“…bacon is in its terminal stage, clinging to relevance, grasping at any opportunity to cash in on its dwindling cachet as its 15 minutes come to an end.”

So wrote Seattle journalist Erica C. Barnett in May 2009, in the alternative newspaper The Stranger.

Well, Ms. Barnett, you got it wrong. Time to eat crow, preferably wrapped in a bacon weave.

Yes, cured and smoked pork belly is still one of America’s favorite flavors, an exceedingly popular meat at supermarkets and butcher shops from coast to coast. At breakfast it sits beside eggs, toast, pancakes, or potatoes. On a hamburger it contributes smoke and crunch. Wrapped around vegetables, chicken, fruit, or scallops, its rendering fat bastes whatever lies beneath it. Crumbled over salads or soups, a small amount can flavor an entire dish. Even bacon fat itself becomes an ingredient, carrying its smoky character into eggs, beans, cornbread, vegetables, gravies, stews, and sauces.

“Fry” it on your outdoor grill or griddle and avoid messy spatters and lingering odors.

Here are our favorite ways to enjoy this versatile meat.

Make a Bacon Weave

Have you yet to try the impressive bacon weave, a savory cloak that elevates meatloaf, pork loin, and the Thanksgiving turkey?

If not, find concise directions and tips for success here. It’s easy and is guaranteed to impress friends and family.

Make Bacon Jam

We read that 69 percent of U.S. restaurants feature bacon on their menus, some in the form of bacon jam.

It’s a bougie condiment you can make yourself. Find the recipe for Bacon Jam here.

Make Bacon Bourbon

Bacon isn’t limited to the plate. You can even put it in your glass.

Our Bacon Bourbon uses rendered bacon fat to infuse bourbon with smoke. Sip it straight or use it for Manhattans and Old Fashioneds. Better still, garnish the cocktail with a strip of bacon.

Bacon-Wrapped Onion Rings

Wrap thick slices of sweet onions with thin-cut bacon for a porky twist on onion rings.

Bacon on a Stick

Thread bacon on bamboo skewers and grill at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes per side, or until done to your liking.

Serve with burgers or other grilled sandwiches. These also make good stir sticks for Bloody Marys.

Bacon-Wrapped Corn

Spiral bacon slices around ears of sweet corn.

Bacon-Wrapped Fruit

Wrap wedges of fruit—peaches, cantaloupe, or pears—with bacon and grill to your liking.

Make Onion Bombs

Follow our directions for Onion Bombs—a blessed marriage between onions, bacon, and ground meat.

Make Your Own Bacon

Make your own bacon! It’s easier than you think and can be on your table in as little as two days.

Our 48-hour homemade bacon method shows you how.

The post Baconpalooza: 9 Ways to Grill With Bacon appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Monument Grills Makes Accommodating Food-Sensitive Foodies Easy

By John White

When it comes to a daily household menu, most families have a diversity of needs, wants and plain-old “I don’t like that” sensitivities. For example, I don’t like baked potatoes, but I’ll go out of my way for French fries.

Sometimes, personal likes and dislikes don’t factor into the equation, but actual sensitivities do. In my family’s case, it’s gluten, as my wife and daughter can’t tolerate it. But that doesn’t mean we don’t eat well (we do!), nor does it mean we can’t celebrate National Quesadilla Day, even though flour tortillas would be considered a necessary ingredient.

Delicious Food-Sensitive Quesadillas Without Sacrificing Flavor

Once again, my graciously provided Monument Mesa II propane-fired grill made preparing this multi-step, Mexican-inspired treat easy, using the grill, a griddle and side-mounted burner for an accompaniment of refried beans.

And…what would a Mexican feast be without salsa (in this case, Pico de Gallo), Guacamole and Margaritas!

The Menu

Gluten and gluten-free chipotle chile-marinated quesadillas with refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and margaritas, traditional or made with non-alcoholic spirits.

The Recipes

Finally, what would a delicious quesadilla be without a tasty Margarita?

Remember…

It doesn’t have to be a holiday to enjoy quesadillas. Cook a few extra, let them cool, seal in sandwich bags and reheat for a treat anytime. Happy National Quesadilla Day from the entire team at BarbecueBible!

The post Now Everyone Can Celebrate <br />National Quesadilla Day! appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

September 9 is National Steak au Poivre Day. Here at BarbecueBible.com, we’re celebrating with one of the great French steak preparations: beef crusted with cracked black pepper and served with a Cognac cream sauce.

Traditionally, steak au poivre is made with filet mignon in a skillet on the stovetop. We’re taking it outside, using ribeye and a cast-iron skillet over a wood fire.

The idea for this version came from BarbecueBible Test-Kitchen Director Steve Nestor, who cooked a ribeye steak au poivre in cast iron over a wood fire in 2023. His original version inspired the approach here.

Why Ribeye for Steak au Poivre?

Ribeye brings considerably more marbling and beef flavor to the equation.

It also stands up well to the assertive flavors in this dish. There’s a lot going on between the cracked peppercorns, Dijon mustard, Cognac, and cream. Ribeye doesn’t disappear underneath the sauce.

Cast Iron Meets Wood Fire

Set up the grill for a two-zone wood fire, with a hot side and a cooler side. A chimney starter makes quick work of getting the fire going. The hot side will heat the skillet and cook the steak; the cooler side gives you a place to finish the sauce, especially once the Cognac comes out.

Lightly brush the ribeye with Dijon mustard, then coat it with freshly cracked black peppercorns. The mustard helps the pepper stick to the steak. And cracked is the operative word here. You want some texture from the peppercorns, not a coating of finely ground pepper.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over the hot side of the fire. Add the butter, then the pepper-crusted ribeye.

Cooking the steak in cast iron rather than directly on the grill grate keeps the butter, rendered beef fat, and browned bits in the pan.

Transfer the ribeye to a wire rack set over a sheet pan and let it rest while you make the sauce. Don’t wipe out the skillet. The butter, beef drippings, and browned bits left behind are the starting point for the au poivre sauce.

Building the Au Poivre Sauce

With the steak resting, sauté the diced shallot directly in the skillet, then add the mushrooms you grilled earlier over the wood fire.

Move the skillet to the cooler side of the grill before adding the Cognac. Pour it into the skillet, then ignite it with a long match or butane lighter, keeping your face and hands back from the pan. Let the flames burn out on their own, then stir in the Dijon mustard and heavy cream. Cook until the sauce reduces and thickens.

Au poivre isn’t limited to ribeye. The same peppercorn-and-Cognac treatment works with strip steak, sirloin, or the traditional filet mignon. You can also take the sauce beyond beef and serve it with pork chops, lamb, or venison.

