* Upright / inverted design leaves no grinding dust on table
* 45-degree angle top can be used like a spoon to sprinkle spices
* Washable mill allows cleaning before using with different contents
* Simple to adjust from coarse to powder fine
* Removable mechanism and polycarbonate-body mills dishwasher safe
* 20-year limited warranty on mechanism

And when you come by the store, pick up a complimentary recipe card for either Fiesta Spicy Chicken Wings or Jalapeno Poppers (a.k.a Atomic Buffalo Turds) in the BBQ sauce and rubs section at the back of the store.

Plus, don’t forget the lump charcoal, Traeger pellets, smoking wood, Weber Lighter Cubes and other supplies you need to fire up your grill or smoker!

* $50 Back on a Lil Tex Jr 055
The Lil’ Tex Jr has 292 square inches of cooking surface and comes with a 3-position (smoke, medium and high) thermostat.

* NEW! $60 Back on a Lil Tex 070
The Little Tex features 418 square inches of cooking surface and a three-position thermostat (smoke, medium and high settings).

* $70 Back on a Lil Tex Elite 07e
Traeger added all of the premium features of the Texas Cooker to the Lil’ Tex, and the Elite was born! With 418 square inches of cook surface, a digital thermostat that continuously regulates the temp of the cooker, upgraded casters and more, the Elite offers truly hassle-free cooking.

* $90 Back on a Texas 075
646 square inches of cooking surface are yours with the Texas Grill. Dial in your cooking temp with the handy digital thermostat, fill the hopper with all-natural hardwood pellets in the flavor of your choice, load up the cooking chamber with meat and let the Texas Grill smoke your food to perfection.

Fine print from Traeger:

Coleslaw Ingredients:
1 bag coleslaw mix
1 bunch green onions
½ bunch broccoli (cut up/diced into small pieces)
1 package ramen noodles (crunched)
1 cup sunflower kernels
1 cup almond slivers (toasted)

Dressing Ingredients:
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
1 packet oriental ramen noodle seasoning

Directions:
Mix the salad together separately from the dressing. Combine just prior to serving.  Dressing is best refrigerated overnight. 

SHOP NOW

View the photo guide for this recipe!

Growing up, my mom made Italian meatloaf in the oven stuffed with mozzarella cheese and smothered in marinara sauce. Not surprisingly, this delicious combination is still one of my favorites. But it hadn’t occurred to me until recently to try smoking the meatloaf prior to topping it with marinara. Jay and I did just that last Saturday at the store, with absolutely mouth-watering success. Try this Smoked (& Stuffed) Italian Meatloaf on your smoker for an entree that’s packed with flavor (& cheese!).

For those of you who are interested in making a slightly healthier, but just as tasty, version, I’ve also included a modified turkey version of the meatloaf below. I made the turkey version at the store last Saturday, as well, and received rave reviews from my husband and parents (and protests from Jay for ruining a perfectly good beef recipe)!

I derived the following recipes from my mom’s original recipe, Michael Chiarello’s Italian Meatloaf recipe, and advice I found on the internet for smoking meatloaf.

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small red pepper, seeded, diced
* 1 onion, diced
* 2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
* 1 pound ground beef
* 2 eggs
* 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Gia Russa Whole Grain Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs)
* 1 cup grated Parmesan
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
* 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (or more or less, to your liking)
* 1 cup marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Heat smoker to 250 degrees.
2. Saute the pepper, onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Set aside to cool.
3. When sauteed vegetables are cool, add them to the ground beef in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients, except Italian cheese blend and marinara sauce. Combine ingredients in bowl, but forget using a spoon! Use your hands to knead the mixture together (fun, huh?).
4. Place this mixture on a large piece of waxed or parchment paper and flatten into a large rectangle about 1/2″ thick.
5. Sprinkle the Italian cheese blend evenly over the top of the meat mixture.
6. Pull up one side of the parchment or waxed paper and begin to roll the meatloaf, using the paper to guide the meat so that it doesn’t break apart.
7. When roll is complete, press the ends of the meat together smoothly, so the cheese is completely enclosed. Add smoking wood of your choice to your firebox (we used cherry) and put meatloaf directly on the smoker grate or in a shallow pan.
8. Smoke meatloaf for about 2.5 hours, or until the internal meat temperature reaches about 150 degrees. Do not add more smoking wood.
9. Move meatloaf to a foil pan and top with marinara sauce. Place pan back in smoker for 20 – 30 more minutes until internal temperature reaches 155 – 160 degrees. Prior to putting the marinara-topped meatloaf back in the smoker, let the smoke die out. If your smoker is still producing smoke, tent the foil pan with foil so the marinara sauce doesn’t absorb smoke.
10. Remove meatloaf from smoker, slice and enjoy! I like to heat any remaining marinara sauce and spoon it over the top.

