Meet Man Up: Jason Park (aka J-Pa)

Hometown: Chicago

Favorite thing about your hometown: people, sky line, pizza, cubs

Occupation: Systems Engineer (IT)

Hobbies: traveling, photography, eating, sports, beer

Favorite Texas BBQ joint(s): Smitty's and Louie Mueller

Favorite thing(s) to order: brisket, pork ribs, pork chop, sometimes prime rib

Sauce or no sauce? Hmmmm…no sauce, usually

Favorite Man-Up memory: the time we went to Lockhart and went to Black's we got a tour; just stands out from the cutting table to the oak they age and to the pesky cat.

If you could live anywhere other than Austin, where would it be? Hmmm…wow…tough question. Boston? I've always been curious and love Boston (of course Chicago's the best)

Enough with the softballs…

Q (from Russell): How has the MUTB blog helped/affected your dating life?

Wow! Well, if you find a girl that likes BBQ; it will def. help you! In my case you can say it helps the dating life. If you're looking for advice; I'd ask a girl to come man up w/ you! It's a social casual atmosphere that can lead to more dates! But make sure she likes BBQ!! I once took Gina to Lockhart and made a good date out of it; hitting up all the places and taking her to all 4 in town. That was a good trip!

And 2 requests from Travis:

1. J-pa, in your own words, please define the following terms:

Barbecue: to me BBQ is cooked chicken, pork, beef, game meat, fish, seafood over fire

Basting sauce: Basting sauce - is a marinade in my opinion which usually consists of something sweet or salty and gives flavor

Closed Pit: would refer to slow cooking meat; typically smoking is involved with various woods for different flavor

Dip: tobacco…Redman, Skoal, Copenhagen; cowboys and baseball players do this...not JPa

Finishing sauce: a little extra umm before the meat is ready to be served; I think of this for wet BBQ/ BBQ that requires sauce or is served w/ sauce

Log burner: Wood that burns and is your heat source

Marinades: flavor for your meat!! My favorite is soy sauce Korean BBQ baby!!

Miss White: Vanna White - Wheel of fortune?

Mr. Brown (A.K.A. - the brownest of the brown): TB?

Mopping sauces: some kind of wet sauce/BBQ sauce, beer, vinegar, soy sauce, wine? I'm sure the list can go on...

Open pit: open pit is an open BBQ

Pig pickin': is this where you can pick out a pig to BBQ??? Nice!

Pitmaster: 1. person who man's the grill/flame 2. a chef / overseer of meat, 3. cooking engineer 4. Tender to heat and meat

Rubs: a flavoring agent to spread over your meat; usually all over the outside. I like a little of this and a little of that...I like Tony C’s. Garlic powder = bomb.com

Brown sugar: The stuff TB gets when he goes to El Paso...what's that stuff called? Some dude's name

Slather: the term when you put sauce on meat

Sopping sauce: this is the same as above... when you put sauce on your meat

Table sauce: maybe same Tabasco, Pete's hot sauce, Louisiana hot sauce, or homemade sriracha?

2. J-pa, have you found your inner-pirate? If so, how did you do so?

I did once. I changed my Facebook page once to 'pirate language.' Arrrrrggggg. I'd like to wear an eye patch too.