BRYCE ON LIFE
– It’s just plain “GOOD!”
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Some time ago, I wrote about, “The Joy of Slow Cooking,” meaning barbecue. I believe it to be a pleasant and unique cultural experience of the South. It requires planning, a knowledge of spices, and considerable patience. It takes awhile to learn how to smoke meat, and you will make mistakes along the way, but then you begin to figure things out and eventually become a “pit master.” It is also a good way to build friendships; after all, everybody loves food, and men are particularly drawn to the aroma of smoked meat. So much so, I’m surprised they haven’t invented a “smokey” perfume for women.
There are a lot of people to provide guidance in barbecuing, but one of the best is “BBQ Pit Boys” whom you can find on Youtube! They have produced several free instructional videos over the years on a wide variety of meats, everything from beef and pork, to bison, lamb, crab, fish and fowl, even alligator. What makes the Pit Boys interesting is they provide simple instructions, their creations are delicious, and more importantly, they make it fun. After watching their videos, you want to try your hand at recreating their recipes.
The Boys look like members of ZZ Top and occasionally bring firearms to the show for a little target practice while the meal is cooking. When I first started watching them, I somehow got the impression they were from Tennessee. The host, Bob Ahlgren, has a charming country voice reminiscent of the South. Surprisingly, I discovered the group was from the middle of Connecticut making them confirmed Yankees, and not Southern Boys.
After starting in 2007, their popularity grew at a whirlwind pace. Today, they have millions of hits on their videos (over 276m) and a worldwide audience, making them very attractive to advertisers. They are on just about every social network imaginable, including Facebook and Twitter. Today, they have an office to sell their “official merchandise,” consisting of 35 employees, and I am told their revenues are in the neighborhood of $7 million, not too shabby for a fun idea that blossomed into quite an enterprise.
I have personally tried a few of their recipes and have yet to be disappointed. My favorite by far is the “BBQ Pork Roast,” where I took a nine pound pork shoulder (with blade in), seasoned it and let it sit over night, then smoked it with apple wood (and juice in the drip pan) for eight hours. The meat fell off the bone easily and the seasoning resulted in a mouth-watering meal which I served to six hungry people. Even though it took a long time from start-to-finish, it was easy to do, and the taste was simply amazing.
I also had success with their “Bacon Firecracker Jalapeno Pepper Poppers” which is intended for adventurous spirits who love spicy food. It too was easy to prepare and went well with a few ice-cold beers.
For breakfast, I tried the “Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich” which was fabulous but too much for one person.
I also have my eye on their “Bacon Onion Rings,” “Grilled Pocket Burgers,” and their “Onion Burgers.” And, Yes, bacon is an essential ingredient for many of their recipes. Their standard seasoning is SPG (Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder) which they apply liberally, as well as other spices, such as Paprika, Cayenne pepper, cumin, and others, all of which are available from their “official merchandise” store. They also sell tools, grills, smokers, shirts, and just about anything else you need for smoking.
Their secret to success is to make their recipes look easy to make, and have a lot of fun in the process. The result is a massive fan club with over 17,000 chapters around the world, including a couple hundred here in Florida alone. They have even simplified the process to create a Chapter, which means more and more people are signing up and following them through their “newsletter.”
Once you start to peek behind the curtains, you begin to wonder if their Southern image is a gag, especially since they are from Connecticut. Frankly, it doesn’t matter as their food can turn the heads of critics who, quite frankly, they couldn’t care less about. Not only is the food good, but what we are witnessing is brilliant marketing. Think about it, you help your audience prepare good food while having fun and enjoying camaraderie in the process. That is a recipe for success if I ever saw one. As Bob Ahlgren would say, “It’s GOOD!”
Note: The author received no compensation for this article. He’s simply a fan.
Keep the Faith!
P.S. – Also, I have a NEW book, “Before You Vote: Know How Your Government Works”, What American youth should know about government, available in Printed, PDF and eBook form. This is the perfect gift for youth!
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Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at [email protected]
For Tim’s columns, see: timbryce.com
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Copyright © 2020 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
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