I've been doing some research on competition cooking and how to save time and regulate quality. I recently came across this recipe on Cooks.com and thought I would share it with you.

Consider it an insider tip. It sounds delicious and I've heard that it is used by many top cooks. Give it a try and let me know what the results are.

Recipe Courtesy of Cooks.com
3-4 lbs. ribs, cut into pieces

Boil in salted water 45 minutes, covering ribs with water. Cover with Barbecue Sauce:

1 c. catsup
1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 dashes Tabasco sauce (opt.)
2 c. water

Boil ribs for 5 minutes and marinate in sauce for at least 30 minutes. Barbecue on hot grill for about 7 minutes per side. Baste often. If not served immediately, keep warm in pan of sauce.

Enjoy your April 1st.

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Vinegar and BBQ Sauce pt. 1

In an effort to determine the impact of various vinegars on the same sauce I created a bold red sauce that was separated into four equal portions and had four different vinegars added. Within the next few weeks I will repeat the experiment with a vinegar sauce and then a mustard sauce.

The vinegars used were

1) a traditional, cheap cider vinegar. Found in a plastic bottle at any supermarket.
2) a white balsamic vinegar imported from Italy.
3) a California Grapefruit vinegar.
4) a muscat orange champagne vinegar.

The overall impression was that the sauce was too bold for the variations to have a significant impact. Although there were discernible differences, the impact on the taste was too small to be considered worth the effort.

The sauce was made using Woody's Cook-in sauce, my favorite tool for creating red sauces. The resulting product was a strong, bold sauce that should be used with beef or pork.

1.5 Cup Woody's Cook-in Sauce
3/4 Cup Orange Juice
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried ancho
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
7 tablespoons syrup (I used a mixture of boysenberry and maple)

I let the sauce simmer for roughly 30 minutes and let it sit for another 15. I separated the sauce into four equal portions and added 1/3 cup of a different vinegar to each.

The most enjoyable was the sauce using the cider vinegar. The cheapest and most standard turned out to be the best. The flavors melded well and left little of the aftertaste the others left.

The orange muscat was the most enjoyable of the three more exotic vinegars. It added a nice sweetness and a strong balance to the boldness of the sauce.

Next in order of preference was the California grapefruit. Although enjoyable, it was a bit tart and lacking in the sweetness that helped to round the sauce.

The last was the white balsamic. There was a harsher taste to this than the others. It left a stringent aftertaste and is not recommended for this sauce.

Overall, the sauce was fun. Bold and strong, it needs to be paired with a meat that can stand up to it. The differences that were engendered by the vinegars were too small to matter much, but even if you are looking for a little variety, I would stay away from the balsamic.

I believe that the sauces that are more dependent on the vinegars will be more telling.

If you are interested in another look at BBQ and vinegar CLICK HERE to read a post on White Trash BBQ.

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This is the final article in our series of Beer and BBQ pairings. The previous three articles focused on sauces, but this time we are taking a look at a dry rub. It goes without saying that these articles could not have happened without the kind and informed assistance of Timothy Bisson and Michael Payne.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
¼ cup ancho powder
¼ cup lemonade powder mix

Michael Payne

Styles - German Pilsner, India Brown Ale

This preparation emphasizes spices, meat, and caramelization from the brown sugar. The recipe for this rub shares a lot of similarities with both Czech goulash and mexican cuisine, so I selected beers that would pair well with those foods.

German Pilsner is a far cry from the mass produced "American Pilsners" produced by the biggest domestic brewers. The best examples have a clean, crisp flavor and refreshing, herbal, earthy bitterness. The dryness will contrast well with the sweetness from the caramelized brown sugar and the unique hop flavors match well with the chilies and garlic.

India brown ale is a relatively new beer style brewed by a few American microbreweries. It combines the strong bitterness and floral hop aromas of an India Pale ale with a rich, caramel like maltiness from the darker grains. The malt flavors will naturally pair well with the brown sugar and the darker chili peppers like the ancho. The fragrant hops and strong bitterness will compliment the spice and contrast with the rich, meat flavors in a way that will refresh the palate.

Suggested Commercial Examples:

German Pilsner - Victory Prima Pils, Brooklyn Pilsner (oddly enough, Americans make some of the best German Pilsners)

India Brown Ale - Terrapin India Brown Ale, Dogfish Head India Brown Ale

Timothy Bisson

Brisket
Tried three beers with the dry rub brisket and found they all were compatible. Chimay’s Grande Reserve was the best match, though. Its slight sweetness and smooth dark fruit and malt flavors soaked in the brisket adding some foundation to the spices of the brisket. There was also a slight smokiness that came out of the Chimay which was unexpected and pleasant for the meal. The McEwan’s Scotch Ale is another great match. It’s a little sweeter and cleaner than the Chimay. It’s got a little more smoky character than the Chimay. The Scotch Ale’s caramel malt heart and lingering smoke character mingle confidently with the brisket’s robust beef and spice profile. A great combo as well. One key for enjoying both of these beers is that they must be served cool and not cold. Otherwise, the subtle flavors are muted.

I also tried the Schenkerla Maerzen, a Rauchbier, which is very smoky. The smoke flavor slightly overpowered the brisket. But, it added a new layer of flavor to complement the pepper and sweet flavors in the rub. It was good with the brisket but not as good as the other two.

