The food scene is full of artists. Chefs and photographers often get top billing, but they can be found in every facet of the industry. Though maybe not the first artisans to come to mind, woodworkers have carved out their own niche with the evolution of artfully crafted butcher blocks.

Brooklyn artist, Nils Wessell, is at the forefront of this movement with his company, Brooklyn Butcher Blocks. Nils is a formally trained (Bard College) studio artist and sculptor who literally bounced from coast to coast in pursuit of an art career. He eventually settled in Brooklyn and apprenticed at Cut Brooklyn, a high end knife maker. While there, he focused his art on woodworking making components for knives and experimenting with various other projects in his spare time.

Seeing a demand for well crafted end grain butcher blocks, Nils put his skills to work and Brooklyn Butcher Blocks was born. While still a relatively small operation, BBB now supplies restaurants, chefs and home cooks all over the country and internationally. Major publications like The New York Times, Esquire, GQ and Bon Appetit have taken notice.

I stumbled upon BBB while doing a web search for end grain boards. Nils' signature walnut brick work board caught my eye immediately. This beautifully crafted board is designed to reflect the plentiful historic brick buildings that comprise most of Brooklyn's landscape.


Nils was kind enough to send both the brick work board and another signature product, a cherry meat board. Nils admitted that these were his favorite items in BBB's continually expanding product catalog. Each is very unique and represents a conscious commitment to both artful craftsmanship and functionality.

Brickwork Board:
My particular brickwork board is a stunning dark walnut and measures 12 x 18 x 2.  Various size and wood options are available. The beauty of working with BBB is that Nils can create pretty much anything you can dream up. For me, this size is perfect. It's great for our limited counter space, but still big enough for displaying larger cuts of meat (Ribs, Brisket). The weight is also much more manageable than my old maple end grain board of the same size.

Their are no legs on the board so it lays flat on the counter. On one hand, this is great because it provides double the surface area, just flip and re-use. On the other hand, large boards generally sit stationary on counter tops for long periods of time. Therefore, it's important to keep the moisture under and around the board in check.

One thing I've noticed about this board is that the scratches left behind by the knife's blade are slightly more noticeable than on my maple board. I've been using the board regularly for a couple of weeks. The cut marks are slight, but noticeable if you look closely. Thankfully, as I previously mentioned, the board is reversible so any wear and tear can be kept to one side. Having only owned one end grain board previously, I'm not sure whether the increased wear visibility can be attributed to the actual wood type or simply the darker color.

Meat Serving Board:
I wasn't entirely sure what to make of the meat board when it arrived. It's such a stark contrast to the polished, elegant brick work board. My cherry meat board is rustic and roughly hand sanded. Meat serving boards are generally 9.5 x 12 x 2 and produced from reclaimed wood (your choice). The board is intended as an individual serving plate for carnal cuts like steaks and chops.

Nils sells these, predominantly in cherry, to upscale steakhouses and discerning chefs. He also mentioned that it's his favorite way of eating and displaying a steak. I have to agree with him. I grilled up a gorgeous T-Bone immediately after receiving the board. I'm not sure if the board made the steak look great or the steak made the board look great. Either way, it was exceptional presentation.

I've reviewed dozens of cool tools and gadgets from the BBQ world. Some have been beautiful and others functional. Nothing has come close to blending form and function the way BBB's boards have. Brickwork and meat serving boards are exceptional, but they're only a small portion of BBB's product line. Nils churns out everything from tables and chairs to countertops and beer mugs. He even makes a custom board designed to hold your favorite tablet, iBlock.

Admittedly, the beautifully crafted products from BBB are luxury items. However, for serious cooks that are concerned with presentation, these kinds of boards are essential. You won't find any better than Brooklyn Butcher Blocks. Check out their entire product line at www.brooklynbutcherblocks.com. They can generally turn around standard orders in just a few days. If you don't see exactly what you're looking for, drop Nils a line via email or social media. As I said before, custom projects are not a problem. In fact, I suspect Nils would enjoy the challenge.

