BBQ Sauces,Rubs

    Marinades

    FOR

    DUMmIES‰

    by Traci Cumbay

    Traci Cumbay with Tom Schneider

    01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page iiiBBQ Sauces, Rubs Marinades For Dummies?

    Published by

    Wiley Publishing, Inc.

    111 River St.

    Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774

    www.wiley.com

    Copyright ? 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

    Published simultaneously in Canada

    No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or

    by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permit-

    ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written per-

    mission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the

    Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600.

    Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing,Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317-572-3447, fax 317-572-4355, or online at

    http:www.wiley.comgopermissions.

    Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the

    Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade

    dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley Sons, Inc. andor its affiliates in the United

    States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the

    property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor

    mentioned in this book.

    LIMIT OF LIABILITYDISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REP-

    RESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE

    CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT

    LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CRE-

    ATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CON-

    TAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE

    UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR

    OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A

    COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE

    AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION

    OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION ANDOR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FUR-

    THER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFOR-

    MATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE.

    FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE

    CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

    For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department

    within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

    For technical support, please visit www.wiley.comtechsupport.

    Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may

    not be available in electronic books.

    Library of Congress Control Number: 2008921685

    ISBN: 978-0-470-19914-5

    Manufactured in the United States of America

    10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

    01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page ivBBQ Sauces,Rubs

    Marinades

    FOR

    DUMmIES‰

    01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page i01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page iiBBQ Sauces,Rubs

    Marinades

    FOR

    DUMmIES‰

    by Traci Cumbay

    Traci Cumbay with Tom Schneider

    01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page iiiBBQ Sauces, Rubs Marinades For Dummies?

    Published by

    Wiley Publishing, Inc.

    111 River St.

    Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774

    www.wiley.com

    Copyright ? 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

    Published simultaneously in Canada

    No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or

    by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permit-

    ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written per-

    mission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the

    Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600.

    Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing,Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317-572-3447, fax 317-572-4355, or online at

    http:www.wiley.comgopermissions.

    Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the

    Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade

    dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley Sons, Inc. andor its affiliates in the United

    States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the

    property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor

    mentioned in this book.

    LIMIT OF LIABILITYDISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REP-

    RESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE

    CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT

    LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CRE-

    ATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CON-

    TAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE

    UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR

    OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A

    COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE

    AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION

    OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION ANDOR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FUR-

    THER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFOR-

    MATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE.

    FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE

    CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

    For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department

    within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

    For technical support, please visit www.wiley.comtechsupport.

    Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may

    not be available in electronic books.

    Library of Congress Control Number: 2008921685

    ISBN: 978-0-470-19914-5

    Manufactured in the United States of America

    10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

    01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page ivAbout the Authors

    Traci Cumbay: Traci cooks and eats quite a bit and then writes about

    the experiences for publications in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she

    lives with her husband and son.

    Tom Schneider: Tom’s passion for authentic barbecue arose during

    his high school days in Oklahoma and burgeoned over 20 years of

    uncovering traditional barbecue joints while traveling the United

    States. Tom is primarily a self-taught cook who, for the past decade,has leveraged his commitment to barbecue into award-winning

    barbecue recipes while competing in sanctioned barbecue competi-

    tions and formal barbecue judging. Tom is owner and pit master for

    Poppi-Q Bar-B-Que, a specialty catering business in the Indianapolis

    market.

    01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page v01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page viDedication

    For Richard T. Brink, possibly the worst backyard cook ever to

    hoist a beer near burning charcoal, and dearly missed.

    Authors’ Acknowledgments

    From Traci: Thanks first to Mike Baker, the acquisitions editor at

    Wiley who about a year ago left a message on my voice mail asking

    me whether I wanted to write “the coolest book ever.”

    I’m seriously indebted to the unflappable and insightful Elizabeth

    Kuball, the editor who kept me in line, kept me calm, and kept

    making this book better.

    And, especially, thanks to all the barbecue cooks who shared their

    smarts and recipes for this book; to Brandon Hamilton and Anthony

    Hanslits, the chefs who contributed some excellent and unique

    touches; and to Rich Allen, who checked my work and gently

    guided me back when I was off track.

    From Tom: I’d like to thank all the purveyors of great barbecue

    recipes and proven barbecuing techniques who heeded my plea to

    share some of their very coveted and trusted knowledge. It is with

    this generosity that we may continue to incubate future barbecue

    aficionados for years to come.

    A special thanks to the Baron of Barbecue, Mr. Paul Kirk, for his sig-

    nificant contribution to our tasty recipes.

    01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page viiPublisher’s Acknowledgments

    We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online regis-

    tration form located at www.dummies.comregister.

    Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

    Acquisitions, Editorial, and

    Media Development

    Project Editor: Elizabeth Kuball

    Acquisitions Editor: Mike Baker

    Copy Editor: Elizabeth Kuball

    Editorial Program Coordinator:

    Erin Calligan Mooney

    Technical Editor: Rich Allen

    Recipe Tester: Emily Nolan

    Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich

    Consumer Editorial Supervisor and

    Reprint Editor: Carmen Krikorian

    Editorial Assistants: Joe Niesen,Leeann Harney, David Lutton

    Cover Photos: Front cover, ? Food Image

    SourcePeter HoggStockFood; back

    cover left, ? Lew RobertsonStockFood;

    back cover middle, ? NoelFoodPix

    JupiterImages; back cover right, ? Klaus

    Arras-StockFood MunichStockFood

    Cartoons: Rich Tennant

    (www.the5thwave.com)