Pork Ribs
The pork ribs and Spaten’s Oktoberfest were made for each other. First of all, the pork ribs and dry rub was my favorite meat and sauce combo. The brown sugar melted into the fat making the pork full of juicy sweetness. Kudos to Eric on the rub recipe. The sweet and spice were perfectly balanced and made the ribs sumptuous. The Oktoberfest has a spicy hop aroma with some biscuit and honey undertones. The malt flavors sink into the pork and fat like me into my favorite chair. The hop bitterness cuts through the fat and links up with the peppers and other spices in the rub in the finish and on my lips. The slight sweetness in the Oktoberfest ties the meat and fat flavors together with the spices and hop bitterness. This was an excellent pairing. Best thing is this beer is quite affordable and available all over the US. Another good Oktoberfest or Marzen that is widely available is made by Paulaner.

Beef Short Ribs
The dry rub on the beef ribs was tasty and added some good spices. Again, the brown sugar melted into the sinew adding complexity to the ribs. For this, we had Rogue’s Shakespeare Stout. This classic American Stout is bold and full of confidence just like the guy on the bottle. It’s also full bodied and robust; and that is what the ribs needed. The beef was very flavorful and full bodied. The beer and beef stood up to other nicely in the body and mouthfeel. Also, the spices in the rub were unique to the ribs as were the roasty and smoky character to the stout. These played like old friends as I got some sweetness and heat from the rub followed by the roasted malt and then lingering spices in the finish. I kept tasting the two and wishing for more. Try Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout if you are in the Midwest as an alternate. But, I think Rogue is widely available.

Chicken Breasts
Ahhh, the dry rub comes through again. The paprika, black pepper and chili powder of the rub come out hot and looking for a fight. You can tell this charred and smoky chicken ain’t one of its own kind. It’s juicy and full of a myriad of flavors. This needs one of two kind beers; a beer that cleans the palate and blends in or a beer that stands up to the feisty fowl and throws a punch of its own. I found one for each category. Flying Dog’s Old Scratch Amber Lager is a well balanced session beer with a finishing malt character that blends brilliantly with the chicken’s sweet juices. It washes the mouth leaving it ready for more spicy grilled chicken. Schenkerla’s Rauch Ur- Bock’s intense smoky flavor grabs onto the char of the chicken and extends the smoky flavor without missing a beat. It also has a clean dark malt sweetness holding the down the fort with the chicken. This beer goes twelve rounds with the chicken and comes out on top. But it’s a split decision. A great pairing.

Amber Lager substitute: Sam Adams Boston Lager
Rauch Ur-Bock substitute: None widely available but Schenkerla widely available in better beers stores



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About.com is an online reference source staffed by experts in a variety of fields. Owned by the NY Times, About.com was founded in 1996.

Derrick Riches is the resident BBQ and grilling expert for About.com. Derrick and About.com serves as what I look to refer to as a gateway service. Although Mr. Riches spends a great deal of time assisting anyone who needs BBQ related help, his acumen is greatly appreciated by those that are making their first moves from backyard grilling to true enthusiast.

Derrick’s expertise and knowledge level are tested on a daily basis. He is a true BBQ guru and we are grateful for his participation.

Mr. Riches kindly agreed to be interviewed by the Home of BBQ and we are happy to present that interview today.

Q. How long have you been interested in cooking and how did that interest develop?

My mother had three boys and was dead set on making sure we all knew how to cook. Me, being the youngest, received the brunt of the cooking lessons. My father loved to cook and was very good at it, but was rather lazy. He had me flipping steaks when I was tall enough to reach the top of the grill. What dad was particularly good at was experimenting. He took the classic English meals his mother would make and constantly worked to adapt them to different ingredients and different cooking methods. He and I were always trying all sorts of crazy recipes. So between my mother’s insistence that I know the basics and my dad’s experiments, I can honestly say that I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t cooking.

Q. When did you get interested in BBQ?

In my childhood, I had at my disposal everything you would need to prepare great barbecue without actually knowing what true barbecue was. For most of my early life I lived in a house built on a large piece of what was once an orchard. There were dozens of giant old cherry, apple and peach trees which had a constant supply of dried wood. When I was about ten years old, the neighbors moved away and left us with this big green thing we called a Hibachi. It was in fact a Kamado style cooker similar to a Big Green Egg, brought over from Japan after the war. Since we lived very near the mountains I had grown up eating as many campfire meals as kitchen cooked ones. I had been taught to tend fires at a very young age and knew how to prepare and cook a fish over an open fire before I knew you could cook them any other way. Add into this mix my father’s constant experimenting and we were cooking low and slow barbecue before any of us knew what it really was. After graduating from High School, I took a trip to Texas to visit some friends and this is where I tried real barbecue for the first time. I was hooked immediately and once I figured out how it was done I adapted my childhood training to making real barbecue from that day forward.

Q. How did that interest in BBQ lead to your being the ‘low and slow’ guru for about.com?

I was literally looking for something to do when I noticed a want add online for this new start up dotcom. I applied and was almost immediately picked to be the Barbecue and Grilling Guide at About.com. That was in March of 1997 and after 11 years I think I’m starting to get the basics covered. Writing about barbecue was a natural fit and this has been the best “job” I’ve ever had.

