BRIDGEPORT — Have you always wanted to "wow" friends and family with a killer backyard BBQ party — but you've lacked the culinary chops to pull it off?
Joe Woodel, the Tennessee-raised chef behind the curtain of Husky Hog BBQ at 335 W. 31st St., wants to help.
On Saturday, he'll hold a hands-on BBQ workshop for 15 students, covering everything from selecting the right meats to using dry rubs, whipping up tasty sauces and capturing the flavors you've been looking for.
"We supply everything," said Woodel. "All you have to do is bring yourself."
The workshop costs $399 and runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. To sign up, call Woodel at 773-442-2769.
The BBQ pit boss will offer two free spots in the workshop to anyone who brings two friends to sign up.
Through the workshop, Woodel said he hopes to give BBQ fans and entry-level competitors the tools they need to be confident in the backyard kitchen. But it’s mostly about having fun while cooking great food.
"It's a super laid back class,” said Woodel, who graduated from the Washburne Culinary Institute in 2009 and has since become an award-winning competition chef known for his smoked meats.
Each student will get cutting boards, a chef knife, apron, notebook and meats: a rack of ribs and chicken thighs.
There will be a hands-on ribs and chicken class that touches on the magic behind sauce, rubs, knife skills and wood selection and a special lesson on professional smoking from a competition judge with the Kansas City Barbeque Society.
The workshop will also allow students to experiment with five different smokers — from the affordable box smokers you’d find at Home Depot to the $20,000 Southern Pride smoker Woodel uses to cook up meals at the Husky Hog.
Students will also have free access to the one thing makes a proper BBQ party complete.
“Beer,” Woodel said.
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