Rating: 5 Stars

Some time ago, I reviewed a nice set of grilling tools from Cave Tools. Since that time, Cave Tools has expanded their product line to include a wide variety of BBQ and cooking tools and accessories. When Cave Tools approached me about reviewing more products, I zeroed in on their instant read digital thermometer.

Despite several years of immersion in the BBQ world, I have never used a meat thermometer while smoking Q. It had almost become a point of pride. In my arrogance, I thought "I'll know when it's done". In reality, many costly mishaps could have been prevented over the years had I simply used a digital thermometer.

Even though I've had the thermometer for several weeks with every intention of using it for the review, I've still been oddly reluctant to use it. I did, however, finally have an occasion to use it over the Independence Day weekend. I smoked a whole brisket for a family picnic and Cave Tools' thermometer was a key element of the meal's success.

The stainless steel needle is roughly six inches long. This is ideal for large cuts of meat like brisket as the temperature needs to be taken as close to the center as possible. The device was incredibly easy to use. I simply turned it on and inserted the needle into the thickest portion of the brisket. Within a few seconds, I had an instant, accurate reading. I needed to repeat the process two more times before I hit my target of 165 degrees.

Cave Tools products have the reputation of being durable and this little device is no exception. The stainless steel is durable and won't rust. The head is water and shatter proof. If necessary, you can even re-calibrate it to ensure long term accuracy. This thing is built to last.

Digital thermometers are simple trinkets, with a sole purpose. After using Cave Tools' thermometer, I'll never take them for granted again. While I still hesitate to say they're essential for turning out great BBQ, they sure make it a LOT easier.

Cave Tools has come a long way since the first time I reviewed one of their products. Check out the new (to me) website. It looks great and has plenty of helpful information about this thermometer and all of their fine products.

Below are direct links to purchase this thermometer.
Cave Tools Website
Amazon


Rating: (4/5)

Dimples Original BBQ sauce was one of the very first products to receive a 5 Star review back in 2011. The sweet, tangy North Carolina sauce remains one of my favorites to this day. It's got nearly everything I'm looking for in a BBQ sauce: loads of natural sweetness, balanced savory spices and moderate vinegar tang. The only thing missing is a touch of heat.

It's not easy to improve on a 5 star product, but Dimples has really outdone themselves. They've kept everything that's great about the original sauce and added another dimension to just the right degree. Many companies release spicy versions of their sauces. Unfortunately, what's great about the original product often gets overshadowed by the newly added heat. To their credit, Dimples has found the perfect balance.

Like the original, Dimples Spicy is a medium/thin sauce. The spicy version seemed to be a bit darker red, but that may have just been my perception. I didn't actually have the two sauces side by side. Both are packaged in 16 oz. plastic bottles.

Because of its consistency, Dimples is incredibly versatile. It's equally effective as a grilling glaze or dip. The flavor pairs perfectly with pork and chicken, but it's delicious on brisket and burgers as well. I also love it poured over any kind of fried potato (tots, fries, hash browns).  Most importantly, Dimples Spicy was a key ingredient in the best pulled pork sandwich that I've ever created.

To date, I've reviewed more than a hundred sauces. Dimples Spicy ranks among the very best. I've already contacted a close friend in North Carolina and requested that they bring plenty of Dimples Spicy with them on their next trip to Michigan.

If you like sweet, tangy sauces and can stand a little bit of heat, Dimples has exactly what you're looking for. Check out the Dimples website to learn more about their products and order some of your own.

Rating: (5/5)

Maui Pepper Co. hot sauces are another great line of products from Tahiti Joes. Like "Joes", these sauces feature unique pairings of fruit with a variety of scorching hot peppers. Each sauce is island inspired with tropical flavors and plenty of heat.

Thanks to Tahiti Joe, I've had a bit of experience with sweet, Polynesian hot sauces. However, I've never tasted anything like the flavor combinations that Maui Pepper Co. has put together. The sauces are the sweetest I've tasted. However, you don't get to enjoy that sweetness long because it's followed up by a wave of heat.

