Handsome Devil BBQ Talks Smoking ‘Hot and Fast’ in New Book
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Handsome Devil BBQ in Newburgh, New York has established itself as one of the premier barbecue destinations just north of New York City. At the restaurant, co-owners Ed and Noelle Randolph make their delicious barbecue staples “low and slow,” striving for perfection.
But in their new book, Hot and Fast BBQ on Your Traeger Grill: A Pitmaster’s Secrets on Doubling the Flavor in Half the Time, Ed and Noelle teach barbecue lovers how to cook using “hot and fast” methods. The book emphasizes grilling and smoking techniques that shorten cook times while also still retaining great flavors.
“Life is starting to catch back up to everybody, so we don't necessarily have 14 hours to cook a brisket anymore,” Ed Randolph said. “Those days of hanging out in the summer in the backyard are now taken up with running kids to soccer practice again and doing everything. So we tried to show ways of doing some of the same recipes that people know in half the amount of time.”
Hot and Fast BBQ on Your Traeger Grill is a must-buy for anyone with a pellet smoker. (Photo by Ken Goodman)
The new book, which will be released on May 10, is the third book by Ed Randolph, following Smoked and Showstopping BBQ with Your Traeger Grill. It is his first co-authored with his wife Noelle.
“For the last two books, she's been behind the scenes and helping me put everything together,” Ed Randolph said. “This time, the publisher has got her name on the front cover and deservingly so. The publisher also gave us the creativity to do our own recipes for this book. So it wasn't so much you had to do barbecue but you'll find everything in this book.”
Recipes in the book include Competition-Style St. Louis Ribs, Smoked Chicken Thighs with Alabama White Sauce, Chili-Coffee Rubbed Tomahawk Steak, Scorpion Stuffed Shrimp, Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread, and Pineapple Upside Cake.
Ed and Noelle Randolph are the power couple behind Handsome Devil BBQ and the new BBQ book. (Photo courtesy of Handsome Devil BBQ)
While Traeger is in the name of the book, Randolph notes that his and Noelle’s recipes can be used on any pellet smoker.
“This book has Traeger in mind, but we didn't want to limit this directly to just Traeger folks because there's a lot of pellet cookers out there as well,” Ed Randolph said. “Every recipe tells you where to set your temperatures and how we operate. Green Mountain makes some good stuff and Recteq makes some nice stuff there. There's a reason that's the only one they should feel like you can't use the recipes in this book.”
Traditional BBQ items like these competition-style St. Louis Ribs are featured in the new book. (Photo by Ken Goodman)
Randolph notes that in some barbecue circles, some still look down on pellet smokers despite their versatility and growing popularity. But his book showcases how useful of a tool the pellet smoker can be for those who don’t have the room or time to perform traditional offset smoker cooks.
“I think the purists will say you have to put down wood all the time,” Ed Randolph said. “Sometimes they look down at pellet cookers as a way of cheating the system. But the reality is, not everybody's going to have room for a monster offset smoker in their backyard. And there's also the time aspect. So if someone can use something at home and it can bridge that gap and all of them still have a good quality product. I'm all for it.”
Delicious seafood items like the scorpion stuffed shrimp also make the cut in the new Hot and Fast BBQ book. (Photo by Ken Goodman)
If you want to see Handsome Devil BBQ in action in NYC soon, their crew will be at the upcoming Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit on April 30, 2022, at Pig Beach NYC in Queens. And don’t forget, you can pre-order the new Hot and Fast BBQ book here.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
The newest episode of The Pit Stop with Blue Smoke Blaire features a cameo of NYC BBQ founder Sean Ludwig.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
NYC BBQ founder and The Smoke Sheet co-founder Sean Ludwig was featured in the newest episode of The Pit Stop with Blue Smoke Blaire, which premiered yesterday. In this episode, host Erica Blaire takes a close look at Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue, a fantastic barbecue joint in Tomball, Texas. WATCH HERE.
DiFara Pizza and Juicy Lucia, a much-anticipated Italian and BBQ spot that was previously covered here, will open this weekend in Staten Island. READ HERE.
Maple Tree BBQ in Riverhead, NY — one of the top barbecue destinations on Long Island — was profiled by News 12 Connecticut. READ HERE.
The Beer BBQ Bacon Showdown will be coming soon to Morris Township, NJ this May. READ HERE.
Celebrity chef and Food Network star Guy Fieri stopped by Middletown, NJ last week to throw a barbecue in support of military veterans. READ HERE.
At Thomas’ Smokey Pit BBQ in Manchester, CT, the family’s love is in every delicious recipe. READ HERE.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
Brisket King NYC is coming up soon, so be sure to get your tickets and get some brisket from Bark Barbecue. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
April 20, 2022: The 11th edition of Brisket King NYC will be held at Pig Beach in Gowanus, Brooklyn, on Wednesday, April 20. This all-inclusive event will feature 15+ chefs and pitmasters cooking up the juiciest brisket you can find, plus craft beer, hard cider, and spirits. BUY TICKETS HERE.
April 30, 2022: The 2nd Annual Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit will be held this spring at the new Pig Beach location in Queens. It features a lineup of some of the best pitmasters in the country, including Billy Durney, Chris Lilly, Sam Jones, Carey Bringle, Amy Mills, and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
May 21, 2022: The NYC Texas Chili Cook-Off will return to New York City, bigger, louder, and tastier than ever on May 21 at Industry City in Brooklyn. The event takes place between 1 and 6 p.m. and is hosted by the Texas Exes New York Chapter. There will be all-you-can-drink Texas beverages, all-you-can-eat chili and queso (or until it runs out), and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
May 21, 2022: Love wings and beer? Then this is the event for you! Held at the beautiful South Shore Craft Brewery, the NY Best Wings Fest will be a finger-licking tasting tour of the best restaurants on Long Island. On top of being able to sample lots of great wings, there will also be a hot-wing eating contest, live music, and giveaways. BUY TICKETS HERE.
May 28, 2022: This Memorial Day weekend is going to have a forecast for delicious pork and beef at Rib King NYC 2022. The event will be held at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden on Staten Island and is great for families and groups. BUY TICKETS HERE.
If you would like your food event listed here, please get in touch.
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