Not Hot Enough? Pepper Steak Barbecue University Style

This steak gets its smoky char flavor from a singular grilling method—cavemanning, aka grilling directly on the embers. I like to start with a nice thick T-bone for this recipe—1-1/2 inches thick. Season it super generously with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Build a charcoal fire and rake out the embers to an even layer. Fan the coals with a folded newspaper to dislodge any ash.

Then lay the T-bone directly on the coals. Grill until the bottom is charred and beads of blood start to pearl on the top, 3 minutes or so. Move the steak once or twice with tongs, so it grills evenly. Then, using long-handled tongs, invert it and grill the other side the same way. Transfer the steak to a wire rack over a sheet pan, shaking it to dislodge any embers.

And now the pepper sauce. Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a long-handled skillet directly on the embers. Add 4 thinly sliced jalapenos, 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Cook the ingredients in the oil, stirring with tongs, until the jalapenos and garlic are sizzling and lightly browned. Pour the mixture over the steak and dig in.

Whichever version you choose, I’m sure you’ll agree that pepper(s) make a great steak taste even better!

Do you have a favorite steak au poivre? Share your photos on Steven’s social media: @stevenraichlen.

The post Hot or Hotter: Pepper Steak Two Ways appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

By Daniel Hale

There are burgers, and then there are burgers that make you rethink what a burger should be.

I came across these New Mexican Green Chile Burgers while paging through Steven Raichlen’s Raichlen’s Burgers.

This is the kind of burger I had never really considered. Sure, I’ve had plenty of chili cheeseburgers. But a green chile burger? That was something new for me.

So when Melissa’s Produce sent me a box of fresh mild Hatch chiles in the middle of Hatch season, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

I fired up the Monument Grills Eminence 605 and put Steven’s New Mexican burger to the test.

What Makes a Hatch Chile Different?

Hatch isn’t a particular variety of pepper. The name refers to chiles grown in and around New Mexico’s Hatch Valley.

They can range from mild to seriously hot, but what makes them special is their distinctive flavor—especially once they meet fire. Roasting softens the flesh, concentrates the flavor, and adds a smoky edge that makes green chile a natural partner for grilled beef.

Once roasted, the chiles are covered briefly to steam, then peeled, seeded, and cut into strips. Some go into the cheddar topping for the burgers, while the rest can be used to make Steven’s New Mexican Salsa Verde.

Making the Green Chile Burgers on the Monument Eminence 605

The first job for the Monument Grills Eminence 605 was roasting the Hatch chiles.

I fired up the grill and brought the temperature to around 550° to 600°F. That intense heat quickly blistered and blackened the skins while softening the flesh underneath.

The Eminence 605’s six main burners made it easy to generate the high heat I was looking for. I placed the chiles directly over the heat and turned them until the skins were blistered on all sides.

While they cooked, I kept an eye on the grill through the Monument Grills app. The Eminence 605 connects to the app via Bluetooth, allowing me to monitor the grill temperature from my phone without constantly lifting the lid.

Once the chiles were roasted, peeled, and seeded, they became the ingredient that really sets Steven’s New Mexican Green Chile Burger apart.

The chile shows up twice. First, strips of fire-roasted Hatch chile are combined with grated white cheddar and piled onto the hot burger, where the cheese melts around the peppers.

Then comes the salsa verde. Made with roasted green chiles, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and oregano, it adds another layer of chile flavor along with acidity and freshness.

The burgers themselves are intentionally simple: ground chuck or sirloin seasoned generously with salt and pepper. After roasting the chiles, I used the Eminence 605 to grill the beef patties and toast the hamburger buns.

Steven’s original recipe calls for New Mexican green chiles, Anaheim chiles, or poblanos. If you can get fresh Hatch chiles while they’re in season, use them.

Fire Up a Different Kind of Burger

I have to say, this burger was fantastic.

You get great beefy flavor up front, followed by the roasted chile and just enough Hatch chile heat at the finish. The salsa verde adds brightness without overpowering the burger.

A great burger doesn’t always need bacon, a dozen toppings, or some complicated secret sauce. Sometimes all it takes is good beef, a hot grill, melted cheese, and one ingredient that changes the whole personality of the burger.

In New Mexico, that ingredient is green chile.

After trying one topped with fire-roasted Hatch chiles, the standard lettuce-and-tomato cheeseburger suddenly has some serious competition.

A huge thanks to Monument Grills for sponsoring this post.

The post Fire-Roasted Hatch Chile Burgers:<br /> A Taste of New Mexico appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

A Twist on Indirect Grilling this German Staple Courtesy on Monument Grills

By John White

Suffering through one of the hottest summers on record, it’s tempting to project what it will be like in a few weeks. Cool and crisp with perfect weather for celebrating a bountiful harvest with grilled Bratwurst and, of course, cold beer!

That must be exactly what residents of Johnsonville, Wisconsin thought when they established National Bratwurst Day in the early 20^th Century – this year, celebrated on August 16^th.

In Sheboygan, Wisconsin – the “Bratwurst Capital of the World,” – residents grill them over charcoal and eat them on a special hard-crusted, soft-crumbed roll called a semmel, with brown German mustard, dill pickles, and an optional flourish of diced onions.

Being an enthusiast of all things Teutonic – that sounds delicious to me! But…can that wonderful, smoky flavor and slightly crisped texture be replicated on a gas-fired grill?

In their graciousness, our friends at Monument Grills have provided an opportunity for me to discover the versatility of their Mesa II unit, and I’d found that with its side-mounted burner and the Smoker Bar accessory, this grill can accommodate a variety of tasks – from boiling water, to frying bacon and, of course, grilling – making it a ‘one-stop’ workspace for nearly any culinary adventure.

Should you be motivated to celebrate National Bratwurst Day this week, the following provides and easy and efficient way to enjoy a German feast that is truly ‘wonderbar!’

The Menu

Grilled Bratwurst with German Potato Salad, Sauteed Onions, Homemade Sauerkraut and Homemade Mustard

For inspiration, I referred to Steven’s Bratwurst recipe, recommending an indirect method for grilling the ‘brats. Like a traditional frankfurter or hot dog, Bratwurst is easy to cook – and, in this case I used the Mesa II ‘Broil Zone’ feature with the Smoker Box (filled with water-soaked Applewood chips) positioned between the flames and, with the lid closed, I heated the grill grates to 325^.

Once up to temperature, I placed the Bratwurst (shout-out to Barth’s, in New Providence, New Jersey for the Beer and Thuringer Bratwurst) over the cool side of the grill. Turn the Bratwurst to cook it evenly and, when they reach an internal temperature of 150º to 160º, expose them to flame to blister the casing a bit.

It couldn’t be easier – and they grilled perfectly.

While the Brats are on the grill, use the side burner to sauté finely chopped white onion in oil or butter and serve over the Brats on your roll.

