One such product that immediately caught my attention comes from the maker of insulated mugs and coolers…the Bubba Keg.

Unlike similarly designed ceramic cookers from Big Green Egg and Komado, the Bubba Keg utilizes fiberglass insulated double wall steel to keep the heat in and to create a convection cooking environment similar to the previously mentioned cookers.

By adjusting the top and bottom dampers, the user can cook at anywhere between 200-800 degrees, offering a range of cooking options from low and slow barbecue to hot and fast grilling.  And because of the insulation, you should need significantly less fuel to power Bubba Keg up and keep it running while you relax and wait for the food.

And the list of features goes on to include a 20+ inch cast iron grate, a stainless steel expansion rack, two removable side tables (with a bottle opener!), and a trailer hitch for taking Bubba on the road.  Now although the sticker price is steep ($799), it is slightly less than a Big Green Egg XL with comparable cooking capacity (although to be fair, I’m fairly certain the 450 square inches cited in the fact sheet includes the second rack, while the BGE XL boasts 452 square inches cooking surface) and should last forever assuming the enamel coating holds up to heat, wear and tear over time.

In the next few days, I’ll be taking one for a test spin and will be reporting back on how Bubba fairs.  In the meantime, be sure to take a peep at Home Depot or check out the instructional video here.

As I started mapping out my own menu, I turned to Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe’s new book, NFL Gameday Cookbook for a ton of ideas sure to wow the crowd next Sunday.

Among the countless offerings included in Dr. BBQ’s latest and greatest are barbecue chicken nachos, pepperoni stuffed mushrooms, catfish tacos with citrus salsa, and and an amazing mac and cheese soup, the recipe for which you can find below courtesy of the good doctor himself.

Mac and Cheese Soup
(courtesy of The NFL Gameday Cookbook)
10 slices thick-cut bacon
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup all purpose flour
One 14 oz can vegetable broth
3 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon good quality chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
4 cups (1 pound) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups dried elbow macaroni, cooked
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Cut the bacon strips into quarters. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove it to paper towels to drain. Add a little oil to the pan if needed, then add the onion. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onion is soft and lightly browned, about another 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Add the milk, chili powder, pepper, and mustard. Return the soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the cheese and bacon and continue cooking and stirring until well blended, about 4 minutes. Add the macaroni and return to a simmer. Remove from the heat and serve, sprinkling with parsley.

Makes 8 servings

“Eye-Talian Lasagna”

Approximately 3 cups of pulled pork, drizzled with Blues Hog Tennessee Red
2 cups grated smoked Gouda
2 cups grated Mozzarella
1 32 oz can plum tomatoes, crushed
1 bottle barbecue sauce (for this one, I used Gates)
1 box lasagna noodles
2 cups ricotta
Dry rub

Mix tomato sauce and barbecue sauce, and simmer over medium-low heat for approximately 45 minutes.  Mix gouda and mozzarella cheeses and set aside.  Prepare lasagna noodles according to directions.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In an oven proof baking dish, drizzle sauce to evenly coat the bottom.  Add one layer of noodles, top with 1/3 of the pork, a 1/4 of cheese mixture, dollops of ricotta (approximately 2/3 cup), and sauce.  Repeat with two more layers.  Top final layer of noodles with an even coating of sauce, remainder of cheese and dry rub.

Cover lasagna with foil and place in the oven for approximately 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake and additional 10 minutes to brown the top.  Rest, slice and enjoy!

Crunchy Grilled Shrimp Po Boy

1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
2 cups flour, seasoned with salt and pepper or favorite seasoning mix
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups bread crumbs, seasoned
Remoulade Sauce (recipe follows)
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomato
Italian loaf or submarine roll

Preheat grill to approximately 350 degrees.  Toss shrimp in flour, remove and shake off excess.  Coat in egg mixture.   Remove and toss in bread crumbs.  Remove and place breaded shrimp directly on grill and close lid.  After approximately 3 minutes, shrimp coating should be slightly browned and crisp.  Flip, then rotate approximately ever 45 seconds until completely browned and crisp, roughly 6 minutes.  Meanwhile, toast bread on grill, remove and slice.

Remove shrimp from grill, place approximately 6-8 shrimp in roll.  Top with lettuce, tomato and remoulade sauce.  Laissez les bon temps roulette!

Remoulade Sauce

1.5 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced celery
2 tspn minced parsley
3 tbsp catsup
3 tbsp grainy mustard
2 tbsp minced green onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
Dash of Worcestershire
Hot Sauce to taste
1 tspn horseradish
Mix well and chill in fridge until ready to use.

Weber

For more than a century, the Weber-Stephen Product Company has been turning out some of the best grills (and smokers!) on the market, offering durable products at affordable prices for cooks of every caliber.

When I first started competing on the BBQ circuit two years ago, my original smoker was a drafty fuel burning cooker that had me up all night tending to the fire and dealing with partially done food the next day.  At the suggestion of several friends on the BBQ-Brethren.com, I eventually invested in a Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) bullet-style smoker.  Porcelain coated, that thing took one batch of wood and charcoal and got some pork butts done while I slept.

Today, I use three WSMs exclusively at contests.  At 18.5 inches in diameter, they don’t take up a lot of space in my trailer, are easy to load in and out and, best of all, are reliable.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to meet one of the designers down at Memphis In May and the first thing I asked was “what about making it bigger?”  He assured me it was in the works.  Two years went buy and eventually they did, with an updated 22.5″ model hitting shelves this winter.

On the way to work the other day, I happened across an interesting site…an outdoor Weber showroom directly across from my office.  I took a few minutes to introduce the kind folks to the world of Smoke In Da Eye competition BBQ, then got my first up close look at this spacious cooker.

The change in size is indeed noticeable (as you can see above with a classic 18.5″ and 22.5″ placed side to side), as is the thermometer on the lid, and the heat shield on the bottom.  The lid itself is a monster, with an extra side handle to help manage its heft when hot.

I did not notice eyelets on the sides (holes to allow remote thermometers to be run through), but that’s a pretty cheap modification that can be done later.  Overall, it’s a thing of beauty!

Also on hand was the soon-to-be-release 26.5 inch One-touch grill, finding a nice middle ground between the existing 22.5 inch model and the monster Weber Ranch.  And, lucky me, I have one on order courtesy of this past weekend’s BBQ victory!  Now, we’ll just have to wait until Christmas and hope for the WSM, as well…