    Composition Services

    Project Coordinator: Lynsey Stanford

    Layout and Graphics: Alissa D. Ellet,Stephanie D. Jumper, Ronald Terry,Christine Williams

    Special Art: Elizabeth Kurtzman

    Proofreaders: Laura Albert,Bonnie Mikkelson

    Indexer: Broccoli Information Management

    Special Help

    Erin Calligan Mooney

    Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

    Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

    Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

    Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

    Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel

    Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

    Publishing for Technology Dummies

    Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies TechnologyGeneral User

    Composition Services

    Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

    Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

    01_199145 ffirs.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page viiiContents at a Glance

    Introduction.......................................................1

    Part I: Centuries of Barbecue Smarts

    in Four Chapters ................................................7

    Chapter 1: Faces of Barbecue: A Pit, a Plateful, a Party ........................9

    Chapter 2: Gathering Must-Have Equipment ........................................23

    Chapter 3: Collecting Ingredients and Using Them Wisely.................39

    Chapter 4: Barbecue Methods, Art, and Science..................................53

    Part II: Preparation Prevails: Using Rubs

    and Marinades.................................................67

    Chapter 5: Mixing and Matching in Rubs and Marinades ...................69

    Chapter 6: Crafting Dry Rubs for Any Meat or Taste ...........................79

    Chapter 7: Mixing Tried-and-True Marinades.......................................93

    Part III: The All-Important Sauce Story............107

    Chapter 8: Sorting through the Sauce Story .......................................109

    Chapter 9: Crafting Barbecue Sauces Traditional and Unusual .......117

    Chapter 10: Getting Saucy while You Cook: Mop Sauces ..................133

    Chapter 11: Sauces and Relishes for Dipping and Dashing...............141

    Part IV: Entrees and Sides and Then Some........155

    Chapter 12: Something(s) to Serve with Your Barbecue...................157

    Chapter 13: A Melange of Main Dishes ................................................179

    Chapter 14: Great Dishes for Leftover Barbecue................................193

    Part V: The Part of Tens..................................201

    Chapter 15: Ten Ways Rookies Ruin Good Meat.................................203

    Chapter 16: Ten Truer Words Were Never Spoken.............................209

    Chapter 17: Ten (Or So) Places to Turn for Tips................................215

    Chapter 18: Ten World-Famous Barbecue Events ..............................221

    Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide..................227

    Index.............................................................231

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page ix02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xRecipes at a Glance

    Appetizers

    Blue Blazers ............................................................................................174

    Chili Dip ...................................................................................................177

    Parmesan-Stuffed Dates Wrapped with Bacon ...................................173

    Pizza Bread with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and

    Crispy Prosciutto .............................................................................162

    Stuffed Peppers ......................................................................................169

    Swinetology Smoked Stuffed Jalape?o Peppers.................................167

    Barbecue Sauces

    Alabama White Sauce ............................................................................120

    Apple Barbecue Sauce ...........................................................................131

    Beale Street Memphis Sauce.................................................................118

    Big R’s BBQ Sauce ..................................................................................127

    Bootheel BBQ Sauce ..............................................................................127

    Carolina “East” Raleigh Sauce...............................................................122

    Carolina “West” Piedmont Sauce..........................................................122

    Chipotle-Maple Barbeque Sauce ..........................................................124

    Harvest Apricot Sauce...........................................................................132

    Honey-Orange BBQ Sauce .....................................................................130

    Kansas City BBQ Sauce..........................................................................121

    Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce .............................................................126

    Maple Syrup Barbeque Sauce ...............................................................129

    Original BBQ Sauce ................................................................................123

    Paradise BBQ Sauce...............................................................................128

    Pork Sauce...............................................................................................126

    Rib Runner Sauce ...................................................................................125

    Spiced Mustard Sauce............................................................................130

    Texas Steer Ranch Sauce.......................................................................119

    Brines

    Charlie’s Pork Brine .................................................................................95

    Poultry and Pork Brine............................................................................96

    Cold Sides

    Memphis Slaw for Pulled Pork..............................................................171

    Mount Vernon Macaroni Salad .............................................................172

    Dipping Sauces

    Apricot Preserve Dipping Sauce...........................................................146

    Blueberry Balsamic Barbecue Sauce...................................................144

    Chinese Hoisin Barbecue Sauce ...........................................................148

    Guacamole Sauce ...................................................................................151

    Honey BBQ Wing Sauce .........................................................................146

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xiIndian Tamarind Sauce ..........................................................................147

    Peanut Dipping Sauce ............................................................................150

    Porkrastinators Pepper Medley Hot Sauce.........................................142

    Wasabi Mayo...........................................................................................149

    Dry Rubs

    Everything Rub.........................................................................................85

    Grilled Leg of Lamb Seasoning ...............................................................90

    Jamaican Rib Rub.....................................................................................88

    Lemon Rub a Dub Dub.............................................................................91

    Paradise Jerk Rub.....................................................................................82

    Pirate Potion 4 ........................................................................................82

    Pork Perfection.........................................................................................87

    Rib Dust .....................................................................................................86

    Shigs-in-Pit Bootheel Butt Rub................................................................84

    Smoke Hunters’ BBQ Rub........................................................................81

    Smokey Joel’s Competition BBQ Rub ....................................................80

    Spicy Rub 1 for Beef ...............................................................................83

    Super Simple Brisket Rub........................................................................86

    Sweet Persian Rub....................................................................................89

    Yard Bird Rub............................................................................................88

    Zesty No-Salt Herbal BBQ Rub................................................................90

