The Ultimate BBQ Cookbook !

Ardie A. Davis and Chef Paul Kirk have put together a great cookbook featuring 100 recipes from America's BEST Smokehouses, Pit's, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses and Restaurants. This book can be purchased at Barnes & Noble's and Borders, but the lowest price is on Amazon.com HAPPY GRILLING !!!

Apple Glazed Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

1/2 dark brown sugar

4 t garlic salt

4 t pure ancho chile powder

2 t salt

1 t ground black pepper

1/2 t celery salt

1/4 cayenne pepper

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 freshly ground white pepper

1/2 cup apple cider

1/4 cup apple jelly, melted

1/4 cup honey

2 racks baby back ribs (about 4 pounds)

1 cup prepared BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  In a small bowl, mix the 1/4 cup of the sugar with the garlic salt, chile powder, salt, black pepper, celery salt, cayenne, cinnamon and white pepper.  Transfer 1 T of the spice mix to a medium bowl and whisk in the cider, apple jelly, honey and remaining sugar.

2.  Pull the membrane off the underside of each rib rack using a towel to grasp the corner.  On a rimmed baking sheet, rub the ribs with the remaining spice mix; bake meaty side up for 2 1/2 hours.  Pour the cider mixture over the ribs and turn to coat.  Tightly cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

3.  ligh a grill.  Uncover the ribs and brush with the barbecue sauce; grill over moderate heat, turning and brushing until glazed, 15 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes then cut between the bones and serve.

[ As seen in Food & Wine Magazine, June 2009 ]

Mike's Rib-Eyes with Award Winning Rub

RUB

4 t coarse kosher salt

1 T coarsely ground black pepper

1 t dried oregano

1 t dried thyme

1 t paprika

1 t minced garlic

6 boneless rib-eye steaks, about 12 ounces each, and 1 1-1/4 inches thick, trim excess fat

Vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1.  (If using a charcoal grill), prepare a two zone fire for high heat using enough charcoal so that all 6 steaks can cook over direct heat.

2.  In a small bowl, mix the rub ingredients.  Lightly coat the steaks with oil.  Massage the rub into both sides of each steak.  Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 20 -30 minutes before grilling.

3.  Brush the cooking grates clean.  Grill the steaks over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible until cooked to your desired doneness, 8-10 minutes for medium rare, rotating each steak 90 degrees halfway through each side and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking.   If flare-ups occur, more the steaks, temporarily over indirect heat.  Remove from the grill and loosely tent with foil, let rest for 3-5 minutes.  Serve Warm

[ as seen in "Weber Charcoal Grilling, the art of cooking with live fire" by Jamie Purviance, recipe  by Mike McGrath ]

Pork T-Bone Steaks with Whiskey Barbecue Sauce

RUB

2 t paprika

1 t light brown sugar

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1/2 granulated garlic

1/2 granulated onion

1/4 t ground cumin

1/8 t ground cloves

pinch ground cayenne pepper

SAUCE

1/3 cup bottled steak sauce

1/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup aged Scotch Whiskey

2 T dijon mustard

2 T light brown sugar

1/2 t granualated onion

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 pork T-bone steaks, 10-12 ounces each (about 1 1/4" thick)

1 large handful of hickory chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a small bowl, mix the rub ingredients.

2.  In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan whisk the sauce ingredients.  Bring to a bowl over high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer over very low heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.

3.  Lightly coat the steaks on both sides with oil.  Season with the rub, pressing the spiced ino the meat.  Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes before grilling.

4.  [if using a charcoal grill]

Drain the hickory chips and scatter them over the charcoal.  Brush the cooking grate clean.  Sear the steaks of direct high heat with the lid closed as much as possible, until well marked, 6-8 minutes, turning once and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking.

5.  Then move the steaks over indirect high heat and continue grilling, with the lid closed, until the meat is pink and juicy, 2-4 minutes.  Remove from the grill and let it rest for 3-5 minutes.  

6.  Warm the sauce over direct heat.  Serve the steaks warm with the sauce on the side.

[ As seen in Weber Charcoal Grilling, the art of cooking with live fire by Jamie Purviance  recipe by ]

Slow-Grilled Tequila-Citrus Chicken Thighs

MARINADE

1/2 c fresh orange juice

1/4 c tequila

2 T fresh lime juice

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce

1 T roughly chopped garlic

1 1/2 t kosher salt

1 t dried oregano

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

8 chicken thighs (with bone & skin

(5-6 ounces each, trimmed of excess fat & skin)

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a medium bowl mix the marinade ingredients.  Put the chicken thighs in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour the in the marinade.  Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly.  Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, lay flat in a rimmed dish, and refrigerate for 6-8 hours, turning once.

