Monday, January 31, 2011
Iraqi Food: Masgouf (BBQ fish)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Are You Addicted To The McRib?
Saturday, January 29, 2011
GRILLED ASIAN BBQ SKEWERS TRIO (PORK, CHICKEN, & BEEF)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Best Ever Barbecue Pizza Recipe
Pizza is universally recognised as one of the most popular meals today. You can get everything from frozen pizzas from the grocery store or deli, fast food pizzas from family style restaurants, authentic pizzas from Italian restaurants and all manner of gourmet pizzas from bars and trendy bistros. Having said all of this, it is hard to go past a good home cooked pizza. There are endless sauce recipes, ingredient options and cheese topping variations to please all tastes.
One of the all time favorites is the barbecue pizza. Although some vegetable toppings are included usually barbecue pizzas are meat based. Some popular toppings are cooked chicken, sausage, meatballs, ham, salami and pepperoni.
Regardless of the ingredients the sauce is what can make the difference between a fantastic barbecue pizza and a mediocre one and the sauce is what makes this recipe fabulous. It takes a little extra time to make but it is worth it.
This sauce recipe makes approximately 2 cups and you don't need to use a lot on each pizza. It freezes well, so one batch will keep you in delicious barbecue pizzas for quite some time. You can also double the recipe if you choose.
Here is the recipe. Enjoy!
Pizza Ingredients:
Pizza base (fresh, frozen or made from your favorite recipe).
A selection of toppings. Some popular choices are onion, mushroom, capsicum, cooked chicken, sausage, meatballs, ham, salami and pepperoni. Feel free to include other favorites of your own.
Grated mozzarella cheese
Then of Course, the Fabulous SauceSauce Ingredients
2 tbs vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp mustard
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 onion finely chopped
1 tbs fresh ginger grated
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbs molasses
4 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepperMethod
Saute onion garlic and ginger in oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and thickens a little. Cool and use as required.
Pizza assembly
Spoon a thin layer of sauce on to pizza base and spread evenly.
Arrange selected topping ingredients evenly over the pizza
Top with grated cheese
Spoon a little more barbecue sauce over the top
Bake in a moderate oven until the base is crispy and the cheese is melted and golden 15 - 20 minutes
Serve and eat immediatelyHints and tips
Pizzas are a very personal thing, however generally less is best. If you overload your pizza with too much sauce, topping or cheese it can make it soggy.
For those who like it hot a sprinkle of chili flakes on top is a delicious option
Freeze extra sauce into individual portions and you will always have the option to create fabulous pizzas in a jiffy that people will rave about.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Barbecue Beef Brisket - Crockpot Method
Sunday, January 23, 2011
How to make Malaysian Chicken Satay
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Three Tasty International Sauce Recipes
A traditional turkey gravy recipe makes a delicious sauce for your gravy but what about experimenting with some international sauces too? Different gravy recipes and sauce recipes go with different kinds of meat, poultry, or fish.
How To Make German Applesauce
"Apfelmus" is the name given to German applesauce and this is delicious with roast meat. You can serve it as a dessert for babies or children, since the mixture is easy to digest. You can also use applesauce in baking recipes to trim the fat and add moisture. Applesauce can be served hot or cold and it freezes well.
You can use different types of apples for a different end flavor. Switch some of the white sugar for maple syrup or brown sugar if you like. Stir in some raisins after you puree it, to add more texture and sweetness.
To make six servings, you will need three and a half pounds of peeled, cored, chopped apples. Add them to a big pan with a cup of water, three quarters of a cup of sugar, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, quarter of a teaspoon of salt and the juice of a lemon and bring the mixture to a boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer the applesauce for about fifteen minutes, stirring it occasionally, or until the apples start to fall apart. Run it through the food mill if you want it smooth or mash it with a potato masher if you prefer it with chunks. You can stir in some more sugar if it is not sweet enough.
How To Make Venezuelan Guasacaca
This sauce is similar to Mexican guacamole and it is delicious with empanadas, salads, grilled poultry, or grilled meat. Not all recipes for guasacaca contain tomato but this one does. You can stir some cilantro or parsley into the finished dish if you like. This recipe makes two cups of guasacaca.
