I’m a fan of fiery flavors. A stone cold chili head born and raised in the Tabasco on everything 70′s. I come from a long line of capsicum consuming, forehead sweating, lips burning, duck walkers preaching the word of Scoville. I always keep an eye out for the words hot and spicy at every the supermarket and while I admit most of the generic “Hot” snacks are disappointing, however every once in a while you come across the real McCoy.

Pain is Good Hott Nuts are the real McCoy. Hands down one of the best hot and spicy snacks I have ever had the pleasure of consuming. For a while I was able to get Pain is Good Hott Nuts at my local WalMart but when they stopped stocking them I went on line in search of more. I found them at HotSauce.com

I have experimented with most types of smoked meats including chicken, pork butt, brisket, ribs and sausage and it is my opinion that they are all  (with the exception of ribs) perfect candidates for freezing in vacuum sealed bags. The cooking process evaporates the water content leaving the fats and tissues to insulate the meat from damage from ice crystals. All of the meats with the exception of the ribs came out as visually pleasing and tasty as the day I took them out of the smoker.

Believe me when I say I was amazed at the quality that remained with a brisket I thawed some 6 weeks after serving fresh at a dinner party. Every slice was perfection, no grey meat, perfect coloring and the taste and texture were outstanding. If I hadn’t taken it from the freezer myself I would not have known. And I can smell frozen food a mile away.

Storage aside you can do a wonderful trick with vacuum seal bags and marinade. Just place the meat to be marinaded and the marinade in a large bag and vacuum seal the vacuum pulls the air from the surface of the meat to be replaced by the marinade. It may be a little messy but it cuts marinade time in half. Some units come with seal able jars. These would work well for marinading.

There are currently a couple of vacuum sealing systems on the market. The original, consisting of either pre-cut or rolls of seal-able bag material that you fill and then seal using the vacuum/heat sealing unit and a newer variety based on a zipper bag system where the bags each come with a one way seal

Vacuum sealing can save you a ton of money allowing you to buy in quantity when meats and cheeses go on sale. Tripling your frozen foods shelf life and at least doubling the length of other types of storage. You can hardly go wrong with this amazingly handy tool. You can find a good selection of Vacuum Sealer’s here.

Why is wood important?
The difference in wood choices and seasonings are all that separate the master BBQ pitt man from Joe Average at his smoker in the back yard. More important then the marinades, injections and seasoning rubs, smokeis the flavor component that can make or break your BBQ. Factis you don’t even need the other preparations. Smoked meat purists often scoff at injection’s, marinades and overly strong seasonings, opting for the pure smoke and natural meat flavors exclusively. In any case, the smoke should tie together the preparations and seasonings and marry the natural flavors of the meat.

The art of barbecue,is in matching the ingredients to the cut. Larger cuts such as Brisket, Tri-tip, Pork Shoulder, Butts, and other large muscle masses require stronger flavorings and heavier smoke as well as in most casesa slower cooking process. These large cuts are perfect for your heavily spiced injections, stronger seasonings and slightly larger amount of salt.

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Smaller cuts of meat, Ribs, Chicken and even Fish or Cheese, require more subtle seasonings, lighter smoke and many prefer sweeter rubs, and marinades. These lighter flavors are less likely to overwhelm the natural flavor of the meat.

The reasoning behind this all boils down to one thing. The percentage of meat to surface area. Inalarge roast for instance you haveaminimum of surface area ( the outside edges) and much more meat. Marinades and seasonings only penetrate at most 1/2 inch into the meat so in order to flavor the entire cut you rely on the heavier seasoning mingling with the meats natural juices to spread that goodness throughout when you takeaknife to it.

In smaller cuts thereisalower percentage of meat to surface area, so it follows that you would use less invasive seasonings and smokes so as tonotoverwhelm the flavor of the meat itself. This where the magic happens.

Larger cuts of meat also take exponentially longer to cook which means they will be in contact with the smoke foraprolonged period of time all of these things should be considered when planning your Que.

So what kind of wood do I need?
Generally speaking any Hardwood can be used to smoke and cook food. Most Softwoods are unsuitable with the exceptions of cedar and juniper and those should only be used fora short period for flavoring.

You want seasoned wood. Thatiswood that has been cut and allowed to fully air dry. This process can take up toayear and as you see in the pictures the difference between “seasoned” and “green” woodiseasily identified.

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You want Clean Wood. Clean wood makes for clear flavors, Bark can be polluted by molds and fungus, remove what you can before adding it to the Smoker.

