Year on the Grill: January 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014

Corn and Tomato Popper Succotash (and BACON) - Do Ahead Side Dishes

Lots of color, a unique mixture of ingredients, a name that causes controversy and a fantastic flavor combination...

And a terrific way to get your guests involved in the cooking. This dish is PAINFULLY EASY. SO easy that at any big family gathering (say a Thanksgiving meal), just slap an apron on the most inexperienced cook (or even say a 10 year old (or higher) grandchild) and in about 10 minutes with only a small amount of guidance they can be a part of the meal while you are multitasking to get everything ready to serve.

Of course if you are using inexperienced cooks, be sure to do the prep work, slicing dicing measuring, in advance, Knife skills are best learned without pressure.

And now, as to the name... By definition, a succotash should have Lima Beans in it. This dish does not. First and most importantly, Lima Beans are one of the few food issues that I have held onto since childhood... I hate 'em. But also, this is an adaptation of a recipe I saw on "The Chew". Michael Symon made this and he called it a Succotash, even without Lima Beans. This is not a classic Succotash and I know it.

But the name sounds too good not to leave it be.

I made several small changes to the dish from Michael's. You can see his version by clicking HERE. But the major flavor change I made was to add some grated Jalapeno pepper. I made a test version of this before serving to a large BBQ. It lacked a flavor punch that the tiny minced grated jalapenos fixed. It was a very small amount but added a lot.

The dish is a wonderful side. But also you could use this to dress up a Salmon, some Pork Medallions or sliced Chicken breast. I did make this on the stove top. But of course if you are cooking outside, a cast iron skillet over direct heat of a grill will work just as well. This is a 10 minute dish (mostly cooking the bacon) that can easily be made while you "rest" the meat before slicing.

All in all.... Pretty Good dish to have in your repertoire!

OK... Here's what I did...

Corn and Tomato Popper Succotash

Ingredients

1/2 Pound Bacon, Small Dice
2 Cans Sett Corn, drained
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, slice into halves or even quarters if they are big enough (I actually used a new variety of "Grape" Tomatoes wit a richer color and slight grape flavor)
1/4 Cup Cilantro, rough chop
Juice and Zest of 1 Lime
1 tsp Jalapeno Pepper, fine mince (I actually used about 1/4 of a Jalapeno Pepper that I grated on a microplane)
Several grinds of a pepper Mill To Taste
Big Pinch of Salt

Cooking Directions

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain out all but 2 TBS of the Bacon fat renderings.
Mix the corn with the bacon and saute in the rendered bacon fat for a couple of minutes until the already cooked corn is heated... Do not over cook.
Remove the pan from the heat, but while the bottom is still HOT, and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to mix. and allow the residual heat to warm the tomatoes. After 5 minutes, drain excess liquid (from the warming tomatoes).
Serve Warm or room temperature and ENJOY!!!

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My good Blogging buddy Larry has been RVing around the country and stopped by our little corner of the Universe. I used the occasion of his visit to throw a Bobby Flay style BBQ Addiction Whoop de Doo with...

Fish, Fowl, Hoof, Larry, Snout and Fish!

First up, the Fowl, that's a BBQ Turkey, brined and injected with Cajun Butter and Glazed with that Jack Daniel's Whiskey BBQ Sauce.

Second is the Hoof, a 30 Garlic Peppercorn Beef Roast.

Third is Larry hisself!

These Sweet Cherry Baby Back ribs are second from the right

And last but not least... the Fish is an absolutely amazing Cranberry Walnut sauce Sugar Cured Whole Salmon Filet.

But even Larry does not travel 4,000 miles in a rolling Studio Apartment on Meat alone... Come back all this next week for my side dishes, desserts to go along with all that meat.

I started yesterday with a spectacular presentation of a simple Jell-o salad (Dessert???). Just a little extra effort and I had Stained Glass Jell-O, worthy of any Church PotLuck.

Now we are into the side dishes... 7 Dishes and still rolling along. See you tomorrow!

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So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons. Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Mesa Grill Pretzels ala Bobby Flay - 52 grilled Appetizers and BBQ Tutorials

Here's another blast from my past...

A couple of years ago I was warm. It seems a lifetime ago, but I was lucky enough to live on the island of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. It gave me a chance to do some interesting cooking... Like these little snack items, perfect for any starter, snack, appetizer or just to have around to munch on...

