"The Legend"

If you're into BBQ like I am then you can imagine spending an entire day cooking on 4 Ole Hickory Pit cookers with "The Legend" Mike Mills, well I had that chance this past weekend in Cape Girardeau, MO at the Ole Hickory Pit test kitchen. Wow is all I can say.

If there's one thing I've learned this past year is that are a lot of really nice BBQ guys out there and Mike Mills was truly one of those. But aside from being a super nice guy he's also an incredible BBQ Pitmaster with a wealth of knowledge that few will ever know. To coin a phrase, he's from the old school and when it comes to BBQ that is an invaluable asset. Mills talked about how "old timers" used pork fat to render down for seasonings, or how he cuts his own ham hocks to smoke for green beans and so on. Now guys my age have heard about stuff like that and I'll use hocks from time to time, but Mills knows how to squeeze out the flavors and apply them to BBQ and a lot of guys these days either don't know or recognize their benefits.

Aside from getting some precious nuggets of BBQ tips, Mills also runs multiple BBQ joints in Illinois and Las Vegas. He's won Memphis In May a number of times and has been declared to have the best ribs in America, so restaurant knowledge and tips were discussed too. And since I'm gearing up to sell BBQ from our mobile pit, this was something I'd not heard discussed in other cooking classes and boy, did it help me out. Having never served BBQ to the public before I had a million questions and his answers really cleared up in my head how you go about the daily tasks of BBQing in the restaurant world. Believe me it is a total opposite from the competition circuit, but a welcomed change.

Mike did a ton of BBQ on Saturday. He did two whole pork shoulders; one he injected a cure solution and the other he did not. He did three or four pork butts too. He injected one, the other he did not and another had no seasoning except kosher salt and pepper. He did chickens and brisket as we all discussed his techniques and each class member, 24 total did a slab of ribs each removing membranes, trimming fat and eventually seasoning them with his "Magic Dust."

David Knight and Margaret Wiggins were a delight to work with once again. I'd worked with Margaret earlier this year when buying my Convecture Ole Hickory Pit and met David, the "big guy" of Ole Hickory when we picked up the pit in July. But they helped play a big part in making the class truly wonderful.

If there is any BBQ cook out there that thinks someone will have "the answer" to impart to you that unlocks all the secrets thus turing you into a super cooker: Quit looking because there is no one with a magic wand a "pit dust" to sprinkle you with. The answer is inside you. Whatever you like in your BBQ will work for you. Mike Mills stressed a number of times that there is no right way or wrong way because it's based on what you like. And it's true. Yes, there are little tidbits or tricks you pick-up as you go along the way, but those are the little gems that will eventually turn your cooking into the best.

Now get out there and some em if you got em.