This post is a little different because I am trying something new over the next couple of months to help increase my presence on social media, and the blog is going to continue to be a part of that, but in a different format. I am still going to be trying new recipes and offering them, and encouraging you to try, but I am also going to be touching on other topics as well, and try to engage more of the community.
I remember as a kid seeing my parents grilling on a gas grill, typically brats, hot dogs, and burgers, because that’s what my brothers and I liked. As I got older, I started using the grill too to make the same things, and I figured that as long as I didn’t burn the majority of the food, I was doing alright. We would host cookouts on weekends, and it was usually always the same meats because they were always crowd pleasers, and chicken would be put in the mix too. I remember that for one of my brother’s High School graduation parties, my mom made pulled pork in the crock pot. It was very good, but it was really my first taste of pulled pork that I can remember.
Easter of 2019, we decided as a family to switch it up and do a family rib cook-off for our Easter meal instead of the traditional ham. I decided that it was a competition I wanted to try and win, so I took advantage of the fact that my wife worked at a bookstore at the time and went and started reading BBQ cookbooks, looking for ideas. I only knew about baby back ribs at the time, which was fine because that is all anyone ended up using, but I had some fun researching what BBQ was for the first time. I took everything I learned, made up a makeshift rub from some of my research, and then proceeded to put them in the oven for 3-4 hours at 225, and then finished them on the gas grill for some char. They were good, and I ended up having the best ribs of the day, but they were nothing compared to how things became.
We ended up having another occasion for me to make ribs later in the year, and my mom provided me with some wild boar ribs she had acquired from a friend, and essentially did the exact same recipe. This second time made them sparked something in me, and I decided that I wanted to start looking into this rib cooking thing a little more. I got a Masterbuilt electric cabinet smoker from Fleet Farm during Covid and used it to cook a turkey and ribs for Thanksgiving that year, and that was it, I bit the hook and was on the line. I ended up selling the Masterbuilt and bought my first Pit Boss pellet grill from Walmart, and the rest is really history. I started developing my own rubs, which consisted of just throwing ingredients together, and for the most part, it worked, but I was still missing something. I ended up hearing about this book called Paul Kirk’s Championship Barbecue Sauces “175 Make-Your-Own Sauces, Marinades, Dry Rubs, Wet Rubs, Mops, and Salsas,” and this book flipped my world upside down. It taught me about ratios and measurements and how to build a rub, which, after a lot of time and effort and trial and error, I came down with the recipes that I now manufacture and sell in my online store.
As I write this (5/29/25), I found out on Facebook the day before that Paul Kirk, The Baron of Barbecue, who had written this fantastic book, passed away over the Memorial Day weekend. The news was very sad for me because while I never met Paul, I still felt like I did because I wouldn’t be where I am without him, so Rest in Peace, Mr Kirk, and thank you.
One Pit Boss turned into 2 as I was asked to do the food for my stepdad’s **th (you’re welcome for that, Peter) birthday party at their home in Monticello, Minnesota. The idea was that I needed a much bigger smoker to accommodate all of the food I was going to be doing, and the plan was to order the new Pit Boss Sportsman 1100 and have it delivered to their home, cook on it, and then bring it home with us. Naturally, nothing goes to plan, so the delivery was delayed, and it never came in time for the party. This left me to cook 2 pork butts, 2 brisket flats and some burgers on a 4 burner gas grill. I did one of the flats in a Nesco slow cooker, and did the butts and the other flat on the gas grill at a low temp overnight. I burned the brisket flat on the grill and had to throw that out, but I managed to somehow pull off the pork butts. I was not pleased with the outcome personally, but they were edible, and I was told that they were good.
Then I decided to get into competition BBQ, and that is a story for another time, in part 2. This is my history of outdoor cooking and how it has evolved into the baseline for what I have now. I hope you all enjoy the new format for the summer, and I also hope you all contribute your own origin stories as well!
Don’t forget to check out http://www.lovelyjubblybbq.com for our signature rubs and even more great BBQ products and accessories! Our rubs are also exclusively in store at Ava’s a posh boutique in Watertown, WI, if you just can’t wait for shipping!
If you are looking for a Pit Boss pellet grill or other Pit Boss accessories for yourself or someone you love, follow the link below to the Pit Boss website, where they have some fantastic deals on some even more fantastic products! As an avid Pit Boss user, I couldn’t be more proud to be an affiliate of Pit Boss Grills, and I look forward to growing this partnership over time. We have also become affiliated with Weber Grills as well, which is my favorite grill of choice for cooking everyday meals. We have the Weber Grills link below as well for your convenience!
Pit Boss Grills- https://pitbossgrills.77jaha.net/zxx49x
Weber Grills- https://weberinc.sjv.io/e1kGrZ
Follow us on social media at Lovely Jubbly BBQ on Facebook, and @LJBBQ22 on Instagram!
We also have a community on Facebook, look up Lovely Jubbly BBQ Community and connect with us today!
As always, keep cookin’ and Lovely Jubbly!
Lovely Jubbly BBQ 