October is National Apple Month—not to mention, prime picking and eating time for some of America’s best apples. What better occasion to celebrate the contributions this storied fruit has made to American barbecue?

Apples possess a natural affinity for pork, which probably gained the fruit admission to the barbecue world in the first place. But don’t stop there. Apple juice, apple sauce, and cider vinegar are essential ingredients in regional American barbecue sauce. Apple wood is the fuel some of the most decorated competition pitmasters swear by. Then there are grilled apples, smoked apples, and “baked” apples hot from the smoker.

Given the apple’s deep roots in American food culture, you may be surprised to learn that the fruit originated in Central Asia. The early colonists brought the apple to the New World along with the honeybees needed to pollinate the trees. Thousands of apple varieties have been grown in the U.S., though only a fraction are grown commercially.

So how else should you use apples and apple-based products to take your barbecue to the next level?

Apple Brines and Marinades

• Make an apple brine: Replace a portion of the water in a standard brine recipe with apple cider or apple juice for pork, turkey, and game birds.
• Make a simple apple marinade or injector sauce: Combine 2 cups of apple cider with 1/4 cup each apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, and vegetable oil. Add 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce.
• Don’t forget hard cider, made by fermenting apple cider like beer. A dry hard cider is less sweet than apple cider, which makes it ideal for basting or as a base for marinade.

Apple Sprays, Basting Mixtures, and Mop Sauces

• Place apple cider in a spray bottle and spray it on ribs or pork shoulder as they smoke to add another layer of flavor.
• Combine apple cider, cider vinegar, bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and a little water to make a “Cider Squirt” for basting pork and poultry. Squirt it from a spray bottle or brush it on with a basting brush.
• Make a hog slather by combining mustard, apple cider, Worcestershire sauce, and melted butter in roughly equal proportions. Brush on the meat with a basting brush.
• For a simple mop sauce for beef brisket, combine one bottle of beer with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup cold-brewed coffee, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Swab it on with a barbecue mop at the 1-hour mark, and every hour after that.

Apple Cider or Apple Juice?

So what’s the difference between apple cider and apple juice? In the U.S., sweet cider is generally unfiltered, while apple juice is filtered for clarity. Either may be pasteurized. I prefer cider—especially freshly pressed at a farm stand. The aroma and flavor will vary depending on the season and which apples are used.

Three Apple Recipes for the Grill

Put the fruit itself on the menu with these recipes for a grilled side dish, savory stuffed apples, and a skillet dessert.

Apple “Steaks”

Thick slices of Granny Smith apples get a glaze of cider, honey, lemon juice, and butter before and during grilling. Direct high heat browns the slices while leaving them firm enough to hold their shape. Serve them alongside grilled pork chops.

Get the Apple “Steaks” Recipe »

Apples Stuffed with Sausage and Sage

Pork sausage, onion, celery, and sage fill these apples, with a little maple syrup spooned over the stuffing. Smoke-roast them over indirect heat until the apples soften. They’re a savory side dish you can assemble several hours ahead and refrigerate until grilling time.

Get the Sausage-and-Sage Stuffed Apples Recipe »

Smoke-Roasted Apple Crisp

Apples, lemon, and cinnamon go into a cast-iron skillet beneath a topping of butter, granola, flour, and brown sugar. Smoke-roast over indirect heat until the filling bubbles and the topping browns. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving—with ice cream, if you like.

Get the Smoke-Roasted Apple Crisp Recipe »

Next time you’re picking up apples, grab a few extra for the grill. Serve them alongside pork, stuff them with sausage, or save them for dessert. And if there’s cider in the fridge, you’ve got the start of a baste for whatever’s smoking.

The post An Ode to Apples: Grilled, Stuffed, and Smoked appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

By Daniel Hale

Presented by Wildfire Outdoor Living

Pulled pork is one of those foods that may be even better the second time around.

For this installment of Back to Basics, we’re turning leftover pulled pork into a quick griddle meal that works just as well at home as it does at a tailgate.

Of course, here at BarbecueBible, we’re happy to smoke a pork shoulder from scratch. But if you already have pulled pork in the refrigerator—or pick some up from your favorite barbecue joint—you’re most of the way there.

For this recipe, I used the Wildfire Ranch Pro 30″ Griddle to turn the pork into crispy little slider patties. Think of them as pulled pork burgers, with bacon doing double duty as both topping and flavor.

Start With the Bacon

I started by cooking strips of bacon directly on the Wildfire griddle.

Once the bacon was crisp, I removed it from the griddle and set it aside for the sliders. More importantly, I left the rendered bacon fat right where it was.

That fat becomes the base for crisping the pulled pork.

You could certainly use butter or olive oil instead, but if bacon is going on the finished slider anyway, why not? Also: it’s bacon.

Turn Pulled Pork Into Crispy Patties

Instead of simply piling the pulled pork onto the griddle, I formed it into small patties about the size of the slider buns.

The patties don’t need to be packed tightly like hamburgers. Press them together just enough to hold their shape.

Place them directly in the hot bacon fat and let them cook without moving them around too much. You want the pork making solid contact with the griddle so the bottom develops a crisp, browned crust.

Flip the patties and crisp the second side.

The result is still tender pulled pork in the center, but with deeply browned edges and a crunchy exterior.

That contrast is what makes these different from simply reheating leftover barbecue.

Keep the Sliders Simple

Once the pork patties are crisp, the rest comes together quickly.

Chop the cooked bacon and pile it onto the pork. Add your favorite barbecue sauce if you like, then sandwich everything between slider buns.

Coleslaw makes a good topping, particularly if you want something cool and crunchy against the hot pork. Pickles would work, too.

But you don’t need much. The crispy pork and bacon should stay at the center of the slider.

A big thank you to Wildfire Outdoor Living for sponsoring this post.

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: Crispy Pulled Pork Bacon Sliders appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

By Daniel Hale

Tailgating calls for food that’s easy to serve, easy to eat, and substantial enough to satisfy hungry sports fans. Here at BarbecueBible.com, we believe you can do better than the usual burgers and hotdogs. BBQ beef sliders check all three boxes, especially when the beef has been smoked low and slow over smoldering hardwood. Just one catch: You’ll want to smoke the beef the day before the game. Which, come to think of it, isn’t a catch at all, because by doing most of the prep ahead of time, you get to enjoy the game.

For this recipe, I went with chuck roast instead of brisket. It’s a smaller, more manageable cut of beef with plenty of marbling and rich flavor. It’s a lot more affordable (and these days, who isn’t worried about the grocery bill.). And when smoked properly, it makes a spectacular filling for BBQ sandwiches.

I used the Monument Denali 605Pro gas grill and Monument smoker box to smoke the chuck roast low and slow, developing a flavorful, smoky bark before chopping the beef for our sliders.

And yes, you can smoke beef on a gas grill. You just need the right setup, some wood chips, and patience.

Why Chuck Roast Works for BBQ Sliders

Chuck roast comes from the shoulder of the steer, an area that gets plenty of exercise. The meat contains loads of connective tissue and intramuscular fat, which make it particularly well-suited to low-and-slow smoking.

As the roast heats, the connective tissue gradually breaks down, helping transform a tough cut of beef into meat tender enough to cut with the side of a fork.

Chuck also has a practical advantage over brisket. You can purchase a roast weighing three to five pounds rather than committing to a 12 pound packer. For this smoke, I started with a boneless chuck roast weighing a little over 4 1/2 pounds.

If you have the time and patience, you can smoke a chuck roast until it’s tender enough to pull or shred with forks. I had neither, so I chopped the smoked chuck with a cleaver instead. It makes an excellent sandwich filling, especially when mixed with barbecue sauce.

How to Set Up the Monument Denali 605Pro for Smoking

A gas grill might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about smoking beef, but with indirect heat and a smoker box, it’s entirely possible.

I used the Monument Denali 605 gas grill, setting it up for indirect grilling with a target temperature of approximately 250°F.

The Monument smoker box holds wood chips, allowing them to smolder over an active burner and produce smoke inside the grill. The chuck roast sits away from the direct heat, where it can smoke slowly without scorching.

My target was 250°F, although the grill temperature fluctuated between approximately 230°F and 280°F throughout the smoke. Maintaining a steady low temperature can be tricky on a gas grill, even with the burners turned down.

Steven shared a little hack for managing the heat: Prop the grill lid open slightly with a small metal rod to allow some heat to escape. (I wish I’d known that one before I started!)

