Each January/February, Saveur magazine publishes its Saveur 100, a list dedicated to the top food related products, destinations and recipes of the past year.  When this year’s list arrived, I decided to dive into my stack of old issues and create a 10 Year retrospective, looking at the various barbecue and grilling related items that have made the cut.  Enjoy!

1999

79.  Down Memphis way, coleslaw is a regular on pulled pork sandwiches.  The secret to fine coleslaw is the balance between sweet and tart, blending a little mayo, sugar and vinegar to accentuate the pork without overpowering.  For many Southerners that starts with Duke’s Mayo, the real egg yolky deal my friends.

94.  For an interesting Asian twist on classic bbq ribs, duck or chicken, there’s no better start then Hoisin Sauce, a fermented soybean paste certain to add a new dimension to whatever you’re firing up.

2000

45. Cemita, an over-the-top sandwich from Central Mexico featuring a giant sesame seed bun, hot pit cooked lamb, milenesa (thin, crispy breaded beef), or deep fried pork chunks, topped with Oaxacan cheese, avocado, onions and a green called papalo.  On the side are chipotles and pickled carrots.

49. Beef Jerky.  No, not that mass produced stuff found at most gas stations.  We’re talking the real deal from such folks as California’s Shalhoob Meat Company, New Braunfels in Texas or Alien Fresh Jerky, a place I once stumbled upon in the desert en route from Las Vegas to LA.

2001

17. I’m not sure of the last time that I tried it, but Saveur has a deep love for KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce.  They are, arguably, the pioneers of mass produced sauce and deserve this nod more than anyone else.

44. In recent years, flatiron steaks have been popping up on menus across the country.  Derived from the Boneless Top Blade Roast (aka French London Broil if that makes any sense), this cut packs a flavor filled punch in every tender bite.

50. Over the past year, I have fallen in love with my Pizza Stone, using it to diffuse heat on the grill and create a number of tasty breaded concoctions such as the Philly Cheesesteak calzone.

84.  Who doesn’t love a good Patty Melt?  And if you don’t, it’s probably because you’ve never tried one.  Created by William “Tiny” Naylor, this grilled beef burger is served with melted swiss cheese and a mess of sautéed onions on grilled rye bread instead of the traditional bun.

2002
39 Grilled Sardines.  A Mediterranean favorite, these tiny fish are grilled in a fish flipper until perfectly crisp, then devoured whole (sans bones) with only a touch of lime.

47. Cooking directly on the stovetop gas flame.  When in a rush, there is no better way to char peppers or eggplant then throwing them directly on the Kitchen Burner and start flipping (with tongs, of course).

55. Dales Marinade.  A southern favorite, this dark and salty brew is a great addition to beef or poultry.

2003
18.  Come on baby light my fire!  Throw out that nasty can of lighter fluid and invest in a Chimney Starter, my favorite of which comes from Weber.  A sheet of newspaper or a single fire starter gel pack under the chimney and within 30 minutes you'll have a red hot mass of coals without that chemical smell.

19.  While I'm partial to briquets for low and slow competition cooking, there's no denying the clean cook and extreme heat provided by Hardwood Lump Charcoal.

30.  File this one under places you're likely to never visit but The Hobbit in Bruges, a town near Brussels serves up all-you-can-eat platters of real down home dry rub spare ribs.  I'm sold!

2004

41. Take me out to the ballgame…When in Tainan, Taiwan next, be sure to check out the local twist on the classic American grilled hot dog, crispy Grilled Sausages served in a sticky rice bun.  Hot dawg!!!!

69.  The next time you decide to serve a Frenched rack of lamb, be sure to save the top cap, that fatty strip of meat running across the rack.  Trim off excess fat, cut meat into six equal portions, then season with olive oil, salt and pepper, roll with the grain and skewer.  Grill over medium hot coals a few minutes on each side and add a touch of lemon to create perfect Lamb Kebobs.

79.  You’ve seen it here before, my beloved La Caja China, the Chinese pig box capable of producing perfectly moist, yet crisp, whole pigs each and every time. 

