Sausage and Peppers

It’s getting to be the end of Summer and the peppers are at their prime. This is an easy one-dish cook that melds the sweetness of the peppers, the spiciness of the sausages, and smokeyness of the grill.

  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 6 cups mixed sweet peppers (bell, Hungarian, banana…) sliced into strips
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • A couple of grinds of fresh black pepper
  • 9-12 small sweet or hot Italian sausages Continue reading “Sausage and Peppers”

Smoked Almonds

These are a great snack and are a whole lot cheaper and tastier than the commercial variety.

  • 1 pound of raw almonds
  • 1T kosher sea salt
  • 1t peanut oil
  • 1T honey
  • 1-2T of your favorite barbecue rub
  • Enough water to cover almonds

I dissolved the salt into the water, added the almonds, and let them soak overnight. The next day I let them drain in a colander for about thirty minutes, and then put them in a mixing bowl.

I coated the almonds with the oil, mixing them with a large spoon until they were well-coated. I added the honey and mixed them again. Finally I gave them a good coating of the rub and mixed them one last time.

I set the Big Green Egg up for and indirect cook at 250°F using hickory for smoke. The almonds were spread out into a single layer on a pizza pan. I smoked them for 5 minutes, gave them a little shake and another light dusting of rub, and then let them smoke until they got dark and crunchy – about 20 minute total.

Blue Diamond eat your heart out.

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”

Chimichurri Chicken

With all the fresh herbs coming up in our garden, I like using some of them for this tangy Argentinian marinade. Chicken is not exactly traditional gaucho food, but it pairs well with the citrus and garlic, and the extra oil helps keep the breasts moist.

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tablespoons)
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 4-6 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
  • 6-8 boneless chicken breasts

Continue reading “Chimichurri Chicken”

Salt-Roasted Ribeye

This salt roasting recipe combines the best of several cooking techniques – steaming, roasting and (of course) grilling. It’s a bit of work, but because the food essentially cooks in its own juices, the moist and flavorful results are certainly worth the effort.

  • 6 cups  kosher sea salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 6 fingerling potatoes, or a dozen baby red or yellow potatoes
  • 2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 USDA Choice or Prime ribeye steaks, at least an inch and a half thick

Continue reading “Salt-Roasted Ribeye”

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