Pitmaster, p.4
Pitmaster, page 4
STORAGE
Wrap room temperature steak tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Recipe by Steve Raichlin; used with permission.
◁ Smoked Bologna Chub
Just like playing music or brewing beer, the key to cooking great barbecue is repetition. If you are just getting started with barbecue, you will ruin some meat before you get it right. This smoked bologna recipe is a delicious and very cheap way to get in those reps without worrying about destroying an expensive piece of meat.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Serves:10 to 12 as part of a barbecue meal
INGREDIENTS
1 skinless bologna chub (5 pounds, or 2.3 kg)
1/3 cup (58 g) yellow mustard
2 tablespoons (12 g) Everyday Sweet and Spicy Pork Rub
1 tablespoon (12 g) turbinado sugar
20 to 24 pieces (2 per guest) of Texas Toast
1/2 of a large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 cup (119 g) bread and butter pickles
1 cup (250 g) of your favorite barbecue sauce, warmed
METHOD
If the bologna has a skin, remove it. Score the bologna with 6 evenly spaced, horizontal cuts about 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) deep and then repeat with 6 evenly spaced vertical cuts, creating a crisscross pattern. Place the bologna on a sheet pan and brush the exterior with yellow mustard. Sprinkle on the Everyday Sweet and Spicy Pork Rub and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Prepare your smoker for a 235°F (115°C) 3 to 4 hour cook.
The bologna is already cooked and will pick up just a touch of smoke flavor, so use a fairly heavy hand on the smoke wood. For example, add at least 3 fist-sized chunks of hickory wood to a charcoal base in your WSM or cabinet smoker. Sprinkle the exterior with the turbinado sugar and place the bologna on your clean grill grate. Smoke for three hours. Keep your temps pinned at 235 to 250°F (115 to 120°C). After three hours, a crusty bark should have formed on the exterior. If the crust is not quite to your liking, cook the bologna for another hour. Remove the bologna and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Prepare two pieces of Texas Toast per guest. Slice the bologna into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) slices. Serve with the toast, thinly sliced onions, pickles, and barbecue sauce.
STORAGE
Wrap room temperature bologna tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month.
◁ Spicy Collards
In our book Wicked Good Barbecue, we featured a classic stewed collards recipe. Here, we have an unconventional preparation of a classic barbecue side dish. The results are light, refreshing, and spicy—the perfect foil to rich barbecue meats.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8 as a side dish
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons (28 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (10 g) minced garlic
2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2 bunches of collard greens, stems removed and leaves cut into 1/8-inch (3 mm) ribbons
METHOD
In a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and kosher salt. Stir continuously until garlic starts to brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the collard greens. Use tongs to stir and toss the collard greens, coating with the oil and seasoning, until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning; a little more kosher salt might be needed. Serve immediately.
STORAGE
Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
◁ Gold Sauce
Gold Sauce utilizes mustard as a base instead of the typical ketchup. Often found in South Carolina, the sauce provides the tang found in North Carolina vinegar sauces, yet with the texture and consistency of a classic Kansas City–type sauce. This is our favorite all around sauce and pairs well not only with classic barbecue but pork chops, hot dogs, and even as a potato chip dip.
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 3 cups (750 g)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
2 tablespoons (40 g) blackstrap molasses
3/4 cup (255 g) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup (176 g) yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (80 g) grated yellow onion
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
METHOD
Combine the honey, vinegar, water, molasses, maple syrup, thyme, white pepper, and nutmeg in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the mustard and kosher salt, mix well, and simmer for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and add the onion and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve hot or cold.
STORAGE
Refrigerate in a pint-sized (475 ml) Mason jar for up to 2 months.
◁ Garlicky Coleslaw
Most dishes benefit from roasted garlic and coleslaw is no exception. Hit up your next pulled pork sandwich with a few spoonfuls of this creamy, tangy, savory rendition. For the best results, make the slaw the day before you plan to eat it and let the flavors meld overnight in the fridge.
Prep time: 2 hours with at least 4 hours rest time
Serves: 8 to 10 as a side dish
INGREDIENTS
1 head of garlic
1 cup (225 g) prepared mayonnaise (ideally Duke's Mayonnaise)
1/3 cup (80 ml) apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (11 g) yellow mustard
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 pound (455 g) packaged dry coleslaw mix
2 teaspoons barbecue dry rub
METHOD
Preheat the oven—Chris uses his toaster oven—to 300°F (150°C, or gas mark 2). Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the garlic sit in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and cool. Cut the garlic head in half with a serrated knife. Press down on the garlic to extract the roasted cloves. Process the cloves into a paste with the side of your knife. Put the roasted garlic in a blender along with the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and mustard. Pulse until well combined, about 30 seconds. Add the salt and pepper and lemon juice. Pulse the blender for 5 seconds.
