Barbecue fans blog

Michael Baker


One of the best barbeque dry rub recipes is one that my grandfather taught me. We used to spend the summers at my grand parents house in Alabama, and even though they had out houses and lived in a little old house, it was always worth it because of the barbeque. It was not until I was older that he actually gave me the recipe for his barbecue dry rub recipe, and now I want to share the spicy one with you.

For starters, he would always use fresh ingredients, or as fresh as he could get them.These would be mixed in a bag, and tossed around for a good 15 minutes. He would actually make me and my little sister do this. Then he would run down meat and place it in the refrigerator overnight. He always did this overnight and never tried to cut corners and only do 2-3 hours.

We normally had ribs or chicken on the grill with this dry rub, but you could probably use any meat you wanted.

The actual recipe for the dry rub is as follows:

8 teaspoons of onion powder
3 teaspoons of white pepper
4 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of garlic powder (not garlic salt)
2 tablespoons of dry mustard powder
4 tablespoons of crushed savory
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

This should make somewhere around a cup of seasoning, which will be enough for about 3 big slabs of ribs or about 1 whole chicken.

The grilling part is completely up to you. Just grill them like you normally would, but do not add anything else to the meat. For the best results, you should rotate the meat often at a lower temperature. This will help keep the juices in the meat and keep it moist.

We I grilled with my grandfather, it was an experience. It was not a chore. We looked forward to this, and took pride in the food we prepared for everyone. He has since passed, but his recipe still remains. And trust me when I say this: Once you try this, you will not try any of the other barbecue dry rub recipes out there.

Hans Dekker


If you are seeking a very unique flavored bbq sauce for your next barbeque then you must try bourbon bbq sauce. This is a very unique sauce that only you will know the secret ingredient.

The most popular bourbon bbq sauce needs the following items to prepare, ½ to ¾ cup of your favorite bourbon, ½ cup of chopped onions, 4 minced garlic gloves, 2 cups of ketchup, 1/3 cup of white vinegar, 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup of brown sugar, ¾ cup of molasses, ¼ cup of tomato paste, a small amount of liquid smoke, salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a tad of Tabasco sauce if you prefer a hotter sauce. You place the onion, garlic and bourbon in large saucepan and sauté until the onions are transparent. This will usually take about 10 minutes. Then you just add all the rest of the ingredients and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened about 20 minutes.

The recipe above can be changed by adding or substituting spices that you prefer to use. You can add a small can of tomatoes, green peppers, or other peppers, soy sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce, and you can delete the liquid smoke.

Try some of your other favorite bbq sauce recipes and replace the called for liquid with bourbon. This will give even the dullest recipe a new and tangy flavor. Or just to create your own recipe. You already know the basics and what spices you like to use. Just sauté the onions in bourbon and then add the tomato sauce and the rest of your favorite items and flavorings to create a brand new bourbon bbq sauce.

You can even find a few bourbon barbeque sauce recipes online on a variety of websites that offer recipes from famous chefs and others that are willing to share their secrets.

Norm Butler


You will find that the Barbecue shrimp recipe is one of the most mouth watering dishes you will experience, which will make you come back for more than one dish. The essential ingredients that are required to make this delicious dish follows, you require one to two pounds of shrimp, which can be either of medium or small sized and need to have well boiled, cleaned and peeled off and one third cup of fresh butter. Then, you need vegetable oil of two tablespoon as well as three-table spoon of lemon juice. Next, you require quarter teaspoon of salt, for taste, as well as ground black pepper for the same quantity.

The barbecue shrimp recipe also requires one bay leaf with spicy sauce amounting to three tablespoon and, garlic, well crushed to the core. The final ingredients include dried leaf basil, dried rosemary as well as paprika all amounting to half a teaspoon and a quarter teaspoon of pepper to make the recipe taste better.

The preparation of making the recipe includes heating the oil and the butter in a large fry pan until the butter melts. After, which you have to add shrimp and fry until it becomes pinkish in color. Then, add the remaining ingredients of the recipe and stir well so that it mixes better. You have to simmer and stir frequently until for abut to 3 to 5 minutes and keep it aside for over 5 minutes. Finally, you remove the shrimp that is well fried and serve it as well as pour sauce on top of the shrimp. The Barbecue shrimp is ready to serve.

Patrick Tang


When coming to barbecue fish, there is a general fear that all the fish will end at the bottom of your barbecue stove as opposed to the well presented pictures in any recipe book. More importantly, remaining as on whole piece at the end of the process. So how does one get that delicious barbequed fish, just right? How do you prevent your fish from sticking to the grill and falling apart?