Smoked (& Stuffed) Italian Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small red pepper, seeded, diced
* 1 onion, diced
* 2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
* 1 pound ground turkey (I used 99% lean turkey breast)
* 4 egg whites
* 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Gia Russa Whole Grain Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs)
* 1 cup grated Parmesan
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
* 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (use less for a lower fat version)
* 1 cup marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Heat smoker to 250 degrees.
2. Saute the pepper, onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Set aside to cool.
3. When sauteed vegetables are cool, add them to the ground turkey in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients, except Italian cheese blend and marinara sauce. Combine ingredients in bowl, but forget using a spoon! Use your hands to knead the mixture together (fun, huh?).
4. Place this mixture on a large piece of waxed or parchment paper and flatten into a large rectangle about 1/2″ thick.
5. Sprinkle the Italian cheese blend evenly over the top of the meat mixture.
6. Pull up one side of the parchment or waxed paper and begin to roll the meatloaf, using the paper to guide the meat so that it doesn’t break apart.
7. When roll is complete, press the ends of the meat together smoothly, so the cheese is completely enclosed. Add smoking wood of your choice to your firebox (we used cherry) and put meatloaf directly on the smoker grate or in a shallow pan.
8. Smoke meatloaf for about 3 hours, or until the internal meat temperature reaches about 155- 160 degrees. Do not add more smoking wood.
9. Move meatloaf to a foil pan and top with marinara sauce. Place pan back in smoker for 20 – 30 more minutes until internal temperature reaches 160 – 165 degrees. Prior to putting the marinara-topped meatloaf back in the smoker, let the smoke die out. If your smoker is still producing smoke, tent the foil pan with foil so the marinara sauce doesn’t absorb smoke.
10. Remove meatloaf from smoker, slice and enjoy! I like to heat any remaining marinara sauce and spoon it over the top.

Note: The raw turkey version will be a bit stickier and less firm than the beef version. But don’t worry! Once you’ve rolled it, made your loaf and transferred it to the smoker, it will hold together just fine.

Make your reservation over the phone, by calling 816-587-9990!

Planning to compete in the North Kansas City BBQ this year on March 9th – 10th, 2012? This class will get you ready with a few weeks to practice in between!

Each student will learn to make incredible chicken, eat it for lunch, and will get his or her own half slab of baby backs to prepare from start to finish and take home at the end of class. The brisket and pork butts will be done in stages, with sampling done toward the end of class. Leftovers will be sent home with students.

Class Fee: $125, all inclusive. Payment is due at time of reservation. We accept all major credit cards over the phone.
Date: February 18th, 2012
Time: 10am – 3pm

I can’t resist a good cup of coffee. The aroma alone is enough to make me veer off course in the supermarket to grab a bag of freshly roasted beans. And when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is turn on my coffee pot.

So when Backyard Bash got a couple of coffee-infused products for barbecuing, I was curious about how the flavor of coffee could work with grilled and smoked meats. While coffee-flavored desserts are familiar to me and can be found on most any restaurant menu (and because my morning coffee may taste something like a dessert due to a liberal pour of flavored half and half), it had never occurred to me to use coffee grounds like any other spice on my rack for savory meats.

But according to gourmands the world over, it has just as much a place among the coriander, thyme, paprika and ground ginger bottles in your cabinet as do basil and oregano. In fact, ground coffee might just be the most versatile spice you own. Experts have identified over 900 unique flavors in coffee. Compare this to another favorite beverage/cooking additive, wine, which has around 600 identifiable flavors and you’ve got a veritable goldmine of flavors for cooking.

