Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons (34 page)

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Authors: Colleen Rush,Gary Wiviott

BOOK: Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons
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SERVES 6 TO 8
 
¼ pound (1 stick) butter
8 ounces sour cream
1 large egg
1 (8.5-ounce) box Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
1 (15-ounce) can creamed corn
1 (15-ounce) can whole-kernel corn
 
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Cream the butter and sour cream with an electric mixer. Stir in the egg. Add the muffin mix and corn and stir until blended.
Pour the mixture into a 2-quart 11 x 8-inch glass baking dish and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
JALAPEÑO-CHEDDAR SKILLET CORN BREAD
 
This is not your average rustic corn bread. Rich and dense, spiked with green onions and jalapeño, it’s more of a savory cheddar and corn cake. I like the look of corn bread wedges and the crisp crust you get by pouring the batter into a hot oiled skillet, but you can also use a regular greased baking pan if you want to serve the corn bread in smaller squares.
 
MAKES 8 TO 12 WEDGES
 
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted,
1 tablespoon reserved
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
(about 1 cup), divided
2 green onions, chopped, 2 tablespoons reserved
2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 (15-ounce) can whole-kernal corn, drained
 
Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, gently beat the eggs; then stir in the milk and butter. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry; do not overmix.
Fold in corn, ½ cup of grated cheese, the green onions (reserving 2 tablespoons), and the jalapeños. Let the batter rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the skillet in the preheating oven to heat.
When the batter is ready, remove the skillet from the oven. Swirl reserved 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet to grease. Pour batter into prepared skillet. Cover with remaining grated cheese and green onions. Return skilled to oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
BARBECUE
GARLIC BREAD
 
You could grill or bake this bread, but if you want to get more work out of those charcoals, throw it on your cooker after the barbecue comes off.
 
MAKES 1 LOAF
 
¼ pound (1 stick) butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 loaf French or Italian bread, split in half lengthwise
½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in olive oil and garlic. Brush butter mixture over bread. Sprinkle with salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Place bread, crust-side down, on cooking grate. Cook until warm and lightly smoky, about 10 minutes.
APPETIZERS AND EXTRAS
 
PIMENTO CHEESE
 
This is a staple snack in the South, not to mention a favorite of Colleen Rush, friend, coauthor, and barbecue gal extrordianaire. For an interesting variation on the classic deviled egg, increase the mayonnaise to 1 cup and use this pimento cheese blend as the filling.
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
 
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, grated
1 (8-ounce) jar pimentos, drained
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons garlic salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
 
Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. Serve at room temperature.
Cheese can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week.
BLACK BEAN
SALSA
 
A simple dish and an arrow in any barbecue cook’s quiver, this salsa is easy to make and holds up well at picnics. If I’ve made it once, I’ve made it a hundred times over the last ten years. I usually add more jalapeño and garlic, and throw in cayenne or dried crushed red pepper flakes, but the salsa is spot-on without the additions.
 
SERVES 6 TO 8
 
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (16-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
½ cup chopped red onion
4 green onions, chopped (about ½ cup)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted
1 large tomato, chopped, or 2 smoked tomatoes
(page 217), chopped
2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
½ cup cilantro, stemmed and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
 
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well blended. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours before serving.
ESCALONETS (BACON-WRAPPED DATES)
 
It’s hard to imagine anything that wouldn’t be delicious wrapped in bacon, and this popular Spanish tapas is no exception. My long-time friend and king of Lake Tahoe barbecue Andy Bloom often serves these bites at his table. If you’re short on time, the wrapped dates can be broiled and crisped in less than ten minutes. But with your newfound smoking savvy, it’s just as easy to pop these nuggets directly on the grate of your cooker. Because you want the bacon to crisp, set the dates close to the hottest zone—the perimeter of the grate on the WSM, near the water pan and firebox on the offset, or in the area closest to the water pan on the kettle.
 
MAKES 2 DOZEN PIECES
 
24 whole almonds, blanched and lightly toasted
24 large dates
8 bacon slices, cut into thirds
4 ounces goat cheese
 
Preheat the broiler or prepare your cooker for indirect cooking. Make a small vertical slit in the skin of each date and use your finger to hollow out a small space. Loosely pack each date with goat cheese and slip an almond inside. Wrap a section of bacon around each date and secure with a toothpick. Arrange the dates on broiler tray or near the hottest zone on the cooker’s grate. Cook until the bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes under the broiler or up to 1 hour on the cooker.
DRAGON TURDS
 
This is a popular snack anywhere you find barbecue guys, but the origin of the recipe is long lost to wood smoke and bourbon. True chile-heads might use habañero peppers instead of jalapeños, but you can also sweeten the bite by mixing chopped dried fig or date into the chorizo. Given the variability of jalapeño size and cooker temperature, it’s difficult to nail down an accurate cooking time. They’re done when the sausage is fully cooked, so make a few extra and check them periodically for doneness. It could take as little as thirty minutes, or as long as an hour and a half. Wear gloves when handling jalapeños or any hot peppers.
 