Place the coleslaw mix in a large bowl and add the dressing. Mix well. The slaw at this stage may seem a bit dry. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and ideally overnight. The time in the fridge will meld the flavors and kick up moisture as the salt draws some liquid from the cabbage. Before serving, sprinkle with the barbecue dry rub.
STORAGE
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days.
◁ Old-Fashioned Southern Caramel Cake
Andy’s dear friend Mark Ballard, a bon vivant from Macon, Georgia, learned how to make this cake from his grandmother when he wasn’t even tall enough to reach the stove top. While you finish icing the cake, have someone you love set out the knife, plates, forks, and the milk or coffee. Eat the cake warm for an absolutely wonderful sugar coma. We think this classic Southern dessert is the perfect finale to a barbecue meal.
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 12 to 14
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup (230 g) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups (341 g) cake flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 batch of Southern Caramel Icing
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°, or gas mark 4). Coat an 18 × 13-inch (46 × 33 cm) sheet pan with cooking spray and dust it with flour, knocking out any excess.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, adding sugar gradually until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Add the cake flour, salt, and baking soda, blending until fully combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool the cake in its pan on a rack while you prepare the icing.
When the icing is ready, immediately pour it over the cake, spreading it quickly with a large offset spatula before it sets. (It’s fine if the cake is still warm; the icing will set as it cools.) Slice and serve warm with coffee or an ice-cold glass of milk.
STORAGE
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
SOUTHERN CARAMEL ICING
Caramel icing is notoriously tricky to get right. Some Southerners say it takes years of practice. The key is to pay close attention to the temperature as the icing cooks and whisk it constantly as it cools. Otherwise, it will become grainy. If the icing gets too cool to spread, it can be remelted over low heat. Whip it again to spreading consistency.
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 cups (450 g)
INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups (700 g) granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup (120 ml) boiling water
1 cup (235 ml) evaporated milk
1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon (22 g) light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Candy thermometer
METHOD
In a small, heavy saucepan or skillet, cook 1/2 cup (100 g) of sugar over medium-low heat until melted and caramelized. Carefully pour boiling water into the pan and boil, stirring, until the caramel dissolves and the mixture is slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes.
In another saucepan, combine the remaining 3 cups (600 g) of sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring to melt the sugar. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the caramel syrup and continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture reaches 218 to 220°F (approximately 105°C). Remove the pan from the heat and immediately transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the icing until it cools and thickens just enough to hold its shape when the whisk is lifted. The icing should still be very warm and soft, pourable but not runny. Use immediately.
NOTE: Hitting the proper cooking temperature results in the best icing. If you aren’t sure, put a spoonful of icing on a cold plate. It should set up quickly, soft but not sticky or hard. If it is still sticky after a couple of minutes, return the icing to the saucepan, simmer for just a few minutes, and then do the “plate test” again. If the icing hardened on the plate test, it’s overcooked but you still may be able to save it: return the icing to the pan, whisk in a few tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) of heavy cream, bring it to a simmer, and test it again.
2
North Carolina
“The pig. A wonderful, magical animal.”
-HOMER SIMPSON
No other barbecue region has the singular focus of North Carolina. We were first introduced to North Carolina barbecue on a pit stop while driving to Lynchburg, Tennessee, for the Jack Daniels World Championship in 2002. Northern guys like us were used to barbecue restaurants that covered all of the bases—ribs, beef, chicken, Texas style, Memphis style, and everything in between. In North Carolina, we found there is only one thing that matters—pork barbecue.
Limited side dishes provide an opportunity to add hushpuppies and vinegar slaw to your tray. Some joints offer fine chop, coarse chop, or sliced variations on the pork shoulder. Regional differences—barely perceptible to an outsider—include whole hog with chopped crispy skin and vinegar sauce to the East and whole shoulder with a touch of ketchup added to the vinegar sauce to the West. In order to appreciate the delicious simplicity of North Carolina barbecue, you have to slow down, pour a second glass of sweet tea, and bask in the glory created by the basic ingredients of pork, salt, vinegar, and hickory smoke. If there is anything in this world that proves that the sum can be greater than its parts, it is a plate of North Carolina pork barbecue.