    Entrees

    Barbecue Hash........................................................................................196

    BBQ Fried Rice........................................................................................199

    Beef Tenderloin with Cascabel Chile Aioli Marinade.........................189

    Big R’s Smoked BBQ Spaghetti .............................................................198

    Championship Chicken..........................................................................182

    Competition Pit Beans ...........................................................................194

    Grilled Calzone .......................................................................................186

    Italian Espresso Steak ............................................................................190

    Jalape?o Shot Shells ..............................................................................197

    Jon’s Baby Back Ribs .............................................................................184

    Korean Beef Barbecue ...........................................................................191

    Pork Satay ...............................................................................................192

    Sea Bass with Nectarine Salsa ..............................................................181

    Spudzilla ..................................................................................................195

    Stink-Eye Pulled Pork.............................................................................185

    Tuscan-Style Lamb Chops .....................................................................188

    Vegetable Brisket Soup..........................................................................180

    Hot Sides

    Artisan Macaroni and Cheese...............................................................176

    Cheesy Butternut Squash......................................................................175

    Iron Skillet Potato Bacon Biscuits ........................................................161

    Loophole’s Baked Beans........................................................................158

    Mississippi Potatoes ..............................................................................164

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xiiSanta Fe Pinto Beans..............................................................................160

    Shamrock Golden Tubers......................................................................165

    Smokey Joel’s Grilled Asparagus with Garlic and Butter ..................166

    Smoky Black Beans ................................................................................157

    Super Spud Casserole ............................................................................163

    Warm Apple Spinach Salad ...................................................................170

    Marinades

    Brisket Marinade ....................................................................................103

    Cajun Marinade for Grilled Beef Tenderloin .........................................99

    Garlic Basil Chicken Marinade................................................................98

    Hot Pepper Steak Marinade ..................................................................102

    Lemon Marinade for Smoked Turkey...................................................104

    Rub and Marinade for Eight-Bone Pork Roast ......................................97

    Sweet and Sour Orange Marinade for Shrimp ....................................105

    Teriyaki Marinade...................................................................................101

    Vietnamese Lemongrass Rub................................................................100

    Mop Sauces

    Bourbon Que Mop Sauce for Pork Tenderloin ...................................135

    Butch’s Whole Pig Basting Sauce .........................................................137

    Mopping Sauce for Pork Ribs................................................................136

    Smoke Hunters BBQ Mop......................................................................136

    Spicy Mop Sauce.....................................................................................138

    Up in Smoke Mop Sauce ........................................................................139

    Relishes

    Bourbon Onion Chutney .......................................................................145

    Chilean Fruit Salsa..................................................................................154

    Ginger Cucumber Relish........................................................................153

    Ginger Tomato Relish ............................................................................152

    Vegetables

    Cheesy Butternut Squash......................................................................175

    Memphis Slaw for Pulled Pork..............................................................171

    Mississippi Potatoes ..............................................................................164

    Shamrock Golden Tubers......................................................................165

    Smokey Joel’s Grilled Asparagus with Garlic and Butter ..................166

    Stuffed Peppers ......................................................................................169

    Super Spud Casserole ............................................................................163

    Swinetology Smoked Stuffed Jalape?o Peppers.................................167

    Warm Apple Spinach Salad ...................................................................170

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xiii02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xiv

    Introduction.......................................................1

    About This Book .........................................................................1

    Conventions Used in This Book ................................................2

    What You’re Not to Read............................................................2

    Foolish Assumptions ..................................................................2

    How This Book Is Organized......................................................3

    Part I: Centuries of Barbecue Smarts in Four Chapters ...3

    Part II: Preparation Prevails: Using Rubs

    and Marinades...............................................................3

    Part III: The All-Important Sauce Story ..........................4

    Part IV: Entrees and Sides and Then Some ...................4

    Part V: The Part of Tens...................................................4

    Icons Used in This Book.............................................................4

    Where to Go from Here ..............................................................5

    Part I: Centuries of Barbecue Smarts

    in Four Chapters .................................................7

    Chapter 1: Faces of Barbecue: A Pit,a Plateful, a Party . . . . . . . 9

    First, There Was Fire.................................................................10

    Facts and fibs about barbecue......................................11

    From pit to pellet smoker ..............................................11

    Touring the Four All-American Barbecue Regions ...............12

    Carolinas ..........................................................................12

    Memphis ..........................................................................13

    Texas ................................................................................13

    Kansas City......................................................................13

    SmokeEm If You Got Time......................................................14

    True barbecue is slow....................................................14

    True barbecue is smoked ..............................................15

    Making the Most of the Meat ...................................................15

    Seasoning with rubs .......................................................16

    Marinating: The power and the glory ..........................16

    The big finish: Sauces.....................................................17

    How the Big Guns of Barbecue Do What They Do................17

    Concocting rubs and sauces .........................................18

    From meat to magic........................................................19

    Getting Creative As You Cook..................................................19

    Behind every great recipe: An experiment..................20

    Benefiting from others’ trial and error.........................20

    Incorporating contemporary and exotic recipes .......21

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xvChapter 2: Gathering Must-Have Equipment . . 23

    Settling on a Smoker .................................................................24

    Rigging a charcoal grill...................................................24

    Buying a charcoal smoker .............................................27

    Building a barrel smoker ...............................................28

    Using an electric or gas smoker....................................29

    Fire, Starters: Managing Heat ..................................................29

