Southern Style Spareribs

We enjoyed this recipe better than the dry rub ribs, but it still is not one of our favorite rib recipes.  Oh well, on to the next recipe.
 

Ingredients:
Marinade:

1/2 cup bourbon whiskey  

1/4 cup molasses  
1/4 cup cider vinegar  
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper  
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt  

2-3 racks spare ribs

 

Sauce:

1/2 cup yellow mustard  
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce       
 

In a medium bowl combine the marinade ingredients with 1/2 cup water.

Brush the marinade on the ribs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.

 

In a small saucepan combine the mustard and barbecue sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring, then lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour some of the sauce in a small bowl to use for basting the ribs.
 
Preheat the Big Green Egg to 300, indirect.

Allow the ribs to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Grill, rib side down over Indirect Medium heat until the meat is very tender and has pulled back from the ends of the bones, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. During the last 20 minutes of grilling time, baste generously with the small bowl of sauce.

Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into individual ribs. Serve warm with the remaining sauce on the side.

 

Dry Rub Spare Ribs

I thought this recipe was average at best and Lisa and Ben did not like them at all.  I guess this will not be made at our house again.
 

Ingredients
2-3 racks of spare ribs
3 tablespoons kosher salt  
3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns  
2 tablespoons sugar  
1 1/2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds  
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika  
2 teaspoons dried oregano  
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds  
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds  
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds  
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes  
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Make the rub: in a spice grinder or blender, pulse the rub ingredients for a few seconds until the seeds are coarsely ground; do in two batches, if necessary; the rub should have a slightly coarse texture.

Preheat the Big Green to 300 indirect.

Spread the rub generously on all sides of the ribs and let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling.

Grill the ribs, rib side down, over indirect medium heat until the meat is very tender and has pulled back from the ends of the bones, 2½ to 3 hours.

 

Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into individual ribs.

Jalapeno Tri Tip

This recipe made great sandwiches.  At our house we are big fans of sandwiches of all types.

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 1/2 pounds tri tip beef roast
5 medium/large fresh jalapeno peppers, (cut off the stems)
6 cloves fresh garlic, peeled (adjust to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1/4 cup lime juice 
1 tablespoon oregano

Combine jalapenos, garlic, pepper, salt, lime juice and oregano in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Place steak in a large Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over the steak, and tumble to coat. Seal bag; marinate in the refrigerator 6 – 24 hours.

Preheat BGE for high heat; indirect (platesetter legs up, grid with drip pan).

Drain and discard marinade. Cook Tri-Tip to desired temperature to approximately 135° or to your

desired doneness. 

Remove and let rest for 15 minutes.  Slice across the grain and serve.

Big Green Egg Pot Roast

Who doesn't love a good pot roast for a nice Sunday meal

Ingredients:
Marinade:
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons hot sauce.

Pot Roast:
3 lb beef chuck roast
You favorite rub
2 teaspoons oil
2 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic, peeled of skins, but leave whole
1 ea bay leaf
4 ea carrot, cut into 1" chunks
1 stalk celery, diced
4 ea red bliss potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
1 ea onion, diced
Mix all the marinade ingredients together.  Put roast in a 2 gallon freezer bag and cover with the marinade for 6-8 hours, turning occasionally

Rub into all sides of the chuck roast, I used Wild Willy's.

Preheat a heavy cast iron pan. Add oil and sear all sides of the chuck roast, which should take about 90 seconds for the two flat sides and 30 seconds for the edges.

Add the vegetables, bay leaf, wine, stock, and water.

Heat the Egg up to 350.  I cooked for 1 hour uncovered than 2 1/2 hours covered or until roast pulls apart easily

Serve on a platter with Italian bread or corn bread.

Bourbon-Brined Chicken

This recipe is from Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA.   The chicken was very moist and had great flavor.  It was even better the next day on wraps.

Ingredients:
Brine:
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)        
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar        
4 slices (each 1/4-inch thich) lemon        
2 cloves garlic, peeled and gently crushed with the side of a cleaver        
1 tablespoon black peppercorns        
1 tablespoon mustard seeds        
1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Chicken:
2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (each 12 to 16 ounces), or 4 half breasts (each half 6 to 8 ounces) 
2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil

To make the brine, combine the bourbon, salt, brown sugar, lemon slices, garlic, peppercorns, and mustard and coriander seeds in a large nonreactive bowl with 4 cups of water and whisk until the salt and brown sugar dissolve.