Peel, seed and chop two avocadoes and mash them with a potato masher or spoon. Stir in a big peeled, seeded, chopped tomato, half a minced onion, a few minced cloves of garlic, half a minced onion, half a cup of olive oil, quarter of a cup of vinegar and a couple of minced chilies. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe For Chilean Pebre
This delicious sauce is served as a condiment with grilled seafood, poultry, or meats in Chile and the recipe makes about a cup and a half. To make pebre, you need to add two bunches of chopped cilantro (or one bunch of cilantro and one of parsley) to a food processor or blender with a few minced scallions or half a chopped onion, a few crushed cloves of garlic, a couple of chopped chilies, quarter of a cup of sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar and some salt and pepper.
Pulse the mixture until it is smooth but still with chunks in. Stir in three quarters of a cup of olive oil and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Let the pebre stand for thirty minutes or more, so the flavors can blend. Serve this at room temperature.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Easy BBQ Ribs Recipe
The summer is a perfect BBQ time across the US. BBQ is a great crowd pleaser and is sure to bring the family together. Here is an easy BBQ ribs recipe and some quick tips to make sure your BBQ experience is safe and fun.
First, to keep things safe:
1. Defrost meat before cooking so you get even cooking and do it in the fridge.
2. Marinate food in the refrigerator and don't reuse the marinade unless you boil it first
3. Do not serve cooked meat in the same plate you had the raw meat (unless you clean it before re-using it)
4. Don't bring out the meat until you are ready to cook to avoid leaving it a prolonged time in hot temperatures before cooking.
Make sure you follow the safety tips and you will have more fun during the summer cookouts. My summer is going great. BBQ's are a big reason for that. One of my favorite dishes is an easy BBQ Ribs recipe. To make great ribs easily we need to follow these tips:
1. Marinade the meat or rub in the seasonings at least 1 hr before cooking more is better but if it's done too long, unless it's a tough cut, you could overpower the meat. Anywhere from one to six hours is good enough.
2. Grill ribs bone side down until the bones start to separate from the meat without turning. This is a key point that helps produce tender ribs.
3. Brush BBQ sauce or any sauce that has sugar only at the tail end of cooking.
4. Allow the ribs to sit for 10 minutes before eating or cutting this helps the meat stay juicy.
5. Use tongs to handle the meat forks will pierce the meat and allow the juices to escape. Piercing the meat reduces the flavor and moisture of the meat.
You can try this tips this weekend or the next time you grill ribs and you will see and taste the difference. In order to do that you need this simple recipe that's great tasting:
6 pounds pork spareribs
1 tblsp red pepper flakes
2 tblsp Adobo or Seasoned Salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper ( use less to taste if using adobo)
A barbecue sauce you like
Combine red pepper flakes, Adobo and black pepper. Rub mixture all over ribs; cover ribs and marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours. Grill ribs over low heat, bone side down until the meat separates from the bone, approximately 1 hour. Apply your favorite barbecue sauce and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes turning the ribs frequently to avoid burning the sauce. Serves 6 to 8.
There you have it an easy BBQ ribs recipe and some tips to make sure you wow your family and guests.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Updated BICEPS MEASUREMENT with my tape measure-errrrr
Monday, January 17, 2011
Mi la sa ka bay (La Horde Noire)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Grilling Onions Tips
Spanish Tapas Are Perfect For A Barbecue Grill
"Going out to Spain again? How wonderful!" many friends say to me.
Well, no actually it isn't. Yes I admit the weather makes a pleasant change from the dreary precipitation of North West England and I do have some great friends where I work in Spain but at the end of the day it's not a holiday it's work.
Dressed in a suit and tie travelling on a plane full of holiday makers to Alicante is depressing enough but then it's the taxi to the plant, a full days work in an air conditioned office followed by the taxi to the hotel. Back to the plant in the morning, another full day etc. etc.....get the picture? What's the weather got to do with it?
The one saving grace for me is the food. Spanish food ranks right up there with Italian for me in that it relies on the freshness of the ingredients and a simple cooking process. The only difference is the array of snacks available in the bars - Tapas.
Because of the simplicity of cooking and the variety, many tapas lend themselves to the barbecue smoker and have found their way into my free barbecue recipes web pages. Every day I try a new bar, new tapas, ask the barman how it is prepared and then punch it out on the laptop during the flight home. Maybe there is an upside to business travel after all.
The word tapas (plural) originates from the word tapa meaning a cover. In the bars and bodegas of Andalucia in the days before air-con, the barman would provide a tapa to cover his customer's sherry glass to stop the flies getting in. It wasn't long before the barman would place a little bread on the tapa and this is where the tapas evolution started.