2.  Remove the chicken thighs from the bag and pour the marinade into a small saucepan.  bring the marinade to a boil and let it boil for at least 30 seconds to kill any chicken bacteria.  let the chicken sit at a room temperature for 20-3 minutes before grilling.

3.  Brush the cooking grates clean.  Grill the chicken, skin side down first, over direct low heat with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is firm and no longer pink near the bone. (approx. 30 minutes) turning every 5 minutes and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking.  During the last 20 minutes of grilling, brush the chicken on both sides with the boiled marinade.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

[ As seen in Weber Charcoal Grilling, the art of cooking with live fire by Jamie Purviance ]

Tomato Cucumber Salsa

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seed and finely chopped

1/2 cup english cucumbers, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1 medium jalapeno chilie, seeded and finely chopped

1 T finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1.  Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, including salt to taste and mix well.

2.  Taste for seasoning.

3.  Cover and refrigerate until needed

Advance Preperation:

This may be prepared 3 days in advance and refrigerated.  Remove from the  refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Variation:

Canned jalapeno chilies may be used if fresh are not available.  If using canned, omit the lemon juice.

Note:

When working with chilies, always wear rubber gloves.  Wash the cutting surface and knife immediately afterward.

[ As seen in The Taste of Summer, by Diane Rossen Worthington]

Chilled Avocado Soup

2 large ripe avocados

3 cups chicken stock

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 T finely chopped fresh chives

1/2 t chili powder

salt

Garnish

1/4 c sour cream

1/2 c  tomato cucumber salsa

1.  Pit and peel the avocados and cut into large pieces.  Plae in a food processor or blendor and process until pureed.

2.  Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, chives, chili powder, and salt to taste and process until smooth.

3.  Taste for seasoning.  Cover & refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.

4.  To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a dallop each of sour ceram and tomato cucumber salsa.

Advance Preparation

This may be prepared 8 hours in advance through step 2 and refrigerated until serving.)

[ As seen in The Taste of Summer by Diane Rossen Worthington ]

Roasted Eggplant with balsamic vinegar

6  lbs  eggplant (about 4 large), peel and cut into 1/2 peices

salt

6 medium shallots, finely chopped

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c balsamic vinegar

1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil, finely chopped

Garnish~

2 red sweet peppers, roasted, seeded, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch stirps

(marinate in 2T of olive oil and balsamic vinegar)

16 Nicoise olives

fresh basil

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Place the eggplant pieces in a large colander and sprinkle with evenly with salt.  Place over a bowl to drain for 30 minutes, tossing once or twice.

3.  In a large roasting pan, stir together the shallots, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and pepper.

4.  Dry the eggplant pieces with paper towels.  Place in the roasting pan and toss to coat evenly.

5.  Place in the oven and roast, tossing with a large spoon every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking, until soft, about 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Add the chopped basil and taste for seasoning.

6.  Mound the eggplant on a serving dish.  Garnish with the marinated red pepper slices, Nicoise olives, and basil leaves.

Advance Preparation:  This may be prepared 1 day in advance through step 5 and refrigerated.  Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

[ As seen in The Taste of Summer by Diane Rossen Worthington ]

Tricks of the Trade for the Perfect Hamburger

Here are just a few simple tricks of the trade to keep in mind the next time you are making hamburgers;

• Add a teaspoon of soy sauce, ketchup, or worchestire sauce to a pound of meat.  This will add flavor and moisture to the meat.
• Avoid overworking the meat.  When you overwork the meat, the meat can become tough and dry when cooked.
• Choose meat that has a higher fat content.  If you choose a meat with a 7% fat content, your burger will loose all of its moisture during the cooking process.
• Hamburgers tend to swell in the center during the cooking process, with this in mind, use your thumb and press down the center creating a well.  This should fix the puffy burger problem.
• Make sure you create your patties slightly larger than your buns so when they shrink, they will be the perfect size.

Do you know the difference between Kobe, Angus and Bison?

There is a new trend in burgers, and it does not seem to include the traditional ground sirloin and ground chuck meats.  Kobe, Angus and Bison are definitely the front runners when you think of a high end burger.  Now the question remains, what makes these meats so good?

Kobe Beef is very similar to champagne in the way that is can only be called Kobe Beef if it comes from a specific region, as champagne can only be produced in the region of champagne.  And, they are both considered to be the best of the best.  Kobe beef comes from wagyu cattle.  There meat is highly marbled, extremely tender and has a great deal of flavor.

Certified Angus Beef is considered to be the top grade given by the USDA.  It is also know for its fine marbling tenderness, age and color.  You can also find "prime", "choice" and "select" grades of angus, but they are not same as the certified.

Bison, also known as buffalo, is a very lean form of meat.  Unlike the Kobe and Certified Angus Beef, Bison is actually considered a healthy meat option.  In  a study comparing skinless chicken, beef and bison, the bison showed it had fewer calories and considerably less fat.