ALO: Strange Brew Redo

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

A little over a month ago I posted an article about the strange press releases I receive due to my BBQ blogging. In that post, I poked fun at a drink called ALO, an aloe-based beverage.  At the time, I wrote:

Well, I guess my first question would be what the heck does this drink have to do with barbecue?  I honestly can’t think of a drink I’d be less likely to consume while tucking into a plate of BBQ than aloe vera juice… unless I burned  my tongue on a rib. That said, I am duly impressed that ALO Drink is the “#1  ready-to-drink aloe vera beverage in the U.S.”: I mean, there is more than one such drink?  No wonder people think the end times are near…

Well, the company promoting ALO called my bluff and shipped me a case of the stuff.  Now that’s good PR.  So I tried it. The drink, with chunks of aloe suspended in it and unusual flavor combinations like aloe/mangosteen/mango and aloe/pomelo/pink grapefruit/lemon, is a bit different to say the least.  My first sips were not enjoyable, but before long I acquired the taste and was sucking down ALOs like so many bottles of Cheerwine.

The relevant question, of course, is would ALO pair well with barbecue?  The answer: never talk about “pairing” and barbecue in the same sentence or I may have to smack you.  Oh, and yes.  ALO would work fine with barbecue. It’s on the sweet side and the flavors (aside from wheat grass, which goes well with nothing except the drain) would complement pork fairly well.  Still, don’t tell anyone if you do it. I’m not sure how the barbecue gods would react to such an affront, but if you close your eyes and imagine you are drinking iced tea they might forgive you… I will.

 

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Imminent Disaster in Washington, D.C.

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

If you’ve paid any attention to the news lately, you are aware that a major crisis looms for our nation.  Indeed, I witnessed the crisis in person when visiting Washington, D.C. recently.  In addition to the proliferation of BBQ sub sandwiches in and around our nation’s capital, our federal government faces an imminent disaster of its own creation.

Dinosaur meat?

Yes, I am referring to the faux ‘cue that has made its way into the very heart of our nation’s capital.  A trip to the Atrium Cafe* at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History revealed a menu with a few barbecue choices, including “Carolina style pulled pork.” At a steep $12.95 for a plate with two sides, I nearly skipped this meal but my thirst for knowledge hunger for pork prevailed.

While the museum’s large collection of prehistoric fossils and other remnants of America’s natural history may be authentic, the Carolina style barbecue is not.  Indeed, if I curated a barbecue museum I wouldn’t let the soggy, slow cooker-style swine pictured at left into my building, let alone feature it in my cafeteria.  From the taste (no smoke and a half-hearted imitation of NC sauce) to the texture (pulled rather than chopped, as well as soggy), the Atrium Cafe’s barbecue is not fit for inclusion in a hallowed Smithsonian institution.

I dare say that pigs are a more relevant part of America’s natural history than dinosaur bones and other dusty old relics.  I wish our nation’s leaders would take action to force the Museum of Natural History to address the current cafeteria situation before it becomes a crisis. I am setting an August 2nd deadline for Congress to take action.  If not, I will refuse to eat pork at a federal museum until true Carolina barbecue is served.  Better yet, each federally funded cafeteria should serve both Eastern- and Lexington-style barbecue.  This would be a true “balanced solution” to the present problem.  Please contact your elected officials and urge them to take action.

*Editor’s note: We have heard reports that the Atrium Cafe will soon be renamed the Debt Ceiling and will have its hours cut dramatically.

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Foodie: A Short, Dark Comedy Horror Film

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

As North Carolina’s most powerful Jewish barbecue blogger, I have a large bully pulpit (and you know what they say about guys with large bully pulpits).  From time to time I use that power to try and help make the world a better place.  Today is not one of those times.

Instead, I am using my bully (swiney?) pulpit to plug a new film being produced by a couple of buddies of mine.  Eric “Raw BBQ” Calhoun and the Rev. Eryk Pruitt have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the film, Foodie, which they describe as follows:

“Foodie” is a short, dark comedy horror film about, well, foodies.  Our hero, an aspiring restauranteur, is invited to an exclusive gourmet dinner party finds much more on the menu than he bargained for…

Intrigued?  Check out a short video preview at this link on Kickstarter or visit the project website. Aside from having the opportunity to say you helped kickstart a film being made by two guys named Eric/Eryk who spell their name wildly differently, your donation will get the project off the ground and get you in line for rewards like DVDs of the film, dinner from a terrific Durham chef, and more.  Plus, both Eric and Eryk are barbecue enthusiasts and I’m sure they’d appreciate some help from their barbecue brethren.

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Farewell and Spar for the Spurtle

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

Fly your barbecue flag at half mast, for today is my brother-in-swine Conor’s final day in North Carolina.  Despite developing a strong affinity for barbecue during his several years in the Tar Heel state, he is returning to his salmon-crazy homeland of Seattle.  In honor of Conor’s return to the west coast, allow me to post the below message from a typical, barbecue-ignorant west coast company, Bob’s Red Mill:

“Hi Porky-

I’m writing to follow up with you on the information I sent about Bob’s Red Mill’s Spar for the Spurtle Recipe Contest.

Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods recently announced its first ever Spar for the Spurtle Recipe Contest, which invites home cooks and professional chefs alike to submit videos demonstrating a unique recipe that makes use of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats – the World’s Best Oats. From the entries, three finalists will be flown to Portland, Ore. to compete in a live cook-off, in which the winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Scotland, to represent Bob’s Red Mill in the 18th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, $2,500 in cash, and several other prizes. The deadline to submit a video is July 30, 2011.

Full details, images and a 2011 Spar for the Spurtle prep video that you can download or post on your blog are available at http://pitch.pe/156688.  For additional Spar for the Spurtle information, please see the contest website. Also, check out Bob’s Red Mill on Twitter and Facebook.”

