Memphis Blue/Gray Game Trophy

We won this trophy for a 1st Place finish in the sauce category at the University of Memphis Spring Game BBQ contest.

This turkey was the main course for our Christmas dinner.  It was brined overnight in a mixture of water, apple juice, orange juice, and a variety of spices.  After it was pulled from the brine, a paste consisting of McCormick’s Applewood Rub and olive oil was applied in and out.  Finally, it was smoked several hours using some cherry wood.

Tasted great…very juicy, great mix of sweetness and spice….

Several of the Swine-O-Mite BBQ team members are alumni of The University of Memphis and football season ticket holders.  Although our Tigers just finished a “rebuilding year” with a new coach and a dismal record of 1-11, we did end the season on a good note….we discovered we have BACON represented on our team!!!!

A link to BACON’s bio is here.  BACON is a freshman, so we hope to see a lot more of him in the coming years.

Go Tigers!!!

“I learned long ago, never wrestle with a pig.  You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.”

- George Bernard Shaw

One of those tidbits was the suggestion to “cook individually”.  Each slab of ribs, each shoulder, and even each burger, should be prepped and cooked as an individual.  They are each unique, and will reach the point of “doneness” at different times.  As a cook, one should respect that uniqueness and prepare accordingly.

Some of the factors that affect the “uniqueness” of a piece of meat:  thickness, fat content, placement in the smoker/grill, bone in/out, volume of meat relative to the smoker, methods of marinating, etc.

When we cook ribs, for example, we will try and “group” the slabs so that the thicker ones are on the same rack, and we check these groups of ribs throughout the cooking process.  But, it happens when one slab within a group finishes up quicker or more slowly than another.  We haven’t done a good job at cooking individually, and thus our final product may not be as good as it could be.

Cooking individually will take a little more time, but it is probably well worth the effort if you want a more consistent piece of meat.

The results are in for the Arlington BBQ Burnout held on October 16, and it was a fairly respectable contest for Swine-O-Mite.

We finished 10th (out of 27) in the Rib category, and scored a 1st place finish in the Sauce category!

The Arlington contest is one of our team’s favorites.  It’s well organized, close to home, and has some great teams show up to compete.  Contact the organizers here if you’re interested in competing next year.

This shot was captured at a recent University of Memphis football game tailgate.

This setup comes complete with a horn, beer holder/koozie, cooler, and a loaf of bread to go with whatever was cooking on the grill.