PA S S I N G B Y By: Nate Ogle Knox County District Attorney General’s Office
SUMMER BBQ IN THE LOST YEAR This summer has been a tough time for those of us who enjoy checking out new local eateries, watering holes, and sharing in a good meal with friends. Given the conditions, I was sitting around the house one weekend in early May with the COVID blues when I had an idea – could I add some happiness and enjoyment to an otherwise dull-looking summer by trying my hand at BBQ smoking? Maybe by taking my BBQ skills up a notch I could elevate the summer to something more fun and memorable than simply another seasonal casualty of 2020, our collective “lost year.” Like many of you, I’ve always enjoyed good BBQ. We are certainly blessed with some fine restaurant options in this area, but I’ve always been a bit envious when I’ve gone to a friend’s house and watched them basking in BBQ glory of their own creation. Sure, I had the standard charcoal grill for the basics for as long as I can remember, but I never endeavored into the world of smoking meat with the classic low-and-slow method by which the BBQ masters swear. For those not acquainted with the idea, the concept is to flavor red meat, white meat, or seafood and then slowly cook the meat by applying indirect heat combined with the smoke of a hardwood at a consistent temperature. Most BBQ smoking setups involve the use of charcoal (of which there is a never-ending variety), hardwood, or the convenience of a variety of new wood-pellet smokers and grills. I did my research on these different setups and ultimately decided, given this was my first foray into the arena of real home BBQ smoking, to go with a more price-friendly bullet-style smoker – the Weber Smokey Mountain. This is a basic setup, charcoal in the bottom of a bullet-shaped grill reminiscent of an old burn barrel, with the hardwood of your choice while the racks for your food sit above a bowl or metal plate in the middle of the smoker that serves to block the direct heat of the slowly burning catalyst below. This ensures the food is slowly cooked with the indirect heat and smoke emanating from the bottom. Katie and I have for years had a large vegetable garden in our back yard. The large garden plotted in the backyard of our home from the previous owner was one of the things that drew us to purchase the property four years ago, and we have tried, although not always successfully, to produce delicious vegetables for ourselves, friends, and family in the summers. This year we have grown tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, green beans, and even a few stalks of corn that appear to be on the way to producing. This BBQ endeavor was new though – something totally of my own whim that we hadn’t discussed trying. Katie is usually supportive and humored me although I know she had her concerns. Would I burn everything and then set aside the BBQ smoker like some other long-forgotten hobby or become so consumed with it I would forget about my small kids and leave her alone to deal with their weekend
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mishaps? I was determined to begin my path to BBQ mastery despite the lingering and perhaps legitimate spousal concerns. I purchased some new spices, different varieties of charcoal and hardwood, and made a trip to Costco for some meat to fill the BBQ smoker. I’m happy to report Katie and the kids have not been disappointed. This summer, almost every weekend my family has spent time together in the backyard taking in the scents of the BBQ smoker slowly working its magic on ribs, briskets, chicken, vegetables, and my kids’ favorite mac and cheese. I have certainly not mastered BBQ – it turns out it is a process of trial and error that takes quite some time to achieve consistent results. But my kids don’t seem to mind when I don’t get it just the way I want it. To them, I have become a COVID summer household hero on BBQ weekends as the family eagerly awaits the result of whatever we’re trying out on the BBQ smoker. My family has spent more time than ever before this summer outside together enjoying our yard and making memories. As I have shared stories about this new hobby with friends and colleagues, I have been pleasantly surprised to see many others also returning to the backyard for fun in these difficult times. We have exchanged BBQ recipes, mouth-watering photos of the products from our different BBQ smokers, and other tips for perfecting flavor and finish. While this summer has been different and challenging, I have seen friends and family dealing with the isolation of our time by rediscovering the simple joy of slowing down together at home. Maybe, if we remember these moments, there might be some bright spot to recall when we look back on this time years from now. If nothing else, Katie and I have some great photos of our small son devouring some BBQ ribs with the biggest grin you’ve ever seen.
DICTA
September 2020