I added wood chips twice during the initial smoking stage. The goal was to develop a noticeable smoke flavor and a dark exterior bark, not to produce heavy smoke for the entire grilling session.

A few tips for smoking on a gas grill:

• Use indirect heat so the roast isn’t sitting directly over an active burner.
• Monitor the grill temperature and adjust the burners as necessary.
• Replenish wood chips when needed, especially during the early stages of smoking.
• Use a meat thermometer to follow the roast’s progress.

Smoking the Chuck Roast

I started by seasoning the chuck roast generously with Steven’s Texas Brisket Rub, covering all sides of the meat.

Once the Denali 605Pro was preheated and the smoker box was producing smoke, I placed the roast over indirect heat and closed the lid.

After four hours, the internal temperature was approximately 142°F. An hour later, it had only climbed to 147°F.

That slow progression isn’t unusual with a large piece of beef. Evaporative cooling can slow the rise in internal temperature, a phenomenon barbecue enthusiasts know as the stall. And personally, it drove me crazy.

By this point, the chuck roast had spent around five hours in the smoke, developing its bark and smoke flavor.

Rather than continuing to smoke the beef uncovered, I moved to the next stage: a covered finish to help tenderize the meat.

Finishing the Chuck Roast

Once the smoking stage was complete, I transferred the roast to a foil pan with beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and onion powder.

I covered the pan tightly to retain moisture and moved it to the oven to finish. That’s a little tip I picked up from barbecuebible.com editor Nancy Loseke: Once the grill has done its job developing the smoke flavor and bark, there’s no need to keep burning propane—unless you want to. Your oven can take it from there.

The purpose of this stage is to help break down the connective tissue while keeping the meat moist. The liquid also collects beef juices that can be used later when preparing the sliders.

After more than eight hours of total grilling and finishing time, the chuck roast reached approximately 205°F internally.

Here’s something worth emphasizing: Internal temperature alone doesn’t guarantee tender beef.

Although the roast had reached the temperature normally associated with shreddable chuck, it wasn’t quite as tender as I had hoped. One section pulled apart relatively easily, while the larger portion still offered a little resistance.

Since it was getting late, it was time for Plan B. I decided to chop the meat instead.

And that proved excellent for sliders.

If you’re aiming for fully shredded beef, you have to keep cooking until a temperature probe or skewer slides into the thickest part with very little resistance. That final tenderness test is more important than reaching a particular temperature on the thermometer.

Building the Smoked Chuck Roast BBQ Sliders

With the beef rested and chopped, it was time to assemble the sliders.

I mixed some of the chopped smoked chuck roast with barbecue sauce, using just enough to coat the beef without overpowering the smoke flavor. You can use any barbecue sauce you like, including Steven’s Chipotle Molasses Barbecue Sauce. Personally, I prefer a sauce with less sugar for health reasons. I’m partial to Stubb’s Simply Sweet Reduced Sugar BBQ Sauce.

For the sandwiches, I kept it simple: Hawaiian slider rolls, smoked BBQ beef, and provolone cheese. The sweetness of the rolls worked nicely with the smoky beef and barbecue sauce.

These sliders are ideal for tailgating because you can prepare the beef the day before the game. Save some of the juices from the covered finishing stage to keep the meat moist when reheating.

On game day, simply reheat the beef until hot, toast the slider rolls, add the provolone, and assemble the sandwiches.

Smoked Chuck Roast BBQ Sliders for Game Day

The finished sliders were fantastic. The smoky beef, barbecue sauce, melted provolone, and sweetness of the Hawaiian rolls made a spectacular sandwich!

The Monument Denali 605Pro did a great job smoking the chuck roast. Paired with the Monument smoker box, it gave the beef plenty of smoke flavor and developed a nice bark, all on a gas grill.

Not bad for a tailgate sandwich!

Recipe

Smoked Chuck Roast BBQ Sliders

Smoked chuck roast, chopped or shredded and tossed with barbecue sauce, served on Hawaiian slider rolls with melted provolone cheese.

Yield: Approximately 16–20 sliders (estimated)

Method: Indirect smoking

Equipment: Gas grill, smoker box, meat thermometer, disposable foil pan, aluminum foil

Ingredients

For the smoked chuck roast:

• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (approximately 4 1/2 pounds)
• Steven Raichlen’s Texas Brisket Rub (or your favorite barbecue rub), enough to generously season the roast
• Wood chips, for smoking
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon jarred minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

For the sliders:

• 16–20 Hawaiian slider rolls
• Your favorite barbecue sauce, to taste
• Sliced provolone cheese, enough for each slider

Instructions

1. Season the beef: Generously season the chuck roast on all sides with Steven Raichlen’s Texas Brisket Rub.
2. Set up the grill: Prepare the gas grill for indirect smoking at approximately 250°F. Fill the smoker box with wood chips and position it over an active burner according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Smoke the chuck roast: Place the roast over indirect heat and close the lid. Maintain a grill temperature near 250°F, replenishing the wood chips as needed. Smoke until the roast develops a dark bark and reaches an internal temperature of approximately 165°F.
4. Cover the roast: Transfer the chuck roast to a disposable foil pan. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and onion powder. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
5. Finish the roast: Return the covered pan to the grill over indirect heat. Continue smoking at approximately 250°F. When the internal temperature reaches 205°F, begin checking for tenderness. The beef is ready when a temperature probe or skewer slides into the thickest part with very little resistance.
6. Rest and chop: Remove the roast from the grill and let it rest for 20–30 minutes. Chop or shred the beef, reserving some of the pan juices.
7. Add the barbecue sauce: Toss the beef with enough barbecue sauce to coat it. Add a little reserved pan liquid if needed to keep the meat moist.
8. Prepare the slider rolls: Split the Hawaiian slider rolls and lightly toast them on the grill. Place a portion of BBQ beef on each bottom bun and top with provolone cheese. Warm briefly until the cheese melts.
9. Assemble and serve: Replace the top buns and serve warm.

Make-Ahead Tailgating Tip

Prepare the smoked chuck roast the day before the game. Refrigerate the chopped or shredded beef with some of the reserved pan juices in a covered container. On game day, reheat the beef thoroughly to 165°F, adding reserved liquid as needed to keep it moist. Toss with barbecue sauce and assemble the sliders shortly before serving.

A big thank you to Monument Grills for sponsoring this post.

The post Big Beef Flavor, Little Buns: <br />Smoked Chuck Roast Sliders appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

When I started writing about barbecue, a tomahawk was an Indian ax. No one had heard of beef tomahawks.

Today, you can’t go to a steakhouse—or even your local supermarket—without being tempted by this magisterial cut of beef. The beef tomahawk has become the new steak status symbol—one restaurant in Miami even serves it clad with gold leaf. (You don’t want to know the price.)

Given beef prices these days, a beef tomahawk is definitely a splurge, but for a special occasion, you may just want to sizzle one on your grill.

What Is a Beef Tomahawk?

So what is a beef tomahawk? In a nutshell, it’s a bone-in ribeye steak with the entire rib bone attached. (In butcher speak, it’s IMPS/NAMP Number: 1103B.). Often that rib bone is “frenched,” that is scraped clean of meat. Picture a monster steak, 2 to 3 inches thick, with a bone that extends 5 to 8 inches. For all you meat geeks out there, know that tomahawks are cut from ribs 6 through 12 on a steer’s ribcage.

A steak this size presents the griller with several challenges. Try direct grilling it, as you would a regular rib steak or rib-eye, and you wind up burning the exterior, while leaving the center cold and raw. Try smoking it, as you would a brisket, and you miss out on a sizzling seared crust.

No, a beef tomahawk requires a special technique for cooking it to perfection and that technique is, drumroll please, reverse searing.

How to Reverse Sear a Beef Tomahawk

In a nutshell, you start cooking the steak low and slow, as you would true barbecue, like Texas brisket. Once the center reaches an internal temperature of 100 degrees, you take the steak off and rest it on a wire rack over a sheet pan. Raise your grill heat to high to sear the steak on the outside and direct grill it to the desired doneness.

Reverse-searing has several benefits: the meat cooks evenly from top to bottom (no more blood-red “bullseye” in the center, and the timing is a lot more forgiving because you can do most of the cooking ahead of time. Add wood chunks or chips to the fire to give your steak the smoky flavor of barbecue. That’s always a big win in my book.