As an accompaniment, I used my wife’s German Potato Salad recipe for which I was able to use one saucepan on the Mesa II’s side burner for boiling water and frying bacon (Note: It’s important to fry the bacon in the same saucepan that’s used for completing the salad).

For an alternate side-dish, see our recently posted recipe for German Potato Salad.

To make this meal as authentic as possible, I also made a truly delicious Horseradish Mustard, from Steven’s book, Barbecue, Sauces, Rubs and Marinades.

…and don’t forget…

Finally, what would a German meal of grilled Bratwurst be without a healthy serving of hand-crafted Sauerkraut and a cold German beer of your choosing.

Of course, it’s also important to grill plenty of Brats for friends and family to enjoy – Happy National Bratwurst Day!

The post Octoberfest in August? A Bratwurst Feast Worth Celebrating! appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

By Steven Raichlen

It’s America’s favorite seafood. Despite its diminutive name and size, we consume more than 5 pounds per person—for every man, woman, and child—per year.

I’m talking, of course, about shrimp.

Shrimp is quick and easy to grill, delivering a satisfying taste in a matter of minutes. It’s pure protein and in this world of $50-a-pound strip steaks, it’s mercifully affordable. It absorbs virtually any spice, marinade, and smoke flavor you throw at it, without losing its own unique briny flavor. Not everyone eats oysters, clams, or sea urchins. Everyone loves shrimp.

Withal, not all shrimp is created equal, nor do all varieties cook the same on the grill. Here’s what you need to know to grill the perfect shrimp every time. And while we’re at it, we’ll give you some pointers on grilling shrimp’s big brother: lobster.

What You Need to Know About Shrimp

What’s the Difference Between Shrimp and Prawns?

A simple question with a complicated answer. In the U.S. we tend to call these crustaceans “shrimp.” In the UK, people call the same shellfish “prawns.” (In Italy, prawns are called “scampi.”) There are also anatomical, zoomorphic, and biological differences too complicated to get into. Don’t let that interfere with the pleasure of grilling them.

What Size Shrimp Is Best for Grilling?

Shrimp range in size from Quebec’s diminutive crevettes Nordiques (so tiny you can fit a dozen in a tablespoon) to Africa’s black tiger prawn, which can grow up to a foot in length. Shrimp in the U.S. are sold by the “U” size—for example, U-16 means fewer than 16 headless shrimp to a pound. That’s what I use when making shrimp kebabs. When grilling individual shrimp, I buy U-8s or U-10s—also sold as “colossal.”

Should You Grill Shrimp With the Heads On?

In much of the world, people grill shrimp with the heads on. There’s lots of flavor in the head (don’t be embarrassed to suck it out), and it looks cool as all get out. Never underestimate the power of looking cool at the grill.

Should You Grill Shrimp With the Shells On?

I like grilling shrimp in the shell. Fire-charred shells add flavor and keep the meat moist. I like grilling peeled shrimp because they’re quicker and easier to eat (and easier to marinate). There’s a place for both in my barbecue world.

Should You Leave the Tails On?

A lot of restaurants leave the tails on—to remind you that the creature you’re about to eat once swam in the ocean. Or maybe to give you a handle when eating shrimp with your fingers. The fire-charred tail adds a bit of flavor. But it also adds another step come time to eat the shrimp, so omit it if you prefer.

How to Devein Shrimp

A visible black vein in a cooked shrimp is off-tasting and unsightly. Here are three ways to remove it.

1. Use a shrimp peeler and deveiner. Insert the deveiner in the fat end of the shrimp and push. The shell and vein will come off easily.
2. Butterfly the shrimp—that is, make a V-shaped cut along the back of the shrimp to cut out the vein and the flesh immediately surrounding it. The advantage of this method: The shrimp curls into an attractive butterfly shape as it cooks.
3. Insert the tine of a fork in the rounded part of the back under the vein and gently lift. Most of the time, the vein will pull right out.

How to Grill Shrimp

In a nutshell, directly over high heat. Grill small shrimp kebab-style (threaded on bamboo or metal skewers). The skewer should pass through the head end and tail end so each shrimp lies flat on the grate. It’s a lot easier to turn 4 kebabs than 20 individual shrimp.

For the really big guys, like African black tiger prawns, cut them almost in half through the back (cut lengthwise), butterfly them open, and grill as you would a lobster tail. And don’t overlook smoking: Smoked shrimp make an awesome shrimp cocktail.

Figure on 1/2 pound of headless shrimp per person.

Which Shrimp Should You Grill?

Shrimp remain mercifully regional, and each variety has its own distinct texture and taste. If you live on the southeastern seaboard, you eat delicate Carolina shrimp. If you come from Down East, sweet white Maine shrimp are your ticket. Down my way, in south Florida, we grill succulent Key West pinks. Californians and Hawaiians savor spot prawns—so named for the black eye-like mark on the side of the shell. Wild-caught shrimp are my personal favorite—buy them whenever you can.

Otherwise, you’ll use farmed shrimp, which are mercifully affordable and available everywhere. If you’re worried about the provenance, look for the Marine Stewardship Council label on wild-caught shrimp. For farmed shrimp, look for certification from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council or Best Aquaculture Practices.

When buying shrimp, use the sniff test. They should smell briny and fresh, like the seashore, not a fish store. Avoid shrimp that smell ammoniated or like bleach.

A Word About Grilling Lobster

Here in North America, we have two basic varieties to choose from. Down my way, in Miami, we get spiny lobster, also known as Florida lobster (or langosta among our many Spanish speakers). Its lack of claws and wide meaty tail makes it ideal for grilling. Up in Martha’s Vineyard, where I spend my summers, we have Homarus americanus, Maine lobster, distinguished by its large front claws. Spiny is easier to split and grill (and it’s my wife’s favorite), so that’s the recipe featured here.

Here are five of our favorite shrimp and lobster recipes, starting with a New Orleans classic: Emeril Lagasse’s Barbecued Shrimp.

Shrimp and Lobster Recipes to Try

Wildfire Outdoor Living is an Arizona-based company specializing in high-performance gas grills and premium outdoor kitchen solutions. Wildfire brings a commitment to cutting-edge technology and industry-leading innovation. Their 304 stainless steel design and illuminated LED knobs, cast stainless steel burners, and laser-cut stainless steel cooking grates create products that will provide peak performance. They also allow you to customize your outdoor kitchen with designer finish knobs and handles to meet the growing demand for designer outdoor kitchens.

The post Back to Basics: How to Grill Shrimp and Lobster appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

It wins no competitions. It joins no halls of fame. But without it, a grill session would be short of an essential element. And barbecue—whether the backyard variety or the kind served at your favorite smokehouse—would seem downright incomplete.
I speak, of course, of potato salad. If you make it from scratch, good for you. I’m going to tell you how to make it better. And if you’ve never made potato salad from scratch, it’s time to start.

