The Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast

If you’re serious about BBQ, and let’s be honest, you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t, then you’ll know about Butcher BBQ. Their BBQ rubs and injections are staples of competition BBQ kitchens around the world and have been credited with more trophy wins than any other product out there. The founder is David Bouska - world championship winning Pitmaster, BBQ Pitmasters competitor and champion archer. A butcher by trade, David fell in love with competition BBQ and it wasn’t long before his knowledge of meat gave him an edge over his fellow BBQ competitors. And the rest, as they say, is history.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, David and I get into: Smoking Wagyu Briskets (0:59) The difference between a meat market and a butcher (8:41) Appearing on BBQ Pitmasters (12:30) How Butcher BBQ became a business (27:58) Butcher BBQ Classes (39:55) David’s best tips for people looking to get into competition BBQ (43:37) Looking to get more from your BBQ? Check out Barbe Con. The library is now open. Learn how to cook better BBQ and become the envy of family and friends. And if you have a BBQ business, learn how to sharpen your game to make those fat stacks of brisket cash!https://barbecon.smokinghotconfessions.com

If there’s one man who knows how to build an ugly drum smoker, it’s Adam Yorke, founder of Ugly Drum Smokers Australia. A fellow Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner and BBQ lover, it didn’t take long for Adam to go all in on the BBQ game, starting his own BBQ business. And he has several different options available for potential barrel smoker fans. For those who want a DIY smoker and are confident to build a drum smoker of their own, he has a wide range of drum smoker parts including a complete UDS kit. And for those who aren’t so brave with the do it yourself stuff, he also sells complete ugly drum smokers. All of his smokers are completely customisable so your UDS build will be your own. In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Adam and I get into: Adam’s love of BJJ (0:47) Where Adam’s love of food and barbecue came from (6:28) What fish Adam likes to catch and cook in his drum smokers (13:36) How Ugly Drum Smokers Australia got started (16:15) One of his other hobbies that is also popular with BBQers (20:51) Why his drum smokers don’t have form lines (31:22) Adam’s best tips for cooking on ugly drum smokers (44:57) Want to continue the conversation, join over on Facebook at the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1676305375916142/

There’s not much that Steven West of Moist BBQ enjoys more than going to a BBQ Competition. Except of course winning a trophy at that BBQ competition. Using his own BBQ rubs of course! Steven is the pitmaster and team captain of Moist BBQ, a competition BBQ team that enjoys a good reputation on the circuit. Be it a low and slow Australasian Barbecue Alliance competition, or a Steak Cookoff Association competition, Steven and his team are up for the challenge and are regularly at the pointy end of the board. In fact, they are currently waiting for the next World Championship round of the Steak Cookoff Association, having won a ‘Golden Ticket’ invitation to head to the United States and represent Australia, cooking up the perfect ribeye steak. Off the back of his competition BBQ successes, Steven has also founded Slow Burner BBQ, a BBQ rub company whose spice rubs are on high rotation here at Smoking Hot Confessions.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Steven and I get into: How Steven got into barbeque and how Moist BBQ got started (1:31) How Moist BBQ keep up on trends in competition BBQ and the wider food scene (12:34) Their recent successes at Meatstock Melbourne (15:25) What he thinks about a quadruple Steak Cookoff Association competition (22:49) How he started his rub business Slow Burner BBQ (26:26) Steven’s best tips for starting a BBQ rub business (41:50) Barbe Con is here! The world's first live online BBQ summit is just around the corner and we have three goals - to save you time, save you money and to become the envy of friends and family. We have the best BBQ pitmasters and BBQ business owners from around the country as well as one or two international guests and we’re bringing them into your living rooms, LIVE! A two day event, the first day is dedicated to cooking BBQ, and the second day is dedicated to the business of BBQ. We’re bringing you cooking demonstrations on Saturday and business presentations on Sunday. Get your tickets now:https://barbecon.eventbrite.com.au

You have a dream. You’re onto something. You can feel it in your bones. You just have to get there. But there’s a problem. Money makes the world go round, and you don’t have much of it. In fact, you only $500 left on your last good credit card. Do you back yourself and go all in, or do you play it safe and bow out while you still can?  One man who chose to roll the dice is Darian Khosravi. The result? Kosmo’s Q. And the rest, as they say, is history. Kosmo developed his products on the competition BBQ circuit, starting with small batches for friendly competitors, taking on their feedback and that of judges and refining his recipes. His success at BBQ competition after BBQ competition was evidence of his hard work, and the slogan ‘It just wins’ became cemented in the minds of BBQ enthusiasts everywhere.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Kosmo and I get into: How Darian likes to cook his catfish (1:42) Overcoming being a burns victim as a child (8:54) What is was like winning the World BBQ Championships (16:08) The story that inspires him to keep going with his business ventures (26:55) The Kosmo’s Q Food Truck (35:54) The journey from $500 to $50M (40:02) Kosmo’s Q Top Tips and Tricks for BBQ Success (48:57) Barbe Con is here! The world's first live online BBQ summit is just around the corner and we have three goals - to save you time, save you money and to become the envy of friends and family. We have the best BBQ pitmasters and BBQ business owners from around the country as well as one or two international guests and we’re bringing them into your living rooms, LIVE! A two day event, the first day is dedicated to cooking BBQ, and the second day is dedicated to the business of BBQ. We’re bringing you cooking demonstrations on Saturday and business presentations on Sunday. Get your tickets now:https://barbecon.eventbrite.com.au #kosmosq #bbqindustry #bbqbsuiness #businesssuccess #competitionbbq #bbqcompetition #meat #smokedmeat