Of course the two main woods associated with BBQ are… yep you guessed it, Hickory and Mesquite. It’s an East vs West kind of thing thing. If you live in Texas or the surrounding states where the naturally occurring species of hardwood happens to be mainly mesquite you will find ironically enough that Mesquiteisthe prevalent flavor component in the wood smoker. In the rest of the country Hickoryisthe prevalent “power wood” along with Oak which grows nearly everywhere except the far south western states.

Use what you have available. It holds true throughout the entire spectrum of regional cooking and ethnic cuisine that people tend to prefer and prepare ingredients that at one time were available in their backyards. Thisis how historically traditional recipes came about. So by making use of the woods in your locality you are basically continuing that traditional approach. I knowa few contest winners that always use local wood and say that its best to provide local judge panels with flavors they are familiar.

Hickory and Mesquite are the power woods associated with BBQ. The thing these two species have most in commonisaheavy almost acrid smoke. Both Mesquite and Hickory smoke if left to settle on the meat for any length of time imparts an bitter flavor which can easily overwhelm the flavor of the meat. Care must be taken to ensure even cooking while maintainingamoderate airflow.

Mesquite Wood generally burns hotter, which equates to faster. It produces slightly less smoke because of its rate of burn, but again you donot want the smoke to settle on the meat for any length of time. Good airflow, even though it will consume more fuel,is preferable to over smoked meat. The flavor of Mesquite works well with other strong flavors. Itis used most often on beef andis instantly recognizable by smell and taste.

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Hickory Woods burn slower, lasts longer and imparts more smoke. Hickory also carriesa slightly bitter component thoughnot nearly as pronounced as the Mesquite. As with the other strong flavored woods good steady Airflowisa must. Both of the “power” woods require more constant attention and subsequent experience. To refine the process I always advise that one use these woods sparingly at the beginning and the end of the process while mixing ina good Oak or alder for the actual cooking process.

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Oak Woods carrya moderate and slightly mellow smoke flavor to the meat. It’s identifiable butnot overpowering. Red Oak hasa slightly sweeter component which further mellows the smoky flavor. Oakisa very hard dense wood. It generally burns for longer periods providing an even stable heat, this makes ita perfect “fuel” for cooking in the smoker,

Oak wood’s slightly less distinct flavor allows for added flavoring woods to haveagreater effect. For instance adding pecan at the very beginning and end of the cooking process will leave the meat with the lingering flavor of the pecan wood. Where as if your base were hickory for instance you would barely notice the pecan smoke flavor.

Oak woodisoften suggested for beginners, or for use with new equipment as it can be depended on to provide good stable temps and even heat. All in all Oakisprobably the most used ifnotthe most popular wood in BBQ

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Alder Woods both red and white found most often in the west central region of the US releasesa slightly more flavorful smoke itis less subtle then oak butnot nearly as pronounced as Hickory, Mesquite. Perfect for milder flavored meats, including fish, and most notably water foul. Alderis used often in cold smoking as it’s less dense and smokes well ata lower temperature.

Both Oak and Alder are safe to use during the prolonged 4-6 hour cooks of larger cuts of meat. However you still shouldn’t allow your smoke to lay upon the meat too long. Constant light airflowisthe key to avoid bitterness.

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Pecan Woods are in use in the more southern states. Pecan wood producesa smoke flavor very close to its cousin the Hickory though slightly sweeter, mellow yet full bodied flavor that compliments pork perfectly and most milder flavored meats. Pecan even though its similarity to Hickoryis distinct itis often used asa flavoring smoke because its tasteis easily recognizable in heavier flavor profiles.

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Maple Woods are another huge favorite mainly because of its massive availability and the fact that Maple wood impartsa definite maple flavor to the smoke. Maple varieties are nearly endless. With sugar, Silver and Red Maple being the most common in the US. Maple burns sweet relatively hot andis dense and long lasting. Maple woods generally imparta slightly less acrid but otherwise strong smoke flavor and can be used with nearly any stronger flavored meat including most game varieties.

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Apple Woods are an all around favorite buta little tricky to work with. Apple hasa somewhat low density but burns hot and fast. Producing less smoke because of its more rapid consumption. The mildly sweet smoke flavoris easily overpowered by heavier flavors so itis more useful as fuel then asa flavoring agent. When working with apple you will want to have an abundance of large pieces in order to retard the furious burn rate.

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Apple wood isgreat for baking. You can produce wonderful breads pastry and rolls in asmoker with apple wood. Other fruit woods such as peach can be used as well providing alight sweet flavor. When baking in the smoker will need to tend the fire more to ensure no over smoking occurs.
Getting the wood can be challenging in some locations. If you live in new york city it may be harder to finda guy on craigslist selling firewood ata price that doesn’t play deep woods banjo rhythms when you see it. However there are sources online that will ship nearly any amount of raw split wood either on pallets or in boxes fora fairly decent price + shipping.

