HS 50th on the Lake — Diane
I rented a vacation home on Lake Winnipesaukee. I contacted Smokin Bear BBQ to cater 25 guests, and the food was beyond fabulous! The meat was perfect, and the confetti pasta salad was to die for! Thank you so much for making my bbq such a special occasion for my high school friends of 50 years!
Honeymoon Surprise
After one particular beautiful Fall lake side wedding, we received a phone call the very next morning:
Caller: “Hi! This is the Bride.”
Bear: “Wow! We are surprised to hear from you today. We figured you’d be enjoying your honeymoon right about now.”
Bride: “Oh, we are heading out soon, but we just wanted to call and say thank you, to you, Bear, and The Pit Crew, Kim, for such a perfect meal for our wedding. Everyone was so happy and enjoyed all you did for us on our special day!”
Bear: “It was our pleasure to serve you, your new husband, your family and friends on your wedding day. Congratulations!”
This is just one more sample of what we would call a blue ribbon trophy for Smokin Bear BBQ! A bride calling us the very next morning after her wedding day to say thank you. You can’t beat that!!
Brisket
We agree with so many that it is hard to beat slow, smoked brisket. However, people don’t realize how long it takes to make such a perfect piece of smokey goodness. To achieve brisket bliss, it takes approx. one hour and 15 minutes PER POUND to reach perfectly smoked meaty goodness. So, with an average size brisket — usually about 15 lbs — that works out to be over 15 hours of cook time. Let’s put that into action with a back yard party. We would have to show up around 17 to 18 hours prior to your event to get this party started. Do you really want to pay for all that time? We would suggest going with prime rib. A few more dollars up front, but it saves you tons on the back end. PLUS, who doesn’t love a nice slab of slow smoked prime rib?
The Smoke Ring
One of the most frequent comments I hear from “newbies” to real slow smoked BBQ is: “Ohhhh noooo…..this is RAW!! Look how pink it is inside! Oh, wait….it is cooked in the middle — but not on the outside…” I confidently assure people that this is due to the smoke penetrating the meat, causing the pink ring or “smoke ring” to appear around the outside layer of the meat. This is not raw, this is FLAVOR!!
Use Local Wood for Smoking
Why do I use Sugar Maple, Beechnut and Apple Wood for the unique flavors here at Smokin Bear BBQ? Mostly because it’s local and readily available. But, more than that, I find that it gives my NH style BBQ a truly unique sweetness only found here in New England. There have been many conversations and debates across the BBQ nation about which woods smoke the best and create the best flavor. The only true answer is: use what is local. It’s kind of hard to find a mesquite tree in New Hampshire to cut down!!
My Best Trophy
Many people have questioned why I don’t do competition BBQ. I usually just shrug, and say ~ not really interested. I am not in it for the trophies. Here is an explanation and the real reason why. During our Town’s 250th anniversary celebration, a man approached me, after I had served him his NH BBQ chicken and coleslaw plate, and said, “I am 84 years old… been eating chicken my whole life — and that was the best piece of chicken I have ever eaten. How do you get it so juicy and tender?” Thank you, Sir, for the compliment!! I was just given one of the top trophies ever for my BBQ. No shiny piece of plastic with gold highlights can beat this blue ribbon trophy!
Free BBQ Education
During our events, everyone is always very interested in checking out the Smoker, how it works, how long it takes to cook everything, and what type of wood I use — just to name a few. They hang around, sipping their favorite beverages, watching with interest what I am doing, with big smiles on their faces, nostrils flaring, breathing in very deeply. I love the interest, and fully encourage everyone to ask questions while they wait to enjoy the Best BBQ in New Hampshire!