While the instructions show these made indoors, if you have the space, these would make for a spectacular presentation Appetizer fresh off the grill. Just set up with a pizza stone and use your grill as a convection oven.

So, what makes a great bar snack???

The answer is different if you own the bar, or are drinking at the bar. Bar owners want to provide gratis items that have just a little extra hint of spice, heat and salt (actually, more than just a hint). Something that will make you thirsty. From the lowly popcorn to goldfish to chicken wings; bar snacks are designed to satisfy the munch craving that comes with drinking. And it is no accident that these foods make you want to continue drinking. Those free items add a lot of income to the owner.

The bar patron is looking for something salty to compliment an adult beverage. A great snack has a little fattiness. Bars are all about being just a little naughty. You've already decided to have an adult beverage, not a big leap to jump on something a little indulgent. But, not too fatty. A crunchy snack goes better than a soft one.

Salty, fatty, crunchy... and one more thing... Next time you reach for that bowl of CornNuts, think about all the patrons that reached for that self same bowl after a trip to the water closet. According to a poll published in the NY Times (so it must be true), 1 in 10 women (and sadly, 1 in 4 men) do not wash up after doing what comes naturally in bar restrooms. So, in addition to salty, fatty and crunchy, let's add personal. Something that you are grabbing that is uniquely your own.

Let's get that mental image out of our heads and continue on to these little gems...

According to Bobby Flay, in his MESA GRILL COOKBOOK, these pretzels were designed with their crunchy exterior, with salt and spicy jalapeño pepper filling are meant to be a perfect accompaniment to cocktails --- and especially those featuring tequila (but they taste great with a little rum as well)!

The crunchy exterior is coated with a bit of kosher salt. But the interior has a rich chewy center highlighted by pureed garlic, minced peppers and a hint of brown sugar to add the rich fattiness of a great bar snack.

And let's not lose the fact that these are served in a tall glass or vase. So unless someone rudely sorts through the bunch to find the perfect one, they are indeed personal. Hand touched by no one but you and the people governed by health codes (let me live in my fantasy world about how clean they are).

These are the pretzels that are served at Mesa Grill. The recipe is included in the MESA GRILL COOKBOOK, at the end of the "Drinks" chapter. A fitting place for a great Bar Snack!

Here's what Bobby says to do...

1/4 cup Yellow Cornmeal
3/4 cup warm Water
1/4 ounce fresh Yeast
2 teaspoons light Brown Sugar
1 large Egg
1 head roasted Garlic, peeled and pureed
Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
3 to 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 Poblano Chiles, roasted peeled and seeded, finely diced
Jalapeno Chili Powder

Line baking sheets with Parchment Paper, sprinkle Cornmeal on the sheets.
Combine the Water and Yeast in a large bowl and mix with your fingertips until the yeast is dissolved. Whisk in the sugar, egg and garlic until combined. Add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, 3 cups flour and poblanos and mix until combined. You may need extra flour to get a dough ball.
Knead the dough until the dough is smooth and evenly hydrated. Place the dough ball in a large bowl. grease the ball with some oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove from the bowl and divide in half. On a floured work surface, roll each half out onto a 12 X 12 square about 1 inch thick. Cut each square into 10 even strips. Hold the dough at each end, stretching it to the length of the baking sheet. Space the pretzels inch apart. Let rest for 30 minutes. Season the tops (I did an egg wash to keep the seasonings to stick) with Kosher salt and Pepper Spice.
Bake until crisp and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, remove and cool on baking rack.

Wow oh wow, these were amazing. Soft in the center, crispy like a pretzel in the center, and that fabulous kiss of garlic throughout is very unexpected. the pepper spice makes these qualify as terrific bar snacks! I LOVED EM!

Here are a few photos to give you a better idea of what I did...

In the book, there is a terrific section on techniques that will make you a better Tex-Mex (Southwest Cuisine) cook. Included is a section on roasting peppers and garlic.

Add the seeded, skinned peppers and the roasted Garlic in a mini chopper or food processor.

I did add an "Ancient Sweet Pepper" to the mix. I just thought the color contrast would add more "pepper" look.

Recipe #2 from the book. Great to cook from, great to inspire (and even better to eat from!)

Bobby is a winner!

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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Cranberry BBQ Sauce DIY Holiday Project - Make your own Condiments

Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, Merry Christmas, be Thankful for Thanksgiving and God Bless us Everyone!