See what you are getting into, Conor?  So long barbecue and hello oatmeal.  Still, may the pork be with you in your new life, Swinefactor.  Keep in touch and do let me know what a spurtle is when you get a chance.

Good luck finding a view like this in Seattle, buddy.

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Ah, Vacation

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

I just returned from a week-plus in cool but sunny northern Minnesota. I am relaxed but woefully behind on BBQ Jew posts (among other parts of my life). Bear with me as I catch up over the next few days. For now, suffice it to say that the good people of Minnesota have no idea what barbecue is or how to cook it–at least judging from the couple of sample I had up there. But it is a beautiful, friendly state.  More before long…

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Happy Fourth of July

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

Happy July 4th, readers.  I hope you are celebrating America’s birthday in style, or at least with a day off of work.  In case you are feeling extra patriotic today, visit America’s neighborhood store, Ebay to obtain these Patriotic Pig Salt & Pepper Shakers.  I’ve got $10 that these lovely creatures are made in China, but you can only prove me wrong if you buy ’em.

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A Reason to Tweet

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

As you may be aware, if you are hip to all the latest jive, a few months ago BBQJew.com took to the Twittersphere.  Truth be told, I am not yet particularly excited about Twitter, but my opinion may be changing.  One of my latest Twitter followers is this guy, who has the best bio I’ve yet to see on Twitter or perhaps anywhere.  “Soliliquist, picklemaker, heirloomist, & water walker.”  Hard to top that, though the ampersand is lazy.

              Soliliquist, picklemaker, heirloomist, & water walker.

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The Wild World of BBQ Blogging

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

One of the more fascinating aspects of barbecue blogging is the number of unsolicited messages I get from folks pushing their (sometimes) barbecue-related products. From BBQ sauce companies to grill stores to cookbook publishers, I get several emails a week seeking to drum up publicity for whatever it is they are selling.  I can only imagine what a less obscure blog with more readers must receive in PR-mail.

Among my recent favorite messages to reach my inbox are these two gems:

“Dear Porky,

How about a post on refreshing beverage savings ideal for summer? ALO Drink, the #1 ready-to-drink aloe vera beverage in the U.S. natural market, is offering a 50 cent coupon when you Like ALO on Facebook.

IMG_9276-(1)WEB.gifhttp://www.facebook.com/ALOdrink

Made with real aloe vera pulp and juice straight from the aloe vera plant – never reconstituted from powder, ALŌ Drink contains 25% aloe vera pulp and juice content, is naturally full of vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids, and is completely Free of preservatives, artificial colorings, artificial flavors, emulsifiers or thickeners. Available in exotic flavors like mangosteen and mango or pomelo, pink grapefruit and lemon, ALŌ extracts only the desirable inner aloe pulp by using a hand-filleting method, instead of including the non-nutritious green outer skin as part of its blend.

More information can be found at www.alodrink.com.  Please let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information.”

Well, I guess my first question would be what the heck does this drink have to do with barbecue?  I honestly can’t think of a drink I’d be less likely to consume while tucking into a plate of BBQ than aloe vera juice… unless I burned my tongue on a rib. That said, I am duly impressed that ALO Drink is the “#1 ready-to-drink aloe vera beverage in the U.S.”: I mean, there is more than one such drink?  No wonder people thing the end times are near…

“Hi Porky,

I thought you and your readers might be interested in participating in the following Facebook contest!  Wild Planet, a leader in sustainable canned seafood, is giving away three cans of premium tuna in their signature lunch bag to celebrate World Oceans Day! To win, simply describe your favorite Wild Planet product in five words. Never tried Wild Planet? Use five words to say why you want to! The contest runs through June 8th. Submit your entry on the Wild Planet Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/wildplanetfoods

Get your feet wet, but don’t worry about going too deep. If you have any questions, or need any additional information, just let me know.”

Okay, let me get this straight: you are asking a BBQ blogger to write about canned tuna? And the grand prize for the contest is three cans of tuna in a lunch bag? Wow. I think I’ll stick to my tried and true approach to sustaining tuna: leave it in the can and eat a pit-cooked pig instead.

Ah, the wonders of capitalism in the age of blogging.  Now if only more folks would start sending me samples.  After all, aloe vera juice sure would pair nicely with canned tuna.

Filed under: Miscellaneous | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

Happy Father’s Day 2011

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

Since I spent Father’s Day weekend at the beach with my wife and kids, I’ve had no time to prepare a post for today.  Instead, please accept my sincere wishes that you and your’s had a good and barbecue-fueled Father’s Day.  In lieu of a post, my gift to you dads out there is the below half-eaten BBQ sandwich from last year’s Barbecue Festival in Lexington.  Hey, it’s better than another tacky tie, right?

 

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Got Wood?

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

I received an email from a BBQJew.com reader with the following problem. I’m hoping someone out there in the Internets can provide some specific advice. If you’d rather not share the full contact info here, drop me a line at BBQJew at gmail.com and I’ll pass it along.

“Greetings,

We are planning to resurrect a very old brick cookpit on our property.  Would you be able to share a source for wood in the general Raleigh area?  We live in Wake Forest. Thanks for any info. you may have.  : )

 Sincerely, Diane
P.S.  I found you by way of a search I’d describe as nearly exhaustive!”
Diane’s exhaustive search probably would have been more productive had in been focused on Craigslist, the yellow pages, or even wandering around the streets of Wake Forest rather than trying to find a BBQ-eating fool like me.  But I appreciate her effort and want to help her out. Anybody out there know of good sources of cooking wood in the Raleigh area. Though she doesn’t specify, I assume Diane would prefer hickory but oak may do too.

There is plenty of wood at Grady's in Dudley...

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