In honor of National Barbecue Day, we celebrate a style of cooking that is as much about the execution as it is enjoying the outcome. Cooking outside of the kitchen has been a passion of ours and we have found ourselves drawn to the grill or smoker as much as we have been #drawntowater. This is a review some of our favorite recipes, experiences, and BBQ restaurants. We want to encourage everyone to enjoy the time cooking with family and friends as well as support local barbecue restaurants.
The differences between Barbecue and Grilling are found in HEAT and TIME
Our adventures in barbecue and grilling take place whenever and wherever it is available to us. Regatta food and family meals are favorites. Gathering good friends around a grill, you will enjoy the time, but you may also come up with some good ideas to ramp up your game. This is how a group from the PYC found themselves on a road trip to Cape Girardeau, MO, to Ole Hickory Pits, for a BBQ class put on by the late, great Mike Mills. We learned new skills to improve all aspects of the experience. Meat selection, the when and how of brining, cook times and presentation were all covered. Not only was it a great adventure, but we all took away a new appreciation for the process. Smokin’ Ricky picked up his nickname when he decided to stay for the BBQ restaurant class and buy a commercial smoker!
The time that barbecue requires gives opportunity to slow the pace of life and bond over the coals. One of my most treasured experiences was spending the day with our son on his wedding weekend smoking ribs for the rehearsal dinner.
Regional barbecue differ in sauce bases, spice combinations and choice of protein, but technique of low and slow permeates it all.
Find helpful guidelines for grilling at this link.
Barbecue restaurants are always on our radar to try. Three of our favorites are: Lewis Barbecue, Rodney Scott Whole Hog BBQ, and Mission BBQ.
This recipe was created for a fund raising event at the Pewaukee Yacht Club. Our friends from race committee team 12 got together for some experimentation to see what we liked. We enjoyed it so much that we used this for the event and submitted it to a national BBQ recipe contest. It took 3rd place!
Don’t forget the sides!
Our quick pickled cucumbers, cole slaw, and pickled red onions add just the right tang to offset the smoke.
What will you be putting on the BBQ this summer?
