I have tried those little metal boxes with holes in the top for putting chips and on gas it didn't work very well at all. I went to the Toronto Ribfest in the summer and got a piece of cherry wood from one of the ribbers who had it stacked across the front of the stand. It is about 2 foot long and is a split log that would have been 10" in diameter, so my bit stood 5" high.
If the ebook is BBQ Secrets, I have the set. I am a chef, so have picked up some personally recommended recipes. This is a Rib recipe from a Texan gal called Kitty. She is a friend from the BBC Food forum. I also have a fantastic Maple Bourbon Chicken recipe.
Message 6 - posted by random_kitty, Mar 3, 2006
I'd marinate them overnight in a large re-sealable plastic bag. - Amounts are difficult since I don't know how much you have, but this is how I'd start:
In a bag large enough to hold the ribs, pour in a tin of lager. Add about 2oz of soy sauce, a good slosh of OJ or the juice of a lemon. Then 3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed and roughly chopped; about 1/2 of a small onion, roughly chopped; a generous spoonful of brown sugar; cayenne pepper; a generous pinch of dried thyme and of dried oregano; a couple of dashes of Tasbasco, if you like it hot; a bit of liquid smoke, if you have it.
The next day, I'd use a rub (basic recipe to follow) and let them sit for 1/2 an hour or so while you're pre-heating the oven or grill and working on other prep.
Then I'd slice an onion into kinda big chunks or thick rings and spread over the bottom of a roasting pan and set the ribs on top - the onions will add some flavour, but will also keep the ribs off the bottom of the pan. Pour in a small amount of lager - you don't want the ribs sitting in beer - and then cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at about 110-125C (225-250F) - hard to give you times, as I don't know how big the rack is, but anywhere from an hour to two hours should be ok. Basically, just cook slowly until the meat's almost falling off the bone.
I like my ribs with barbeque sauce, but some people prefer dry ribs - with the rub they should be very flavourful anyway. I'd either use a store-bought hickory BBQ sauce (NOT HP! - they may know brown sauce, but they don't know BBQ sauce) or a homemade one, if you want to go to that effort. (can post some recipes for that, as well)
Basic Rib Rub
2 Tbs Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbs Paprika
1 Tbs Kosher or Sea Salt
1 Tbs Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbs Garlic Powder
1 Tbs Onion Powder
2 tsp Dried Thyme
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Ground Cumin
Rub this generously into the ribs. Store excess for up to 3 months in a sealed jar or tupperware container. This is just a good, basic, rub - you can adjust it as you go to suit your tastes - eventually, you'll end up with your own personal blend.
For chicken wings, an easy prep is to mix 4 oz of honey with 3 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 4 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons mustard (or 1 of dry mustard) & 2 Tablespoons of red wine or cider vinegar (add hot suace if you want them hot). Place the wings in one layer in a baking pan and pour the mixture over. Bake in a (preheated) 180C oven for 1 hour. This is for 12 whole chicken wings, so adjust amounts to fit your needs.
I'd serve corn bread or American biscuits, as well.
Generations of Texan BBQers are responsible, not me. (My poor ole Dad didn't get any boys, but my mother and sister always laugh that I'm his favourite son - he felt BBQ-ing was a Very Important Skill to pass on to me. Of course, looking back I think he just wanted me to get a husband and get off his "payroll" as quickly as possible, and we all know that chow is the way to a boy's heart!)
Best tip is that when you come across good quality or value steaks or chicken or whatever, you can put them in the marinade in small bags and let them sit a while, then freeze. Then anytime you have a longing for it, take it out of the freezer, and as it defrosts it'll start "re-marinating". A lifesaver on busy weekdays or when you don't feel like cooking.
I'm glad I decided to hold off buying those cross-country skis