Roasted nuts, ripe dark berries, bittersweet chocolate and fruit-like undertones are just a few of the flavors found in many coffees that are naturally complimentary to meats. But cooks should take into account the strong flavor of coffee when using it in a spice blend. Coffee should enhance the flavor of your meat, not overwhelm it. So experts suggest balancing it with other robust spices to keep it from dominating.

So what spices pair well with coffee? Try a light-roast coffee, like an Ethiopian blend, mixed with lemon peel, orange peel, kosher salt and dried basil for chicken or fish. Or, for ribs or beef, try your favorite ground French roast or espresso with chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, kosher salt and pepper. Other flavors that mix well with freshly-ground black coffee are citrus, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt, garlic, ginger and pepper.

Besides contributing an incredible variety of flavors that compliment barbecued meats, coffee also helps to seal in juices and tenderize. Meats seasoned with coffee will be succulent and develop a beautifully caramelized exterior bark. But don’t limit yourself to using coffee in dry rubs for your savory cooking. For instance, a bit of coffee will intensify chili essence when cooking with peppers. Brewed coffee can also be partially substituted for stock or water in stews, sauces and baked beans.

At Backyard Bash, we carry two coffee-infused products: Dizzy Pig Red Eye Express and Roasterie Coffee Barbecue Sauce. Try these or make your own! I’ve included a list of links to recipes below so you can start experimenting in your own kitchen.

Millionaire Brisket with Coffee and Beer Mop Sauce
Ribeye Steaks Marinated in Coffee
Chipotle Java Rubbed Tenderloin
Black Coffee Barbecue Sauce
Chili Rubbed Baby Back Ribs W/ Dark Roast Coffee Barbecue Sauce
Slow-Smoked Turkey with Cane Syrup-Coffee Glaze
Dry-Rubbed Salmon Tacos with Tomatillo-Avocado Slaw

Trouble keeping a fire burning at a steady temperature for a long smoking session is one of the most common issues customers ask about at Backyard Bash. If you aren’t having any luck with the traditional method of adding lit charcoal every few hours, or if it just seems like too much work, the Minion Method might be for you.

Developed by Jim Minion on the fly at a barbecue contest, the Minion Method is as follows:

1. Start with a bed of unlit charcoal in your firebox.
2. Using a charcoal chimney, get a small amount of charcoal hot.
3. Pour the lit coals on top of the bed of unlit charcoal.

The lit coals will gradually catch the unlit coals underneath on fire, burning down through the charcoal over a long period of time. And remember, keep your air flow into the firebox low and steady, so that you can maintain a slower burn.

Though the Minion Method was originally developed using briquette charcoal, it works even better with lump charcoal. After finding that the ash from briquette charcoal caused the fire to go out prematurely after four hours or so, Big Dan of HomeBBQ.com found that when he used lump, he “quickly got the fire settled down to 220 and it stayed there – and held – and held – and 8 hours later the temp was still reading 220.” Further, Dan says, it stayed at that temperature for another two hours.

Backyard Bash Owner Jay Mathiesen is a big proponent of using the Minion Method on charcoal smokers. Jay recommends it regularly to customers using Weber Smokey Mountain Bullets, the cooker the method was originally developed for, as well as customers using certain offset cookers and ceramics, like the Primo. Items that he recommends to aid in this process are Weber Rapid Fire Charcoal Chimneys and Weber Lighter Cubes. Placing two lit paraffin Lighter Cubes under your chimney filled with lump charcoal will have your charcoal hot quickly, without the need for lighter fluid or newspaper.

So if you’re planning to smoke for more than a few hours, the Minion Method can take some of the hassle out of maintaining your fire and keep your temperature steady for the duration of your cook. Below, you’ll find links to some helpful articles on the Internet about the Method.

The Virtual Weber Bullet (April 11, 2007), “Firing Up Your Weber Bullet”

Home BBQ (August 15, 2008), “Building a Fire Using the Minion Method in an Offset Smoker”