Your favorite barbecuing/smoking recipes

[geoff_in_nc]

My lovely wonderful GF got me a really really nice barbecue setup this weekend - it has a gas grill, and a combination charcoal grill with a sidecar type smoker box that flows into the charcoal grill area.
(image removed)

I'm mainly interested in the charcoal grilling and smoking aspects of this. But I'll be happy to use the gas grill too. I have to admit I'm pretty much a rank novice at cooking out on the barbecue, and beyond novice at smoking.

Here's where you come in. Please give me your favorite recipes! I'm up for beef, pork, fowl, fish, seafood, veggies, anything. I love it all. I'm not a huge fan of sweet alone, but along with spicy, that will work. I love spices of all types, not just hot (but I do love hot).

Thanks in advance for sharing folks! I'm looking forward to a smoky summer!

(BTW: If you can't read my shirt, it says "Bacon makes it better".)

 

[Tim Armstrong]

My all-purpose rub (use it on ribs, brisket, even turkey) is pretty much equal parts salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. It gets raves.

Low and slow makes meats amazingly tasty. I do an 8 lb brisket for 18 hours. Just make sure the temperature of the meat stays below 210 F or so, so that the moisture stays in and doesn't boil out.

Minor correction: I usually leave out the paprika for the turkey!

 

[superbadj]

1: Go to amazingribs.com.

2: Read. Everything.

3: That'll take about three months.

4: Cook. Eat. Love.

Seriously, it's a great site. Amazing recipes. Amazing teaching about how smoking/grilling works (temperature control, etc.). Great reviews on gadgets you need and ones you don't.

My advice: start simple. Master the basics. Move up from there.

 

[superbadj]

oh yeah: I recommend getting "Smoke and Spice", an excellent recipe book. it's smoker-centric (not so much grilling), but great.

My rub is based on the Wild Willy's Onederful Rub in that book:

3/4 cup smoked paprika (hot if you like hot, bittersweet if not)
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup sugar in the raw
3 tbs chili powder
3 tbs cumin
2 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs onion powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper (again..unless you're spice/hot phobic....in that case, skip it)

Combine all ingredients in a resealable container, like Tupperware.

To avoid contamination, or wasted spices, spoon out what you need before coating anything and reseal to insure no utensils that have touched raw meat mingle with your spice reserve.

 

[Ricky D.]

OK, I'll have some more when I get back to the recipe box, But here's a couple of treats for you.

Pork Bombs

You can use brats, kiebasa, country, suit yourself...

cut the sausage into 1" pieces.
Wrap with bacon so the edge of the bacon extends 1/8" - 1/4" above the cut end, secure with a toothpick.
Stuff that top cavity with cream cheese. dust it with cayenne for some heat. A little brown sugar on top of that.

Into the smoker, about 30 minutes at 300. Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce for the last 10 minutes or so.

You can do jalapeno poppers the same way. Cut off the stem, cut a wedge out of the side. Clean out the seeds and white membranes to reduce the heat. stuff with cream cheese, brown sugar on top, wrap with bacon. Toothpick holds it together. I go about 30 minutes in the smoker at 300. Cooking longer makes the peppers softer and reduces the heat a little more.

Hickory is just fine as a smoke wood.

Advice: Get an instant read thermometer. They are cheap and will save your butt. Also get a thermometer you can mount on the lid of your smoker. Temperature control is a big deal.

Here's a truly great book on NC BBQ. Highly recommended. Good recipes and lore.

Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue: John Shelton Reed, Dale Volberg Reed, William McKinney: 9780807832431: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T568clPkL.@@AMEPARAM@@51T568clPkL

 

[Tatercaster]

Saw this sauce in a book:

1 cup pineapple preserves
1 cup terriyaki glaze
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Makes a good glaze for polynesian style pork ribs.

Mexican carne asada:

Skirt steak, beer, lime, salt

Use one can beer on 2Lbs of skirt steak, salt and squeeze a couple of limes onto meat. Grill until done. Serve with onion, jalapeño, tortillas, and pinto or black beans.

 

[ValDiaz]

Don't forget the veggies. An easy way to get started & gain some experience. Red peppers & courgette/zucchini done on the BBQ are freakin' awesome.

Pick up a nice whole fish (bream is good), stuff it with some lemon & parsley, wrap it in foil & throw it on the grill till it's ready.

Damn, I'm hungry now...

 

[uriah1]

+ nice super grill there.

charcoal only

(walleye+onion+cheddar cheese sprinkles+hogbreath seasoning+Aluminum foil)

 

[yDcwpdNlaz]

Mustard. That's my secret ingredient. Very fast, requires no thought whatsosever, and it tastes mighty fine on nearly anything. Just rub yer meat (works well with any kind of meat, IME) with mustard and let it set for 15-20 minutes before cooking.

