Judging a Mac and Cheese Contest & Jerk Chicken Recipe
Mar 21, 2025
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The hosts celebrate a friend's world championship in steak, igniting lively barbecue camaraderie. They share hilarious stories from a Mac and Cheese contest, emphasizing creativity in dishes. A deep dive into jerk chicken highlights pimento wood's magical role in flavor. The hosts have a humorous debate on Cheez-It qualities, revealing snack secrets. They also offer helpful tips for preserving asparagus and herbs. The discussion wraps up with heated opinions on the best barbecue spots across the South, showcasing their passionate food preferences.
The podcast celebrates Karen Wright's win as the SCA World Steak Grand Champion, showcasing her exceptional skills and competitive spirit.
A heated mac and cheese contest revealed that judging can be challenging due to the varying quality of culinary entries from the team.
Malcolm shares his jerk chicken recipe emphasizing the importance of marination, cooking technique, and a homemade dipping sauce to enhance flavor.
Deep dives
Celebrating a World Champion
The podcast highlights the recent victory of Karen Wright, who has been crowned the SCA World Steak Grand Champion. This achievement is celebrated enthusiastically, with Malcolm expressing excitement over the news and the perfect score Karen received. Her skills as a cook are praised, along with her competitive spirit, particularly in relation to her fellow competitors, including Russell and Riley. The hosts express a desire to have Karen come over to showcase her championship steak, emphasizing their eagerness to taste her award-winning culinary creation.
Mac and Cheese Contest Insights
A recent mac and cheese contest amongst the podcast team stirred up much discussion about preparation and judging. Malcolm and his team faced the challenge of sampling twelve different mac and cheese dishes, finding it surprisingly difficult to judge due to the high quality of the entries. While some dishes were deemed slightly dry, others stood out for their deliciousness, creating a tough competition. Malcolm shared his own mac and cheese recipe, which incorporated chicken and a specially chosen white American cheese, although he acknowledged it landed in the middle of the ranks.
Jerk Chicken Recipes and Techniques
The episode transitions into the preparation of jerk chicken, describing Malcolm's fondness for this dish and its roots in Jamaican cuisine. He emphasizes the importance of marinating the chicken, ideally overnight, to allow the flavors to penetrate deeply. Malcolm shares insights on cooking methods, such as creating a two-zone fire on the grill, ensuring the chicken stays juicy while developing char on the exterior. He recommends balancing the marinade with sweet elements like honey or brown sugar to enhance flavor and notes the significance of cooking the chicken on the bone for optimal taste.
Creating a Jerk Chicken Dipping Sauce
An exciting addition to the jerk chicken recipe is the preparation of a homemade dipping sauce that complements the dish well. This sauce blends elements of butter, brown sugar, and hot sauces to create a unique flavor profile that melds sweetness with spice. Malcolm mentions the challenges of sourcing authentic scotch bonnet peppers, often substituting habaneros, while also stressing the importance of handling spicy ingredients carefully. This sauce not only adds extra flavor but embodies the spirit of jerk cooking, allowing for customization based on personal heat tolerance.
Barbecue Community Engagement
Towards the end of the podcast, community interaction is encouraged with a giveaway contest for listeners. Participants are urged to engage through various avenues, showcasing their barbecue skills or sharing their favorite cooking moments. This nurturing of community strengthens ties among barbecue enthusiasts, fostering an environment of shared learning and appreciation. The hosts express their commitment to connecting with listeners, aiming to keep the BBQ discussions lively and inclusive as they embark on their cooking adventures.
