Q Balls

These little appetizers are addictive and easy to make. Start with a pound of ground beef, mix in an egg, 2 cups breads crumbs and a package of French onion soup mix and combine well. Once it is mixed, roll into 1” diameter balls. Cut strips of bacon in half and wrap around the Q ball, using a short skewer to keep it in place. Sprinkle them with your favorite BBQ Rub (we think Butt Lover’s Bow to the Sow Pork Rub works best!) and cook them around 350° on indirect heat for about an hour. After an hour and the bacon is crispy, take them out and squirt them with a little barbecue sauce and serve!

If I feel the need for more pig in my diet, I substitute half of the ground beef for pork sausage!

Buttloversbbq.com to carry Plowboys Yardbird Rub!

We are proud to announce that Butt Lover's BBQ will be carrying the popular and award winning Yardbird and Bovine Bold Rubs by Plowboys! The Yardbird Rub is a great all purpose seasoning and is great on Ribs and Chicken, while Bovine Bold is excellent on briskets! The shipment is on the way so order yours while you can!

Butt Lover's BBQ takes Reserve Grand at the Art of BBQ!

I was very surprised at the awards ceremony when our name was called for 5th place pork. I was even more surprised when our brisket was called for 1st place. I was in such shock that I wasn't even paying attention when Butt Lover's was called for Reserve Grand Champion(2nd place overall out of 68 teams). It was a very hot two days and I was very disappointed with our turn ins. The pork was good but the brisket was no where near our normal product! I owe a big thanks to my friend Curt, from The Q Joint team for filling in for Marr on Saturday. His team was not competing that weekend and came out and was a big help. This was a very tough field with some of the best teams in the country competing, so it was a huge success for us and we hope to build on it when the second leg of our season begins in late August.

Kim's Grilled Pound Cake with Jalapeno Salsa and Tequila Creme

Grilled Pound Cake with Pineapple "Salsa" and Tequila Whipped Cream

3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon tequila (preferably gold)
8 slices pound cake (each 1/2 inch thick)
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Tequila Creme
Place the cream in a chilled mixer bowl or in a large metal bowl. Beat with a mixer until soft peaks form, starting on the slow speed and gradually increasing the speed to high. The total beating time will be 6 to 8 minutes. When soft peaks have formed, add the confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, and tequila. Continue beating the cream until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes longer. Don't overbeat the cream or it will start to turn to butter. The tequila whipped cream can be made several hours ahead. Refrigerate it, covered, until ready to serve. 2. Lightly brush each slice of pound cake with butter on both sides. Cook the pound cake, following the instructions below for any of the grills, until lightly toasted. If desired, rotate each slice a quarter turn after 1 minute to create a handsome crosshatch of grill marks. You may need to cook the pound cake slices in more than one batch. 3. Place the pound cake slices on plates. Top each serving with a spoonful of Pineapple "Salsa" and a dollop of tequila whipped cream, garnish with a sprig of mint, and serve at once.

Pineapple "salsa"
2 cups fresh pineapple cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons thinly slivered fresh mint or lemon verbena
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers (preferably red), seeded and minced (for a hotter "salsa," leave the seeds in)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste
1 tablespoon light brown sugar, or more to taste PreparationPlace the pineapple, mint, jalapeño(s), lime juice, and brown sugar in a nonreactive mixing bowl, but don't mix them until 5 minutes before you are ready to serve. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice and/or brown sugar as necessary.

A special thanks to Kim from The Q Joint forums for sharing this great recipe!