Some of the world’s great grill cultures back me up on this. What would German Spiessbraten—onion-stuffed pork shoulder spit-roasted over blazing birchwood—be without Kartoffelsalat, the warm, vinegary, bacony potato salad served alongside it? Or Peruvian anticuchos—grilled beef-heart kebabs—without papas a la huancaína, potatoes dressed with a piquant Andean chile-cheese sauce?

Closer to home, there’s the potato salad at your neighborhood barbecue joint, or even at temples of smoke and fire like Franklin Barbecue in Austin and Lewis Barbecue in Charleston. The style may change, but the message does not: don’t stage a grill session without it.

What Makes a Great Potato Salad?

First, there’s the potato. Then the dressing. Then the embellishments, flavorings, and garnishes. Even temperature enters the picture, because some potato salads taste best cold, while others are at their finest warm or at room temperature. Here are the decisions that separate an ordinary potato salad from a great one.

1. Choose the Right Potato

Tradition often calls for waxy potatoes, such as fingerlings, red potatoes, and Yukon Golds. They’re lower in starch than baking potatoes, so they hold their shape when cooked and tossed with dressing. That makes them ideal for warm German-style salads and any version in which you want distinct pieces of potato rather than a softer, creamier texture.
But don’t overlook baking potatoes. They’re higher in starch and become light and fluffy when baked. Start with a fully baked potato, chill it, then dice it. One of the best potato salads I’ve ever tasted comes from Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha on Martha’s Vineyard. They start with baked potatoes and add bacon and scallions. Delectable!

2. Put Some Skin in the Game

Personally, I like potatoes with their skins on—more color, more flavor, and more fiber. Scrub them clean with a stiff-bristled brush before cooking. On the other hand, Mrs. Raichlen prefers her potatoes peeled before they become potato salad. Just saying.

3. Dress the Potatoes at the Right Temperature

When Germans make potato salad, they start with hot cooked potatoes. As the potatoes cool, they absorb the dressing, which typically includes vinegar, mustard, oil or bacon fat, and, of course, cooked bacon. Warm or room temperature is the way to serve it.

For a creamy American-style salad, let the potatoes cool fully before adding the mayonnaise dressing. For food safety reasons, mayonnaise should always be kept cold.

4. Choose Creamy or Vinegary

The traditional American version gets its richness from mayonnaise. Hellmann’s, please—unless you come from the South, in which case your mayo of choice may be Duke’s. Central Europeans favor a sharper vinegar-based dressing, with oil or bacon fat supplying the richness.

Neither style is automatically better. The important thing is balance. Potatoes are mild and starchy, so the dressing must bring enough acidity, salt, and seasoning to wake them up.

5. Flavor Assertively

As far as I’m concerned, any potato salad needs mustard and vinegar to offset the starchiness of the potatoes. German potato salad demands a touch of sweetness to counterbalance the vinegar and smoky richness of the bacon.

Many people crown their potato salads with a sprinkling of sweet paprika. You, my friend, will add a smoky dimension by sprinkling on pimentón—Spanish smoked paprika. Once you try it, I promise, you’ll never go back to the sweet stuff.

6. Add Crunch and Contrast

All cream and no crunch would make for a boring potato salad. In my house, capers, olives, and cornichon pickles are obligatory, as are chives or scallion greens chopped so finely a sudden sneeze would blow them away.

Sliced celery? It certainly adds crunch, but Mrs. Raichlen doesn’t like celery, so I omit it. I have been known to sneak in slivered celery leaves. Mrs. Raichlen, meanwhile, likes to add diced raw carrot—diced, mind you, not shredded—to maximize the crunch.

The exact embellishments are up to you. The larger point is to give the soft potatoes something crisp, briny, fresh, or sharp to play against.

7. Make It More Substantial

Just because it’s a side dish doesn’t mean potato salad can’t contain protein. Bacon may define German potato salad, while sliced hard-cooked eggs give an American version more heft. Peru’s popular papas a la huancaína pairs potatoes with a piquant sauce made with tangy white cheese and aji amarillo, the country’s fruity yellow chile.

8. Above All, Add Smoke

So what makes a Raichlen potato salad a Raichlen potato salad? You guessed it: smoke and fire. Instead of boiling the potatoes, I smoke-roast them on the grill.

Set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat it to medium-high—about 400°F. Add wood chips or chunks to the fire. Place the potato chunks in a foil pan and toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Smoke-roast until tender, about 40 minutes, stirring from time to time with a wooden spoon.

The potatoes emerge bronzed at the edges and perfumed with wood smoke. From there, you can take them in an American, German, or Peruvian direction.

Four Potato Salads to Try

Drum roll, please. I now give you four of my favorite potato salads—American, German, and Peruvian, with two very different approaches to the German classic. You be the judge as to which is best.

So Which Potato Salad Is Best?

Creamy or vinegary? Warm or cold? Skins on or off? There is no single correct answer. The world’s best potato salad is the one that delivers the right balance of tender potatoes, assertive seasoning, contrasting textures, and enough acidity to keep you coming back for another forkful.

But this much I know: smoke-roast the potatoes instead of boiling them, and your potato salad will taste like the barbecue it accompanies. Once you add smoke and fire, the humble potato salad becomes a star of the show.

The post How to Make the Best Potato Salad You’ve Ever Tasted—The Secret Is the Smoke appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Barbecue is simple but it isn’t always easy. Simple because it really requires only 2 ingredients: patience and wood smoke.

As for easy? Well, anyone who’s spent 14 hours barbecuing a brisket—maintaining a steady stream of thin blue smoke and a constant temperature of 250 degrees, powering through the stall, doing the wrap, resting the meat and attempting the carve—you’d never call a perfect brisket easy.

But there is one cut that’s both simple and easy to cook and it’s absolutely forgiving. Cook it high heat or low, fast or slow, and it almost always comes out tender and juicy. It’s also one of barbecue’s big three. Drum roll, please. I give you pork shoulder, aka Boston butt. (More on the curious name in a minute.)

Pork shoulder is definitely easy. You season it with your favorite barbecue rub (mine is my Carolina Pit Powder). Or even just salt and pepper. You put it on your grill or in your smoker. Hell, you can even cook it on the rotisserie. You can cook it low and slow or hot and fast—with charcoal, wood, propane, or even—shhhh—on an electric grill.

You can cook it in a few hours, or smoke it for half a day, at temperatures ranging from low to medium, and even high. Thanks to its ample marbling and collagen-rich meat, pork shoulder stays juicy while extended cooking turns it tender enough to shred.

Which brings us to the traditional way to serve pork shoulder in the Carolinas—“pulled,” that is shredded and doused with one of the world’s strangest barbecue sauces. In eastern North Carolina, that sauce consists of vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (sometimes with a whisper of sugar). In western North Carolina, they redden this vinegar sauce with a shot of ketchup.

