Hello BBQ Gang! Here's what's going on in the world of the Illinois BBQ Society... ~ Grill It! with Bobby Flay ~ UPDATE! ~ 4th Annual Smokin' in the Park in LeRoy, Illinois ~ The Rib Rubber Report ~ Peter Cravath ~ World BBQ Championship Scheduled ~ Certified BBQ Judge's Class Filling Up ~ ILBBQS Featured to be Featured on Southern Illinois Radio Station ~ Upcoming Non-Sanctioned/Backyard Contests... ~ Upcoming KCBS Contests... ~ Upcoming Classes... x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x This eNewsletter brought to you by: Ace of Hearts BBQ Specialties ~ http://www.AceOfHeartsBBQ.com Home of The Good-One line of Smokers, Grills, and Accessories Watch for their cooking classes, coming to Illinois, featuring 8 time American Royal Champion Chris Marks of Three Little Pigs BBQ! Online: http://www.AceOfHeartsBBQ.com x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Grill It! with Bobby Flay Though we made the announcement over a month ago (after one of The Food Network Producers contacted us), and several ILBBQS members have already submitted their videos, The Food Network has granted an extension for video submission for the new Bobby Flay show, Grill It! You can even upload your video through their website for quicker submission, but you better hurry...deadline is April 10th! Visit ILBBQS.com to click over to their video submission page. *************************************** ~ UPDATE! ~ 4th Annual Smokin' in the Park in LeRoy, Illinois From contest organizers, Hap & Becky Zook: "The contest is June 14th with check-in Friday evening from 6pm - 8pm and on Saturday morning from 6am - 8am. This year we are adding a Grand Champion with $100 prize money and trophy and 1st -5th place trophies for all categories. (Pork ribs, Pork Shoulder or Butt, Beef Brisket, & Chicken)" For additional information, check out the Contest/Events page on ILBBQS.com! *************************************** The Rib Rubber Report ~ Peter Cravath OK. It's been a crummy winter; entirely too long, too cold, and I'm sure you'd agree, a bit confining. The storms are almost over, and after the snow melts, it'll be time to peek out to the now exposed covered grills and think of what would be an inaugural round to stand over by ol' Bessie; tip a cool one and grill up something hot, fast, and excitingly tasty. What could be simpler than "Bread Kabobs". Bread what? did he say? Yeah, BK's. Bread Kabobs. Read on. I picked this up 12 years ago during a grilling and smoking class at Kendall College, and have held on to it ever since. Aside from being just delicious, it requires a minimum of preparation. More on them in a second. A short aside about Kabobology: One of the comments I hear about grilling kabobs is that "The veggies are done before the meat is cooked,", they make to pouting faces. . .or: "The mushrooms and tomato's are falling off the skewer, and it's just a big mess". Here's my take: All is not lost in Micronesia. The solution: If you use tomatoes, use sun-dried tomato's that have been reconstituted, and haven't lost their structure which will keep them together. A fresh tomato is flimsy, and when heated will become more so, and get all soggy and lifeless. Use sun dried which will hold together, and as their flavor is concentrated as well; which adds points to in the flavor department. Other veggies that could disintegrate and fall off should probably be avoided, especially if they’re subject to rough handling on a hot grill. These would include thinly sliced mushrooms, and canned pineapple chunks. Pick them well, or avoid them altogether. Remember, you’re an artist and this is the way you wanted it. As far as having everything on the skewer being done at the same time, it's all in the cutting. It's better to have the meats cut to the size, that when they're cooked to your liking, the veggies are done that time as well. Larger cuts of meat need larger sized cut vegetables. If the meat cooks quickly, such as lamb or beef seared and crusted to medium rare, use a smaller size vegetable. Avoid thinly sliced onion placed next to a large chunk of marinated beef. That onion probably won't survive the trip and disembark from the skewer. Better to use 3-4 slices of the onion, and properly placed on the skewer together as a wedge. You get the idea. Asides aside, lets get to it... Bread Kabobs: You'll need: 3/4" chunks of good provolone cheese 1 baguette cut into 1" pieces 1 small container Sun dried tomatoes (either oil-packed, or, reconstituted in some warm water for an hour on the kitchen counter.) 1 cup garlic-flavored olive oil (You can buy it, or you can make this by adding fresh-pressed garlic to your favorite Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Figure 2-tablespoons garlic per cup of oil for flavoring it, or more if you want it really garlicky. Let that sit for 2-3 hours , and stir occasionally. EVOO does not include anything called "light" olive oil.) Kosher salt to taste Fresh ground black pepper Wooden skewers (Do not use metal skewers.) Pastry brush 1. Soak the skewers in warm water for 1/2 hour. I stick them in a water filled beer bottle; which keeps them submerged. 