Attention! I'm wikid close to being 100% ready for the ribs category of my next bbq competition. This Memorial Day Weekend's rib tests were the best I've produced this season. Woohoo! Read on for the low down.

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Oh boy! Memorial Day gets me going every year.... its the (early) start of summer and everyone wants to barbecue. And I mean Barbecue, BBQ, Barbeque, Bar-B-Q, Bar-be-que, 'Cue... doesn't matter what you call it, what you think it means, or what state you call home. Memorial Day unites all Americans over outdoor cookery. To this new england native, "a bbq" is simply a gathering of family and friends with the host cooking something on a grill. Could be burgers and dogs. Might be chicken. Maybe you'll score some smoked ribs. Might be a gas grill. Could be a weber kettle. Maybe a five-dollar hibatchi. Just about the only thing you can be sure of, is that at a bbq, you'll find friends and family ready to toss back a few drinks, lounge in the sun, shoot the shit, and eat some fire-cooked goodness.

So it's in that spirit of friendly gatherings that I've pulled together a few of my favorite grill recipes from over the years that are bound to please. You don't want to be worrying about what to make, you want to be kicking it with your friends, right? So if you're unsure of what to make this weekend and are looking for a few good ideas, please read on!

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I had another great meal at Fette Sau last week... these guys may have created the perfect vibe for barbecue in brooklyn: low-key, friendly, bustling atmosphere, plenty of anticipation, all alongside great food and drinks. I think over the years I've been here 5 or 6 times, and its always satisfying. This visit was courtesy of a visit from my good friend Tim (Tim of Seattle, Brooklyn, Chicago, Thailand, Vietnam, LA and currently SF). When I heard he was coming to town, I thought a picnic-table meal of 'cue, bourbon, and beer would be an outstanding venue to catch up and fill up. Here's my take on this visit (of Fette Sau, not Tim).

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I'm getting closer to my goal of BBQ Billy's worthy competition ribs on the weber smokey mountain. Last weekend I fired up the smoker and barbecued two slabs of spares and one baby back with slight modifications to rubs and a new sauce variation. Full analysis follows! 

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Today was three things:

1. The kentucky derby (which i didn't watch), 
2. Mother's day eve (without my wife and mother of my children present),
3. A damn fine day to barbecue some loin backs (see above two points). 

Thinking way ahead to mid-august when I plan to compete again on the bbq circuit, I thought I'd try a test run on the smokey mountain with my newfound knowledge of 'cue techniques over the last couple months. Read on for a rundown of my approach this time around:

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The northeast is not known for its barbecue. Typically you find yourself wanting more real flavor from a joint in these parts... but Percy Street is onto something. Make no mistake, they have some killer 'cue right on South Street in Philly. Jumping at the opportunity to catch my Bruins in game 2 of the Flyers matchup with a Philly buddy of mine, we arranged for some pre-game barbecue festivities at Percy Street last night. Earlier in the week I had asked the folks at Percy Street on twitter what pit they use, and they responded with J&R, so I had a suspicion they'd know what they were doing. Here's what i found: 

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