Joey Mac's BBQ Blog

Been a while since I’ve had a chance to blog. I know all the experts say, do it frequently, and make it relevant. Great advice when you’re able to focus on one subject, unfortunately real life gets in the way of that.

Question: How do you satiate a passion when it’s in direct conflict with all the other things that suck up time?
Answer: Get a fix anyway you can. Example – I had to give up cooking a contest two weekends in a row. Blocked the time out a long time ago, got the understanding from the family. All set. WRONG. Real job collides sending me to San Antonio TX for a week. Unfortunately it's the week between the two contests I’d like to attend. Others do this all the time, and I probably could have to, but at what sacrifice? Family sanity for the most part and I already drive them mad.

My fix – other than cooking for several parties the last couple weekends, finding an escape in TX. If the paying job is going to carry me near some of the meccas of BBQ, you’re darn right we are going to go support them. This time it will be Lockhart. I’ve never been, but I will. Funny thing…the folks I’m going to do business with haven’t been either, so here’s a guy from Chicago, meeting a dude from Switzerland in San Antonio, who is going to guide some Texans to Lockhart to savor a bit of the truest, purest form of American Cuisine. Yeah, I’m ready.
A better fix – figure out a way to make the passion a paying job. Amberque is doing fine, we’re establishing ourselves in a little market. My biggest challenge is taking it to the next level, but that’s subject for a new blog. And if you show me anybody who gets this far into BBQ who hasn’t at least thought of opening a place, I’ll show you a liar. They may be effective at talking themselves out of it, but they’ve thought about it.