Joint Smokers BBQ

07/06/2026

Sunday dinner doesn't need to be complicated.

Beef short ribs seasoned with SPG and cooked over Heat Beads lump with a few Urban Lumberjack nectarine chunks.

Once the bark was set, they were wrapped with beef broth and a generous coating of Rum and Que OG Sauce, then cooked until probe tender at 210°F.

Served with homestyle mash potatoes (skin on!) seasoned with Rum & Que Umami Garlic Butter, steamed broccolini and plenty of gravy.

Simple, homestyle food that's hard to beat.

10/05/2026

One underrated cut. Two completely different cooks. And honestly… both absolutely slapped. 🌮🔥

We grabbed a humble oyster blade and broke it down ourselves to make the most of this larger protein. Such a good reminder that you don’t need super expensive cuts to turn out seriously good food.

After trimming the fat and removing the sinew running through the middle, we split the oyster blade along the natural seam into two separate muscles — each perfect for a different style of cook.

The top half became a hanger-style steak:
The hangar is a SERIOUSLY good steak
Seasoned heavily with our go-to combo of Rum and Que Intensify and Porter rub, then left to sweat on the bench for 30 mins while the gasser got ripping hot.

Hot and fast sear. Pulled at 130F. Rested for 15 mins.

Sliced up beautifully and loaded into warm tortillas with caramelised onion, capsicum, sour cream and a good hit of Salsa Huichol. Absolute flavour bomb and one of the most tender steaks you can find!

The bottom half went low and slow for pulled beef tacos:
Rubbed with Intensify and BRZ Mexicana — a killer combo with those rich chilli and subtle chocolate notes working perfectly with beef.

Cooked over Heat Beads lump charcoal with the deflector in once the bark started building. Once that bark was locked in and crunchy, we wrapped with beef stock and Ultimate tinfoil until it hit 215F and probed like butter.

The result? Juicy, smoky pulled beef that made one ridiculously good midweek dinner.

One affordable cut.
Two completely different meals.
And a seriously good way to stretch the budget without sacrificing flavour. 🔥

09/05/2026

Rainy nights call for comfort food… but make it BBQ. 🔥🥣

This one absolutely slapped for a mid-week dinner.
Smoked butternut squash rubbed down with a combo of Deep Bush and Green Chile & Bacon Rub for a perfect balance of savoury depth, smokey flavour and just enough heat to keep things interesting.

Into each squash half went butter, garlic and shallots, alongside a butter-stuffed onion dusted in rub and cooked low and slow over Heat Beads lump at 275F until everything softened and caramelised beautifully.

From there it all hit the pot with fresh thyme, diced apple and vegetable stock before getting blitzed silky smooth. Finished with a swirl of sour cream to mellow the chilli kick and served with fresh bread after footy practice ⚽️

One of those cooks that reminds you the BBQ isn’t just for brisket and ribs.
Soups, veges and weeknight dinners all pick up another level of flavour from the smoker.

What’s your fave non-traditional BBQ cook? 👇

03/05/2026

Cooked a whole short rib… just for ramen. 🍜🔥

Ran it direct over Heat Beads Lump Charcoal with Urban Lumberjack pohutukawa chunks for smoke.

Seasoned heavy with Rum & Que Porter and let that bark build properly.

Wrapped it with Ultimate Tinfoil and covered with Rum and Que Umami Port & Black Garlic and a full can of Guinness, then back over the coals to finish. Rested overnight.

Today it got sliced thin across the grain and brought back to life in a hot pan with a splash of soy and mirin.

Dropped into a loaded bowl of Marutai ramen noodles with pak choy, mustard greens, spring onion, pickled cucumber and toasted sesame.

Smoky, rich beef with a clean, savoury broth and just enough freshness to cut through it.

Bit different from eggs on toast.

Who’s putting BBQ into ramen?

29/04/2026

2026

Good people. Best comp. What it’s all about.

After a few years of “Soak on the Coast”, it was good to finally get a weekend of decent weather and just enjoy being there.

Junior Joints:

Lachie – 1st Taco
Morgan – 2nd Taco, 3rd Steak
Matty – 3rd Taco, 2nd Steak

Proud of all three. Matty wraps up his junior comps here and is more than ready to step up with the adult competitors.

Rib Cook-Off:

Cam – 1st Wings, 3rd Ribs

NZBA:

3rd Brisket
4th Pork
6th Ribs
10th Chicken

Happy with how we cooked across the board and being in the mix with a strong field.

Stoked for Ciaran & Melissa Murphy from Meatloaf on a well deserved GC, and Cook Cartel taking out RGC.

Thanks to everyone involved and all the teams we get to cook alongside.

And to the crew backing us:
, , , , , , & — appreciate the support.

On to the next.

29/04/2026

Smoke on the Coast 2026

Good people. Best comp. What it’s all about.

After a few years of “Soak on the Coast”, it was good to finally get a weekend of decent weather and just enjoy being there.

