Ask anyone that has known me a while and they will tell you one of the first things I learned to do as a child was to man a BBQ pit. In fact, to my Dad and his buddies I was known as the "D.C." aka "Designated Cooker". My dad had designed and built a nice size pit on the back of a little old trailer my grandpa gave to him since it was in disrepair. The pit, now on its third or fourth fire box, is still active and used to this day about twenty years later. It was here my passion for food was literally forged in the fires of the mesquite lit BBQ pit. I spent many hours sitting diligently next to the pit ensuring it stay as close to the coveted 225F mark. Many hours were spent on fair grounds for competitions, and many hours in my drive way just getting ready for other events. To say that my passion for food originated in BBQ is an understatement. I was helping to cook competition level BBQ and cater parties of a hundred plus people when I was 12 years old.
It was here that I was bonded, not only to my father and his love of cooking, but to cooking and my own love of cooking that has only increased with age and experience. I learned from him that there is an order of things to prepare a meal with such high regard (at least if you're from where I'm from). I also learned my passion for entertaining and making the meal a total experience.
Here in SE Texas we have started to meld many cultures into our love for outdoor cooking. My family, due to our Cajun roots and my father's Louisiana connections, were hosting crawfish boils decades before you could even find crawfish in Texas. Frying turkeys has caught on and is now a Thanksgiving tradition here in the Lone Star State as well. There are many other examples on how food brings us Texans together, which I have mentioned in other blogs, but here in Texas beef based BBQ still reigns supreme.
It is these types of meals I love. Huge portions of slow cooked goodness all cooked in one big apparatus that will bring people together in a culmination of everything that represents us and our true culture. The meal will bring out the best in everything and everybody. People will listen/play music, dance, sing, eat, drink, and tell stories, older generations connecting to younger, and vice-versa. This is the type of thing that drives me and my passion for cooking.
Lately my role as a chef has taken a strange turn. I don't do so much entertaining and catering as I used to, and my days as restaurant chef are probably over. However, I still drive from this passion because I get to teach others to cook. Everyday simple Joe Smo's that have never attempted a dish are cooking for their families. Even if it is only one time, if a father cooks a meal for his family that I taught him to cook, then that makes it worth it. I know that sounds awfully romantic coming from a guy like me, but it's true. I have people come back to me all the time smiling from ear to ear telling me about how they made that dish and it came out perfect and the whole family loved it. These are the moments that bring me back to my learned love and passion and how it was my family and friends that have driven all of my cooking experiences. Those are also the moments that I can think about how that one dish these families took with them might drive similar passions within the family and someday might have a son or daughter ready to take my place in the world as an advocate of good food, family, and friends.
Smokey Spicy BBQ Sauce
3 Cups Ketchup
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 TSP White Sugar
1 Can Dark Beer
¼ Cup Butter (unsalted)
1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion (diced)
2 TBSP Dijon Mustard
1 TBSP Sea Salt
1 TBSP Black Pepper
1 Can Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce (puree in food-pro or blender)
1 TBSP White Vinegar
1 Garlic Powder
½ TSP Cayenne
- In a sauce pot on med. heat, add onions and butter to sweat.
- 4-5 min. later add all dry seasonings.
- When onions are completely translucent add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a bubble and simmer for 20-30 min. stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
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