Recipes

Barbecue Recipes

John Egerton's Backyard Barbecue

This recipe is taken from John Egerton's book Southern Food.  This book is an invaluable resource for all types of Southern cooking, and his barbecue recipe is easy and authentic.

Bring a 5 pound Boston butt to room temperature and rub it with salt, black pepper, and a half-and-half mixture of vinegar and hot-pepper sauce.  Build a charcoal fire in a kettle grill and let it burn down to low heat.  Have a separate bed of warm coals nearby to replenish the main fire.  Add some water-smoked hickory chips to the main fire to create heavy smoke.  Put the shoulder meat on to cook, turning every 30 minutes to assure uniform cooking.  Damp the fire and meat with a water-vinegar solution (7 to 1) if it gets too hot.  Strive for a slow, steady fire.  After about 3 hours, the meat should be getting tender.  Cook it between 3 and 4 hours, basting once in the last hour with your choice of sauce.  Have more warm sauce available for individual application at the table.  This much meat should make 6 to 8 big sandwiches.

Elegant Pulled Pork Sandwich

I am including this recipe as an example of the bizarre ideas that some people have about barbecue.  This recipe instructs the reader to top a good barbecue sandwich with lettuce and tomato(?!?!?!?!) It is taken from BBQ and All the Fixin's, by Simon Oren.  The author owns a barbecue restaurant in New York City, and was assisted in this book by K.C.Balmer-Dinhofer, a "Brooklyn-based writer, consultant, and caterer."

Use a good quality French or sourdough roll.  Split the roll in half and mound 5 ounces of shredded pork that has been marinated in Pig Sauce on the bottom of the roll.  Top with lettuce, tomato, and coleslaw.

Craig Claiborne's BBQ Sandwich

This recipe is from the redoubtable New York Times food critic, and shows a deeper understanding of how barbecue should be served.

• 8 hamburger buns
• 3 cups chopped pork barbecue
• 1/4 cup Lexington barbecue dip (see sauce recipes)
• 2 cups coleslaw

• 3/4 cup distilled white or cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• Salt to taste, if desired
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup water

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup vinegar
• 5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• Dash black pepper (more if you want it hotter)
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup water

• 1 gallon vinegar
• 3/4 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons dried red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup molasses (or 1 cup brown sugar)

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

• 1 small cabbage
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• Salt to taste, if desired
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

• 3 1/2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, boiled and sliced
• 1 cup home-made or good quality mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup pickle juice
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 jar pimentos, drained

• 2 packages instant vanilla pudding
• 1 package cream cheese
• 1 box vanilla wafers
• 4 bananas, peeled and sliced