Although we do over twenty BBQ contests during the spring, summer, and fall, it seems that we never get much time at home to grill.  For lunch today, I crafted a couple of Inside Out Bacon Cheeseburgers.  Inside Out means that the bacon and cheese, along with some BBQ sauce, are inside of the burger.

To made an Inside Out burger, take a half pound of 80/20 or 70/30 ground beef.  Anything more lean and you are going to have a dry burger.  Split and form into two quarter pound meat balls.  Between two pieces of wax paper, take a heavy pan and smash the meat balls until they are paper thin.  Don’t worry about getting them too thin.  You are going to want them thin.

For our burgers, I added some bacon, BBQ sauce, and colby jack cheese to the top of one smashed patty.

Add the second smashed patty to the first.  Pinch the sides all the way around to seal the burger shut.  To prevent your burger from opening up while on the grill, place in the freezer or refrigerator for 10-20 minutes.  Overnight in the fridge is even better.  This allows the fat in the burger to cool an set up, keeping your burger together while it cooks.

A few sweet yellow onions sauteed in the reserved bacon drippings is a great way to top these burgers.  If you just can’t help yourself, add another slice of cheese to the top with the onions.  Go ahead and live a little!

Other great Inside Out combinations could be queso fresco/chopped jalapeno, blue cheese/fried onion, or brie/shitake mushroom.

In celebration of our back to back Grand Championship at the Wild Blue BBQ contest this weekend, our family enjoyed king crab with garlic potatoes and fresh corn.

The king crab was injected with garlic butter.  I melted a stick of salted butter four cloves of fresh garlic pressed onto the butter.  The melted butter and pressed garlic steeped so that the butter was infused with the garlic.  The liquid was injected into the crab legs and claw.  The remaining solids were used to flavor the potatoes.

The corn was prepped and cooked by Audrey and the boys.  It is so great to get the whole family involved in Sunday dinner.  Summer meals are the best!

Thanks to MUG’s Root Beer for providing Brew N BBQ kits for the following dads.  Should make their Fourth of July holiday a special one.

Nate & Jesse (Dad)

Buster Dog and Lil Buster Dog

Tom (Nice starter beard) and Nicole

Jimmy & the kids

Mike & daughter’s graduation

I’m the proud father of two adopted boys: Michael (5) and Christian (4).  Kids can drive you to laughter or tears in a moment.  Both of my boys love hanging with dad, especially around the smoker or in the kitchen.  At our house, Father’s Day is not about dad, it is about the family.  It is OUR weekend to camp, swim, see movies, whatever.

Here’s a recipe that we plan to make together and hope that you dads will also spend some time in the kitchen.  This is one that the kids will love, too.  It involves ROOT BEER, a kid favorite for generations.  This recipe is from the folks at MUG Root Beer.

1 Cup MUG Root Beer
1 Cup ketchup
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1/4 Orange Juice
3 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 T dark brown sugar
1 T molasses
1/2 t lemon peel
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder

Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.  Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.  Cool slightly.  Transfer to bowl.  Cover and refrigerate.  Can be made 2 weeks ahead; keep refrigerated.

WARNING!!!!  FREE STUFF AHEAD!!!!!

MUG Root Beer has offered a MUG Root Beer Brew-B-Q pack for my readers.  It includes everything shown in the picture above.  Not only do you get everything to make the BBQ sauce recipe above, but you also get an apron, lunch bag and enough MUG Root Beer for BBQ sauce and root beer floats.  The first 5 dads who send me a picture of themselves with their kids/grandkids will get a MUG Root Beer Brew-B-Q pack.  Send the photo along with your name and address to MUG@plowboysbbq.com.  Photos of all winners will be posted here on Father’s Day.

What to do with leftover, stale muffins?  Bread pudding of course, topped with a vanilla rum sauce.  First break the muffins into large pieces along with additional slices of bread.  Because the muffins have a high sugar content, the additional bread fills out the dish and reduces the sweetness a bit.
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
12 day old blueberry muffins
4 slices stale bread
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, combine butter and sugar process until well blended. Add cinnamon, and vanilla, and pulse to combine.  While the processor is running crack 3 eggs into the mixture. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add the heavy cream and pulse to combine.

Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add muffins and bread slices.  Scatter the fresh blueberries and gently mix to incorporate. Pour the egg mixture over the croissants; soak for 8 to 10 minutes. You will need to push muffin and bread pieces down during this time to ensure even coverage by egg mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 35minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes to brown the top. The bread pudding is done when the custard is set, but still soft. Allow to cool.

Vanilla, Rum Sauce
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick butter
1 T dark rum
1 T vanilla extract
1 T light corn syrup

Bring to boil in sauce pan.  Serve warm over bread pudding.

