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How you describe the signature experiences at Chef JJ’s Back Yard?

At Chef JJ’s Back Yard there are a few different experiences that we provide. We have the culinary side, which you can experience by attending one of our grilling classes on Tuesday nights at 6:30pm. We also have private dining, which can be experienced by booking a personal party for a birthday, rehearsal dinner, anniversary or a friends and family gathering. Or you can book a corporate event for business meetings, client appreciation meetings, prospecting dinners or a team building activity for your employees.

We also have the Big Green Egg Experience, which involves us being authorized dealers of the BGE and selling the grill to the public. We like to think that we are the best at what we do, and we can offer our clients all the expertise that we have learned over the years. We provide an exclusive place for the Big Green Egg and everything that comes with it!

The other experience that we offer at Back Yard is the outdoor living experience. We want to be able to provide our clients with a certain type of lifestyle that they can carry on into their own backyard. We have paired up with Outdoor Roomscapes, run by Andy and Michelle Schwindler, together we can plan, build, and maintain a Chef’s Line Outdoor Kitchen. An outdoor kitchen is something that we use every day on our patio overlooking the White River and we think that with our expertise we can help plan a custom outdoor oasis that a client can enjoy for many years to come.

Smoked, wild Canadian trout!

Share a little bit on the history of your store.

I had worked in the corporate world for 18 years until I decided to transition into being a private chef. I wanted a setting where the customer turned into a client and in turn, relationship between me and the client was a lot closer and intimate. I wanted to take care of my clients needs and get to know them on a more personal level, to know what their favorite foods were or what style of dining they preferred. With the Big Green Egg, I realized that I could easily cook right in front of people, instead of having to be back in a kitchen, creating a more intimate, new experienced way of dining!

What are five essential tools you would recommend that should be in every grillmasters arsenal?

1) The Big Green Egg Grill…the world’s best smoker and grill.  Once you try food from the Egg you’ll understand.

2) A good set of tongs.  You want a sturdy extension of your own hands, something you can get right into the fire with.

3) A line up of Kyocera knives. They stay sharp for several years and they are very easy to work with.

4) Metal bowls and spoons and cast iron cookware are essential when working around the grill.

5) a remote thermometer—keeping track of the internal temperature of your roast as it slow cooks for several hours is vital.

Every city or region has their own signature grilling or barbecue specialty, what do you consider an Indiana signature grilling experience?

Indiana sweet corn is a Hoosier favorite.  Since I’m a transplant from the Pacific North West, we think of Alder planked salmon as a tradition.

If you needed to impress someone, what would Chef JJ’s “go-to” grilling/barbecue specialty be?

Pork Tenderloin. I am talking about a full, juicy, 3 pound tenderloin that you marinate and rub with spices and slowly roast on The Big Green Egg. When cooked right and served with Indiana Sweet corn, it can make a dish comparable to any prime steak house.

You obviously are an “Egg-head”.  For those who aren’t familiar with the Big Green Egg, what makes it so special!

I loved the versatility of the BGE grill right off the bat. I found out that it could be used to slow roast a brisket, perfectly sear a steak, smoke some sausage/ fish/other protein, or it could be used as an oven for pizza’s and desserts. I also loved the fact that I could have one device and be able to cook anything imaginable. Plus, the flavor was amazing. I noticed a very distinct flavor that the EGG provided that enhances the natural flavors of food.

Any special, local micro-brew you can recommend?

I am glad you asked, we exclusively carry fresh, local beer from Indianapolis’ Sun King Brewery. They have only been open a year and have already won 2 world cup medals as well as multiple state medals. The brewers know what they are doing when it comes to brewing beer and you can tell once you taste their creations. We collaborate with them on quarterly beer dinners. This is a huge hit for our clients because they enjoy the whole experience from beverage to food.

Any local sauce or seasoning you can recommend?

We use a lot of local products, we also sell as may as we can out of our retail side. Artisano’s oils is something that we use probably every time we have an event here. Artisano’s Oils & Spices create infused olive oils, balsamics, salts, and custom spices. We use them on everything from salad, to fish, to dessert.

Why do you promote local farms and the “farm to fork” movement?

We have a few reasons for promoting the farm to fork concept.

One, we like to be able to sell everything that we put in front of our client. If we have a steak that they really enjoy and they ask where we got it we can tell them to go see (example) Goose The Market, and ask for this cut. That way that client goes and spends money some place else locally, and that purchase supports the local farmers as well. Practices and ideas like this come full circle.

Two, our whole idea is to give people an experience when they come here, and some people love to be able to re-create that experience back home. If we can sell them something that is local, it allows them to bring that back home!

Three, a lot of local products that we carry are healthier than processed foods that you get from suppliers. We try to create dishes that explore the fresh flavors of a natural product.

That’s it from Chef JJ!  Thanks for taking the time to share your story with the Grilladelic faithful.