Otherwise, for steaks or hamburger, I'll let the meat set in some Worcestershire, then make a rub out of garlic, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and Herb De Provence. The cinnamon really adds a nice sweetness.

 

[goldtopper]

Lox
My current favorite is dry curing salmon fillets with a salt, brown sugar and white pepper rub overnight, then a rinse and a brine of salt and white sugar for 8 hours. I then it dry and cold smoke at <70f for 4 hours over alder.

 

[BlackAmpeg]

That's a sweet setup! If someone gave me a grill like that, I'd sell my stove. I love to grill. I have a $15 charcoal grill that gets a lot of use year-round; burgers, ribs, chicken wings, steaks, vegetables, you name it I've probably tried (or would try) to grill it. I don't have any killer recipes, but I will say my secret weapon is Misty's All-Purpose seasoning. It doesn't matter what you make, it's better with Misty's IMO.

Now that I've said I don't have any killer recipes:

3 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. Misty's
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 small pinch of used coffee grounds

^^Makes 4-6 burgers depending on the size.

Mix all the above in a bowl thoroughly and form into patties or donut shapes for burgers. The eggs and bread crumbs help keep the things from falling apart; if you're out of hamburger buns but have hot dog buns you can just make your hamburgers into hot dog shapes that won't fall apart when you grill. A lot of guys use the donut shapes because it helps the meat cook evenly, and you can fill the hole with cheese after it's on the bun.

 

[wutmornin]

my take on smoking meats is to keep it simple. Just two generations ago my grandmother was smoking hogs in Iowa because thats how they made it through the next hard time. I use her basic recipe for my brines and it couldn't be easier:

Always use glass or ceramic, never metal or wood (or plastic) bowls for soaking

No matter how much brine you will need, it is always made by using COLD water and adding just enough PICKLING salt (No Iodine) to float an egg just enough for it to break the surface of the water.

Sugars are great but can be overdone. If you don't let it soak long enough you wasted the sugar in the brine, if you let it soak too long it will be saltier than sweet. For really sweet taste you need to use sugar like a barbecue sauce later on.

From those basic guidelines I have experimented cautiously and adjusted times and heats to get different recipes that mirror the ones you find other places but I still keep it simple as I can. I use Kingsford briqueetes only for repeatability, I use Hickory chips only for the same reason. I use rubs I can buy commercially because it is easier and not that expensive for a consistant simple rub recipe. I use molasses instead of sugar because I think it has a better carmelization, and I will save a nasty tasting wine or brandy for the brine or for a sauce rather than force myself to drink a bottle of chateau le arse that I wish I hadn't bought in the first place.

The very few times I have created something that wasn't well received were all experiments, and I try to remember that even the best I have ever made was probably only marginally better than the simplest most run of the mill product I can manage. No one ever complains about the fish not being smoked on a cedar plank or that my rub is just montreal steak seasoning or that I didn't spring for the imported czech crabapple wood chips, but slathering everything in best foods salad dressing or adding a bubble gum flavored sno cone to the brine will sometimes be very disappointing.

PS- if you smoke fish in that smoker you will taste the fish in everything you smoke after that. I have a cheap electric for fish and it works great. My big fancy never sees anything with fins.

 

[muchxs]

We tend to grille hot over charcoal i.e. the 20 minute steak. it goes 5 minutes per side. Sear, sear, flip. flip. Serve.

Ah, but there's a trick to it. We add genuine figured maple Fender neck blank cutoffs for smoke. No kidding! For real! I soak my maple in cold water all day before I grille. I surround the Kingsford with damp figured maple neck blank cutoffs for smoke.

The steaks come off and the maple goes directly on the charcoal. Boneless skinless chicken breasts go on the cold side of the grille and smoke for two hours. This is your Southern style "low 'n' slow". They would fully cook if I left 'em on for four hours or so. The trick is adding smoked flavor while the chicken stays pink in the middle.

The smoked chicken becomes the main ingredient in our smoked chicken chorizo chili.

The smoked chicken goes on top of the chili fixins in the bottom of the fridge where it rests all night. It rests better if I pour a cup of Spanish wine over it either grenache or tempranillo.

The chili simmers for 12 hours in our crock pot.

Barbecue and crock pot are a potent combination.

.

 

[vjf1968]

There is a YouTube channel called BBQ Pit Boys. It's a series of episodes of recipes that range from easy to "put some work in" and they are none simple.