Ryan Newstrom of the Big T’z Q Cru from Ames, Iowa, earned Grand Champion honors June 6 in the Pork Checkoff’s 22nd annual Great Pork BarbeQlossal™ contest. Newstrom was awarded cash and prizes including the grand prize of $8,000. 

Randy Twyford of Twyford’s BBQ & Catering from Jacksonville, Ill., earned Champion honors of the Whole Hog category which garnered $2,500 for the top the prize. 

“The Great Pork BarbeQlossal contest shows pork’s versatility,” said Brad Greenway, a pork producer from Mitchell, S.D.  “This is another way to reinforce to consumers that pork can be a healthy, versatile product.”

The grand champion cooked in the three categories -loin, ribs and shoulder. The 2009 grand champion team placed third in the shoulder category and fifth place in the loin category.

Fifty-nine teams from 11 states competed in the annual pork barbecue contest held at the conclusion of the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. Of those, 18 were competing in the Great Pork BarbeQlossal for the first time. Teams competed in one or more of the four categories. Monetary prizes in the Great Pork BarbeQlossal are awarded for first through tenth places in each category, as well as the top four overall scores.

Reserve Grand Champion honors and $3,000 went to Todd Johns and Randy Hinck of Pork Pullin’ Plowboys from Blue Springs, Mo. The team placed fifth in the shoulder category and seventh in the loin category.

Each year, the top score from a single state also is honored. Special recognition was awarded to the top team from South Dakota - Jack Sieben of Rollin Smoke BBQ Team from Mission Hill, S.D.

Teams that were not recognized as a top-10 winner had an opportunity to win a Horizon smoker, donated by TNT Landscaping and Horizon.  Terry Harder of Harder Beer BBQ from New Vienna, Iowa, was awarded the smoker.  

Back by popular demand was the Big Green Egg® Scramble. Five teams were selected to participate in the Big Green Egg Scramble. The teams were provided a basket of pork, which included a new pork cut, the pocket roast. They prepared their pork on a Big Green Egg grill for a chance to walk away as Big Green Egg Scramble champion. Todd Johns of Pork Pullin’ Plowboys from Blue Springs, Mo., received a Big Green Egg grill as the grand prize winner. 

This annual contest highlighted barbecue techniques from across America.  The Great Pork BarbeQlossal contest is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and follows its rules and regulations.  Sponsors for the Great Pork BarbeQlossal contest included the Pork Checkoff, Cargill Meat Solutions, John Boos Company, W&G Marketing, Big Green Egg®, Electronic Engineering, Iowa Beverage, Pepsi America, Dibs ice cream, the Iowa Machine Shed, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Hy-Vee, Hormel Foods and Cookies Food Products.

The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management. For information on Checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-PORK or check the Internet at www.pork.org.

Results of 2009 Great Pork BarbeQlossal

Whole Hog
1^st Place - $2,500 Randy Twyford, Twyford’s BBQ & Catering - Jacksonville, Ill.
2^nd Place - $1500 Jack Sieben, Rollin’ Smoke BBQ - Mission Hill, S.D.
3^rd Place - $1000 Todd Johns & Randy Hinck, Pork Pullin’ Plowboys - Blue Springs, Mo.
4^th Place  - $800 Karen Putnam, Flower of the Flames - Kansas City, Mo.
5^th Place - $500 Bob & Don Denner, Boondoggle BBQ - Lees Summit, Mo.
6^th Place - $215 Fred Horstman, 4 Mile Smokin’ Crew - Pleasant Hill, Iowa
7^th Place - $215 Stephanie Wilson, The Slabs.com - Kansas City, Mo.
8^th Place  - $215 Jay & Ray Ringgenberg, Smokehouse 72 - Colo, Iowa
9^th Place - $215 Steve Wasson, Woody’s Smoke Shack - Des Moines, Iowa
10^th Place - $215 Nate Montover, Holy & Oly’s - Calamus, Iowa

Ribs
1^st Place - $1,000 Mike Beauchamp, Grumpy Old Farts - Des Moines, Iowa
2^nd Place - $800 Randy Twyford, Twyford BBQ & Catering - Jacksonville, Ill.
3^rd Place - $600 Stephanie Wilson, The Slabs.com - Kansas City, Mo.
4^th Place - $500 Rod Gray, Pellet Envy - Leawood, Kan.
5^th Place  - $350 Mark Grieco, Four Men & A Pig - Olathe, KS
6^th Place - $125 Todd Woodsmall, Urban Q Boys - Johnston, Iowa
7^th Place - $125 Rooster Roberts, Florida Skin & Bones - Tarpon Springs, Fla.
8^th Place - $125 Dob & Don Denner, Boondoggle BBQ - Lees Summit, Mo.
9^th Place  - $125 Karen Putnam, Flower of the Flames - Kansas City, Mo.
10^th Place - $125 Jason & Erica Hering, Feeding Frenzy BBQ - Perkins, Okla.