Day 1 – Junior Joints:

Morgan – 2nd Taco, 3rd Steak
Lachie – 1st Taco
Matty – 3rd Taco, 2nd Steak

Proud of all three. Matty wraps up his junior comps here and is more than ready to step up with the adult competitors.

First SOTC Rib Cook-Off:
Cam – 3rd Ribs, 1st Wings

Day 2 – NZBA:

Chicken – 10th
Ribs – 6th
Pork – 4th
Brisket – 3rd

Happy with how we cooked across the board and to be in the mix with a strong field.

Especially stoked for Ciaran & Melissa from Meatloaf on a well deserved GC, and Cook Cartel taking out RGC.

Thanks to everyone involved, the judges, and all the teams — this one’s always a good time.

And to the crew backing us:
Heat Beads BBQ, Oklahoma Joe's Smokers NZ, Service Foods, Rum and Que, Liquorland Forrest Hill, BBQ Pro NZ, & Urban Lumberjack — appreciate the support.

On to the next.

18/04/2026

Bit of effort went into this one… but the payoff was next level.

We took a beautiful Oyster Blade from Service Foods and gave it a coat of Rum and Que Intensify, with a bit of inspiration from BRZ’s Mexicana.

Onto the smoker over Heat Beads Lump charcoal, running pecan wood chunks from Urban Lumberjack for that sweet, nutty smoke.

Once we had the bark where we wanted it, the beef went into a rich consommé:

– onions
– tomato
– garlic
– earthy spices
– chipotles in adobo
– rehydrated ancho, guajillo & arbol chillies
– and a splash of dark draught from Liquorland Forrest Hill

Covered up (shoutout ) and back over the coals for a few more hours to really let those flavours build.

Pulled it when probe tender and let it rest for a good 2–3 hours.

Then came the fun part.

Building the tacos:
– Dip your tortillas straight into the top oil layer of the consommé (that’s where all the flavour is)
– Into a hot cast iron pan
– Load up with pulled beef and mozzarella
– Fold and cook both sides until crispy, golden and the cheese has fully melted

Finish with fresh onion and coriander.

How to eat them (important):
Hold it tight, dunk it into a ramekin of that rich birria sauce, and go for it. No clean way to do it — and that’s the point.

The rub brings a subtle chocolate note, the chillies give a proper warmth, and the whole thing just works.

Safe to say… these didn’t last long.

12/04/2026

We finally ticked this one off — smoked whole pumpkin soup 🎃🔥

Something we’ve wanted to try for ages, and it couldn’t have worked out better.

The whole pumpkin gets carved, stuffed, and cooked on the smoker before going straight into the pot. Super simple, big flavour, and perfect heading into winter.

Kept things pretty simple — a solid seasoning base with Rum and Que Intensify, reliable heat from Heat Beads Briquettes, and a light apple wood smoke from Urban Lumberjack to round it out.

Soups are a big hit for us this time of year — we’ll cook a batch on the weekend, vac pack it, and it makes for an easy (and seriously good) midweek meal.

How we did it:
• Cut the lid off the pumpkin, scoop out seeds
• Oil + season generously inside with Intensify & Umami Garlic Butter
• Bring smoker to ~275°F (with deflector)
• Gently caramelise 2 whole onions (sliced) + 5 garlic cloves in butter
• Load pumpkin with onion mix, a good wedge of butter + ~2 cups veg stock
• Pumpkin Lid back on → onto the pit

Cook:
• 1 hour with lid on, then lid off + a light apple wood smoke for another ~90 mins until soft

Finish:
• Move pumpkin into a large pot with ~1L veg stock
• Remove skin, blend smooth
• Add coconut or pouring cream + season to taste

Serve with chilli crisp + fresh focaccia 👌🔥

This is one we’ll definitely be doing again, especially when there’s space on the pit alongside another cook

05/04/2026

Fired up the BBQ for the long weekend and kept it pretty simple.

Chicken thighs, chipotle mango rub, straight over charcoal. Running a mix of lump and briquettes from Heat Beads and just letting it roll hot and fast.

Best part is when the fat starts hitting the coals — that’s where all the flavour comes from.

Took them to about 185°F so they’d pull easy, still had a bit of crisp on the skin.

Threw them into wraps with some charred capsicum, onion and rocket. Easy win.

30/03/2026

KIDS BBQ COMP — 💨 Smoke on the Coast 🔥

Got a kid who thinks they’re the BOSS of the BBQ or is always hanging around the Kitchen?

Time to get them involved.

We’re talking steak, tacos, a bit of friendly chaos, and a whole lot of PROUD parent moments. No pressure, plenty of help, and the kids absolutely love it.

Fair warning:
You might get outcooked… and never hear the end of it.

This is one of the best parts of our favourite comp of the year! Enter them below and let’s see what they’ve got!

WE ARE BACK BABY!! Day one is open to the public for Rib Cook Off ribs & wings as well as the star of the show, kids comp and kids steak! Followed the se