Cracked Pepper Rub is the second product from Knox's Spice Company to be reviewed. Much like their Chipotle BBQ rub, this coarse, aromatic blend was concocted by the Knox brothers using the highest quality peppercorns and herbs. Cracked Pepper Rub also comes packaged in Knox's signature glass jar.

Knox's Spice Cracked Pepper Rub is the perfect compliment to beef. I used this rub on grilled burgers and steak. It was excellent on both occasions. The rub provides a great deal of pepper spice and is complimented by a variety of savory, earthy herbs. I applied the rub heavily on a flat iron steak and grilled it over high heat. The rub formed a beautiful and flavorful crust on the meat and kept the juices inside the steak where they belong.

Knox's Spice Cracked Pepper Rub is an exceptional seasoning blend. The spices do wonders with beef and would be great on grilled chicken as well. This product will abosultely become a fixture in my pantry. Click here to order your own Cracked Pepper Rub. You can also learn more about all of Knox's Spice Co's products by clicking the title of this review.

Tendergrass Farm (Rocky Mount, VA) is a family owned and operated farm that raises and sells free grazing beef, pork and poultry. Tendergrass classifies their meat as "beyond organic" due to the methods they use. No animal at Tendergrass Farms is vaccinated or given antibiotics. Additionally, none of their grazing pastures is ever treated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

Tendergrass Farm takes great pride in producing the highest quality grass fed meat. Beef, in particular, is rarely grass fed in the United States. Commercially produced beef is fed a blend of grains that changes the actual chemical composition of the beef. I won't go into great detail about grass vs. grain fed beef, but you can read about it here if you're interested.

Tendergrass Farm's new website and online store make obtaining quality pastured meat products easier than ever. I used their website to order six pounds of pork spare ribs and a 14 oz grass fed flat iron steak. Ordering meat is quick and easy. One feature that I really like is "Express Checkout." This allows new customers to check out quickly using either a credit card or Paypal without having to set up an account.

I placed my order on Friday morning. I got a shipping notification on Monday and the package was delivered promptly on Wednesday morning. The meat was tightly packed in a styrofoam cooler with dry ice. The ribs were divided into half racks with each half being vacuum packed. The steak was vacuum sealed and labeled as well.
The steak was calling my name so I decided to thaw it for Thursday's dinner. The first thing I noticed about the meat was the color. For those that don't know, this (above) is what beef is supposed to look like. The bright red steaks you see at your local supermarket may look pretty, but fresh cut beef isn't naturally bright red.

I brushed the steak with a bit of oil and seasoned it with Knox Spice Cracked Pepper Dry Rub. The steak hit a hot grill for a few minutes on each side. I then pulled it off to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing it.

Flat iron steak is one of my favorite cuts. It's lean and tender, but still has plenty of bold beef flavor. I served the steak with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Cooked medium rare, the steak was juicy and flavorful.

Kozlowski Farm's chipotle grilling sauces are a unique blend of sweet and smokey. I really enjoyed the pomegranate pineapple and apricot mango varieties. This week I put Kozlowski's Blueberry & Orange Roasted Chipotle Grilling sauce to good use.

Like the other chipotle sauces, the blueberry orange sauce has a deep, smokey aroma. It also pours thick and chunky like a fruity ice cream topping. I initially used the sauce as a dip for chicken. Though I really enjoyed the other chipotle sauces as dips, the blueberry, orange sauce was a bit too tart. The smokey chipotle finish was still present, but didn't do enough to offset the strong initally berry flavors.

Though I didn't particularly enjoy the sauce as a dip, it worked much better as a grilling glaze. I brushed grilled chicken thighs with the thick chipotle sauce just before they finished cooking. As a finishing glaze, the berry tartness was much more subdued. The flavors were still present, but well balanced.

I would still recommend apricot mango and pomegranate pineapple before blueberry orange. However, this sauce is a very effective grilling glaze. If you are looking for a unique, upscale finishing sauce for chicken or porkloin, Kozlowski Farm's chipotle grilling sauces are an excellent choice.

To see how Kozlowski's blueberry chipotle sauce compares to other sauces, check the "Product Reviews" page.

This week's game day recipe is a manly appetizer affectionalely known in BBQ circles as Atomic Buffalo Turds (ABTs). These BBQ treats are smokey, creamy, meaty and spicey. If you're serving guests that enjoy spicey food, you'll want to make a ton of these. They will disappear in a hurry.
Above is everything you need to make ABTs. I only made a dozen for Katie and myself, but you could probably net 30-35 ABT's if you use the entire package of sausage, bacon and cream cheese.

Start by removing the stem and cap from each pepper. Slice the peppers in half and remove the seeds and inner vein. Baby spoons work well for removing the pepper insides.

