We’ve all got that one trip.
That one fantasy, food lovers holiday.
The one you’d save for 10 years to take (and secretly wish a relative you’ve never met will cark it and leave you money, so you don’t actually have to wait that long…).
Its sheer stupendousness, eclipses all others in your mind.
For some, it’s a streetfoodin’ motorbike tour of Vietnam (Yes, that would be seriously amazing).
For others, it’s a meandering canal boat through regional France eating baguettes and real butter (Uh-huh, I’ll take that one too).
But, talking ‘Dream Foodie Vacation’ for Cory and I, it has always been, the American BBQ belt.
We love BBQ and we love Smoke. Anything charcoaled, chargrilled or flamegrilled.
We love meat.
We are dude food, mac’n’cheese, sauce lovin’ carnivores.
Every American I encounter is obligated to divulge their favourite BBQ restaurants, so I can add it to our growing list of ‘We’re gonna overeat there, till we die from meat poisoning’ establishments.
Forget drifting off in your sleep, Red Barclay’s legacy is truly aspirational.
In the battle of Man Vs. Food you actually wouldn’t care if food won, because a platter of smoked ribs from a bonafide pitmaster, would leave one smiling corpse.
So imagine our delight, when our good mate Dougal hooked us up, with a home soil BBQ experience to end all BBQ experiences…
A BBQ masterclass with Andy Groneman and sponsored by GrillPro and Yoder Smokers, Feast Fine Foods, Vale Ale and Huon Salmon. Can you actually get more awesomeness than this in one event…?
No. No you can’t.
And, just so you understand the full extent of this awesomeness, Andy just happens to be, a 25 times Grand Pit-Master Champion…
YES!!! You read that right. TWENTY-FIVE TIMES!
Wahahahahahahaaaaaaaa (insert maniacal laugh)…
Jealous, much?
And, we were about to spend the day intimately learning from him and eating his prize winning, smoked BBQ…
Wahahahahahahaaaaaaaa (insert second maniacal laugh)
Can you spell, B.U.C.K.E.T.L.I.S.T.?
But, since we all eat with our eyes, and beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder… Rather than tell you about it, I’m just going to show you.
Note to everyone: Tie on your bibs kids, because you’re about to start drooling like a lil’ baby.
First up in our meat-coma inducing BBQ banquet, was Andy’s 10 hour Brisket…
Then, smoked and chargrilled Lamb that you’d sell your own mother (and probably anyone else who got in your way of it) for…
Then the most incredible Salmon, I can recall ever eating. Smoked on a Cedar Plank with a Jalapeño and Mango glaze… Ahhhhhhhhh (Heavenly cry)
Then finally, the cherry on the cake. The jewel in the BBQ crown. Andy’s Championship Pork Ribs… Words. Escape. Me.
There was no salad, there was clearly no need because, we had beer instead. Barley’s a vegetable…Right?
This was a boozy meat fest. A carnivorous paradise. A food chain eat-a-thon. Kinda like Jurassic Park, without the dinosaurs, human casualties and stuff…
This exceptional experience has left a yearning inside of me. A BBQ hunger that cannot be satiated.
I WANT a Yoder Smoker.
I NEED some proper American cut spare ribs from Feast Fine Foods (Yes, these guys are the only ones who do it right…).
I MUST eat that Huon Planked Salmon again, and again.
I WILL wash it all down with my beloved Vale IPA (Fun fact: We served this beer at our instant restaurant on MKR)
I AM going to stalk Andy for the rest of his natural life… Wahahahahahahaaaaaaaa (insert third and final maniacal laugh)
Anyhoo, meat eaters, days like this are the reason I’ll never be a vegetarian (that, and Bacon…).
Until next week… YODER-layyyyy-eeeee-hooooo! xxx
Pic 1: The Beast – My future Yoder…( I can dream)
Pic 2 : Dougal (L) and Cory with my more realistic, future Yoder.
Pic 3: Andy (aka: The BBQ Messiah) demonstrating how to trim a Brisket. We also learnt how to trim Ribs correctly… Happy-Happy, Joy-Joy!
Pic 4: The trimmed Brisket… Oohh La La! P.s. Burnt Ends = Sheer Joy (Don’t know what they are…? Google it.).
Pic 1: The master butcher, Rich Gunner from Feast Fine Foods
Pic 2: A proverbial, sea of salmon
Pic 3: The lamb, smokin’ it up like Bob Marley… Ya Maaaaan.
Pic 4: Those. Ribs.
For more information about the BBQ genius himself, Andy Groneman, please go to http://smokeonwheels.com/
For More information on Yoder smokers (including recipes) or to stay in the loop for next time Andy comes to town with his masterclasses, please go to http://grillpro.com.au/
For more information about Feast Fine Foods and their exceptional, high welfare cuts designed especially for grillin’ and smokin’, please go to https://feastfinefoods.com.au/
For more information about Mclaren Vale Beer Company and their scrum-diddly craft beer, please go to http://www.mvbeer.com/
For more information about Huon Salmon and their exceptional, sustainable product, please go to http://www.huonaqua.com.au/
3 comments 
Andy Groneman said on March 31, 2015 So glad you enjoyed the class! It was really a special event. The Wine Centre is such a beautiful venue, and then you pair that with great product from Feast, Huon, Vale, and Grill Pro's Yoder pits - IT was bound to be a great event! Thank you for coming, and injecting your enthusiasm into the day! Great article and photos! Puts me right back there. 
Bree said on March 31, 2015 Andy, you're a serious legend. Thank you for gifting us with your knowledge and giving Cory and I, a truly memorable experience. WE LOVED IT! We'll definitely be coming to visit for more tuition and feasting when we make our BBQ pilgrimage to the States X 
Andy Groneman said on April 1, 2015 We'll see you when you make your way to the midwest! :)