In South Carolina, pulled or sliced pork is often served with mustard sauce. In Tennessee, you may encounter tomato-based barbecue sauce, while northern Alabama is famous for its mayonnaise-based white sauce.

But American pork shoulder is just a start. In Germany’s Saarland, cooks marinate pork neck or shoulder steaks with onions and spices, then grill them over a traditional beechwood fire on a swinging grate called a schwenker. In Greece, they perfume it with oregano, paprika, and pepper. In Bali, they blast it with ginger, galangal, lemongrass, and fiery chilies. The truth is pork shoulder is so easy to prepare and forgiving to cook, you can season it with almost anything.

Just the Facts About Pork Butt

• A whole pork shoulder (14 to 18 pounds) consists of two parts—the Boston butt and the picnic shoulder (also known as the picnic ham). The former is the top part of the shoulder—5 to 8 pounds of rich, luscious meat, with only a shoulder blade to stand in the way of your carving knife. (When properly cooked, which is to say overcooked, you can pull said bone out with your fingers.)
• The picnic ham is the bottom part of the shoulder, including the top of the leg. The drawback of a picnic ham is its high proportion of skin and bone to meat, which is why I prefer Boston butt. So if Boston butt comes from the shoulder, not the posterior, how did it get its curious name? In ancient times, New England butchers packed salted pork shoulders in barrels, aka “butts.”

  

• When I started out in barbecue, pork was pretty much just pork. Today, connoisseurs choose heritage breeds like Berkshire, Duroc, and Mangalitsa. Berkshire (sometimes sold by its Japanese name, Kurobuta—literally “black pig”), for example, boasts richly flavored, well-marbled, dark-pink meat that makes commodity pork taste downright bland.
• Most of the pork shoulder you buy today comes with the skin removed. Otherwise, trim it off with a paring knife and deep-fry it to make cracklings. (Prolonged grilling or smoking makes the skin leathery.)
• Pork is safe to eat at 145^°F followed by a three-minute rest, but pork butt usually needs to reach approximately 195^°F to 205^°F before its connective tissue has softened enough for easy pulling.
• Chase the smoke ring. Smoke a pork shoulder low and slow in the presence of wood smoke, and you wind up with a pink ring just below the surface—the coveted smoke ring. No, it doesn’t mean that the meat is undercooked. The pigmentation occurs naturally—think of it as the red badge of barbecue honor.
• Finally, the traditional way to serve pork shoulder in the American South is chopped with a cleaver or shredded with meat claws or your fingers. Elsewhere on Planet Barbecue, pork shoulder—particularly boneless shoulder—is served sliced.

4 Pork Butt Recipes to Try Right Now

Frequently Asked Questions

The post Why You Need to Barbecue a Pork Butt Right Now appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Heat domes. Uncontrollable forest fires. Triple-digit temperatures in Boston, Paris, Rome and New York. Yes, in many places, this has been one of the hottest summers in recent memory. It sure seems like this summer the world is burning up.

So what’s the best way to beat the heat? I’ve got a paradoxical solution. Fire up your grill.

More specifically, these cold summer recipes are served chilled, but their flavors are intensified by smoking and grilling.

• Sangria? It’s the perfect summer thirst quencher. But crust the lemons, oranges, limes, and cinnamon sticks with sugar first, then caramelize them on the grill—the resulting smoky wine punch will come as a revelation.
• Gazpacho? It’s another Spanish cooler and it requires little more in terms of cooking than switching on your blender. Until you’ve tasted my smoked gazpacho— you’ll never want to serve gazpacho any other way.
• Then there are bread salads. Italians call it panzanella; Lebanese call it fattoush. Besides being refreshing enough to double as a light summer supper, it’s also a great way to revive stale bread. This version combines grilled pita or bread with fresh vegetables and sweet-sour narsharab, or pomegranate molasses.
• When it comes to beating the heat, sultry Thailand has plenty of experience. They’ve invented the world’s best way to combine steak and salad: yum nua—an invigorating blend of lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and thin-sliced fire-charred flank steak. The seasonings—sour lime juice, salty fish sauce, sweet sugar, and fiery chilies—are as bracing as the massive doses of fragrant cilantro, Thai basil, and refreshing mint.
• But the ultimate antidote to a heat wave is ice cream—lots of it. Here in Raichlen-land, we have a barbecued twist on that too. Smoke it with hickory wood. If smoke is the “umami of barbecue” (as I call it in my book, Project Smoke), this will be the most interesting ice cream you’ve ever tasted.

Admittedly, firing up your grill when the temperature tops 100 degrees may seem daunting, but the resulting intense flavors are worth it. And because all these dishes are served cold, you can grill at night, when the temperature drops, or at least you’re not grilling in the hot sun. Alternatively, grill or smoke the ingredients for all these dishes at a single grill session, then serve them throughout the week.

Heat wave got you down? Try the Raichlen way to beat the heat: fire up your grill!

5 Chilled Dishes to Beat the Heat

The post Too Hot to Cook? 5 Cold Summer Recipes Made Better on the Grill appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Steak! A five-letter word that spells a mountain of pleasure. For some of us, it’s the ultimate luxury; for others, a weeknight dinner. It’s so easy to grill, even a first-timer can earn bragging rights, yet you can spend a lifetime perfecting the fine points. Steak is the one dish everyone should know how to grill.

Too often, people make simple, avoidable mistakes: Undercooking. Overcooking. Flipping too seldom or too often. Leaving the beef out to warm to room temperature (especially dangerous in summertime heat). Serving it hot off the grill or resting it so long, the steak is cold by the time you cut into it.

Here’s the ultimate guide to achieving the perfect steak every time.

Step 1: Start with the Right Steak

Five factors determine the excellence of your steak: cattle breed, feed, aging, grade, and cut.

• Prime vs. Choice: The USDA grades beef on marbling (intramuscular fat). Only 2% of beef qualifies as Prime—highly flavorful, tender, and luscious. Choice is what you find at most supermarkets—less rich, but still very tasty.
• Wagyu vs. Angus: Wagyu is renowned for its hyper-generous marbling; an A-5 Japanese Wagyu looks like white lace on red cloth. Angus delivers a bold, robust, classic beefy flavor enjoyed across North America.

  

• Grain-Fed vs. Grass-Fed: Corn-fed beef produces rich, buttery, meaty steaks. Grass-fed beef is leaner with a distinctive, almost herbaceous flavor. The ideal compromise is beef raised on grass, then finished with grain.
• Dry-Aged vs. Wet: Dry-aged beef, hung unwrapped in climate-controlled rooms for 28 to 36 days, loses moisture, concentrating the beefy flavor and creating rich umami notes. Wet-aged beef matures in vacuum-sealed plastic; it is faster, cheaper, and tasty enough, but lacks the rich, concentrated flavor of dry-aged beef.