94.  At Manzanilla in Baja California you can find real Smoked Oysters, smoked just long enough over mesquite to add a touch of smoky goodness to the local bivalves.

2005
1.  Cooking in a wood buring indoor fireplace with a Footed Cast Iron Pot.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a working fireplace in my home but these also come in quite handy when cooking over an open fire outside, creating cobblers, beans, bread and countless other dishes.

25.  The smell of Frying Bacon.  While it isn't actually bbq or grilling related, it is pork and pork is good!

33 Up next is the Jalepeno Cheeseburger at Christian's Tailgate Grill & Bar in Houston, TX.  Never frozen ground chuck (a personal favorite for burgers), lightly charred bun, a mess of jalepenos, cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes and onions sounds like a winner to me!

48.  The River Cottage Meat Book, recently discussed by yours truly here, offers up pretty much everything you could ever want to know about meat.

58.  Yet another reason to miss an indoor fireplace, the cast iron Cantilevered Fireplace Grill first discovered by alice waters in tuscany then brought stateside

72.  And for the "I don't have a working fireplace so rub it in" trifecta comes the Spitjack Fireplace Roaster, rotating succulent meats in front of a roaring fire.

78. Making indoor smoking a little bit easier is the Stovetop Smoker, basically a stainless steel rectangular roasting pan with handle, firm fitting lid and rack to lift to meat up and let smoke from the wood chips permeate all sides.

2006
7.  Hamburger America, a DVD a documentary from George Motz, covering the multitude of meat on a bun society that is America and the individuals that consume it.

14.  CLA Grills and Service, founded by a fellow who helped launch the world's first gas grill then went on to pursue his passion for outdoor cooking after retirement by launching this sales and service company.  I don't know him, don't know the company, but I'm sure we'd be fast friends.

16.  When you hear Penthouse Executive Club, do you automatically think “prime meat”?  In New York City we do, thanks to Adam Perry Lang who not only oversees some quality beef cuts in the gentlemen’s club but Daisy Mays barbecue right next door.  Shake yer money maker, APL!

43. Wild Smoked Salmon Jerky utilizes fine Canadian salmon, marinaded, smoked and dried.  Sounds like a winner to me.

73. Ever wonder where that beautiful steak came from?  At La Cabana in Buenos Aires, each dry aged cut comes with a Bar Code Beef Label, allowing diners to delve into the sorted past of their protein.

2007
11.  If I ever make it to Russia, I'll definitely be diving in to some Shashlyx.  Served on the streets, these grilled skewers feature cubes of pork, lamb or beef look like sheer heaven on a stick!

13.  A little closer to home, Zankou Chicken in Los Angeles serves up spit roasted chickens complete with a Lebanese garlic sauce sure to woo the ladies.

26.  The Meat Buyers Guide, a book that is actually a secret decoder, allowing us non-butchers the ability to translate all of those confusing names for various cuts.  A pork butt is actually a pork shoulder which is no where near the butt. 

100.  A personal favorite of mine are End Pieces.  The heel of a nice loaf of bread, the hard outter edges of good parmigiano-reggiano, or the crispy, well season end pieces on a big hunk of meat.  Hence the birth and success of brisket burnt ends.

2008
1.  Competition Barbecue.  Growing from 200 contests to over 600 in five years and given my own personal bias as a competitor, they couldn't have picked a better number one.

40. Ramadan Food Markets on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, as fast breaks and countless vendors dive into a host of glorious grilled chicken, sticky rice snacks, curries and more.

60.  As neighborhood butcher shops continue to fall to shrink wrapped mass chain meats, this selection pays homage to a young breed of independent Butchers across the country who are attempting to reverse the trend.  Viva la meat!!!!

63.  Sausage.  But not any sausage.  These are Cevapcici, a super smoky skinless sausage from Croatia, first introduced to me several years ago by R2BQ barbecue team. 

2009

71.  You’ve grown up with them and continue to love their strength and ability to maintain perfect temperatures each and every time --  Weber grills.