Two Other Ways to Grill a Beef Tomahawk

Note: There are two other ways to grill a beef tomahawk. If you have a grill with a raisable and lowerable grate (like a Santa Maria-style grill or KUDU), position it high (18 inches) above the fire. Direct grill your steaks slowly, turning every few minutes. Lower the grate the last few minutes to lay on a crusty sear. The cooking time will be 20 to 30 minutes.

Alternatively, if you have a large grill, set it up for direct grilling, one side on medium-high and one side on low. Start the steak on high, then when the surface begins to sizzle and brown, slide it to the low zone. Keep sliding it back and forth between the hot zone and cool zone. The Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet company calls this the “sear and slide” method. The cooking time will be 20 to 30 minutes.

Recipe

The Raichlen Beef Tomahawk

By Steven Raichlen

Yield: Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients

• 1 beef “tomahawk” (rib steak with long rib bone attached and dry-aged, if possible) or very thick ribeye, 24 to 30 ounces and 2-1/2 to 3 inches thick
• Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and coarsely and freshly ground black pepper
• Cowboy Butter or other compound butter

Cowboy Butter

• 8 oz. (organic) butter, unsalted (2 sticks)
• 1 tsp smoked sea salt
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, small, minced
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme, stems removed
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Very generously season the beef tomahawks on both sides with salt and pepper. Set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-low (250 degrees). Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well.
2. Arrange the tomahawks on the grate away from the heat. Add wood chunks or chips to the fire. Smoke-roast the steak to an internal temperature of about 100 degrees. This will take 40 to 60 minutes.
3. Transfer the steak to a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to high.
4. Arrange the tomahawk steak over the hottest part of the grill grate, running diagonal to the bars of the grate. Direct grill until both sides are sizzling, browned, and crusty, 2 to 4 minutes per side. You want a final internal temperature of 120 to 125 degrees for rare; 130 to 135 degrees for medium-rare; or 140 to 145 degrees for medium. If the exposed parts of the rib bone start to burn, slide a sheet of aluminum foil under it.
5. Transfer the tomahawk to a cutting board or warm platter. Carve the beef off the bone and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices for serving. Top with Cowboy Butter (if desired), following the recipe below.

Cowboy Butter Instructions

1. Before grilling your steaks, let’s start by making the compound butter.
2. Let butter come to room temperature. Combine all ingredients with a stick blender or a food processor. Roll butter onto a large piece of plastic wrap forming a log. Roll the plastic wrap up into a log and twist on the ends. Store in the refrigerator until it is time to use.

The post Beef Tomahawk 101 appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Weary of the usual tailgating fare? Whether you party on the asphalt or in your backyard, we have the perfect antidote for “wing fatigue”: Smoked Pork Chili Verde.

Forget the usual hot dogs and hamburgers. This smoky, slightly spicy pork chili brings something different to the party, and it won’t cost a fortune.

This recipe—one of our favorites—was developed when we were blessed with an abundance of fire-roasted green chile peppers at a session of Steven’s Barbecue University. Meaty country-style pork ribs (not ribs at all, but a well-marbled cut from the shoulder) were smoked and helped turn these peppers into a dish that could feed more than 50 attendees. The recipe has since been adjusted to feed 12.

Happily, the chili benefits from an overnight rest in the refrigerator. Make it at home the day before the party, then reheat before your guests arrive. We like to serve the chili from a Dutch oven, like this one from Lodge.

What makes this pork chili verde special is its combination of roasted green chiles, tangy tomatillos, tender pork, and a touch of wood smoke.

The green chiles and vegetables develop a rich, roasted flavor when charred over high heat. Meanwhile, the pork gets its own dose of smoke before everything comes together for a slow, gentle braise.

It’s the kind of meal that makes people stop talking about the game long enough to ask, “Who made this chili?”

And that’s saying something when the score is tied in the fourth quarter.

Recipe

Barbecue University Chili Verde

Recipe by Steven Raichlen

Country-style pork ribs are smoked over wood, then gently braised with fire-roasted green chiles, tomatillos, onions, and spices. This crowd-sized chili serves 12 and tastes even better the next day.

Yield: 12 servings

Equipment: Grill or smoker; grill-safe Dutch oven or heatproof casserole; food processor; 2 cups wood chips or chunks, preferably mesquite, soaked for 1 hour and drained

Ingredients

• 20 to 24 fresh chiles, preferably a mix of poblanos, Anaheim, Hatch, or New Mexican chiles
• 2 to 3 jalapeño chiles
• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds fresh tomatillos, husked, washed, and halved
• 2 large Spanish onions, peeled and quartered through the stem ends
• 4 to 5 pounds country-style pork ribs, bone-in or boneless, each 3/4 to 1 inch thick
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 12-ounce bottle or can of beer, in a spray bottle
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarse stems removed, with a few sprigs reserved for serving
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• Sour cream or Mexican crema, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. Grill the chiles, jalapeños, tomatillos, and onions, turning as needed, until the chile skins blister and blacken and the onions develop a good char.
2. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a large bowl and allow them to cool. Peel, stem, and seed the chiles, reserving their juices. Remove any excessively charred layers from the onions and tomatillos. Coarsely chop the vegetables and garlic.
3. Working in two batches, process the roasted vegetables, cilantro, garlic, chicken broth, cumin, and oregano in a food processor. Pour the mixture into one or two grill-safe Dutch ovens or heatproof casseroles.
4. Prepare the grill for indirect grilling at 225 to 250 degrees F, placing a drip pan between the coal piles. Add 1/2 cup of wood chips or chunks to each pile, replenishing halfway through smoking. Alternatively, use a smoker according to its instructions. On a gas grill, use a smoker box or foil smoking pouch, starting on high until smoke appears, then reducing the heat to medium-low.
5. Season the pork generously with salt and black pepper. Place the ribs over the drip pan and smoke for 1 hour, turning once and periodically spraying with beer. Transfer the smoked pork into the chile mixture, submerging the pieces.
6. Cover the Dutch oven or casserole and place it on the grill. Cover the grill and braise for 1-1/2 hours, maintaining a temperature of approximately 300 degrees F by adding coals as needed.
7. Move the Dutch oven to a heatproof surface. Remove the pork, discard any bones, and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Stir it back into the chili. Adjust the seasoning with additional broth, cumin, or salt if necessary. Serve in bowls, topped with sour cream or crema if desired, and garnish with cilantro.

See the original Barbecue University Chili Verde recipe.

The post Smoked Pork Chili: A Winning Tailgating Feast (Budget-Friendly, Too!) appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Because Sometimes Bigger Is Better

By Steven Raichlen

Greetings from Barbecue University®, my school at the Alisal Ranch in Solvang, California. We always start the first class with a bang. And bangs (or bones) don’t get bigger than dino bones, aka brontosaurus bones, aka beef plate ribs, aka big bad beef ribs!

The beef plate rib certainly lives up to its reputation as “brisket on the bone.” Imagine the fatty richness of a barbecued brisket point with the gnaw-a-bility of a meaty sparerib. Imagine a single rib that weighs upwards of 2 pounds and easily feeds 2. When you order it at a restaurant, you can pay up to $50—for a single rib! I’m going to show you how to barbecue this spectacular beef bone at home for a fraction of the price.

What Are Dino Bones?

First the rib. Beef plate ribs are cut from bones 6, 7, and 8 on a steer’s ribcage. (MPS/NAMP 123A in butcher speak.) They come in a slab that’s the size of a laptop computer, tipping the scale at 6 to 8 pounds.

We source our beef ribs from the Nashville-based butcher shop and online meat purveyor, Porter Road. Founded by Chris Carter and James Peisker in 2010, Porter Road specializes in pasture-raised meats free of antibiotics and hormones, dry-aged and hand-cut. I order from them whenever I can: their meats are first rate. If you use code BarbecueBible you can get 15% off your first order.

How to Smoke Dino Bones

Once you have your dino ribs, cut the rack into individual bones. Individual bones mean more spice, more bark, and more woodsmoke on each rib. I like to keep the seasoning simple: coarse salt and cracked black peppercorns. Maybe a whiff of garlic powder and dried oregano. Whoops—I just gave away the formula for my Planet Barbecue Brisket Rub, which goes great on dino bones.

You can cook your dino ribs on a smoker, kamado, pellet grill, or charcoal grill. (Sorry, folks. It’s hard to smoke meat on a gas grill.) Preheat it to 250 degrees and add the wood (chunks or chips) following the manufacturer’s instructions every hour.

The other ingredient you need is time—lots of it—because dino ribs take at least 8 to 10 hours to cook, plus 1 to 2 hours resting in an insulated cooler or barbecue blanket before serving.