  

The Four Steak Categories

1. The Noble Steaks: Upper steer cuts (filet mignon, ribeye, strip, porterhouse) that are intrinsically tender and rich.

   

2. The Belly Steaks: Undercarriage cuts (skirt, flank, hanger). Intensely flavorful but stringy; slice thinly against the grain to ensure tenderness.
3. The Tough Steaks: Round and chuck. Slice paper-thin for cheesesteaks or chop fine for carne asada.

   

4. The Cult Steaks: Unique cuts like tri-tip, picanha (featuring a luscious fat cap), and flatiron.

Step 2: Keep Seasoning Simple and Strategic

For premium beef, skip heavy, muddying marinades. Stick to coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Season your steak early—about 45 to 60 minutes before grilling. This allows the salt to draw out moisture, dissolve, and reabsorb back into the fibers, seasoning the meat deeply. If you’re short on time, season immediately before the steak hits the grates.

Do not let steaks warm to room temperature beforehand. The difference in cooking time is negligible, and it is simply not worth the food safety risk. Keep them cold until they go on the grill.

Step 3: Set Up Your Grill for Two-Zone Cooking (Wood Smoke Optional, But Desired)

Arrange your coals or burners so you have a screaming-hot direct zone for searing and a cooler, zone for cooking. Control the cooking by moving the steak back and forth between the hot and less hot zone. Add wood chunks or chips (like oak, hickory, or pecan) directly to your coals or place in your gas grill’s smoker box. A quick blast of wood smoke during grilling makes a good steak great and a great steak unforgettable.

Step 4: Sear Hot and Flip Frequently

Forget the old myth of flipping your steak only once to get crosshatch grill marks. (Mea culpa—I used to recommend this in my earlier books.) I’ve come to see that flipping your steak often—every 20 to 30 seconds—cooks the meat more evenly and helps build a darker, richer crust. Focus on the crust and flip often.

Step 5: Master the Reverse Sear

1. Place your seasoned steak on the cooler, indirect side of your grill (225^°F to 250^°F).
2. Indirect grill (with grill lid down) to heat the meat to an internal temperature about 20^°F below your target doneness (for example, to 110^°F for a medium-rare steak)
3. Move the steak directly over the high-heat, searing for 1 to 2 minutes per side to build a sizzling dark crust and internal temperature of 130^°F.

Note: Measure internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally through the side of the steak. For the poke test, press the top of the steak with your forefinger. The amount of resistance will tell you the doneness. Use a thermometer for thicker steaks; the poke test for thin steaks like skirt.

Step 6: Give It a Rest

A steak served “hot off the grill” sounds romantic, but resting your steak on a wire rack over a sheet pan for a minute or two will give you a tenderer, juicier steak. (Resting relaxes the meat, allowing the juices to redistribute. The wire rack keep the bottom from getting soggy.) But over-resting results in a lukewarm or even cold steak, which does the meat an injustice.

Step 7: Carve It Right

It has become fashionable, if not de rigueur, for steakhouses to pre-slice your steak before serving. Don’t. This may look dramatic, but a pre-sliced steak gets cold and dry very quickly. Serve your steak whole and let the diner slice it him- or herself.

Note: the one exception here are belly steaks, like skirt and flank, which should be thinly sliced across the grain to shorten the tough meat fibers.

Finally, don’t forget to anoint

A great steak needs little more than salt and pepper by way of a seasoning, but a pat of compound butter link or drizzle of melted butter or extra virgin olive oil makes a great steak even better

Great Steak Recipes to Try Next

• Smoked-Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks with Jalapeño-Horseradish Butter: Ribeyes get a blast of wood smoke and a rich, spicy compound butter.
• Classic Tuscan Bistecca alla Fiorentina: A thick Porterhouse finished with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.
• Reverse-Seared Tomahawk Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter: Thick tomahawk steaks are reverse-seared, then finished with a bold blue cheese butter.
• Churrasco-Style Skirt Steak: Searing hot skirt steak served with bright chimichurri.

More Steak Recipes »

Frequently Asked Questions

The post How to Grill the Perfect Steak: 7 Steps to Tender, Juicy, Smoky Beefy Nirvana appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

If you’re like us, we wait all year for summer corn. Wherever you live, summer means one thing: corn is at its peak, and there’s no better way to cook it than—you guessed it—on the grill. Live fire brings out corn’s sweetness, adding an inimitable smoky flavor. Grilling turns a simple ear into one of the great pleasures of the season.

Selecting Good Corn

Great grilled corn starts at the market. Look for ears with bright green husks that cling tightly to the cob and silk that feels slightly moist, not dry or brittle. The kernels should feel plump through the husk, and the ear should feel heavy for its size.

And, of course, buy local. Here at barbecuebible.com, we’re incredibly lucky. Steven lives in Martha’s Vineyard; Daniel in North Carolina, John in New Jersey, Nancy in Iowa, and Jared in New York. All of us have fantastic local corn in July and August.

Avoid corn with dried-out husks, blackened silk, soft spots, or missing kernels near the tip. Corn starts losing sweetness soon after it’s picked, so buy it as fresh as you can and grill it the same day if possible.

Ways to Grill Corn

There are a few basic ways to grill corn, and each gives you a different result.

Corn Naked (without the husk and directly over a hot fire)

This is my favorite way to grill corn. You remove the husk (or fold it back over the stem to make a handle), brush the ears with melted butter or extra virgin olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Then direct grill it over high heat until the kernels are nicely browned, basting with more melted butter as the corn cooks. The high dry heat caramelizes the natural plant sugars in the corn, making it all that much sweeter and smokier.

Corn Caveman Style

If you like your corn with even more smoke and char flavor, set up your grill (charcoal please) for caveman grilling—that is remove the grill grate ad rake out the embers in an even layer. Lay the corn in its husk directly on the coals. Grill until the husk burns off, turning with tongs, but not so long that the sweet kernels burn. Figure on 2 to 3 minutes per side, 8 to 12 minutes in all.

Corn in the husk

This method gives you juicy corn with a gentle roasted flavor. Pull back the husks without removing them, strip away the silk, brush the ears with melted butter and season with salt and pepper, then pull the husks back over the ears. Direct grill the corn over medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the husks are browned and the kernels are tender.

Corn in Foil

In a word, don’t. Foiled corn steams rather than grills. Use one of the methods above.

How to Know When Corn Is Done

Corn is done when the kernels are golden brown, hot, and tender. If you press a kernel lightly, it should give a little and release juice. Corn grilled directly on the grates should have browned or lightly charred spots, but the kernels should still look plump.

