In the past few years with the patent on the Traeger Wood Pellet Smokers expired, the BBQ Community has seen a big increase in pellet smokers hitting the market. The designs of these smokers and the concept in what makes them work have generally been the same.

Some have even followed Traegers lead and have there products made or produced in foreign countries in an attempt to cut costs on manufacturing, parts and labor. In most cases this has been a major sticking point with both your backyard BBQ enthusiast and your competitive BBQ’er.

Over the last 3 weeks I have had the privilege to cook on a new pellet smoker to hit the market, its nothing similar to the pellet smokers I have seen or cooked on in the last couple of years. The workmanship is second to none, the thought of design that went into the product is head and shoulders above the competition, and most important to a lot of BBQ’ers in this day we live in, this smoker is made right here in the Good Old USA!

The smoker I’m talking to you about today is the “Grilla Smoker/Grill made by Fahrenheit Technologies out of Holland Michigan. Fahrenheit Technologies, Inc. was officially formed in 2006 as a separate corporation dedicated to developing, manufacturing and marketing Renewable Energy Solutions. They have been at the forefront of wood pellet and corn burning furnaces. Coming from this type of background looking in, it’s easy to see why the Grilla was manufactured and designed the way it is!

One of the initial thoughts upon unpackaging the Grilla when we received it was best stated by my youngest son. “Dad, this smoker looks kind of like a ceramic egg cooker, but on steroids!” Yes the Grilla is a round design with a swing lid/door instead of the lift up lid.

By designing this type of lid you’re able to keep the heat in the smoker where it belongs instead of releasing all the heat out the top of the smoker. You can EASILY manipulate the Grilla swing door with one hand to place items in the smoker instead of propping the door!

The design of the Grilla, its round shape was done to help eliminate hot and cold spots in the smoker allowing the smoker to cook more evenly. This point was easily understandable when I smoked a large pizza. When done, the under crust of the pizza was nicely browned with out any type of uneven cooking observed on the crust.

The Digital Control Panel, which comes standard with all Grilla Smokers, displays current temperature and smoke settings. The Grilla Temperature ranges from 180°-550° Fahrenheit (F) with 16 smoke settings. This allows the user to adjust temperature for Smoking. The Grilla, unlike so many other smokers comes fully assembled! Just plug it in and load your favorite flavored wood pellets and after a short seasoning session your good to go!

I really enjoyed having the Stainless Steel Side Trays They are conveniently located on both sides of the smoker, attached to either side of the Pellet hopper. They are easy to clean, will not rust. Utilizing these surfaces allows you to place plates and grilling utensils with in your reach when removing them from the smoker

Other unique features of this smoker is the never flare up disk which helps prevent grease from entering the firepot of the smoker causing grease fires or flare ups, the wrap around chord attachment on the rear of the smoker. Just below the chord attachment you will find EZ Fuel Change Out door. When you open this door to the pellet hopper, your able to switch wood pellets easily for different flavor profiles

The 18 gauge Steel body of the smoker is very  Solid, with one of the better finishes that is a  Construction Powder coat that was made for a long lasting finish.

The fully enclosed auger and motor maintenance panel in rear allows for easy access to the auger motor and fan for replacement or other maintance when required. The Fire Pot and Igniter remove easily for quick cleaning which are found in the center of the smoker. The pellet hopper holds 20 lb of pellets, helping your smoking sessions to last a little longer then most model. The Grease catch holds standard cans which can be easily accessed and removed during the smoking sessions

.The front viewing glass that allows a quick check of the inside fire of the smoker and allows for great viewing ambience during the cooking process for guests to enjoy, and of course the handle and 5 inch rubber wheels that allow for easy maneuvering and placing of the Grilla during smoking and storage sessions.