 

[geoff_in_nc]

1: Go to amazingribs.com.

2: Read. Everything.

I'll do that! That sounds like the kind of instruction I'm looking for! Thanks.

oh yeah: I recommend getting "Smoke and Spice", an excellent recipe book. it's smoker-centric (not so much grilling), but great.

My rub is based on the Wild Willy's Onederful Rub in that book:

3/4 cup smoked paprika (hot if you like hot, bittersweet if not)
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup sugar in the raw
3 tbs chili powder
3 tbs cumin
2 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs onion powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper (again..unless you're spice/hot phobic....in that case, skip it)

Combine all ingredients in a resealable container, like Tupperware.

To avoid contamination, or wasted spices, spoon out what you need before coating anything and reseal to insure no utensils that have touched raw meat mingle with your spice reserve.

I have this book! I had a box of "junk" sitting in the garage, and within the last couple weeks, opened it up and saw that book in it, and made a mental note. I pulled it out last night after I got the grill all together, and started reading thru it. Its kind of shy on the "how to" of grilling/smoking, but seems chocked full of good recipes. So hopefully the amazingribs.com site will give me the how to.

Here's a truly great book on NC BBQ. Highly recommended. Good recipes and lore.

Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue: John Shelton Reed, Dale Volberg Reed, William McKinney: 9780807832431: Amazon.com: Books

Will check that out. Thanks!

Mustard. That's my secret ingredient.

You mean dry mustard like you get in the spice section? Or wet mustard like you put on sandwiches? Oh and that burger recipe sounds good... mmm...

Thanks everyone else I didn't quote specifically. I appreciate your input!

 

[yDcwpdNlaz]

You mean dry mustard like you get in the spice section? Or wet mustard like you put on sandwiches? Oh and that burger recipe sounds good... mmm...

Thanks everyone else I didn't quote specifically. I appreciate your input!

Like plain ol' wet French's mustard. Draw a circle with it on the meat, then get your hands dirty and rub the mustard all around both sides of the meat.

 

[AndreDanican]

Try grilling pineapple. Seriously!

 

[Jim DaddyO]

I am not a pro, but generally I have found (and heard), sweet and/or spicy for pork and more in the direction of saltier for beef.

I keep it pretty simple. Open the spice drawer and throw 2 or 3 things on that look interesting. In the drawer there is always (in addition to salt and pepper) seasoned salt, garlic powder, some sort of Montreal smoked meat blend, Steak spice, poultry seasoning, paprika, ground chili pepper, cayanne pepper.

My rub for ribs is easy too, mostly brown sugar (wife likes them sweet) with a healthy kick of cayanne pepper to give it bite. A bit of Lemon pepper and a good bit of garlic powder. I just taste it and add one of those as I feel. When in doubt, add more garlic....Cooked for 4 to 5 hours with charcoal and a I try to keep the temp about 230 to 250 by adding about 5 briquettes at a time as it burns down. The coals are in one side of the grill and the ribs are on the other side under the chimney. Not all that accurate, but don't sweat it, as long as you don't get too hot. The brown sugar will caramelize on the ribs as they cook.

 

[asatfan]

Nice rig! Gas for steaks, burgers, chops, etc.....charcoal for everything else!

Years ago, my sis gave me a great book: The Passion of Barbeque by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. Lots of good stuff in there.

 

[AirBagTester]

1: Go to amazingribs.com.

2: Read. Everything.

Definitely! That website is like the TDPRI of barbecue.

I don't really have any particular recipes... I use a typical kind of rub blend that I think I got from Alton Brown or Amazingribs.com. Brown sugar, paprika, pepper, cayenne, salt, chili, onion and garlic powder, etc. The usual. Works on ribs and pork shoulder. Sometimes I will coat with yellow mustard because it helps hold the rub on, but sometimes I forget and I'm not sure I can taste the difference...

I pull my shoulders at 195F and no sooner! (Sometimes that means wrapping them and finishing in the oven...)

Question: why do people soak wood chips in water? I used to do that to try to make it burn slower and longer, but it literally puts water on my fire, and the wood won't smoke until the water evaporates anyway (i.e. the boiling point of water is 212F and the smoke point of wood is much higher.) Is there some other reason to soak chips, or am I incorrect about this?

EDIT: I even found an article on amazingribs.com that talks about soaking wood: http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_soaking_wood.html

In a grill or smoker, like the potatoes, the wood temp will not rise much above 212°F until the water steams off. After the water is driven off, the wood starts to warm and when the surface hits the combustion point, about 575°F, it begins giving off gases. It can then combust and produce smoke.

But if that's true, why was I soaking them for all these years? Better tone?