    Eyeing charcoal types ....................................................30

    Using a chimney starter.................................................30

    Determining how much charcoal you need ................31

    Wood: To Hickory or Not to Hickory......................................31

    Using wood to add flavor...............................................32

    Describing characteristics of woods............................33

    A Mop, Some Tongs, and So On ..............................................33

    Chapter 3: Collecting Ingredients and Using

    Them Wisely . . . . . . . . 39

    Finding Meat That Makes the Cut ...........................................39

    More fat means more flavor ..........................................40

    Fresher is better..............................................................41

    Running Down the Options, Cut by Cut .................................41

    Pork ..................................................................................41

    Beef ...................................................................................42

    Poultry .............................................................................45

    Handling Meat without Hazard ...............................................46

    Stocking Dry Ingredients..........................................................47

    Must-haves for your spice cabinet ...............................47

    Storing spices, but not too long....................................48

    The Stuff of Sauce .....................................................................49

    Smart bases .....................................................................49

    Finding balance...............................................................51

    Using seasonings ............................................................52

    Chapter 4: Barbecue Methods, Art, and Science . . 53

    Beginning with an End in Mind ...............................................53

    Planning hours (and hours) ahead...............................54

    Selecting style and substance.......................................55

    Trimming and Prepping Meat without, Er, Butchering It .....56

    Priming pork butt ...........................................................56

    Cleaning ribs....................................................................57

    Preparing beef brisket....................................................58

    Grooming poultry ...........................................................59

    Getting Time and Temperature Right .....................................60

    Determining cook time...................................................61

    Managing the smoker.....................................................61

    BBQ Sauces, Rubs Marinades For Dummies

    xvi

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xviThe Big Finish............................................................................63

    Using final-stage sauces .................................................63

    Resting the meat .............................................................64

    Pulling, slicing, presenting.............................................65

    Part II: Preparation Prevails: Using Rubs

    and Marinades .................................................67

    Chapter 5: Mixing and Matching in Rubs

    and Marinades . . . . . . . 69

    Building a Dry Rub from the Binder Up .................................69

    Seasonings That Play Well Together ......................................72

    Mixing Marinades......................................................................74

    Acid...................................................................................74

    Oil .....................................................................................75

    Seasonings .......................................................................75

    Matching Marinade to Meat.....................................................76

    Starters for seafood........................................................76

    Adding oomph to chicken .............................................76

    Good ideas for pork........................................................77

    Sure bets for beef............................................................77

    Timing Meat’s Marinade Soak .................................................78

    Chapter 6: Crafting Dry Rubs for Any Meat or Taste. . 79

    Combining Flavors for Classic Dry Rubs ...............................80

    Bucking Tradition with Rubs Exotic and Inventive ..............89

    Chapter 7: Mixing Tried-and-True Marinades. . 93

    Priming Pork or Poultry ...........................................................94

    Plumping a bird or chop with brine .............................94

    Finding formulas for marinades....................................97

    Prepping Beef and Lamb with Flavors That Blare

    or Whisper .............................................................................99

    Mixing Citrus Marinades for Poultry or Shrimp .................104

    Part III: The All-Important Sauce Story ............107

    Chapter 8: Sorting through the Sauce Story. . 109

    Choosing a Base ......................................................................110

    Striking a Balance....................................................................111

    Sweet ideas....................................................................111

    Sour notions ..................................................................112

    Seasonings .....................................................................112

    Hot touches ...................................................................113

    Finding Exotic Inspirations for Terrific Sauces ...................114

    xvii

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xviiChapter 9: Crafting Barbecue Sauces

    Traditional and Unusual . . . . . . 117

    Touring American Barbecue Regions...................................117

    Cooking Up More Classic Barbecue Sauces ........................123

    Bringing Fruit Flavor to Sauces with Juices and Jams .......130

    Chapter 10: Getting Saucy while You Cook:

    Mop Sauces. . . . . . . . 133

    Making Mops Especially for Pork..........................................135

    Concocting Multipurpose Mops............................................138

    Chapter 11: Sauces and Relishes for Dipping

    and Dashing. . . . . . . . 141

    Fanning the Flames with a Hotter-Than-Hot Sauce ............141

    Sweetening the Pot: Sauces with a Softer Side....................143

    Taking an Exotic Turn with Sauces That Cull

    Asian Flavors .......................................................................147

    Cool Summery Takes on Sauces, Salsas, and Relishes.......150

    Part IV: Entrees and Sides and Then Some ........155

    Chapter 12: Something(s) to Serve with

    Your Barbecue . . . . . . . 157

    Beans, Beans: The Most Magical Food.................................157

    Baking Unique Sides in the Smoker or on the Grill.............161

    Preparing Potatoes with a Plethora of Approaches ...........163

    Making Yer Mama Proud: Recipes for Veggies ....................166

    Mixing Salads, Making Memphis-Style Slaw ........................170

    To Macaroni and Cheese and Beyond..................................172

    Chapter 13: A Melange of Main Dishes . . . 179

    Brisket: Out of the Smoker and into the Soup Pot..............179

    A Little Something Fabulous for Cooking Fish ....................181

    Smoking Traditional Barbecue Cuts Like a Champ ............182

    Have Pizza Stone, Will Smoke Calzone.................................186

    Stylish Recipes for Lamb and Beef .......................................187

    Chapter 14: Great Dishes for Leftover Barbecue. . 193

    Crafting Dishes That Stick to Tradition................................193

    Culture Combos: Using Barbecue Leftovers

    in Unexpected Ways............................................................198

    BBQ Sauces, Rubs Marinades For Dummies

    xviii

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xviiiPart V: The Part of Tens...................................201

