Pigs and Zin

I’ve been  meaning to do a post about BBQ ribs for a few weeks now. I smoked ribs a few weekends ago and they were nothing short of amazing. That’s not a boast of my smoking prowess – I’m an amateur at best. No, it’s a testament to the classic combination of low smokey heat and delicious ribs.

So in honor of 4th of July and the fact that just about everyone will be grilling this weekend, I urge you to try making ribs.

I could write about my technique, but this recipe from the Post is better written than anything I can do. In fact, I’d recommend reading this whole article on ribs.

The advice I will give is:

1. Try to do this on a Weber kettle if that’s an option for you, and
2. If you like the results, splurge for a entry-level smoker.

My $150 smoker that I bought about four years ago has proven to be one of my best investments ever. With a little patience and practice, I consistently produce BBQ that is far superior to anything available nearby.

Oh, and my other advice is buy a decent bottle of California Zinfandel to pair with the ribs. Beer might seem like the right mate for BBQ, but nothing beats ribs and zin. You can’t go wrong with Bogle Zin, but Ridge, Rosenblum, and Sobon are all great as well. Especially the Ridge York Creek and the Sobon ReZerve (their spelling, not an error).

I promise that the ribs and wine will blow your mind. And if you want to make your own sauce, try my recipe here. If you want to tailor it to the wine pairing replace the beer with some zinfandel. If you want to get real fancy, use Dijon mustard in place of the yellow mustard. I did it once. It was good. It also felt a little fussy for BBQ.

Hellhound and Homemade BBQ Pt. 4 - Pork BBQ Recipe

As promised, here is my recipe for pork BBQ. But it’s not very original. I take two pork shoulders (Boston butts if you will), slather them in yellow mustard, and then rub them with Penzey’s Spices BBQ of the Americas. I sometimes make my own rub, but the Penzey’s mix is pretty great. I then place said pork shoulders in my smoker and bathe them in glorious hickory smoke at roughly 225 degrees for 18-24 hours.

That’s it. Yes, I soak the wood chips and refill the smoker box every 1.5 – 2 hours for the first 12 hours. But really, that’s it.

If you want to get into smoking, I would first warn you that it’s addictive. Also, your neighbors are likely to bust down your door when you subject them weekend after weekend to the smells smoldering hickory and rendering pork fat.

If you’re still interested, spend a few hours over at the Smoke Ring. The folks on there know their BBQ! I’d also recommend Steve Raichlen’s BBQ Bible – it’s available at our lovely Howard County Library.

If you already have a Weber kettle type grill, you can use it for smoking by starting a fire on one side and adding wood chips. It helps to buy a cooking grate with a hinged section for adding additional chips and charcoal. You can also MacGuyver an electric smoker by placing an electric hot plate in the bottom of your Weber kettle and placing a smoker box on top.

And or course, you can buy a smoker. I have one of these. Some day, I’ll have one of these!

Before

after

Hellhound and Homemade BBQ Pt. 3 - The Cheater's Way

I talk a lot about "cheater" recipes and my "cheater's" smoker. When I use this term, I don't mean for it to be snobby. Because while a show like Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee might not be the most high-brow cooking show. At least it gets people out of cooking only from a box or the freezer. And even if you're just adding one or two ingredients to a prepared meal, it's a step in the right direction.

So rather than give away my full BBQ sauce recipe (which many people won't take the time to make) here's a "cheater's version " that will get you 95% of the way there.

60-Minute BBQ Sauce

• 12 oz Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA
• 2 Tbsp Penzey's Spices BBQ of the Americas

Combine these in a medium sauce pan and boil until reduced to 4 oz of liquid (use a larger pan than you would expect - this foams a lot.Reduce the heat to medium low and add the following:

• 2 cups of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce (it's a little sweet, but makes a good base)
• 1 cup yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup to 2/3 of a cup of vinegar (I've used cider, white balsamic, and red wine vinegar all to good effect).
• Salt and black pepper to taste.

So there you have it. This sauce works best with pork and chicken.

Hellhound and Homemade BBQ Pt. 1

As Farmer Hoggett's wife once said "pork is a nice sweet meat." And it's even better after it has spent 24 hours in a 225 degree chamber surrounded by hickory smoke!

I'm a novice when it comes to smoking. I've been doing it for maybe seven years. First on a Weber kettle and then for the last four years with a an upright propane-fired (cheaters) smoker. Some things turn out pretty good (hot-smoked salmon). Some things (brisket) not so good. But my pork shoulder is amazing! I'd enter a contest if it wasn't for the whole "no propane fired smokers" rule that all of the BBQ competitions employ.

So last night, we dined on pulled pork, zinfandel baked beans, corn on the cob, and Dogfish Head Hellhound on my Ale. As the week progresses, I'll share the recipes for the whole meal. I'm still on the fence about sharing my BBQ sauce recipe, but I'll probably share it. I'll also review the Hellhound. Stay tuned...