The Dimensions are very similar to some of the ceramic cookers on the market, except in most cases the Grilla has more surface cooking area of 488 square inches. The rest of the dimensions are:

Height: 44″ inches
Width: 31.5″ inches
Depth: 29.5″ inches
Weight: 145 lbs

Now unlike most reviews you may read regarding this new smoker, Bossman Bar-B-Que wanted this review to be different. So we used the Grilla at a backyard cooking school to get the reaction from a backyard cooker, which we felt was important. Second, we used the Grilla in the Lake Havasu City Music-Brews-and BBQ Contest! We decided as a team to cook our 14lb Whole Packer Brisket on the smoker and also our Chicken for this contest.

Our backyard BBQ School was held in Phoenix Arizona and we had several different smokers on display. But the Grilla was the talk of the class. What appealed to the majority was the size of the smoker, that it didn’t take up a lot of room, and the amount of cooking room you have seemed to be perfect for most of your Backyard Chefs.

For this class we chose to smoke pit beans for the class. We also smoked Brisket, Pulled Pork and Sausage and Peppers. The Smoked Pit Beans were a huge hit. People commented on how much smoke flavor they could taste in the beans which surprised them.

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The one issue we did experience was the price of the Grilla at $1495.00 which does include shipping. After going over the other smokers we had on hand, looking over the quality of workmanship and the fact that if you were to go and purchase a new propane grill you would be looking at spending $600 and up, a lot of individuals in the class stated they would gladly spend the asking price of the Grilla, seeing and tasting first hand the quality of product you can expect to get for the money. The reviews for the Grilla were all positive!

Over the next couple of days we put the Grilla to the test at the KCBS Lake Havasu City Music Brews and BBQ Contest. Shortly after setting up our spot we started cooking right away for the afternoon Wine and Cheese get together for the cook teams. Just the look of the Grilla itself was an immediate attraction from both the competitors and crowd walking the venue.

Ryan Grob with Backdraft BBQ, and a team Captain of Bite Me BBQ-Team Colorado  was DYING to cook on the Grilla. He chose to try out some of his Bacon Wrapped Pretzels with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. (Video too follow!)

Needless to say the appetizer turned out great, and of course was the first thing to be gone at our get together. Everyone commented on the taste and flavor of the appetizer. This was a great start of our contest cooking on the Grilla!

Bill Maes was our Brisket cook for this contest. At first Bill was concerned that the Grilla was not big enough for the 14lb whole packer brisket that we had planned on cooking. So we placed the brisket in its crovac in the Grilla to see and guess what we had PLENTY of room!

Our end result, the Grilla did what it was supposed to do and produced a good quality product with consistent results. We were able to show many individuals and teams the Grilla and had more  requesting more information to order a Grilla for themselves!

To conclude this review  after cooking on the Grilla and being able to show it twice with different groups of people with one common passion, that of being BBQ that I give you my opinion .

I own both a Traeger 75 and a Louisiana Grill Whole Hog Smoker. I’ve also cooked on other smokers as well as FEC100, Green Mountain Smoker. From my experience I believe the Grilla is one of the best thought out, built and  operating pellet smoker that I have had the privileged to smoke on. I’m excited for Grilla, and am anxious to see what new products and designs will come in the future!

If you’re interested in purchasing the Grilla  or are looking for further information please visit www.mygrilla.com Grilla is still looking for distributors as well. If you are in a  position to be a distributor please contact regarding this opportunity as well.

In the next few days Bossman Bar-B-Que will be posting some videos of our cooking school as well as footage from our competition using the Grilla in the next few days, Stay Tuned and Enjoy!! Until then, Remember to BBQ as much as you can, Smoke On!!

I still remember the saw dust on the floor (which the health department has ruled unsanitary) the smell of cool fresh meat having been stocked in the meat case and the sound of knives and band saws going to town in the meat department.

I think I remember now more then ever because of our involvement in competitive BBQ contests and having to be more familiar with cuts of meat. The key for us has been finding Butchers and not just “meat case stockers”. At one point I truly felt that the art of Butchering was all but a memory.
In recent years The art of Butchering and being able to find a TRUE Butcher have made a resurgence, for that I’m very grateful.