Shoulder Category
1^st Place - $1,000 Joe Rosenberg, Farm Boy BBQ - St. Ansgar, Iowa
2^nd Place - $800 Mike Lake, Rock River BBQ - Shannon, Ill.
3^rd Place - $600 Ryan Newstrom, Big T’z Q Cru - Ames, Iowa
4^th Place - $500 Fred Horstman, 4 Mile Smokin’ Crew - Pleasant Hill, Iowa
5^th Place - $350 Todd Johns & Randy Hinck, Pork Pullin’ Plowboys - Blue Springs, Mo.
6^th Place - $125 Joe Morgan, Tick Ridge Smokers - Hedrick, Iowa
7^th Place - $125 Doug Casten, Smokers Purgatory - Johnston, Iowa
8^th Place - $125 Jack Sieben, Rollin’ Smoke BBQ Team - Mission Hill, S.D.
9^th Place - $125 Don Will, Smoker’s Wild - Paola, Kan.
10^th Place - $125 Ray Carlson, Big Bubba’s Roadhouse - Coon Rapids, Minn. 

Loin Category
1^st Place - $1,000 Shad Kirton, A Boy & His BBQ - Grimes, Iowa
2^nd Place - $800 Johnny Trigg, Smokin’ Triggers - Alvaredo, Texas
3^rd Place - $600 Greg Anthony, Ribs 4 U - Paola, Kan.
4^th Place - $500 Jim Woodsmall, Jumpin Jim’s BBQ - Johnston, Iowa
5^th Place - $350 Ryan Newstrom, Big T’z Q Cru - Ames, Iowa
6^th Place - $125 Randy Twyford, Twyford’s BBQ - Jacksonville, Ill.
7^th Place - $125 Todd Johns & Randy Hinck, Pork Pullin’ Plowboys - Blue Springs, Mo.
8^th Place - $125 Darren Warth, Iowa’s Smokey D’s - Des Moines, Iowa
9^th Place  - $125 Bob & Don Denner, Boondoggle BBQ - Lees Summit, Mo.
10^th Place - $125 Stephanie Wilson, The Slabs.com - Kansas City, Mo.

Top 4 overall scores

4^th Place - $2,000Shad Kirton, A Boy & His BBQ - Grimes, Iowa 

Reserve Champion - $2,500 Greg Anthony, Ribs 4 U - Paola, Kan.

Reserve Grand Champion - $3,000 Todd Johns & Randy Hinck, Pork Pullin’ Plowboys - Blue Springs, Mo.

Grand Champion - $8,000 Ryan Newstrom, Big T’z Q Cru - Ames, Iowa

This was our dessert category entry at the Smokin on the Creek BBQ contest at Sugar Creek, MO.   Cheesecake was mixed with diced fresh strawberries and a strawberry glaze and formed into large balls.  Then everything was dipped in dark chocolate and set onto slivered almonds.  Garnished with fresh strawberries on a simple white platter.

The dessert pictured above placed 6th out of 28 entries today.  Dessert is a very challenging category because of the very high talent of dessert competitors.  I don’t consider myself one of those people at all.  Thus, I’m very proud of how this finished.

Meatloaf is one of life’s comfort foods.  Add some mini burger buns, melted cheese, mayo, and a splash of worchestershire.  You’ve got meatloaf sliders.  Meatloaf on the go!

My son Michael (5) will have his first BBQ contest this year on April 4.  His only competition has been this same location, Pleasant Hill, Missouri, last year when he was four years old.  He placed 3rd in chicken and 4th in hamburger in his age group.  Came home with a trophy for 3rd place.  He got his own Big Green Egg last year when we won a BGE through Kooker’s Kare.  I made him a table just his height.  This weekend, he wanted to practice.  Today was chicken wings.  Tomorrow will be hamburgers.

Michael had his choice of rubs.  Of course, he chose our Yardbird rub.  No pressure, no pressure.  I gave him a couple of options for sauce: BBQ sauce, traditional wing sauce, or a honey glaze.  He went with the honey glaze.  An excellent choice.  The wings were GREAT!

A sample bag of BBQers Delight Hickory pellets were used for flavor.

Apparently, it helps to stick your tonque out a bit as you apply your seasoning.  Michael’s ready for competition!  He’s improved a lot since last year.  His ability to use tongs, apply rub and glaze has gotten a lot better.  He’s excited.  He’s been asking every day this week to practice on this “Little Green Egg”.