And as I think back, makes me wonder how
The smell from a grill could spark up nostalgia…
—from "Summertime," by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.
Barbecue. A mere whiff can spur a powerful sensory overhaul, conjuring up sunbathed memories of meat, smoke, and summertime.
But can a barbecue meal pack the same nostalgic wallop if all its components begin with the letter B? That's the task we set ourselves.
It really wasn't that much of a challenge. All the best things in life start with B: bacon, baby back ribs, bourbon, brisket, bacon, beer, burgers, bread pudding…
Thus, the only logical conclusion is this:
A barbecue made from all B-list ingredients? Brilliant!
Joe Bardi’s (not quite) World Famous BBQ Sauce
“I’ve always bought my marinades and sauces at the grocery store, but I was up for a challenge and decided to make my own barbecue sauce from scratch. It turns out that creating your own 'World Famous’ sauce is a snap! I was able to whip up my own concoction based on a recipe I found at allrecipes.com for 'A Very Popular BBQ Sauce.' Combine the ingredients in a blender, hit puree for a few minutes, and voila, a sweeter, tangier sauce than Big Baby Ray could ever bottle. (Original recipe makes 4 cups.) Finger-licking good, if I do say so myself.” —Joe Bardi
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups organic ketchup
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 tbsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. paprika
4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
8-10 dashes hot sauce
Directions
Mix ingredients in a blender and pour onto ribs prior to grilling or cooking. Save leftover sauce for serving. We wrapped our ribs in foil after rubbing them down with sauce, and placed them on the grill. Pay attention to the meat thermometer to ensure your meat reaches the proper temperature for safe consumption. Then remove ribs from foil and finish them directly on the grill. Be careful not to catch them on fire, like we did. But do not despair; we learned it’s pretty hard to ruin slow-cooked pork covered in tangy barbecue sauce.
UP NEXT: Beefy brisket …
Biddle and Warner’s Beefy Brisket
From The Thrill of the Grill by Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby
Makes one hunk of tasty meat.
Ingredients
1 10-12-ounce beef brisket
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
4 tbsp. paprika
Directions
Clean the beef, pat it dry and apply the rub. We adapted Schlesinger & Willoughby's All-South Barbecue Rub, using spices from Tampa's V Spicery and the Savory Spice Shop in St. Pete, including their hot smoked Spanish paprika. The brisket should cook for about 8-10 hours over low heat on the opposite side of the grill from where the coals are piled up. But we hurried up the process to about five hours — leaving the meat not quite as tender as it might have been, but still tasty.
UP NEXT: Bacon and Brussels Sprouts …
Arielle’s Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Recipe stolen from her boyfriend’s Mom, Sandy.
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
6-8 strips of bacon
1 large onion, diced
1 large package of Brussels sprouts
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Cook the bacon until somewhat crispy, remove from the pan, and chop into rough pieces. Keep the skillet hot and add one diced onion. Cook onions until translucent, then add Brussels sprouts. Cook until Brussels sprouts are tender, add bacon pieces, top with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
UP NEXT: Dessert …
Leilani’s Bread Pudding with Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce
Makes one pan and lots of sauce.
Bread Pudding Ingredients
1 large loaf day-old French bread, cubed (my bread was not day-old and turned out just as well)
4 eggs
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins (1/2 cup works, too, if you don’t like raisins so much)
1 cup finely chopped pecans (you can roast these beforehand for extra flavor)
1 stick unsalted butter
Butterscotch Sauce Ingredients
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (I mixed light and dark brown, but light works just as well on its own)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (a can of condensed milk works, too)
3-4 tbsp. bourbon (Jim Beam is fine, but you can also use Maker’s Mark if you have more refined tastes)
1 stick unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
Directions
Cut up bread into 2-to-3-inch cubes. Lightly grease a large glass casserole dish or sheet cake pan. Add bread to casserole dish. Then whisk together eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, cream, milk, pecans, raisins and sugar, and pour egg mixture over bread. Cube up butter and put it all over the top of the bread. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Prepare the sauce after it’s finished, starting by melting the butter in the pan on low to medium heat, gradually stirring in brown sugar and cream (or evaporated milk). Add bourbon last. Cook this butterscotch mixture for around 15 minutes uncovered until it almost reaches a rolling boil. The alcohol gets cooked off but the bourbon flavor remains. Cut up the pudding and serve in bowls with the butterscotch sauce poured over top; add whipped cream for a complete sugary overload.
This article appears in May 9-15, 2013.