BBQ Summer Camp by Foodways TX

[reardenreturns]

Just wanted to post this. This summer I am going to a BBQ Summer Camp to learn even more about meat, techniques, smoking, etc.. It is put on by Foodways Texas and is a three day event. The schedule is below. I'm not sure if there is still space available, but go to www.foodwaystexas.com for information. I'm super stoked about it and I'll try and pass along any tips I learn there here in the forums. Thumbs Up

Event Website: http://foodwaystexas.com/2011/06/bbqsummercampevent/

Friday, June 3rd (final full program to be announced soon)
8:00am - Optional Coffee and Tacos Meet and Greet (please note that we won't officially begin the camp until 10:00am for those of you who arrive Friday morning)
9:30am - Buses leave hotel for Martin's Barbecue
10:00am - Tour Historic Martin's Barbecue/Texas Barbecue history primer
11:00am - Family-style barbecue lunch from Martin's
11:55am - Buses leave Martin's for the Meat Science Center at Texas A&M
12-5pm - Afternoon sessions include brining/marinades/rubs/smoking/meat safety
7-10pm - Dinner provided (details soon)

Saturday, June 4th
9:00am-12:30pm - Beef/Pork anatomy sessions
12:30-2pm - Lunch provided (Heavy tasting of self-prepared brined, smoked, and rubbed meats / we'll be comparing different smokes, rubs, etc.)
2-5pm - Barbecue culture in Texas and the South (regional differences lecture by Fred Thompson, author of Barbecue Nation / screening of Foodways Texas Films)
7-10pm - Dinner provided (details soon)

Sunday, June 5th
9am-12pm - Poultry sessions

 

[shellbellc]

Just for the eatin I'd be stoked!!

 

[mballi3011]

Well Anthony, we here at SMF have those BBQ camps here to in fact we are just about to have the first one of the year. The Greatest Florida Gathering @ Jerry's yet. It's in Tallahassee Fla. and we all come and meet and greet th other folks here in the website. Now we will smoke enough meat and fixin's to feed the whole site but it all fun and we all eat till we can't eat no more. Then we all go back home and then try to replicate some of the good food and times that we had T the Gathering

 

[ecto1]

Is this the one put on by Robb Walsh?  If it is he is a great guy very keen on authentic Texas Food.

 

[SmokinAl]

Sounds like a great way to spend a couple of days. You should be the BBQ professor when you get back!

 

[reardenreturns]

The big weekend starts tomorrow. Here is the schedule:
Summer Camp Program Schedule
 
Friday, June 3rd:
8:00  Barbacoa and Coffee Meet and Greet (optional at LaSalle Hotel)
10:00  Tour Martin’s Place & Texas Barbecue History and Culture  ​​Primer by Robb Walsh
11:00  Family-style Barbecue lunch from Martin’s Place
12:30  Introduction
12:45  Meat Safety
1:30    Brining Basics
2:30   Science of Rubs and Marinades
3:30     Barbecue Smoke
4:30   Hog Preparation (for whole hog barbecue)
7:00     Barbecue Dinner by Goode Company Barbecue (Beef Cattle       ​ ​ Center)
 
Saturday, June 4th:
7:45    Hog on the Pit
9:00   Pork/Beef Anatomy Overview
10:00   Cutting Room Demonstrations
​ Beef cut demonstrations
​ Briskets:  whole, flat-half, point-half, other styles
​ Chuck:  chuck roll
​ Clods:  one-piece, two-piece, clod hearts
​ Sirloins:  top sirloin, tri-tips
​ Middle meats:  ribeyes, strip loins, and tenderloins
​ Ribs: back ribs, short ribs (chuck, rib, and plate)
12:00 Lunch: Heavy Tasting (student-prepared meats)
1:00   Cutting Room Demonstrations (cont’d)
Pork cut demonstrations
​ Shoulders:  whole, picnic shoulder, Boston butt
​ Loin: boneless, bone-in, tenderloin
​ Ribs:  baby back, spareribs, St. Louis style
​ Hams:  fresh whole, fresh inside, cured PIT, cured whole, cured boneless
4:00   Barbecue Films
​Films from Foodways Texas & Southern Foodways Alliance
7:00   Whole-hog Barbecue Dinner sponsored by Southside Market  ​and Barbeque
 
 
 
Sunday, June 5th:
9:00  Poultry Sessions
​Beer can chicken and turkey legs (whole bird/whole muscle)
​Dark and light meat fajitas (marinade soaking and dry seasoning)
​Rotisserie chickens (injection and rubs)
​Smoke birds (brine with nitrite and brown sugar)

 

[big twig]

Sounds like a wealth of knowledge. I can't wait to hear about your experience. Have fun!

 

[scarbelly]

Sounds like lots of fun

 

[reardenreturns]

Well, it's finally over. The Foodways Texas BBQ Summer Camp was awesome. I highly recommend everyone sign up for it next year. The folks from the TAMU Meat Science Center did an awesome job explaining everything and demonstrating even more! I've never seen so many cuts of beef, chicken and pork in my life and now have a deeper understanding of the history, culture, and science of bbq'ing, smoking and grilling. I'm still decompressing (literally) from the weekend and drive home, but it was well worth it. Met a bunch of great folks and hope to stay in contact with them all.
Robb Walsh and Foodways Texas did a phenomenal job. Since I have so many pictures, I posted a link below to the Picasa site where they're all located. Browse and enjoy, and I'll be happy to answer any questions about the pics.

https://picasaweb.google.com/acompofelice/2011BBQSummerCamp

 

[realtorterry]

So do they have a webiste or is this just a Texas thing?

 

[reardenreturns]

Well, Foodways Texas is all about promoting Texas local food, food culture, and history, so it's primarily a Texas thing, but we had people in the class from Phoenix, and all around Texas. Dickie Brennan from New Orleans and his business partner (and their sons) were also in the class as students.

For more info, click here: http://foodwaystexas.com/

 

[reardenreturns]

I also posted an album here with a smaller subset of the pictures.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/gallery/album/view/id/9362/user_id/42220

Full Set:
http://picasaweb.google.com/acompofelice/2011BBQSummerCamp/