Fill half of each pepper with cream cheese. You may want to soften the cream cheese a bit before using it. It's much easier to spread after it has been heated. Fill the other half of each pepper with sausage (I used spicy breakfast sausage, but nearly any ground meat will work. I've also seen pulled pork, little smokies and even pineapple used as filling).

Press the peppers together and wrap each one with 1/2 slice of bacon. Skewer the pepper through the bacon to hold everything together. ABTs can be skewered individually with tooth picks. I used long bamboo skewers and slid four ABT's onto each skewer. Season each pepper with you favorite all purpose seasoning. I used Bone Suckin' Seasoning and Rub.
Smoke, bake or grill indirectly at about 250 degrees. Flip the peppers after one hour. I recommend elevating the peppers from the cooking surface so the bacon can crisp.

After two hours, the sausage will be cooked through and the bacon should be fairly crisp. Brush the ABTs with a smokey BBQ sauce (I used Everett & Jones Super Q) and cook for fifteen minutes. Flip the ABTs and brush the other side with more sauce. Finish cooking the ABTs for an additional fifteen minutes.

This was the first time that I've made ABTs. They were even better than I expected. The long cook time takes most of the heat out of the jalapenos. They still have plenty of smokey heat, but they aren't overwhelming. The salty meats and cream cheese balance the flavors perfectly.

If you've never tried ABTs, they're a perfect starter for tailgates and BBQs. I encourage you to experiment with fillings and flavors as well.

The recipe for Demon Pig BBQ sauce took nearly twenty years to perfect. According to the Demon Pig website, the current Demon Pig sauce is the result of a great deal of trial and error. Lucky for us, the folks at Demon Pig are persistant. Their work has definitely paid off.

Demon Pig BBQ was kind enough to send sauce to be sampled as well as additional bottles for a free sauce giveaway. The first bottle that I tried was their Blaze Orange. This sauce was created in response to fans of the original Demon Pig sauce that were looking for a little more heat.

I first used Blaze Orange to coat chicken wings. The consistancy was perfect for the wings. It was thick enough to cling to the wings leaving a sweet, sticky glaze. I was blown away with the first taste of Demon Pig's Blaze Orange. It has everything that I love in a BBQ sauce. It's intially sweet and smokey. The sauce finishes with a nice lip tingling medium heat burn.

I've sinced used the sauce to glaze grilled chicken and cover beef brisket. There is no doubt the best application for Demon Pig sauces was as a grill glaze. It coated the meat perfectly. The medium thickness made the sauce great for brushing. It also gave the chicken an attractive glossy shine. Free sauce giveaway winner, Dustin Hall also raved about Blaze Orange on chicken.

Demon Pig's Blaze Orange sauce is one of the best grilling glazes I've ever used. It was excellent on chicken and would be outstanding on ribs as well. Check out the "Product Reviews" page to see how Demon Pig's Blaze Orange compares to other sauces.

Chips and salsa are a staple at any party. They're inexpensive, easy and almost everyone loves them. Though most people usually crack open a jar of supermarket salsa, you may be surprised how easy it is to make fresh salsa at home. This recipe takes the flavor to the next level by roasting the tomatoes over charcoal before they hit the food processor. I got the idea for this recipe from a friend and fellow BBQ enthusiast, Chris Andrews.
This recipe requires only a few simple, fresh ingredients. Everything you need can be seen in the picture above:
Quarter five large tomatoes. Season them with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes indirectly with charcoal or hard wood for 30-45 minutes.

While the tomatoes roast, place one large onion (peeled & quartered), cilantro (stems removed) and 3 jalapenos (seeds removed) in the food processor. Process until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. You can chop the veggies as smooth or coarse as you like. Scoop the mixture out of the processor and into your serving bowl.
Add the tomatoes to the processor in batches. Pour the chopped tomatoes into your serving bowl with the other veggies. Add the juice of one lime, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and season with seasoning salt and pepper.
This salsa is fresh and spicy. Roasting the tomatoes adds smokey depth that you just can't get from jarred salsa. You can adjust the heat level by adding or subtracting jalapenos. Three peppers will give you the equivalent to a medium / hot jarred salsa.

Knox's Spice Co. is the result of sibling rivalry between Bryan and Tim Knox. According to their website, Bryan and Tim began experimenting with dry rub spice blends several years ago. As is often the case with brothers, their hobby developed into a competition. The brothers continually searched for the highest quality, all natural ingredients to improve their spice blends.

In 2005, the brothers joined forces turning their love of quality food and spices into Knox's Spice Co. As they've grown, the Knox company has continued its commitment to using only the highest quality ingredients for all of their spice blends. They have also made the move to glass packaging in an effort to increase the shelf life of their product and decrease waste.

