Vote In The Alabama Barbecue Bracket 2014

Posted on 03/17/2014 by Nathan Young

March Madness is here! Many people will be filling out those brackets and predict who they think will win it all. Here in Alabama, we are doing March Madness too! No, it’s not about basketball, it’s about barbecue. Last year, the Alabama Tourism Department did a March Madness bracket challenge called the Alabama Barbecue Bracket. The challenge was a social media contest pitting some of the state’s favorite BBQ restaurants against each other and people got to vote on which BBQ restaurant was truly the best in Alabama. Jim N’ Nick’s Bar-B-Q won the contest last year. And this year, things are going to be different!

Last year, the brackets were divided into four geographic regions in Alabama. This year, the bracket will be divided into ribs, chicken, pork, and sauce. The 200 participating restaurants were selected based on social media polling conducted late last year. And many of the restaurants in this year’s field are represented in multiple categories. Here is the bracket below.

Here’s how it works, each 48-hour matchup leading up to the championship will be posted on their Facebook page, with two matchups per day. After voting closes for each matchup, they will tally the votes and see who moves to the next round. Watch for the bracket to be updated with winner info after each matchup to follow your favorite to the championship. Voting begins on Monday March 17th, and the announcement of the 2014 champion will be on Tuesday April 8.

Check back often to see how your favorites are faring as the competition heats up. They’re expecting a tournament full of fanfare and die-hard loyalty, so don’t miss a single round. Since teams in Alabama does poorly in basketball, this is something exciting to make up for our lackluster performances in basketball. And in Alabama, people are die-hard BBQ fans and each person has their favorite. So if you want your favorite to win the title of Alabama’s best BBQ, you have to vote! Last year, over 80,000 votes determined the best BBQ in Alabama.

To view the brackets and vote for your favorite BBQ, go to the Alabama Food Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaFood

Learn more about the contest at: http://www.ilovealabamafood.com/

Some Praise For Some Alabama Barbecue

Posted on 07/24/2013 by Nathan Young

If there is one food everyone in Alabama associates with, it’s barbecue! Now, a Birmingham Metro BBQ restaurant has been named as one of the top ten BBQ restaurants in America! Full Moon BBQ has been named as a Top 10 barbecue restaurant across the U.S. by the Huffington Post and Gayot.com. Full Moon was recognized for their “zingy sauce and crunchy, peppery chow-chow (pickled relish)… that sets this barbecue haven apart from the others.”

From SamDogBBQ

“We love our chow-chow!” states David Maluff, Owner of Full Moon Bar-B-Que. “Being recognized by the Huffington Post is an honor and we welcome anyone across the US to come to Alabama to try our special sauce,” states Joe Maluff, Owner of Full Moon Bar-B-Que. Full Moon BBQ has a long, delicious history of great Southern-style ‘que made in the time-honored, traditional way, with quality meats cooked low and slow over a hickory wood-fired pit and spiced with a mouthwatering, award-winning bar-b-que sauce.

The Maluff brothers, David and Joe, bought the original restaurant in 1996, and they have since grown the business while continuing a family-owned tradition that caters to folks who know great ‘que from the rest. The wood smoke from every Full Moon restaurant’s fire pit shows the Birmingham-born brothers’ commitment to top-notch bar-b-que. At the same time, they satisfy a variety of tastes with fresh salads, hand-breaded chicken tenders, farm-raised catfish, Buffalo-style wings and overstuffed baked potatoes.

Almost everything at Full Moon is homemade, from the famous Full Moon chow-chow to the baked-fresh-each-day Half Moon cookies. And it’s all served with a smile and a healthy helping of true Southern hospitality, whether you eat in, get it to go or have your meal catered with our portable bar-b-que pits, which are guaranteed to make your next gathering as entertaining as it is enticing.

To see a complete list of the Top 10 barbecue restaurants in the U.S, go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gayot/best-barbecue-restaurants_b_3589080.html.

From Parade.

Parade Magazine also talked about two Birmingham Metro BBQ restaurants in their last issue. The magazine hailed Alabama mainstay Jim ‘N’ Nicks BBQ as one of the country’s excellent barbecue joints and listed Avondale’s newer Saw’s Soul Kitchen in its list of top 17 new barbecue restaurants. The July issue features food writer John T. Edge’s historical account of the fall and rise of barbecue in America, highlighting both large chains and mom-and-pop outfits across the nation. Read the article at: http://www.parade.com/55073/johntedge/holy-smokes-the-new-golden-age-of-barbecue/

Since I am still talking about barbecue, on Wednesday July 24th at 8/7 central, the Travel Channel will profile Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q in Decatur and Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q in Bessemer on their show “BBQ Crawl.” The show will follow host, barbecue competitor Danielle Dimovski, as she goes on a road trip and eats and competes her way through the American South. The episode will also show Dimovski competing in the Decatur Jaycees Riverfest. Tune in!

