Chef Tom Jackson is a Kansas native, born and raised in Wichita. In 2008 he and his wife moved to Portland, Oregon where he attended Oregon Culinary Institute. Tom studied both general culinary skills as well as baking and pastry while working as a cook in a variety of restaurants. After graduating from Oregon Culinary Institute he began working as a bread baker and pastry chef at the renowned Ken’s Artisan Bakery in Northwest Portland. He spent more than four years honing his skills under James Beard Award-winning chef and owner Ken Forkish.
In that time he and his wife had their first child, and the draw of home and family grew stronger. Longtime friends of the Cary family, owners of All Things Barbecue, they returned to Kansas to help All Things Barbecue continue to excel in their cooking classes. Tom has been further developing and building cooking classes and private events at All Things Barbecue since March 2014.
In this week's episode of Tips & Techniques Chef Tom takes us back to barbecue basics, once again, and teaches us how to make a sweet tomato based barbecue sauce from scratch.
The Chicken Guacamole Burger may be made of ground chicken thighs, and not ground beef, but it’s as good or BETTER than any other burger out there! From the juicy patty to the funky feta and the homemade guac and ranch dressing, this burger has it all!
This week on Tips & Techniques, Chef Tom takes us back to barbecue basics with this All Purpose Barbecue Rub. This seasoning is on the sweeter side, with just the right amount of salt, pepper, savory and smoky flavors. Perfect on your favorite barbecue foods, from chicken to pork to beef!
The Backyard Barbecue Burger is all about that feeling you get when it’s finally spring and you fire up the grill to cook a batch of hand-pattied burgers for the family. You’re right where you want to be. You’re in your element. Everyone has their “signature move” when it comes to the burger. We’ve got a couple. Ground brisket and caramelized BBQ onions. Is your mouth watering yet?
Chef Tom shares the Tips & Techniques required to make your very own Italian Sausage from scratch at home, then grills the Italian Sausages on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for that wood fired flavor!
We all want to get the most mileage out of our smoking sessions, and now more than ever we’re utilizing the ingredients we have on hand over running out for ingredients. This Brisket & Dumplings recipe is a great way to do just that!
The Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Burger, made in the Juicy Lucy style, is truly an experience! We’re bringing together two iconic foods to get the best of both worlds. This burger is oozing with flavor, from the cheesy jalapeño stuffed burger patty to the barbecue ranch dressed greens and salty bacon. Put it all between two hearty pretzel buns, and you’ve got one unforgettable burger!
Whether they’re going on a burger or getting dipped in buttermilk ranch for an appetizer, these Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings are sure to please! Salty, sweet, savory and delicious, they’ve got it all!
This one goes out to all moms out there! Smoked Chicken Salad is our barbecue inspired take on one of those classics that moms all over used to make. Whether you’re eating chicken salad between two slices of bread, over the top of a salad or for dipping crackers and veggies, it’s delicious comfort food that always takes us back. Happy Mother’s Day!
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing is a handy little condiment to have in your repertoire. You can put it on everything from burgers to salad to pizza. Some people even like it on a steak. Who are we to judge?
Take us back to the beach… This week Chef Tom is reminiscing about the good ol’ days. Smoking hundreds of pounds of Creekstone Farms pork on the beach, feeding a thousand of our closest friends tacos. We may not be able to travel back in time, but we can still make delicious tacos at home (on a smaller scale, of course).
Winner, winner chicken dinner just got extra delicious! Chicken Spiedini is a breaded chicken dish cooked on the grill that will fill your bellies and your hearts. Served over pasta, rice or all alone, it doesn’t really matter
Buttermilk Barbecue Smoked Chicken brings together two techniques that result in one tasty bird! Buttermilk has long been used as a tenderizer for brining chicken prior to frying. As the chicken soaks in the buttermilk the acidity begins to open and expand the cell structure of the meat, allowing the liquid to be absorbed and retained, which in turn gives you a very tender bite of chicken. Chef Tom smokes up the buttermilk brined chicken on the Yoder Smokers Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker, for that old school smoke flavor!
This week Chef Tom brings us a scratch-made Sausage Egg & Cheese Biscuit sandwich, grilled on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill! Check out these delicious sour cream biscuits, homemade breakfast sausage patties grilled like burgers on the GrillGrates, and sunny side up eggs!
Chef Tom takes chicken breasts to the next level with this double stacked grilled chicken sandwich with Nashville hot pub cheese, roasted garlic & bacon aioli and fresh veggies on a pretzel bun! This is the Pub Cheese Grilled Chicken Sandwich!
We all love Chili Frito Pie! Chef Tom makes a few adjustments to his Smoked Tri-tip Chili to utilize freezer and pantry staple items for that party snack that everyone loves, hello grilled Frito Chili Pie!
Mexican Pizza! A riff on a classic menu item from your favorite guilty pleasure Mexican fast food joint, the Mexican Pizza is part quesadilla, part enchilada, part pizza and all delicious!
By
Tom Jackson
