BBQ Team QN4U
Cooking, Tasting, & the Food Network Filming, at Brent & Kim Walton's
Clovis California, 26-March-2006
    

KIM'S PHONE CALL

Kim Walton called me and told me they were asked to film a segment for the Food TV airing of "Girl's & Grillin'" and they had accepted.  They asked if Rick Streiff and I  might  want  to  come  up  to  be part of their group of participating friends and family and have a day of BBQ'ing and watching the NASCAR races while the filming crew  were doing their thing.  I and Rick readily accepted and planned on coming up to participate and help where needed.  What a GREAT day, GREAT food, and GREAT time, with friends!

They were told the Food Network production staff would be arriving Sunday morning around 9:00 am and leaving about 9 hours later.   The show producer (the woman in the blue shirt and white pants), director, and writer told me the Girl's  &  Grillin' was  to  be  an  hour  show  with  the  inclusion  of  filmed  segments representing women in BBQ from:

-         The Rose Bowl BBQ Cook-Off December 2005.  Award Winning Cee Cee's Bar-B-Q Team

-         Ranch House BBQ Restaurant operated by Amy and Melanie.  An Award Winning Competition BBQ Team

-         Husband & Wife Award Winning Competition BBQ Team QN4U.  Brent & Kim Walton

-         And other BBQ Personalities...

SATURDAY NIGHT ARRIVAL & POWER FAILURE

Rick and I arrived Saturday night so we would not have to get up and leave at 04:00 Sunday morning to arrive on time.    We thought we might also socialize and help Brent and Kim prepare in anyway we could the night prior.

They were so kind as to provide us with great pizza and conversation when the power went out!  Well, this started to worry Brent as his pit has an electric rotisserie and long-haul meats (brisket, butt) needs to go on in the late evening and cook all night.  We (or I) just pretended that I was back in the late 60's (my old hippie days) and we sat around by candle light and reminisced of our past lives and prior BBQ events and activities.

Finally after about 2 hours the power returned and all was back to normal.    I ended up going to sleep early (midnight) while Brent and Rick were up till 03:00 am putting the meats on the cooker and doing some final prepping of the meats and sides for the next day.

SUNDAY, A FEAST TO REMEMBER

We all got up fairly early Sunday.  Kim and I walked over to the local donut shop and got some donuts for the arriving family and company. Everybody started arriving around 08:00 am and the day began.

After the Food Channel arrived they spent much time doing film segments with Brent and Kim on their history of BBQ, how they prepared-prepped and cooked their meats, and how they worked around their BBQ pit as a husband and wife team.  Those segments along with filmed interviews and segments by Kent (Brent's brother) and Sandy (Kim's sister) took pretty much the entire day.

However, the best of all was the continuous presentation of fantastic BBQ meats and BBQ sides as they were finished up and presented to all in attendance.  Brent and Kim personally cooked, pulled, sliced, and presented all the meats described below throughout the day.  I will try and itemize how the day’s presentations occurred:

-         11:00, Brent pulled out the best BBQ Beef Ribs I have ever had. They were custom cut and had the most, and tastiest, meat on them I have ever seen.

-         11:00, Polish Kielbasa was pulled, sliced, and presented with the best mustard sauce ever.  What a treat.

-         11:30, Atomic Poppers, BBQ Beans, Potato Salad, and miscellaneous sides were put out on the table for all to peruse.  OH MAN, we were all trying to just eat a small bit so we would not get to full.

-         12:00, Pulled Pork was added to the serving table

-         12:30, Chicken was pulled, per Kent’s tasting okay, and was added to the serving table.

-         13:00, Pork Ribs to die for.  Best ever, they have won many a contest done Brent's special way.

-         13:30, Tritip was sliced and presented.

-         14:30, Brisket sliced and presented.

Of course I did not mention all the other great items on the serving table, such as, Fudge, Lemon white cake, and many other fantastic foods and finger delights.  And, all meats had a healthy dose of Brent’s BBQ Sauces which is by the way sold in the SaveMart Supermarket chain.

The only reason I mentioned the time-line above and what was brought out was to emphasize what a treat all the family, friends, and film crew had in store for them throughout the entire day.    Just imagine, perusing all day long through award winning meats and sides.    By a Seven Time Grand Champion!  No other meal I have ever had compares.

Anyway, the filming crew left around 03:00 pm. Rick and I had a 3 hour trip back to L.A.  so he could get to work  the  next  day.    We  also wanted  to  get out of everybody's way so they could all relax, depart, and  chill  out  after  the  fantastic  day  that  took  many  days  of preparation to pull off so well.

Again,  a  GREAT  day, GREAT time, GREAT eating, and best of all - GREAT socializing with GREAT friends.

Dan Cannon