So how do you know when they’re done? The meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by 2 inches or so and the meat will be soft and tender. The internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer should be around 200°F.

What to Serve with Dino Bones

And what do you serve with dino bones? If you’re me, nothing. I like to savor the rich beefy flavor, salt, pepper, and smoke all by themselves.

But Mrs. Raichlen likes my Chipotle Molasses Barbecue Sauce, so I wouldn’t say no to that.

Here, then, are Barbecued Dino Bones in all their beefy glory. Guaranteed to give brisket a run for its money!

Recipe

Dino Bones (Barbecued Beef Plate Ribs)

By Steven Raichlen

Big, meaty beef plate ribs seasoned with salt, cracked black pepper, and hot red pepper flakes, then smoked low and slow until tender.

Yield: 3 ribs, serving 3 hungry people
Method: Hot-smoking
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Smoking Time: 8 to 10 hours
Resting Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 full beef plate short ribs (rack of 6 to 7 1/2 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt (sea or kosher), plus extra for serving
• 3 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes
• Beer (optional)
• 1 cup beef stock (preferably homemade)

Equipment

• Smoker
• Oak, hickory, or mesquite wood, or a combination
• Aluminum foil drip pan
• Instant-read thermometer
• Insulated cooler (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut the rack lengthwise into individual bones and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Place the salt, pepper, and hot red pepper flakes in a small bowl and mix well. Generously sprinkle the rub on the ribs on all sides, including the ends, rubbing it into the meat with your fingertips.
3. Set up your smoker following the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat to 225° to 250°F. If your smoker has a water pan, fill it with water or beer to a depth of 3 inches. If it doesn’t have a water pan, fill a disposable aluminum foil pan with water or beer to a depth of 3 inches and place it below the rack on which you’ll be smoking the ribs. (Note: You don’t need to do this on a ceramic cooker.) Add wood as specified by the manufacturer.
4. Place the ribs in the smoker fat side up, with at least 2 inches between ribs. Smoke the ribs until darkly browned on the outside and very tender inside, 8 to 10 hours. If working on a smoker with the firebox at one end, shuffle the ribs a couple times so they cook evenly. To test for doneness, insert a metal skewer in the largest rib (through one end and parallel to the bone); it should pierce the meat easily. Another test for doneness is to insert an instant-read thermometer parallel to but not touching the bone; it should read 200°F. (Check the ribs to make sure all are done.) When done, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by 1 to 2 inches.
5. Transfer the ribs to a large foil pan with the beef stock. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it in an insulated cooler. Let the ribs rest for 1 hour before serving.
6. Just before serving, season each rib with a light sprinkling of salt.

The post How to Smoke Dino Ribs: Big, Bad Beef Plate Ribs appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Playoff football means the games get bigger, but the tailgate still starts long before kickoff.

For our Playoff Edition, we’re taking another look at the gear that helps make game day easier—from setup and grilling to serving and cleanup. Some of it is built for the parking lot, some works just as well at home, and all of it is ready for another round.

Here’s the 2026 Tailgating Essentials Playoff Edition.

By playoff time, the routine is familiar: pack smart, set up fast, grill well, and leave yourself enough time to enjoy the game. The right gear can make every part of the tailgate run a little more smoothly.

The post Tailgating Essentials 2026: Playoff Edition appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Smoked salmon. Two words that make your mouth water. For whether it’s the buttery nova that crowns a cream cheese-spread bagel; the soft, silken, cold-smoked salmon that sits on a blini (buckwheat pancake); the hot-smoked salmon you eat in Alaska; or the sweet-salty salmon candy you munch at Pike Place Market in Seattle, smoked salmon ranks as one of the world’s supreme delicacies.

What you might not realize is how easy it is to make at home.

Here at barbecuebible.com, we know a thing or two about smoked salmon. For it’s a dish I make in one form or another almost every week at home. I love how sugar and salt (the former a flavoring you don’t normally associate with seafood) in the cure turn salmon into an unforgettable delicacy. I love how smoking over smoldering hardwood transforms a commonplace fish into edible art.

Smoking salmon is easy, but it isn’t always simple. Herewith, the barbecuebible.com complete guide to smoking salmon.

The Types

But which smoked salmon?

Cold-smoked salmon: Fish that is cured and smoked, but not cooked. Think translucent flesh, a satiny texture, and slices thin enough to read through. Scottish, Irish, and Norwegian smoked salmons belong here; their character depends on the fish, cure, wood, and smokehouse.

Nova: Short for Nova Scotia, once a prime source of this deli favorite. Today, the name generally describes a mild cure and light cold smoke, rather than where the fish was caught. Don’t confuse it with traditional lox, which is salted, but not smoked. The latter takes its name from a word for salmon in Yiddish, with relatives in Scandinavian languages.

Hot-smoked salmon: Cured fish that is cooked as well as smoked. The flesh turns opaque and breaks into moist flakes. Kippered salmon belongs to this family; I’m partial to a dry cure that gives it a firm exterior and sweet-salty flavor.

Salmon candy: Strips or nuggets of cured salmon, smoked and repeatedly glazed with maple syrup or honey. Bronzed outside, flaky inside, and damn near irresistible. Some versions are dried further until chewy like jerky.

The Fish

Here are the salmon you need to know about for smoking:

King (chinook): My first choice when the budget permits—rich, buttery, and generously endowed with the fat that keeps smoked fish luscious. The drawback? The price. My local fish market sells it for $40 / pound!

Sockeye: Deep red flesh, a firm texture, and a forthright salmon flavor that stands up beautifully to smoke. Leaner than king (and not as luscious), so watch it closely to avoid drying it out.

Coho (silver): Milder and more delicate than sockeye, and often less expensive than king—a fine choice for kippered salmon or salmon candy. Its leaner flesh calls for a gentle heat.

Copper River: A place, not a species: Alaska’s Copper River produces king, sockeye, and coho. These fish store fat for a formidable upriver migration, making them prized for richness—and often priced accordingly.

The Source

When I was growing up, fresh salmon was a novelty and a luxury—a seasonal food you waited all year to enjoy. Today, farming makes it available year-round. Convenience has its advantages, but I still vote wild.

Wild Pacific salmon offers distinct species, firm flesh, and flavors worth seeking out. Fresh supplies generally peak from late spring through early fall, depending on the species and fishery; price and availability fluctuate. Good frozen wild salmon can be a better buy than tired “fresh” fish. Thaw it in the refrigerator.

Farmed Atlantic salmon offers consistent availability, plenty of fat, and usually a lower price. I find its texture softer and flavor less distinctive; environmental practices vary considerably by producer. Faroe Islands salmon is one option worth considering when wild isn’t available—ask who raised it and how. All “Atlantic” salmon sold commercially in the United States is farmed.

Fresh is best—but how do you recognize it? Look for glossy, moist flesh with no browning or dried edges; on whole fish, clear eyes and red gills. Ask to smell it. (Really.) It should smell clean and briny, not fishy or sour. A good fishmonger will understand. Your nose is a useful first check.

The Trim

Keep skin in the game: I generally leave it on for smoking. It supports the flesh and helps keep it from sticking to the rack.

Prefer skinless? Lay the fillet skin side down on a cutting board. Starting at the narrow tail end, slip a sharp filleting knife between skin and flesh. Grip the skin with a paper towel and pull it taut while working the blade toward the thick end, keeping it nearly flat against the board.

Bones be gone: Run your fingertips along the fillet to locate the pin bones. Lift the fish slightly from underneath to expose their tips, then pull them out with kitchen tweezers or clean needle-nose pliers, following the direction of the bones.

The Cure

Salt firms the flesh and draws out moisture; sugar rounds out the saltiness. Cure in a nonreactive dish in the refrigerator, never on the counter.

Dry cure: For my kippered salmon, mix 2 parts dark brown sugar with 1 part kosher or coarse sea salt by volume, plus freshly ground black pepper to taste. Spread some underneath the fish and pat the rest over it. Figure on about 4 hours for fillet sections. My Scandinavian-style cold-smoked salmon uses an all-salt cure; a whisky variation uses equal volumes of salt and sugar, with juniper and bay leaves. And of course scotch whisky or bourbon. Those thicker fillets cure for about 24 hours under the respective recipe’s directions.

Wet cure (brine): My salmon candy starts with 1 quart water, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup kosher or coarse sea salt, and 1/2 cup maple syrup. Stir until dissolved, chill, and immerse the strips for about 8 hours in the refrigerator.