Q. What is the most frequent question you get from users of about.com?

Most of the questions I receive are about types of cookers. There is an endless amount of smokers, grills and other outdoor cookers on the market and a seemingly infinite number of confused consumers. After this most people ask about the basics of barbecue. There are a lot of people out there who want to make great barbecue, but they simply don’t know where to start. I think that if I can help them have a good first experience then they will be more likely to make barbecue a part of their lives.

Q. How often do you receive solicitations for assistance from readers?

It changes through the year. By the middle of May I should be getting about 30 to 40 email questions a day. In January it drops down to around a dozen. There are days when it seems answering my email takes all day.

Q. If you were to recommend a resource to a BBQ enthusiast other than your own, what would it be?

I think that there are a great number of excellent resources for specific smokers. The Virtual Weber Bullet, Big Green Eggs forums, or Cookshack’s forum are great places for people to get specific help for the problems that are having. I feel that getting people with the same equipment together is the best way to learn and perfect their barbecue. I also fully encourage people getting involved with their local barbecue societies. It is the local groups that preserve the real traditions of barbecue. My advice to anyone wanting to learn more is to find the group for their local and the group for their cooker.

Q. Are you a member of any other online BBQ communities?

I have been involved in many groups over the years. Unfortunately, my schedule has gotten so full that I simply don’t have time to actively participate in many of the great communities out there. I do read a lot of what’s going on so I can keep up, but between writing, answering emails, traveling, cooking and the other projects I’m involved in, I simply lack the time.

Q. Do you participate in competitive BBQ?

I am a certified KCBS judge and I judge a wide range of events, but I do not compete. This has been a conscious decision on my part. I work with several teams and competitors, helping them with their technique and recipes but I prefer not to compete. I know many great competitors and admire them for what they do, but being that focused is just something I don’t feel I have the resources for right now. I do, however love competitions and hanging around with competitors. I play with the idea of competing from time to time so maybe someday I will.

Q. Of the people out there that are dedicated to educating others about BBQ, who do you most admire?

I’ve found that some of the best insight I’ve ever received came from people who said the least. I’ve had the opportunity to attend several barbecue classes and to speak with many of the modern legends of barbecue. What I have found the most insightful however, are the discussions not so much about barbecue but about the lives of the people who are really good at it. A while back I flew down to Fast Eddie’s cooking class at the Cookshack factory on Ponca City, Oklahoma. Since Ponca City is pretty much in the middle of nowhere I flew into Tulsa, about a two or three hour drive from the factory. Cookshack had arranged for me to come down so they decided that one of their people would pick me up at the airport and drive me over. Turns out Fast Eddie himself ended up being my driver. We had a long conversation the whole way in and while we talked a little Q. We also talked a lot about Eddie and his experiences. I learned as much during that drive as I did during the all day cooking class the next day.

Anyway, to throw out some names I’d have to say that Ray Lampe, Rick Basso, Fast Eddie Maurin, Rick Browne (who is a really nice guy), and Myron Mixon are just a few who really stand out in my mind right now. Increasingly, I have been reading a lot of blogs that have popped up in the last couple of years. It is very refreshing to read from the perspective of people who are just starting out, so there are a number of these people that I have been following as well.

Q. Do you have any favorite BBQ cook-books?

I have literally hundreds of barbecue books. I receive virtually everything published for review (though I am way behind on book reviews). I really enjoyed Mike Mills, “Peace, Love and Barbecue” but not so much for the cooking parts as everything else. Of the books I use regularly I keep the Adells and Kelly “Complete Meat Cookbook” close by as well as several general reference books. I’m a tinkerer by nature so I have a lot of difficulty following recipes without throwing my own ideas into it. Cookbooks are a good starting point for me.

Q. Of anyone alive or dead, who would you most like to cook with and why?

This is probably a much shorter list than people I would like to drink with, but if I really thought it out it would end up being a list far too long to manage. I’m a history buff by nature and I am really fascinated about how we got where we are. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always interested in hearing about the latest techniques and methods but I think you have to admit that where barbecue is today is, well, a little strange. Take a long walk through a big competition. It’s amazing that this backwoods form of cooking has developed to the point where there are show teams that spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment, motor homes, smoker rigs, flat screen TVs. Okay, maybe I digress, but I if I could really cook with anyone in history I would probably like to go back a hundred years and see barbecue in the raw. From the Q shacks of backwoods South Carolina to the chuck wagons of Texas. I guess I would like to cook with the people that taught Walter Jetton or Arthur Bryant and the greats of the last generation. To me that would be really cool even though I wouldn’t learn a thing that would win a competition.

Q. About.com is a resource for all aspects of BBQ; including regional recipes, equipment and news updates. How do you educate yourself on all of the topics covered?

The best way I have learned about barbecue is by making mistakes. It doesn’t take long for someone to point out the error of your ways. Over the years I have engaged a lot of people from all over the world to help me out. I am fortunate that barbecue is about the friendliest pursuit in the world and that I have made so many friends who know so much. In recent years I have been able to do a lot of traveling , enabling me to get a lot of first hand experience with a wide variety of cooking techniques and foods. Recently I travelled to South Korea to spend a week touring and eating. Not a bad job if you can get the work.