The primary reason why food sticks to the barbecue grill and falls apart is that the grill is not hot enough when the food is placed on it. You need to get the grill hot enough to not only produce the aromatic sizzling sound but also will continue to do so during the whole cooking process.

Secondly, you need to ensure that your grill is clean. Often food particles get stuck on the surface of the grill and these are areas that your fish may stick to. Keeping a clean grill will reduce the chances of your fish sticking.

Fish normally do not take a look time to cook and it is very important to be very aware of this a barbecue setting. People tend to over cooked it causing it to dry out rather than the deliciously juicy flesh. To ensure that you don’t over cook your fish, make sure it is not frozen and it is at a cool temperature but not cold. Try not to use frozen fish at all if you can help it as fish loose its subtle texture and taste when frozen. These qualities also deteriorate rapidly if fish are kept in room temperature for an extended period presenting health risk.

Flipping your fish is like cooking a good piece of steak, you flip it only once. The tendency is not only to flip it more than once but trying to lift it up to see whether it is cook or not; these actions are sure recipe for disaster. The best way from avoiding this rather uncontrollable tendency is to use a timer. Invest in one, put the fish on, set it to the right duration, go away, come back and flip it when the alarms go off. The other trick is to always place the skin side face down first (if the skin is retained and this the recommended way of cooking fish in a barbecue as it helps to hold the flesh together). Furthermore, it adds the crispy texture to the whole dish.

So far, cooking time has been mentioned a number of times but how long is that, unfortunately this one of those ‘how long is a piece of string’ question – it all depends on the thickness, temperature of your stove and your cooking technique. However, fish in general take much shorter time to cook than meat, a lot shorter. If it is a whole fish you are cooking, slice diagonally across the middle section of the fish (the thickness part of the fish), make a few slices of about 2cm apart. This will allow the heat to get through evenly.

Another way to prevent sticking is to wrap the fish in foil. This way, you can also add flavorings, such as lemon juice and butter. Often you will find that this is the easiest way to keep your fish moist. It is much more difficult to prevent drying out when the fish is placed directly on the grill. However, keep in mind that this will prevent some of the taste of the barbecue from penetrating the fish.

A good invention has been that of the fish basket. You can place your whole fish inside one of these and place them on the barbecue grill. The advantages of these are that you can flip the entire basket, instead of attempting to flip the fish without it breaking. It will also prevent pieces of fish from falling through the bars of the grill.

Recipe of the Day – Barbecue Snapper with Chutney and Parsley

Serve

1. 2 People

Ingredients

1. 1 x 3/4 kg of Snapper whole

2. 1 Cup of freshly chopped Parsley

3. 2 Tspn Apricot & Date Chutney

4. Juice from half a lemon

5. 4 Tspn of Macadamia Oil

6. Salt & Pepper to taste

7. Aluminum foil for wrapping

Method

1. Ask the fishmonger to scale and clean the fish for you but keep it whole instead of fillet it. Make sure it is wiped dry using paper towels.

2. Make diagonal slice cut across the mid-section of the fish but do not cut through the bones and seasoned the whole fish with salt and pepper.

3. In another bowl, mix the chopped parsley, macadamia oil, apricot & date chutney and lemon juice together, add a bit more salt and pepper.

4. Spoon some of this mixture into the stomach of the fish and rub the rest throughout the fish. Wrap the fish using the foil and let it stand in a cool place for 30 minutes.

5. When your barbecue stove is ready, place the wrapped fish on the center of the stove. Let it cooked on one side for 5 minutes and turn it over (once only) for another 5 minutes. Note that depending on the thickness, you might need to vary this cooking time a bit.

6. Once it is cooked, unwrapped the foil but be careful of the steam in the wrapping, transfer it to the serving dish and serve hot. Make sure you transfer all the juice in the wrapping to the serving dish as well.

Jeff Slankard


BBQ pork ribs are one of the most popular dishes among BBQ lovers. It has made its way, through the centuries, from being part of a carcass to be discarded, to a favorite of many and a even a delicacy to some.

There are very many ways of preparing a BBQ pork ribs recipe. Who am I to say that one way is either right or wrong? All I intend to do, is present you with some possibilities and give you some choices.

How the BBQ ribs are cooked is one of the first things that you must decide. Some folks grill them, some use foil, others cook them in an oven, some even boil them (or a combination of things). My preferred method is to slow smoke them with indirect heat from a mesquite fire.

