Review: The Amazing Heat Resistant Silicone Grill Gloves

"Don't burn yourself!"

How many times have you heard that from your spouse or loved one? I've heard it plenty of times -- whether it's volunteering at the local soup kitchen, grilling outside the patio, or handling hot baked potatoes in the kitchen. I'm always on the lookout for a good set of gloves, and I recently had the opportunity to review The Amazing Heat Resistant Silicone Cooking and Grill Gloves.

The first thing I noticed are the hundreds of tiny heart-shaped (I HEART BBQ!) textured grips all over the gloves. They fit a little snug around the fingers, and I liked how there's some flexibility -- whether it's grabbing a hot tray from the oven, and handling the outside of your BBQ grill or smoker.

These are definitely an upgrade from the standard, cloth-based oven mitts. I like how these gloves are made from silicone, so they are easy to clean and dishwasher safe. You won't believe how many old oven mitts I've had to toss away because they were worn out and infested with mold.

I've used the glove several times, mostly for handling my Weber Smoky Mountain charcoal smoker. Whether it's opening the lid to take a peek at my ribs or brisket, or opening and closing the vents, the gloves did its job protecting me from the extreme heat. The Amazing Heat Resistant Cooking and Grill Gloves is a solid addition to any home cook or backyard griller.

Dirty Smoke rating - 4.0 of 5 stars
Pros - Maximum grip, easy to clean
Cons - Tight fit for dudes with really big hands
Recommended - check them out on Amazon.com

How to Choose a Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker

By Dru Chai

Ahh, it seemed like only yesterday that my beloved Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker (WSM) arrived at my doorsteps. Hard to imagine that was over 2 years ago. Below is a picture of the smoker fresh out of the box, brand spankin' new, and clean as a whistle.

Brand spankin' new, fresh outta the box

So how does it look now? Well, just the complete opposite. The smoker is just filthy, greasy, and borderline disgusting... and I love it. Sure, I'll do a few wipe downs on the exterior, but I haven't touched anything inside.

Why? Because all that smokey residue, smell, and gunk that has been accumulating inside for over 2 years helps with the seasoning and flavor for future meat smoking. That's why I will never smoke any fish in there -- I'll have to buy another WSM, one that is dedicated just for smoking fish and seafood.

Shhh, the smoker is sleeping

Amazon is the best place to buy a WSM. Weber currently makes 3 different sizes for their popular Weber Smokey Mountain. So how do you know which one is right for you?

22.5" - The biggest one available. There's more than enough room and rack space if you need to smoke a lot of meat at one time, especially for a very large BBQ party. On the downside, it requires a lot more charcoal and wood. Buy the 22.5" Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker.

18.5" - The most popular size, the sweet spot. It's perfect for medium-sized barbecue gatherings -- you can comfortably fit one type of meat per rack. I can smoke a couple slabs of spare ribs on one rack, and either a 10-12 pound brisket or pork shoulder on the other. Buy the 18.5" Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker.

14.5" - This "personal" sized WSM was available in the market at one time (long before I got started into BBQ). Now, Weber decided it was time for a comeback. According to Amazon, it will start shipping sometime this month. If you're more of a one-man BBQ wolf pack on a budget, then look no further. Buy the 14.5" Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker.

How to Make BBQ Pulled Pork

By Dru Chai

Pulled pork probably doesn't get as much love from its bony companion--the ribs. After all, ribs are eaten with your hands, it's messy, and you can get it all over your face. Plain and simple, it's just a good time to eat ribs, and it just epitomizes what BBQ is all about. But don't overlook pulled pork. It's incredibly versatile, cheaper in price, and can serve a lot of people.

Pulled pork is easy to make--commonly eaten as a sandwich, either on a soft bun or roll. You see variations of pulled pork in all different cultures--for example, Mexican carnitas, and Hawaiian kahlua pork. Most people simply make their pulled pork in a good slow cooker. Basically, set it and forget it. But there's nothing that substitutes good 'ol fashioned low-and-slow, smokey flavor over 8-12 hours. You just can't replicate that smokiness and the pieces of char on the outside.