MAKES 25 SERVINGS
 
25 jalapeños, washed
1 pound fresh chorizo or spicy Italian sausage
1 pound bacon (about 16 strips), cut in half
crosswise
5 to 7 dried figs or dates, chopped (optional)
 
Remove stem and top of each jalapeño and slice it down one side. Remove the seeds and, if you want to reduce the spiciness, remove the white ribs or pith. In a small bowl, stir together chorizo and chopped dates, if using. Stuff each jalapeño with about 1 tablespoon chorizo mixture. Wrap each with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Set the stuffed jalapeños directly on the cooker grate. Smoke until the sausage is cooked through.
SPICY SMOKED NUTS
 
These nuts are what I call cook’s treats—little savory snacks that keep the blood sugar up, the palate awake, and the hungry, hardworking guardian of the barbecue happy. There are countless variations to this simple recipe: increase the heat with a teaspoon of cayenne, use habañero-based hot sauce, or add a note of sweet to your heat with a tablespoon of sugar.
 
MAKES ABOUT 1 POUND
 
1 pound nuts (not mixed, as they will not cook evenly)
¼ cup Louisiana-style or Mexican-style hot sauce,
such as Texas Pete, Louisiana, or Búfalo
 
In a large bowl, toss the nuts and the hot sauce to thoroughly coat. Perforate a disposable aluminum pie plate (make holes slightly smaller than the nuts). Arrange a single layer of nuts in the plate. On a cooker set up for a low and slow smoke, cook the nuts until crisp and fragrant, about 1 hour. Remove the plate from the cooker and allow the nuts to cool before serving.
Nuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.
 
SMOKED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
 
THE COMBINATION OF WOOD SMOKE AND A LIGHT CHAR ON PRODUCE
is almost as good as it is on pork. (I said
almost
.) Low and slow heat concentrates the flavor of a fruit or vegetable and infuses it with a rustic smokiness that complements any type of barbecue. Smoked fruits and vegetables are delicious as is or with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, or you can incorporate them into any number of terrific appetizers, side dishes, or desserts.
From size and shape to the thickness of the skin, fruits and vegetables have too many variables for exact instructions or cook times. Use these tips to guide you:
 
 
MOST FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
are easier to smoke whole, but uncut produce requires a longer cook. If you’re short on time or want more smoke flavor, halve or quarter the produce.
 
CONSIDER THE SKIN.
A whole fruit or vegetable with a thick peel or impermeable skin will not absorb much smoke. You may need to halve a lime or slice an eggplant to get a full, smoky flavor.
 
DON’T OIL OR SEASON
the produce before smoking. Oil is unnecessary because produce will not stick to the grate, and you should season to taste, post-cook.
 
FOR MAXIMUM SMOKINESS,
put the produce in the cooker when fresh wood chunks are engaging—at the beginning of the cook or after you restock.
 
SET THE FRUIT
or vegetable directly on the grate, near the hot zone on your cooker. Wrapping it in foil or placing it on a tray will block smoke absorption.
 
GENTLY ROTATE
and flip the food once or twice during the cook.
 
 
COOK TIMES
 
THESE ARE
BALLPARK
TIME ESTIMATES FOR SMOKING
produce. It’s not a comprehensive list, but you can use it to estimate how much time is needed to smoke any fruit or vegetable that’s comparable in the thickness of the skin, the density and the size of the produce in the list. Always rely on your barbecue instincts—not a timer—to tell you when it’s done. Times are based on whole produce, unless otherwise specified.
 
 
POTATO OR SWEET POTATO:
2 to 2½ hours
 
CABBAGE:
2 to 2½ hours
TOMATO:
1 to 1½ hours
SQUASH:
2 to 2½ hours
EGGPLANT:
1½ to 2 hours
ONION :
1 to 1½ hours
GARLIC:
1 to 1½ hours
PEPPERS:
1 hour
CITRUS FRUIT, CUT IN HALF:
1 hour
 
 
SMOKED CABBAGE
 
THIS DISH IS SO EASY, I CAN’T EVEN CALL IT A RECIPE:
Remove the outer leaves and core the head of cabbage, making a hollow in the base about the size of a shot glass. Poke one chicken or vegetable bouillon cube into half a stick of softened butter. Insert the butter into the cabbage hollow. Crimp a sheet of aluminum foil into a doughnut. Set the head of cabbage, butter-side up, on the foil. Smoke the cabbage for two to two and a half hours, until it’s soft and loses some of its structure—sort of the vegetable equivalent of pulled pork when it’s done.
 
 
SMOKED TOMATO BRUSCHETTA
 
The ladies love this light, two-bite morsel, and it’s a great way to showcase the full range of your smoking skills. You can also broil or sauté the peppers and onion if you run out of room on the cooker grate.
 
MAKES ABOUT 15 TO 18 PIECES

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