Croix Valley Grillmeister Jeff Hanson | August 2021

Jeff Hanson - Hudson Raised and BBQ Crazed

Jeff Hanson has raised our eyebrows more than once over the last month with his fiery concoctions. Jeff was born and raised in Hudson, WI where he has been enjoying the beautiful vistas of the St Croix river his entire life.

When he's not crafting wizardry at the grill, he's raising two teenage boys with his wife, venturing off on road trips, and competing in SCA Steak Cookoffs (which he's mighty fine at). Jeff is well worth following on Instagram. You can find him at @redroosterswisconsinbbq.

Let's hit him with the Grillmeister questions and see what we find out.  

When did you get into grilling, and how often do you fire it up?

I got into grilling about 7 years ago.  It really turned into something I loved doing a couple years ago.  Since then I’ve been grilling year round (even through Wisconsin winters) and grill or smoke something several times a week.

Name one thing grilling technique you’ve learned over the years that has served you well. 

Know the temperature of the grill and the food!  The food I grilled starting getting consistently better when I got a solid handle on my grill/smoker temperature control. Also, using a quality meat thermometer so I know every time when it’s at the temperature I want.

What’s the most unique thing you’ve grilled or cooked?

Beef Cheeks!!! A lot of people I’ve talked to about trying beef cheeks don’t want to go anywhere near them because they don’t sound appealing. Smoked beef cheeks have incredibly rich beefy flavor and are super tender. They’re excellent and something everyone  should try smoking!

Tell us about your most memorable day around the grill.

After a couple failed attempts at brisket, I was able to crack the brisket code and can now smoke a brisket I’m excited to share with family and friends.  Smoking a brisket that turned out the way I wanted was a really proud grilling moment for me.  

Last but not least, what are your favorite Croix Valley products?

There are several my family enjoys! The Barbecue and Brat sauce, and Steak Sauce and Marinade are both fantastic.  We love wings with the Parmesan Garlic Wing and BBQ Booster, then coated with Garlic Buffalo BBQ sauce. The Garlic Ginger Teriyaki Wing and BBQ Booster on wings then coated with Garlic Ginger Teriyaki sauce is also a favorite to grill.