I will always cherish the time I was able to spend with Mike over the years, just kicking back and relaxing as he shared his vast BBQ knowledge. RIP, my friend.
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RIP To "The Legend" Mike Mills
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RIP To "The Legend" Mike Mills
It is with an extremely heavy heart that we say goodbye to a true BBQ legend and my friend, Mike Mills.
I will always cherish the time I was able to spend with Mike over the years, just kicking back and relaxing as he shared his vast BBQ knowledge. RIP, my friend.Tags: None
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Administrator
- May 2014
- 17848
- Clare, Michigan area
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Follow me on Instagram, huskeesbarbecue
Smokers / Grills- Yoder loaded Wichita offset smoker
- PBC
- Grilla Silverbac pellet grill
- Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado (SnSK)
- Masterbuilt Gravity 560
- Masterbuilt Digital Charcoal Cabinet
- Weber 22" Original Kettle Premium (copper)
- Weber 26" Original Kettle Premium (light blue)
- Weber Jumbo Joe Gold (18.5")
- Weber Smokey Joe Silver (14.5")
- Brinkmann cabinet charcoal smoker (repurposed)
Thermometers- SnS 500 4-probe wireless
- (3) Maverick XR-50 4-probe Wireless Thermometers
- A few straggler Maverick ET-732s
- Maverick ET-735 Bluetooth (in box)
- Smoke X4 by ThermoWorks
- Thermapen MkII, orange & purple
- ThermoPop, yellow, plus a few more in a drawer for gifts
- ThermoWorks ChefAlarm (wife's)
- Morpilot 6-probe wireless
- ThermoWorks Infrared IRK2
- ThermoWorks fridge & freezer therms as well
Accessories- Instant Pot 6qt
- Anova Bluetooth SV
- Kitchen Aide mixer & meat grinder attachment
- Kindling Cracker King (XL)
- a couple BBQ Dragons
- Weber full & half chimneys, Char-Broil Half Time chimney
- Weber grill topper
- Slow 'N Sear Original, XL, and SnS Charcoal Basket (for Jumbo Joe)
- Drip 'N Griddle Pans, 22' Easy Spin Grate, and Elevated Cooking grate, by SnSGrills
- Pittsburgh Digital Moisture Meter
Beverages- Favorite summer beers: Leinenkugels Summer & Grapefruit Shandy, Hamm's, Michelob Ultra Pure Gold
- Fav other beers: Zombie Dust (an IPA by 3 Floyd's Brewing), Austin Bros IPA, DAB, Sam Adams regular, Third Shift amber or Coors Batch 19, Stella Artois
- Fav cheap beers: Pabst, High Life, Hamm's & Stroh's
- Most favorite beer: The one in your fridge
- Wine: Red- big, bold, tannic & peppery- Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauv, Sangiovese, Syrah, etc
- Whiskey: Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor, Blanton's, Old Forester 1870, Elijah Craig Toasted, Basil Hayden's. Neat please.
- Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About me
Real name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:- Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
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Club Member
- Mar 2020
- 3025
- Muskego, WI
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Current cookers:
Rec Tec RT700 "Bull" pellet cooker
Smokin-It model 2 electric smoker w/ Maverick 732 temp monitor and cold smoking kit
Weber Genesis 3 burner gas grill w/ rotisserie
Charbroil Grill2Go gas grill
Weber 22" Performer Deluxe kettle grill w/ThermoPro TP-20S temp monitor
Onlyfire rotisserie kit for 22" kettle
Weber Smokey Joe
SnS Deluxe
Vortex
The Orion Cooker convection cooker/smoker (two of them)
Pit Boss 29â€, 3 burner griddle
Joule Sous Vide circulator
Favorite beer: Anything that's cold!
Favorite cocktail: Bourbon neat
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I first met Barbecue Hall of Famer Mike Mills and his daughter Amy in October 2005 at the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, TN. He was introduced to me as "The Legend." I knew of him because I read the book he and Amy wrote, "Peace, Love, and Barbecue", a James Beard nominee in 2006, and still a classic because it introduced the world to so many great pitmasters. With great photos by Amy. He died Tuesday morning 12/29 due to non-COVID issues.
I admired and respected Amy, but I worshiped Mike. Mike started out in barbecue by smoking ribs in the parking lot of his bar in remote Murphysboro, IL in the far south of the state, near Kentucky on the south and Missouri on the west.
Before long he formed the Apple City Barbecue team and proceeded to win the World Championship four times and Grand World Championship three times at Memphis in May, otherwise known as the Super Bowl of Swine. He is also the 1992 Grand Champion of the Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue Cooking Contest and he won the Jack Daniel’s Sauce Contest that year as well. Mike said his unique "Original Barbecue Sauce" recipe was passed from his grandmother and that he learned how to barbecue from his father.
Eventually the bar became a restaurant with a bar. He owned two restaurants at the time of his death, both named 17th St. Barbecue, one in Murphysboro and one in nearby Marion, IL. He is also a partner in two other BBQ joints including Blue Smoke in NYC.
He helped launch the Big Apple Barbecue, a massive event in New York City, has appeared on national TV many times, and has conducted numerous seminars including an annual whole hog seminar. 17th St also organizes a massive barbecue competition every year.
I attended one of his whole hog classes and like everything else Mills, it was done right. We saw each other almost every year at the National Barbecue Association meeting and always found time to have a few drinks together. I have reached out to him with questions several times and he was always open and candid, withholding nothing.
Here's a quote from his book: "I never told either of my wives the recipe [for our secret family barbecue sauce]. Let me tell you, this didn't set well with either one of them. I have had it in my head, so it isn't written down anywhere.
"My first marriage lasted only seven years, so keeping a secret wasn't too much of a problem, although Wife #1 wasn't amused. Marriage to Wife #2 lasted for only 27 years, so she didn't make the cut either. Now if we'd made it to 30 years, I might've broken down and spilled my guts. But she would've had to change her ways."
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