All Fired Up

The smell of barbeque wafting from outside shouts its summertime. Meet three Memorial dads who are keeping the kitchen cool and giving back to their community by serving up a steaming plate of finger lickin’ barbeque.

One such enthusiast is KPRC news anchor Bill Balleza whose fascination with the art of grilling started several years back. While serving as a marine in Vietnam, his scout/sniper partner, Jim Carter, promised him that if he ever moved to Houston, he’d build Bill a “range stove,” or what Jim referred to as a “barbeque pit.”

Perhaps Jim, a Houston welder, was clairvoyant or his promise enticed Bill, because Bill moved to Houston in 1973 for a job at KHOU before joining KPRC in 1980. “True to his word, Jim’s welding torch produced a magnificent pit made of thick steel plate. When he delivered it to me in the summer of 1973, my days as a serious griller began,” Bill remembers.

“You name it, I’ve grilled it,” says Bill, who has smoked turkey, brisket, chicken, sausage and fajitas, not to mention burgers, steaks, fish, and vegetables. “It wasn’t long before I began experimenting with homemade barbeque sauces and my reputation as a barbeque aficionado grew,” Bill recalls.

After Jim’s stove gave out several years ago, so did Bill’s interest in spending 15 hours slow smoking brisket. The pit has since been replaced with a gas grill, which Bill accepts graciously. To him, leisure time is entertaining family and close friends, including colleagues Dominque Sachse and Frank Billingsley.

As much as Bill enjoys hovering over the grill, he’s willing to give others a try at it. “This Father’s Day, I’ll hand my apron to my wife, Missy, who grills a pretty mean steak herself,” he says.

Another resident who’s quite the pro is Jamie Coogan. Although many fondly remember Jamie behind the grill at his kids’ school events, Jamie has competed in barbeque contests for about 20 years. For the past 12, he has been on the Buck and Wing Cooking Team, competing each year at the Houston Rodeo as well as other annual competitions.

What’s the secret to award-winning barbeque? Jamie confides, “It’s in the seasoning. You are judged on aroma, flavor, and texture. There are no sauces allowed in contests, so you have to know what to look for when choosing your piece of meat.”

When Jamie has time to hang up his team apron and is not too busy with his residential remodeling firm, Jamie Coogan’s Designs in Living, he finds a moment to satisfy the family’s taste buds. With a small barbeque pit on his grounds and a firm knowledge of which wood compliments which meat best, the flavors coming from his yard are sure to start your tummy rumbling. Even though the kids are in college, Jamie is still the dad you find behind the grill at their events. This fall, he hopes to take his trailer pit up to his son Shane’s fraternity party for a barbeque at A&M’s Parents’ Weekend.

Like Jamie, Bob Stratton’s name is practically synonymous with grilling. That’s because when he’s not working as a real estate developer with his business, Verandah Companies, you’ll find Bob hauling one of his two pits to an event, many of which are at Frostwood Elementary School. When the school held its Dads Club Wild Game event, Bob was in charge of grilling the meat. For Teachers’ Appreciation Week, Bob brought his pit to sizzle hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken for the staff.

Frostwood Elementary School’s Dads Club gathers to grill up some goodies for Teachers’ Appreciation Week. Pictured front row, left to right: Ian Cloud, Todd Riddle, and Tod Bruchmiller. Middle row, left to right: Loc McNew, George Kurisky, Mark Grenader, Charles Glendinning, and Dave Coolidge. Back row, left to right: Kenneth Floyd, Greg Swidensky, John Scott, and Bob Stratton. (Photo: www.solarisstudios.com)

“I don’t have any eyebrows left. I’ve burned them all off grilling,” he jokes. But that hasn’t stopped him. Bob grew up watching his dad grill and is continuing the tradition of spending time eating and cooking outside. At home in Memorial, the Strattons prepare many meals on one of their three backyard grills. At their home in Rockport, the grill is smoking with fresh-caught fish and half-shell oysters. An avid hunter, Bob brings back quail and venison to add variety to family meals.

For those less confident about grilling anything beyond hot dogs and hamburgers this summer, live dangerously and grill just about anything you’d cook inside. Bob’s simple advice should see you through…“There’s not that much to grilling. Don’t overcook things is the key. It’s not hard.”

Bill Balleza’s BBQ Sauce
For the past 30 years, Bill has been tweaking this recipe. Simmer up and enjoy!

Ingredients:
Half stick of butter
Small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs chili powder
4 tbs brown sugar
4 tbs vinegar
4 tbs worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp tabasco sauce
Preparation:
Melt butter in saucepan. Cook onion and garlic on low heat (five minutes until soft). Add 2 cups water and all remaining ingredients. Stir mixture occasionally. Allow to simmer for half an hour.