Rocky Mount Telegram

George's Original BBQ Sauce came out on top in the May 2008 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, a popular cooking and lifestyle magazine by syndicated TV host Rachael Ray.

It is featured in a section of the magazine called Big Bite, in which different food categories and brands are blind tested for the best tasting overall.

Chosen "Best in the Carolinas", the magazine stated that "This Eastern North Carolina sauce packs a vinegary punch at first, but George's Original eases the kick with apples and sugar for 'a perfect balance of sweet, sour and spicy.'"

Beth Chappell, owner of George's Barbeque Sauces, said she received a request from the magazine for samples of George's Sauces in the fall of 2007. In November they found out that their Original sauce was in the final stages of a tasting competition. And surely enough, in late March, they found out the results. "Our sauce came out on top! And needless to say we are thrilled that Rachael Ray's magazine found our sauce to be what all of our customers already knew ... ... ..that George's is the best!"

George's Barbeque Sauces, known for its three zesty and tangy barbeque sauces that suit every taste, has been producing the perfect accompaniment for all meats, seafood and poultry, under the ownership of Beth Chappell. George's Original Sauce that has a spicy vinegar base, the Hot Sauce that is also vinegar based but with a hot pepper kick, and their Special Sauce, a zingy tomato based sauce, make up the three barbecue sauces so popular with cooks and grill masters in the southeast.

George Stallings of Rocky Mount was the original creator of George's Sauces. George developed the barbecue sauce in his home kitchen and treated his appreciative friends and relatives to the spicy sauce. By the mid 1970s, his sauce production had grown into a thriving business.

In 1992, Beth Chappell purchased George's Sauces and moved it to a scenic location in Nashville to its new production facility and offices. Under her ownership and vision, George's Sauces has continued to grow. It is one of the most popular barbecue sauces in the Carolinas. George's now has four full-time employees that produce an average of 3500 bottles of barbecue sauce each working day. After cooking up the sauces with their own distinctive ingredients, each bottle is labeled, filled, capped and packed by hand.....making George's Sauces the true definition of a "hands-on company"!

In June of 2006, Ashley Chappell Hassell joined George's as its office manager and marketing director. Since her arrival, she has put George's on the map with its very attractive on line ordering website which has enhanced sales greatly. In addition, she is in charge of marketing, newsletters, and promotional advertising.

George's Sauces also has as growing food service business. The popularity of George's Sauces is widely known and many restaurants all over the southeast order large shipments of sauces to use as ingredients in their own recipes. The chefs at Golden Corral use George's Sauces as the base for their barbeque.

A perfect gift any time of the year, George's Sauces continue to be popular items for anyone who enjoys backyard barbecues and as the major ingredient in hundreds of delicious recipes.

Great BBQ needs great recipes and if you have the ten best barbecuing books near at hand there is nothing to worry. With these recipes, you can make scrumptious barbecues, each time, every time. So brush up your reading skills and gear up for the ‘read and cook’ sessions from the ten best barbecuing books.

‘Where There's Smoke There's Flavor: Real Barbecue - The Tastier Alternative to Grilling, Vol. 1’ has been authored by Richard Langer. The book gives newer varieties in barbecuing with meat, fish, poultry and even vegetarian alternatives. The thing to look forward in this book is the different assessments, reviews and techniques that go into grilling, making it practical and easy to use.

However, if you are looking for a twist on the simple cooking techniques, “Sublime Smoke: Bold New Flavors Inspired by the Old Art of Barbecue” is the best bet. In fact, many of the recipes have many awards to its credit.

If you prefer the gas grill though, “The Gas Grill Gourmet” is a good choice amongst the ten best barbecuing books for it gives ample information on the gas grill. It is a “must buy” for beginners for its simple recipes and uncomplicated lingo makes it a delight to read.

“Gas Grill Cookbook, Better Homes and Gardens” to say the least is a wholesome bar-b-q book with a little of everything. Easy recipes, excellent illustration, and fine binding should be enough to find it on your bookshelf.

“Smoke and Spice” gives full information to grill different ways on your charcoal grill, water smoker, or wood-burning pit.

Ten best barbecuing books would simply be incomplete without mentioning the “How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbeque Techniques”, it gives good advice for both charcoal and gas grilling methods, and each recipe gives a systematic analysis of the whole process. No matter what the meat and what the cut, you are sure to find it here.

“Beer-Can chicken and 74 Other Off-Beat Recipes for the Grill” is for the experienced griller with a knack for experimentation.

Two other books “Marinades: The Secrets of Great Grilling” and “Cold Smoking and Salt Curing Meat, Fish and Game” are a bit different as it does not elaborate on grilling methods in particular. The former focuses on marinades and dry rubs for that perfect taste. The latter on the other hand enlightens its readers about smoking and salting methods along with quite a few marvelous recipes.