Once you figure out how you want to cook the pork ribs, it’s time to consider seasonings. If you decide to smoke them (like I do), then you’ve got a few more choices to make. That’s right… more choices. Do you want to use a rub, or maybe a marinade? How about a mop or basting sauce? Don’t forget the finishing BBQ sauce or dipping sauce.

With all of these choices looming, where do we start?

Let’s just do it the way I do. What do you say? You can still make different choices at any time, though. This is just a rub, a mop, and a finishing sauce for you to consider using. Naturally, you are free to use all or any combination of these recipes as you see fit.

The rub:

1/4 c dark brown sugar

2 Tbl paprika

2 Tbl coarse salt

1 Tbl black pepper

1 Tbl chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix the ingredients together. Apply generously to your choice of pork ribs (baby back, spare, St. Louis, etc.) Cover with plastic or foil and refrigerate while you prepare the smoker. If you have the time, refrigerate overnight.

The mop:

1 1/2 c cider vinegar

1 c apple cider

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 Tbl red pepper flakes

1 Tbl salt

Mix ingredients together and let sit for for an hour or more so flavors can infuse. Apply to ribs after they have been in the smoker for an hour or so. Continue to apply every 30 minutes to an hour until ribs are done (about 4 hours at 220 degrees Fahrenheit).

The BBQ sauce:

3 c ketchup

1/2 c orange juice

1/3 c cider vinegar

1/4 c Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c molasses

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c brown sugar

2 Tbl prepared yellow mustard

1 Tbl red pepper flakes

Mix together all ingredients and let sit for at least an hour for flavors to blend. Apply to ribs during the last 15 to 20 minutes of smoking. Use additional sauce at the table if desired.

There are many possibilities of personalizing these recipes of rub, mop and BBQ sauce. I know… more choices. Lots of people like BBQ pork ribs the way I do, with a rub, a mop and BBQ sauce. But, not everybody does. Some folks think that a good barbecue pork ribs recipe is nothing more than a little salt and pepper And that’s OK, too. Fix them the way you like them… Right?

I have heard many different people say, “It’s all about the sauce”. I can understand that way of thinking, too. Especially after you get used to having BBQ with sauce. It almost becomes a habit. You get used to it and then begin to expect it.

When you finish eating your BBQ pork ribs, though, before you realize that you forgot to put BBQ sauce on them… that’s an indication you’ve turned out some pretty good BBQ.

David T Smith


When it comes to choosing side dishes for a barbecue, there are a few choices that are a given. Potato salad, cole slaw and baked beans are standard fare whether dinner is being prepared at home by Aunt Sal or catered by an elite party planner out of Hollywood. The caterer may toss in a few exotic ingredients and spiff up the name, but a good old-fashioned homemade barbecue beans recipe is the only way to go for a true barbecue.

Whether you decide to go hometown or gourmet, the basics remain the same: beans, sauce and spices & vegetables and meat. You can make baked beans without meat, but the roots of barbecue beans are firmly planted in the carnivore category. It is rare to find a “quick and easy” homemade barbecue beans recipe that doesn’t start with canned pork and beans. And the more authentic the recipe, like the ones that call for soaking dried beans overnight, the better chance you will find some type of meat in it. These recipes are, after all, for barbecue beans and in parts of the South, barbecue is another named for slow cooked pork.

The sauce in the homemade barbecue beans recipe should consist of some combination of ketchup, mustard & molasses. Some recipes call for barbecue sauce, but the real homemade barbecue beans recipe will have you make your own sauce. Most start with ketchup and build from there with mustard, molasses, honey, brown sugar or Worcestershire sauce. There are more exotic choices such as maple syrup, pineapple juice, beer and soy sauce; most of these add sweetness that compliments the smokiness of the barbecue they are paired with.

Spice is the other universal ingredient. Salt and pepper, of course, but cumin, coriander and any number of others can be found in a homemade barbecue beans recipe. For added kick, many home chefs will add peppers to their barbecue baled beans; some go mild with green bell peppers, others wild with chipotles or habaneros. Onions and garlic round out the flavor for most recipes.

When searching for your perfect homemade barbecue beans recipe, you will have to decide which variety of bean to use. Pinto beans are popular as are canned pork & beans, or navy beans. Some recipes utilize more than one type of bean to present an aesthetically appealing appearance as well as a delicious combination of flavors. These combinations may use lima beans, cannelloni beans, kidney beans and even black-eyed peas. Not only do the flavors blend well, the textures and colors are nice, too.

Choosing meat for homemade barbecue beans is an interesting task. The more traditional recipes call for bacon or the burnt ends from the brisket; ground beef, sausage, turkey wings and even oxtail are found in some of the homemade barbecue beans recipes. Any of these will do & will really boost the flavor of your homemade barbecue beans recipe.

