My partner in crime, Allison, and I bought a bar-b-que rig this spring. We are trying to hone our bar-b-que skills, and who better to experiment on than our friends? BBQ is an all-American art form. Although people have been cooking over fire for centuries, I believe that Americans have perfected the art of cooking meat slowly over coals to impart smoky flavors and breakdown tough cuts of meat.
We made three different and distinct kinds of BBQ for this party. The first was smoked chicken. Chicken is one of my favorite things to smoke; it takes the flavor well and, when done properly, it stays amazingly moist. We used local Troyer chickens, raised on wild grasses on the western slope of Colorado. Their meat has wonderful flavor and they have a good breast to thigh ratio (we have a lot of dark meat fans).
The key to juicy chicken is to brine it first. Brining helps meat retain moisture when cooked and adds flavor. Once brined we season the chickens with an all-purpose rub and let them sit in the refrigerator, uncovered, overnight to achieve a crispy skin. I smoke my chicken for about 2 to 2 – 1/2 hours at 250° F. They should register 190° F in the thigh when finished.
We also made pork spare ribs, which are my favorite kind of rib! These ribs come from the bottom of the rib cage have quite a bit of meat on them. We made a wet rub for the ribs and let them sit in the marinade overnight. The following morning we wiped off as much of the rub as we could and put them on the smoker for 4 to 6 hours at 250° F. The time depends on how hot the coals are and how big the ribs are. The goal is ‘fork tender’ or easy to pull apart.
Last but not least we tried something a little different, boneless beef short ribs. These come off the bone and have a wonderful amount of fatty marbling that when cooked long enough turns rich and tender. Even better, as they cook on the BBQ the outside develops a dark crispy crust. We simply rubbed the short ribs with our all-purpose rub and let them sit overnight. They cooked alongside the chicken and pork ribs for 5 to 6 hours.
The party was a huge success! Take it easy the first time. Choose your favorite cut and give yourself plenty of time. This isn’t a ‘10 minute’ meal, it’s an all-day process, but what better way to spend a gorgeous day outside, and the rewards are worth it!
Brine
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 – 1/2 cup salt
- 1 Tbsp peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups water
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer.
- Once the salt and sugars have dissolved cool the brine.
This brine is good for all types of meat. Brine chickens for 1 – 1/2 hours, pork shoulder for 6 hours, pork chops for 30 min, and lamb chops for 30 min. Experiment!
All-purpose Rub
- 2 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 1Tbsp Spanish Paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp Old Bay
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Combine all ingredients and store in an empty jam jar.
My friend Allison never uses an exact recipe for her rub, she just adds to it as she needs to. Play around with the ratio to make it suit your palate.
Chef Sarah Helsley