Many hardware stores carry flavoring woods in chunks. These are to be used in conjunction with charcoal to provide the smoke flavor to your BBQ. You can use them with any type of fuel. I like to use chunks to experiment with as its easier then going out and finding larger amounts that may or maynotbe suitable.

If your fortunate, there will beanearby wood cutter or sawmill that sells seasoned woods. The best way to buyisto visit the wood cutters stock and pick out the mixture of wood types you’d like to have. You may also be able to have the pieces sized to work best for your particular smoker. Building these types of relationships will really pay off when you begin to narrow down your favorite flavorings.

Fire and BBQ woodisoften sold by the cord Cords,aCord equals 128 cubic feet of wood, or roughlyapile that measures 4′ x 4′ x 8′. Some wood cutters will offer youaFace Cord or whatisalso referred to asaRick, or Rack.

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Ricks and Racks are confusing because they representapile 4′ x 8′ x 1 log’s width. Since different wood cutters will cut different size logs the actual amount of wood can vary quiteabit. Because of this in several localities itisillegal to advertisearick,rack or face cord of wood in which case wood cutters will offerafraction ofaCord or sell by the truckload. The average truck bed holds just overathird ofacord of wood on average.

Many grocery stores carry wood chips for imparting smoke flavor to grilled items. These work well with electric smokers which basically bake the meat inalight smoke but are ineffective in smokers in general because of their high rate of burn.

I hope now that you know what to look for you wont be afraid to get out and find some decent wood and get to cooking upamasterpiece for you and your family to get excited about. Call your friends make some plans and get smoking.

Previously Jays Red Hot Chips were my only real favorite. Over the years chips come and go but I had Jays in the 70′s and I can if I look hard enough find a bag today. Jays makes an excellent Hot and Spicy chip. Just the right balance of salt and heat and a tiny sweet BBQ to set it off. they have been good for over thirty years.

Uncle Ray’s Hot! Potato Chips however, are off the hook. They have thrown balance out the window for pure hedonistic rabid heat. I like their relatively less salty flavor and like the Jays they use a tiny sweet bbq canvas which turns the spicy on. It is truly an outstanding hot and spicy snack and they don’t cost an arm and a leg.

I’m a four bag a week man now. I like the little bags because they keep fresher overall and if you keep them in a cool temperature the case lasts a month before any kind of product spoilage. Uncle Ray’s is an interesting company and I believe the founders biography can be found in installments on the sides of the bags. Decent reading at lunch… or not.

Got a favorite hot food?

Personal Chef Prepared Meals

On top of that, your household budget has gone to crap. Everyone’s hurting, and even if your still lucky enough to have a healthy grocery budget you know your blowing it with every stop at a Fast Food Joint or by buying pre-prepared box meals at the grocery. If you want to see how much money your wasting simply save up a couple  weeks worth of restaurant receipts. Add them to what you bought at the grocery that ended up a science experiment in the bottom of the fridge. Prepare to be shocked.

Fact is the average household spends way to much money eating. Even couples can tie up an incredible amount of cash in their weekly grocery – dining budget and unless one of them is a culinary master there’s going to be waste. when your tired of throwing away money hire a professional. Hire a Personal Chef.

Personal Chefs are like day maids for your kitchen. They come in and prepare a freezer full of high quality easy to finish meals all made to your specifications. Then they’re gone leaving the kitchen clean and fresh. The good ones hardly leave a mark. It’s as though you have magic culinary gnomes. The meals are prepared and packaged for easy heat. some are frozen some are left for consumption within the next few days. Suddenly you know whats for dinner. And you can swing by and pick it up on the way to the ball park or the dance recital or the….

Personal Chefs also do the shopping. Many will pick up your additional items if you provide them a list. This in itself nearly justifies the cost of the personal chef service. I’ll be honest, any time I can stay out of the BigBoxStorOrama its well worth any price. Seriously though, with the cost of going to the grocery factored in, it brings added value to the Personal Chef service package. Other benefits include special diet preparation, medical diet preparation, even special event preparation.

Now the cost of the Personal Chef is of course going to vary in your locale. The trick is to shop around. There are some Chefs offering fortnight services as low as 150$ + groceries. There are some places in the country where a Personal Chef is hard to find. But if you contact the USPCA they will do their best to put you in contact with one of their members.