Why pork? We’ll go with the simplest answer: There are lots of pigs in North Carolina. There’s also lots of hickory wood and a population of barbecue-loving folks who share the philosophy, “If the wheel ain’t broke, why fix it?” The uniquely North Carolina method of pork, simply salted and cooked directly over hickory burned to coals, is incredibly primal and creates a wonderful sense of place. That is the power of barbecue.
In this chapter, we offer classic North Carolina barbecue techniques that can be cooked anywhere. So go ahead, whip yourself up a Western North Carolina–style shoulder, some hushpuppies fried in lard, and a big glass of sweet tea. If you close your eyes, you may just be whisked away to pork barbecue country.
◁ Western North Carolina Pork Shoulder on a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker
In Western North Carolina barbecue restaurants, you usually have three options for pork shoulder: coarsely chopped “outside brown,” finely chopped inner meat, and sliced meat. When he makes this at home, Chris likes to serve all three. He also crisps the pig skin in lard. You can incorporate the crispy skin into the chopped meat or make your guests some classic Pork Skin Sandwiches as an appetizer.
This recipe can be adapted to any type of smoker. The key here is not the type of smoker, but creating a dry, hot 300 to 325°F (150 to 160°C) cooking environment.
NOTE: In North Carolina, burn barrels are used to create coals. You can use that method here, but lump charcoal produces similar results in this recipe.
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 10 to 12 hours
Serves: 10 to 12
INGREDIENTS
1 bone-in skin-on pork picnic shoulder (8 to 10 pounds, or 3.6 to 4.6 kg)
About 3/4 cup (168 g) kosher salt
1 cup (205 g) lard or (235 ml) vegetable oil
About 1/4 cup (60 ml) Western-Style North Carolina Sauce
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
18-or 22 1/2-inch (46 to 57 cm) Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker
High-quality lump charcoal
Charcoal chimney
3 fist-sized dry chunks of hickory and/or oak
12-inch (30 cm) cast iron pan
METHOD
Rub a heavy coating of kosher salt over the entire exterior of the pork shoulder. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour while you prepare your smoker.
Start by filling the charcoal ring to the brim with lump charcoal and then line the water pan with aluminum foil. Fill a charcoal chimney 3/4 full with lump charcoal and fill the base with two sheets of crumpled newspaper.
Place the chimney on top of the unlit charcoal and light the newspaper. When the charcoal is lit and flames are starting to peak out, pour the lit charcoal on top of the unlit. Assemble your Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker with the water pan in place but do not add water. Optionally, line the water pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Adjust the bottom three intake vents and the single top exhaust vent to 100 percent open. The smoker should come up to the 325 to 350°F (170 to 180°C) range over the next 30 minutes. Once the smoker is above 325°F (170°C), put the pork shoulder on the smoker skin side up. Adjust the bottom vents to maintain the 300 to 325°F (150 to 170°C) temperature. Only if the smoker is running significantly too hot should you adjust the top vent.
Depending on weather conditions and the quality of your charcoal, you may need to add more fuel during this time. Add unlit charcoal via the access door if required.
Cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the shoulder registers 190°F (90°C), about 6 to 8 hours. Test the doneness by checking to see if the meat easily pulls away from the bone. If the bone is still firmly attached to the meat, keep cooking until tender. Move the pork shoulder to a sheet pan with the meat side down and rest for 30 minutes.
Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of melted lard or vegetable oil to the pan. With a sharp boning knife, carefully remove the skin from the pork shoulder and cut into four pieces. Working in batches, if necessary, crisp the skin in the oil for 3 to 5 minutes per side. Adjust the heat down to medium if the oil starts to smoke. Place the crisped skin onto some newspaper and sprinkle with kosher salt. Proceed to the Pork Skin Sandwich recipe or reserve for serving with the pork shoulder.
Set up a large cutting board and get yourself a large chef’s knife. Place the pork shoulder on the cutting board and remove the bone. Process some of the meat into slices. Chop the remaining exterior meat coarsely and the inner white meat finely. If serving the crispy skin with the meat, finely chop the skin and incorporate it with the chopped pork. Season the meat with Western-Style North Carolina Sauce and more kosher salt, to taste. (We start with a 1/4 cup [65 g] of the sauce and a tablespoon [14 g] of kosher salt.) No one flavor should be more noticeable than the others. Over generations, North Carolina pitmasters have honed this perfect balance.
