The Argentine Method: How to Cook Baby Back Ribs the Way Fire Intended Filed under: Fire & Smoke | A recipe three hours in the making, and worth every minute

I want to tell you about the day I stopped fighting my ribs and started listening to them. 

For years I did what every backyard cook does — I’d pull the membrane, trim the fat, wrap them in foil, babysit the temperature, and convince myself I was being precise. The ribs were fine. Sometimes better than fine. But they were never those ribs. You know the ones. The kind that make people go quiet for a moment before they say anything. 

Then I learned how they cook ribs in Argentina, and everything changed. 

A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY 

Argentine asado isn’t a cooking technique so much as a belief system. The belief is roughly this: fire is patient, meat is honest, and your job is mostly to stay out of the way. There are no foil tents. No spritzing with apple juice every 45 minutes. No probing the meat every time you get anxious, which for most of us is every eight minutes. 

If you spend any time watching Al Frugoni’s YouTube channel — and if you cook over fire, you should — you’ll notice he comes back to the same reminder at the start of nearly every cook. When it comes to open fire cooking, he says, there are three simple rules: 

 AL FRUGONI’S THREE RULES OF OPEN FIRE COOKING 1. Patience. 2. Patience. 3. Patience. — Al Frugoni, via his YouTube channel 

 Keep those three rules in your back pocket for the next three hours. You’ll need them. 

“Leave the membrane on. Leave the fat on. The fire knows what it’s doing.” 

I know. I know. Every rib recipe you’ve ever read tells you to peel that membrane off first thing. And if you’re cooking fast and hot, that’s reasonable advice. But when you’re cooking low and slow over embers, that membrane does something useful — it seals moisture in from below while the bones slowly conduct heat upward through the meat. You’re essentially using the architecture of the rib itself as a cooking tool. 

THE HOUR YOU SPEND BEFORE YOU COOK 

Start your fire an hour before you plan to put a single thing on the grate. I realize that sounds like a lot, but this is the part most people rush, and rushing it is how you end up with ribs cooked over flames instead of embers — which is how you end up with ribs that are charred on the outside and confused on the inside. 

You want embers. Dense, glowing, steady embers. The kind that radiate heat rather than throw it. Keep feeding wood to the fire as it burns — you’ll need enough to sustain a solid two hours of cooking, so don’t be stingy with the pile. 

How do you know when the heat is right? Here’s the test, and it sounds more dangerous than it is: hold your hand at grate height. If you can hold it there for 6 to 8 seconds before your instincts take over and you pull away, you’re in the zone. Less than 6 seconds and it’s too hot. More than 8 and you’re going to be there all day. This is your benchmark. You’ll come back to it every time you add embers. 

BONE SIDE DOWN. TRUST THE BONES. 

Pat the ribs dry. Season with salt and pepper — good salt, fresh pepper, don’t be shy. Then place them on the grate bone side down, and leave them there. About 75% of the entire cook happens in this position. 

This is where Frugoni’s rules earn their keep. The temptation to flip, to peek, to poke is real. Resist it. The bones are doing the work. They’re drawing heat up from below and distributing it slowly and evenly through the meat. It’s essentially a built-in heat diffuser, and it’s been there the whole time. 

After about an hour and a half, reach over and press gently on the top of the rack. If the surface is warm to the touch, the heat has traveled all the way through. That’s your signal. The ribs are ready to flip. 

THE FINAL HALF HOUR (AND THE GLAZE) 

Flip meat side down and give it another 30 minutes. When the internal temperature reads around 200°F, you’re close. Flip back to bone side down, apply your BBQ sauce or glaze over the meat, then flip glaze side down for the finish. 

This is the part where you do not walk away. Two to four minutes over live fire with sugar involved is an exercise in attention. The difference between beautifully caramelized and “well, I guess we’re scraping that off” is about 90 seconds. Watch it. The color change happens fast, and when the glaze sets with that dark, slightly tacky surface — that’s when you pull them.

WHAT YOU’LL HAVE 

Cut between the bones, plate them up, and take a moment before you eat. The meat won’t fall off the bone in the way that overcooked ribs do. It’ll pull cleanly, with some resistance — which is how it’s supposed to be. Beneath that caramelized crust is meat that stayed moist for the entire cook, protected by fat and membrane and the patient geometry of the bones. 

Serve with chimichurri if you have it, grilled bread if you want it, and something cold to drink. The full recipe is below. 

Total time: about 3 hours. One hour to build the fire, two hours to cook. Plan accordingly — and start the fire before you think you need to.