Now, hardly a day goes by that some inventor, manufacturer, competition cook, or just backyard chef doesn’t contact me about something new. I get new equipment all the time to tryout and am very fortunate that so many people have taken their time to set me straight and tell me about there way of barbecue

Q. What do you think BBQ means to our society?

I think that barbecue today is the antithesis of everything that has gone wrong in our world. Barbecue is the slowest food possible in a fast food world. While it may not be health food it is certainly real food which is something disappearing from out diets. It requires patience and a desire to experiment. These are virtues in my eyes. Imagine a room full of men sitting around talking about the difference between Italian and Greek Oregano. These are people with a passion for food and by extension a passion for life. In a world as competitive as ours barbecue competitions result in more sharing than in any other activity I know of.

Q. Where changes would you like to see in the world of BBQ in the next ten years?

The biggest problem I see in barbecue today is a quest for standardization. I know that from a competitive stand point it is important that everyone work on a level playing field, but I fear that many of the small regional differences are being wiped out in favor of one big national or global standard of what is barbecue. Anyone who knows anything about barbecue can tell you about the great barbecue regions, but what people don’t realize is that there are far more than four or five regions, there are hundreds. I would love to see more of the local flavors win out over the more general standards. There needs to be a way to inspire the preservation of our barbecue past while continuing to grow the popularity of barbecue as a competitive activity. It is after all one of the truly unique American cultural elements and something that needs to be preserved for the future.

Q. After your long tenure at about.com, do you plan on branching out into any other BBQ mediums, such as a cookbook or radio show?

I have been very close to both book and TV deals in the past and something has always come up. I am certainly open to virtually anything that would be offered but I don’t actively pursue these deals. I keep telling myself that I will work on something as soon as I get caught up. Unfortunately, in 11 years my to-do lists have just gotten longer, not shorter. However, I will probably have the time and energy to get working on a book soon and hope to be able to shop it around in the near future.

Q. What would you like our readers to know about about.com?

I believe in love at first site. When it comes to barbecue if you don’t get it right the first time you try, you might just give up and never try again. First impressions are important and what I am trying to do here is not make you the best barbecue cook in the world, but to try and make sure that the first time some one fires up a smoker to cook a rack of ribs that they have the best chance of getting a good meal. If your first experience is good, you’ll be back. I want more and more people tending the fires and making great food. Learn to cook, take your time and have fun. Remember, patience is a virtue.

The site has a focus on BBQ sauces. Can you provide us with the recipe for your favorite sauce?

Burning Tomato Barbecue Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup Louisiana style hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.



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BBQ and Beer

This is the third in our series of articles on BBQ and Beer pairings. Today we will be concentrating on what goes well with a classic white sauce. Again, we are indebted to our beer experts Timothy Bisson and Michael Payne for their acumen and willingness to lend a hand.


Alabama White Sauce

1 cup mayonaise
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate for at
least 8 hours before using.


Michael Payne:

Styles - Lambic, Flanders Red.

This is a real challenge to match as it is a unusual and idiosyncratic style of BBQ sauce. Since this sauce is so different from most, I recommend going with an unusual beer as well. Both Lambics and Flemish Red beers have the acidity to stand up to a sauce with all the vinegar that we find in the Alabama white sauce.

Lambics are a very old Belgian style of beer. They are produces by a handful of dedicated artisanal brewers near Brussels. They have a strong acidity can easily match the vinegar in the sauce as well as earthy, peppery notes to match the pepper, spice and citrus.

Flemish Red beers are a similar but distinctly different style of Belgian beer. These beers have a similar acidity to lambics as well as the earthy funkiness, but they also have a subtle, malty sweetness that can help refresh the palate when dealing with something acidic like the Alabama Red sauce.

Suggested Commercial Examples:

Lambic - Lindemans Cuvee Rene, Cantillon Gueuze (avoid sweetened lambics such as LIndemans fruit lambics as they tend to be cloyingly sweet and artificial tasting).

Flemish Red - Rodenbach Grand Cru, Duchesse De Bourgogne.



Timothy Bisson:

Brisket
This was a tough one. The white sauce is thin in consistency but brings a lot of pepper and acidity balanced by some sweetness and tang in the mayonnaise. The brisket is full of robust flavor and mouthfeel. Hmmm. Well a beer that fits this bill is Guinness Draught Stout. The beers’ and sauces’ slight sourness and light mouthfeel gave them some common ground to meet and sniff each other out. The peppery flavor in the sauce liked what it saw in the roastiness of the Stout and the party started. As the Guinness warms its full flavor comes out. This is key. The roastiness nestles into the brisket adding complexity to the tender but textured meat. The Guinness cleans the palate while enjoying commonality with the sauce. The meat tangoed with the Stout and the sauce allowing each to lead but not getting pushed over at all.

Alternate brew: If you can’t find Guinness, crawl from under the rock you live and ask anyone who breathes fresh air where to find it.

Pork Ribs
Tried:
Ahh, this Alabama White sauce is a noodle scratcher. But, I’ve got two brews that will add complexity and balance to it. The white sauce is acidic from the vinegar with some sweetness and creaminess from the mayo and finishes with layers of black and cayenne pepper. The ribs bring some fat and a lovely meaty texture.

