Month: August 2008

Pulled Pork

With a neighborhood party coming up, I decided to make a big batch of pulled pork. It’s one of my favorite dishes to make for a crowd. Everyone likes it and it’s one of those dishes that really benefits from being made in quantity. Also, it epitomizes a lot of what barbecue is about – the art of taking a tough cut of meat on a long journey over a low flame in order to turn it into that tasty tenderness that we all love.

  • 2 pork butts (pork shoulder roasts), about 18 pounds total
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup of your favorite barbecue rub (this batch used Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust)
  • 1 cup of your favorite finishing sauce (I used this Lexington-style sauce)

Continue reading “Pulled Pork”

Lexington BBQ Sauce

This is a thin, vinegar-based sauce that’s most commonly served as a finishing sauce with pulled pork.

1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tbs sugar
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Whisk together all ingredients until sugar and salt are dissolved.

Pull pork into thin shreds and toss with half of the sauce. Save the remaining sauce to serve at the table. Makes about 2 cups.

Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce

This sweet-yet-tangy sauce takes a little time, but is well worth it.

  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 cup molasses (unsulfured dark or regular, but not blackstrap)
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground yellow mustard (Colman’s if you can get it)
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon mace

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat  to medium and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until sauce has reduced by a quarter to about 2½ cups. Bottle and refrigerate.

Charred Onion Salad & Sirloin Steak

The best meal we’ve had this Summer.

Charred Onion Salad (from Taming the Flame by Elizabeth Karmel by way of Serious Eats)

Oil Drum Chicken

Anyone who’s traveled anywhere in the world has come across this scene: a roadside stand with a table and a few chairs, a couple of coolers, a smoky fire in an old oil drum, and a load of this well-marinated chicken sizzling on top of it. Whether it be on a Caribbean beach or at a fire department fundraiser, this is the quintessential grilled chicken – crispy, juicy, smoky, and tangy. Continue reading “Oil Drum Chicken”

2-1-1 Baby Back Ribs

When it comes to ribs, I’m partial to baby backs – lean, tender, tasty, and fairly quick to cook. I usually do them over an indirect heat at 225°F for about 5 hours. But for this batch of ribs I decided to try going with direct heat and rely on a foiled cooking technique that I typically use for spare ribs to give me equally tender ribs in less time. Continue reading “2-1-1 Baby Back Ribs”

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