These are flavor formulas, not interchangeable preservation treatments. Salt brands differ greatly in weight per cup; stick with the salt specified in your recipe, particularly for cold smoking.

After curing, rinse as directed, blot dry, and arrange the fish on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Dry uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, or until tacky. That sticky surface—the pellicle—helps the smoke adhere. Don’t skip it.

The Smoke

The basic distinction: cold smoking flavors the fish without cooking it; hot smoking does both.

Cold Smoking

Use a dedicated cold smoker or an external smoke generator feeding an unlit grill or smoker. Keep the fish away from the smoke source and monitor the chamber temperature: typically 70 to 90 degrees F, without exceeding the limits of your tested process. Alternatively, place the fish on a rack over a large pan of ice and smoke on a charcoal grill or smoker (set on low heat).

My Danish-style preparation takes 18 to 24 hours, followed by a rest in the refrigerator. The finished fish is bronzed, somewhat firm, and satiny inside.

Here’s the catch: cold smoking does not kill parasites or reliably eliminate harmful bacteria. Use a tested process with specified salt levels and temperature controls, and fish commercially frozen for parasite destruction when required. A pan of ice can help control heat; it does not make an improvised process safe. If you’re new to smoking fish, start with hot smoking.

Hot Smoking

Two options here. For “cool” hot smoking, set your smoker or grill to 225 degrees F. On a charcoal grill, bank a small fire on one side and place the salmon on the other, away from the coals. Oil the grate, lay the fish skin side down, and close the lid. Allow roughly 1 to 2 hours for a fillet, depending on thickness.

For “hot” hot smoking (good for kippered salmon), set your grill to 350 degrees. The cook time here is 20 to 30 minutes.

Salmon candy, cut into strips, takes about 45 to 60 minutes at 225 degrees. Start brushing it with maple syrup after 30 minutes, repeating once or twice as the glaze sets.

Times are guides. For all three hot-smoked preparations, check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer: aim for 145 degrees F. The flesh should be opaque and separate into clean flakes. Candy should have a glossy, bronzed exterior; don’t sacrifice a moist center chasing a darker crust.

The Wood

Over the centuries, smoke-masters have developed specific preferences for wood. Alder is king in the Pacific Northwest. Hawaiians swear by kiawe (aka mesquite). Beech is the wood used at Danish smokehouses. Cherry and apple bring a mellow sweetness. Remember to dose the smoke gradually: this is one case where too much smoke really is too much smoke.

The Serve

For cold-smoked salmon, use a long, slender, very sharp knife to cut broad, paper-thin slices on the diagonal, leaving the skin behind.

Serve European-style with toast points or blinis, sour cream, capers, minced red onion, and chopped hard-cooked egg—the whites and yolks in separate little bowls. Add dill or parsley and lemon wedges. Or go Danish with an open-face rye bread sandwich.

Jewish deli-style? A toasted bagel, a generous schmear of cream cheese, smoked salmon, sliced onion, tomato, and capers. Sunday morning doesn’t get much better.

Serve hot-smoked or kippered salmon warm or chilled, in generous flakes; put salmon candy out with cocktails. Its sweet-salty swagger can stand up to the strongest spirits.

Refrigerate promptly at 40 degrees F or below and enjoy homemade hot-smoked salmon within 3 days, or freeze it. Follow your tested process’s storage limits for cold-smoked fish. Salmon candy may look like jerky, but this version still belongs in the refrigerator.

Finally, to make an amazing smoked salmon spread, puree equal parts smoked salmon and cream cheese in a food processor, adding plenty of black pepper. That’s another Raichlen favorite. I think I’ll have some right now!

The post The Complete Guide to Smoked Salmon appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

By Steve Nestor

What is your go-to appetizer when hosting a party at your house? Mine is chicken wings. My guests expect and look forward to the chicken wings. But sometimes I like to mix things up and surprise them with something new.

Here is an appetizer that is sweet, salty, savory, and speedy to make. If you are looking for a quick and delicious appetizer, I have just the thing: bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese.

How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Here is how it all comes together. I used Medjool dates. I started by slicing down the side of each date and removing the pit. I then stuffed each date with a slice of blue cheese.

I cut the bacon in half and spread the slices out on the cutting board.

The Barbecue University Bacon Trick

One trick I learned when I was a student at Barbecue University is to use your hands to stretch out each slice of bacon to make it longer when wrapping food. Stretching out the bacon allows you to overlap the original edge of the bacon.

Next, I wrapped each date with a slice of bacon and secured it with a toothpick. I placed them in the refrigerator to help the bacon stick to the dates.

Griddling the Bacon-Wrapped Dates

I wanted the bacon to get crispy without burning, so I set up the Wildfire drop-in griddle over medium heat. I removed the toothpicks and placed the bacon-wrapped dates on the griddle seam-side down to sear them closed.

The dates grilled for 2 minutes on each side, for a total of 8 minutes. I finished the bacon-wrapped dates with hot honey for some kick.

The bacon was crispy and salty, the dates were warm and sweet, and the blue cheese created a creamy center. The spice from the hot honey balanced the sweetness of the dates and the richness of the blue cheese. Each bite provided a burst of flavors and textures.

Recipe

Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese and Hot Honey

Medjool dates are stuffed with blue cheese, wrapped in bacon, and griddled until the bacon is crisp. A drizzle of hot honey adds a spicy-sweet finish.

Ingredients

• 10 Medjool dates
• 10 slices or pieces blue cheese
• 5 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
• Hot honey, for finishing

Instructions

1. Slice down the side of each date and remove the pit.
2. Stuff each date with a slice of blue cheese.
3. Cut the bacon slices in half and spread them out on a cutting board. Using your hands, gently stretch each piece of bacon to make it longer.
4. Wrap each date with a piece of bacon, overlapping the bacon slightly, and secure it with a toothpick.
5. Place the wrapped dates in the refrigerator to help the bacon adhere to the dates.
6. Set up the Wildfire drop-in griddle over medium heat.
7. Remove the toothpicks and place the bacon-wrapped dates on the griddle seam-side down to sear the bacon closed.
8. Griddle for about 2 minutes on each side, about 8 minutes total, or until the bacon is crisp.
9. Transfer the dates to a serving plate and finish with hot honey.

A big thank you to Wildfire Outdoor Living for sponsoring this cook.

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, illuminated LED knobs, cast stainless steel burners, and laser-cut stainless steel cooking grates create products designed to 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 drop-in griddle will turn your Wildfire gas grill into a full-fledged kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can enjoy pancakes and bacon for breakfast, smash burgers for lunch, or stir-fry for dinner, all on the drop-in griddle.

The post Back to Basics: A Hot Date with Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Hot Honey appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

“Candy is dandy,” goes the saying. But candied bacon is even dandier.

Just ask my wife. This morning, she announced she would like candied bacon to go with her eggs for breakfast.

Well, you know the other saying: “Happy wife, happy life.” So candied bacon it is!

Fortunately, I had a package of organic, thick-sliced, cob-smoked bacon in the refrigerator. I grabbed some maple syrup and brown sugar (equally organic) and fired up the griddle.

So who first created candied bacon? One predecessor may have been “pig candy”—pioneered on the competition barbecue circuit by pit masters who crusted pork belly with brown sugar, black pepper, and cayenne, prior to an hours-long smoke in their offsets. Martha Stewart got into the act in the early 2000s with sugar- and spice-crusted bacon baked crisp in the oven. But that effort paled next to the “Millionaire’s bacon” introduced (and trademarked) at the Sweet Maple restaurant in San Francisco.

You know what I think? Candied bacon had no single progenitor. Like fire, it arose in many places independently, because sweet + salty + smoke = edible paradise every time.

How to Make Candied Bacon on a Griddle

Which brings me back to the wife-pleasing candied bacon I made this morning. It’s super easy. All you need is bacon, maple syrup, brown sugar, a griddle, tongs, and a wire rack.

Step 1. Heat your griddle to medium-high. Open a 12-ounce package of thick-sliced bacon and fry one strip to grease the griddle. (Figure on 2 to 4 minutes per side, rubbing the bacon across the griddle so the fat will grease the surface.)

Step 2. Spread out the remaining bacon on a platter. Place 1/4 cup maple syrup in a small bowl and using a basting brush, brush each strip of bacon with the syrup on both sides.

