Grilled Kebabs
June 30, 2011 by admin
Filed under Grilling and Barbecue, Meats
Image by Earl - What I Saw 2.0 via Flickr
Kebabs
by Mama Jade
Ingredients:
- 1 package baby portabella mushrooms
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 large orange bell pepper
- 1 pineapple
- 1 package grape tomatoes
- 2 large sweet onions
- 2 lbs beef or chicken
- salt, pepper and other seasonings
- wooden or metal skewers
If you are using wooden skewers, set them to soak in warm water. Rinse and cut bell peppers, onions, and pineapple into 1.5 inch pieces. Rinse the mushrooms and grape tomatoes. Rinse and pat dry your choice of meat and cut into 1.5 inch pieces. Toss the pieces liberally with seasonings.
Remove the skewers from the water and set them on a clean towel. Gently and carefully thread your skewers with the ingredients, leaving about an inch of exposed skewer at both ends. Place your skewers on the grill or on a tray under the broiler for 10-12 minutes or until the desired doneness is reached. Turn about halfway through cooking. Allow a few minutes to cool before eating.
Tips:
You can substitute just about any combination of meats and vegetables for this recipe, provided it can be pierced with a skewer.
You can separate meat and vegetables on different skewers if you have different preferences for doneness.
Try marinating your kebabs in different spices or sauces for a variety of flavors.
Planning a Barbecue Party on the Beach or at the Park
June 22, 2011 by admin
Filed under Grilling and Barbecue
One of the great thrills of summer is a day spent at the beach, lake or park. It’s that time of year again, let’s enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Here are a few tips to make your barbecue party successful.
After a day of sun and fun, even a simple grilled burger tastes fantastic. Before you pack your cooler, consider the safety and planning required to make your day at the beach a successful one. Many parks have grills installed tableside and grilling is a popular activity. However, some parks and beaches may not allow fires in any form, including your grill fire, so it is best to check the rules at your intended destination first.
Image via Wikipedia
Once you know that grilling is allowed and you have reserved a nice shelter for your party, you should begin planning what kinds of food will be served and how you will keep it at the proper temperatures.
Marinated meats, poultry or seafood should be stored in a cooler with plenty of ice. Keep them cold until ready to cook, and make sure that the ice from this cooler is not used for drinks.
A second cooler should contain prepared foods such as salads, side dishes, and barbeque sauces. Drinks and ice could go into a third. This sounds like a lot of packing, but you want to avoid bacterial contamination that might spoil your party.
Carefully think through your menu and how long each item will take to cook, this way you can start the longer cooking items first. Then imagine serving and eating each item. Will you need anything special? Tongs for the pickle jar? A knife to slice the onion? Think about serving plates, bowls and utensils. Remember that you must take everything with you or you won’t have it when you need it. Of course don’t forget the salt and pepper, charcoal and lighter, napkins, plates and cups.
If there are children in your party, consider their special needs early. Be sure there are activities planned and someone assigned to actively supervise them.
Plan ahead and enjoy your day. Don’t forget the towels and sunscreen.
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How to Make Barbecue Sauce from Scratch
How to Cook a Tender Juicy Steak
Easy BBQ Chicken Marinade
Discover Barbecue – How to Smoke Pork Ribs in a Weber Kettle
Learn How to Smoke Barbecue – What is a Water Smoker?
Buttery Grilled Citrus Fish and Easy Grilled Vegetables
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A Nation of Barbecue–Southern Barbecue Regions
June 13, 2011 by admin
Filed under Grilling and Barbecue
We are a country that loves to eat. United by a love of good food and divided by regional preferences, such diversity leads to countless opportunities to try new flavors and styles. Barbecue (barbeque, BBQ) will always spark a conversation of passionate opinions and delightful recipes. Hundreds of thousands of people gather at cookouts and competitions each year all across the nation to partake in this national favorite. Individual recipes and secret ingredients are tightly guarded secrets passed on from generation to generation. No matter the region, barbecue is a most delicious summertime fare.
Image via Wikipedia
Memphis Barbecue
Traditional Memphis barbecue uses pork, either served as a slab of whole ribs or in pulled form. They tend to use dry rubs on the slabs of ribs, served with a side of sauce, while the pulled pork is usually served in or alongside plenty of sauce. The dry rubs contain ingredients such as garlic, paprika, onions, cumin and other strong, vibrant flavors. They are rubbed on the ribs and then smoked until the meat falls off the bone. The sauces are made with tomatoes, vinegar and a vast combination of spices. They tend to be on the thin side, very tangy with a bit of sweet for balance.
