PKTX (10:06)
• How TV's 'BBQ Pitmasters' influenced him (15:20)
• His experiences working in content marketing for 4WD Supacentre (16:53)
• His newest role in managing a BBQ retail business (26:11)
• What it's like working in a Weber store (30:50)
• His new YouTube cooking channel 'Wingy's Wicked Q' (33:24)
• Tips and Hints that he learned from his time in BBQ Catering (39:14)

This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next Barbeque, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:

https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au   

If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!

To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to:

https://smokinghotconfessions.com  

Check out our award winning eBooks, 'The Bacon Manifesto' and '27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ' on our website:

https://smokinghotconfessions.com/ebooks/

A change is as good as a holiday, and in this episode, we head over to New Zealand to talk all thing bbq with Alex Lawson, cohost of the Barbecue Base Podcast. Not only is Alex a BBQ guru and host of a great BBQ podcast, he is also the Pit Boss of the competition bbq team Burnt Beginnings BBQ. 

With a solid twenty year career in marketing and advertising under his belt, he's now focussing his attention on building a strong BBQ brand. He's doing this on two fronts, with content creation (the podcast) and dominating in low n slow bbq competitions. As a result, he's built a reputation as being a one of New Zealand's top BBQ Pitmasters. 

In this Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Alex and I get into:

• Our mutual love of BBQ chicken wings and Alex's fascination with South Carolina BBQ Sauce (5:24)
• His favourite new lump charcoal grill, a PKTX from PK Grills (9:35)
• The Barbecue Base Podcast story (15:48)
• His Burnt Beginnings BBQ competition team, and their perfect scoring wagyu brisket with burnt ends (26:59)
• Tips and tricks to build a strong BBQ brand including content creation and social media (40:57)

Barbe Con is coming, June 26th and 27th. Follow us on all the socials for more info soon!

New to the world of low and slow barbeque? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ' over on our website:

https://smokinghotconfessions.com

What's the deal with the Kamado Joe? Matt Harris from Shire Smokers Barbecue leads me down the rabbit hole of ceramic obsession and does his best to induct me into the Kamado Cult. With claims of being able do a smoked brisket in 5 hours, I have to admit - he's close to getting me over the line!

Shire Smokers Barbecue is one of the oldest teams on the competition BBQ circuit in Australia and have seen the scene change a lot over time. As a result Matt is well respected on the circuit, at one stage holding the record for highest BBQ chicken score. Matt spends a lot of time giving back to the BBQ community, running classes, founding the largest Kamado group on Facebook, and running charity side-competition with... ahem... devon, raising money for local schools and other great organisations.

In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Matt and I get into:

• Matt's barbeque origin story (13:58)

• How Montreal Smoked Meats changed his life (16:03)

• His competition team, Shire Smokers Barbecue (22:14)

• The for-charity Devon competition he runs every year at the Kangaroo Valley Craft Beer & BBQ Festival (34:13)

• How to BBQ Right on a Kamado Joe (42:02)

This Episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, Meat N Fire Media Services. To save $100 off their 'Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Marketing' course, use the codeword 'Podcast' at checkout!

https://meatnfiremediaservices.com/

New to the world of smoked meat? Grab your free copy of our ebook 'The Beginner's Guide to Real BBQ' at our website:

https://smokinghotconfessions.com/ 

RG has fast become a staple of the Adelaide BBQ scene. And it's little doubt why. A one minute conversation with founder Rik Carr and it's easy to see why. 

Rik has boundless energy and he directs 150% of it into his passion for meat and BBQ. Indeed, his passion for BBQ has led him into not one, not two, but three different careers within the meat industry. And he brings the culmination of that knowledge to RG - his BBQ store and food truck. 

In this episode we find out about Rik's various careers in the meat industry and how he settled on RG. We get into the shop and discuss the importance of branding, and about how 'the experience' is equally as important as the food itself. We then get into the the advantages and disadvantages of running a food truck and talk about how a food truck can get your business by during these difficult times. We learn about how the BBQ community has got behind him and helped him on his journey, and finally, we close out the episode with a lesson on BBQing at scale, including Rik's Top Three tips for folks looking to open up a BBQ business of their own. 

Today's episode is sponsored by Meat N Fire Media Services. If you need help with your digital or social media, MnF have your back. Make sure you check out their new online course: 'Brand Building through Strategic Social Media Marketing' at:

https://meatnfiremediaservices.com 

Stagg and Co founder, Scott Bothe is our guest in this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast. An Australian first, Stagg & Co are a BBQ dedicated co-packer that is committed to helping Australian BBQ brands make a name for themselves and get their products out into the world. Scott himself is no stranger to the BBQ world and has already conquered the scene in Australia, being one half of the 2017 Australasian Barbecue Alliance Grand Champion winning team. He’s even represented Australia at The Royal, in Kansas City - the most famous BBQ competition in the world. Now he has a new team, Bison BBQ, and managed to GC their very first competition straight out of the gate. 

In this interview, we find out about Scott’s experiences with competition BBQ, his proudest achievements in the world of meat and fire as well some hilarious things that have been less than an ‘achievement’! We then move into the story behind Stagg & Co, learning about how it was formed and what they do. This is fascinating for anybody looking to take their spice rubs to market. Scott also drops some great tips for people developing recipes right now. 

Finally, we move into the third segment where Scott shares some tips and advice not only for competing solo, but also for competing FIFO. That is, ‘Fly In Fly Out’. He draws on his extensive experience doing this around Australia and the United States and shares some surprising information about his record doing so. 

This is a great episode and is a real insight into the booming business of BBQ in Australia. 

For the best looking BBQ t-shirts, hoodies, caps and more, check out:

https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/ 

The Townsville BBQ Battle was a highlight of the 2019 BBQ Competition Circuit - and I’m not the only one to say so. It was the perfect combination of sunny Queensland weather, a beachside location, and an incredibly warm and welcoming public. In fact, on a per capita basis, the Townsville BBQ Battle had a better turnout than any Festival I’ve been to before. Quite the feat for a debut event. 

But all that has changed for 2020. 

In this episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, I chat with Dan Wilschefski, a co-founder of the Townsville BBQ Battle. We get into the ins and outs of the competition, learning how they managed to pull off such an incredible BBQ festival on their first run out of the gate. We also talk about the monumental changes they’ve had to put in place for 2020. Like so many other events, the Townsville BBQ Battle is unable to go ahead in 2020 due to Covid. So, the 2020 Townsville BBQ Battle is going Virtual!

To find out more about the festival, be sure to head on over to their page on Facebook, throw them a ‘Like’ and turn on Notifications to make sure you don’t miss any of the action: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/874201009724033/ 

Winter is here! Check out our range of winter merch in our online shop:

https://www.smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/

Another podcast that was also recently recognised by the National Barbecue and Grilling Association’s Annual Excellence Awards was the BBQ Beat Podcast. Kevin Sandridge is the host and does a fantastic job covering the BBQ scene in the United States. Similar to the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, the BBQ Beat podcast has episodes that are deep dives with industry experts as well as LIVE episodes that are recorded on site at BBQ festivals and competitions. Make sure you subscribe to the BBQ Beat podcast for more delicious goodness in your earbuds.

In this episode, Kevin and I chat about the BBQ scenes in our respective countries and Kevin gets the full backstory on Smoking Hot Confessions - where we came from, how we grew, and where we’re going from here. Enjoy!

Check out the BBQ Beat Podcast on Spotify:

https://spoti.fi/2VpRm1R