The Dupont Moinette Brune is a Strong Dark Belgian Ale made by a brewery famous for Saison Dupont. And it’s great with the Pork Ribs and White sauce. The beer is slightly sour with mild cherry flavors, chocolate and caramel balanced by hop bitterness. It’s a beer that will go well with lots of dark or BBQ’d meats. The beer’s sourness finds harmony with the sauce and the malt flavors blend well with the meat. This beer is hard to find in some places and might not be up everyone’s alley,

But, Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter is widely available and if you like craft beer it should be up your alley. For both the Pork and Beef Ribs this is a fun excellent pairing. Its sweetness matches the sauce. The acidity of the sauce is cleaned out by the full mouth feel and body in the porter. Also, the roast character adds another layer of flavor to the ribs. Taddy Porter’s molasses qualities enhance the meat’s flavors. It’s a great beer for any BBQ dish.

Beef Ribs
The beef ribs and the sauce bring quite different flavors to the table. The ribs are bold with earthy qualities. The sauce is peppery and acidic with some creaminess for balance. As stated in the Pork Ribs review above, Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter smooth, roasty full character dovetails splendidly with Beef Ribs.

But for the more adventurous type, try a Flemish Red Ale, particularly Verhaeghe’s Vichtenaar. I know. It’s a mouth full and I don’t even know how to say it. But Flemish Red’s are sour and so is the sauce. Sour in a good way. The sourness in the beer and sauce match which allows the Flemish Red’s cherry and wood flavors to dive into the tender but rich beef flavors. The sauce adds some peppery spice and a slight creaminess that pulls everything together. This is a great pairing where the food and beer find a commonplace in the acidity and use that to beautifully express themselves. Give it a try!

Chicken Breasts
The chicken breasts with the White Sauce is great. The sauce seems less sour and the black and cayenne pepper comes out more fully in the chicken. Two beers did well with the chicken. First, Belhaven’s Scottish Ale has a mild dark malt character which links up with the char of the bird. There is a slight tart ting in the finish of the Scottish Ale that finds harmony with the sauce’s cider vinegar. This nitrogenated silky quaffable is like a side of creamy mashed potatoes next to your favorite steak. It’s there to complement the meat and add something creamy to help wash it down. It happily blends right in.

Second, try Verhaeghe’s Vichtenaar Flemish Red Ale. Its strong acidity finds a home with the vinegar in the sauce. With the chicken, there is a wonderful sweet and sour combinations going on. The dark fruit and malt sweetness of the beer dive into the lactic and acetic acids of the beer and sauce. The peppers also are tamed and blended with the cherry flavors from the beer. It’s a complex offering that enlivens and delights the tastebuds. Again, this beer is not readily available and is for the adventurous.

Beer Pairings pt. 2

This is week two in our series of BBQ and beer pairings. This week we are focusing on the standard red sauce. The recipe is courtesy of about.com. Look for our upcoming interview with about.com’s resident BBQ expert!

Our thanks go out (again!) to Timothy Bisson and Michael Payne for their guidance and kind assistance.

Standard Red Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and sauté
until brown. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat.
Simmer for 15 minutes until thick.

Michael Payne:

Styles - Dubbel, Smoked Porter

This is the classic red sauce, and my first thought was to pair it with the classic of Belgian beers. Since a major component of the flavor of this red sauce comes from the sweetness of the ketchup and the brown sugar, the natural choice is to pair it with a malty brown beer. Any brown beer will do an adequate job, but if you want something really special go with a Belgian Dubbel.

Dubbels are strong, malty, fruity beers traditionally produced by monks in Trappist monasteries (thought many good dubbels are produced by secular breweries as well today). The rich malt character of a good Dubbel matches the sweetness of the sauce and also stands up to the tomato character, which is a tough match for most beers. The dark, fruity characteristics of the beer will compliment and contrast the spices and garlic, while the slightly stronger than average alcohol content (about 7%) will cut through the richness of both the sauce and meat.

Another good match for this traditional sauce would be a smoked porter. This is a logical match for any BBQ dish because of its savory smoke character and rich maltiness. The best smoked porters have a subtle smoke character that will match any meat, a maltiness to match sweet, rich sauce, and brisk hoppiness that compliments chili pepper spice.

Suggested Commercial Examples:

Dubbel - Chimay Premiere (Red), St. Bernardus 8, New Belgium Abbey

Smoked Porter - Stone Smoked Porter, Alaskan Smoked Porter


Timothy Bisson:

Brisket
I found two beers that went very well with Brisket and the KC Red Sauce. These were the Belhaven Wee Heavy and Deschutes Black Butte Porter. They are rather different though.

If you want the beer to be showcased go with the Black Butte. It’s roasty and bitter which creates a good base for the vinegar and sweet flavors in the sauce. Also, the fat and rich flavor of the beef fit nicely when doused by the black pepper, caramel and chocolate flavors found in the Porter. The Porter added delicious contrast to the brisket. This was my wife, Jennifer’s, pick as favorite.

