Cookshack Creative Q'ing Contest Winning Recipes

It was a tough job, but someone had to do it. After 2 straight days of smoke-cooking, eating, and judging, we came up with the winners of the four categories of Nouvelle Q, Un-Q, Sides, and Smoked Desserts.

Click here to download an Adobe .pdf cookbook of all of the recipes submitted to the Creative Q'ing contest.

And the winners are:
  • Nouvelle Q: Mai Tai Chicken from Bad Bobs Barbecue Restaurant in Dyersburg, TN.
  • Un-Q: Smoked Rib Steak with Mushrooms and Onions from Apple Creek Cafe in Edgewood, WA.
  • Sides: This was a close one, but our winner was the Savory Herbed & Smoked Brisket Brie from Papa Russ's BBQ in Aiken, SC.
  • Smoked Desserts: Easy Barbecue Contest Cheesecake Bars from Smokin' B's Barbecue in Lee's Summit, MO.
Scroll down this page for all these recipes, and for an Adobe .pdf Cookbook of all the recipes submitted to the contest.

Nouvelle Q:

Includes traditional smoked meats (ribs, brisket, chicken, pork) prepared in unconventional ways resulting in a non-traditional flavor profile.

1st Place:
Mai Tai Chicken
Bad Bob’s Barbecue Restaurant, Dyersburg, TN
Bobby Grooms
  • 10 chicken thighs, skin on
  • Cookshack Spicy Chicken Rub
  • Cookshack Mild Barbecue Sauce
Marinade
  • 48 ounces orange-tangerine juice or orange-pineapple juice
  • 2 ounces Parrot Bay Mango Rum
  • 1 ounce grenadine
  •  ½ ounce lime juice
Stuffing (optional)
  • 1 lb. sausage
  • 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese

De-bone the chicken thighs. Apply Cookshack Spicy Chicken Rub to both sides of the thighs and work some up under the skin. Place thighs in a Cookshack electric smoker for home use or a Fast Eddy's by Cookshack Model FEC100. Fold the thighs so when they cook they have a nice rounded shape.

Remove casing from sausage and place in smoker in a foil pan.

Set smoker to 275ºF and cook for 1 hour.

While chicken and sausage are cooking, combine marinade ingredients. Seal container and shake. Pour 8 oz. of marinade into a glass of ice and reserve the rest.

After cooking for 1 hour, remove the chicken from the smoker and place it in an aluminum half pan or foil pan. (Leave the sausage in the smoker.) Pour the reserved marinade over the chicken. Cover the pan with foil and return it to the smoker for ½ hour at 275ºF. Remove chicken and sausage from the smoker. If you plan to stuff the thighs set the smoker temperature to 225F. If you do not plan to stuff the thighs, turn smoker off.

Without Stuffing

If you are not stuffing the chicken, turn the smoker off. Remove the thighs from pan and apply a light coating of Cookshack Mild Barbecue Sauce. Let stand for 20 minutes and serve.

With Stuffing

Mix smoked sausage with cream cheese and sprinkle with Cookshack Spicy Chicken Rub. Remove thighs from marinade and place in clean aluminum pan upside down. Stuff with sausage mixture. Apply Cookshack Mild Barbecue Sauce and heat for 10 minutes in smoker at 225ºF.

Finally drink the 8 oz. you poured over the ice.

Un-Q:

Includes smoked entrees that do not use traditional meats and that do not conform to a traditional barbecue flavor profile (except for smoke).

First Place
Smoked Rib Steak with Mushrooms and Onions
Apple Creek Café, Edgewood, WA
Rick Naug

Equipment:
FEC100 pellet cooker
Apple pellets
  • 2 lb. rib steak ( cut from the center of the roast with bone in) about 3" to 4" thick
  • 1 teaspoon course Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon course ground black pepper
  • Sliced red onion for an edible garnish, optional
Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of meat.Place steak in cold FE 100 and set to 275ºF.

Start FE and cook steak to 145ºF internal meat temp. for rare, about 90 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat. Two hours for well done.
Take steak out and rest, on a covered plate for 15 minutes.

Prepare sauce while steak rests. Recipe follows.

Slice and serve with mushroom sauce, sprinkle chopped chives or green onion on top.

For the sauce:
  • 1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoon un-salted butter
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives or green onion tops
Saute the mushrooms in the butter, add wine and reduce by half.

Serve with sliced red onion... optional.

Sides:

Includes smoked dishes that serve as sides or appetizers.

1st Place:
Savory Herbed & Smoked Brisket Brie
Papa Russ’s BBQ, Aiken, SC
Jennifer Richardson

Serves 20 as an appetizer
  • 2 lb. Wheel of brie
  • 1 sheet frozen puffed pastry
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 3 oz. smoked chopped brisket
  • 1 egg, lightley beaten
Place brie in freezer for 30 minutes. Let pastry stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Mix parsley, garlic, and herbs in a small bowl.

Slice brie into two layers. Spread herb mixture on bottom layer, and then sprinkle with chopped smoked brisket (3 oz). Replace the top layer.

Unfold pastry sheet and roll into 12” x 8” rectangle on a floured surface.

Place brie on center of pastry. Cover with pastry and cut off excess. Brush edges with egg and press to seal. Brush pastry with remaining egg. Cut 4 steam vents.

Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and puffed. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before slicing and serving.

Smoked Desserts:

Includes chocolate and fruit dishes with a bit of smoke.

1st Place
Easy Barbecue Contest Cheesecake Bars
Smokin’ B’s Barbecue, Lee’s Summit, MO
Todd Berens
  • 1 cup sweetened coconut
  • 1 stick butter
  • 4 ounces crushed graham crackers, chocolate wafers, or vanilla wafers
  • 1 cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or pecans)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  •  ½ cup white chocolate chips
  •  ½ cup butterscotch chocolate chips
  •  1- 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tub of Philadelphia Brand Ready-to-eat Cheesecake Filling (Regular or Chocolate)
This is best done in a smoker that can reach 325-350 degrees

Prepare a 9x13” baking pan by lining it with foil to come up the sides and stick up about 1” over the top.  This will aid in removing the bars from the pan.

Preheat your smoker to 325ºF to 350ºF.

Put the stick of butter in the foil lined pan and melt it in the smoker.

Sprinkle the crumbs over the melted butter. Combine the chips and nuts and sprinkle over the top of the crumbs. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of the chip/nut mixture. Sprinkle the coconut over the top.

Bake in the smoker until the chips are melted, and the top begins to brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Remove from the smoker and allow to cool to room temperature.  You can also do this in the refrigerator or in an ice filled cooler if you are at a contest.

Spread the cheesecake filling over the top of the cooled “crust.”  
Cut and serve.  Refrigerate any remaining leftovers.