2. Light a fire and preheat your grill to medium. 3. Assemble the bread kabobs by threading onto the skewers and alternating; chunks of provolone, the bread, and slices of tomato. 4. Using a pastry brush to brush the kabobs with the flavored olive oil brush them well and turn to coat. Give it a good dose of salt and pepper. 5. On the grill; Turning frequently with tongs over direct heat, grill the kabobs to they are heated through, the bread chunks are toasty golden brown, and the tomato's are just starting to char. Don't worry, the cheese won't melt and fall off. The aroma at this point is outstanding. You should figure 1 medium sized skewer per person as an appetizer. More might spoil the party, but what a way to go. Cheers & enjoy. Do hang onto this; print it and keep it with your cookbooks. Peter *************************************** World BBQ Championship Scheduled As teams from all over the world fire up their smokers over the summer, some just may be warming up for World BBQ Championships, set for September 13th - 14th, 2008 in Belgium. $10,000.00 in prize money is what we've heard is up for grabs for this contest...check out www.SmokyCharly.be for more information. Speaking of $10,000...the rumor mill is a-churnin'... Official word has not yet been received, but reports are in that the Super City Blues & Ques (October ~ Metropolis, Illinois) will have over $10,000 in prize money! Check out the 'Contests/Events' page for contest information. *************************************** Certified BBQ Judge's Class Filling Up Hot on the heels of another successful Certified BBQ Judge (CBJ) Class, put on my KCBS President (and ILBBQS Member) Mike Lake, the Mt. Vernon CBJ Class is filling up fast! Troy Heitmeyer, organizer for the King City BBQ Showdown, has told us that there has been a lot of interest in the CBJ class. Expectations are that it will fill up before the April 19th class time; so if you're on the fence, or have decided to go but have yet to get your application sent in, please do so ASAP. This is the last scheduled CBJ class for the year in Illinois and promises to be another outstanding event. In connection with the CBJ class, Mike Lake will also be putting on a Certified Table Captain's class in Mt. Vernon on April 18th. For information and application to either of these classes, check out the 'BBQ Classes' link at the top of the ILBBQS.com website. *************************************** ON AIR... For those of you who are able to pick it up, the interview with Dr. Clinton Smith (Iron Pig BBQ) went well and is set to air on Saturday, March 15th at 9am Central, on WCXO 96.7FM. His weekly radio show (LifeSigns Radio) is a health talk show, and this week's show features both the Illinois BBQ Society and Julie Maschhoff from Maschhoff's Family Pork Farms. If you're not familiar with Maschhoff's, they are one of the largest privately owned pork producers in the country! We had a fun time in the studio with Dr. Smith and his co-host Lindsey...tune it in if you can! (Speaking of the Maschhoff's...they held a first-year contest last October that went very well. It was held in conjunction with their open house of their new 20,000 square foot office building; and utilized the teams to cook for the open house. It was a lot of fun. They are planning another contest this year on Sunday, October 5th, 2008...only catch is that only 'local' teams are being invited for this year's event. So, for those of you from Marion, Clinton or Washington Counties (in Illinois), be sure to contact Julie to reserve your spot for this year's contest. Though word hasn't come in yet for this year, last year's event was free for the teams AND they provided the meat! They're going to limit to 25 teams. You can get contact information and Details on the Contests/Events Page.) **Follow-Up** The show was a lot of fun...hope you caught it! If not, we are working on getting a copy of it that we'll add to the Podcast section of the ILBBQS.com website...stay tuned! *************************************** Upcoming 2008 Non-Sanctioned/Backyard Contests... (All info & web addresses are posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> Contests/Events) ~ May 24-25, 2008 - Nashville Lion's Club MaiFest - Contact: Rodney Small, Post Office Box 27, Nashville, IL 62263 - Phone: 618-327-3224 Fax: 618-327-8479 - E-mail: drsmall@accessus.net ~ June 14, 2008 - 4th Annual Smokin' in the Park - Contact: Hap & Becky Zook at 309-266-5078 or Jim & Anita Allen at 309-962-9388 - E-mail: bjzook@verizon.net or jaallen@msn.com ~ June 28, 2008 - 2nd Annual Galesburg Railroad Days Jaycees Rib Cook-Off - Contact: Sherry M. Kincaid - E-mail: ribcookoff@galesburgjaycees.org ~ August 31, 2008 - Kewanee Hog Days - Contact: Janie Metscaviz - Phone: 309-856-6160 - E-mail: mtscvz@yahoo.com ~ October 5, 2008 - Maschhoff's Pork Farm Backyard BBQ Cook-Off - Contact: Julie Maschhoff, 7475 State Route 127, Carlyle, IL 62231 - Phone: 618-594-2125 - E-mail: juliem@pigsrus.net **NOTE** This contest is only open to 'local' teams...those teams from Marion, Clinton, and Washington Counties in Illinois. ~ October 17-18, 2008 - Barn Burner BBQ @ Lamb's Farm - Contact: Claudia Stevens, 14245 W. Rockland Rd, Libertyville, IL 60048 - Phone: 847-990-3750 ~ Fax: 847-362-0742 - E-mail: crs@lambsfarm.org *THIS CONTEST IS PENDING KCBS SANCTIONING* *************************************** Upcoming 2008 KCBS Contests... (All info & web addresses are posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> Contests/Events) ~ March 28-29, 2008 - 2008 Kick-Off Cook-Off Classic in Hazelwood, Missouri - Contact: Greg Wilkinson - Phone: (314) 955-1104 - Online: http://www.BBQSauceReport.com - E-mail: gawilk@swbell.net ~ May 2-3, 2008 - Southwestern Illinois Spring Festival in Wamac, Illinois - Contact: Shane Swartzlander - Phone: (618) 533-5703 ~ Fax: - Online: http://www.gocentralia.com/springfestival - E-mail: 2chubby@sbcglobal.net ~ May 9-10, 2008 - CANCELLED - Dust Off Your Grill Backyard BBQ Cook-Off - Contact: Patty Peterson, 1000 Health Center Drive, Mattoon, IL 61938. - Phone: 217-258-2424 ~ Fax: 217-258-4135. - E-mail: ppeterson@sblhs.org ~ May 16-17, 2008 - The Randolph County Pig Party - Contact: Jason Vallett, 402 E. Broadway, Steeleville, IL 62288. - Phone: 618-965-3414 ~ Fax: 618-965-3177 - Email: jason@gregvallettautosales.com ~ May 24-25, 2008 - Red, White & Bar-B-Q - Contact: Jim Addington, 337 E. Traube Street, Westmont, IL 60559 - Phone: 630-443-2013 Fax: 630.443-2017 - E-mail: jaddington@ambankqc.com ~ June 13-14, 2008 - King City BBQ Showdown - Contact: Troy Heitmeyer, 104 N. 9th Street, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 - Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ Fax: 618-242-3383 - E-mail: troy@cmacsoft.com ~ June 13-14, 2008 - Elk Grove Rotary Ribfest - Contact: Ron Nunes, 701 E. Irving Park Rd, Ste. 200, Roselle, IL 60172 - Phone: 630-307-8744 ~ Fax: 630-307-8755 - E-mail: rnunes9457@aol.com ~ July 11-12, 2008 - Illinois State Championship & Butt to Butt Pork Invitational - Contact: Connie Smith, 301 E. Sunrise Drive, Shannon, IL 61078 - Phone: 816-864-2542 ~ Fax: 815-864-2825 - E-mail: rrribs@frontiernet.net ~ September 12-13, 2008 - The BBQ Throwdown & Jam - Contact: Jim Reincke, PO Box 924, Salem, IL 62881 - Phone: 618-407-3300 ~ E-mail: bbqthrowdown@gosalem.com ~ September 19-20, 2008 - - Carbondale Main Street Pig Out - Contact: Meghan Cole, 121 S. Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, IL 62901 - Phone: 618-529-8040 ~ Fax: 618-529-8041 - E-mail: info@carbondalemainstreet.com ~ October 10-11, 2008 - Central Illinois Bragging Rights - Contact: George Fritz, 136 S. Vine Street, Arthur, IL 61911 - Phone: 217-543-2181 - E-mail: bbq@arthuril.com *************************************** Upcoming Classes... (All info posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> BBQ Classes) ~ Certified Table Captain’s Class: Arthur, Illinois - 03/07/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.CIBR-BBQ.com - Contact Information: George Fritz ~ Phone: 217-543-2181 ~ bbq@arthuril.com ~ Certified BBQ Judging Class: Arthur, Illinois - 03/08/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.CIBR-BBQ.com - Contact Information: George Fritz ~ Phone: 217-543-2181 ~ bbq@arthuril.com ~ Certified Table Captain’s Class: Mount Vernon, Illinois - 04/18/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.SouthernIllinois.com - Contact Information: Troy Heitmeyer ~ Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ troy@cmacsoft.com ~ Certified BBQ Judging Class: Mount Vernon, Illinois - 04/19/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.SouthernIllinois.com - Contact Information: Troy Heitmeyer ~ Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ troy@cmacsoft.com *************************************** Upcoming BBQ Cooking Classes... (All info posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> BBQ Classes) ~ Shannon, Illinois - 4/4/08 thru 4/5/08 - Old School vs. High Tech BBQ Cooking Class - Instructors: Johnny Trigg & Rod Gray - Location: Eastland Middle School ~ 601 Chestnut Street ~ Contact Information: Rod Gray ~ rod@pelletenvy.com *************************************** If you have a BBQ related news item you would like to share with the group, be sure to send it in! There is an easy-to-use 'Submit News' button on our website at http://www.ILBBQS.com ...use it often! As always, if you have any pictures, stories, news items, comments, suggestions, questions, or ideas, let me know! Well folks, that's gonna do it for this year's news and updates. I hope you have a most wonderful, and safe, New Year! I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of you down the BBQ trail of 2008! Carpe 'Que, Jim Rhino