Personal Chefs aren’t for rich people. I mean sure a wealthy individual could employ a Personal Chef. But you don’t need to be rich to be able to afford the helping hand. Take into consideration the value of your time, waste and expense of eating out three or four nights a week and you’ll save money even in the short term while enjoying healthier high quality food.

Around here the word is Barbecue and we preach the word. Cookers, Smokers, Sauces, Rub’s, Marinades, and Injections. If its BBQ your going to find I have an opinion. Personally I feel the chase for the finest BBQ known to man is a fitting goal for ones life work. WyldeChef.com focuses on Barbecue, providing recipes and advice to help you discover your own perfect flavors.

Aside from helpful articles on cookery Wyldechef also explores great gift ideas, we’re suckers for kitchen gadgets, especially hand tools. We list great items for the foodie as well as the lunatic Chef in the family. High quality seasonings and spices. cutlery, and gadgets.

We got hotsauce fever around here. If it’s hot sauce I’m on the case. Dedicated to building the largest collection of hot sauce varieties in the world. WyldeChef.com is always on the hunt for the spiciest snack foods, new pepper varieties and home made hotsauce recipes.

Follow WyldeChef on Twitter for the random recipe feed. Lots of fun when your watching the stream or talking with your friends. Get our newest articles first by subscribing to our feed, and feel free to browse around our recommended product listings for great gift ideas and hard to find kitchen gadgets.

When people find out I spent years in the industry as a chef there will always be someone who “has been thinking about getting in the business” and invariably ask to for advice in starting a career. I tend to downplay the romantic aspect of the culinary career. Its a one in a million shot to be an Emeril Lagasee and even at those odds you’ll put yourself in an early grave trying to stand up under the weight of what becomes of your life.

The Chefs life is a grind It’s an addictive mix of stress, sweat and burn, its a beautifully painful dance with rooms full of expectations and demands, it’s all about being so on top of things that you can read the orders on the waiters face.  You are in fact, not going to get rich you will likely never vacation in the south of France. It’s 90 hours crammed into 70 hours and then pushed down your throat like corn in a goose. But if they still want to know where they can learn to cook” I tell them.

In this country today one of the best things a young person can do to jump start a career  is to start it in the military. Spend as long as you need to in the service to gain a full GI bill package for education. The costs of a high end education are outrageous. A stint at a really good school, (and I’ll tell you, in this case you either go big or go home,) is around 60k. A diploma from lefties house of culinary arts is going to get you zip in this field. You want to go to CIA, Johnson and Wales or CIA. that’s it.

As a cook in the service you will gain a tremendous head start. If you show aptitude, you will get more training. At the end of a four year stint you’ll have both the physical and mental capacity to endure the curriculum at one of the big schools and will be leagues ahead of the rest of the class. Plus the GI bill will take on a huge chunk of the over 50k your going to need to pull an associates degree in culinary arts. And if you can bear it a masters degree followed up with full accreditation from the American Culinary Federation will shave off at least 10 years of low wage grunt work.

At this point its all about location and choices. This is where the real work begins.

Disagree? Lets talk about it.

Many of my first memories involve oddly enough the backrooms and kitchens of various restaurants. My Grandfather was in the business and I remember being proudly paraded thru the kitchen and while the memories blur I still recall the veritable cacophony of a busy back of the house as it reverberated thru my body.

I later came to wash dishes in that very kitchen. I was both tormented and adored by the men who worked the informal brigade there. I was tutored in the gastronomic. I tasted and sampled a million things each from the pinched fingers of a man in a white jacket and tie. Raw garlic, Rosemary, Cloves and Cumin all of these things with a “taste this” or “it goes with…” It was only a couple of summers. But as I learned to pare, and to cut and to julienne, another part of me was waking up as well. I would stand on the stool and peer out the cooks window into the dining room and I would see beautiful people beautifully dressed laughing and drinking and eating and smiling.

I fell in love. it’s really that simple I fell in love with the vocation. I wanted to be able to affect people in that way. to make them happy to fuel discussions and conversation to spawn laughter and those noises people make when they bite into that one thing that suddenly turns into heaven on their tongues.

My first job for pay was at a top of the line barbecue in central Florida named Minors. They had the very best “que” in town and man was the joint jumping. they burned thru hundreds of pounds of perfectly prepared pork beef and chicken in the span of 3 hours at lunch leaving the staff feeling mugged at the end of a shift. I was young and in love with everything that moved but for the brief time I stayed there I learned a lot of valuable production procedures. And I got my first taste of what it was like to be revered as gods in a entire genre of the culinary world. When I told people where I worked their eyes would literally glaze over in appreciation for the last meal they had there ad they would undoubtedly say something like, “man they awesome.”

To Be Continued…