So for me it wasn’t a mere coincidence to come across a book on the subject of Butchers with the book cover looking like it was actually made out of the red Butcher paper they would wrap meat in! That in and of itself sold me on the book! The name of this book is: Primal Cuts: Cooking with Americas Best Butchers! By Marissa Guggiana.

What Marissa Guggiana, food activist, writer, and fourth generation meat purveyor, did was travel the country to discover fifty of the most gifted butchers and share their favorite dishes, personal stories, and cooking techniques.

What I learned from this book was how to cook conventional and unconventional meat cuts, how to talk to their local butcher, and even how to source and buy whole animals for their home freezer. What I really enjoyed were the animal primal cuts diagrams included in the book. But you will also find:

• 100 Meat Recipes
• 50 Profiles and Portraits of America’s Best Butchers
• Practical Advice on Techniques and Tools
• Hundreds of Diagrams, Illustrations, and Photos
• Home Butchering How-To
• Tons of Trade Secrets

Unlike a lot of books out on the market, what I felt was truly unique was visiting the Primal Cuts website (http://www.welcomebooks.com/primalcuts/) they have a section on the website where your able to read from the pages of the book, see the pictures, recipes and diagrams Before you purchase it to ensure it is what you want. There are also plenty of reference tools for readers. One of my favorite’s links on the site is to help you find Butchers in your area locally, someone who truly will know what it is you are looking for. How cool is that!

For BBQ fans this is a must have book! It has made its way to my all time favorites and is the book I often grab to read and look at unique recipes and prospective from the men and women who have devoted themselves to bringing us QUALITY meats.

You will find as I have that this is Truly an art form, and one because of individuals like those interviewed for this book will stay around for years to come. Thank you to author Marissa Guggiana for hitting a home run with this book, and letting us all know that we still have knowledgeable, true butchers who have mastered there craft and can provide us with the quality cuts of meat we want locally! Smoke On!

Award winning BBQ Competitors Chuck & Stacy Marting of

Bossman BBQ

When: April 9^th, 2011 running 11AM thru 3PM

Where:       5 Tom’s Trail Brush CO (Call Frank Phillips at 970-768-0349 for directions)

Menu: Pulled Pork, Ribs, Smoked Sausage and side dishes including Stacy’s Amazing BBQ beans

There is limited space for this special one of a kind class being offered by Bossman BBQ through Donna’s Floral & Gifts. We are excited to present the opportunity to learn from our local award winning neighbors! Come and enjoy the food and the education. You don’t have to have BBQ competition aspirations, just a desire to eat EXCELLENT BBQ that you can do yourself.

Chuck and Stacy are excellent teachers who will no doubt show you many techniques and styles that are not commonly available to those of us who truly enjoy good BBQ!

Registration and inquiry information

Please call Frank Phillips at 970-842-0366 or 970-768-0349, Walter Amack at 970- 842-4272 or 970-380-1444 to register for the class. Or contact Donna Phillips at Donna’s Floral 222 Colorado Ave Brush, CO 970-842-0730 to register as well.

Class will be $30 per person or $45 per couple and

Will be limited to 25 attendees, so register early!

There is a new product out that the Bossman has been using with great success and had to share with you. The product is called “ManGrate”. This product takes away the aggravation caused in grilling that we talked about above. ManGrate is a CAST IRON grate designed to sit on top of your existing grate!

 This allows you to have even heat, helping to Reduced flair ups! The cast-iron design utilizes radiant heat – instead of convection heat or “hot air” this helps sear in the juices of the meat allowing the meat to cook evenly.

Smoke rails are then angled on the ledges of each bar of the ManGrate. Helping to trap and retain oils and fats released during grilling, it’s these juices aid
that aid in the natural smoking process, giving meat a rich, barbequed flavor. This is what separates ManGrate from all the other wantta be “grill helpers” out there!

Cleaning and caring for your ManGrate is a snap with the ManBrush (Included with your order) and some spray cooking oil. All you have to do is clean off ManGrate before grilling, spray some cooking oil evenly on ManGrate to help continue the seasoning of your ManGrate and you’re good to go. After your grilling session, brush clean, oil and close your grill lid.

