You Need a BBQ: Alberta BBQ at its Finest!

YOU NEED A BBQ

100 Broadview Drive, Sherwood Park | youneedabbq.com Instagram: @youneedabbq

We've all heard of Carolina, Texas, Memphis, and Kansas City BBQ. These styles are unique in their own way and each has its own distinct characteristics in terms of meat selection, sauce, and cooking method. But what about Alberta BBQ? Alberta beef is the best in Canada and is widely praised for its high quality. As a Western province known for its rodeo culture, surely Alberta must have a BBQ style all its own. Grill masters Russell Bird and Ron Yoneda specialize in exactly this - bringing Alberta BBQ to the forefront and putting our celebrated beef (and other delicious meats!) on the map. However, beyond winning titles at competitions all over the USA, Russell and Ron believe that everyone should be able to grill and smoke incredible world class BBQ in their own backyards. Their business You Need a BBQ (a play on Ron's last name; Yoneda) not only specializes in premium grills but their passion lies in teaching others the craft with their BBQ Classes which are held right in the store. I was invited to take one of these classes on a Thursday evening and I couldn't possibly have been prepared for all of the meaty goodness and valuable knowledge that was in store for me. Russell and Ron are friendly and approachable, immediately making students feel comfortable and free to ask questions along the way. (I had many.) Imagine having a fun BBQ evening with a group of friends - except in this case your friends are pitmasters empowering the group with the tools of the trade. Classes are held in the back area of the store in a fully functional teaching kitchen. And you had better believe that you'll be heading outside as well where all of the smokers are filling the air with their tantalizing aromas! A class usually lasts for about four hours so you can imagine the amount of ground that can be covered in that time (and all of the delicious items that you'll get to taste!). Let me assure you, your stomach will not leave empty! The first cut of beef that we discussed was the Tri-Tip Roast and one of the cuts was Wagyu from Lakeside Farmstead. One of my favourite producers of beef and cheese, they're located just north of Edmonton - I've been to the farm myself and I've pet the cows! It doesn't get more local than that! Russell and Ron put a lot of care into explaining everything about each cut and how to best honour these beautiful pieces of beef on the grill and in the smoker. We learned a lot about the importance of seasoning the meat to bring out the full potential of its flavour and they highlighted the significance of resting the beef for an appropriate length of time once it comes off of the grill. We also got to try You Need a BBQ's brand new Black Gold seasoning which they have concocted especially for this summer's KDays! I am very into these feature items that many restaurants across the city are rolling out in partnership with KDays and Explore Edmonton this year. This is new and the amount of participation that I'm seeing is incredible. How fun! I can't wait to eat it all!

Did I mention that there was a surprise pan of smoked pulled pork waiting for us? You can't expect people to learn about BBQ and to be smelling those smells without a snack, can you?? And yes, this pork melted in my mouth. The recommended addition of a bit of vinegar-based BBQ sauce was excellent - the use of some acid to cut through the richness is key.

Next, Russell prepared King Oyster Mushroom & Bacon Skewers and explained that king oysters are used because their texture is almost identical to the bacon. He was right! This match was perfect and each bite was delicious. I loved the use of Samurai Sauce to finish the skewers which brought the experience to the next level.

Finally, the pièce de résistance were the Tomahawk Steaks. I've seen this cut of beef (and have marveled at its size) but I've never tried it myself. Smoked and rested to perfection, this was the best meat of the evening and unparalleled in deliciousness. The exercise of tasting and comparing the different cuts was valuable in itself - I learned so much about which types appeal to me most. The marbling of fat in the tomahawk added so much flavour, as did the precision seasoning and smoking. Tender and juicy, tasting this tomahawk may have ruined me for future steaks. A more accessible version of this cut is the ribeye - I know what I'll be ordering in the future!

Meat sweats? Check! I'm more of an eater myself and far less of a cook but this class filled me with so much knowledge and appreciation. It also filled me with a lot of deliciously incredible meats which was a huge win in itself! You Need a BBQ has classes running all summer long and they usually cost $200 per person. I can think of no better gift for the grilling enthusiast in your life - how fun and unique to send a loved one off to a class like this! Or maybe you just want to treat yourself (and after drooling over all of these meat photos, I don't blame you). What an opportunity to learn from championship award winning pitmasters, to taste the incredible food, and to revel in everything that Alberta BBQ can be!