 

If using whole chicken breasts, cut each breast in half. Trim any sinews or excess fat off the breasts and discard. Rinse the breasts under cold running water, then drain. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag and add the brine. Let the breasts brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, turning the breasts twice so that they brine evenly.

 

 

Preheat the BGE to 300 direct

 

When ready to cook, drain the brine off the chicken and blot the breasts dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Lightly brush both sides of the breasts with the melted butter or olive oil. Brush and oil the grill grate, then arrange the chicken breasts on the hot grate.  Grill for 30-40 minutes until the juices run clear. During the last 10 minutes baste with barbecue sauce.  Transfer the grilled chicken breasts to a platter or plates and serve at once with your favorite barbecue sauce.

 

 

 

Spatchcock Chicken

Spatchcock chicken is one of my favorite methods for cooking chicken.  I would much rather cook a chicken this way than beer can chicken.  I think spatchcock chicken is much more moist and cooks more evenly.  Typically, we will make two chickens.  The leftovers are great for chicken salad or quesadillas.

Ingredients:
Brine:
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup garlic juice
1/4 cup onion juice
2 cups hot tap water
1 1/2 quarts cold water
Mix all the ingredients together except the cold tap water and stir to disolve.  Let stand for 10 minutes for flavor to combine.  Add cold water and stir to mix.

Once the brine is cooled down submerge the chicken and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

Chicken:
1 whole chicken, spatchcocked
You favorite rub (Wild Willy's for us)
You favorite BBQ sauce

After you brine the chicken rinse it off and pat it dry.  The next step is to spatchcock to chicken.  If you do not know how to spatchcock a chicken check out this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-8tMEwBnSA&feature=player_embedded

Preheat the Egg to around 300 to 325.  Add you favorite rub to the chicken.  I like to cook the chicken 15 minutes skin side down then the remainder of the time skin side up.  This will allow the skin to get a lot more crispy.  During the last 15 minutes baste once or twice with BBQ sauce.  The total cook time will be around an hour or until the thigh temp is 180 or the breast temp is 180.

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Butter Barbecue Sauce

We found this recipe in the BBQ USA cookbook.  This was a really good dish.  All four of us loved it.  This will most definitely be made again

Ingredients:
Salmon and Marinade:
2-4 pices salmon fillet (about 6 ounces each)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons sake or sherry
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Brown Sugar-Butter Barbecue Sauce:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Using a paring knife, make 2 to 3 slashes in the skin side of each piece of salmon, taking care not to cut all the way through.  Place the fish in a non-reactive baking dish.  Cover the salmon with the mixed marinade ingredients, flip once of twice to cover well.  Marinate the salmon covered for 2 to 4 hours in the fridge.  Turn the fillets once or twice so they marinate evenly.

 

To make the barbecue sauce: Place the butter, brown suger lemon juice, wine, Tabasco sauce, onion and garlicin a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Lower the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer until richly flavored and syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper; the sauce should be highly seasoned.  Set the sauce aside.

Preheat the grill to high.  Arrange the salmon pieces, skin side down on the hot grate.  Pour any leftover marinade over the fish.  Grill the salmon until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side.  During the last 2 minutes on each side baste the salmon with the barbecue sauce.

Place the salmon skin side down on a platter and spoon the remaining sauce over the top.

 

Mushroom and Red Wine Beef Stew

My trip out of town was canceled so we decided to fire up the Egg, like that is unusual around our house :).  We still had a venison roast in the freezer so we substitued the beef with venison.  This was a really good Sunday meal and easy to make.  This is one of those meals were the leftovers are even better.  I am already looking forward to lunch tomorrow.

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef, cubed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or seasoned salt
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or other spicy, beef-appropriate rub
2 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole onions, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup red wine
1 can beef consommé
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Noodles or rice – cooked and drained
2 tablespoons of flour

Measure flour, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, beef rub, and flour into a zip top bag and mix thoroughly. Place meat in bag and shake to coat meat with the spice mixture. Let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Put butter and oil into the dutch oven, and brown the meat, working in batches if necessary. Remove the meat to a plate once brown.  I do this on the stove top because it is much easier.

Add onions and garlic to the pan (without cleaning) and sauté until onions are translucent, about 2-4 minutes. Add beef back to the pan, along with the wine and consommé. Cook with the lid off for about 30 minutes at 300-325 degrees. Stir every 10 minutes.