Carolina Barbecue
Carolina barbecue is usually pork, served pulled, shredded, chopped or sliced. The region has several different styles, the most famous being the Lexington style from the city of Lexington, North Carolina. Lexington barbecue uses the pork shoulder exclusively. The meat is slow smoked until it pulls from the bone easily with a fork. It is served soaked in a thin tangy and sweet sauce, a vinegar base with brown sugar, tomato sauce and spices. When making a traditional Lexington barbecue sandwich, the pulled pork is topped with slaw soaked in the same sauce and served on a hamburger bun.
Kansas City Barbecue
Kansas City barbecue is likely the most well-known barbecue style of cookouts nationwide. The bottled barbecue sauces found at most grocery stores is based around the Kansas City style. Kansas City barbecue uses any and every meat from pork to beef and even turkey and fish. The meat is slow smoked over a variety of woods until it is tender. It is then glazed or basted in a thick, tomato and molasses based sauce. The sauces tend to be intensely sweet with a good kick, balanced by the savory smoked meat.
Texas Barbecue
Texas barbecue uses primarily beef but can also incorporate goat or sheep and is broken down into the 4 major styles: East, West, Central and South. East Texas, the meat is slow cooked until tender and then marinated in a sweet, tomato based sauce. West Texas, the meat is smoked over mesquite wood, giving it a unique and powerful flavor profile. Central Texas uses a dry rub of various spices and the meat is typically smoked over pecan or oak. South Texas uses a thicker, molasses based sauces that are used throughout cooking to lock in the juices from the meat.
Related articles:
Lexington Barbecue Recipe, Slow Cooker Style
How to Make Barbecue Sauce from Scratch
How to Cook a Tender Juicy Steak
Easy BBQ Chicken Marinade
Discover Barbecue – How to Smoke Pork Ribs in a Weber Kettle
Learn How to Smoke Barbecue – What is a Water Smoker?
Buttery Grilled Citrus Fish and Easy Grilled Vegetables
A Delicious Basting Sauce For Grilled Fresh Vegetables
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Lexington Barbecue Recipe, Slow Cooker Style
June 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Grilling and Barbecue, Meats
Image by Marshall Astor - Food Pornographer via Flickr
by Mama Jade
This Lexington style pulled pork sandwich recipe is adapted for the slow cooker, but you can also cook it on the smoker or in the oven during the winter months. There are a lot of ingredients, but the recipe is quite easy to prepare, you just mix and cook.
Ingredients:
- 4-6 lb pork shoulder
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup apple juice
- 1 head of cabbage
- Hamburger buns
Overnight Rub Ingredients:
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon celery salt
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Lexington Style Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- ¼ – ½ cup apple juice
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Combine all the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Rub the meat with the spice mixture, coating it evenly. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator in a pan (to catch any leaks). Let it sit, refrigerated, overnight.
- In the morning, unwrap the pork and place it in a large slow cooker, fat side down. Cook on low for approximately four hours.
- After four hours, carefully turn the pork shoulder over using a turning fork and tongs. Add the 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of apple juice. Continue cooking on low another four hours or until the bone slides out cleanly.
- Carefully remove the meat to a pan, allowing it to rest and cool for a few moments. Shred the meat with a fork (called pulling). Add it back to the crock pot, set to warm.
- In a large bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and stir until the salt and brown sugar are dissolved. Taste the sauce and adjust any seasonings to your preferences. The sauce should be very strong, tangy and sweet with a hint of a kick. Pour half of the sauce onto the meat in the crock pot.
- Dice the head of cabbage into a bowl. Add enough of the sauce to season it without soaking it through. Pour the rest of the sauce into the crock pot with the meat.
- Serve on hamburger buns with a scoop of slaw on top of the pork.
Tips:
This recipe can be done in the oven or a roaster if your crock pot is not big enough. Set your oven to 200 degrees and follow the instructions as before. You can mix your sauce ahead of time and baste with it periodically.
The pork can also be smoked. Mix up the sauce ingredients ahead of time and baste throughout the smoking process.