With ManGrate being cast iron, the cool thing is, like a cast iron pan your ManGrate will season each time you use it. This helps in a couple of ways, it helps maintain a well-seasoned ManGrate naturally, which in turn helps in resisting rust creating a virtually non-stick grilling surface.

 I knew when the ManGrate was ready to work when I. Pre-heated the grill with the ManGrate until they begin to faintly smoke (just like a well seasoned cast iron pan), then I turned the temperature down and begin grilling .I tested my ManGrate by grilling 1.5inch thick pork chops. I did this for two reasons. I wanted to hear and see the searing action, and two I wanted to produce those perfect diamond marks on the meat that we all love and want to make on our own grill.

Only difference, I did this grilling session on my Louisiana Whole Hog Smoker. Why? Because I can grill on this bad boy in the 500 to 600 degree range! I’m happy to report that my chops turned out PERFECT! No flair ups, no sticking PERFECT GRILL DIAMOND MARKS WITH NO PROBLEMS!!

 Even if you’re not using a smoker to cook your food, I feel your grilling would definitely benefit from a set or two of ManGrate’s. If cared for these grates will LAST A LIFETIME! You’re also purchasing a product made here in the good old USA.

Check out ManGrate at www.mangrate.com for more information, pricing and demo videos. I know you will be impressed!

 Let them know the Bossman sent you! Please share this link with anyone you know has a grill and wants to perfect there grilling skills, ManGrate will help this happen! Because we all know Eating Bad BBQ is Criminal!! Until next time, Smoke On!

Super Bowl Barbeque Special!!

Bossman Bar-B-Que is now taking orders for your Super Bowl party needs!! Enjoy the taste of our award winning Barbeque specialties!

Main Dishes

Buffalo Turds (Jalapeno Poppers)

Jalapeno Poppers stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in smoked bacon!

$1.50 each

Pig Candy

Slow smoked caramelized bacon using brown sugar, our rub and Cinnamon!

$10.00per lb (Feeds 4-6People)

Smoked Wings (Hot and BBQ)

Chicken Wings smoked and marinated in our Hot Wing Sauce or our homemade Barbeque Sauce!

$4.99 lb (one pound feeds 2 people)

Bacon Explosion

2 lb Bacon Weave with a 2 lb sausage center stuffed with MORE Bacon, Cheese and Green Chiles inside!

$25.00(feeds 6-8 People)

Pulled Pork- BBQ Beef- Chicken- Hot Links

Slow Smoked Pork, Chicken Hot Links or Beef with our award winning rubs

$10.00 lb (one pound feeds 3-5people)

Sides

Homemade Coleslaw- Potato Salad-Macaroni Salad- Smoked Pit Beans

Quart $3.99 (One Quart feeds 2-5 people) Gallon $10.99(One gallon feeds 10-15)

To Order Call-

Bossman Bar-B-Que

970-370-3867 or 720-635-3469

bossmanbbq@gmail.com

www.bossmanbbq.com

So the question is, what is the difference between the two methods, and second which method produces the best results? To answer both of these questions we need to understand the difference between the two methods, how one accomplishes the technique and what type of end product you can expect from either of these methods.

Before starting let me start by saying DO NOT TRY AGING PORK!!!! The BEST pork is Fresh Pork PERIOD. This is the industry standard, if you don’t believe me, try aging some pork, the minute you open the cryovac or cut into the pork and start gagging you will know why we don’t age PORK!! THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS IS CURING which is a whole different subject entirely in and of itself……

For an excellent Beef eating experience, nothing is better then setting down to a properly aged cut of Beef! I’ve tried both wet aged and dry aged Beef and can promise you that you can tell a HUGE difference. Now let me explain the two.

WET AGING

Wet aging or aging-in-the-bag has quickly become the industry norm, 90% of aged beef is done this way. Why? Simple put, the same reason REAL Meat Butchers have become a rarity, it’s a lot less labor intensive and a lot more ERROR PROOF for a company of any type to do this with what they consider successful results.