Game meat isn’t for everybody. Atleast, it hasn’t been historically. However one man, Rob Gallina, is set to change that. He’s a builder, contract shooter and BBQ freak who loves nothing more than getting out in the bush for a few weeks at a time and living off the land. Yes, you read that right - he hunts, catches, cleans and cooks what he eats. He’s also the founder of Game On Enterprises, which takes people out into the bush and teaches them how to be self-sufficient in the bush, and live sustainably. He also offers classes, and even has his own range of BBQ rubs, that aim to combine delicious traditional BBQ flavours with game meat to create an industry niche with sustainability at its core.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Rob and I get into: The good time he had at Meatstock Toowoomba (0:31) Bringing sustainability to the BBQ world (7:06) Life as a contract shooter (13:54) Taking Big Moe Cason out into the Aussie bush (18:47) The rising trend in self-sufficiency classes (22:25) How his BBQ business, Game On Enterprises came about (28:13) A new idea for competition BBQ categories (35:00) Steps toward sustainability you can take (49:08) Barbe Con is here! The world's first live online BBQ summit is just around the corner and we have three goals - to save you time, save you money and to become the envy of friends and family. We have the best BBQ pitmasters and BBQ business owners from around the country as well as one or two international guests and we’re bringing them into your living rooms, LIVE! A two day event, the first day is dedicated to cooking BBQ, and the second day is dedicated to the business of BBQ. We’re bringing you cooking demonstrations on Saturday and business presentations on Sunday. Early Bird tickets go on sale Friday the 9th of July. Head to our website to get your tickets now: https://www.smokinghotconfessions.com/barbecon  

When asked for their best piece of advice, many BBQ pitmasters will pause, reflect, and say ‘Relax, it’s not rocket science.’ Except, sometimes it is. Such is the case for Dr Howard Conyers, a pitmaster from South Carolina, currently living in Louisiana. Why Louisiana? Because by day, Dr Conyers is a rocket scientist for NASA. Yep, during the week he sends rockets worth countless millions of dollars hurtling through space, and on the weekends, cooks whole hog in the most traditional of ways and teaching the missing history of barbecue on his family farm as part of The 100 Acres Project. Dr Conyers is truly a Guardian of BBQ and The 100 Acres Project is an initiative of his BBQ operation, Conyers Family BBQ. Cooking under his own name is a right that was denied his ancestors and this is the driving motivation behind everything Dr Conyers does.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Dr Conyers and I get into: Life as a NASA Rocket Scientist (1:18) The story behind his BBQ nickname ‘The Guardian of Tradition’ (7:43) Creating the Kingsford Preserve the Pit Program (15:07) The Conyers Family BBQ LLC (25:34) The Hundred Acres Project (36:40) Dr Conyers’ lesson on the missing history of barbecue (46:34) Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/  

Julie-ann Tindall-Davies returns in this very special episode of our BBQ Podcast. If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you’ll know that she’s one half of the dynamic duo behind JAGRD Woodfired, one of the most successful smoker manufacturers in the country. Their competition team was also awarded the KCBS International Brisket Team of the Year in 2020. Recently, she’s taken over the running of the Smokin’ Charity BBQ Competitions, which holds the majority of the BBQ competitions in Western Australia. Combine all that with being a wife, mother, grandmother and business owner and you’ve got a woman who’s earned her title of ‘The First Lady of BBQ’.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Julie-ann and I get into: How Julie-ann likes to do an entire crackling pork roast dinner (2:31) Winning Runner Up Pit Builder of the Year (6:23) Winning Best Innovative Outdoor Design (14:45) Taking on Smokin’ Charity BBQ Competitions (23:51) Handing over the reigns of her competition BBQ team to Glenn (40:23) Tips for staying cool at a BBQ competition (44:30) Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/