I am pretty sure that if anyone does make this sauce it will be used on one of those days. Too bad since it really is a good sauce. Perfect mix of HEAT (I added a Cajun Spice mix) and Sweet... Cranberry sauce, fruit juice and brown sugar). It thickens beautifully and the dark color makes a perfect mahogany glaze color for the star of the holiday table...The TURKEY!

I am a huge fan of making my own condiments... If you check my 52 Grilling Time Secret Extras page, this will be my 5th recipe for a BBQ sauce that I made this year. There just seems to be no end to the possibilities. There is such a joy in my heart when I get questions about the sauce. Obviously home made when served up in a Mason Jar.

And that deep rich color on the bird sure does add to the presentation.

Making your own sauce is very easy. Just mix, heat, simmer to thicken and blend (wand blender or in a stand blender (it does more than make Margaritas). You can make a batch up a week or more in advance, saving the hard stuff for day of.

Bragging rights, beautiful presentation, easy to make and of course most important of all... Seasonally delicious flavor!

Happy Holidays and ENJOY!

OK... Here's what I did...

Holiday Cranberry
BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1 Large Red Onion, Minced
1 TBS Olive Oil
1 (14 OZ) Can WHOLE Cranberry Sauce
1 Cup Cranberry Pomegranate Juice
1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 TBS Dry Mustard
2 TBS Cajun Spice Mix
2 TBS Dark Brown Sugar

Cooking Directions

In a medium size Sauce Pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent and soft.
Add all remaining ingredients to the sauce pan. Stir to mix.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the sauce thickens to BBQ Sauce texture.
Use a wand blender (or transfer everything to a stand blender) and blend until smooth.
Use to brush a glaze on the turkey (about 15 minutes before you remove from the oven). Serve as a condiment on the table and HAPPY HOLIDAYS and ENJOY!

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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Honey Saz... Sazerac Cocktail - Official Drink of New Orleans for Mardi Gras - 52 Backyard Drinks

Mardi Gras is upon us!

But you better hurry... Fat Tuesday, beginning of lent and the end of the party (for awhile anyways) is less than 2 weeks away.

Time to start a New Orleans themed dinner party with the official drink of New orleans (by law, in 2008 the Louisiana Legislature named the Sazerac the official Cocktail of New Orleans)!

ABSINTHE, the secret ingredient!

I will leave tales of the Green Fairy (Absinthe) for fans of Baltimore to tell (just cause I predict Baltimore to win, I will be rooting for New Orleans). But the quick version...

The legendary drink potentially caused hallucinations (Ernest Hemingway once described, "walking on legs of tulips" after a night of drinking Absinthe). Baltimore's second most famous resident (Babe Ruth would be the most famous), Edgar Allen Poe drank himself to death on this drink. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the formula for making true Absinthe (from the 1800's) is no longer available in the United States. But, the Absinthe that is sold in the states does make a terrific ingredient in the Sazerac Cocktail. if you have been reading my blog for a few weeks, I make no secret of my love of ALL things Cajun and for the city of New Orleans! The Sazerac was first created in New Orleans in the 1830's. Some argue (they would be wrong, but they do argue) that the sazerac was the very first cocktail ever created (it was among the first). No trip to New Orleans, no Super Bowl (with the Saints playing) party, nor even Mardi Gras party would be complete without a sazerac cocktail.

"Hurricanes are for tourists.
Sazeracs are for natives."

Here's the current version of the historically correct recipe...

1/2 teaspoon absinthe, or Herbsaint (a New Orleans brand of anise liqueur)
1 teaspoon of simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube)
4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
1 small dash, a scant drop, of Angostura bitters
2 ounces rye whiskey.
Strip of lemon peel

Combine all ingredients in a shaker glass with ice. Shake like heck and drain into a highball glass. Straight up, no ice.

I have been known to drink one or two of these in my day. In fact, during a recent trip to New Orleans, I did my best to single-handily rebuild New Orleans, one sazerac at a time. (click HERE to read of my 8 sazeracs during that trip). While I very much enjoy the classic recipe above, I have made just a couple of small changes to make an all new version which I find a bit smoother (especially if you are trying to get non whiskey drinkers to give this a shot).

..........

So, here's my slightly altered version of the drink... For me, I prefer one of these..

The Honey Saz....

1/2 teaspoon absinthe, or Herbsaint (a New Orleans brand of anise liqueur)
1 teaspoon Honey
4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
1 small dash, a scant drop, of Angostura bitters
2 ounces rye whiskey.
Strip of lemon peel

Combine all ingredients in a shaker glass with ice. Shake like heck and drain with the ice into a highball glass.