If you want the brisket and sauce to prevail, go with the Wee Heavy. This was my favorite. It was truly special when I took a whiff of the Wee Heavy while enjoying the brisket. The char of the brisket added a whisp of smoke to the toasty malt and alcohol of the Wee Heavy. The Wee Heavy is a Scotch Ale at 6.5% ABV. The sweetness and acidity of the beer matched the sweetness from the sauce’s ketchup and the acidity from the vinegar. It’s a malt balanced beer but has enough hop bitterness to keep the finish dry. The Wee Heavy made the brisket seem more moist. It added a tad of bitterness and cut nicely through the fat and sinew leaving my mouth happy and ready for more.

Beef Ribs
Dogfish Head’s Indian Brown Ale was the match for this tasty combo. It’s a well hopped high alcohol (7.2 % ABV) American Brown Ale that can be found at better beer stores all around the US. The hop bitterness and the roasted malts gave a good foundation for the short ribs and sauce to frolic on. The sauce is pleasantly sweet and acidic. The caramel malt flavor blends well with the sweetness in the meat and sauce. The beer’s complex aroma of earthy, pungent hops, alcohol, raisins, and molasses follows through into the flavor and sinks into the ribs. This was a bold beer for a bold dish.

Pork Ribs
The ribs needed something to cut through its fat while complementing the lovely flavor of the meat and sauce. This called for the Belgian Trappist Ale, Rochefort 8. It’s 9.2% ABV with a slight fusel alcohol component in the nose and flavor that acted as a wonderful knife on the rib fat. This left behind the caramel and pale malt sweetness of the beer to freely intermingle with the rich pork flavors Also, the aroma has some sweet banana, pear and cloves that added good balance and helped ground the ketchup and vinegar of the sauce. I am finding that pork ribs and darker Belgian Ales are wonderful together. The sweetness in the beer and sauce match. Also, the alcohol and high carbonation of the beer elevate the sensitivity of the palate; opening it for the delicious duo it’s encountering.

Chicken Breasts
The garlic, cayenne, and vinegar when combined with caramel char of the ketchup made a tasty dish with lots of flavors to enjoy. I went for a beer that would let the chicken be showcased, add some complementary sweetness and cleanse the palate. This was the Einbecker Schwarzbier. It’s malt balanced, clean, very smooth and was perfect with the chicken. The malt sweetness of the beer matched that of the sauce. The slight roasty character of the Schwarzbier melded right into the char of the chicken. The beer’s aroma has a slight grain component that added a bit of complexity to the meal. But, mostly, this beer was a great supporting actor and allowed the star to shine.

Schwarzbier Subtitute: Sam Adams Black Lager

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BBQ & Beer Pairings

The recipes are from about.com. Look for an upcoming interview with about.com’s resident BBQ expert, Derrick Riches.

Mustard Sauce

1 cup jarred mustard
1 tablespoon (roughly) fresh chopped garlic
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon powdered oregano
1/4 teaspoon powdered thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Combine dry ingredients in a saucepan. Add enough
vinegar to make a mixable paste. Mix well. Place
over high heat and add remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and
simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Michael Payne

Styles - Saison

I like to think of Saison as the swiss army knife of beer. It is a rustic, Belgian farmhouse ale with spicy, peppery flavors and refreshing hop bitterness. Many brewers add various spices to the beer as well to increase the complexity. This style can pair well with virtually any food, but it has a special affinity for spicy acidic foods like this mustard sauce.

The mustard, herbs, and cayenne are easily matched by the complex, herb and spice characteristics of this beer style. While saisons are not sour beers, they do have a characteristic, refreshing tartness that matches the vinegar in the sauce and easily allows the beer to cut through the fat in whatever type of meat you put this sauce on.

Suggested Commercial Examples - Saison Dupont (classic hoppy saison), Fantome (excellent, creatively spiced saison)

Timothy Bisson

Pork Ribs
The Westmalle Dubbel and the pork ribs were great together. The sweetness in each met on common ground. The Dubbel added dark fruit (cherry and plum) flavors which melded nicely with the smoky, mustard flavor from the sauce. The fat and meat absorbed the sauce and beer very well to create happiness in my mouth.

Westmalle is a wonderful but pricy Dubbel. So on the East Coast you could get Allagash Dubbel and on the West Coast try North Coast’s Brother Thelonius.

I also tried Full Sail Amber with this but the ribs overpowered the malt and hops and only left a residual alcohol flavor behind.

Beef Short Ribs
Deschutes Black Butte Porter and the Beef Ribs were wonderful. Black Butte has some roasted malt, chocolate and smoky flavors. The mild smokiness came out for this pair and frolicked with the molasses, mustard and spices in the sauce. The robust beef flavors complemented the hop bitterness and other malt flavors exquisitely. A very tasty pairing indeed. If Black Butte is not available in your area, Sierra Nevada Porter or Stone’s Smoked Porter would pair well too.

I also tried Stone’s 11th Anniversary with the Beef Ribs. This beer is 8.7% ABV and full of hop aroma and bitterness. The hop bitterness and alcohol bowled over the tasty beef and BBQ sauce. Great brew but too big for the ribs.