Argentine Baby Back Ribs — Open Fire

Asado-style low & slow over wood embers  •  Serves 4  •  ~3 hours (1 hr fire prep + 2 hrs cooking)

Ingredients

Amount	Ingredient
2 racks	Baby back ribs — membrane on, excess fat left intact
To taste	Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Pat dry	Paper towels (for drying the ribs)
Glaze / Finish
½ cup	BBQ sauce or glaze of choice
—	Hardwood (oak, cherry, or hickory) — enough for 3+ hours of burning

Instructions

1	Prep the Ribs  Do not remove the back membrane — it holds moisture during the long cook. Do not trim excess fat. Pat both racks completely dry with paper towels. Season generously all over with salt and pepper.
2	Build the Fire  Start a hardwood fire in your grill or open pit. Let it burn down for about 1 hour until you have a solid bed of glowing embers. Keep feeding fresh wood throughout — you need enough fuel to sustain 2 full hours of cooking.
3	Set the Heat  Shovel enough embers beneath the grate to create steady, even heat. To calibrate: hold your hand at grate height — you should be able to hold it there 6–8 seconds before it becomes too hot. This is your target throughout the cook.
4	Cook Bone Side Down (~1½ hrs)  Place ribs bone side down. 75% of total cook time is bone side down. The bones conduct heat upward through the meat. Replenish embers every 20–30 min to maintain the 6–8 second hand test. After ~1½ hours, touch the top of the rack — when it feels warm, the heat has worked all the way through.
5	Flip & Finish Meat Side Down (~30 min)  Flip the racks meat side down and cook another 30 minutes. Check internal temperature — target is around 200°F (93°C) for tender, pull-apart meat.
6	Glaze  Flip back to bone side down. Apply BBQ sauce or glaze liberally over the meat side. Flip glaze-side down and cook 2–4 minutes until caramelized and set. WATCH CLOSELY — sugar-heavy sauces burn fast. Don’t walk away.
7	Rest, Cut & Serve  Remove from the fire, rest 5 minutes, then slice between bones. These will be the most moist ribs you’ve ever had.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

Nutrient	Per Serving (approx.)
Calories	580 kcal
Protein	42 g
Carbohydrates	12 g
Fat	38 g
Fiber	0 g
Sugar	9 g
Sodium	740 mg

Tips & Notes

Note	Detail
Total time	~3 hours: 1 hour to build and burn down the fire, 2 hours of active cooking. Plan accordingly — start your fire early.
Why keep the membrane?	The back membrane seals in juices from below during the long bone-side-down cook. Removing it is a shortcut that costs moisture.
Wood choice	Oak is classic Argentine asado. Cherry or hickory add sweeter smoke. Avoid softwoods like pine — they produce bitter, resinous smoke.
Glaze sugar warning	The more sugar in your sauce, the faster it burns. Watch the grate constantly during the final caramelization step — 2 minutes can be the difference between perfect and charred.
Serving ideas	Serve alongside chimichurri, grilled bread, and a simple green salad. Cold Argentine Malbec or a cold Quilmes beer pairs perfectly.
Substitutions	St. Louis spare ribs work with the same method — add 20–30 minutes total cook time due to thickness. A dry rub (smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin) can replace or supplement salt & pepper.

 

Boston Butt or Front Shoulder Roast? Either Way Spells Excellent Barbecue

Two weeks ago I developed a craving for barbecue pork sandwiches and it took me until today to finally take care of that craving.  There are several reasons for waiting until today to satisfy my craving, mainly because I need a full day and not just a full day but a full day with sunshine.  Low and slow is the cry when smoking a pork shoulder.  The smoker starts early in the morning and doesn't stop until early evening.  That is the way it goes to make delicious, moist, fall off the bone barbecue pork.

Years ago, when I first started making barbecue, the first barbecue I mastered was making barbecue pork, probably because it  is he easiest and most forgiving of all barbecue cooking.  The hardest part of making barbecue pork is maintaining the temperature in the smoker.  The recipe couldn't be easier, start with a boston butt roast or front shoulder roast.  Although, I'm not sure why it's called a boston butt when it comes from the front shoulder.  For this particular 'cue I found a 9 pound shoulder roast at the local market.  

For the rub I chose the same rub I used a week ago on the barbecue beef ribs and why not, it's a good all around rub.  Below is the recipe but you can also get the original from the Food Network web site and many others.

Magic Dust:

• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/4 cup kosher salt, finely ground
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup powdered mustard
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/4 cup ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup granulated garlic
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

As I stated above, this is an all day smoke so I loaded up the charcoal holder to the top.  Also, I chose cherry wood for today's smoking wood choice.  I put a few chunks in at the beginning of the smoking process and add more about half way through.  This gives the pork enough smoke flavor to know it came from a smoker but no so much that it taste like a burnt piece of wood.  

Once the charcoal and wood are ready it's time to load the pork on the grate.  And sit back and wait and wait and wait.

