What Is Barbecue Secrets?

Barbecue Secrets is an audio podcast and blog about outdoor cooking and barbecue, hosted at barbecuesecrets.libsyn.com. It is a content archive rather than a store or service: you go there to listen to episodes and read recipes and posts. The site describes itself as "an audio podcast and blog celebrating the many pleasures of outdoor cooking." If you are looking for a specific recipe, an episode on a technique, or a sense of what the show covers, the site's archive is the place to start.

What the site offers

The homepage presents three kinds of content, each with its own browsing path:

• Episodes — the podcast itself, listed under "All Episodes" and organized by category.
• Recipes of the week — individual recipe posts published on the blog.
• Category-based posts — the archive is grouped by topic, so you can jump to a subject instead of scrolling chronologically.

The visible categories on the site are:

The archive also runs by date, with monthly groupings from 2006 through 2016 visible on the page. That makes it useful as a back catalogue: older recipes and episodes remain reachable through the archive links.

Examples of the content

The posts shown on the homepage give a clear picture of the range:

• Latin-Style Smoked Pork Shoulder with Salsa Verde (Jul 1, 2016) — the host describes visiting Costa Rica and collaborating with chefs there as the country builds its international barbecue profile, and says Latin American cooking has become a regular part of his kitchen.
• BBQ Secrets episode 23 — Canadian Jerk, Craziest Basting Brushes Ever, and Nudism, Rockin' Ronnie Style (Aug 27, 2015) — show notes describe building an authentic Jamaican-style jerk pit for the Brewery and the Beast event in Vancouver, serving 14 jerked pork bellies with Johnston's Pork, and a spit-roast by chef Rob Belcham of Campagnolo.
• Recipe of the Week — Beef Burger with Chili Butter Core (Aug 21, 2015) — a recipe for four large burgers with chipotle and roasted garlic mayo and guacamole. The post is explicit that it is not a simple recipe: the chile butter and mayo must be made in advance, so it needs planning.
• Recipes of the week — Oysters, oysters, oysters! (Aug 14, 2015) — prompted by a hot British Columbia summer and concerns about eating raw oysters, the post frames itself as a gesture of goodwill to BC oyster farmers and a celebration of the ingredient.
• Recipe of the week — Grilled Pink Salmon in Foil (Aug 7, 2015) — notes that many sport fishermen consider pink salmon the least desirable of BC's five wild salmon species, while the host disagrees.

How to use the site

1. Start from the homepage at barbecuesecrets.libsyn.com. The navigation offers About, Episodes, and All Episodes.
2. Choose your path. For listening, open Episodes or All Episodes. For cooking, scan the recipe posts or use the category links.
3. Use the archive for older material. The monthly archive from 2006 to 2016 lets you reach posts that are no longer on the front page.
4. Check the post before committing to a recipe. Some recipes, like the chili butter burger, state up front that they require advance prep; others are simpler weeknight fare.

One practical note from the page itself: the site displays a "Preview Mode" notice stating that links will not work in preview mode. If links on the page do not respond, that notice explains why.

What it is not

The page evidence does not show pricing, a shop, or a login requirement, so there is no basis to describe the site as paid, free, or account-based. Treat it as a public archive of podcast episodes and blog recipes. It is also not a comprehensive technique manual: the content is a personal show and blog, with recipes and episodes published as they came, so coverage of any given topic depends on what was posted.

Who it suits

• Listeners who want a barbecue podcast with a back catalogue going back to 2006.
• Cooks looking for specific recipes, from smoked pork shoulder to grilled salmon in foil, with honest notes about difficulty.
• Readers interested in regional styles, such as Latin American cooking and Jamaican-style jerk, as covered in the posts above.

If you want a single recipe to cook tonight, pick a post and read its notes first; if you want to browse, the category and date archives are the fastest routes through the site.