Flavor Ideas from Planet Barbecue

Once the corn comes off the grill, the fun starts. Butter, salt, and pepper are enough when the corn is fresh and sweet, but grilled corn also loves bold seasonings. In Mexico, it’s slathered with mayonnaise, sprinkled with grated Cotija cheese (parmigiano or romano also work well), and sparked with chile and lime. In India, it might be electrified with cayenne and lime. Steven loves Cambodian style grilled corn, brushed with coconut milk and curry paste and dusted with shredded coconut.

Here are some fantastic recipes to try to make the best grilled corn you’ve ever tasted!

The Best Way to Grill Corn

However you grill it, corn does not need much to be great. Start with fresh ears, choose the method that gives you the texture and char you want, and serve it hot. Husk, foil, or directly on the grates—when summer corn is at its peak, the grill is the best place for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post Corn on the Grill: Three Ways to Do It Right appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

By Daniel Hale

All hail the hotdog! For some people, it’s an affordable staple. For others, it’s a rite of summer—along with baseball and backyard barbecues. For yet others, it’s the barbecue equivalent of a blank canvas—awaiting embellishments ranging from green pickle relish and chopped onions (Chicago) to beef chili (Detroit) to bacon and pinto beans (the Sonoran hotdog from Arizona).

Few foods are as regional as the humble hot dog. Nearly every part of the country has its version, and everyone has a favorite they’ll insist is the best.

Since July is National Hot Dog Month, I decided to make six different American hotdogs. Some are classics, some are personal favorites, and all of them prove there’s more than one way to build a great dog.

Setting Up the Grill

One of the things I wanted to take advantage of for this cook was the versatility of the Denali 605 Pro from Monument Grills. Besides its spacious cooking surface, the grill features a removable center cooking grate that can be swapped out for accessories. For this cook, I replaced it with Monument’s Round Cast Iron Cooking Plate.

That gave me the best of both worlds. The hot dogs cooked over the main grill grates while the cast iron plate handled everything else. Onions and peppers caramelized, and the plancha was perfect for cooking the bacon-wrapped hot dogs without worrying about flare-ups. Having both cooking surfaces going at the same time made preparing six different hot dogs much easier than trying to juggle multiple pans indoors.

6 Regional American Hot Dogs

Frankie Frankk’s “Lou Dog”

This one is special for me because it’s local. If you live in the Raleigh area, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Frankie Frankk’s, a popular hot dog cart that’s developed a loyal following over the years. One of their signature creations is the Lou Dog, and while this isn’t an exact copy, it’s definitely inspired by it.

Chili, pimento cheese, and a drizzle of hot honey works surprisingly well. The rich chili and creamy pimento cheese create a classic Southern flavor, while the hot honey adds just enough sweetness and heat.

The Barbecue Dog

This one may not belong to any particular city, but it absolutely belongs on this list. I wrapped the hot dog in bacon, seasoned it with barbecue rub, and cooked it on the cast iron cooking plate until the bacon was crisp. After that came a brush of barbecue sauce and a handful of pickle chips.

Smoky bacon, sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, a little extra seasoning, and crunchy pickles turn an ordinary hot dog into something that eats more like barbecue.

Kansas City Dog

The Kansas City Dog keeps things relatively simple, but sometimes simple is exactly what works. Melted Swiss cheese and tangy sauerkraut are served on a sesame seed bun, creating a balanced combination.

The sauerkraut cuts through the richness of the hot dog while the Swiss adds a mild, nutty flavor. It’s one of those combinations you probably wouldn’t think to make, but after one bite you’ll understand why it’s become a regional favorite.

Coney Dog

No list of iconic American hot dogs would feel complete without a Coney Dog. Not to be confused with Coney Island in Brooklyn, the Coney Dog is most closely associated with Detroit. Piled high with chili, chopped raw onions, yellow mustard, and shredded cheddar cheese, it’s messy, hearty, and worth every napkin you’ll need afterward.

LA Street Dog

Speaking of messy, this one might be my favorite simply because of the memories it brings back. I grew up in Los Angeles, and bacon-wrapped street dogs were everywhere after concerts, sporting events, and nights out. You could smell them cooking from half a block away.

Wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled onions, peppers, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and a whole jalapeño, this is definitely the biggest hot dog of the bunch. Cooking it on the cast iron plate made it easy to crisp the bacon while caramelizing the vegetables right beside it. One bite immediately transported me back to SoCal.

Southern Slaw Dog

Sometimes less really is more. The Southern Slaw Dog skips all the extra toppings and lets creamy coleslaw do the work.

Cool, crunchy slaw adds freshness and texture while complementing the smoky flavor of the grilled hot dog. Around the Carolinas, this combination has been a favorite for decades, and after one bite it’s easy to understand why.

Which One Will You Try First?

One of the best things about hot dogs is how personal they are. Every region has its own version, and every griller eventually finds a favorite combination. That’s what made this cook so much fun. It was simple, messy, and a good reminder that sometimes the best grilling ideas start with something as familiar as a hot dog.

The Denali 605 Pro made this cook especially enjoyable. I was able to grill the hot dogs on the main grates while cooking the vegetables and bacon-wrapped dogs on the Round Cast Iron Cooking Plate. It kept everything moving and made it easy to build six different hot dogs without juggling pans indoors. Thanks to Monument Grills for sponsoring this post.

The post Grilling Across America: <br />6 Regional Hot Dogs I Love appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

July is the heart of grilling season, the time of year when meals move outside and smoke, fire, and fresh summer flavors do most of the heavy lifting. This month’s recipe roundup is built for easygoing outdoor cooking, whether you’re planning a weeknight dinner, a weekend gathering, or something a little unexpected from the grill.

What to Grill in July

However you like to grill in July, keep it simple and make the most of the season. Pick a recipe, get outside, and enjoy the kind of easy summer meal that tastes better when it comes off the grill.

More Recipes for July

• For the Best July Yet, 8 Great Recipes for the Grill
• 8 Recipes We’re Grilling This July
• How to Grill Burgers: 12 Surefire Ways to Build the Best Burger!

The post What to Grill in July appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Two hundred and fifty years already?

It seems like just yesterday that a band of colonists dressed in waistcoats and knee breeches assembled in Philadelphia to sign a document that would set the 13 colonies free from England.

Of course, it would take another 7 years—and 30,000 Colonial deaths—for the Continental Army to vanquish the British at Yorktown, ushering in the country we now hail as the United States of America.

And with that victory at Yorktown, we Americans celebrated the way we still do today: by smoking and grilling meat over fire. In other words: an Independence barbecue!

Barbecue: An American Tradition

Barbecue. It’s a uniquely American institution and a culinary tradition we can truly call our own. It began long before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It began in the Caribbean centuries earlier, when the Taino Indians on the island of Hispaniola erected a sort of wooden gridiron high above a smoky wood fire, using it to cook fish, game, and even iguana.