Wet Aged beef is vacuum packed in plastic (Cryovac) and sits at temperatures of 34-38 degrees for 7-28 days. (I have heard, and know of some that go as far as 60 days!!) Inside plastic/Cryovac, the meat ages and becomes more tender yet what I have found with wet aging there is little or no flavor development since there is not a concentration of flavor occurring with loss of moisture. 

This method has become popular because it is cheaper and more profitable method in the minds of big industry meat producers. Compared to Wet Aging, Dry aging is more costly. On average, your looking at an 18% loss in shrinkage and also the extra trim required, (trimming of the dry age) time, storage, refrigerator space, and labor.

IF You decide to Wet Age or Dry Age your cut of beef, one of the most important things you MUST KNOW is the packing date of the beef you are purchasing. It doesn’t matter where you purchase your Beef, a pack date should be available. If you’re fortunate to get your Beef from a Real Butcher, He/She can give this information to you readily.

But to find the Packing Date, you will need to see the case or box the beef came in. You will be looking for a sticker or branding on the box similar to this:

 I know this is an old label, but the theory is the same and it’s a good example for you to know what you’re looking for! Remember this goes for Dry Aging as well, YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS DATE FOR SUCCESSFUL AGING!

For Wet Aging you will start your age time from the PACK DATE. The process is simple from this point. Place the sealed/cryovac package in the coldest part of your refrigerator.

Due to the airtight vacuum-seal, you should not have to worry about other odors or flavors (such as onions) being absorbed by the meat. Leave the sealed Beef in the refrigerator. When you are ready to smoke, grill or cook it, simply cut the meat out of the plastic add your rub or spices and begin cooking.

I have tried Wet Aged Beef before. It definitely has a better taste and texture then just out of the package beef. And it does have its advantages in convenience and less of a mess to deal with.

Dry Aging

Dry aging was once the industry norm until the less-costly boxed beef and vacuum packaging systems came into existence.  Today 99% of Supermarkets and “Club Membership Stores” sell boxed beef.  In the 80′s, dry aging enjoyed resurgence. Dry-aged Beef is aged in an open air controlled temperature environment between 34 F and 38 F with an ambient humidity level adjusted between 50% and 75%.  Dry-aged beef requires 7 to 14 days or longer to age properly depending on the pack date observed on the box.  Meat is muscle, and muscle is composed of protein structures that will break down with the aging process. 

This results is a tender cut of meat and more flavor. Air circulation is essential in dry aging and is perhaps the biggest reason why dry-aged beef costs substantially more, since significant shrinkage occurs. Typically shrinkage 10 to 15% is realized. In the industry if you’re buying dry-aged beef you can figure it usually will cost about 25% more than wet aged beef.

In a mass produced commercial industry we live in where all attention is given to the profit margin, dry aging is being done only for a few discriminating customers willing to pay for it bottom line.

We have two Dry Aging processes we have used with great results. Our first method would be termed the more traditional of the two.

We use, and I would encourage you also to use only USDA Prime or USDA Choice Beef if you can, they seem to have a thicker layer of fat on the outside to protect the meat from spoiling during the aging process.

 When you purchase your beef for dry aging buy whole rib-eye or loin strip. (You cannot age individual steaks.) Unwrap it, rinse it well with cold water, and allow it to drain; then pat it very dry with paper towels.

  If you are Dry Aging your Beef in your home refrigerator with other food, wrap the meat in clean, large, plain white cotton dish towels and place it on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. In most cases this will be the coldest spot. You will want to change the cloth towels each day, replacing the moisture-soiled towels. Continue to changing towels as needed for 10 days, to 2 weeks.

If you are fortunate enough to have a spare or second refrigerator that can be used which will have very little or no other use while the Beef is dry aging (The door remains closed, no other foods in the fridge) you can skip the step of placing cloth towels on the Beef and place it in a clean or disposable pan in the refrigerator for the period of time you have chosen to dry age the Beef.