Step 3. Spread out 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark—your choice) in a foil pan. Dip each strip of syrup-glazed bacon in the brown sugar, turning to coat both sides. (Add more sugar as needed.) Arrange the sugar-crusted bacon strips on the griddle.

Step 4. Fry the bacon until sizzling and darkly browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side, turning with tongs.

Step 5. Transfer the bacon to an oiled wire rack over a drip pan. Let it cool slightly or to room temperature. It will crisp on cooling.

We served the candied bacon with my wife’s scrambled farm eggs, but it’s also delicious with French toast, on a BLT sandwich, crumbled over baked potatoes and salads (hum—what a cool flavoring for potato salad!), and, yes, even ice cream sundaes. Really! (See the recipe in my book Man Made Meals.)

But best of all, candied bacon makes my wife happy, and that’s the dandiest of all!

Note: In addition to the brown sugar, some people like to add black pepper, cayenne, or their favorite barbecue rub. Just saying!

Recipe

Candied Bacon on a Griddle

By Steven Raichlen

Thick-sliced bacon brushed with maple syrup, coated with brown sugar, and griddled until sizzling and darkly browned.

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce package thick-sliced bacon
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, plus more as needed
• Optional: black pepper, cayenne, or your favorite barbecue rub

Instructions

1. Heat your griddle to medium-high. Fry one strip of bacon to grease the griddle, 2 to 4 minutes per side, rubbing the bacon across the griddle so the fat greases the surface.
2. Spread out the remaining bacon on a platter. Place the maple syrup in a small bowl and, using a basting brush, brush each strip of bacon with the syrup on both sides.
3. Spread the brown sugar in a foil pan. Dip each strip of syrup-glazed bacon in the brown sugar, turning to coat both sides. Add more sugar as needed. Arrange the sugar-crusted bacon strips on the griddle.
4. Fry the bacon until sizzling and darkly browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side, turning with tongs.
5. Transfer the bacon to an oiled wire rack over a drip pan. Let it cool slightly or to room temperature. It will crisp on cooling.

The post How to Candy Bacon appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

By BarbecueBible.com

What could be better than corned beef? Corned beef hash!

And what could be better than corned beef hash? A corned beef hash burrito!

Yes, breakfast on the grill or griddle is a thing, and no one does it better than our own Steven Raichlen. An inveterate early riser, Steven loves nothing better than to greet the new day by firing up the grill. (Early?—we routinely get emails from the guy at 4:30 a.m.)

Which brings us to Steven’s favorite Irish / American / Mexican mashup: the corned beef breakfast burrito.

First the corned beef. This salt- and spice-cured beef has a long history in Ireland, with an early reference appearing in a satirical poem from the 12th century. Corned beef isn’t hard to prepare from scratch (to learn how, click here), but you can make excellent burritos with store-bought corned beef. That’s what we call for here.

Next comes the burrito, which you’ll recognize as a large flour tortilla stuffed with meat, cheese, refried beans or other savory fillings. What you may not know is that the burrito takes its name from the Spanish word for “little donkey.” The tightly rolled tortilla resembles the bedrolls traditionally tied to the backs of pack donkeys. Huh! We didn’t know that either.

As for hash, it derives from the French word hacher—“to chop,” literally—the same origin as our word hatchet. For that’s what hash is, meat, potatoes, onions and other flavorings chopped into pieces and pan-fried in a skillet.

Whew—all this word play is making us hungry. So it’s time to fire up your griddle and make the best breakfast ever: a corned beef breakfast burrito.

Recipe

Griddled Corned Beef Hash Breakfast Burritos

Corned beef hash, potatoes, peppers, and jalapeños are wrapped in flour tortillas with grated cheese, then browned on a hot griddle until crisp.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil, plus additional oil for the griddle
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced; for more heat, leave the seeds in
• 2 cups cooked corned beef, diced
• 2 cups cooked potatoes or other root vegetables, coarsely or finely diced
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce, or more to taste
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large flour tortillas
• About 1 cup grated cheddar or pepper Jack cheese

Instructions

1. Heat the butter or olive oil on a griddle or in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños and cook until browned, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in the corned beef and potatoes and continue grilling until the potatoes are browned and the corned beef is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce and grill for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Divide the corned beef hash among the flour tortillas. Sprinkle each with grated cheddar or pepper Jack cheese. Fold in the sides of each tortilla and roll tightly to form a burrito.
5. Heat the griddle to medium-hot and oil it well. Arrange the burritos seam-side down and griddle until crisp and browned on the bottom. Turn and brown the opposite side. Serve hot.

A big thank you to Wildfire Outdoor Living for sponsoring this cook.

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 drop-in griddle will turn your Wildfire gas grill into a full-fledged kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can enjoy pancakes and bacon for breakfast, smash burgers for lunch, or stir-fry for dinner, all on the drop-in griddle.

The post Back to Basics: Corned Beef Hash Breakfast Burritos on the Griddle appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Tailgating season is back, and so is our annual roundup of gear for game day.

This year’s Tailgating Essentials guide brings together a fresh group of products designed to make grilling, serving, and hanging out before kickoff a little easier. Some are built for the parking lot, some work just as well at home, and all of them bring something useful to the table.

Here are our Tailgating Essentials for 2026.

Good tailgating gear has to earn the space it takes up. The products in this year’s guide are designed to make setup, grilling, serving, and cleanup a little easier before kickoff.

The post Tailgating Essentials 2026: Gear for Game Day Grilling appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

 

By Daniel Hale

With football season fast approaching, it’s time to make my first tailgating meal. Being from California, I have to go with tri-tip!

A few years ago, I wrote about my first real attempt at grilling tri-tip. I cooked it indirectly on my Weber kettle, then finished it over direct heat for that amazing sear.

This time I wanted to take the same cut in a different direction. I decided to put a Santa Maria-style tri-tip on the rotisserie.

And what better grill to use than the Monument Eminence 605? This is a big grill. This isn’t something I’m throwing in the back of the car and hauling to a stadium parking lot. This was game-day cooking at home.

Rotisserie Tri-Tip on the Eminence 605

I started with Steven’s Santa Maria Tri-Tip recipe, seasoning the meat with coarse salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried rosemary. The tri-tip started at about 3 1/2 pounds before I trimmed a fair amount of exterior fat.

 

Once the meat was secured on the rotisserie spit, I set up the Eminence 605 for indirect cooking. I lit the burners on either side of the meat and left the burners directly below the tri-tip off. The grill settled in around 285 to 290°F.

The rotisserie kept the tri-tip turning steadily without any flipping or repositioning. After about 45 minutes, the deepest part of the roast had reached 117°F.

Finishing with the Infrared Rear Burner

The Monument Eminence 605 includes a rear infrared burner designed to work with the rotisserie. The rear burner is either on or off rather than adjustable like the main burners.

 

I turned on the infrared rear burner and kept the rotisserie running. The added radiant heat browned the outside while I watched the internal temperature closely.

I wanted medium-rare, so I pulled the tri-tip when the deepest part reached 130°F and let it rest before slicing. The finished meat had a pink center and a browned, rosemary-flecked exterior.

Tri-tip has grain that changes direction, so I separated the roast as needed and sliced each section across the grain. The method was different from my previous tri-tip cook, but the temperature strategy was familiar: cook it gently first, then use higher heat to finish the exterior.

Santa Maria-Style Sides on the Grill

A Santa Maria-style tri-tip called for the traditional supporting cast, so I also made Steven’s Santa Maria Garlic Bread and Santa Maria Pinquito Beans.

I made a couple of changes to the beans. Instead of pinquito beans, I used Frijoles Colorados Cortos (small red beans). I also substituted chipotle sauce for the red chile sauce. Other than that, I followed the recipe.

 

I cooked the beans in a saucepan on the Eminence 605’s side burner while the tri-tip was on the rotisserie. Bacon, ham, onion, garlic, tomato purée, chipotle sauce, and the seasonings all went into the pot with the beans.

For the garlic bread, I followed the Santa Maria Garlic Bread recipe. I grilled the bread at the end of the cook while the rest of the meal was coming together.

 

That gave me the full game-day menu: rotisserie tri-tip, Santa Maria-ish beans, and Santa Maria grilled garlic bread.

The Results

The tri-tip came out beautifully, with a pink center and a browned exterior from the infrared finish. The rosemary really came through in the Santa Maria seasoning and gave the beef a distinct herbal note without covering up the flavor of the meat. I especially liked what the chipotle sauce did for the beans, adding a deeper smoky flavor and a little heat. And the garlic bread may have been the surprise of the meal. Grilled until crisp around the edges and loaded with garlic butter, it was excellent alongside the tri-tip and beans.

