As a Southerner, being married to one of them damn yankees has good points and bad points. Not so good - Watching her dad throw chicken on the grill, cover it in store-bought sauce and call it BBQ. It’s a testament to my upbringing that I let that one slide. It was still a great meal - the man knows how to grill - but I couldn’t help but feel a little like I’d disappointed some of my heritage.
Which brings me to one of the high points - getting to have her folks over, fire up the grill and showing them how it’s done.
NOTE: I will say that even this isn’t the truest barbeque, but it’s about as close as you can get with a conventional outdoor grill. The purist method would be with hickory or apple woodchips in a separate side burner so the meat never sees direct heat above 300. But this is good enough that I might be forgiven the final step.
Step the first - The Spice
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons mustard powder
1/8 cup chile powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1/4 cup granulated garlic
2 tablespoons cayenne (or less to taste)
Combine in a container and mix well. This will make about 2 cups worth, so you should have more than enough to save for later. Rub the spice into the chicken, stash the meat back in the fridge and get to making the magic.
Step the second - The Sauce
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon The Spice (recipe above)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Hot sauce (such as Tabasco) to taste
Mix in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, and then let simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Taste and have the first flavorgasm of the afternoon.
Step the third - The Grill
Get the coals burning and wait until they’re covered with a fine white ash. Now this is the important part - Bank them all to one side of the grill and put the chicken on the _other_ side, as far away from the direct heat as you can get. (Oh, and don’t go jumping the gun and putting the sauce on yet, don’t you dare.) Cover and let them sit for about 15 minutes. Then flip and rotate so that the pieces farthest away from the coals go to the front to ensure they’re cooked evenly. Cover and let them sit for another 15 minutes.
While you’re waiting, go back and get some of the sauce and a basting brush. Taste again and marvel at what an incredible cook you are. Feel free to do so out loud.
After the 15 minutes has passed, the chicken should be at an internal temp of around 160 - 165. Now for the last part. Now, and only now do you put the BBQ sauce on. Slather it on a couple of pieces, flip them over onto the area right above the coals and coat the other side. Be very careful not to let them burn, you’re looking to get a nice sear on the sauce. Flip the pieces and coat the upside again with sauce. You want around 3 layers of sauce on each side, exposed to the high heat only long enough to make it bubble and caramelize. DO NOT STEP AWAY FROM THE GRILL. They’re real easy to burn at this point, and if you burn them you go to hell. Literally, the pope told me so. You’ll know you’re getting to the sweet spot when the sauce starts sticking to your tongs.
Once they’re done, set them on a plate and do the rest in the same way. Serve with beer and triumph.
Got to introduce my wife to actual barbeque over the weekend! (Recipe below for you cookish types)
by corpusdei 15 Replies latest social family
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corpusdei
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NewChapter
Not a fan of barbecue, but loved how you wrote this up. (Will the barbecue gods remember this little compliment when it comes time to judge me for all of my barbecue denial?)
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clarity
Corpusdei .............omg
Yummmie!
Your wife is such a lucky girl!!!!
c
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corpusdei
Well, NewChapter, the barbeque gods are kind and exist in an eternal state of mild inebriation. And there are many gods in my culinary pantheon, so "I'm not a fan of barbeque" is still heresy, but as long as you haven't committed the sin of Burning Of The Meal, it's certainly forgivable. :)
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out4good3
Really great BBQ doesn't need BBQ sauce. All that shit is is glorified ketchup.
Spice your meat and let the spices on it marinate in the fridge the day before.
Also, I would soak some applewood and Pecan wood pieces in water overnight, and light it up in the pit until it is smoking. Add more pieces as necessary and don't let tht temperature get above 275. Smoke all meat as needed , turning occasionally until the chicken reaches 160-165. Throw a slab of ribs on the pit for good measure.
When the chicken, ribs, or brisket is at the right temperature, take it off the grill, wrap it in foil, and let it "rest" for at least and hour or an hour and a half before cutting and serving. This will allow all those flavors to permeate all the way though the meat to the bone, lock in all those juices, and keep it from drying out.
As far as lighting up coals and\or wood......
If you have to, use lighter fluid as springly as possible. Use more paper and be patient.....
Standing next to a BBQ pit that looks like the towering inferno may impress your friends, but to a true BBQ enthusiast, you'll look like a world class idiot.
The last thing you want is your food tasting like its been soaked in that shit.
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corpusdei
out4good3>> *worships* Very true, that is BBQ in it's most pure form. Never tried pecan wood - my uncle always swore by apple and persimmon.
And lighter fluid is the tool of the devil.
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NewChapter
Oh dear, Corp and Out4 are about to engage in a barbecue holy war.
NC
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out4good3
Persimmon.....hmmmmmm....I'll have to try that.
I typically make a liquid concoction of spices ( I won't share that secret) that I spray on the meat to keep it moist and infuse more flavoring while it is cooking. I've also experimented with a host of different Jamaican marinades.
But you're right, lighter fluid is the tool of the devil and should be avoided at all costs in getting the wood to smoke.
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wha happened?
How do I make BBQ? I drive over to Dr Hogely Wogely's Tyler Texas BBQ and enjoy
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mrsjones5
Damn skippy, my folks are from the south, been eating BBQ all my life. But the best BBQ I've ever had and now miss terribly is made by my crazy MIL from Ohio. Stuff don't even need sauce, that's how good it is. Oh I should add that my crazy MIL is originally from Florida.
We need a grill.