    Chapter 15: Ten Ways Rookies Ruin Good Meat . . 203

    Being in an All-Fired Hurry ....................................................203

    Sprinting Past Your Experience Level ..................................204

    Using Wood Before Its Time ..................................................204

    Taking Meat from Fridge to Fire ............................................204

    Lighting Charcoal with Lighter Fluid....................................205

    Overcorrecting, Overzealously .............................................205

    Getting Sauced Early ..............................................................206

    Relying on Eyes, Not Numbers..............................................206

    Poking Holes into the Meat....................................................206

    Forgetting Rest Time ..............................................................207

    Chapter 16: Ten Truer Words Were Never Spoken . . 209

    The Truth Is in the Cook, Not the Equipment .....................209

    Cook Low and Slow.................................................................210

    If You’re Lookin’, You’re Not Cookin’ ....................................210

    There Is Such a Thing as Oversmoking................................211

    Sauce on the Side, Nothing to Hide ......................................211

    Hot Dogs and Hamburgers Are Not Barbecue.....................211

    Time Is on Your Side...............................................................212

    Meat That Falls Off the Bone Has Been

    Cooked Too Long ................................................................212

    Cleanliness Is Next to Tastiness............................................213

    Fat Is Flavor .............................................................................213

    Chapter 17: Ten (Or So) Places to Turn for Tips . . 215

    Kansas City Barbeque Society...............................................215

    National Barbecue Association.............................................216

    The North Carolina Barbecue Society..................................216

    The Virtual Weber Bullet........................................................216

    The Smoke Ring.......................................................................217

    The Barbeque Forum..............................................................217

    Barbecue’n on the Internet....................................................218

    Further Regional Barbecue Associations ............................218

    Chapter 18: Ten World-Famous Barbecue Events. . 221

    Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational

    Barbecue ..............................................................................221

    Memphis in May World Championship................................222

    National BBQ Festival .............................................................222

    American Royal Barbecue .....................................................223

    Big Pig Jig .................................................................................223

    Big Apple Barbecue Block Party ...........................................223

    xix

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xixLakeland Pig Festival ..............................................................224

    Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off ..................................224

    LPQue BBQ Championship....................................................224

    Blue Ridge BBQ Festival .........................................................225

    Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide ..................227

    Index.............................................................231

    BBQ Sauces, Rubs Marinades For Dummies

    xx

    02_199145 ftoc.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page xxIntroduction

    Big talk surrounds barbecue, talk that would have you believe

    the topic is impenetrable, that you should be content to pick

    up a rack of ribs at the local rib shack and call it a day.

    Nonsense.

    Barbecue is like anything: Dig in and get your apron dirty, and you

    start finding out what you need to know to keep getting better.

    For many people, the pursuit of barbecue perfection becomes all-

    consuming, edging out sleep and sex for brain space. For others,pulling out the smoker to cook chickens on a sunny Saturday is

    plenty. Both of these camps start out at the same place: square

    one. This book picks up at exactly that spot. It tells you what you

    need to know about barbecue cooking and then gives you the

    recipes to put theory into practice.

    Enjoy the ride — and the results.

    About This Book

    I wrote this book to be an easy-to-use reference. You’re welcome to

    read it from cover to cover, but you don’t have to.

    As you dig in, you find

    
All the dirt on the equipment and techniques you need to cook

    real-deal barbecue

    
Tips from championship barbecue cooks and legendary

    restaurateurs

    
Inspirations for creating your own signature sauces and rubs

    
Recipes for every stage of barbecue, and even for reimagining

    leftovers

    03_199145 intro.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page 1Conventions Used in This Book

    As you work with the recipes in this book, remember the following

    conventions:

    
Spices are dried unless otherwise specified.

    
Flour is all-purpose unless otherwise specified.

    
Sugar is granulated unless otherwise noted.

    
All temperatures are Fahrenheit. (Refer to the appendix for

    information about converting temperatures to Celsius.)

    You also run into the following conventions throughout the text:

    
Italic is used for emphasis and to highlight new words or terms

    that I define.

    
Monofont is used for Web and e-mail addresses.

    
Sidebars, which are shaded boxes of text, consist of informa-

    tion that’s interesting but not necessarily critical to your

    understanding of the topic. I use them to share stories from

    the barbecue circuit, hints about finding and using ingredi-

    ents, and whatever else jumped to mind as I wrote.

    What You’re Not to Read

    This book is designed to give you just what you need to get cook-

    ing. In some cases, though, I couldn’t resist providing a little fur-

    ther information about a topic. Those tidbits show up in one of

    two ways, either of which is entirely skippable if you find you

    aren’t searingly curious:

    
Sidebars: The gray box around blocks of text indicate that you

    can skip ahead.

    
Technical Stuff icon: Any paragraph marked with the Technical

    Stuff icon may be interesting to you, but it isn’t critical to your

    understanding of barbecue.

    Foolish Assumptions

    In order to write this book, I had to keep in mind a few notions

    about who you might be. I assume that you fit into one or more

    of the following categories:

    BBQ Sauces, Rubs Marinades For Dummies

    2

    03_199145 intro.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page 2
Someone who’s just getting started as an outdoor cook and

    wants to make the experience as pleasant as possible by fol-

    lowing a well-trod path

    
A beginning cook who wants to expand his skills with some

    time-tested tips and new recipes

    
A barbecue enthusiast looking for some of the back story

    about the dishes she loves to grub

    
The smart-thinking spouse or friend of a barbecue cook who’s

    giving this book as a gift in hopes of feasting on the fruits of

    his purchase

    How This Book Is Organized

    You can easily find what you’re looking for in this book, whether

    it’s a rundown of the types of wood you can use in your smoker or

    a recipe for coleslaw. Here’s an outline of this book’s organization.

