INTERVIEW WITH HONEY BBQ

YUKI SOMA SAUCE RECIPE

INSIDE
KNOW WHAT
MEAT
TO USE

SPRING
2021
BBQn’ | Spring 2021 BBQn’ | Spring 2021 BBQn’ | Spring 2021

A N OTE
FROM
THE
E DITOR

Hello reader! We still encourage social

distancing and believe the six
I am happy to give you this foot rule will be a good excuse
year’s first issue of BBQn’ to keep people from peering
Magazine! We at BBQn’ have over the grillmasters’ and
worked around the pandemic pitmasters’ shoulders so you
to supply you, our amazing fans can work in peace.
with new recipes and stories
to practice while we are still Happy grilling and stay safe!
locked in the house.
~Alex DiCaprio
In addition to our first issue of
the year, we have some new
content coming to your screens
as well! We have launched
the BBQn’ App! Filled with
exclusive recipes and more
frequent updates on stories and
interviews on your favorites
behind the grill.

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FIND
VEGETABLE TABLE OF CONTENTS

TIPS ON
PAGE 21 7

8
SAUCES

Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe

10 Interview with Amy “South” Jackson

13 MEATS

14 Smoking Tips

16 What Meat to Use For The Season

19 VEGETABLES

20 BBQ Collared Greens Recipe

21 Vegetable Tips

22 Interview with Yuki Soma

4 Photo by Pok Rie 5


WHY IS
RED OAK
THE BEST
FOR RIBS?
By: Alex DiCaprio
In a previous issue we
briefly talked about the
types of wood to use for
smoking. However, we did
not go into detail on why
red oak is truly the best
for ribs. Today we will tell
you why smoking with red
oak makes the best ribs.
6 7
The King of Hardwoods
Oak in general is a strong, but
not overpowering wood. It’s
perfect for smoking as it does
not taint the meat with a hard
smoky smell and taste. It instead
adds to the flavor normally and
improves the color of the meat.
But Why Specifically
Red Oak?
Mostly for the taste it leaves, but
it also tends to burn the longest
out of all oaks. On average a
chunk of wood burns for an hour.
While red oak on the other hand
BBQn’ | Spring 2021 BBQn’ | Spring 2021
SAUCES
can give you some extra time,
ranging from a couple of minutes
to almost half an hour. It’s also
known for being really dense, so
the heat it produces stays.
The Issues With Red Oak
A common issue with red
oak is location and aging.
Northern red oak dries a lot
slower than southern red oak.
Reflecting on how hot it gets
from how dense it is, if you
have issues maintaining heat it
can get problematic.
7
Photo by Alex DiCaprio
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ECIPE

HONEY 1
Combine ingredients
together in medium-
sized sauce pan

BBQ
2
Bring to a boil over
medium heat, then
let simmer on low for

SAUCE
roughly 10-15 minutes

Photo by Mike Norris

Photo by Jennifer Herrera

3
Allow to sit and cool to
thicken, then serve

INGREDIENTS

4
2 tbsp Honey 1 tsp Salt 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
(optional) Store in
airtight compartment for
1 cup Ketchup 1 tsp Smoked Paprika 1 tsp Onion Powder up to two weeks

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 1/2 tsp Black Pepper 1 tsp Garlic Powder
Recipe submitted by Harley Gil