Hans Dekker


What makes great homemade BBQ sauce recipes? Well, it could be the time and love that you put into making this delectable barbeque sauce for your family to enjoy, or it could be the fresh ingredients that you use.

The barbecue that you create is what make your meals so tasty and wonderful. The main ingredients in all barbeque sauces are either tomato sauce or a combination of tomato puree and tomatoes. Knowing this you should be able to create some of your own recipes that will be enjoyed and passed down through your family.

The easiest BBQ sauce can be prepared very quickly. You will need 2 cups of your favorite ketchup, 2 chopped onions, ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup of brown sugar, and chili powder to taste. Sautee the onions and then add the remainder of the ingredients. Cook on low heat for around 15 minutes until the mixture thickens. Then brush on your favorite meat.

You can also add or substitute the above ingredients to create some very unique barbeque sauces on your own. You may prefer to add items such as peppers for a nice flavor or even Tabasco sauce for a hotter style.

Now, you can choose your flavorings and spices to add to the tomato sauce. You can use tomato sauce or tomato puree with a whole tomatoes. Try pineapple juice or orange juice for a tropical flavor or add liquid smoke flavoring for that outdoors flavor. You can even use molasses or your favorite pancake syrup to enhance the style of your bbq sauce. Don’t just think simple, try the various flavors such as maple or butter pecan to add a new and unique flavor. Either way you are sure to find a delectable recipe that you cook-out party will love.

Dyfed Lloyd Evans


In cookery terms there’s nothing quite like a barbecue. It’s a combination of the cooking method and the atmosphere that makes barbecuing into something special. After all there’s nothing quite like eating outdoors, especially if you have company and the smell of cooking foods pervades the air.

Barbecuing must also represent one of the oldest methods of cookery. After all, to barbecue meats and many starchy roots or tubers all you need to do is to put them directly on the fire. It may not be elegant, but it’s undoubtedly how humans first learnt to cook. Later, meat was probably cut up and speared on sticks which were then placed on the fire.

However, it was only with the advent of metals that grilling as we know it evolved. After all, when you have metal you can place a grid over the fire and the place the foods to be cooked on this grill. The barbecue was born!

Of course, the most well known barbecue recipe is for the kebab and the recipe below is for a classic Turkish shish kebab, the traditional home of the dish:

Turkish Shish Kebab

Ingredients:

500g lamb, cut into 4cm cubes

For the Marinade:

50ml milk
3 tbsp extra-vrigin olive oil
1 small onion, grated
salt and black pepper, to taste

3 tomatoes, halved
3 Cubanelle (or Anaheim) pepers, halved and de-seeded
1 onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

Method:

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly. Lay the lamb pieces in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the top. Turn the lamb to ensure even coating then cover and set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour. In the meantime soak your skewers in a bowl of water to prevent them from burning whilst cooking.

When the lamb has marinated to your liking thread the cubes onto the skewer (two skewers, typically, equal a single portion) then place the skewers on your pre-heated barbecue along with the tomato halves, pepper halves and onion wedges. Turn the skewers at regular intervals to ensure even cooking and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes (turn the vegetables half way through as well).

Serve on a bed of rice, garnished with the vegetables.

The other classic recipe is for barbecued baby black ribs and the following recipe comes from Britain.

Barbecued Back Ribs

Ingredients:

2 baby back ribs cut in half
300ml tomato ketchup
3cm length ginger, grated
200ml soy sauce
2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
2 tsp ground star anise
5 tbsp runny honey
4 garlic cloves, grated
5 tbsp dry sherry (or sake)

Whisk together the barbecue sauce ingredients in a bowl then pour over the ribs and lave in the refrigerator to marinate over night. Place the ribs in a saucepan, add the marinade then add just enough water to cover the ribs. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, covered.

When the hour is up transfer the ribs to a hot barbecue and cook. Meanwhile reduce the sauce in a wok and every 2 minutes or so brush the ribs with the reduced barbecue sauce. Continue cooking until the ribs are nicely caramelized and completely covered in the barbecue sauce.

Mary Ann Allen


The weather is getting perfect for grilling! We use our grill a lot but by far our favorite thing to grill is ribs. My husband makes the best grilled baby back ribs ever! They are delectable! We use a variety of marinades for grilling ribs – wet, paste and dry. The following is a list of combinations for dry rubs for you to mix in a bowl and transfer to a large, covered jar. Store your prepared rub away from heat and light and enjoy it for a few months. Make sure to rub the ribs you are going to use generously on both sides. Let the meat marinade with the rub for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours. Happy grilling!

