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Get Fired Up for Summer Cookouts

WRITTEN BY KRISTEN BOEHM

SUMMERTIME IS HERE don’t miss it, break out the brisket! Jokes aside, there’s no denying that summer is prime time for BBQ chefs and appreciators alike. While you can grab delicious barbecue from restaurants all around the North Sound, these warmer months are the best opportunity for home cooks to get out in the yard and try their hand at using fire and smoke to sizzle up some tasty, home-cooked meals.

We got together with Gary Vander Giessen, BBQ judge and cook with decades of experience under his belt, to chat about BBQ, the tools of the trade, and the keys to a good cookout.

Local Joints for Your BBQ Fix

No time to do it yourself? Burnt the entire rack of ribs? Weather raining on your open-flame parade? No worries, these businesses serve up hot ‘n’ ready BBQ all year round.

Homeschool BBQ, Bellingham

Homeschool opened in early 2023, filling the funky hole left in Bellingham’s heart by HomeSkillet. They lovingly infuse our PNW scene with flavors from all over. (I particularly implore you to try their Cajun Boiled Peanuts for $6, a snack near and dear to my heart.)

Brando’s BBQ, Bow

Classic outfit serves pulled pork, brisket, chicken, ribs, and even hot dogs for the kids. For a less traditional plate, try the Loaded BBQ Sundae ($16.99), which dares to combine baked beans, mashed potatoes, mac ’n’ cheese, slaw, and your choice of meat into one dish.

Q&A with Gary Vander Giessen of Gary’s BBQ Supplies

Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your business?

Okay, my name is Gary Vander Giessen. I own and operate Gary’s BBQ Supplies, which used to be in Lynden, but I have a shop in Ferndale now. It’s a warehouse, I’m open by appointment, and I sell Yoder Smokers exclusively, as well as rubs and sauces, smoking pellets, and other tools.

Why did you choose Yoder Smokers?

Yoder Smokers are manufactured in Hutchinson, Kansas. All of the parts are manufactured in the United States, including the electronics, which is extremely rare. Yoders were named the Best Pellet Grill of the Year by People Magazine just recently, and they’re extremely robust.

I really like [that every part is manufactured in the U.S.], because I try to support U.S. businesses with everything I carry. My pellets are made by Cookinpellets, and are 100% species wood, so if it says black cherry it’s 100% black cherry, et cetera.

We saw that you’re a barbecue judge! What, in your opinion, makes a great barbecue dish? Well, judging is done with taste, texture, and appearance; there’s those three points. Scoring in the PNWBA [Pacific Northwest BBQ Association] is done on a scale of 1–9. They call me Mr. 8! So, 6 is a bad score, 1 is a disqualification, and 9 would be perfect.

Texture, different things like ribs have different things that they look for. People say they like fall-off-the-bone ribs, and that is not acceptable in the PNWBA, because ribs that fall off the bones are technically overdone.

Flavor, of course, that’s always subjective. Some people like a little bit more salt or a little sweeter, so that’s a

Double Barrel BBQ, SedroWoolley

Serving dry-rubbed and slow-smoked meats since 2002, Double Barrel BBQ restaurant represents southern pitstyle BBQ at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A small order of their 4-hour smoked, pork loin Baby Back Ribs runs for $17.99.

Big Stick BBQ, Bellingham

From food truck to brick-and-mortar, Big Stick BBQ folds extra flavor into their dishes with touches like rosemary potato buns, house-made jalapeno jelly, and brie cheese (The Rissa, $14). The menu is worth investigating, but so is their drink selection enjoy local beer, cider, wine, and tasty non-alcoholic drinks.

JT’s Smokin’ BBQ & Catering, Bellingham

Vander Giessen said he turns his car around on a dime if he passes by JT’s food truck! Their BBQ bowls are infamous. For just $11, you can get a bowl of layered baked beans, meat, and slaw or mac ‘n’ cheese and meat for a filling and delicious meal.

bit more difficult to judge. And appearance it’s like art, one person likes a little bit more pink, some people like brown.

What does a beginner barbecue chef need to get started?

Well, really, you don’t need the best of the best to get great results. I can make great smoked salmon in a cardboard box! Use what you have and what you can afford, and study. The best way to get started is to gain experience through doing it. And talk to people! You can join the PNWBA, and … they are a wonderful group of people, they do a lot for charity, and they love to share their wealth of knowledge with others.

I’d recommend a Yoder Smoker, of course. But I used a Brickmann, which is a very inexpensive cooker, for 20 years! It was a pain in the butt, because you have to constantly tend the fire. Every 15 minutes, you want to be checking your temperatures, and with a less expensive smoker like that, you have trouble keeping your temperatures even.

The key to good barbecue really is being able to control your temperatures. You’re trying to keep it at one constant temperature the whole time. And a light amount of smoke! You want what they call the “thin blue line,” and that would be just a thin blue wisp of smoke. You don’t want clouds of white or black smoke, all that means is that you don’t have the correct fuel-air mixture.

What would be a good dish for a first timer to make?

I would say pork butts, although it depends on how much time you have. If you want to do ribs, you can do ribs; that’s about a four hour cook. But the most forgiving would be an eight hour minimum cook, and that would be pork butts. [Find the recipe for Vander Giessen’s Smoked Sangria Pork Butt on his website!]

What makes BBQ such a great summertime activity?

You know, when you barbecue typically, you have your family there, right? So, when you have your family over and you’re cooking for them … you’re gathering outside around the fire or near the BBQ, and it creates that atmosphere. The smell, the smoke, the anticipation of the food, preparing the meat, that can all be a community and family event. Gary’s BBQ Supplies, Lynden, 360.223.1009, garysbbqgrills. com 