Find out how to submit recipes

on the back cover!
8 9
BBQn’ | Spring 2021 BBQn’ | Spring 2021

“ INTERVIEW
If it’s a drink or something to smear on food,

”
something or someone is getting sauced at a BBQ

With a Sauce Boss

AMY “ SOUTH”
By: Alex DiCaprio
Amy “South” Jackson, is a
Sauce Boss from Jackson
Mississippi. Nicknamed
“South Jackson” because
of her upbringing, she
started cooking with her
family and eventually took
those skills to winning BBQ
competitions with amazing
sauce competitions.
What began your passion
for cooking and BBQ?
Probably when I was 12, I had to
start making meals for myself
because [my] mama was too
busy with work. I would often
and she encouraged me to go.
We got some lamb from the
store and slow cooked it for
hours and made a herb
based sauce. I won first place
in my division.
Your newest brand of
beer based sauce
is coming out. Can
you elaborate on
what?
I always say when
I’m at a party or a
cookout, “If it’s a drink
or something to smear
on food, something
or someone is getting
sauced at a BBQ.”
From that I took some
of my favorite brands
liquor store was really happy
about this, I probably cleared
a whole shelf in total with my
experimentations.
Do you prefer running a
sauce business over running
a kitchen?
Yes! I think it’s less stressful,
and I prefer to supply many
people with a bunch of
bottles from the comfort of
my home, than to sweat
so much in a kitchen. I’m
a literal sauce boss, and I
love it.

JACKSON turn on Food Network and learn

from the shows on what to
make. The grilling season on
Chopped was probably what
of beer and just did a
bunch of trial and error
to make my newest
product. My local
made me want to get into BBQ.

Eventually my mama started

coming home earlier so I
cooked for her too, she was
really impressed.

Why are sauces your

favorite thing to make?

[In] all honesty, it’s the easiest

thing. I love just sitting back
and making sauces. It’s almost
therapeutic for me.

When did you start doing

competitions?

It was high school, I think junior

year. My mama found an article
on a local cooking competition

Photo by Jeff Siepman

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MEATS

12 13 13
Photo by Jon Tyson
BBQn’ | Spring 2021
SMOKING
TIPS
By: Alex DiCaprio Smoking is the process of slowly
cooking foods over the span of
New to the smoker? Don’t hours over low heat. You do this
know how to start? Don’t by placing meat on the elevated
worry, we can help you. rack and woods or coals on the
bottom. You light them and let it
We at BBQn’ love smoking
cook. This allows it cooks slowly
meats, and we encourage and make it more flavorful,
the practice. tender, and can melt away fats.
This happens because the
smoke adds to flavor and alters
the texture to hold in moisture,
and allow the moisture itself to
cook. Smoking meats can easily
cook off fat found on cheap cuts.
14
BBQn’ | Spring 2021
1 2
Don’t oversmoke the
Keep the texture moist,
meats, aim for a thin
spray with juices, cider
white smoke and a dark
vinegar or water
heavy smoke
3 4
Know your burning
times, roughly one Don’t overcheck,
chunk of wood equals let it sit so the heat
one hour of cooking does not escape
5 6
Inject your meats with
Use butcher paper
sauces or liquids
instead of aluminum foil
prior to smoking
But now that you know the
basics of smoking, what are
some tips to make your smoke
game better? We have compiled
eight tips on how to greatly
improve the way you smoke
meats so you can make the best
meats for your BBQ.
7 8
(optional) Use a
Collect the drippings for pan of water over
future projects/sauces the heat source to
maintain temperatures.
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BBQn’ | Spring 2021 BBQn’ | Spring 2021

W INTER
S PRING
WHAT BEEF PORK LAMB FISH

MEATS TO VENISON FISH PORK BEEF

USE FOR THE

DUCK

SEASON
S UMMER
F ALL
CHICKEN BEEF TURKEY CHICKEN

By: Alex DiCaprio
Meat is harvested year
round, but not all meat is
good for certain seasons.
There are certain animals
that stock up on fat for the
winter and others who are
not ready for the butcher
in spring. Some animals
are good for all seasons,
while some are not.
Meat is often a pivotal piece of
BBQ, and what makes for good
meat? A good diet for the
animal that produced it. It’s
well known that fruits and
vegetables are best during
certain times of the year. The
diet of an animal revolves
around when the grass, oats,
fruits, and other necessities are
in peak condition.
Fowl, for example, is at its
prime in the summer. They
are best fed in the springtime
and those feedings result in
them storing more fat for our
eating pleasures. Some special
exclusions include turkey, they
are best in fall and winter due to
their ability to survive harsher
conditions. LAMB FISH FISH DUCK
The only foods that can be best
year round regardless of diet is
beef and fish. This is because
of cows being fed year round PORK GOOSE BEEF
and stock up on fat. Fish can be
caught anytime as long as they
can feed off what’s in the water.
These eating habits are VENISON
what influence the seasons
of meat and how we can cook
for better occasions.