    Part I: Centuries of Barbecue

    Smarts in Four Chapters

    A lot of big talk surrounds barbecue cooking, but the bottom line is

    that anyone can do it. In this part, I give you all the information

    you need to get started, explaining how the masters of barbecue

    do what they do and how you, too, can find and use the equipment,techniques, seasonings, and skills that produce fantastic eats.

    Part II: Preparation Prevails:

    Using Rubs and Marinades

    An important first step to great-tasting meat, using a rub adds flavor

    and helps you develop a nice crust on the meat. Similarly, a good

    soak in a balanced marinade can make a world of difference in your

    barbecue. This part tells you about how rubs and marinades work,gives you insight into concocting your own rubs and marinades,and provides lots of great recipes.

    Introduction 3

    03_199145 intro.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page 3BBQ Sauces, Rubs Marinades For Dummies

    4

    Part III: The All-Important

    Sauce Story

    Sauce is the big finish of barbecue and often the first thing that hits

    the tongues of your guests. This part explains how you use various

    sauces and shows you how to make a spectrum of sauces from

    regional barbecue standards to exotic concoctions.

    Part IV: Entrees and

    Sides and Then Some

    Sides, salads, and salsas complement a great plate of barbecue,and this part provides you inspiration for cooking up memorable

    dishes to serve with your impressive ribs and brisket, some

    recipes for dishes that break the barbecue mold, and others that

    make use of barbecue leftovers.

    Part V: The Part of Tens

    Full of chapters that give you easily digestible tidbits of informa-

    tion, this part alerts you to common barbecue mistakes and gives

    you words to cook by. You find ten places to turn when you want

    more information and ten hot barbecue competitions or festivals

    where you can taste inspiration.

    Icons Used in This Book

    For Dummies signature icons are the little round pictures you see

    in the margins of the book. They’re designed to draw your eye to

    bits of information I really want to drive home. Here’s a list of the

    icons you find in this book and what they mean:

    Some points in these pages are so useful that I hope you keep them

    in mind as you read. I make a big deal out of these ideas with this

    icon.

    The barbecue pros who contributed to this book have ages of

    wisdom at the ready. When I relay the tidbits that can save you

    time, money, or sanity, I emphasize them with this icon.

    03_199145 intro.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page 4Wherever I point out possible missteps or potentially dangerous

    practices, I use this icon to highlight the information. May you

    experience neither burn nor unbalanced sauce.

    If you’re the kind of person who thrives on detail or an overachiever

    always on the lookout for extra credit, information marked by this

    icon is for you. But you’re welcome to skip it; doing so won’t affect

    your understanding of barbecue cooking.

    Where to Go from Here

    For Dummies books are set up so that you can flip to the section of

    the book that meets your present needs, and this book is no excep-

    tion. When I refer to a concept that I cover in greater detail else-

    where in the book, I tell you which chapter to turn to, and I define

    terms as they arise to enable you to feel at home no matter where

    you open the book.

    Looking for a great marinade? Turn to Part II. Interested in finding

    out more about the difference between Memphis barbecue sauce

    and the versions that come out of Kansas City? Chapter 1 gives you

    the lowdown (and Part III has recipes for sauces from all over).

    Dive in and get cooking!

    Introduction 5

    03_199145 intro.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page 5BBQ Sauces, Rubs Marinades For Dummies

    6

    03_199145 intro.qxp 2608 9:12 PM Page 6Part I

    Centuries of

    Barbecue Smarts

    in Four Chapters

    04_199145 pt01.qxp 2608 9:13 PM Page 7In this part . . .

    Sure, you can step outside and throw some weenies on

    the grill, but with just a little preparation and fore-

    thought, you can create meals full of wow. This part of the

    book prepares you for barbecue greatness, giving you

    the scoop on equipment, ingredients, and techniques that

    help you cook like a pro.

    04_199145 pt01.qxp 2608 9:13 PM Page 8Chapter 1

    Faces of Barbecue:

    A Pit, a Plateful, a Party

    In This Chapter

    
Chronicling a short history of barbecue

    
Delving into the four regional barbecue styles

    
Looking across the oceans for inspiration

    
Identifying the big differences between barbecue and grilling

    
Injecting thousands of flavors with three techniques

    
Glimpsing surefire barbecue techniques

    
Getting your barbecue bearings and getting creative

    An unmistakable reaction tears through my body when I get

    barbecue on the brain. Just talking (or reading or even writ-

    ing) about it incites a bone-deep craving, making my mouth water

    and my stomach plead.

    I know I’m not alone. Barbecue stirs up a visceral reaction every-

    where you go, causing cravings that spur enthusiasts to drive all

    night or get on a train to get their lips around their favorite ribs.

    The passion that barbecue incites has created deep friendships

    and broken others when spats over recipes heated to boiling. Ever

    heard of chicken soup doing that?

    Barbecue is a way of cooking, a party, or the food itself — succu-

    lent servings of slow-cooked pork shoulder shredded and mixed

    with sauce or dry-rubbed ribs with a crackling bark full of paprika,cayenne, and cumin. It’s food for laid-back Sundays with friends or

    raucous family gatherings, for baptisms and funerals and anything

    in between. It’s a way of life for the cooks who travel from competi-

    tion to competition and those who stay put, running generations-

    old family restaurants. It’s no less lifeblood for the devotees who

    make more-than-weekly trips to a favorite rib joint or for hobbyists

    who cook their own barbecue at home.