Learn more about BBQ Crawl at: http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/bbq-crawl

Local restaurant one of Parade magazine’s top new BBQ joints, owner never knew (al.com)
The 10 Best BBQ Joints in America (relish.com)

Business Review: Betty’s BBQ In Anniston

Posted on 05/09/2013 by Nathan Young

I have lived in the Anniston Metro for the last six years now. Can you believe I have never gone to Betty’s BBQ in Anniston? Yeah, me either! After I got a $10 gift certificate for Betty’s BBQ, I decided to go and try them out!

Betty’s BBQ is located along South Quintard Ave. in Anniston. They specialize in BBQ, chicken tenders and fried chicken, fried catfish, and of course, down home sides like mom used to make it. When I went around 1 pm, there was a good crowd there! I was seated quickly and the server got me some sweet tea which was good! I got a BBQ Pork plate with three sides for $7.99. The food came in five minutes, that was some quick service! My three sides were macaroni and cheese, fries, and corn on the cob. The plate comes with BBQ Pork with sauce and some BBQ bread. This was a good amount of food for the money!

The BBQ pork was very tender and good. The BBQ sauce certainly had a good flavor. I really liked the macaroni and cheese as it was creamy and good! The server kept checking and making sure I had plenty of sweet tea. I really liked the service at Betty’s BBQ. My server then recommended I get some pie, so I got a piece of peanut butter pie with some whipped cream!

The peanut butter pie was awesome! It had good peanut butter flavor and they used a crumbled pie crust. It is definitely something I would consider getting!

Betty’s BBQ is a restaurant that features down home cooking. I would recommend you come and try this place. Yes, I will be back! Betty’s BBQ is located at 401 South Quintard Ave. in Anniston Alabama. You can reach them by phone at 256-237-1411.

The Evening Post: New Spirit of Anniston Director / The Next Viral YouTube Trend (geekalabama.com)
Consumed Concert In Anniston Alabama (geekalabama.com)
The Evening Post: Rainbows In Anniston Alabama (geekalabama.com)

Slow Cooker Crock Pot BBQ Pork

Posted on 04/18/2013 by Nathan Young

It’s very rare that I do two recipes in one week! But I wanted to make something with a crock pot that was given to me by the apartment manager. And since most people in the south loves BBQ, I wanted to make something where you can get BBQ pork in a crock pot. To get started, you need a pork shoulder or pork butt, a large onion, and a can of Dr. Pepper. First, you need to make a rub which is a mixture of spices. This is the spices that you need.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Mix all the spices together in a bowl, then rub all over the meat.

2. Chop one onion well, then place in bottom of crock pot.

3. Place pork meat inside crock pot.

4. Pour a 12 ounce can of Dr. Pepper inside crock pot.

5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Basically turn on in the morning before you go to work and it will be ready when you get back home!

6. After 6-8 hours, turn off crock pot and take meat and onions out and place onto plate.

7. Let meat cool, then chop meat up well for sandwiches.

There you go, I enjoyed these sandwiches. You will have plenty of pork to go for a few days if you live alone! You can always put some BBQ sauce on top if you want. Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Pulled Pork (Crock Pot) (ghosttalktellmeyourstory.wordpress.com)
The Crock-Pot My Time Slow Cooker: Review (notesforthesitcom.wordpress.com)
Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (Crock Pot Recipe) (kingdomacademyhomeschool.wordpress.com)
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken (jrfitnessjourney.wordpress.com)
Crock Pot Mulled Cider (ireport.cnn.com)
“Not Too Salty” Crock Pot Corned Beef (foodiecitymom.com)

Relay For Life Fundraiser at Sunny King Toyota

Posted on 04/14/2013 by Nathan Young

On Friday, Sunny King Toyota did a BBQ fundraiser to raise money for the Calhoun County Relay for Life. Lots of smoked ribs and smoked butts were cooked and sold to the public in this fundraiser. Sunny King Toyota has raised $3200.00 so far for Relay For Life. The Calhoun County Relay for Life will be held on May 10th at the McClellan Soccer Fields. Learn more at: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY13MS?pg=entry&fr_id=51057

Enjoy the photos!