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 timb1557@gmail.com
For Tim’s columns, see: timbryce.com
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Copyright © 2020 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
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I’ve got a friend who owns a family style restaurant offering basic comfort food. It’s not cheap, nor is it expensive either; just a family-run restaurant that offers basic home cooking. I’m sure you know such a restaurant in your neighborhood.
During my lifetime, I have read a considerable number of books pertaining to history, including the military, but I recently came across something for veterans and those currently serving in uniform, a combination cookbook and memoir dedicated to our men and women in the service. It is 240 pages of recipes and interesting military tales from our veterans. Titled 
Back in the 1960’s, teens gravitated to drive-in restaurants with “carhops,” who delivered food to your car, sometimes on roller-skates. This all changed with the burger chains, yet young people still showed up for shakes, burgers and fries. When I lived in Chicago, there was a local McDonalds where you went to hang-out and be seen with your friends. It was one of the original McDonalds, complete with the big golden arches out front and the “number served” sign updated regularly. More than anything, it was a social venue which propelled the restaurant.
I have a friend who owns and operates a family style restaurant nearby. It has been around for at least thirty years, maybe longer. I’m sure you have one in your neighborhood as well. Sometimes they are called “diners” or “grilles.” My personal favorites are the prefabricated or silver streamliner diners I would frequent up north.
Let’s face it, cooking a Thanksgiving dinner can be quite an undertaking. Whether it is a major family function or a gathering of friends, a considerable amount of work is required. First, the house needs to be cleaned (particularly if you are having guests for dinner), not to mention the dishes, pots and pans, glassware and cutlery. Then there is the researching of pertinent recipes in order to establish a menu. This is followed by several trips to the market to shop for everything from appetizers to dessert and everything in-between. On Thanksgiving Day, the kitchen is put into high gear, the likes of which is unlike any other day of the year. There is, of course, never enough counter space or cooking utensils. When dinner time arrives, the meal has to be served at the table, a few thoughtful words are spoken as a prelude to the meal, and everybody “digs in.” Afterwards, the kitchen has to be cleaned, and everything needs to be washed. What little is left of the bird is cutup for later consumption or to be given to guests to enjoy later as a snack. Finally, the garbage has to be disposed of, which can be substantial. Other than this, cooking a Thanksgiving dinner is a piece of cake.
When they have commercials on television for food, you often hear about its nutritional value. In a way, it is like when you were a youngster and your mother admonished you to eat your lima beans because it was “good for you.” I realize our taste buds change over the years, but I never acquired a hankering for lima beans, even to this day.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a Chili cookoff at a nearby town. For the uninformed, a “cookoff” is a cooking competition that concentrates on a particular dish, in this case, chili or “chili con carne” to be more precise, a spicy meat stew which is particularly popular in the South. There were a few dozen vendors in attendance and I took my time to sample all of them. I’ve tasted a lot of different interpretations of chili over the years, e.g., shredded beef versus ground beef, various types of chili peppers, textures, not to mention how served, such as on a bed of rice, on spaghetti, with corn bread, etc. Because of these many variations, I like to believe I have a pretty open mind when it comes to chili.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, probably because it has less to do with the marketing madness of Christmas, and more to do with family. Turkey Day has always been a big event in our household. We would get the kids up early to watch the parade on television, prepare the meal, feast, then close our eyes while watching football. In the last few years, we’ve started to invite friends over to the house at noon, which we call “halftime” before the big meals start, at which time we serve up Bloody Marys and cook up deep-fried turkeys for anyone interested (a southern specialty).
THE BRYCE IS RIGHT! 