Add carrots and potatoes and cook for another 20 minutes. You may need to add water during this time. At the end of this period, add mushrooms and any other vegetables. Also season with salt and pepper to taste, and add any fresh herbs, such as the rosemary I used. Stir thoroughly to incorporate all the ingredients.

Cover the pot, and simmer for 30-45 minutes at 300 degrees (if continuing on the Egg), or on low heat on the stovetop.

Check the consistency of your stew. If it is too thin for your taste, mix 2 tablespoons flour with a small amount of water, and stir into the stew. Allow to cook and thicken for another 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to sit, lid on, for another 10-20 minutes before serving. Serve over noodles or rice, and with some fresh bread to dip in the stew.

July's Product of the Month - Kramer's BBQ Sauce

This is my second time purchasing Kramer's BBQ Sauce, Kramer's, which means my family really likes this sauce.  I would much rather make my own sauces and rubs that purchase them, but this sauce really taste like a good homemade sauce.

Kramer's also sent me some rubs to sample.  I have not had the opportunity to try them yet, but if they are as good as the sauce I can not wait.

First, when you receive the sauce it comes in a beer bottle with a cool looking label with Melvin the Chicken and a cork to reseal the sauce (if there is any left).

To date, we have used Kramer's on ribs, chicken and thick bone-in pork chops.  These three things are the staples around our house when we want something basted with sauce on the grill.  Overall, the sauce has not disappointed.  We have all been impressed.  Sweet with not a lot of heat so the kids enjoy it as well.

The first thing I did before even ordering this sauce was to check out the ingredients.  All of the ingredients wherethe standard items that most people have in the pantry.  There were not any chemicals listed, which is a big plus in my book.

The consistency of the sauce is pretty thin.  For basting I would rather use thicker sauces, but for a thin sauce it has a lot of good flavors.

The sauce is tomato based and has a sweet, peppery flavor.  You can definitely taste the different layers of flavor as you are eating the sauce.  While Kramer's did have a little spice to it there was not much.  I really enjoy spicey sauces, but if it is too spicey I will be eating the meal by myself.  This had a good temperature level for the kids who do not like spicey food at all.

Overall, Kramer's BBQ Sauce added a great flavor to the ribs, chicken and chops.  I would give this sauce 5 stars  and will definitely purchase again.

The only downside to the sauce is also one of the items we liked, the beer bottle.  This sauce is not inexpensive and it goes really quickly.  I hope they sell it in larger sizes very soon.

Teriyaki Grilled Salmon with Corn-Peach Salsa

I thought the salmon has a very good flavor, but I was not crazt about the salsa.  My wife really enjoyed the salsa though.

Ingredients:
3 tsp. Teriyaki Sauce
2 tsp. lime juice
4 1/2 tsp. honey
2 salmon fillets
2 ears corn, grilled and removed from cob
1 fresh peach, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 onion, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 tsp. each of red wine vinegar and lime juice
Lime wages, for garnish

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Combine first 3 ingredients in baking dish, stir well and marinate salmon 5 to 10 minutes. Mix remaining ingredients together for salsa; set aside for 1 hour.

Remove salmon from marinade; discard marinade. Grill Salmon uncovered over medium-high for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until flakey.

Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

 

Barbeque Chicken

Barbeque Chicken, pasta salad and baked beanshas been a traditional Sunday meal in my family for as long as I can remember.

Ingredients:
Enough chicken pieces to feed everyone (thighs are our favorite)
2-3 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue rub (Wild Willy's)
Kramer's BBQ Sauce

At least 2 hours before cooking, dust the chicken with the rub, lay them out in a single layer on a sheet pan, and let them sit uncovered in the fridge. This step seasons the chicken and also helps to dry out the skin a bit to keep it crispy.

Set the BGE up for a raised direct cook at 325°.  Grill the chicken for around 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear, flipping around every 10 minutes.

During the last 10 minutes brush on BBQ Sauce once or twice. 

Other than my homemade sauce Kramer's is becoming our new favorite.  I will go into more detail once we are back from vacation and I have the time.

 

Maple Breakfast Sausage

This is a great way to cook your breakfast sausage. It is fantastic on biscuits or with eggs.  It was a great way to start off yet another rainy day in Georgia.

Ingredients:
1 pound of your favorite breakfast sausage (hot if you can find it)
1 1/2 tablespoons of your favorite run (we used Wild Willy's)
1/4 cup real maple syrup
Extra sauce to glaze

Spread the meat out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle on the rub and add the maple syrup. Form into a log (about 12 inches) and refrigerate overnight.