Four hours later and it's time to check what we have and to insert the digital thermometer.  It's already at 145 degrees F. but from previous experience I know it gets there fast.  It seems to take forever to go that last 30 degrees F or so.  I am ultimately looking for 195 degrees F final cooking temperature.  

 Six hours later and the roast is over 185 degrees F.  I decided to take it off at this time because I know it will raise a few degrees as it rest and also because it was getting late and I wanted to eat.  

 After the pork has rested it's time to "pull" the pork.  I prefer the two fork method over cutting the pork up with a knife.  Also, a good indicator to tell if the pork is done, the bone should come out clean as in the case.  Although, I think the roast could have used a little more time in the smoker.

 My favorite way to enjoy a barbecue pork sandwich?  How abut a simple white bun with creamy cole slaw.

 It don't get much better than that.  And I got leftovers for two nights.  Yippie Kay Yay.

Barbecue Beef Ribs

I went to the store today to buy a boston butt, or a front pork shoulder roast for those of you that don't know barbecue jargon.  Now, if you are looking at the photo to the left you are probably saying to yourself "That don't look like no pork roast."  Well, good eye and maybe you should consider your next career as a butcher.  What happened was I didn't like what I saw for pork roast but I did like the beef ribs located above the roast.  Since it can be hard to find beef ribs in this area, and the pork roast wasn't the greatest, I changed direction and decided to go with the beef ribs.  Maybe next weekend I'll make some barbecue pork sandwiches.

Since I have never had a lot of luck with beef ribs, normally end up tough something along the lines of old shoe leather, I turned to my best friend Google to help me out.  I was looking for cooking times to make sure I give the ribs enough time on the smoker since I think this has been my biggest downfall when barbecuing beef ribs.  But one problem, the times I found were anywhere from 1-1/2 to 6 hours at 225 degrees, really not a lot of help there.  After taking into account the thickness and size of the ribs I decided to start at 3 hours and go from there.

The next big decision to be made is what, if any, rub to use.  I decided to go with the Mike Mills' Beef Ribs recipe from the Food Network and his Magic Dust.  It is a quick and easy rub with most, if not all, the ingredients found in the pantry.  The Apple City Barbecue Sauce at the end of the recipe is the inspiration for my own barbecue sauce.  It's the recipe that got me started in the right direction years ago when I wanted to make my own apple barbecue sauce.  While I didn't end up using Mike Mills recipe, this is a very good recipe to try if you like apple flavored barbecue sauce.

On to the smoker to get it ready.  Today I had to clean the ashes out of the bottom which normally needs to be done after using it a couple of times.  I put enough charcoal in to last up to 6 hours, if needed, and decided on hickory chunks of wood to deliver the smoke flavor to the ribs.  I tend to favor hickory for beef and apple and cherry wood for pork and chicken.  Since it is summer and the temperatures are warmer, I chocked the the air vents down to about 1/3 the way open.  Once the charcoal is ready it's time to dump a chimney full of hot charcoal on top and get this smoker started.  All that's left now is to slip the beef ribs on the grates and wait.  And wait.  

I decided at the 3 hour mark to lift the lid to see how the ribs were doing.  Well, well, what do you know, the meat just getting to the point where it was going to fall off the bone, perfect, let's get the sauce.  My choice today?  How about my own apple barbecue sauce, sweet, spicy and full of apple flavor.  

 After mopping on some barbecue sauce I let the ribs finish for another 15 minutes on the smoker before removing them.  After letting them rest another 15 minutes I cut them apart into single bone servings and drizzle some more barbecue sauce on them.  And of course take a picture just because it's what I do. 

 Mmmmm, sweet, spicy, smokey, juicy, messy an full of beef flavor.  Finally, beef ribs I can be proud of and enjoy for this weekend.  Maybe next weekend I'll get to that barbecue pork sandwich.

Original Recipe

Grandma's Barbecue Chicken

Let's climb into the wayback machine and take a trip back 40 years or so to my Grandma Williams cottage.  We land on a fall Sunday afternoon, leaves need to be raked and life jackets put away for the winter.  After the leaves are raked in piles and lit on fire we head for the dock on the lake and catch a few bluegills with kernels of corn.  Meanwhile, grandma drags the old red reliable charcoal grill (I'm not sure gas grills existed in those days), piles up the charcoal in a neat pyramid and douses the charcoal with lighter fluid.  After the lighter fluid soaks into the charcoal she touches a match to the coals and fire slowly spreads from coal to coal until the coals were completely covered with white ash.

While the charcoal is getting ready we know within the next couple of hours we will be treated to barbecue chicken by the unmistakable smell of lighter fluid and charcoal burning.  (Years later, in one of my first attempts to use a charcoal grill, I thought the only way to light charcoal was with lighter fluid.  Of course, being a young buck and impatient, thinking if a little lighter fluid is good then more must be better.  Needless to say those burgers tasted just like lighter fluid and that day I swore off charcoal and shortly thereafter purchased my first gas grill.  A few years later, while in a local store, I came across a chimney starter for lighting charcoal without lighter fluid that would change my grilling life forever.)