One day, I hope to visit North Carolina for some authentic pulled pork, but for now, I'll just have to make my own backyard rendition at home. For the past several months (as documented on this BBQ blog), I've honed my BBQ smoking skills mainly on brisket and ribs. With a few parties and potlucks waiting in the wings, I decided it was time to try my luck at pulled pork. Here's the breakdown for my smoked pulled pork sliders with sweet and crisp coleslaw.

I went to my local Costco and found the smallest pork butt I could find--a little under 13 lbs overall, at $1.89/lb. With the name pork "butt," one might think it is from the buttocks of a pig. But it's only a name -- pork butt is actually pork shoulder.

The next step is injecting the pork butt with a good marinade injector. Not only does it help produce juicy and tender meat, but injecting just gives that added depth of flavor with every bite. Everyone has their own concoction of what should go in the marinade, and I'm sure BBQ competition teams closely guard their recipes. It all depends on the flavor profile--if you want sweet, salty, spicy, etc. One thing's for sure, you want a balanced marinade. I used something like this, which serves as a nice base.

- Apple juice
- Vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- Salt
- Sugar
- Hot sauce

Next up, the rub. Just like with the marinade, you have to balance out the salt and sugar, then incorporate spices depending on what you like. If you want flavorful pulled pork, it's best to let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours so that all the spices and marinade get to know each other. Or, you can always be lazy and buy a pre-made rub mix.

- Kosher salt, or seasoned salt
- White sugar, or brown sugar
- Granulated garlic or garlic powder
Optional: Chili powder, cayenne, onion powder, cumin

When ready, fire up the Weber Smoky Mountain using the Minion Method so that it's around 225-250 degrees. I like to use either hickory, oak, or apple wood. Depending on your taste buds, you can go heavy on any particular wood. You can't go wrong with hickory--about 4-5 fist-sized chunks will do. Close the lid, then go read a book, watch the Simpsons marathon, knit a sweater, or whatever it is that you like to do for the next 5-7 hours.

At this point, you deserve a peek. Open the lid and see how everything looks. You should get a nice bark forming on the outside--crusty, charred, and black. If you've been reading this BBQ blog, you know that I'm a huge proponent of a good bark on my BBQ. Depending on your preference, you can spray some water or apple juice. Close the lid, and return in another hour or two.

With a good thermometer, check if the internal temperature is 195 degrees. If so, it's ready to be pulled out from the smoker. Let it rest for at least 20-30 minutes, so that all the juices re-distribute inside, then the fun part begins. Take some regular forks, those "bear paw" looking forks, or a clean set of hands and go right at it. The pulled pork should be juicy, tender, and full of porky and smoky goodness. Accompany with a good, vinegar-based (a bit of sweet and tangy) BBQ sauce, and you're all set to go to hog heaven.

What's a Minion Method?

By Dru Chai

Photo and stoic-faced minion courtesy of Universal Pictures

No, not that Minion (although those guys always crack me up in the movie).

If you're just starting out BBQ smoking, you might have heard of the term "Minion Method" once or twice. If you're already familiar with the term and have used the method, you know that it's far superior to what the manual tells you to do (if you're a Weber Smokey Mountain owner). If you're serious about smoking your own BBQ and you've read about it on this blog, you definitely know the Minion Method.

The Minion Method is basically a way of setting up the charcoal so that it burns longer, more steady, and more consistent. In general, you won't have to keep adding more fuel during the cooking process, so it's perfect for overnight cooking sessions. To top it all off, you can start cooking relatively quickly. If done correctly, it should last anywhere from 6-18 hours at around 225-275 degrees F--perfect for the low and slow meats like brisket and pulled pork. The Minion Method is not meant for smoking at temps of higher than 300 degrees F.

Basics of Setting Up the Minion Method:

1. Fill the WSM charcoal chamber to the top with unlit charcoal briquettes
2. Spread several fist-sized chunks of wood at the bottom (and/or the top) of the charcoal
3. Fill the chimney starter about halfway with charcoal, light up
4. When the burning charcoal starts to turn white ash, dump on top of the unlit charcoal
5. Voila, there you have it. The Minion Method.

Now of course, as in the case of BBQ Philosophy (as I like to call it on this blog), everyone has their own ways of doing things. I like to put a few chunks of wood on top of the charcoal, because I feel that the wood flavor penetrates the meat a lot more at the beginning stages vs. towards the end of the smoking process. Since charcoal is relatively cheap, I much rather put more charcoal at first vs. having to end up re-filling down the line.

