BBQ We Stayed Home For...

We'll make no bones about it, I am a BBQ snob (Tracy). All the way through and through. Rob and I have centered vacations around finding that really great, out of the way, talk about for years BBQ joint. We (meaning mostly Rob) watch Drive-In's, Diners and Dives religiously for ideas on haunts and hang outs.  And the one thing our town lacks is the really great, dine-in, write-home-about BBQ restaurant.  We have tried unsuccessfully to lure Uncle John's and Log Cabin closer into town, we've planted seeds with Summerville's Armstrongs and I begged Woodstock's Bub-ba-Q, all to no avail.

Thanks to Shane at GMC Value-Mart and Rob's persistence, our best BBQ may be at our home. Recently when I was photographing out at GMC for an article in Enjoy! Magazine -- I was introduced to the meat counter at this slightly out of the way grocery store. Rob was in tow within the week as we went back to explore and now we have a new weekly habit. The managers, Shane and Kirk, have been more than forthcoming with recipes and hints. We two already experienced cooks have really learned a lot. Our most recent venture -- BBQ Pulled Pork with a homemade potato salad. Following Shane's advice, Rob loaded up his smoker and smoked the butt for four hours last night and then wrapped it in foil and it hit the fridge overnight. While we were off gallivanting on the Silver Comet Trail today with the kids and the bicycles, the pork was back in the oven at 200 degrees. When we got home it was perfectly paired with homemade potato salad and the meal was incredible. We are still working our way through all of the different BBQ sauces that GMC carries, today we sampled Sweet Baby Ray's and Stubbs. Yummy. My tummy is very happy.

Tracy's Homemade Potato Salad: 

1 egg yolk
1.5 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Coleman's mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 gold potatoes
2 stalks chopped celery

Chop and boil the potato, skin on.
While the potato is cooking, whisk egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and salt. Very slowly, almost drop by drop, add oil and keep whisking. It's important to whisk so that the oil doesn't separate out. Whisk until all oil is incorporated and until mayo is lighter in color.  Chill and reserve.
Drain potato, add rice vinegar, sugar, celery and enough of the mayo to coat nicely. Chill until serving time.