Summertime is also when
schools are closed; children are free from the tortures within classrooms
dominated by whip wielding teachers.
Well, that’s how they imagine school to be while the teachers see it
just the other way round. Summer is
freedom; family vacations to new and exciting places; reunions in mountain or
lakeside resorts; casting responsibility aside for days or weeks. Best of all, outdoor cooking!!! Grills, whether gas, electric, wood or
charcoal are fired up; Smokers prepped with soaked, aroma filled wood. Meats of all kinds, poultry, seafood; all
rubbed and/or marinated to bring flavors to the wildest taste buds. 
Even vegetables are given special treatment
to tempt the pickiest of eaters. Try a
nice side dish of one pound sliced mushrooms seasoned with sea salt, ground
black pepper and garlic; equal amounts of olive oil and butter; slowly sautéed
over low heat for a half hour.
Our grill has been pulled
out from winter storage, cleaned, propane tank fully filled. Inside the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in a
double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil are…pork ribs. Each meaty morsel has been rubbed with my All
Purpose Rub; for 15 hours they marinate in the juices draw out by brown sugar
and a selection of spices. The grill
will be then heated to 250F; the entire aluminum package laid upon the top rack
for three hours. Fat melting into meat;
self-basting, self-tenderizing, slowly caramelizing. Carefully unwrapped from the foil cocoon; the
grill’s heat turned up to 400F; the ribs will go onto the lower rack for
searing and glazing; a crisp char around the edges. The meat tender, juicy, with just the right
amount of give from the bone; sweet, savory, spicy all come together for
delicious nirvana.
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| Remove excess fat from underside. |
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| One cup of rub mixture for underside. |
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| One cup of rub mixture for topside. |
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| Massage the rub into the meat. |
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| Double layer of heavy duty foil; fold ends over first. |
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| Wrap long ends over each other; refrigerate for 15 hours. |
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| Entire package on top rack; 250F for three hours. |
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| Remove from foil. |
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| Increase heat to 400F; sear both sides. |
Perhaps, after a well-deserved
nap, we’ll go on up to Loyd’s Lake for a cool swim; that is if we can get off
the couch. Ah yes, summer is here and
it’s time for life to be a bit easy.
All Purpose Rub for Smoking and Grilling
Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. each sea salt,
ground black pepper, ground ginger¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. each paprika, onion powder, garlic powder
Preparation:
In medium bowl, mix all
ingredients together thoroughly. Rub onto all sides of meat or poultry;
refrigerate overnight. Smoke or grill.
Note: This is enough to
cover both sides of a 3 to 4 pound rack of ribs.
Bonus Recipe!
All Purpose Barbeque Sauce
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. peanut oil (if not
available, use canola oil)
1 small onion, diced1Tbsp minced garlic
1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground horseradish
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. each salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup dark molasses
Preparation:
In a large saucepan, heat
oil on medium-high heat; sauté onion and garlic till softened; be careful not
to burn garlic. Add in remaining ingredients, stir together and bring to a
boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes; sauce will thicken.
Stir occasionally to keep from sticking or burning. If sauce thickens too much,
stir in a tablespoon of water until desired consistency is achieved.
Use warm or cold; store in
refrigerator in airtight container; will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Makes 2 cups.
Mary Cokenour