With the Ten best barbecuing books within your reach, you would be no less than an expert. It would not be a surprise if you could write down one yourself.

Chris McCarthy owns InsaneChicken's Hot Sauce Store and they are proud to sell some of the world's hottest sauces including The Source Hot Sauce and Mad Dog 357 Collector's Edition Hot Sauce

Hot Sauce and Aggressive Behavior

Psychology student Jennifer Klinesmith and several of her professors at Knox College in Galesburg, IL, designed an interesting study to evaluate the mental and physiological changes in men’s bodies after they handle guns. The study was performed on a group of 18- to 22-year old college students who were unaware of the purpose of the study.

The study was described to the students as a test to determine the effect of attention to detail on taste sensitivity. To begin the test, Klinesmith collected a saliva sample from each of the men and tested it to determine their level of testosterone. Then, each man was led into a room alone and seated at a table with an object on it. The man was instructed to take the object apart and put it back together according to printed instructions.

For half of the study participants, that object was a child’s Mousetrap game. For the other half, the object they had to take apart and put back together again was a pellet gun that looked like a Desert Eagle automatic handgun. Fifteen minutes later, a repeat round of saliva samples was collected from each man. Each was then asked to take a drink from a 3-ounce cup of water with a drop of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce in it.

For the final part of the study, each man was given another 3-ounce cup of water and a bottle of the hot sauce. They were told that the water was going to be given to the next man in the study, and that they could put as much hot sauce in the water as they wanted to, without that man knowing who did it. This sort of hot sauce is a common tactic in psychological studies; the more aggressive a person is feeling, the more hot sauce he will put in the next person’s drink.

The researchers were not surprised by the results of the study. In the group of men who handled the gun, testosterone levels went up about 100 times more than those of the men in the Mousetrap group. Also, the men who disassembled and reassembled the gun put three times more hot sauce in the water for the next guy—on average, about half an ounce. On an individual level, the more a man’s testosterone level went up after handling the gun, the more hot sauce he put in the water.

Klinesmith and her colleagues concluded that the findings of their study support the questions raised by many people about whether the prevalence of guns in today’s’ society can contribute to violent behavior. "Although our study is clearly far from definitive," Klinesmith said, "Its results suggest that guns may indeed increase aggressiveness partially via changes in the hormone testosterone."

After the study’s conclusion, the participants were given full details about what had taken place. Many of the men said that they were disappointed when they learned that the water they’d spiked liberally with Frank’s wasn’t actually going to be given to an unsuspecting victim. The study appears in this month’s issue of Psychological Science.

Grilling Fruits – Sumptuous Pineapples, Pears and Apples

Grilling meat and vegetables is a common thing, but grilling fruits is hardly as common, even though they are great to eat. Grilled fruit makes for a great dessert, and holds itself with great gusto as delicious side dishes or even appetizers. Moreover, no matter how exotic it sounds, it is pretty easy to prepare. But like all other effortless things grilling fruits too require you to fulfill few pre requisites.

Grilled fruits are best when they are made with firm fruits like pears, pineapples, apples, etc. These fruits retain almost original shape and quality even after cooking. Unlike tender fruits like plums, peaches and mangos they do not become squashy and soggy even on overcooking. You simply need to cut them into half, de-seed them and leave the peel on. This results in maintaining the shape of the fruit, however big fruits and citruses need to be sliced up for better heat treatment.

Now coming down to the actual grilling part, firstly, make sure you have an impeccably clean grill. Also put on some oil or melted butter on the grill to keep the fruits from sticking on to it. Make sure the oil does not have an overpowering smell so that you can add your own flavor by soaking it in a combination of your favorite spices, even liquor, or both. Sprinkle some cinnamon, add some nutmeg and douse it with rum, it will surely make for a sumptuous meal as well as a bright appearance.

You could marinade the fruits in some water and add the spices to the water instead of the fruit; the taste would definitely be worth a try. Regarding the recipe for standing your grilled fruit, the sky is the limit. However, whatever you do, always remember that grilling fruits requires medium heat.
 
Grilling fruits is especially easy because of the composition of the fruit, which mainly consists water and sugar. Therefore, while you grill it, you reduce the water content, and the sugar converts to caramel thereby condensing the flavors. A little bit of cooking oil and water, and Voila! No sweat lost, for the perfect grill of your favorite fruit.

10 Easy Steps to Building a Barbecue Pit

In the early 50's, brick barbecue pits and grills were common in the backyards. Recently, they have come back in favor and plans to build a barbecue pit and some newer modern plans are being worked out to build pits from sheet metal or barrels. It is possible to build a barbecue on your own. A simple “Do It Yourself” process could be:

1. You will have to first measure a rectangular plot of 40"x 56" and dig a pit at least 8" below ground and level the area. 

