When I launched this podcast back in 2006, I had some superb guests. I thought it would be fun to re-connect with some of them and find out how they've been up to.
It was great fun to get caught up with Jackie Weight, the first and only non-American, and the first woman, to win the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue, way back in 2004. Jackie recounts the story of the contest that changed her life and talks about the evolution of Southern-Style Barbecue in the UK.
I also touched based with Meathead Goldwyn, the founder of amazingribs.com. When I first talked with Meathead he had just launched the site, which has grown over the years to become the most popular barbecue destination on the internet. Meathead is a true barbecue geek. Maybe he's the king of all barbecue geeks. Obsessed with the science of outdoor cooking, he's assumed the role of a kind of barbecue iconoclast -- think of a cross between Alton Brown and Discovery Channel's Mythbusters. He's sharp, he's funny, and he's opinionated to say the least.
Meathead is going to be a regular guest on the show, busting a new myth with each appearance. In this episode he deconstructs one of the most famous grilling techniques, Beer Can Chicken.
LINKS
Recipes of the week: Southwestern Style Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich and Tuscan Grilled Game Hens.
Cookbook of the week: On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee.
Jackie Weight is on twitter @MadCowsBBQ and you can find her company on the web at bbqconsultant.co.uk.
You can find Meathead at amazingribs.com, on twitter @ribguy, and like him on Facebook.
The recipes above are from Barbecue Secrets DELUXE!, which is available at fine bookstores and online through sites like chapters.indigo.ca and amazon.ca in Canada, and Amazon.com. It's also available as an e-book from places like iTunes and kobobooks.com.
For more about me, visit www.ronshewchuk.com.
 Photo copyright John Sinal Photography. Used with permission. All rights reserved.