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VEGETABLES

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Photo by Mermek Am
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ECIPE

BBQ 1
Heat Lard in a large,
heavy bottom pot over
medium heat
5
Stir in Salt, Apple Cider
Vinegar, and BBQ Sauce

COLLARED
T IPS
GREENS 2 Add Onions and Garlic,
saute for 5-7 minutes
A good replacement for butter or
lard is oil. Oil causes spices to stick
to the surface of vegetables better.
Remember to use less oil than lard
or butter.
Use multiple vegetables for dishes,
pair them with opposite textures.
Use softer ones like spinach and
mushrooms with harder ones such

3
as onions and peppers.
Add Greens and Water Never take your eyes off your
vegetables. To prevent burning
always keep watch, turn them
often, and keep them on the less

INGREDIENTS
hot parts of a grill.
If you can’t watch them, wrap them
in foil.

4
1/2 cup Lard 8 oz Diced Yellow Onion 2 tsp Minced Garlic Cover and simmer
until Greens are tender
(roughly 45 minutes)
2 lbs Collared Greens 4 tsp Kosher Salt

2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar 1 tbsp Vinegar Based Sauce 4 cups Water
Recipe submitted by Rodney Hunt

Find out how to submit recipes

on the back cover!
20 21
BBQn’ | Spring 2021 BBQn’ | Spring 2021

“ INTERVIEW
Don’t be scared of eating of your vegetables,

”
especially if there’s some char

With a Pit Master

YUKI SOMA
By: Alex DiCaprio
Yuki Soma is a well known
and respected Pit Master
from San Fransisco,
California. Soma is most
popular for his use of
vegetables in his cooking
as a way to prove how
vegetarians can enjoy a
BBQ. Today we learn about
Soma’s decisions and
cooking and opinions on
the BBQ scene.
What began your passion
for cooking and BBQ?
Now in this day and age I take
that old passion and apply
[it] for BBQ for my vegan
and vegetarian friends. Even
thought I’m not a vegan or
vegetarian I still love my
vegetables.
What is a tool you cannot
BBQ without?
Most likely my tongs or pokers.
When I do a lot of group events
I’ll abandon the grill and rely on
pokers and old school fire and
wood to cook.
What is a major difference
between Japanese BBQ and
American BBQ?
Which do you prefer: using
a smoker or grill?
Grill easily, I love marking my
foods for the extra texture and
flavor. Plus, a smoked vegetable
is not the best tasting treat.
Do you have any tips for
those who would like
to start working in
pits and grills?
Don’t be afraid to use some
vegetables! They’re delicious,
and can make for good
combinations. I can never stress
this enough. Don’t be scared
of eating your vegetables,
especially if there’s some char.

It all started when I was a kid. Portions! When I work in Japan

My family would often take
trips back and forth from
California to Japan to visit
family and one thing we all
bonded over was cooking.
It started as just me helping
prepare vegetables and mixing
spices and sauces. Eventually
I working the pans, woks, and
flames for the whole family.
I have to constantly remind
myself to cook in smaller doses.
Like, I would buy the largest
peppers I can find and prepare
what would be a four person
meal in Japan, and in America it
could serve a single person.

Why are vegetables a major

focus for your BBQ work?

Since I began cooking with

family I spent more time
preparing the vegetables at
a young age. I guess just
always starting by washing
them made me more focused
on making good vegetable
dishes for the family.

Photo by Kindle Media

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 BBQn’ Magazine

@BBQnMag

BBQn’ is a seasonal magazine that supplies fans of BBQ with recipes, stories, and tips to
improve one’s BBQ skills. Featuring help from pit masters, professionals, and fans, we
strive to make you want to get the smoker or grill ready.

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C O N TA C T
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©BBQn’ Magazine 2021, Cover Designed by Alex DiCaprio, Cover Photo by Matheus Gomes

DISCLAIMER: For educational use only. Image sources: Pexels.com, Unsplash.com, Pixabay.com, Alex DiCaprio. Copy Sources: Alex DiCaprio