To the ear of the early Spanish explorers, the name for this singular cooking device sounded like barbacoa. Thus was born the institution we know and love today: barbecue.

One of the first laws enacted in the Colony of Virginia forbade the discharge of firearms at a barbecue. (Even back then we Americans were obsessed with smoked meat and guns.)

A pre-presidential George Washington—then a surveyor and plantation owner—loved barbecue so much, he wrote about it in his journals. (One such barbecue in Alexandria, Virginia, went on for three days!)

When stone masons laid the cornerstone for the Capitol building in a fledgling city on the Potomac—Washington—we celebrated with a barbecue.

When Abraham Lincoln’s parents were married, the wedding feast was—you guessed it—a barbecue. And a century later, another American president, Lyndon B. Johnson, conducted global diplomacy from the “Texas White House,” his ranch in Stonewall, Texas.

Which is to say, barbecue has been a foundational part of the American experience for as long as America has existed.

The Regional Roots of American Barbecue

But which barbecue is truly American? Because in our homogenized society—where you find Starbucks and McDonald’s in virtually every city and neighborhood—barbecue remains some of the last truly regional food in our country.

When I started writing about barbecue, the big four—the Carolinas, Kansas City, Memphis, and Texas—served distinct styles of barbecue that could only be found in those regions. In the Carolinas, that meant pork—smoked and shredded, doused with vinegar sauce (in North Carolina) or mustard sauce (in South Carolina and Georgia)—both served with pickles on a bun.

In Memphis, Tennessee, barbecue meant baby back ribs served “dry” (dusted with spice rub, but without sauce)—the invention of a Greek immigrant named Charlie Vergos, whose restaurant—the Rendezvous—still serves thousands of customers each week. They also had barbecued game hens, barbecued pizza, and even barbecued spaghetti.

In Texas—especially the Hill Country—barbecue meant brisket, slow-smoked over smoldering oak—pioneered by German butchers like Charles Kreuz, who in 1900 founded the Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas.

As for Kansas City, once America’s meatpacking capital, it became famous for an ecumenical menu of ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, and beef—all heavily smoked and slathered with a sweet, smoky barbecue sauce epitomized by the creation of another Kansas citizen: Dr. Rich Davis, creator of KC Masterpiece.

Why Regional Barbecue Still Matters

Of course, today, excellent versions of these once truly regional specialties turn up across America, in cities as far-flung as Boston, Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon, and my hometown, Miami. There’s even a passionate barbecue culture in our overseas territory, Guam.

But some regional barbecue remains truly regional—make that micro-regional. To sample barbecue mutton (not lamb, but mutton) served with black dip (a savory condiment made with Worcestershire sauce, melted butter, and lemon juice), you must travel to Owensboro, Kentucky.

To savor pork chops grilled over hickory embers and dipped in a fiery amalgam of hot sauce, cayenne, and melted lard, you must go to another Kentucky barbecue hotspot: Monroe County.

Far from deploring the obscurity of these micro-regions of barbecue, I celebrate them, because barbecue should be regional. And while some micro-regional barbecue will go national or even international (consider the smoked chicken with a unique mayonnaise- and vinegar-based white barbecue sauce born at Big Bob Gibson’s in Decatur, Alabama), other barbecue remains stubbornly regional.

You must travel there to try it—a fact that I love.

Barbecue Brings Us Together

It’s no news that we live in an age of fierce partisanship and polarization—perhaps the most polarized in our nation’s history. But polarization isn’t new either. In the 1850s, our nation—not even 100 years old—was so polarized over the issue of slavery that we descended into Civil War. It took four years of brutal fighting and more than 600,000 deaths to bring our country back together again. Prohibition, the Civil Rights movement, and the Vietnam War all brought more strife and internal fighting.

The sad truth is we Americans have always fought with one another over what we believe. Debate—sometimes peaceful, sometimes not—seems to be part of our DNA.

But as July 4th approaches, let’s celebrate what brings us together, not the differences that drive us apart. Let’s celebrate not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. I’m sure it’s what the Founding Fathers would have wanted.

I recently saw a t-shirt at a barbecue festival that read: “Blood makes you relatives; barbecue makes you family.”

From our barbecue family to yours: Happy birthday, America! Here’s to another 250 years!!

Recipes

The post HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA! appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

By Daniel Hale

International Chicken Wing Day is tomorrow. (Yes, that’s a thing.) And honestly, I don’t need much of an excuse to fire up the grill for chicken wings. This time, I went with Steven Raichlen’s Honey-Glazed Hong Kong Wings from The Barbecue Bible. Not even an out-of-nowhere rainstorm was going to stop me.

Why These Wings Work

I like these wings because they are simple. You get a lot of flavor from just garlic, salt, pepper, and honey—ingredients you probably already have on hand.

The prep is simple, too. You cut a few slashes into the meaty part of each wing so the seasoning can get in deeper, then season the wings and let them chill for a couple of hours. After some time in the fridge, I threaded them onto metal skewers, which made them much easier to flip and move around on the grill.

Setting Up the Grill

For this cook, I set up the Monument Eminence 605 for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Since the wings were skewered whole, they took up more room than separated flats and drumettes, so the wide cooking surface was a big help.

I also liked having plenty of heat control. With honey-glazed wings, you want enough heat to crisp the skin, but not so much that the honey burns the second it hits the grill. The Eminence 605 gave me the room and control I needed to keep the wings moving and finish them with that sweet glaze at the end.

Cooking the Wings

Once the grill was hot, I arranged the skewered wings on the grill grates over direct heat. The skewers helped hold the wings in the extended position and made them easier to flip, which came in handy.

Of course, right when I started flipping the wings, an out-of-nowhere rainstorm rolled in. Perfect timing, right? But the Eminence held up well, and I was able to keep turning the wings and managing the heat without too many issues.

The wings cooked for about 12 to 16 minutes total. I kept an eye on the thicker sections (165^°F internal temperature) and moved the wings as needed so the skin could crisp without burning.

Glazing the Wings

Fortunately, the rain died down during the last few minutes of grilling. I then started brushing the wings with warm honey. This is where you need to pay attention. Honey can burn quickly over direct heat, so I waited until the wings were almost done before adding the glaze.

I kept turning the wings and brushing lightly until they had a nice color without letting the glaze get too dark.

The Results

These wings came off the grill with exactly what I was hoping for: crisp skin, a sweet honey glaze, and plenty of garlic and black pepper underneath. They are not heavy or saucy; they are simple grilled wings with a lot of flavor.

A big thank-you to Monument Grills for sponsoring this cook. The Eminence 605 gave me the space and control I needed for skewered wings over direct heat—and it held up well when that surprise rainstorm rolled in.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post Honey-Glazed Hong Kong Wings on the Grill appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.