BBQ Season Has Begun

Summer is BBQ season. North Carolina-based father and son duo Ed and Ryan Mitchell, who are legendary pitmasters, released their latest cookbook Ed Mitchell's Barbeque which includes best techniques for roasting meat and recipes for sides and appetizers. Ryan joins us to discuss.  Sheri’s Smoked Mac ’n’ Cheese (Courtesy of Harper Collins) Serves 4 • Prep Time: 20 minutes • Cooking Time: 45 minutes (if baked) or 1 hour (if smoked)     RYAN MITCHELL, Ed Mitchell’s son   Everyone has a macaroni and cheese memory. Mac and cheese has become as American as  burgers and pie. My sister, Sheri, was the first person to bring different ideas about how  to reimagine macaroni and cheese back to Wilson and to our family. Sheri was a cheese  connoisseur. In the 1980s, she was hobnobbing with folks at Georgetown and Howard  University in Washington, DC, and attending parties with fancy cheese boards and wine.  During the holidays, when she would come home to Wilson, she introduced us to  all kinds of cheeses, pâté, and crackers that we were unfamiliar with. Sheri started to add  bacon and different cheeses to our macaroni and cheese. She took it to the next level. We  hadn’t known that mac and cheese could be jazzed up. I didn’t know there were other  kinds of cheese past the ones that were available in our stores in Wilson County. I credit  Sheri for creating our mac and cheese dish.  We prefer to grate our cheeses instead of buying packaged shredded cheese. Grating  your own cheese will give you a creamier and more flavorful dish.    1 16-ounce box elbow noodles  Salt and freshly ground black pepper  4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter  2 tablespoons all-purpose  flour  2 cups milk  1 teaspoon onion powder  1 teaspoon garlic powder  1 cup freshly shredded extra-sharp  cheddar cheese  1 cup heavy cream  1 cup freshly shredded smoked Gouda  cheese  1 cup freshly shredded aged cheddar or  North Carolina hoop cheese  1 egg, beaten  1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella  cheese  1 cup freshly shredded Colby Jack cheese    COOK the elbow noodles in boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt for 8 minutes,  or until al dente. Drain and place in a casserole or baking dish. Season with a  sprinkle each of salt and pepper.  IN a medium-sized pot, melt the butter on low heat, then whisk in the flour.  Add the milk and stir until it starts to thicken. Add the onion powder and  garlic powder. Add the extra-sharp cheddar and 1/2 cup of the cream. Stir until  smooth. Add the Gouda and remaining 1/2 cup cream. Stir until smooth.    MIX the beaten egg and mozzarella in with the elbow noodles, then pour the  cheese sauce over the noodles. Top evenly with the Colby Jack. Cook the  macaroni and cheese on a smoker for 45 minutes or bake at 350ºF until golden  brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil the  macaroni and cheese for 3 minutes. Do not leave your macaroni and cheese  unattended when you turn on the broiler; the cheese will caramelize quickly.   Excerpted from Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque © 2023 by Ed Mitchell and Ryan Mitchell.   Food & Author photos by Baxter Miller.  Reproduced by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.