Game Day at Home

I’ve now cooked tri-tip a few different ways, and the rotisserie gave me another one worth keeping. The Eminence 605 handled the slow roast, the infrared rear burner handled the finish, and the side burner gave me a place to cook the beans at the same time.

 

For a tailgating-season meal at home, it made good use of the grill without turning dinner into a juggling act.

A big thank you to Monument Grills for sponsoring this cook.

The post Kick Off Tailgating Season with Rotisserie Tri-Tip appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

“…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

Recipe

Chipotle Chile Marinade

From Steven’s book, Barbecue Sauces, Rubs and Marinade.

Yield:
Makes 2 cups adobo, enough to marinate 2 to 3 pounds of meat or seafood

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 ripe plum tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 medium-size onion, peeled and cut in half
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 to 4 canned chipotle chiles
• 1 to 2 teaspoons canned chipotle juices
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt (sea or kosher)

Instructions

1. Heat a comal or dry skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin and peppercorns and toast until fragrant, 2 minutes. Transfer the spices to a blender or spice mill and grind to a fine powder. Leave the spices in the blender.
2. Place the tomatoes, garlic, and onion on the comal and cook until nicely browned on all sides, turning with tongs. This will take 4 to 6 minutes for the garlic, and 10 to 12 minutes for the tomatoes and onion. Coarsely chop the vegetables and transfer them to the blender with the spices.
3. Add the lime and orange juices, the vinegar, chipotle chiles and juices, oregano, and salt. Run the blender in bursts to reduce the ingredients to a thick purée. Transfer to a large jar, cover, and refrigerate. Use within a few hours of making.

Recipe

Chipotle Chile-Marinated Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients

• Marinated and cooked chicken breast, using the Chipotle Chile Marinade above
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 (or more, depending on the number of guests) 8- to 10-inch flour tortilla(s)
• 2 (or more, depending on the number of guests) 6-inch cassava or almond flour tortillas

Instructions

1. Heat a griddle on the grill top of the Monument Mesa II to medium-hot (about 350 degrees).
2. Shred the chicken breasts and, in a bowl, toss with the Monterey Jack cheese.
3. For the flour tortilla, sprinkle the chicken-cheese mixture on half of the tortilla, then fold it over to create a half-moon.
4. For the cassava or almond flour tortillas, sprinkle the chicken-cheese mixture over one tortilla and cover with another tortilla, like a sandwich.
5. Prepare the griddle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and heat until hot, but not smoking.
6. Place the quesadillas on the griddle under a weight and cook until the cheese begins to melt and the quesadillas begin to crisp. Flip and cook until the cheese is fully melted, then remove from the griddle.
7. Let the quesadillas cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and refried beans.

Recipe

Refried Beans

Ingredients

• One small bag (1/2 pound) pinto beans
• 1/2 large white onion
• 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
• 2 canned chipotle chiles
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup (approx. 4 oz.) Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

1. Place pinto beans in a large pot and cover with 8 cups of water. Add the onion and set over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, partly cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour.
2. Remove the lid, stir in salt, partly cover with the lid, and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the beans are tender and the liquid is tinted from the pinto beans.
3. Uncover the pot of beans and, using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the onion.
4. Working in batches, add the cooked beans along with 1 cup of their cooking liquid and the chipotle chiles to a food processor, and pulse until the mixture forms a coarse purée.
5. Heat the oil in a large, heavy, cast-iron sauté pan on the side burner of the Monument Mesa II to medium. Once hot, but not smoking, carefully add the bean purée. Stir well, incorporating the hot oil into the bean mixture. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often until the mixture thickens a bit.
6. Stir in the grated Monterey Jack and continue to cook for another minute or so, stirring frequently until the mixture forms a thick purée.

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

Recipe

John’s (Almost Famous) Margarita

Ingredients

• 1 fresh lime
• 2 “generous” shots (4 oz.) of high-quality tequila (Casamigos or Mijenta)
• 1 shot (1 oz.) Cointreau
• 1 “squirt” organic light agave syrup
• 1 handful or a bit more of crushed ice
• Kosher or sea salt

Instructions

1. Fill 1/2 of a large cocktail shaker with crushed ice.
2. Slice the lime in half and, using a reamer, squeeze over the ice. Include some rind.
3. Add tequila, Cointreau and agave.
4. Cut one thin slice of the remaining half-lime for garnish and “wet” the rim of a margarita glass with the rest of the lime, then salt the rim of the glass.
5. Shake the tequila mixture vigorously and pour into the glass.
6. Garnish the cocktail with the lime slice and enjoy!

Recipe

John’s (Nearly Famous) Margarita with Non-Alcoholic Spirits

Ingredients

• 1 fresh lime
• 3 “generous” shots (6 oz.) of Aplós non-alcoholic spirits (either Calme or Arise)
• 1 “squirt” organic light agave syrup
• 10 “shakes” of Angostura Orange Bitters
• 1 handful or a bit more of crushed ice
• Kosher or sea salt

Instructions

1. Fill 1/2 of a large cocktail shaker with crushed ice.
2. Slice the lime in half and, using a reamer, squeeze over the ice. Include some rind.
3. Add Aplós, agave and orange bitters.
4. Cut one thin slice of the remaining half-lime for garnish and “wet” the rim of a margarita glass with the rest of the lime. Salt the rim of the glass.
5. Shake the Aplós mixture vigorously and pour into the glass.
6. Garnish the cocktail and enjoy!

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.

Recipe

Wood-Fired Ribeye Steak au Poivre

A thick-cut ribeye is brushed with Dijon mustard, crusted with cracked black pepper, and cooked in cast iron over a wood fire. The steak drippings become the base for a Cognac cream sauce with shallots and grilled mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 1 thick-cut ribeye steak, 16 to 20 ounces
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, for brushing the steak
• 2 tablespoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns, plus more for the sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 shallot, diced
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons Cognac
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, for the sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Set up the grill for a two-zone wood fire, with a hot side and a cooler side.
2. Grill the sliced mushrooms over the wood fire until browned. Set aside.
3. Lightly brush the ribeye with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, then coat it with the cracked black peppercorns.
4. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over the hot side of the fire. When the skillet is hot, add the butter. Once the butter melts, add the ribeye and cook for about 4 minutes. Flip the steak and cook for another 4 minutes, or until cooked to your desired doneness.
5. Transfer the steak to a wire rack set over a sheet pan and let it rest while you make the sauce. Do not wipe out the skillet.
6. Sauté the diced shallot in the remaining butter and steak juices. Add the grilled mushrooms and season with kosher salt and additional cracked black pepper.
7. Move the skillet to the cooler side of the grill and add the Cognac. 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.
8. Stir in 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and the heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a boil, then cook until it reduces and thickens.
9. Slice the rested ribeye and spoon the au poivre sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

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 Steven Raichlen

Labor Day already? It seems like summer just began. I hope you’ve been grilling as much as I have this summer. For Labor Day this year, I propose something different.

This Labor Day, we’re planning a feast that’s the opposite of labor intensive, and we’re firing up the griddle to cook it. We start with a Raichlen twist on classic shrimp cocktail—spice blackened shrimp with chipotle tequila cocktail sauce.

For the main course, we’re taking a page from the Philadelphia playbook: cheesesteak. But not just any cheesesteak. No, we’re making this one with thinly sliced rib-eyes. (Of course, you can use the more traditional top or bottom round.) And to crank up the heat, we’ll use poblano chiles instead of bell peppers. For mushrooms, you can’t beat the elegance of shiitakes.

Our side dish is—you guessed it—potato salad, but, oh, what potato salad. German-style potato salad enhanced with griddled onion, capers, and bacon.

And for dessert? That campfire classic, s’mores, only for these, you don’t need a campfire. You don’t even need a grill. The secret, deconstruct and reconstruct the classic s’more into a sandwich: 2 graham crackers sandwiched with marshmallow and bittersweet chocolate. The Raichlen touch? A slice of candied orange. You’ll crisp the whole shebang on the griddle. Who says s’mores are only for kids?

Finally, to wash it all down? One of my favorite cocktails: the smoky mezcalini. Think margarita meets mojito and don’t think of Labor Day without it.

Happy Labor Day everyone! Don’t work too hard as you celebrate.

