Many backyard barbecuers are self-taught, said Rob Kasper in the Baltimore Sun. But for “serious students of smoke” there are always “opportunities for higher learning.” My own quest for knowledge recently led me to two recent books from masters of the art. Below, recipes for a couple American classics from the “big boys of barbecue.”
Recipes of the week
One of the country’s foremost practitioners of the art of barbecue is Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible (Workman Publishing), now in its 10th edition. Here is his recipe for “the great American hamburger.”
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Hamburgers
2¼ lbs ground round, chuck, or sirloin
6 slices (½-inch thick) Vidalia or other sweet onion
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, or 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 hamburger buns
Topping:
Iceberg lettuce leaves
Sliced ripe tomatoes
Sliced dill pickles
Cooked bacon, 2 slices per burger
Ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise
Divide meat into six equal portions. Lightly wet hands with cold water, then form each portion of meat into round patty, 4 inches across and of even thickness. Set up grill for direct cooking; preheat to high. When ready to cook, brush and oil grill grate. Brush both sides of onion slices with melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Grill on grate until nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side, then transfer to plate.
Brush one side of meat patties lightly with melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange burgers, buttered side down, on hot grate. Grill until bottoms are nicely browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Brush tops lightly with some melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Using spatula, turn burgers; grill until they are browned and cooked to taste, 4 to 5 minutes or longer for medium. Meanwhile, brush cut sides of buns with remaining melted butter. Toast them, cut sides down, on grill during last 2 minutes that burgers cook. Set up toppings. Put burgers and onion slices on buns and serve. Serves 6.
Barbecue Ribs With Chili Powder, Garlic, and Cumin Rub
Good ribs are all about the rub. The formula for these “gorgeous” barbecue ribs is adapted from The Sunset Grill (Sunset Books) by Cheryl Jamison and Bill Jamison.
¼ cup chili powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp dried oregano
1½ tsp dried thyme
¾ tsp hot dry mustard
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 rack ribs, 2¼ to 2½ lbs
2 limes, quartered
In bowl, mix chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, thyme, mustard, salt, pepper, cloves. Skin ribs, removing thin membrane from underside. Rinse ribs, pat dry. Rub ribs all over with spice mixture. Wrap airtight; chill 8 hours or overnight.
Prepare indirect fire for cooking. Place foil drip pan on side of grill that is clear of coals. Oil grill rack, lay ribs on rack, close lid. If using charcoal, open vents in lid and bottom of cooker. Cook until meat is nicely browned, 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning ribs once midway through cooking time. Wrap ribs in foil and return to grill. Cook until meat is tender, another 30 minutes to an hour. Transfer ribs to platter and cut between bones. Garnish with lime wedges and squeeze over ribs to taste. Serves 4.
Sweet Corn Succotash
The most enjoyable side dishes use vegetables fresh from the farm, said Food & Wine. “Corn is best eaten within a day or so of harvest.” After that, the sugars start to turn to starch. Start surveying local farmers’ markets this August for cobs of corn. Keep an eye out “for ears with husks that are bright green, moist, and tight.”
One staple corn dish is traditional succotash. Chef Chris Hastings gives a twist to the succotash he prepares at Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Ala., replacing the usual lima beans with fresh black-eyed peas. “But green peas are nicely sweet” and, as this recipe proves, work just as well.
2 cups fresh green peas
1 tbsp canola oil
1 thick slice bacon, finely diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ lb okra, sliced ½-inch thick
3 medium tomatoes—peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
3 ears corn, kernels cut off
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup slivered basil leaves
In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook peas until tender, 5 minutes. Drain, reserving ¾ cup of the cooking liquid.
In deep skillet, heat oil. Add bacon and cook over moderately high heat, until browned. Add onion and cook until just softened. Add okra and cook for 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and corn and cook until tomatoes break down. Add peas with cooking liquid and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in butter and basil; serve. Serves 4.
