It is time to celebrate the 4th of July, AND it is time to get our smokers and grills ready. Many celebrate Independence Day, and all the excitement of summer, with a backyard cookout or barbecue.
Barbecue must be one of life’s greatest gastronomic pleasures. Why else would there be so many barbecue festivals, barbecue restaurants, barbecue cookbooks, and barbecue contests and rivalries. I do not get into regional preferences; I like it all. Several years ago, when traveling overseas with my family, we had one of our best meals at a “Memphis Style” barbecue restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland. The place was packed with happy meat lovers. Barbecue is a way of life and a world-wide obsession.
I love smoked barbecue chicken and you can find some of the finest at several metro-area gas stations and restaurants. Plan to go early and hope they have a smoked quarter chicken left for a delicious lunch.
Barbecue beef brisket is also a gift to the culinary world, but the barbecue I eat the most is barbecue pork. Something about the “low and slow” smoking of a pork shoulder (Boston butt) brings out its best flavors. I have a smoker and have tried several rubs, smoking techniques, and injections. I have found that they are all good and it is difficult to mess up a pork butt. The main things to remember: season it and cook it low and slow until the meat is basically falling apart. I season the bone-in pork butt with some dry rub and smoke for about six to eight hours. I have found that you may need some additional cooking time in a 325-degree oven. Once you can easily pull the bone out and shred the meat, it is done.
Pat’s Chicken Quarters
Pat Nelson was kind enough to share his recipe for the most tender and delicious chicken quarters I have ever tried. This will feed a crowd and a crowd will come if you offer this amazing chicken.
Pat explained that this is a Carolina version of barbecue chicken, as opposed to Memphis tomato based.
Marinade for two 10 pound bags of chicken quarters:
32 oz of Heinz apple cider vinegar
16 oz of Wesson oil
1/4 box of table salt
1 medium box of black pepper
1 small box of cayenne pepper
1 small bottle of Tabasco
1 small bottle or can of celery seed
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
Heat grill. Bring mixture to a boil. Salt chicken on both sides, put black pepper on one side. Once chicken has browned, spoon marinade on it continuously while grilling on charcoal fire. When chicken is completely done, place in aluminum foil pan and spoon more marinade over it. Cover tightly with foil and place in 250 degree oven for two to three hours until chicken falls off the bone.
Kendall’s Braided Pork Loin
Kendall Garraway discovered this delicious and aesthetically pleasing way to cook a whole pork loin. Be sure and take photos or “present” the final product to your guests for the full affect. Once it is cooked, you can slice the roast and have small pieces of meat ready to go into slider buns. This approach allows you to season and brown a greater surface area producing more flavor for an otherwise mild dish.
1 whole pork loin, trimmed and cut according to recipe
About 1/4 - 1/2 cup of seasoning of your choice: Kendall used barbecue dry rub (recipe to follow), but any good meat season will work such as lemon-pepper, Cajun, Greek, Italian seasoning.
To prepare the roast: Slice the whole pork loin roast lengthwise into three strips, being careful to leave the end attached by about one to two inches. Braid the roast and secure the loose end with a large shish kabob skewer.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill and cook meat over low indirect heat until internal temperature reaches about 150 degrees. Remove pork from grill and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes until carving. When ready to serve, remove skewer and slice.
You can prep and season the roast a day ahead.
Barbecue Dry Rub
We keep this on hand to sprinkle on any barbecue dish or smoked sausage. It makes a generous amount so you can share with a friend.
1/4 cup paprika (smoked if you can find it)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons peppercorns finely ground
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin seed
3 tablespoons ground coriander seed
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 - 3/4 cup light brown sugar
Mix thoroughly and store in an air tight container. Feel free to adjust any of the seasonings to your taste.
A Regional Guide to Sauce
I love a variety of barbecue sauce options, and we recently hosted a barbecue birthday party. It was so easy, and everyone was able to dress their own meat. I prepared several regional types of barbecue sauce and allowed guests to choose. The sauces need to be prepared a few days in advance for the flavors to fully develop.
“Alabama Style” White Barbecue Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon creole mustard
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
“Kansas City Style” Sweet Barbecue Sauce
2 cups ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
4 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, celery seed, paprika, salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes. Store in refrigerator.
“Carolina Style” Mustard Barbecue Sauce
1 1/2 cups yellow mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon each: cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook on low until sugar dissolves. Store in refrigerator.
“Memphis Style” Smoky Barbecue Sauce
1 - 24 oz. bottle of ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 teaspoon granulated onion
2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Combine all ingredients except lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, in a medium saucepan. Cook on low heat for about 1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator.
“Mid-West Style” Vinegar Basting Sauce
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 ketchup
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Store in fridge and shake before using.
The sides for a barbeque party are just as easy. Make some quick coleslaw, baked beans, and Texas toast; and the dinner is complete.
Eric’s Baked Beans
I just published this recipe a few weeks ago in another article, but it is so good that it is worthy of a re-print. Friend and neighbor Eric Dyess shared this recipe with me and he makes the best baked beans I have ever tasted. Hands down, they are delicious.
I added a few slices of jalapeno to the top of mine before baking to add a spicier flavor.
1 tablespoon oil or bacon grease
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 pounds lean ground beef
1 bottle of your preferred barbecue sauce
1/2 cup pancake syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup yellow mustard
3 large cans baked beans, Eric uses Bush’s brand
10 jalapeno slices, optional
Sauté first four ingredients until meat is done. Drain any fat but you should not have much. Mix all ingredients with sautéed meat and vegetables and bake in a well-greased dish for 1 1/2 hours at about 350 degrees.
Katty’s Slaw
My mother-in-law would serve this vinegar-based slaw and I enjoyed the option from the mayonnaise variety. Feel free to add a little mayo if you want a creamy texture.
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of celery seed
1 cup canola oil
1 head cabbage, washed and thinly shredded or chopped
Mix all ingredients except cabbage in a measuring cup or mason jar and shake until thoroughly combined. When ready to serve or at least 30 minutes before, pour about half the dressing over the cabbage and toss. Sprinkle with additional celery seed and additional salt and pepper, if needed. Toss a few times, add additional dressing if needed and serve.
Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream
Grills are not the only well-used piece of cooking equipment in the summer. A picnic would not be a picnic without homemade ice cream. This recipe is one of the best I have ever tasted. It makes about 3 pints of ice cream so you can increase or decrease based on your ice cream freezer size.
1 1/2 cups plus 4 tablespoons sugar
8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups fresh blueberries
In the bowl of electric mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, place 1 1/2 cups sugar, cream cheese, and the sour cream. Mix until thoroughly combined. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Set aside.
In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring milk and cream to a low simmer until just steaming or about three minutes. With mixer on low, add half the warm milk to the cream cheese mixture. You are “tempering” the mixture so you do not scramble the eggs.
Add mixture back to sauce pan. Stir mixture constantly over medium heat until thick, about four to five minutes. Do not allow mixture to boil.
Put mixture in refrigerator until cold. Once cooled, place mixture in an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions.
While ice cream is freezing, mix blueberries with the remaining four tablespoons of sugar in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Smash several during cooking. Cook until thick and syrupy, or about three minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
When ice cream is frozen and ready, remove about half of the ice cream from the machine and transfer into a large freezer-safe container. Press in about half of the blueberries on top of ice cream and swirl mixture. Add the rest of ice cream and blueberry mixture swirling to incorporate.
Allow to freeze overnight and serve when ready. You can add a cherry on top for a perfect “red, white and blue” dessert.
