Moving on from Man Cave Meals


 
On the topic of bbq youtubers - my current favorite channel is Chuds bbq. This guy is goofy but his recipes are good and I'm goofy b*stard myself so I find him relatable. He's promoting his own line of smokers and a little bit of seasoning, and has the occasional video sponsor, but generally keeps his channel fun and educational. All things BBQ is a good channel too because although the host "Chef Tom" is DEFINITELY trying to sell you on their equipment and seasonings, the recipes he's using on the channel are widely varied and his cooking techniques are solid. Here are a couple of links if anyone wants to check these guys out;


 
DanHoo said:
food network has become TV game show network with food themes as a back drop.

A friend suggested America's test kitchen
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America's Test Kitchen has a great youtube channel. It's their PBS content, just posted to Youtube. I watch it all the time. Brian Lagerstrom's channel is also a good one for all around cooking advice and recipes... like ATK, he doesn't focus on grilling/smoking...I just made my first batch of pizza dough following his recipe - he also has a technique for smash burgers that I really like.


 
John K BBQ said:
On the topic of bbq youtubers - my current favorite channel is Chuds bbq. This guy is goofy but his recipes are good and I'm goofy b*stard myself so I find him relatable. He's promoting his own line of smokers and a little bit of seasoning, and has the occasional video sponsor, but generally keeps his channel fun and educational. All things BBQ is a good channel too because although the host "Chef Tom" is DEFINITELY trying to sell you on their equipment and seasonings, the recipes he's using on the channel are widely varied and his cooking techniques are solid. Here are a couple of links if anyone wants to check these guys out;


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Those are my go twos anymore. I have cooked multiple of both of their recipes and everything had come out great.
 
I wish Chef Tom would let his personality show a little bit more... once in a while he cracks a joke and it catches me off guard a little bit, but it's usually funny. Now pardon me while I go get that pesky Chud snake out of my boot...
 
I cut the cable to the TV a few years ago and I’m happy I did.
It is a money saver for sure.
Its also nice not having commercials or having to fast forward through them.
We live out of 2 houses so it is double the savings for us.

What we do is pay for streaming a couple channels and with our other family members doing the same we get a lot of nice channels.

I love the cooking shows and channels that teach you how to make things.
What I do is pick something I want to prepare or get better results with and watch several channels on how to make it, I then cherry pick the best ideas and usually end up with something nice.
Some times I’m almost there on my first attempt and then have to figure out the correct modifications to make it perfect but I enjoy that troubleshooting aspect of cooking and making things.

As odd as it may sound I see lots of mistakes or shortcomings on YouTube channels and I use them as a learning experience, like thinking to myself if this person just did this or that instead of this and that it would be better yet.

I have a good handful of cooks that I like to watch but I mainly watch by any given subject that I might need help with.
 
I like ATK just fine, Lydia Bastianich, Milk Street. I just can’t deal with all the “game show” sludge. I don’t give a hoot for the “personality chef” like they are now. Guy Fieri, Rachael Ray, fiddlesticks! Give me the old style honest cooking shows, Bourdain was about the last personality I gave a fig about. The whole Mario Batali fiasco I find awful, I learned a LOT from his shows! The old Emeril shows too.
 
John K BBQ said:
On the topic of bbq youtubers - my current favorite channel is Chuds bbq. This guy is goofy but his recipes are good and I'm goofy b*stard myself so I find him relatable. He's promoting his own line of smokers and a little bit of seasoning, and has the occasional video sponsor, but generally keeps his channel fun and educational. All things BBQ is a good channel too because although the host "Chef Tom" is DEFINITELY trying to sell you on their equipment and seasonings, the recipes he's using on the channel are widely varied and his cooking techniques are solid. Here are a couple of links if anyone wants to check these guys out;


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One thing that Chudds can be forgiven for in Bradley's push to sell their smokers is that those are actually their smokers. It's one thing to license your likeness out to be slapped onto an already completed product. But they are making those smokers in their own facility. That's pretty cool. He is also focusing on a lot of the accompaniments to a cook, not just the meat. I like how he shows how he makes buns, pickles, sauces etc. I haven't tried any of the side stuff yet, but I have followed his steps on several meat cooks and have enjoyed the outcome from them.
 
I have no problem with Man Cave Meals. His content is far better than lots of YouTube channels. I bet a lot of channel hosts get bored with the original premise of their channels.

I won't name names but there is some horrendous content on YouTube on lots of subjects.
 
Greg in Utah said:
I have no problem with Man Cave Meals. His content is far better than lots of YouTube channels. I bet a lot of channel hosts get bored with the original premise of their channels.

