Barbecue University™
Wounded Warriors at BBQ U
Baghdad. Fallujah. Kandahar. Kabul. American soldiers saw action in all of them, taking fire and giving it back. So when the Colorado Springs chapter of Wounded Warriors contacted me about visiting with some of the vets while I was in town, the Broadmoor and I thought we could do better. We decided to host a special session of Barbecue University just for them.
I’ve taught literally thousands of classes around Planet Barbecue, but I can tell you this: None gave me more pleasure than grilling and smoking with the 16 guys who showed up at Cheyenne Mountain Lodge this month—IEDs and injuries forgotten—ready to rock the grills.
Class unfolded, as all BBQ U classes do, with a brief lecture explaining the day’s recipes and demonstration of the essential techniques.
The Menu
Jalapeño Poppers and Bacon-Grilled Dates
Warrior Wings (doused with butter-fried jalapeños and hot sauce)
BLT Salad
Oak-Grilled Tri-Tip with Santa Maria Salsa
Mexican Grilled Corn
Smoke-Roasted Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
The Warriors nailed dinner. We sat down to plates piled high with animal proteins. Local vet turned brewmaster Todd Nelson, slaked our thirst with excellent Red Leg beer. Wounded Warrior chapter head David Andrews distributed jars of his excellent “Commando Dave’s” rub.
The takeaway? Do something nice for a veteran today. It’s thanks to them we live safe and free.