The BarbecueBible.com Labor Day Menu

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:<br /> A Labor Day Feast Without the Labor! appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Steak may be the choice of champions, and no cookout would be complete without ribs. But when it comes to comfort food, nothing beats a roast chicken.

You know the bird I’m talking about. Skin bronzed and crisp, the meat tender and juicy, the aromas intense and mouthwatering. A properly roasted chicken is the very embodiment of lusciousness and well-being. Brisket may be a once-a-month luxury. A roast chicken you feast on once a week.

And the secret to achieving that great roast chicken? Fire up your grill.

So how do you grill the perfect roast chicken? Let me count the ways.

• You indirect grill it, adding wood chunks to the coals to lay on a smoke flavor.
• You spit-roast it on the rotisserie, using the gentle rotation to baste the meat with chicken juices as it cooks.
• You prop it on a beer can (open, of course) and roast it upright to make the infamous beer can chicken.
• You smoke it low and slow (at a low heat for 3 to 4 hours) to make barbecued chicken, which you top with Alabama white sauce: 2 parts mayonnaise, 1 part cider vinegar, with as much black pepper as you can bear.

  

• You can even direct grill a whole chicken by cutting out the backbone and opening the bird like a book—a process known as spatchcocking. When using this method, start the chicken bone side down and grill it over a moderate fire.

For indirect grilling or beer can chicken, set up the grill with the heat to the sides and a drip pan beneath the bird; medium heat, around 350°F, is a good starting point. For rotisserie roasting, position the coals or lit burners to either side of the spit and place a drip pan underneath. For low-and-slow smoking, maintain a temperature between 225° and 275°F and add wood chunks or wood chips for smoke. For spatchcocking, grill directly over a moderate fire, starting bone side down.

Six Essential Steps for an Even Better Roast Chicken

1. Leave the bird uncovered in the refrigerator. Refrigerate it uncovered for 24 to 48 hours before roasting. This dries out the skin, making it extra crisp when you roast it.
2. Remove the wishbone. Cut it out of the front cavity with a paring knife. This makes it easier to carve the breast meat.
3. Add flavor inside and out. Rub the outside of the bird with a cut lemon and a cut head of garlic. Then place these ingredients in the cavity to perfume the chicken from the inside-out.

   

4. To truss or not to truss. I always truss a chicken to give it a handsome ovoid shape—a holdover from my French cooking school days, when appearance was paramount. But if you roast the chicken untrussed, the smoke and fire flavor can penetrate the inside of the bird. Your choice.
5. Cook the thigh to 175° to 180°F. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. Yeah, I know that’s higher than the USDA minimum of 165°F, but the dark meat will be more tender.
6. Give it a short rest. Once cooked, rest your chicken on a wire rack over a sheet pan for 2 minutes before carving. This “relaxes” the meat, making it juicier. But don’t rest it too long or the skin will get soggy and the chicken will get cold.

However you choose to cook it, the grill gives roast chicken something the oven can’t: the flavor of smoke and fire. Get the skin crisp and the dark meat tender, and you may find that once-a-week roast chicken becoming a habit.

Whole Chicken Recipes to Try

For more ways to grill a whole chicken, try these BarbecueBible.com recipes:

• Barbecued Chicken — A classic whole chicken cooked by indirect grilling.
• Rotisserie Chicken — Spit-roasted chicken with the self-basting action of the rotisserie.
• Basic Beer-Can Chicken — The infamous upright-roasted chicken.
• Spatchcock Chicken with a Curry Mustard Crust — A flattened whole chicken with a mustard-and-breadcrumb crust.

The post Back to Basics—How to Grill the Perfect Roast Chicken 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.

Recipe

New Mexican Green Chile Burgers with Salsa Verde

Recipe by Steven Raichlen

These New Mexican green chile burgers get a double dose of chile flavor from fire-roasted peppers mixed with white cheddar and a fresh New Mexican salsa verde.

Method
Direct grilling

Serves
4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup roasted New Mexican green chiles, Anaheim chiles, or poblano peppers, cut into 1/4-inch strips (4 to 5 chiles)
• 4 ounces white Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin or chuck
• Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 hamburger buns
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• New Mexican Salsa Verde

Instructions

1. Place the chile strips in a serving bowl and stir in the Cheddar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Wet your hands with cold water and divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions. Working quickly and with a light touch, pat each portion into a thick patty. Place the patties on a plate lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered, until ready to grill.
3. Generously, and I mean generously, season each patty on both sides with salt and black pepper. Grill the burgers until they are cooked through. Remove the burgers and cover to keep warm. Leave the grill on.
4. Brush the cut sides of the hamburger buns with the olive oil. Place the buns on the hot grill, cut side down, and, lowering the temperature if necessary, grill until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. You may need to work in batches.
5. Place each of the burgers on the bottom half of a bun and top each with a quarter of the chile and cheese mixture. Spoon some salsa verde over each, top with the other half of the bun, and serve at once.

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.

 

By Steve Nestor

Do you ever grill dessert? I do it all the time, and one of my favorites is grilled pineapple. The outside of the pineapple becomes charred, and the edges get crusty while the inside remains cool and sweet. I thought using a griddle would create a better sear since the entire slice of pineapple is in contact with the griddle. I used the drop-in griddle for the Wildfire gas grill for this pineapple dessert.

Why Pineapple Works So Well on the Griddle

Here is how it all came together. I placed the griddle in the Wildfire gas grill and heated it to high. I prepared all my ingredients while the griddle was heating up. I cored and sliced the pineapple. I sliced the outside of the pineapple into rings to use for serving.

Next, I placed two cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and two cloves in a spice grinder and finely ground all the ingredients. Then I mixed the ground spices with freshly grated nutmeg and brown sugar. I placed the spice mixture in a baking dish. I brought all the ingredients to the grill.

Creating the Brown Sugar Spice Crust

Once I coated each pineapple slice in the brown sugar spice mixture, I put each one directly on the griddle. I do not recommend adding the brown sugar mixture to all the pineapple slices in the kitchen and then heading out to the griddle. The brown sugar mixture will start to mix with the juices of the pineapple and get watery, which will impede the searing of the pineapple.

The pineapple slices were placed on the griddle and seared for two minutes. I then flipped the pineapple slices, and they seared for another two minutes. Once the pineapple slices were seared on both sides, I placed them on a wire rack over a sheet pan.

 

Serving the Griddled Pineapple

To serve the seared pineapple, I placed a pineapple ring on a plate and then scooped in vanilla ice cream. I sprinkled more of the spice rub over the ice cream. I then topped the ice cream with seared pineapple slices and garnished with fresh mint.

 

The cold and smooth ice cream contrasts with the hot and crusty pineapple. The high heat of the Wildfire drop-in griddle and the brown sugar spice mixture created a flavorful crust on the pineapple. The mint provides freshness and relief from the sweetness of the ice cream and the pineapple.

Recipe

Brown Sugar Spice-Rubbed Griddled Pineapple

Fresh pineapple is coated with brown sugar and warm spices, then seared on a hot griddle until crusty and caramelized. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream and fresh mint for a hot-and-cold dessert.

Ingredients

• Pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Allspice berries
• 2 whole cloves
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving
• Fresh mint, for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the drop-in griddle in the gas grill and preheat it to high.
2. Core and slice the pineapple. If desired, reserve rings from the outside of the pineapple for serving.
3. Place the cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and cloves in a spice grinder and grind finely. Combine the ground spices with freshly grated nutmeg and brown sugar in a baking dish.
4. Bring the pineapple and spice mixture to the grill. Working one slice at a time, coat the pineapple in the brown sugar spice mixture immediately before placing it on the hot griddle. Do not coat all the slices ahead of time; the brown sugar will mix with the pineapple juices and become watery, which can interfere with searing.
5. Griddle the pineapple for about 2 minutes. Flip and sear for another 2 minutes, or until both sides are browned and crusty.
6. Transfer the pineapple to a wire rack set over a sheet pan.
7. To serve, place a pineapple ring on each plate and add vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle with additional spice mixture, top with the warm griddled pineapple, and garnish with fresh mint. Serve immediately.

A big thank you to Wildfire Outdoor Living for sponsoring this cook.

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 drop-in griddle will turn your Wildfire gas grill into a full-fledged kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can enjoy pancakes and bacon for breakfast, smash burgers for lunch, or stir-fry for dinner, all on the drop-in griddle.

The post Back-To-Basics: Brown Sugar-Spiced Pineapple, Hot Off the Griddle appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.