Knox's currently produces five different blends. I've been lucky enough to sample all but their Jamaican Jerk Rub. The first product that I sampled was their Chipotle BBQ Rub. Rather than using it to season BBQ, I followed the advice from a Knox's recipe card and added a tablespoon of Chipotle BBQ Rub to some mayo. I used the spiced up condiment to give an extra kick to BLTs. Combined with the mayo, the chipotle spice was phenomenal. I could put that stuff on just about anything.

I later used the Chipotle BBQ Rub for grilled chicken. The rub was both aromatic and flavorful. The chipotle blend provided both earthy, Southwest spice and a bit of sweetness. The flavors were an excellent partner for the marinated chicken breast. Knox's website recommends their Chipotle BBQ Rub for everything from Brisket to popcorn. My recommendation for this product would be to use it on grilled or smoked chicken & pork.

The importance of dry spices is often underestimated by home cooks. Knox's knows the value of all natural ingredients. Their commitment to quality is quite evident in each of their products. To see how Knox's Chipotle BBQ Rub compares to other spice blends, check the "Product Reviews" page.

Our journey to Ann Arbor, MI this weekend took nearly twelve hours. Crossing five states in one day is bound to make one hungry. We were mid way through West Virginia around lunch time and decided to look up a local BBQ joint. According to Google, the options were pretty limited in the Beckley area so we set out in search of the first joint mentioned, Southern Red's.

Our first attempt to find Southern Red's was a fail. The address that we'd pulled from the online search was out dated. When we pulled into the parking lot, it was pretty obvious that Southern Red's was no longer in business. Luckily, a friendly local informed us that Southern Reds had changed locations. He kindly pointed us in the right direction.

The new(er) Southern Red's location was an addition to a gas station. Though seeing a restaurant attached to a gas station doesn't exactly say "quality", I've learned never to judge BBQ joints by their outside appearances. One positive sign was the large trailor smoker in the back of the lot.

The menu at Southern Red's was really basic. They had ribs, pulled pork, chicken and chopped brisket. Each (except for ribs) could be had on a platter or a sandwhich. Since they didn't offer two meat combo, LD and I decided to order one chicken plate and one pulled pork plate and split the meats.

The 1/2 chicken was smokey and flavorful, but a bit dry. It was also a pretty small portion size considering it was half of a chicken. The pork was ordered "West Virginia" style, meaning "with sauce". It was tender, but the flavor was completely masked by the sauce. I equate it to slow cooker pork bbq. The sides were basic and somewhat low quality. Everything was pre-packaged and/or pre-made.

Southern Red's simply wasn't great quality BBQ. Unfortunately for the people of Beckley, there aren't many other options. Though their sauce was pretty good, it should never be the highlight of a BBQ meal.

To see how Southern Red's compares with other BBQ joints from across the country, check out the "BBQ Ratings" page.

Thanks to a good friend, LD, I was fortunate enough to attend this week's Michigan v. Notre Dame game in Ann Arbor, MI. Saturday marked the first night game ever played in The Big House. It was a spectacle unlike anything I'd ever seen and the game was an all time classic.

Though kickoff was 8 p.m., we arrived on campus around 1 p.m. to take in the tailgating festivities. We headed directly for my aunt and uncle's (Tom and Luetta Richards) tailgate. Tom and Luetta have been parking their motor homes in the lots surrounding Michigan Stadium for twenty years. Two of their sons, Todd and Aaron, were receivers for the Maize and Blue in the 90s. After their playing careers ended, Tom and Luetta continued their tailgating ritual.

Tom and Luetta always have an enormous spread. This week's theme was Thanksgiving dinner. There was deep fried turkey, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, dressing, corn on the cob, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and a vast array of desserts and finger foods.


After stuffing ourselves with Thanksgiving dinner, LD and I decided to walk the grounds and take in some of the other tailgating action. Dozens of lots were filled with Wolverine and Irish fans. I was impressed with many of the tailgating setups. I'd never seen so many HD TVs.

Though there was no shortage of great parties going on, the food front was pretty basic. Most groups had small gas or charcoal grills filled with burgers, brats and dogs. The emphasis in Ann Arbor seemed to be more on beverages than food.

However, there was one custom built grill that I had to take a close look at. A small party of guys not far from Tom and Luetta's spot had a massive grill loaded with great looking chicken, sausage, potato wedges and strip steaks.
Saturday was a day (and night) that I'll never forget. The tailgating scene around Ann Arbor was fantastic. It's hard to imagine there being a better atmosphere for college football. The game itself, will go down as one of the truly great moments in the long history of these two proud programs.