    05_199145 ch01.qxp 2608 9:13 PM Page 9In this chapter, I run through some of the theories about barbe-

    cue’s origins and fill you in on the very basics of the cooking

    method that begat the lifestyle.

    First, There Was Fire

    Before it became the holy grail of barbecue flavor, smoke was good

    for keeping away the bugs, and the earliest Americans built fires

    under their meat while they dried it on frames in the sun to pre-

    serve it. Turns out the meat tasted better after the smoke wafted

    into it, and so started the practice of infusing meat with the flavor

    of smoke.

    Believe that? You have no reason not to, and it’s at least as plausi-

    ble as any of the 47 or so other theories about how barbecue came

    to be.

    The mysteries of barbecue extend far beyond the origin of the

    word. (Does it come from the French for “whiskers to tail”? Is it a

    description of the frames used for roasting meat over fire in the

    West Indies? Dunno — and neither does anybody else.)

    Part I: Centuries of Barbecue Smarts in Four Chapters

    10

    Smoking for preservation:

    How wood works wonders

    Somewhere, somehow, some long-ago human figured out that drying food over smoke

    kept it from rotting, at least for a while longer than doing nothing would have. Smoking

    food worked well enough in pre-refrigeration days, but the reason wasn’t pinned

    down until much later.

    Heat sets free a number of organic acids (including acetic acid, or vinegar) from wood.

    When those acids fly up onto the meat via smoke, they condense on its surface and

    change the balance of the meat. The result is a surface pH level that’s too low for bac-

    teria to be able to make themselves at home.

    Wood smoke also is heavy in phenols — high-acidity compounds that prolong the

    period of time before meats turn rancid.

    As you may guess, not all the many chemicals in wood smoke are good for human con-

    sumption or respiration. Lucky, then, that the low temperatures you use for slow smok-

    ing don’t release as much of the unhealthy compounds from wood as high heat does.

    Keeping the meat as far as you can from the wood as it smokes also cuts down on the

    opportunity for the harmful compounds to get into the meat and, therefore, into you.

    05_199145 ch01.qxp 2608 9:13 PM Page 10In the upcoming sections, I tell you a few things that are known,believed, or completely fabricated about the start and progress of

    barbecue. In the brazen and lively world of barbecue, lies and half-

    truths are as good as facts. Sometimes better.

    Facts and fibs about barbecue

    Some do-it-yourselfers build smokers out of old refrigerators, which

    is a little ironic: Had refrigeration become a part of everyday living

    earlier, barbecue might not exist. Without it, people had to pre-

    serve meat by salting the bejesus out of it or by smoking it, and

    that smoking process opened the door for the pits and stands and

    restaurants that do heady business today.

    Barbecue first took hold in the American South and used primarily

    pork because that’s what was available. As barbecue moved across

    the country, urban conditions in Memphis led cooks to focus on

    ribs, which took less time and space (and consequently, money)

    to cook.

    In Texas, where cows are common as dust, beef brisket became

    the definition of barbecue. (I tell you about brisket and the other

    common cuts of meat that are used in barbecue in Chapter 4.)

    Heavy German influence in the area helped bring sausage into the

    barbecue norm, and hot links (spicy smoked sausages) grew to be

    another Texas barbecue trademark.

    The best of all the barbecue traditions melded in Kansas City, and

    restaurants and hobbyists all over the country maintained and

    modified barbecue practices in search of their particular definition

    of perfection. Many will tell you they’ve found it, and most of

    these “perfect” barbecue concoctions come from wildly different

    approaches — including serving crackly pig skin in shredded pork

    sandwiches; dousing ribs with sauce as a final touch while they’re

    still on the heat (or cooking them in nothing but rub); and using

    mustard-, vinegar-, or tomato-based sauces.

    Everyone thinks his own barbecue is the best. Everyone is right.

    From pit to pellet smoker

    With scarce resources, resourceful settlers dug pits and cooked

    their food over hot coals — a far cry from the high-tech barbecue

    rigs that the pros use to mimic the results of those centuries-ago

    methods.

    Chapter 1: Faces of Barbecue: A Pit, a Plateful, a Party 11

    05_199145 ch01.qxp 2608 9:13 PM Page 11Barbecue spread westward across the United States, just like

    everything else, and morphed a bit along the way. (Check out

    the upcoming section, “Touring the Four All-American Barbecue

    Regions.”)

    Holes in the ground gave way to homemade smokers cut from metal

    barrels. Industrialization brought nicely engineered and executed

    home charcoal smokers — and later, gas and electric models — into

    mass production. (Chapter 2 tells you about the current options

    for barbecue equipment.)

    From its simple beginnings, barbecue has become, of all things, a

    sport, drawing competitors from around the United States to week-

    end contests where hundreds slave over mobile pits they paid

    thousands of dollars for in hopes of taking home a trophy, a small

    check, and big-time bragging rights. What a shock to anyone who

    just wanted to be able to chew her meat without an overlong

    struggle.

    Touring the Four All-American

    Barbecue Regions

    Great barbecue happens everywhere, but some human yen to codify

    things begat four regions of barbecue in the United States. Each

    region has some significance in the story of barbecue, but none is

    entirely separate from the others. Although the differences among

    them are a matter for considerable and vehement discussion, the

    details of the traditions in the various regions have more in common

    than they don’t. But try telling that to a Tennessean turning up his

    nose at a Carolina-style, vinegar-sauced, shredded pork sandwich

    with coleslaw on top.

