Barbecue Recipes

Recipes by Steven Raichlen, some of which appear in BBQ USA:

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail With Chipotle Orange Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. minced canned chipotle chile in adobo, plus 1 to 2 tsp. adobo sauce from the jar or can
coarse salt (kosher or sea) and cracked black pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

Orange Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup
6 Tbs. fresh orange juice
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 chipotle chiles, minced, plus 1 to 2 tsp. juices from the can
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. diced white onion
6 sprigs fresh cilantro
6 limes, cut in half lengthwise

Preparation:

Mesquite chunks for building a fire or two cups mesquite chips for tossing on the coals, small bamboo skewers and a 12-by-18-inch sheet of aluminum foil folded in three to make a shield for the skewers

Place the shrimp, cilantro or parsley, garlic, minced chipotle with juices, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and toss to mix. Stir in the oil and lime juice and let marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the ingredients for the cocktail sauce in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Correct the seasoning, adding salt or lime juice to taste. Divide the sauce among 6 tiny bowls or ramekins.

Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. Thread the shrimp onto skewers. Clean and oil the grill grate. Grill the shrimp until cooked through, about two minutes per side.

Place a half lime cut-side down on each plate. Stick two or three shrimp skewers upright in each. Place a bowl of sauce on the plate and top each with a sprinkling of onion and cilantro sprig. The shrimp can be served hot or cold.

Makes 6 servings

Cinnamon Grilled Pineapple with Bourbon Glaze

Ingredients:

1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into 2-inch chunks
8 cinnamon sticks
8 mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

Bourbon Glaze:

1/2 stick (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
pinch of salt
1 pint vanilla ice cream for serving
4 bowls or martini glasses

Preparation:

Using a pointed chopstick or metal skewer, make a starter hold in the center of each piece of the pineapple. Skewer 2 pineapple chunks on each cinnamon stick, with a mint leaf between them.

Prepare the glaze. Combine the butter, sugar, bourbon, ground cinnamon, cloves and salt in a saucepan and boil until thick and syrupy — about five minutes.

Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. Clean and oil the grill grate.

Grill the pineapple until nicely browned on both sides, three to four minutes per side, basting with the bourbon glaze. Serve at once, spooning any excess glaze over the pineapple.

Scoop the ice cream into the bowls or martini glasses. Place two pineapple kabobs in each, garnish with mint sprigs and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Barbecue Vidalia Onions

Ingredients:

4 Vidalia or other sweet onions (each 14 to 18 oz.)
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 strips bacon (preferably artisanal), cut crosswise into 1/4" slivers
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup sweet red barbecue sauce
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups wood chips soaked in water to cover for one hour, then drained and four strips of aluminum foil twisted into doughnut-shaped rings

Preparation:

Peel onions. Using a sharp paring knife, start at the top (opposite stem end), and cut an inverted cone-shaped cavity, about 2-1/2 inches across and one-inch deep (the core will come out in a cone-shaped plug). Finely chop the pieces you remove from each onion. Set the onions, stem-side down, on foil rings.

Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a skillet. Add the bacon and chopped onion and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, three to five minutes. Add the pecans after two minutes. Drain the bacon mixture in a strainer over a bowl, reserving the fat.

Place a spoonful of bacon mixture in the cavity of each onion. Spoon in some barbecue sauce and place a pat of butter on top. Grind some fresh pepper on top of each onion. Brush the sides of the onions with bacon fat. The recipe can be prepared several hours ahead to this stage.

Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a gas grill, place the wood chips in the smoker box or smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.

If using a charcoal grill, toss the wood chips on the coals.

Place the onions on the grate away from the fire. Indirect-grill until onions are golden brown and tender, 40 to 60 minutes.

To test for doneness, pinch the sides of the onion — they should be squeezably soft. If the filling starts to brown too much before the onions are fully cooked, tent with foil. Transfer the onions to a platter or plates and serve as a side dish for just about any grilled main course.