To see more photos from Saturday, click this link. Tailgate Photos

Food you can eat with your hands is always a good idea for a football party. This week's recipe is an incredibly easy crowd pleaser. Our ground beef sliders are seasoned with onion soup mix and served on small dinner rolls. The flavor closely resembles the burgers from White Castle. A dozen of these little guys will disappear quickly. The pictures aren't great this week, but the recipe is a winner.
Here is what you need to get started: 1 lb of ground beef, 12 dinner rolls, 3 slices of cheese, 1 oz packet of onion soup mix, 1/3 cup of mayo or  Miracle Whip, pickle slices and dried minced onion. (makes 12 sliders).
Brown the beef in a large skillet with the onion soup packet. Drain the excess fat and stir in the mayo. At this point, you can add the dry minced onion. I would suggest tasting the mixture first to see if you want the extra onion flavor.
Slice the dinner rolls in half (if necessary) and spoon the meat mixture evenly on to the bottom of each roll.
Top each slider with 1/4 of a cheese slice and a pickle. Cover the tray in foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Top these things with your favorite condiments. You'll want to make a lot of these. Count on at least 3-4 sliders per adult. A few dozen of these sliders are a perfect main dish for football parties.

Everett and Jones BBQ (Oakland, CA) was started by Dorothy Everett in 1973 with the help of her children. Dorothy moved from the deep south to the bay area in 1952. She worked part time as a pit master until she decided to create her own business. On a hope and a prayer, Everett and Jones BBQ was born. The business has since expanded to six restaurants and includes celebrity endorsements from people like Whoopi Goldberg and John Madden.

To compliment the meat that Dorothy was smoking, she developed her own sauce, Super Q. Her signature sauce comes in mild, medium and hot varieties. Everett and Jones was kind enough to send several jars of Super Q for review.

I recently broke the seal on the first jar of Super Q (medium). The sauce is very dark and has a medium thickness. It pours smoothly like chocolate syrup. Super Q's aroma is very smokey. The liquid smoke is easily the most recognizable element in Super Q's aroma.

Super Q is not for the timid. The flavors are incredibly rich, bold and smokey. It's probably the boldest, most smokey sauce that I've sampled. It was also quite spicy for a "medium" grade sauce. For those used to typical supermarket sauces, Super Q may be a bit overwhelming.

Personally, I welcome the bold flavors as a nice change of pace. So far, I've tried the sauce as a dip on smoked chicken and brisket. Super Q's best use may be for pulled pork sandwhiches (with slaw). Super Q's flavor would contrast nicely with a good mayonase slaw. The sauce would also make a fine dip for fried chicken strips or nuggets.

If you're looking to raise the bar on flavor and heat at your next cookout, give Super Q a try. It's not for everyone, but if you like truly bold flavors, Super Q could be just what you're looking for. Super Q can be purchased online by clicking the title of this review. To see how Super Q compares to other BBQ sauces, check out the product reviews page.

Congrats to our Demon Pig BBQ contest winner, Dustin Hall

You have won two bottles of Demon Pig's award winning sauce. (1 Original & 1 Blaze Orange). Please send your mailing address in an email to derek@the-q-review.com.

Thank you to everyone that entered. If you didn't win this time, have no fear. I'm in the process of lining up several more giveaways with some awesome companies.

Special thanks to Demon Pig BBQ for sponsoring this giveaway.

Free Sauce Giveaway!
The "Q" Review is excited to partner with Demon Pig BBQ for a free sauce giveaway. One lucky reader will win two bottles of this delicious, award winning sauce. Please read the directions to see how to enter.

How to Enter
1. "Like" the Demon Pig BBQ Facebook page AND leave a comment mentioning The "Q" Review. Example: "The Q Review sent me..." - Be sure you comment. Simply liking Demon Pig's page will not enter you into the giveaway.

College football fans rejoice! The game that we love has returned. After an off season of scandal and turmoil, we finally get some on the field action to talk about. The dawn of the 2011 season also marks the beginning of a new series on The "Q" Review; Game Day Recipes. Our week 1 recipe features one of the ultimate football foods, wings. Our wings are grilled, using much less oil than conventional fried wings, and tossed in Big Dave's Wild Fire Sauce.
I started with four pounds of  thawed chicken wings (about 3 dozen).
Drizzle the wings with a couple table spoons of olive oil. Season them liberally with a good all purpose seasoning blend. I used Bone Suckin's Original Rub.
Spread the wings out on a clean, pre-heated grill. Be sure to set the gauge to medium-low. Cooking the wings on high heat will prematurely char the skin.
After 20-25 minutes, the wings should be cooked through and the skin should be crisp.
Toss the wings in a 1/2 cup of your favorite sauce. If you can get your hands on a bottle, I highly recommend Big Dave's Wild Fire Sauce. It's a perfect blend of sweet BBQ and hot buffalo sauces.

No food says football quite like wings. They're spicy, portable and delicious. Though done on the grill, these are every bit as good as the fried wings you get from your local bar and grill. They're also a whole lot cheaper. A typical wing joint will charge close to 75 cents per wing. If you include the cost of a quality bottle of sauce, these homemade wings will only cost you about 30 cents each. Fire up the grill and enjoy.