Technically tapas are appetizers designed to be eaten in the bar with an aperitif before going home for the main lunchtime meal and of course the siesta. The tapas revolution now means that they are available all hours and many can be eaten at the same time to make a meal in itself and it's this concept that makes tapas ideal for the barbecue grill.
Some do need a little adaptation and take for example Esgarrat which is bacalao (dried salted cod fish) and roasted red peppers in olive oil. The sweetness of the peppers combines beautifully with the salt of the cod to produce a wonderful combination of flavours. Share a plate with friends and dip your bread in the oil - fantastic on a hot summer's day!
Preparation of Esgarrat take time (a week) and uses two basic techniques of barbecue smoking, firstly curing and then fire roasting so here's how to do it.
Take 150g or 6oz cod loin fillet (skinned) and place it in a polythene bag with two tablespoons of salt. Seal the bag and slam it in the refrigerator for a week. On the day of consumption, remove the cod loin from the bag, wash under the tap and slice thinly as you would with smoked salmon. Technically bacalao should be dried in the air but I find the process above more than adequate and certainly the best that I can achieve in a damp maritime UK climate.
When the barbecue charcoal is good and hot, place two red peppers on the smoker grill and roast until the skin is black and blistered and the flesh is soft. When complete, place the peppers in a polythene bag, seal it and allow to cool. When cool, remove the peppers from the bag and peel away the black skin and you'll be left with a beautifully soft sweet pepper that's ready for slicing. Cut into strips, place in a shallow serving dish with the salt cod and gorge it in olive oil - job done, give it an hour just to let the flavours mingle and you are ready to serve.
Enjoy Esgarrat, enjoy what's left of the summer and I'll be back for some more Spanish culinary adventures in the fall.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuna Steaks with Grilled Shrimp Recipe by the BBQ Pit Boys
Barbecue Pork Ribs Recipe - No Simple Matter
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.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Warped Exclusive: We The Kings
Monday, January 10, 2011
How to BBQ Ribs
So, you want to know how to BBQ Ribs expertly? Well, first of all you should understand that professional chiefs use "smokers", the best ribs are not cooked on a BBQ, as the cooking is too fast and the meat is then tougher! It is possible, however, to cook them in a conventional oven; the only thing missing will be that nice smoky flavour, but that can be added by simply putting a small amount of liquid smoke into your sauce.
The secret to great ribs is that they need to be cooked at low temps for long periods of time. Professionals cook all their meats this way; at 225°F for 6 hours for ribs, 10 - 12 hours for pork butts and up to 18 hours for brisket. But, don't worry, I will show you how to do ribs in around 3-4 hours!
First to dispel a couple of myths about ribs:
"The secret to great ribs is to boil them first!" and "Boiling/steaming gets all the fat out", BOTH WRONG! Never, ever boil or steam your ribs! I don't care what your mother taught you or what a famous chef on Food TV did. Never do it! In essence, what happens is the water or steam goes in and the flavour of the meat (and some, but very little of the fat) comes out. If you doubt this, taste the water after you have boiled something in it. This is the whole concept behind making soup! All the flavour ends up in the water! So, just don't do it!
Preparation:
The night before you should choose your favourite rub (combination of spices) and apply it to the ribs. Then wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. A truly great rib can be tested using simply salt and pepper; this is called a "dry" rib (a "wet" rib has sauce on it)! I suggest everyone try their ribs "dry" first, and then start experimenting with various rubs and sauces to find their favourite.
Take the ribs out of the fridge about 1 hour prior to cooking.
Cooking Method:
Preheat your oven to 275 F. If you have more time, you can set the oven at 250 F, and it will take about 4 hours to do.
Place a cake pan of hot water on the lowest rack. You may need to add water to this near the end.
Place the ribs in the oven bone side down and don't ever turn them (this allows the fat to 'travel' through the meat leaving all the flavour behind)! Place them on a wire rack directly above the water pan to catch the dripping fat.
After 1 1/2 hours of cooking (not before!), splash or mop the ribs with a mixture of 3 parts apple juice and 1 part oil. Do this every 1/2 - 3/4 hour until done.
To test for doneness, watch for the meat to pull back from the ends of the bones or insert a toothpick between the bones and if it goes through easily they are done.
Finally, apply any sauces 20 minutes or less prior to eating. This will avoid the sugars burning and turning black, and believe me, there's loads of sugar in every BBQ sauce!
Like I said, this whole process will take around 3 - 4 hours depending what temp you cook at. It may take a little practice to get to your desired doneness but that's half the fun! That's it, that's how to BBQ ribs and without a BBQ too!