There are currently nine different offerings in the Maui Pepper line. The entire product line is intriguing, but I will focus on two particular sauces for this review. Strawberry Meltdown and Chipotle Raspberry sounded so strange (and delicious) that I had to try them immediately.

The base for nearly every hot sauce that I've encountered has been vinegar and peppers. Strawberry Meltdown completely bucks tradition by using sweetened strawberries as the primary ingredient. They even add honey and apple juice for additional sweetness. So far, it sounds like a dessert syrup that you'd drizzle over ice cream.

I was really surprised by the sauce's sweetness when I first tasted it. I'd never had a hot sauce that was quite so sweet. That initial surprise was followed by slow building burn. The sauce is hot, but not "super hot". Having never actually tasted a strawberry sauce before, I wasn't sure what to use it on. However, I found several potential applications. It's great on things like grilled fish or chicken. Strawberry Meltdown adds a nice bite to fresh salads. It can also be used to add heat to your favorite sweets.....even ice cream.

Chipotle Raspberry is another sweet offering from Maui Pepper Co. Though I didn't find it nearly as sweet as Strawberry Meltdown, it still had a distinct fruit flavor. This sauce uses vinegar, raspberries and mangoes for it's sweet and tangy base. It too, is great for chicken and seafood.

Maui Pepper Co. proves that hot sauces don't have follow a particular set of rules. With creative  and deliciously sweet flavor combinations, these sauces have carved their own niche in the market.

Check out the Maui Pepper and Tahiti Joes' product lines at http://tahitijoeshotsauces.com/

Strawberry Meltdown Rating: (4/5)
Chipotle Raspberry Rating: (3.5/5)

As tailgating grows in popularity, the relationship between football and BBQ becomes even more evident. These days, competition quality Q can be found smoking in stadium parking lots all across the country. Saturday and Sunday afternoons have become showcases for pit masters to both feed and entertain fans before and after the big game.

It's no surprise that football players sometimes get into BBQ as well. Ex Mississippi State standout and 13 year NFL pro, Reggie Kelly, is a prime example. After completing his football career, Reggie transitioned to the food business. Leaning on his Southern roots and love of cooking, Reggie Kelly started Kyvan Soul Food Selections (named after his children, Kyla and Kavan).

Kyvan's product line includes several sauces (BBQ / Wing), spice rubs, salsas and fruit spreads. Since we try to focus primarily on BBQ, Reggie was kind enough to send me some of his Sweet BBQ Sauce to review. Kyvan sauces are packaged in 16 oz. plastic bottles. The color scheme and design is very similar for all of their sauces. The Kyvan logo is featured prominently (front and center) on each bottle. The sauce is a rich, dark brown in the bottle. It's consistency is "syrup like" and pours pretty quickly from the bottle.

The label says "Sweet BBQ Sauce" and that's no lie. The tomato based sauce uses both brown and white sugar, along with HFCS, for a multi layered sweetness. Savory ingredients like onion and garlic are present, but don't quite balance the sweetness. There is also a significant smoke factor that was somewhat unexpected, but very enjoyable.

When tasting the sauce, I also felt like their was a slight Polynesian note to the flavor that I couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, it worked well with the smokiness. As I've said time after time, I'm a sucker for a sweet BBQ sauce. It doesn't get much sweeter than Kyvan's.

My family and I used Sweet BBQ Sauce a number of times as a dip and grilling glaze. It won rave reviews from everyone at the table. It was especially good on baby back ribs. The sauce brushed on smooth and glistened on the ribs as they finished grilling. All those sugars got even richer when heat was applied.

Kyvan's Sweet BBQ Sauce is an excellent compliment to ribs and chicken. It also works well as a dip for chicken fingers / nuggets. When using as a grilling glaze, it's important to be conscious of open flames because of the high sugar content. Sweet sauces will char in a hurry when near an open flame.

Kvan Soul Food Selections can be found in Walmarts and several independent grocers throughout the South East. You can also purchase Sweet BBQ Sauce directly from the source at www.kyvan82.com .

Rating: (4/5)