Big Tent Barbecue

Who doesn't like barbecue? Think about it. It's hard not to like. BBQ's appeal is universal. Just the sound of the word brings back wonderful memories - family get-togethers, sunny summer afternoons in the yard helping Dad start the grill or carry out a cooler of soda and beer. Barbecue is fun. The word itself brings a smile. Barbecue is social. No one barbecues for one. It requires a back yard full of friends or family, casual clothing, and coolers of thirst quenchers. What's not to like?


In most families barbecue is also “men's work.” It's curious that even in days of yore, when women ruled the kitchen, men ruled the barbecue. For many of us boys, it is where we learned how to make our first meal, and build our first fire. It was often where we drank our first beer. No wonder we love it.

Even bad barbecue can make for wonderful memories, and Lord knows I have had my share of those. Good barbecue is better. That is what we will talk about on these pages. A meal cooked on an open fire has a leg up on any other cooking medium. An open fire is how I will define barbecue. We will talk about wood fired slow cookers, charcoal fired kettles, and gas grills. We will talk about hamburgers and hot dogs and spit roasted pigs, grilled corn and summer squash, Texas style beef brisket and chicken rotisserie. BBQ ribs are my personal favorite, with pulled pork a very close second. We will cover the regional differences in spice rubs and sauces – or no sauces, and the benefits of going nekked.

We will not discriminate. If you think that grilling is not really BBQ I respectfully disagree. When Dad asked if you wanted to barbecue on Saturday, you did not respond with “Well Dad, technically speaking you aren't barbecuing because you are using a grill and you're not slow cooking so you shouldn't call it barbecue.” You said Yayeh! and you couldn't wait for Saturday. We welcome all practitioners of the art of the flame. We are Big Tent Barbecue.

We welcome your input. We say “We” because this should be a communal effort. We welcome your questions and e-mails. We will answer them all, as long as you are not in a hurry and have a sense of humor. We also welcome your suggestions and comments. Please do leave a comment if you are so moved; if you have a better way of doing something or a variation on a recipe. We also recognize that there are numerous websites already out there with enough information to write a hundred books on barbecue. Hopefully we can help you find the good ones and avoid the bad ones.


Regardless of your cooking method, your BBQ will probably require two components, in addition to the meat that you intend to cook. First, a spiced “rub”; second a BBQ sauce. There are two schools of thought on rubs and sauces. Some prefer a dry product – rubbed with seasoning and not brushed with or dipped in any sauce. Others think the sauce is more important than the rub. I am of the former persuasion. A properly prepared dry rubbed rib is as close to culinary perfection as is humanly possible, requiring little or no sauce. If you disagree, please make your own sauce. I have yet to find a store bought sauce that I would call my own. They are easy enough to prepare at home. A good alternative baste is to use apple cider, apply liberally during cooking. A popular option – known on the barbecue circuit as a “Texas Crutch” - is to place the meat in a covered pan, with an inch of apple cider in the bottom of the pan. The steam produced by the cider bastes the meat, accelerates the cook time, and tenderizes the final product. If you use this method, finish the meat for the last hour uncovered, so you get a proper crust – or “bark” on the meat.

My recipes follow:

Dry Rub
2 tablespoons kosher salt,

1 tablespoon (each) freshly ground black pepper, brown sugar, and paprika,

1 teaspoon (each) dry mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, dried oregano.

BBQ sauce (Tomato based)
Sauté one large chopped onion and four cloves of garlic in olive oil.

Off the flame add one cup bourbon and cook off alcohol for a minute.

Add:
1 cup ketchup

1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup cider vinegar
½ cup mustard
Two tablespoons molasses or hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 tablespoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon (each) salt, pepper, thyme, oregano

A full rack of ribs or a "St Louis" cut of ribs takes approximately 5 hours to prepare in a 200 degree cooker . Baby Back ribs need four. Pulled pork and beef brisket need to reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees, which will take about 1 ½ hours per pound at 200 - 225 degrees. For a seven pound butt or brisket, this can mean ten hours of cooking. You can accelerate the process, and add flavor and tenderness by utilizing the “Texas Crutch” - cooking the meat in a covered pan with apple cider for a few hours, then finishing it uncovered for the last hour.
For BBQ ribs, brisket, or pulled pork, apply BBQ sauce or apple cider hourly during cooking.
For pulled pork, remove meat from oven and let stand thirty minutes. The meat will continue to cook and add another five degrees of temperature while it rests. Pull meat apart with two heavy duty forks. Add BBQ sauce and blend into meat well.

Note: Both the rub and the sauce contain sugar and cannot be used over a direct flame (grilled). For grilled chicken rub I use this basic recipe without the sugar. I apply the sauce after the chicken is done, and let it rest off the flame for a few minutes before serving.

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