There are few people that you will meet in your life that deserve the moniker, ‘a force of nature’. However Sunny Moody is exactly that. Sunny was awarded, and is the current reigning World Steak Champion, taking out the annual Steak Cookoff Association Championships in 2021. Now winning that prestigious BBQ competition is no mean feat, but there’s more to Sunny than ‘just’ being a legend on a grill. She’s a mother to two teenagers, volunteers taking groups of even more teenagers out into the bush and teaching them how to cook, is a certified nutritionist and physical trainer, and if that wasn’t enough is also a Multiple Sclerosis sufferer. Though in truth, it looks more like she’s kicking MS’s butt rather than suffering from it.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Sunny and I get into: The charity work that she does with teenagers (1:12) Winning the World Steak Championships (10:31) Her special role at the recent NBBQA event (23:16) An insight into how the Georgia BBQ Association (36:19) Her background in forensic science and how that helps her in BBQ (39:56) Sunny’s best tips for delicious chicken wings on the BBQ (46:20) Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/

Barbecue can be as conformative or as creative as you want to make it. One BBQ pitmaster who refuses to relegate her food to the banality of conformity is Cassie Strohmeyer, head cook and team captain of Smoke on the Water competition BBQ team. Hailing from Gladstone, Queensland, Cassie spends her time traveling the east coast of Australia, competing in low and slow BBQ competitions with the Australasian Barbecue Alliance and hot and fast BBQ competitions with the Steak Cookoff Association. And it’s in these SCA competitions that Cassie truly shines with her creative culinary skills firmly at the forefront. Indeed, her dishes are so creative that she’s captured the attention of the World Food Championships, and at the time of writing, she’s on the final list of potential candidates for their Le Cordon Bleu Academy.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Cassie and I get into: Why a potato bake is her favourite thing to cook in a BBQ (1:39) Her unique approach to the SCA competition at Meatstock Toowoomba (7:32) Her role as a peer judge in the Australasian Barbecue Alliance Annual Awards (18:35) The BBQ classes and lessons she delivers (23:19) The local products she likes to include in her cooking (35:32) Her BBQ catering operation (37:59) Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/

What do kangaroos, emu and crocodile have in common? They are all delicious on the grill. Jokes aside, despite a reputation of being a barren land, Australia actually has an incredibly large and diverse range of foods - enough to support countless generations of Indigenous Australians for approximately 50,000 years. Sadly, much of this knowledge has been lost. However, one woman is determined to restore and share this knowledge. Amanda Trapnell is cofounder of Native Harvest. She works with Indigenous Australians to harvest Indigenous ingredients and uses them in BBQ products such as rubs and sauces. Her work ensures that Indigenous Australians are equitably compensated for their products and knowledge, and non-Indigenous Australians learn about and gain respect for said products and knowledge. It’s important work and another example of how BBQ can bring people together.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Amanda and I get into: Just how small the BBQ world is at times (1:10) How Amanda likes to make BBQ pork ribs (3:12) Incorporating Indigenous cooking techniques with smoking meat (8:34) Her ideas for Indigenous proteins in a BBQ competition (15:55) How Native Harvest got started (20:35) How all her products are ethically and sustainably sourced (29:19) A lesson in how to make a native basil and thyme crusted beef tenderloin (44:10) Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/

We continue our podcast series featuring the most influential women in BBQ with Ceri Ford, one of the most prolific BBQ judges on the circuit and founder of the Women of Low ‘n Slow Australia Facebook group. She’s a registered judge with the Australasian Barbecue Alliance, Kansas City Barbeque Society and the Steak Cookoff Association. I would challenge any pitmaster to know as much about BBQ as Ceri, or travel as many miles for competitions as she has. She’s also the founder of Healthy Party Girl, a business where Ceri dedicates herself to helping her clients achieve balance and improve their health. In short, Ceri is the very definition of goal setting, hard work, and a dedication to the smokey art of BBQ!In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Ceri and I get into: The wine club Ceri’s in, pairing wine with BBQ (0:57) Differences between Meatstock Melbourne and Meatstock Toowoomba (4:15) The difference Ceri has found between ABA and KCBS low and slow BBQ competitions (15:52) Founding the Women of Low and Slow Facebook Group (23:31) Ceri’s upcoming BBQ cookbook (35:58) Ceri tips for finding balance and leading a healthy life in the BBQ world (40:57) Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/

Bronnie Durston has led a successful career in hospitality, having made a name for herself as a wedding planner. However, after discovering the delicious food of Texas BBQ, Bronnie has dedicated herself to low and slow BBQ. Together with husband Paul, they are active on the competition BBQ circuit, competing as the award winning BBQ team, Bulldogs BBQ, named after Bronnie’s favourite football team. They also have an award nominated BBQ catering operation, 4670 BBQ, and the award nominated BBQ joint, Bundaberg Lunchbox. As if that wasn’t enough, Bronnie and Paul Durston are also the event organisers for the much loved Bundaberg BBQ Battle. Bronnie even shares a surprise announcement during this episode, letting us know about a 5th arm of their BBQ business endeavors, tackling the entire BBQ industry from all angles.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Bronnie and I get into: Meatstock Toowoomba and meeting Tuffy Stone (0:53) The Australasian Barbecue Alliance Awards Night (10:51) How they went in the low and slow BBQ competition at Meatstock (14:40) The Bundaberg BBQ Battle and why it’s not happening this year (18:29) Catering weddings with 4670 BBQ (27:18) Their award nominated BBQ joint Bundaberg Lunchbox (34:06) Bronnie’s Mental Health Tips for Success in BBQ (43:58) Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/