 After the desired aging time, you’re ready to cut the beef into steaks or smoke, grill or cook the beef as desired.  If, after 21 days. If there is left over Beef that is not smoked, grilled or cooked, cut the remaining piece into steaks, place the Beef in Food Savor Bags or Zip Lock Freezer Bags and place in the freezer.

The Beef/ steaks will keep for several months (if you don’t eat them quicker). But in either case it would be wise to mark the packages with your own “pack date” to keep track of the amount of time they have been in the freezer.

• To clean your towels for re-use, soak the soiled towels, immediately upon removing them from the meat, in cold water overnight. Next, soak them in cold, salted water for 2-3 hours to remove any blood stains. Then wash them as usual. *

A second way of dry aging your Beef and speeding up the process a bit would be in using the Drybag Steak System. (www.drybagsteak.com)

The Drybag Steak system is pretty easy to use and gives EXCELLNT RESULTS! Especially for those not wanting to use there existing refrigerator and may not have the ability to use a secondary one.

The Drybag Steak System will remind many of you of a Food Savor type system. The difference being the way air is taken out of the bag process, and unlike a Food Savor, the Drybag Steak System does NOT have such a “tight” wrapping effect on the Beef as if it was vacuumed sealed.

Drybag Steaks calls the bag you use in aging a “Membrane”. It is a unique product in that it allows moisture to escape the bag, and at the same time blocks unwanted odors and flavors to enter through the Membrane.

SO if you use this product YOU HAVE to use the membrane bags from Drybag Steaks, You can’t use a Food Savor bag, even though they may look the same.

The process is as follows and was taken directly from the Drybagsteaks.com site.

1) Select your preferred type and grade of beef in any subprimal cut, generally, strip loin, rib eye, and top butt. Fold back the opening of the DrybagSteak material and slide the subprimal cut of beef inside. Smooth the DrybagSteak material carefully against the surface of the beef eliminating all air pockets. The critical factor for optimal dry aging results is the excellent bond that will form between the proteins coating the surface of the beef and the DrybagSteak material

2) Use a snorkel-type or chamber-type vacuum heat sealer to draw the air out of the bag. Seal the bag. Ensure that the seal is firm, no air pockets remain, and there is no leakage of air

3) Carefully place the newly DrybagSteak sealed subprimal onto an open wire rack in a well-ventilated cooler. Remember that the all-important bond will form over the first three to five days. The beef must have good airflow around it to bond and age properly. Generally begin aging fat side up to assist the formation of the best bond on the meat side

*Instructions and Photos from Drybagsteak.com*

Now, for the big question, which method does the Bossman prefer?? For me and my family and customers, it has to be DRY AGED!!  If I have enough advanced notice we will dry age cuts of Beef for our customers or to speed up the process a bit I will use the Drybag Steak System for assistance.

Between the two I prefer the wait, but the Drybag Steak system is very good and speeds up the process.

Either way I feel the choice is an easy one once you’ve tried both methods. The Dry Aged Beef has a much more Beefier, richer flavor and just melts in your mouth. Very rarely is a knife needed when eating a properly aged steak or slice of Dry Aged Beef.

To find out which you prefer, try the methods we have laid out and choose for yourself. In either case you and Your Family and Friends will Not Be disappointed with the results! Just plan ahead and, choose a great cut of Beef and let the aging do its magic!! Good Luck to you!! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us here at Bossman Bar-B-Que! Until next time Smoke On!!

Boss-Man BBQ from Levi Thornton on Vimeo.

Thanks to Levi Thornton Films http://levithornton.com/ for doing this short film about Bossman Bar-B-Que and what we do! This was taped at our annual Holiday Smoking School. Enjoy and Smoke On!!

http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/ci_16573961

How a Butcher Carves a Turkey

We’ve had alot of emails as of late, asking us about the best way to carve a Thanksgiving Turkey. Well this is the way we have done it, and how we teach others to carve it as well at our Holiday Cooking School.
Hope you enjoy the video and it helps with the carving of your Thanksgiving Turkey! Please click on the link ”How a Butcher Carves a Turkey” above to go directly to the video! Happy Thanksgiving!