    Throughout this book, you find recipes for barbecue from each of

    the regions (and from elsewhere). The following sections give you

    some idea about how each area distinguishes itself.

    Carolinas

    Squealers fared well with little attention in the Carolina climate,and barbecue from this region reflects that. Primarily pork, often

    shoulder or whole hog, barbecue in the Carolinas most often means

    sandwiches. Those sandwiches contain chopped pork from pretty

    much every part of the pig, including the crackly skin.

    Part I: Centuries of Barbecue Smarts in Four Chapters

    12

    05_199145 ch01.qxp 2608 9:13 PM Page 12Pork in North Carolina is dressed with a touch of vinegary sauce in

    the eastern part of the state, more generously mixed with vinegary

    tomato sauce in the west.

    Order barbecue in South Carolina and you’re most likely to find a

    mustard-based sauce atop your shredded pork. Wherever you go,it’s served on chewy white bread.

    Memphis

    Ribs are the crux of the Memphis barbecue tradition, and many

    pit masters there serve them dry (cooked with a rub but without

    sauce). But dry isn’t the final word on ribs, and sweet, sticky sauce

    tops a good portion of those you find in Memphis.

    Ribs are a product of the move from the country into the cities as

    farming became mechanized. Because they’re small, ribs cook

    much more quickly, with less fuel, and in much less space than a

    whole hog. Although ribs popped up quickly in other urban cen-

    ters like Chicago and St. Louis, they are forever tied up tight with

    Memphis barbecue.

    Texas

    Before same-day shipping to mega grocery stores, people cooked

    what was available, and in Texas, what’s available is beef.

    Beef brisket is the hallmark of Texas barbecue, which also strays

    from the Memphis and Carolina styles by including ham and

    sausage. Ribs make it onto barbecue platters here, too.

    Brisket is a tough cut of meat that’s a challenge to master. True

    Texas pit bosses took to the coarse, amply muscled cuts because

    of the great finished product that slow smoking provides. They

    usually give it a douse of rub (or just a sprinkle of salt and pepper)

    before cooking it over mesquite, slice it across the grain, and serve

    it with a side of smoky sauce and a slice of white bread.

    Kansas City

    That thick sauce you find in bottles, the one taking up most of the

    shelf space in grocery stores’ barbecue sauce sections — that

    sauce is the product of Kansas City.

    Chapter 1: Faces of Barbecue: A Pit, a Plateful, a Party 13

    05_199145 ch01.qxp 2608 9:13 PM Page 13Most everything else in Kansas City started somewhere else. Its spot

    at the center of the country positioned it to be the melting pot of

    barbecue styles, where brisket is as common as a rack of pork ribs.

    One unique local offering is burnt ends, the bits of brisket from the

    thin edges that cook quicker than the main part and hang tightly to

    deep, smoky flavor.

    Sauce is the end-all, be-all of barbecue in Kansas City, and sauce

    means heavy on the tomatoes, light on spice, and full of tangy

    sweetness. (Think KC Masterpiece, the biggest-selling sauce and

    a product of Kansas City physician Rich Davis.)

    SmokeEm If You Got Time

    The hallmarks of barbecue are smoke flavor and low-and-slow

    cooking. Despite so many people insisting upon calling what they

    do on their gas grill “barbecuing,” the practices behind barbecuing

    and grilling are at odds: Grilling means hot-and-fast cooking and

    barbecue is its opposite.

    Barbecue requires patience at just about every step of the process,from adding a dry rub to the meat before you cook it to letting meat

    sit a spell before you cut into it.

    True barbecue is slow

    Barbecue cooking may have come about in part as a form of multi-

    tasking. Carolinians cooked whole hogs over low heat because it

    was the best way to ensure that every last bit got cooked without

    ruining any of the faster-cooking parts. Legend says they also did

    it because doing so enabled the cook to run off and see to other

    tasks.

    Barbecue cooking requires a temperature somewhere around 250

    degrees. (Significant argument surrounds the “correct” cooking

    temperature. Some argue for 300 degrees or so, others for some-

    thing in the neighborhood of 180 degrees. As long as you keep the

    temperature from fluctuating, you can cook great barbecue at about

    any stop along that range.) By contrast, you grill using a fire that’s

    a good 500 degrees.

    Barbecue cooking also owes something to poverty. If everybody in

    the South had been able to afford tender cuts of meat, high-and-

    fast cooking would’ve been fine. The need to turn the dregs of a pig

    into something tender and tasty brought about the slow-cooking

    technique.

    Part I: Centuries of Barbecue Smarts in Four Chapters

    14

    05_199145 ch01.qxp 2608 9:13 PM Page 14Cooking meat slowly, at low temperatures, is what makes tough

    meat tender. Slow cooking gives meat’s fat time to render and its

    connective tissue time to break down. Both those processes lead

    to softer, easier-to-chew, and more delectable cooked meats.

    The story behind your pulled pork sandwich may not be entirely

    appetizing, but the result is the reason people travel hundreds of

    miles or plan their vacations around their favorite barbecue spots.

    True barbecue is smoked

    Without smoke, there is no barbecue. Smoking means adding sea-

    soned hardwood to a fire so that it heats up and smokes, releasing

    its flavor into the meat.

    The smoke flavor that ends up in your ribs or brisket depends on

    the wood you use; pecan is going to give a flavor much different

    from apple, for example.

    You add wood usually in the form of chunks or smaller chips that

    have been chopped and dried for the express purpose of flavoring

    your barbecue. Then again, you can run around your backyard

    picking ......