Related articles
How to Make Barbecue Sauce from Scratch
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How to Make Barbecue Sauce from Scratch
April 13, 2011 by admin
Filed under Featured, Grilling and Barbecue, Meats
Making homemade southern-style barbecue sauce is just a matter of combining ingredients and simmering it to blend the flavors. Choosing ingredients that combine well, with just the right touch of sweet, sour and spice, can be an art. Start with these flavor combinations and spice it up or down to fit your flavor preferences.
Image by Marshall Astor - Food Pornographer via Flickr
Southern Barbecue Sauce Ingredients
With the exception of the mustard based sauces favored in South Carolina and the white sauces of Alabama, most American barbecue sauce begins with a tomato base in the form of ketchup. You can use pureed tomatoes or tomato sauce instead if you choose, but ketchup is the base most often used.
In addition to the ketchup, you will need to add a balance of sweet and sour as well as spices or heat to add interest. Let us look at each ingredient category.
For acidity or sour, some form of vinegar is commonly used. In addition, lemon juice and orange juice add additional tang and flavor, when included.
Balance the acidity with sweeteners in the form of molasses, honey, maple sugar or brown sugar. Some recipes even use cola or Dr. Pepper as a sweetener. The amount of sweetener used will depend on which sweetener you choose and how sweet you like your sauce. Start with less than you expect to need and taste your sauce as you add more to get the sweetness you prefer.
Spice It Up
Additional flavorings are common and depend on your preferences. Common flavorings include sautéed onions and garlic, mustard powder or Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper, minced chili peppers or dried chili flakes and liquid smoke. Do not try to overload the sauce with all of these flavors. Start simply with the ingredients that you like.
Simmer your sauce for 30 to 45 minutes to blend the flavors and thicken the sauce. You can thin the sauce with water, orange juice, lemon juice, or sherry if needed.
Basic Barbecue Sauce Recipe
1/2 cup of ketchup
1/2 cup of vinegar
1/2 cup of molasses
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 to 2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of chili flakes
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce as desired
Mix all ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spice it up with and a few dashes of Tabasco sauce to taste. Add more or less spice to your own tastes. Simmer for 30 minutes to blend flavors and thicken the sauce.
Southern Style Sweet Barbecue Sauce Recipe
1/2 large onion
1 tablespoon butter
chili pepper, chopped and seeded
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
Garlic salt
Black pepper
Mince the onion and sauté it in butter for a few minutes until translucent. Add a chopped and seeded chili pepper and stir for another minute.
Add the remaining ingredients. Season the sauce with garlic salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes to blend the flavors.
Learn About Barbecue – What is a Vertical Barbecue Smoker
July 8, 2010 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
By Jim Hess
Vertical Smoker, photo by Justin
Have you heard the term vertical barbecue smoker and scratched your head and said, “Huh.” Basically, there are three types of barbecue smokers for making real smoked barbecue. The first is what is called the offset smoker. With the offset smoker, the firebox of the smoker is off to the side of the smoke chamber. A fire is built in the firebox, smoke and heat from the firebox travel into and through the smoke chamber, and out through a chimney ventilation system at the top of the smoke chamber. The meat that is to be smoked (and eventually, eaten) is placed on grates inside the smoke chamber. As the smoke and heat pass around the meat on the way to the chimney vents, the meat is flavored by the smoke. This is what makes for great smoked barbecue.
The second main type of smoker category is the kettle cooker (think Weber Kettle.) A kettle cooker can be set up for smoking by building the fire off to the side of the kettle, and placing the meat not directly over the heat source, but off to the other side. When the lid is closed, smoke from the charcoal and any added wood chips will flow around the meat giving it that great smoke barbecue taste before exiting the kettle lid through the vents. The third major type of barbecue cooker is what is known as a vertical smoker. With a vertical smoker, there is only one chamber for everything. The fire is built down at the bottom of the unit, there is a pan with soaked wood chips directly over the fire area, and then there are 2,3, or 4 horizontal racks above the smoke pan where the meat is placed. The smoke will rise in the smoke chamber, go around the meat giving it that great flavor, then exit out the top of the unit. Some of the vertical smokers also have a water pan directly over the smoke pan. This pan will hold water throughout the cooking process and will help the meat stay moist and not dry out.