In place of the simple syrup, I add a teaspoon of honey. This needs to be mixed very well (Shaken like heck) so that it is all absorbed into the whiskey.

The drink is also meant to be served chilled and up (no ice). I enjoy the romance of clinking ice cubes, so I do serve it on the rocks. I am fortunate enough to have an ice maker that makes larger ice cubes. If you are using crushed ice (don't, but if you do), store your rocks size glasses in the freezer prior to serving, and shake and strain the liquor quickly in a cocktail shaker. the longer you shake, the more the ice will melt and water down the drink. Strain into the fresh from the freezer glass and the drink will stay cold for about 15 minutes. If you take more than fifteen minutes to drink this, do not serve over ice (no matter how big and cold the cubes). Better to have a warm sazerac than a watered down sazerac.

Fat Tuesday is coming, followed by Ash Wednesday... Better enjoy a Honey Saz now!

Monday, January 27, 2014

Strawberry Lemonade Pie (Frozen) - 52 Do Ahead Desserts

FINALLY... SUMMER IS HERE! Time for a Pink Lemonade Pie. I LOVE THIS EASY EASY EASY PIE

Made easy with a Graham Cracker Crust, the filling is only 3 ingredients! Just Mix, refreeze and serve!

The taste is SPECTACULAR, Tart and a little sweet and actually loaded with fresh fruit sorbet! Could this be a healthy pie???

A perfect cap to a Summer BBQ!

OK... Here's what I did...

Strawberry Lemonade Pie (Frozen)

Ingredients

For Graham Cracker Crust
2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Stick (8 TBS) Butter, Melted
4 TBS Sugar
For the Filling
1 Brick (8 Ounces) Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
1 Cup Thawed Frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1 Pint Strawberry Sorbet, Softened
For Garnish, Whipped Cream and Fresh Strawberries

Cooking Directions

For the Graham Cracker Crust...
Preheat oven to 350. Crumble the graham crackers (I used a food processor) to crumbs, Melt Butter.
Mix crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into a 9 Inch Pie Pan
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire rack a cool to room temperature.
For the filling...
In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add Lemonade concentrate and finally add the softened Sorbet. Continue to mix until smooth and well blended.
Spoon the mixture into the cooled graham cracker crust.
Freeze at least overnight, preferably 24 hours, until firm.
Garnish with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Slice with a Knife that has been run through HOT water for a few seconds to make slicing easy.
Serve COLD from the freezer and ENJOY!

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This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Cakes and Pies at Home"!

These are the desserts you make for your family. No fancy amazing wedding cakes, just the rustic beauty of the classics. From pumpkin pie to cheesecakes to layer cakes, these are what your family craves for dessert. You may even see a few unusual crusts and frosting ideas to try.

You get the idea. These recipes are simple, delicious and will have your family wanting dessert first...

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Citrus Honey Garlic RIBS Smoked Ribs Actually on a Weber Kettle Grill - 52 BBQ Tutorials

Take a look at that face!!! Now that is a happy man.

Actually, that is my son, PFC James Scott; who happens to be serving in the Army. He is a medic, stationed at Ft. Riley, which happens to be only a couple hour drive from my back yard! In his civilian life he grew up mostly in Delaware, so it is fantastic to have his Army home this close. While the Army is indeed making a man of him, having him close is my opportunity to teach him things that a man should know...

Like how to smoke Baby Back Ribs!

I wanted to show him the basics... And you can not get more basic than the ubiquitous Weber Kettle. They are cheap (under $100), easy to use and I would guess that more people have started and learned on a Weber than any other brand or style of grill. Much as I love my expensive smoker, if you can't make a rack of smoked ribs on a Weber, you really should not spend the money on a dedicated smoker.

So, for Ribs 101, I went old school and broke out the Weber...

But before we even get outside to the grill, it's time to prepare the meat.

First step is to remove the membrane.

The bone side of ribs comes with a skin or membrane. YOU MUST REMOVE THIS MEMBRANE. When this cooks, it is tough, chewy and nasty tasting. I am stunned how many restaurants will serve a rack of ribs with this still on... but I am digressing. It takes a bit of practice, but removing the membrane is easy. There is a wonderful step by step photo post for removing the skin already on the net. Click HERE for that lesson. Very basically, slip a knife or spoon end under the meat, and lift off. You can see in the photo the shiny part still has the skin, and the more dull parts have the membrane removed. Texture is important in ribs. This membrane will leave a very unpleasant texture behind. Remove it and the texture of your ribs will separate your ribs from the also rans...