I won't name names but there is some horrendous content on YouTube on lots of subjects.
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Well clearly I'm not the only one that bailed, he quit doing his weekly live stream on Facebook...which was essentially he and some other dude drinking bourbon in their respective basements and yakking about bourbon. Content providers don't quit such things unless they're a flop...like that live stream was.
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
I've followed this guy for years but couldn't take his content any longer:

Like many YouTubers, he started out great. Actually, I joined his forum, Kamado Guru, which is now defunct, years ago. It was the goto source for kamado cooking.
Now his channel is a constant stream of complicated cooks, bourbon drinking and basically schilling for expensive, limited use BBQ grills and equipment. I realize it's a common theme...person turns their passion into an interesting channel, gains a large following, gets free stuff and their channel becomes monetized...kudos to them for that. But after awhile, the core concept becomes diluted and branches out in weird directions.
I have zero interest in watching dudes drinking bourbon on a live stream and sous vide cooking and super expensive log cookers, pellet cookers and one trick pony BBQ devices.

But I did find a guy that is pretty good to replace him now...more generic cooking: https://youtube.com/@SmokinandGrillinwithAB

So it goes...and it's all good!
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Thanks for your feedback... it is appreciated.

I am in the process of making a lot of changes. I am not sponsored by any companies any longer. I have decided to get away from that. I am on the edge of stopping making cooking videos as well. I am going to be making a few more to meet an obligation I made, but beyond that, I am going to focus my content on the livestream, which I am now publishing as an audio podcast as well, and maybe some live cooking. Your comment about the bourbon is a good one and I intend to take the bourbon conversation out of my livestream/podcast. My audience isn't there for that.

One of the themes I have tried to promote throughout my career as an 'influencer' is that the tools in use aren't the key. Everything I do on video can be done on any grill you have. My video content, in most cases, is ALWAYS about the cook itself and not so much about the equipment unless the video is about the equipment... like a demo/review. But I agree... Some equipment is expensive. As for sous vide, I don't mess with that very much at all and don't know how that got into the conversation. I have done maybe 2 or 3 videos out of over 750 that included sous vide.

I know that its impossible to make everyone happy. I also appreciate it if comments like these could be shared with me so I can learn from them and hopefully improve my processes.

Thanks!

John Setzler
 
John Setzler said:
Thanks for your feedback... it is appreciated.

I am in the process of making a lot of changes. I am not sponsored by any companies any longer. I have decided to get away from that. I am on the edge of stopping making cooking videos as well. I am going to be making a few more to meet an obligation I made, but beyond that, I am going to focus my content on the livestream, which I am now publishing as an audio podcast as well, and maybe some live cooking. Your comment about the bourbon is a good one and I intend to take the bourbon conversation out of my livestream/podcast. My audience isn't there for that.

One of the themes I have tried to promote throughout my career as an 'influencer' is that the tools in use aren't the key. Everything I do on video can be done on any grill you have. My video content, in most cases, is ALWAYS about the cook itself and not so much about the equipment unless the video is about the equipment... like a demo/review. But I agree... Some equipment is expensive. As for sous vide, I don't mess with that very much at all and don't know how that got into the conversation. I have done maybe 2 or 3 videos out of over 750 that included sous vide.

I know that its impossible to make everyone happy. I also appreciate it if comments like these could be shared with me so I can learn from them and hopefully improve my processes.

Thanks!

John Setzler
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Good information and thank you for it. I'll check back and lik re-up my subscription accordingly, Sir. Have been following since you fired up the Akorn you had more than a decade ago...but drifted when it went to bourbon discussions.
Nothing against bourbon or those that like it but it's not cooking.
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
Good information and thank you for it. I'll check back and lik re-up my subscription accordingly, Sir. Have been following since you fired up the Akorn you had more than a decade ago...but drifted when it went to bourbon discussions.
Nothing against bourbon or those that like it but it's not cooking.
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I agree. it's not why people follow me and I'm gonna remove the discussion of it from the livestream.

Out of curiosity on another note... When you mentioned 'complicated' cooks.... I'm interested in that as well. I don't like complicated cooks and I wonder if you possibly remember any specific cooks I have done that you felt were complicated in any way? I, too, don't like following most CHEFS in their video content because I feel that it's usually more complicated than the average Joes like myself are willing to follow along.
 
Got an idea for a Competition Cooking show. Chefs compete using any ingredient they find in a pantry stocked a week ago from a Kroger within 5 miles. Their time must include washing the pots, pans, cooking tools, cleaning the cooker & kitchen.
 
John Setzler said:
I agree. it's not why people follow me and I'm gonna remove the discussion of it from the livestream.

Out of curiosity on another note... When you mentioned 'complicated' cooks.... I'm interested in that as well. I don't like complicated cooks and I wonder if you possibly remember any specific cooks I have done that you felt were complicated in any way? I, too, don't like following most CHEFS in their video content because I feel that it's usually more complicated than the average Joes like myself are willing to follow along.
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Perhaps "complicated " is too broad or not the best term. When the cooks go to specialized or less standard forms of outdoor cooking, often referred to here as "unitasker" or "one trick ponies ", I immediately lose interest as I know I'll probably not buy an Ooni pizza oven...when I can get that function from my Weber Genesis II. I know I won't be buying a Kurubecue in the near future either. So I'm just looking to cook with what I have and make it work. Pellet grill and gasser....or gasser and charcoal...kamado, Kettle and adapt accordingly.
I have a Genesis II and now a pellet grill...am getting rid of the kamado now that I have a pellet grill.
Just my take.
 
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