SPECIALIZED SITES
Amazing Ribs.com
This site has an amazing amount of information about ribs just as it's name would imply. But it is not just a one trick pony, there is a wealth of information about BBQ, equipment, ingredients & other related topics. Plus you gotta love a BBQ site run by someone who's handle is "Meathead"
http://amazingribs.com/_______________
Ask the Meatman.com
While they are trying to sell you their services, there is a lot of good information about meat here.
http://www.askthemeatman.com/table_of_contents_1112005.htm_______________
BBQ Food Safety
These are tips from the USDA on BBQ food safety. From purchase to prep to storage. These tips tend to err on the conservative side and many cooks tend to go with lower doneness temps to avoid drying out their food. There is a good starting point, but as I mentioned you will often see recipes that explain why they go lower than these USDA guidelines.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Barbecue_Food_Safety/index.asp
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The Cooks Thesaurus
This site is great for a newbie like me starting to use unknown ingredients. Great information on ingredients and substitutions if you can’t find what you want. I am also looking forward to checking out their equipment information area.
http://www.foodsubs.com/_______________
How Much? How Many?
Ever have a recipe list 1 cup diced green peppers without telling you how many green peppers to a cup. This link is to a large one page chart listing ingredient amounts and how many items it takes to get that amount.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1734.asp_______________
The Naked Wiz.com (Lump Charcoal Info)
While it sounds like a porn site, it is definitely not. This is THE place to go for tests and information about lump charcoal. It also has a wealth of information on using ceramic grills.
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm_______________
Penzy’s Spices
Penzy’s was once mainly an online purveyor of spices, but now they have brick and mortar stores around the country. If there is one near you, it is worth the trip. Their website has a lot of information about spices and you can download their catalogue in PDF form which is a great way to learn about spices.
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html_______________
The Spice Encyclopedia
This site is sponsored by spice maker McCormick and has a lot of general information about spices from A-Z.
http://www.mccormick.com/content.cfm?ID=8291_______________
The Spice Equivalency Chart
This link is to a page that lists the ratio of fresh spices to jar spices you can use when a recipe calls for one and you want to use the other. I would encourage you to use the fresh.
http://www.spiceadvice.com/usage/suggested.html_______________
Turkey Tips
Two links here from the Butterball turkey website. The first is for proper meat thermometer placement. The second has a link to a video on turkey carving technique. I usually visit both when I haven’t done a turkey for many months to brush up.
Turkey Thermometer Placement
Carving a Turkey - See How To Videos Links
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PERSONAL WEB SITES & BLOGS
Barbecue Addict
This illustrated blog is written by a very talented lady who calls herself Smokin'_Gal on various BBQ websites. I always look forward to and enjoy her truly amazing posts. You too will be impressed by the wide variety of foods she grills and smokes - from the simple to the elegant. I don't think there is too much she hasn't smoked at one time or another. Then there are the incredible desserts she whips up...
http://www.barbecueaddict.com/_______________
Griffin's Grub
Another long time poster from various BBQ websites, Griffin recently started his own very entertaining, diverse and informative blog. It contains pictures and descriptions of some of his cooks (often with recipes), plus tips and tricks, reviews of spices and rubs, plus also some of what's interesting in the BBQ world around Dallas Texas. Griffin is branching out into baking on his BGE and promises to document his progress in his blog. I'm looking forward to this.
http://griffinsgrub.wordpress.com/_______________