Sprinkle with more rub before cooking.

Cook at 300°,  to 170°-175° internal. Brush on more maple syrup for the last 20 minutes. It takes about 45-60 minutes to get the color, crust and fat rendered.

Barbequed Baby Back Ribs

Who doesn't love ribs.  It is the perfect meal for a rainy July 4th.  We topped off the ribs with one of my new favorite sauces Kramer's BBQ Sauce.  I will be trying this sauce on chicken this weekend and will provide feedback then.

Ingredients:

2 racks Baby Back Ribs

Yellow mustard

Your favorite rub

Kramer's BBQ Sauce (a good sauce that also comes in a very cool beer bottle)

Rub:
3/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne
Mix the spices thoroughly in a bowl. Store covered in a cool, dark pantry. Makes about 2 cups.

Using a meat thermometer or dull knife, slide the tip under the membrane covering the back of each rack of ribs. Lift and loosen the membrane until it breaks, then grab a corner with a paper towel and pull it off.

Allow the ribs to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Coat ribs with your favorite rub.  I always use Wild Willy's Rub (from the Smoke and Spice cookbook).  It is a staple around our house.

Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat is pulling away from the bone. Brush on the BBQ a couple of times in the last 15 minutes.

Allow the ribs to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing

June's Product of the Month - Eggware Vented Chimney Cap

I have decided to start something new to see how it works out.  I am always trying new egg gadgets, sauces, rubs, etc...  I am going to start doing a review every month to share my findings or a good product.

For Father's Day I got the Eggware Vented Chimney Cap (http://eggware.net/).  In my opinion this is a much better top than the standard BGE daisy wheel.  The top of the cap rotates to adjust the airflow and it is made of the same material as the sliding vent on the bottom.

If you are interested in purchasing this cap enter the coupon code MIKE and you will get an extra 15% off.

Since the cap is made of stainless it will not rust like the daisy wheel.  It is also supposed to be dishwasher safe.  Worse case is I will break out the Bar Keepers Friend to clean any stains on the outside.

The top comes with a gasket so fits the Egg and will stay in place when you raise the lid.  That was always my biggest grip with the daisy wheel.  If you left it on the Egg when you opened it the diasy wheel would either slide open or fall off.  That will never be an issue with this top.

I have already done multiple cooks with the new top.  Once you get the temperature adjusted the top will After 12 years with the daisy wheel there are definitely some learnings for me.  We the daisy wheel I knew the exact positions for both the top and bottom to hit a precise temperature.  I am sure that will come very quickly with this top.  It is very easy to adjust.

I have done cooks ranging from 300 to 550 and the cap has maintained the temperatures and performed very nicely.  I have not done any 800+ degree cooks yet so we we see how the gasket holds up.  They have a high temp gasket if need be that I heard performs very well http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/eggware/eggwarecap.htm

I would definitely recommend this cap to anyone who has the Egg or any other model this top will fit.  My personal opinion is the Egg should look into making this standard. 

One word of warning is this top gets much hotter than the daisy wheel.  just use over mitts or tongs and it works just fine.

Another advantage of the new stainless top is I was finally able to give my daisy wheel and plate setter the cleaning they needed just in case I ever need to use it again.  I "cooked" my platesetter at 550 for about an hour and it is now as clean as it ever has been.

For the daisy wheel I left it in the egg for 30 minutes at 550 to cook off 12 years of grime.  Once it cooled off I scrubbed it with an SOS pad sprayed it with a coat of olive oil and put it back in the egg for another 30 minutes.  As you can see below, I have a little more work to do but it is coming along nicely for a 12 year old top.

 

Dry Rub Chicken with BBQ Dipping Sauce

The chicken was really good.  The BBQ Diping Sauce not so much.  I like onions as much, if not more, than the next guy but this was a little too much. 

Ingredients:

Assorted chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks with skin
Dry Rub: (equal parts)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Basil (dried)
Parsley flakes
Oregano
Thyme
Pepper
BBQ Dipping Sauce
2 chopped onions
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup chili sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Mix equal amounts of dry ingredients for rub.  Heavily  coat chicken pieces with dry rub.  Toss pieces

together in large bowl to coat evenly.

Cook chicken at 300°.  Turn once while cooking.

 

Smaller pieces (wings, legs) will be done in 25-30 minutes.  Larger pieces will take a little longer.

Serve with individual bowls of dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.  If too thick, add a small amount of Coke.