2. Lay 2" bed of gravel on the pit floor. Mix dry mortar with water and spread 2" thick circular layer around the edge of the gravel.

3. While the mortar is wet, smooth the surface with a trowel. Lay a single roll of flat cinder blocks on the perimeter, leveling each block as you go.

4. As the mortar dries fill the hole with dirt, spread fresh mortar on top of the cinder blocks and smooth.

5. Spread little mortar on the brick and lay horizontally along the outer edge of the cinder block.

6. Tap them into place towards the perimeter. Scrap off any excess mortar. Keep the wall of the pit even.

7. Build the inner wall using the same method.

8. Add second layer of bricks, changing the pattern.

9. Insert metal braces for the grill in the mortar, build a final layer of bricks on top.

10. Let it dry overnight. Place the grill on top of the metal braces.

There are readymade barbecue pits with all the facilities. It has facilities to regulate smoke and temperature and water can be used for moist heat. There is a three-slide heat-treated glass for seeing what is smoking. Cleaning is easy with glass doors. A sliding drip pan is easy for cleaning. These are long lasting and durable. A 110-V slow driven gearbox with constant rotisserie creates slow roasting convection.

You can also take home the much popular rotisserie barbecue pit, which comes with a smoker and is available in different shapes and sizes. A special feature about rotisserie pit smoker is that the front doors are recessed to keep smoke from rolling into the face of the person serving the food.

It has a full-length cooking chamber allowing consistent heat to cook the food perfectly. It has intake vents to keep embers from burning the meat. Rotisserie barbecue pit smokers have electric motors capable of dealing with lots of meat on the trays and this is the special feature, which makes it the best for you, if you intend to buy one. Another feature are its rotating shelves. The advantage being the need to constantly turn the meat is not required. A 3-inch thermometer helps to monitor temperature in cooking chamber. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact why barbecue lover look for rotisserie barbecue pit smokers.

Now, you should decide, whether to undertake a DIY barbecue pit project or get one readymade barbecue pit with all the facilities.

Celebrate Easter in Style with Roasted Lamb

From historical times, roasted lamb has been a traditional delicacy for ushering in the spring season. Roasted lamb is also the most savoured meat item in Easter dinner. There is a reason for association of lamb with the spring season. The natural breeding cycle of sheep results in ample production of lamb during the months of March and April. Hence we get to hear about the term spring lamb.

Before our mouth starts to water over a dish of roasted lamb, let’s differentiate between a lamb and a sheep. Formally, a lamb is a sheep that is less than a year old. A baby lamb is six to eight weeks old while a spring lamb is even younger. It is only three to five months of age. Once a lamb crosses its first birthday, it is referred to as ‘yearling’. It matures to mutton once it reaches its second birthday. Present day animal husbandry practices, allow you to obtain lambs of varying ages throughout the year.

Now let’s move on to intricacies behind roasted lamb. The most favoured part of lamb is the “rack of lamb”. Actually, rack is a cut from the rib section. Eight ribs constitute a full rack. If you happen to order a rack of lamb in a restaurant, you will be served with “Frenched” bones. This is an arrangement for beautification purposes only. The meat is scrapped off the ribs. Though the “Frenched” rack has visual appeal, it deprives you of the “true” taste of lamb. Devoted lamb admirers will suggest relishing of the meat first and thereafter nibbling on the bones.   

Having said this far, let us get introduced to a highly popular lamb recipe for the next Easter- the roasted rack of lamb. To feed two, you will require 1 full rack of lamb; olive oil; 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary; 2 tablespoons of chopped thyme; salt; pepper; a cup of red wine; 3 chopped garlic cloves and one tablespoon of butter.

First check whether the butcher has removed the chine bone from the rack. Next, trim excess fat from the rack without overdoing it. Apply olive oil lightly on the rack. Next sprinkle half the quantity of rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper on both sides of the rack. With a grate at the bottom, place the rack on your roasting pan and then put it into a pre-heated oven at 375 degree. Continue to cook when a thermometer placed at the dead centre of the meat shows readings of 125 degrees for rare; 130 for medium rare; and 135 for medium. 

After cooking, allow the roast to rest for a while on a serving plate covered with an aluminium foil. Let the meat re-absorb the juices and the foil keep it warm. To prepare the sauce, pour wine on the roasting pan and bring it to boil. Add the other half of rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. When the quantity of the sauce reduces to half, add butter. Prepare individual chops from the roasted mass and serve hot after spreading sauce over them. To make the dish even more delicious, you can substitute homemade beef or veal stock for the wine. A composition of stock and wine would be the best bet.

Americans consume a pound of roasted lamb or other lamb delicacies throughout the year. You will be interested to know that lamb is a delicacy that is even more popular in other parts of the world. Particularly, inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries savour it. The item is conspicuous in so many dinner tables during the Easter.