A vertical smoker can use various fuels. Some burn charcoal or regular wood chunks. Some are fueled by propane, and some even use electricity to create heat, and burn water soaked wood chips to create smoke. The electric vertical smoker is often a good choice for the novice barbecue smoke enthusiast as they are very easy to regulate the temperature, and do not require a lot of attention while cooking.
These three styles of smokers will all have the barbecue enthusiast smoking good quality product, as long as they adhere to the basics of good barbecue preparation.
- Rub the meat with a rub or marinade.
- Cook the meat low and slow (low temperature–long cooking time)
- Apply any sauces at the end of the cooking (last hour or so.)
For more free information on how to cook fantastic real barbecue click here: http://www.bbq-jim.com. Jim Hess is an expert author who loves to cook, eat and write about real barbecue (and meat grilling). Click here to see much more http://www.bbq-jim.com
Discover Barbecue – How to Smoke Pork Ribs in a Weber Kettle
By Jim Hess
Slow Barbecued Ribs are tender and tasty.
Everyone loves Barbecue Ribs! Did you know you can make great tasting, fall off the bone ribs with a piece of equipment you probably already own. Yes, the trusty Weber kettle, sitting in your garage, can be used to make great tasting barbeque ribs, and it is easy.
First, get the Kettle grill out of the garage, and blow the dust off it. Make sure you have all the parts, including the top. You must have the top to make real smoke barbecue. Take your kettle cooker, and set it up this way. Place one of those cheap aluminum baking dishes that you can buy for a buck at the grocery store in the center of the grill that holds the charcoal. Make two piles of charcoal on opposite sides of the aluminum pan. Light the charcoal, and let it burn down. Place the some soaked wood chips on the charcoal to make more smoke to flavor the meat. Place the grill rack back on it’s holders.
Have your butcher trim the ribs in what is known “St Louis Style.” He’ll know what you are talking about. If he doesn’t get a new butcher. Season the ribs liberally with a good quality barbecue rub that you like. Place the ribs on the center of the grill directly over the aluminum pan. This pan is to catch the drippings from the meat as it cooks. Place the lid on the bottom of the kettle, and adjust the top vents so that the internal temperature of the smoker stays around 250 degrees. Cook the ribs for about 4 hours or so. They are done when you can wiggle the rib bones and it fees and looks like the meat is going to fall right off the bone. This is about 3.5 to 4.5 hours. The last hour or so off cooking, brush they ribs with a good quality barbecue sauce. Most good barbecue masters make their own. There are numerous sauce recipes in many books on the Internet. When the ribs are done, serve with more barbecue sauce on the side, and whatever side dishes you prefer. Classic is coleslaw and potato salad.
For recipes and additional information on how to make real smoked barbecue, see http://www.bbq-jim.com which has a free review of a great barbecue information program and free links to barbecue cookers.
Easy BBQ Chicken Marinade
June 14, 2010 by admin
Filed under Grilling and Barbecue, How To, Meats
I am always looking for good barbecue chicken recipes. I like to experiment and make my own marinades. A good marinade has 5 basic ingredients:
- Salt
- Sugar
- Acid
- Aromatics
- Oil
Take one ingredient from each of the above categories and mix to make your own custom marinade. Most marinades work best with two parts oil to one part acid, but be careful not to add too much oil or you may get some nasty flare-ups on the grill.
This is one of my favorites chicken marinades. It is easy, but packs a lot of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 C. Soy Sauce
- 1/4 C. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 C Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Brown Sugar
- 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Clove Garlic – Minced
- 1 Tsp Fresh Oregano – Chopped
Mix all of the ingredients in a plastic zip top bag until well blended. Add the chicken and refrigerate over night. I prefer to use bone in skin on chicken pieces because they tend to hold the moisture in better when grilling. You can use this marinade for as little as two hours, but for full flavor at least twelve hours is recommended.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Prepare your charcoal grill to cook over indirect heat and close the vents, both top and bottom, half way. Put the chicken over indirect heat and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Many people end up with dry chicken with skin that pulls off when you try to bite through it. This is caused by cooking over too high of heat. Cooking over direct high heat doesn’t give the skin time to render the fat out and become crispy. It also makes the meat dry out much more quickly.
For more BBQ Chicken Marinade recipes or for grilling recipes visit the Backyard Grilling Blog
Top 10 Grilling Tips -Video
In this video Cajun Cooking TV offers 10 tips for outdoor grilling.