Makes 4 servings

Smoked Brisket With Coffee Beer Mop Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. sliced bacon, preferably artisanal (optional)
1 (6- to 8-lb.) piece center cut brisket

Ingredients for the rub:

1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. garlic powder

Ingredients for the Coffee Beer Mop Sauce:

1 cup beer
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup coffee
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
salt
Zinfandel BBQ Sauce, see recipe
4 to 6 cups hickory or apple chips or wood chunks, soaked in water to cover for one hour, then drained and an aluminum foil pan

Preparation:

Make the rub. Place the salt, brown sugar, paprika, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl and stir to mix. Place the brisket in a roasting pan and generously sprinkle both sides with rub, about three tablespoons per side. The excess rub will keep for several months in a jar. You can cook the brisket right away, but it will be better if you let it cure with the rub for several hours, or even a day in the refrigerator.

Make the mop sauce. Combine the beer, cider, cider vinegar, coffee, oil, Worcestershire sauce and salt in a bowl and whisk to mix.

Set up your grill for indirect grilling. If using a gas grill, place wood chips in a smoker pouch. Run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium-low (300 degrees). If using a charcoal grill, preheat to medium-low. Just before putting the brisket on, toss 1/2 cup wood chips on each mound of coals.

Place the brisket on the grate in the center, over the drip pan, away from the heat. If using bacon, drape the slices over the top of the meat.

Indirect-grill the brisket until tender, five to six hours. If using a charcoal grill, add 12 fresh coals and 1/2 cup wood chips to each side every hour. (The total cooking time will depend on the size of the brisket and heat of the grill.) Generously baste or mop the meat on both sides with the Coffee Beer Mop Sauce once an hour for the first four hours.

Tightly wrap brisket in foil and continue cooking until very tender, one to two hours more.

Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain, using an electric knife or sharp carving knife. Transfer the sliced meat to a platter.

Spoon the Zinfandel Barbecue Sauce over the meat. Better yet, serve it on the side.

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Zinfandel Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

5 Tbs. butter
4 to 6 shallots, minced (enough to make 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups Zinfandel
1-1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste
1/4 cup honey, or to taste
1 Tbs. liquid smoke
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over moderate heat until just beginning to brown, three to four minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add all but three tablespoons of the wine and boil over high heat until reduced to about 2/3 cup.

Reduce the heat and stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, honey, liquid smoke, salt and pepper.

Gently simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, 10 to 12 minutes, adding the remaining three tablespoons wine (off the heat) after six minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups, 8 to 10 servings

Smoked Tomato Gazpacho

Ingredients:

5 vine-ripened tomatoes (about 2-1/2 lbs.), halved crosswise
4 scallions, white parts skewered on a toothpick, green parts finely chopped and reserved
3 garlic cloves, peeled and skewered on a toothpick
1 red bell pepper, cut in half
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/2 red onion, cut in half
3 to 4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. red-wine vinegar, plus more to taste
1/2 to 1 cup cold water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a stovetop smoker or grill, one tablespoons hardwood sawdust or two cups wood chips, soaked in water to cover for one hour, then drained

Preparation:

Set up your smoker or grill for smoking. If using a stovetop smoker, place the sawdust in the bottom and arrange the vegetables on the rack. If using a grill, set it up for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. Toss the wood chips on the coals. Arrange the vegetables on the grate over the drip pan.

Smoke all of the vegetables for 15 minutes — they should be smoked, but not cooked through. Transfer to a platter to cool. Unskewer the scallion whites and garlic and discard the toothpicks.

Cut the smoked vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Place in a food processor and grind to a coarse puree. Work in the olive oil, vinegar and water, adding enough water to obtain a pourable consistency. Correct the seasoning, adding salt, pepper and vinegar if needed, to taste.

The gazpacho can be served now, but it will taste even better if you chill it for one hour to allow the flavors to blend. Just before serving, correct the seasoning, adding salt or vinegar to taste.

Ladle the gazpacho into bowls or martini glasses and sprinkle with the chopped scallion greens. Serve at once.

Makes 8 servings