Chicken Breast
The Grilled Chicken breast with the mustard sauce was great. The char on the meat flowed seamlessly into the sauce’s sweetness as did the Full Sail Amber. The caramel flavor from the malt wrapped itself tightly around the char of the chicken and the molasses in the sauce. The hop bitterness and the piny, citrusy hop flavor added complexity to the meal without detracting from the great BBQ flavor. Any hoppy American Amber will work with this sauce and chicken.

I’d also recommend American Brown Ale for this delicious dish. Bell’s Best Brown or Avery’s Ellie Brown would be at home comfortably. These Browns have some roasted and chocolate malt flavors that’ll gladly hold hands with the char and molasses while the hops dance pleasantly with the mustard.

I also tried the Ommegang Hennepin Saison with this. It was too citrusy of a saison to go well. It’s a great beer but an earthy saison would be needed for the smoke and dark sweetness the chicken brings.

Brisket
The Rogue Dead Guy Ale did nicely with the brisket smothered in the mustard sauce. The Dead Guy Ale is a Maibock style with some peach flavors in the finish. The sweetness in the Dead Guy matched the honey and molasses sweetness left in the brisket. The peach finish added some good complexity to the tender and mustardy brisket. I think a more traditional Maibock like Einbecker Ur Mai Bock or a Traditional Bock like Aass Bock would do well with this dish too. It just needs to have a mildly sweet finish and not be overly hopped.

I also tried Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale and Ommegang’s Hennepin with this. The Celebration, an American IPA, was way too bitter and did not blend with or complement the flavors of the brisket. The Hennepin, a saison, was good with the brisket but it was great with the grilled zucchini that was served to accompany the brisket. The zucchini helped clean the palate between brisket bites and the Hennepin added some zest.

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Ray Lampe is the thought of by many as the wandering ambassador of BBQ. Affectionately known as Dr. BBQ, Ray is the author of numerous cookbooks, is much sought after as a lecturer as well as competition teacher/mentor and has the chops to continually place in some of the largest and most prestigious cook-offs in the nation.

We are grateful that Mr. Lampe has taken the time to be interviewed.

Q. Ray, we know that you are extremely active in the world of BBQ. Is there anything that you are working on currently that you are particularly excited about?

Yes I do keep pretty busy with BBQ. In May my latest book will be out, it’s The NFL Game Day Cookbook and I’ll spend a lot of time in this year promoting it. I’m also one of the instructors for the new BBQ Mastery program at The Greenbrier which starts in June so it’s going to be an exciting 2008.


Q. What’s your earliest memory of true BBQ?

I grew up in suburban Chicago and real BBQ just wasn’t a part of the culture. I first became aware of it in 1982 when Mike Royko began a series of columns about properly cooked BBQ ribs that evolved into the first Royko Ribfest, which was my first cookoff.


Q. What sparked your interest in cooking? Did you cook as a child?

I’ve told this story a million times but it’s the truth. I took a bunch of honors classes as a freshman in high school but quickly discovered girls and partying so by sophomore year I was looking for a change of pace. Foods 101 looked like an easy class that would be full of girls so I signed up. It turned out I enjoyed the cooking part as well and I’ve been cooking ever since. I guess that was 1972.

Q. What prompted your jump from backyard enthusiast to competitor?

The first BBQ I ever cooked were the ribs at that first cookoff, so I guess I did a competition before I cooked in the backyard. Then the quest for the perfect rib began in the backyard. Somewhere along the way I got a cheap bullet smoker and then in 1991 the first KCBS contest near Chicago was held and I competed in it.

Q. How many BBQ events do you attend a year? How many of those are cook-offs?

It’s been changing a lot over the past few years as it’s swung from a hobby to my business. In 2008 I’ll be doing something BBQ related just about every weekend but a lot of it won’t be the events you are referring to. I expect to cook in about 6 contests this year.

Q. As a BBQ ‘veteran’, do you take any particular measures to stay ‘fresh’ or on the cutting edge?

Nothing in particular but I’m always talking to the guys who are winning and listening. The target is moving fast these days and you’ve got to try to stay aware of what’s going on. I have to concede some because I don’t get to cook much anymore but I don’t ever want to be considered a has-been.

Q. When talking about cooking, who are your influences?

Jim Burns was way ahead of the field way back when in Chicago and he helped us all. Ed Roith was a great help to me in the beginning as well. Mike Lake and I cut our teeth together and helped each other a lot. John Beadle from Michigan was a great mentor and became a great friend. He’s gone now. Bill Myers was a great cook from Texas that helped me, he’s gone now too. Mike Scrutchfield was at the top back then and always offered a tip anytime you asked. Bubba too. Fast Eddy has helped me a lot over the years. I’m sure I’m forgetting some.

Q. What equipment to you use most frequently when competing?

The Big Green Egg. I keep an FEC100 around but cook mainly on the eggs.

Q. Do you have a particular philosophy about the sauces that you use in competitions?

No, I’ve switched a lot over the years. I feel using the correct sauce is very important but I think it’s a flavor of the month thing with judges.

Q. Do you choose your sauce depending on the region you are in?

Never.

Q. Do you use the same sauce for each of your entries, or do you change the sauce to suit the meat in question?

Usually the same but sometimes I’ll use two.

Q. What is your favorite commercial sauce?

For eating, Gates. For competing, these days it’s Head Country.