Karina Rumens is a woman on a mission - to ensure that competition BBQ in Australia is held to the highest standards and maintains a reputation equal to anywhere else in the world. Karina is one of the highest Kansas City Barbeque Society Representatives in the country and when you meet her, it’s easy to see why. A consummate professional, Karina is passionate about three things - BBQ, KCBS and Cocktails - though it’s difficult to put them in order! She is a driving force behind the competition BBQ circuit in Western Australia and although most of what she does is behind the scenes, is one of the chief reasons that WA has such a thriving competition BBQ scene.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Karina and I get into: Why her favourite BBQ meat is brisket (2:00) How Karina got into the competition BBQ scene (4:18) Karina’s favourite BBQ competition or BBQ festival (11:53) Why Karina prefers sides to mains (19:18) How Karina became a KCBS Representative (25:46) What happens when the rules are broken (29:49) How KCBS score auditing works (33:53) Her business grown from BBQ (40:29) Matching cocktails with BBQ (44:06) Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/ #kcbs #kansascitybarbequesociety #bbqjudging #bbqjudge #bbq #barbecue #barbeque #meat #smokedmeat #westernaustralia #wa #perth #competitionbbq #bbqcompetition

Meatstock is not just a BBQ festival - it’s an experience. It’s a BBQ competition, an expo, a rock concert, a car show and much much more. And so it was that I was very excited when it was announced that Meatstock was coming to Queensland. And boy, was it a show. In partnership with Toowoomba Regional Council, Meatstock Toowoomba set the standard for a BBQ event this side of the border. Never one to rest on his heels, founder Jay Beaumont decided that he was going to reinvent his signature event. Meatstock Toowoomba had the signature round of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance BBQ competition, a BBQ expo, a championship rodeo round, live country music on stage from 2pm til late every day, a strongman and strongwoman competition, cooking demonstrations, children's activities and of course only the best food trucks and drinks wagons on the East Coast. There was also this year’s Australasian Barbecue Alliance Awards - an industry event recognising the best of the best from within the BBQ industry.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, I grab my camera and mics and chat with: Brad Shorten from Fire and Brimstone Barbeque Grant Coleman from Smooth & SmOakey Salad Dodgers Rob Beswick-Davison from Meatee Goodness Lloyd Budd and Brendon Jones from Lanes BBQ Australia Jake Davey Bryan Murphy from Hazy Peak Barbecues Lukas Armstrong from The Jacks Creek BBQ Team Trevor Blanch from Deep South East BBQ Condiments Mike Johnson and Christina Fitzgerald from Sugarfire Smokehouse Aaron Palmer from Low n Slow Basics Chris Davey from Smokin’ Hot Bros Michael Page from Heavenly Hell Barbe Con is coming! We’re bringing the best BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Business Owners from around the country live into your living room. We’re going to help you save time, save money and become the envy of friends and family. PreRegistrations are open now. So to be the first to know when tickets become available, Early Bird deals, specials, presenter announcements and more, head on over to the website below and register your interest. See you soon! https://smokinghotconfessions.com/barbeconprereg/

There’s BBQ joints, and then there’s Fire and Brimstone Barbeque - one of the best BBQ joints in Sydney. BBQ Pitmaster Brad Shorten is the man behind the smoked meat phenomenon and he’s our guest in this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast. Fire and Brimstone is well known by Sydney foodies as the place to go for delicious smoked brisket, bbq pork ribs, bbq chicken and more. But that hasn’t been enough for Brad. He’s also got his line of Fire and Brimstone BBQ rubs, thought of by many as the best BBQ rubs around.  In this full episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast, Brad and I get into: What it’s like to be nominated for the Australasian Barbecue Alliance Awards (1:05) The thing about chicken skins (7.29) The birth of Fire and Brimstone Barbeque (22:15) How they balance the wastage margins to maximise profits (29:21) Their bottomless Beer and BBQ deal (33:52) Brad’s tips for cooking better BBQ (46:10) If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Send Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started! To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', including some smoked meat recipes, head to the Smoking Hot Confessions website: https://smokinghotconfessions.com   #bbq #bbqjoints #bbqrestaurants #bbqfamily #bbqlove #fireandbrimstone #barbecue #barbeque #brisket #pulledpork #bbqchicken #sydney #sydneyfoodie #foodie