PORK & BEEF:
• ¼ cup coarse salt; ¼ cup dark brown sugar; ¼ cup paprika; 3 tablespoons ground black pepper; 1-tablespoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
• ¼ cup coarse salt; ¼ cup dark brown sugar; 3 tablespoons chili powder; 1-tablespoon ground cumin and 1-tablespoon garlic powder.
• ¼ cup light brown sugar; ¼ cup granulated sugar; ¼ cup paprika; ¼ cup celery salt; ¼ cup coarse salt; 2 tablespoons ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons mustard powder; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; ½ teaspoon ground allspice.
• ½ cup celery salt; 2 tablespoons paprika; 2 tablespoons garlic powder; 3 tablespoons ground black pepper and 2 teaspoons mustard powder.
• 1¼ cup dark brown sugar; ½ cup coarse salt; 2 tablespoons dry oregano; 2 tablespoons dry thyme; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon ground allspice and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
• ½ cup dark brown sugar; ½ cup coarse salt; 2 tablespoons ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper; 1 tablespoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 teaspoons ground allspice; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; ½ teaspoon ground cloves and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt; 3 tablespoons chili powder; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons dried oregano and1 teaspoon ground cumin.

LAMB:
• ¼ cup dried rosemary; 2 teaspoons mustard powder; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons coarse salt; 2 teaspoons garlic powder and 1 teaspoon dried mint.
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 teaspoon garam masala (Indian spice blend found in Middle Eastern grocery stores).
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon chili powder; ½ teaspoon turmeric powder; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon coriander.
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt; 1 tablespoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar; ½ teaspoon powder lemongrass; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon chili powder and 1 tablespoon curry powder.
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt; 1 tablespoon curry powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon chili powder and 2 teaspoons light brown sugar.

Click Here for a complete guide on cooking ribs on the grill, oven or on the stove!

Julia Hayes


Corn is an important part of our American heritage. It was introduced to the Europeans by the Native Americans and it has been apart of our culture since the pilgrim days. We love corn chowder, creamed corn, succotash and cornbread. Most of all, we can’t do a fourth of July barbecue without corn on the cob. If you’re throwing a fourth of July barbecue, corn on the cob is a great thing to have on the menu. Here are two great recipes that are easy and quick to prepare for your fourth of July barbecue.

There are two ways to have corn on the cob for your fourth of July barbecue – you can have them boiled or grilled (or both!). When you buy the corn, get 2 ears of corn per person. Once you get home, take out the silky threads on the corn and remove any blemishes with a pointed knife. Take out the husks for the corn that you’re going to boil and leave some for the corn that you’re going to barbecue.

Corn on the Cob – Boiled

Boil water in a large pot with salt.

Once the water starts to boil, drop the corn.

Cover the until the water boils again.

Turn off the heat and keep the pot covered for 5 minutes.

Remove just enough ears for the first serving.

You can keep the rest of the corn on the cob in the warm water for another 10 minutes.
Serve with lots of butter and salt.

Corn on the Cob – Grilled
Instead of having just plain butter get the following:
half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper,
half a table spoon of paprika,
2 minced garlic cloves,
1 table spoon of coriander – chopped,
1 teaspoon of salt,
juice of 1 lime.


Mix it into a bowl of 3 and ½ oz of butter at room temperature. Mix it well with a spoon. This will give some zest and life to your corn on the cob.

If you’re using a charcoal grill (of course that’s the best because it gives that smoky flavor), light it 30 to 45 minutes before you’re ready to cook. That’s when there would be no more flames and the charcoal should be white and you’d be ready for the barbecue. If you’re using a gas barbecue grill light it up and turn it to the highest setting – leave it for 15-20 minutes to heat up. (Keep a bottle of water nearby to douse any flames.)

Soak the corn in a large bowl with water for 30 minutes before grilling. Remember to keep those husks on because they will give steam and prevent the corn from burning.

Once you’ve removed the corn from the water, place it on the barbecue and grill it for 20 minutes. Using tongs occasionally turn them. If it’s windy this fourth of July make sure you move the corn so they’re evenly cooked. Corn takes roughly 15 to 20 mins to be cooked so it’s a good idea to turn it every 3 minutes. After about 20 minutes, brush them generously with the butter mix. Remove from the heat and place into a baking tray to be served. Apply the butter mix again just before serving.

Corn on the cob is something both your vegetarian friends and non-vegetarian guests will enjoy this fourth of July. It can be a snack that goes along with beer or appetizer that goes along with other main dish. Enjoy!

This fourth of July article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.