Q. If you couldn’t be doing what you do now for a living, what else would you like to try?

I’m so invested in this that I can’t even imagine another career. Over the road trucking would be fun but with the fuel situation it’s got to be tough for those guys.

Q. Outside of BBQ, what hobbies do you have?

Not many any more. My hobby became my job but I still love doing it so I don’t need much else. I love to cook in the kitchen too but I’ve now been lucky enough to include other types of cooking in my books so that’s now my job too. I’m a very lucky and happy man.

Q. What’s your favorite BBQ related book and non-BBQ related book?

The Cookout Book from the Ward Ritchie Press 1961. I found this book in a second hand store and when I got it home I realized it was about the first known BBQ cookoff held in Hawaii in 1960 and sponsored by Kaiser Aluminum. I found another copy on Alibris and gave it to Carolyn Wells.
Off the BBQ topic, The Doubleday Cookbook.

Q. If readers of this blog would like to find more information on you, your cookbooks and what’s coming up with Dr. BBQ, where should they go?

My website is www.drbbq.com but I have a hard time keeping it up to date. www.biggreenegg.com has a where’s Dr. BBQ page that gets updated more than mine.

We would love it if you would be kind enough to provide us with one your sauce recipes.

This recipe is from “Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Road Trip”, a cookbook from St. Martin’s Press 2007.

Dr. BBQ’s Texas Barbecue Sauce
This sauce is pretty typical of what I was served in the barbecue joints of Texas.

4 T butter
1/3 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
2 T flour
1-1/2 cup beef broth
1 cup tomato sauce
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 T cider vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 t fine ground black pepper
½ t brown sugar

In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook 2tow minutes. Add the flour and cook stirring constantly until the onion is soft. This will take about 4 minutes. Add all of the other ingredients stirring to blend. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.

Makes about 3 cups

Root Beer BBQ Sauce

1 cup orange juice
1 cup ketchup
1.5 cups root beer (we recommend Saranac Root beer)
½ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 dashes hot sauce

Combine butter and orange juice and simmer until you achieve roughly 50% reduction. Add maple syrup and ketchup. Stir well. Simmer 20 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for one hour or until sauce reduces enough to have reasonable viscosity. Refrigerate. Will last for up to two weeks.

Here is a red, Texas style sauce to go with the green sauce found below. Whip up a batch of each, put them in some mason jars with a nice ribbon and ship them off to friends and family for the holidays.

1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp tobasco sauce
3 tbsp butter/margerine
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 crushed bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large Vidalia or sweet onion, grated
Juice of 1 medium lemon

1) Melt butter/margarine, keep saucepan on medium low
2) Add onions and sauté
3) Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes
4) Add all other wet ingredients and cook for 15 minutes
5) Add all other dry ingredients and let simmer for 30 minutes

It’s holiday time! Here is a recipe for a green(ish) BBQ sauce and I will follow it up with a red sauce. Perfect for Christmas gifts. I’ll be following up these two recipes with an overview on how to ship your sauces to friends and family without breaking the bank or the sauce containers.

Tomatillo Green Sauce

5 pounds green tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 pounds tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1.25 cup brown sugar
2.5 cup cider vinegar
1 cup diced Vidalia onion
3 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (or hot sauce to taste)

Sautee garlic and onion in butter or olive oil until onions are translucent. Add all other ingredients and cook until tomatillos and tomatoes are tender. Take off heat and allow to sauce to reduce temperature. When at room temperature add everything to food processor and blend until smooth.

Makes 6 cups

There is a BBQ joint near where I live. They specialize in Louisiana style comfort food and BBQ. The quality of the food is up and down, but what is always a standout is their sauce selection. I tried to duplicate one of their sauces tonight, but missed the mark by a great deal.

Fortunately, although it wasn’t what I was aiming for, it was still pretty good. So here is a quick, easy mustard sauce recipe that uses lots of shortcuts.





1 bottle of Raspberry Vinaigrette salad dressing (found at any grocery store)
A like amount of yellow mustard
Assuming that this makes 2 cups of liquid, add:
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I used Bull Snort)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 tablespoons lemonade mix (I used Country Time)

Simmer for 30 minutes.

I used it on pulled pork. Interesting taste. Easy to make. I’m going to modify the sauce a bit and try it again in a few weeks. I’d like a stronger citrus and raspberry flavor.

Vinegar Sauces are popular in the Carolinas and go great with pork. I actually prefer the vinegar based sauces as they tend to bring out the flavor of the meat as opposed to other sauces that add to the flavor.

Here is a basic sauce that you can try and then extrapolate from:

Basic Vinegar Sauce

1.5 cups apple cider vinegar
.5 cup hot water
.5 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Stir the brown sugar into the hot water until it is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

Next up: Mustard sauces

The absolute best way to start making your own BBQ sauces is to make a very basic, mundane sauce to form a baseline or normative. After you are comfortable with this basic sauce, start experimenting. Take out the ketchup and add tomato sauce and brown sugar. Add some cherry juice. Leave out the molasses and add a fruit concentrate.

Once you are comfortable with the basics, go a little crazy.

Here is a very basic recipe to get you started.

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Each Onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, red pepper, salt


Next: Vinegar sauces