Next up is to MAKE your rub.

Sure, you can buy any of the hundreds and hundreds of pre packaged store bought rubs and you will have great success with them. BUT, it is always better to make your own. You can control the taste, the amount of salt (those store bought ones usually have salt as the main ingredient to increase shelf life). But honestly, the main reason is for bragging rights.

Besides, it is cheap and easy to make your own. You can find plenty of Rib Rub Recipes with a Google search, just pick one that has ingredients you like.

Here's the recipe I used for these ribs...

Basic Garlic Rub for Smoked Ribs

Ingredients

3 TBS Brown Sugar
3 TBS Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Sea Salt
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Fresh Cracked Peppercorns

Cooking Directions

Mix all ingredients with your fingers to insure no clumps of spices and an even mixture.
Generously rub (it's called a rub, not a sprinkle) the mixture on the ribs, do a thin layer on the bone side and a thicker layer on the meat side.
Allow to rest at room temperature with the rub on for 30 minutes to allow the ingredients to season the meat.

OK... During the thirty minute "rest", it is now time to prepare your grill...

There are a couple of must have accessories that you will need to guarantee success...

The type of coal is very important. DO NOT EVER EVER EVER USE MATCHLIGHT TYPE COAL. Instead look for a brand that advertises itself as 100% natural or all wood. Anything else will have chemicals used to hold the briquettes together. These chemicals will add an unpleasant taste to your meat. Use 100% natural.

You will want a "Chimney" to light the coals... You'll see what I mean in a minute...

Next you need a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the grill. This is not a meat thermometer, instead it is one to be used to measure the air temperature. One of those dial types works fine, as long as you have a long enough tip to reach the actual temperature of the cooking level. The top of the kettle will be much hotter than the cooking level just a few inches lower. Stick this through a vent, making sure the tip does not touch any meat or metal and it works fine.

Two racks of ribs work fine, but where I buy meat they come prepackaged three racks to a bag. So I need a rib rack in order to stand them up as they cook.

And that's all the "must haves". It does help to have a meat thermometer as well. Certainly if you make smoking a way of life you will want to invest in a good thermometer.

OK... Time to prep the grill for INDIRECT HEAT... Here's the most important part in order to get your ribs restaurant quality. It is important that the heat and smoke travel around the kettle, like a convection oven. It is equally important that you do not "grill" the ribs, meaning the heat (coals) is not directly below the ribs. That is too hot, too direct of heat. Direct heat will burn, indirect will allow low and slow smoking, making fall off the bone tender juicy and delicious!

So... Here's the steps for indirect heat on a Weber Kettle Grill...

OK, remember All natural Wood Briquettes...

The bag also reads 100% Hardwood Charcoal.

OK... there is a math factor here... 20 Briquettes. That's all you need now, count out 20 briquettes and put them in a chimney...

And light the chimney... You use a few pages of newspaper wadded up and stuffed into the bottom, there is a wire rack keeping the newspaper separate from the coal. Light the paper and let the coals sit on top of the fire for about 10 minutes...

After 10 minutes the coals should show signs of being lit... Ash around the edges and deep inside glowing red. Also little wisps of smoke....

If not, relight another few pages of newspaper and repeat the 10 minute wait.

If so, wait for another 5 minutes and then pour...

BUT...

Only pour around one edge... Indirect remember. You do not want the coals spread to reach under the meat.

Pop on the grate and you are now ready to cook...

Notice that I have the handles of the grate, one side directly over the stack of lit coals. This is IMPORTANT so that you can add briquettes without removing the grate.

And the photo above shows the MOST IMPORTANT TIP for insuring Restaurant Quality Low and Slow smoked ribs...

TEMPERATURE. 225 is your goal. Never higher than 250, never lower than 220. The air vents at the op and at the bottom of the kettle are adjustable, open wide and more oxygen flows into the kettle and the fire burns hotter. Close them and no oxygen gets in and the fire dies. You need that happy medium. Check your temperature early and often. It will take you another 10 minutes or more to get the vents right. Do this before you add the meat.

OK... FINALLY, time to start cooking...