As he explained in his class, Harry Soo from Slap Yo Daddy BBQ likes to make a "crater" with this Minion Method. He piles as much charcoal on the sides, almost playing a little game of balance, while leaving a hole in the middle. Then he fills the hole with fully-lit, ash-colored charcoal. That way, the charcoal slowly burns from the inside out. At the second picture below, the charcoal chamber is pretty much max'd out--so there's plenty of cooking/smoking time with that bad boy.

There are also those with distinct taste buds, who say they don't like the idea of smoking with unlit charcoal because it gives off a weird taste. They also say that it's unhealthy because unlit charcoal briquettes has that chemical taste that needs to be initially burned off (thus turning into the ashy, grey-color). Personally, I've smoked BBQ in all different methods and I really can't tell the difference in taste. That's part of the fun about BBQ -- there is no right or wrong, whatever works for you, just go with it.

Let the Smoking Begin!

I saw the UPS truck pull up to the front door and I knew right away. My Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker had finally arrived. The box was well packaged, and nothing seemed broken or out of place. Although there was a "Team Lift" sticker, it was a good workout to lift for one person. Of course, you can always just slide it around if there's a smooth surface.

Unboxing and assembling was a piece of cake. You can find more detailed product info and photos here, but I'll just do a quick summary. Assembly consisted of attaching the bottom legs, and screwing together the grate support brackets inside the middle charcoal chamber with the included nuts, bolts, and washers. From there, it was just placing all the components together in a "stacked" format. The end result looks like a shiny and black bullet. The whole process took about 20 minutes. It's now ready for action. Time to go buy some meat...

Lift with your knees, not with your back

All of the contents laid out

Memorial Day BBQ Weekend

I was hoping that my Weber Smoky Mountain would arrive just in time for the long Memorial Day weekend, but it's scheduled to be delivered today (look for the "unboxing" post later). That's the drawback of ordering online via Amazon with free shipping -- I didn't want to fork over the extra money for 2-day shipping. I figured that's money I could use on other things like wood chips, BBQ accessories, and most of all -- MEAT!

Obviously, buying meat is expensive. Everyone knows and shops at Costco, so that's the first (and probably only) place I'll go to for my BBQ'ing meats. Brisket, pork shoulder, spare ribs, the list goes on. You're looking at least $20-$40 or more per item, depending on what you're getting. I have my eyes set on smoking the brisket first and foremost.

Since my WSM didn't arrive over Memorial Day weekend, I made the 50-minute one way trip to Phil's BBQ to bring back for lunch. I wasn't about to settle for anything less, like Costco BBQ ribs. Blech. I tried it once before, never again. It was mushy, tasteless, and the texture eerily resembled the McRib sandwich from McDonald's. I brought home the usual from Phil's -- beef ribs, baby back ribs, and even a bottle of their fantastic BBQ sauce. It's perfect combination of tangy, smoky, and spice. I can't wait to use it on my own BBQ.

$5.95 for about a 30 oz bottle

Welcome! I Wanna Be a Smoker...

A BBQ meat smoker, that is!

After reading this article, and checking out all the the great info by the online experts, I made the plunge and ordered a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker (or, WSM for short). It's an R2D2 look-a-like BBQ smokin' machine. I can't wait for it to arrive, which is hopefully before Memorial Day weekend.

Prized possessions

Most of my BBQ experience consists of grilling on a Weber kettle grill and an indoor cast-iron griddle, cooking mostly hot dogs, burgers, steaks, and chicken. But it's about time to move up to the big boys -- briskets, ribs, and pulled pork, etc. I want to cook low and slow. I want to eat tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth smoke flavored meat.

I'll be blogging about my BBQ adventures along with some of my experiences eating out, home cooking, or just anything else food related. I'm no BBQ expert, pitmaster, or trained chef. I'm no stuck-up, wannabe food critic or restaurant reviewer using big words. Easy to read, and no dictionary required. I'm just a regular guy who loves to cook, eat, and talk food, especially when it comes to BBQ. Thanks for joining me on this BBQ journey, or simply just stopping by.