BBQ Fanatics Rejoice

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3 blog posts in a month - careful this could be habit forming....

I love Barbecue.  I dream about Barbecue.  If you cut me open I bleed BBQ sauce[1].  I have become one with the cue...

This weeks entry is about a key distinction; cooking steaks on your grill (although delicious) is not BBQ.

Grilling is the act of  cooking meat quickly over direct heat. 

BBQ is the art of slow cooking meat over indirect heat to infuse the maximum amount of flavor and create the maximum amount of tenderness.

Grilling is my preferred method of cooking for steak and most chicken.  I love trying to create perfect grill marks in my steaks and make them look like a $50 steakhouse. BBQ is my preferred method for cooking Ribs and Brisket because the slow cooking breaks down the tough meat and connective tissue creating a tender and flavorful result.  I intend to write many BBQ related posts this year[2] so if you are a BBQ enthusiast like me you'll be excited for upcoming original recipes as well as tips for prep, rubs and smoking[3]. 

This entry I am going to show you how to make your own BBQ sauce.  Yes that's right I make my own sauce and you should too.  It's easy and tastes 1000x better[4] than the store-bought varieties.  One of my favorite things about making sauce is that you can tweak it to your own personal taste.  I like mine sweet with a little spicy kick[5].

This sauce is the Carolina sweet type which is a vinegar/water base.  I also make a more traditional tomato based sauce but I'll save that for another exciting upcoming episode.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

Mix all except soy, butter and smoke. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 more minutes.

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[1]  Just a figure of speech so please don't acutally do this.

[2]  I also intend to win the lottery, a Pulitzer prize and climb the Himalaya's - big year.

[3]  Insert smoking joke here.

[4]  Approximately

[5]  Like my women (you're welcome Barri).
[6] Add it to the list