Arrange your ribs in the rib rack or if you are only cooking 2 racks, arrange them flat on the grill NOT over the coals... NOT over the coals.

In tomorrows post I am going to talk about smoked beans. I always try to smoke beans while smoking meat. This way as the beans simmer, the steam will help add moisture to the meat, aiding in the meat absorbing more of the smoke flavor.

But for today, should you decide to smoke beans as well (do it), position your beans directly over the lit coals. This lets the beans simmer.

Now, with all this, the initial 20 briquettes have started to burn out. Before you close up, time to add more fuel to the fire.

Again... MATH... count out 10 and only 10 briquettes. Just add these through that opening in the grate that you positioned over the lit coals. No need to light them, they will land on the lit pile and gradually light themselves.

I add a few wood chips of Apple or Pecan wood as well. Not too much, you want a gentle smoke, not a billowing chimney. But also know that the natural wood briquettes also give off enough smoke to flavor the ribs.

OK... NOW close the lid. Position the temperature probe through a vent and start measuring the temperature. You have added a lot of mass so it will take some fidgeting of the vents to get the kettle to the right temperature...225... no more than 250, no less than 220.

DO NOT LOOK... the temperature probe will tell you the internal temp. If you open the lid you will lose your heat and have to start all over again... DO NOT OPEN THE LID.

And, you are now ready to relax. This is 90% of the job. the rest is simply to maintain the temperature. In a kettle cooker, the coals will begin to die after about 1 hour. So, simply keep an eye on the clock and the temperature. After 1 hour if you notice the temperature begin to dip towards that 220 mark, time to add more coal.

BUT...

VERY IMPORTANT, have a plan before you lift the lid. Longer you have the lid open, the more heat you use up and have to start all over getting back to temp.

I want to stir the beans.

I want to flip the ribs in the rack, the ones closest to the fire are moved to the back, the ones in the back are swapped to the front.

and I want to add 10 and only 10 more briquettes. Again, no need to pre light, you will simply put them through the grate as before, letting them fall onto the still smoldering older coals... they will light.

Less than 1 minute total time open

So, open... Stir... swap... add coal... Close.

While doing all this, you are multi tasking, checking to see how the ribs look. They should not be charred at all, just starting to look a little darker is all. If they are charred, you have them too close to the fire or the fire is too hot. Use those vents to get the temperature lower.

Once the lid is closed, wait for about 10 minutes and make sure the temperature returns to where you want it. If it does not climb you may need to use a stick to move the coals around a bit.

OK... It takes about 4-5 hours for your ribs to get to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. After three hours I add checking the internal temperature of the ribs to my hourly check list. You can also tell when the ribs are done as they start to shrink away from the bones, leaving the ends more and more exposed... but better to use that internal temperature probe.

Now you could be done... The ribs are ready to serve, with the flavor of the rub being the taste. you can also have a bowl of sauce ready to dip...

OR...

You can glaze them. Here's the glaze I used for the ribs. It is loosely based on a recipe I found in a Chris Lilly (Great Grill master, restaurateur) cookbook...

Citrus Honey Garlic Rib Glaze

Ingredients

1 Cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1 TBS Dry Rub (same as you used earlier)
1 TBS Fig Vinegar (Balsamic will work as well)
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Cups Ketchup or even use a favorite store bought BBQ sauce)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Honey

Cooking Directions

Mix all the ingredients EXCEPT the Honey
Brush the glaze on the ribs
Place the ribs in a LARGE sheet of aluminum foil (you will seal them in a minute).
Drizzle the honey over the ribs and seal
Wrap the ribs tightly and return to the grill (or oven) at 225 degrees for 1 hour
Open, cut into seperate "bones" to serve and ENJOY!

Like I said back at the beginning of this post...

All I did was talk my son through the steps. These are his first rack of ribs and they are as good as any I have ever made.

The rub seasoning shined through even the sweet glaze.

The technique was perfect. The temperature always hovered right at 225 to 230, never spiking and never dropping low (except when he had to open the lid to add coal).

The glaze was incredible. Sweet (we were serving this meal to a couple of lady friends that preferred not to have a fiery hot spice), but not too sweet.

The temperature was just right. The meat was tender juicy and delicious. Certainly not over cooked... Just about as good as it gets!

Come back tomorrow and I will share the bean recipe!

I am very proud of my son's service to the country, his choice as serving as a Medic and now for his ability to SMOKE RIBS IN A WEBER KETTLE GRILL!

What a guy!

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