Meat The Team: Queology - GrateTV on Blip
An awesome Team with a Tucker Cooker, they have won lots of awards!
(Source: blip.tv)
The Best Memphis Burger Fest was held September 30th at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, TN. For a first year contest in the rain it turned out great. Giving credit to a couple of hard working people like Tim & Seth and the great folks they were surrounded by. They were all quick to jump in and help where ever they saw a need.
The Tucker Cooker was made for all types of Barbecuing, but it is made for Great Grilling too. This contest showed off the Tucker Cooker abilities in an awesome way!
There were four different categories, Best Memphis Burger, Veggie Burger, Anything But Beef, and Extreme. Best Memphis Burger Prize went to “I Like Big Burgers And I Can Not Lie”
There were bands all day and even an all you can eat burger contest.
The proceeds from this event, $4000.00 benefited the Mid-South Spay & Neuter Services.
Drinking out of a mason Jar is a Southern tradition, maybe it has something to do with Moonshine, maybe it’s the Sweet Tea that Southerners love so. I would be inclined to say that since they have tops it was the best way to carry tea out to the hot dusty fields.
The Tucker Cooker Mason Jar (top not included) will be going in the Tucker Store next week. Sweet Tea not included, unless you want to pick up yours here at the Tucker Cooker Fire House, no moonshine though.
Saturday September 22nd is the first official day of Fall. With the cooler weather, outdoor activities abound. Unfortunately Barbecue contests come to an end for the year. Memphis in May is one contest all Barbecue Teams want to win, the other is the “Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue Contest”, otherwise known as “The Jack”, held in Lynchburg TN. This year The Jack will be held October 27th. Tucker Cooker sends our congratulations and the best of luck to the Teams that are good enough to get the chance to Win.
If you get the chance to attend the “Jack” I’d suggest you take advantage of it. It is a beautiful part of Tennessee, an amazing little Town and by all means tour the Jack Daniels Distillery. All of this is just one more reason Tucker Cooker is proud to be a Tennessean at heart.
There are several different types of ribs available, depending on the section of rib cage from which they are cut. Variation in the thickness of the meat and bone as well as levels of fat in each cut can alter the flavor and texture. The inner surface of the rib cage is covered by a layer of connective tissue / membrane that is difficult to cook tender; it is usually removed before marinating or cooking.
I believe most any Barbecuer will tell you they take the membrane off of their ribs. It isn’t difficult. I use a butter knife to stick under the outside edge of the bones, once I get it lifted so that I can get my finger under it I grab a paper towel and pull slowly and it comes right off. Once that is complete I either marinate them over night in apple juice, or apply rub, leaving it over night without marinating. The next day I either pour off the juice and apply rub to both sides, or if rubbed the night before just take them out of the refrigerator. Whether marinating or not I leave them out to get to room temperature. I prepare my Charcoal Box the night before, this makes getting to temperature a little earlier, or if you will be cooking all day. I use the Fuse Burn most every time I smoke using the Offset Firebox. It doesn’t get terribly cold in Memphis in the winter so I use all three pieces pretty much year round. I fill the Charcoal Box, with the Fuse Burn pieces in place, with briquettes and a couple of wood chunks, leaving enough room on one end to put a lit chimney in. Once the chimney is going I put it in the Charcoal Box and close the door. I know just how to set the vents in both the Firebox Door and the Door with access to the Grease Pan / Ash Pan, most Tucker Owners will learn how to get the right temperature within using it 2 or 3 times. I leave all four of those vents open about half way, I also close the Smoke Stack closest to the Firebox closed and the other open. Once the temperature is where I want it, usually around 225 degrees, I close one Vent on each end and close the other on each end about a 1/4” to 1/2 “. once it is at the correct temp. I put the ribs on, now about room temperature.
I have tried to learn what I can from different blogs or forums. One thing was the 3-2-1, and I like to use it myself. This method calls for is leaving the ribs directly on the grates, bone side down, for 3 hours. During this first 3 hours I spray them with juice once an hour or so.
Next the ribs are wrapped in tin foil for 2 hours.
Finally taken out of the foil for 1 hour, applying sauce for the last 30 minutes.
You can tell when ribs are cooked just right by using tongs to pick up the slab on one end, if it bends to almost breaking apart. Another way is to watch for the meat to pull away from the end of the bone.
Pictures here:
December 30th, 2011
With the New Year comes a new Tucker Cooker accessory, the Tucker Warmer! After a few prototypes, and lots of testing, we have just what we, and many Tucker Owners, were looking for.
Warmers have a stainless steel interior, holds full size steam table pans and has two vent controls to maintain the temperature you want.
We have also redesigned our Weather Covers. When you buy a Tucker you have the option of getting a cover with or without the Warmer extension. If you choose later to get a Warmer all you have to do is unzip the fire box end of the Cover, get the attachment and zip it on.
Stop by and take a look at what is going on, our doors are always open.
September 1st, 2011
What are your plans for the weekend? I am trying out a new rub and sauce, for ribs, on my Tucker Cooker. I am always happy to try out new products from Tucker Owners, they are always great. There are some very good cooks that own Tuckers and they always have great ideas. One example is Chef Karen Putman. She has written a cookbook, “Championship Barbecue Secrets for Real Smoked Food”, and developed recipes using her Tucker Cooker. There are recipes, not only for the traditional barbecue, but for almost anything you can imagine, she even shared the recipe she used in Ireland when she won the World Championship. She has given some very good tips from how to start your fire to which kind of wood works well for which meat. We hear from people that have bought her cook book that they can tell she developed recipes using her Tucker and even call it the Tucker Cooker Bible.
There are not only good rubs and sauces developed by Tucker Owners, but also caterers and even restaurants. Soon we will put up a new page on our web site with products and services by Tucker Owners. Keep checking out our web site and keep up with what is going on at Tucker.
Have a great Holiday weekend, get outside and enjoy the Summer, barbecue and spend time with Friends and Family!