I don't now what grandma did to get the chicken ready for the grill, I was too busy being a 13 year old boy to care how barbecue chicken was made.  However, I do know she made the best barbecue chicken on this planet.  My guess is she kept it simple, probably salt and pepper, before she tied it to the rotisserie.  There was no mistaking when the chicken finally made it to the grill.  The constant whining of the rotisserie motor told you chicken was cooking.  The chicken was never balanced properly on the rotisserie and the motor changed to a lower growl when the breast portion of the chicken was lifted upwards.  Once the chicken breast cleared the top the motor pitch increased as gravity helped push the rotisserie motor down.  This continued for a 1-1/2 to 2 hours until the chicken was done.  She would start slathering barbecue sauce on half way through and continue until the chicken was done. The smell was incredible and one of my favorites while growing up. Anyway, back to our trip.......

The chicken is fall off the bone good.  Caramelized barbecue sauce on the skin from the thigh is my favorite part of the chicken with the legs coming in a close second.  Oh so good but it's time to get back in the wayback machine and come back to the present.

A couple of years ago I made barbecue chicken for little sister and asked her if it was as good as grandma made back in the day, much to my disappointment she said no.  Needless to say, I expected that answer and that started my quest towards duplicating grandma's barbecue chicken.  I've made barbecue chicken many different ways, and all are good, but I always knew until I bought a rotisserie I couldn't match grandma.  So a couple of weeks ago I broke down and bought a rotisserie for my Weber grill and it turns out to be one of the better gadgets purchased in the last couple of years.  

I knew simpler was better but I a big believer in brine for anything poultry. I usually keep it simple, apple juice, brown sugar or sugar in the raw, salt, and peppercorns.  I heat it all up on the stove top until the salt and sugar are dissolved and cool it all down with a couple handfuls of ice.  The chicken is submerged in the brine overnight.  The next day I remove the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.  Once dry, I message canola oil onto the chicken and liberally salt and pepper the outside as well as inside the cavity.  Other seasonings can be added but like I stated earlier, simpler is sometimes better.  

Once the chicken is seasoned it's time to put it on the rotisserie and tie it down so it can't flop all over the place.  On to the grill it goes and spins........

.............and spins..........

 ........and spins.......

 ......and spins for 1-1/2 hours until the chicken is cooked through and the barbecue sauce is caramelized and delicious.

 Is it as good as grandma's?  I won't know until little sister gets a taste but I like to think it is.

Fire Up the Grill!!!!

FIRE UP THE GRILL!!!!!!!  It feels good to be able to say that again.  I haven't been able to do that for over a year now ever since I left Wisconsin.  The wife and I have been living in an a condo, well really a two story apartment, where grilling wasn't allowed.  We decided to live there for a year so we could scout the neighborhoods here in Rockville and decide where we wanted to live.  Needless to say, the scouting is done, we're moved and thanks to my mother my grille is here in Rockville with us.  But this post isn't about my trusty Weber grill, this post is about my new Weber Smoky Mountain smoker. 

A couple of years ago Weber redesigned their smoker and decided to build it in a 22-1/2" model, the same as their every popular charcoal grill. Since I first saw the smoker online I knew someday I would have one.

This wasn't the maiden voyage for the smoker today, last week I tried a new way (at least for me) to cook a steak, which I will share in the near future, and I cooked a cranberry glazed turkey breast, which really needs to be a post for another day too.  You can see from the photo above this baby has the ability to hold a lot of charcoal for those really long smoking days.  As soon as I can find a delicious looking beef brisket recipe and a good beef brisket I am going to find out how long the charcoal will last in this baby.

But today's meal isn't about beef brisket or turkey breast, no sir, today we are talking about the number one food group, baby back ribs.  As most of you know, that take the time to actually read this blog, on my bucket list is to enter a barbecue contest and to win it.  The ribs have been a work in progress for the past 5 years with two steps forward and one back, or so it seems at times. 

Trying to hide behind the ribs are some baked beans.  The wife and I got the idea for these beans from reading the ingredient list on the back of baked beans we use to buy at a meat market in Wisconsin.  Cooking them on the smoker is from a bbq show I once watched on The Food Network.  Once everything is on the grate it is time to sit back and watch the smoke do its job........

......and watch the temperature so it stays between 225 and 250 degrees.  The extra temperature probe you see today is being used to watch the temperature on the lower rack to see how different it is from the upper thermometer.  By the way just as a note do not trust the upper thermometer as I found out when I checked the upper thermometer against my digital it was about 15 degrees off.

Two hours later it's time to pull the lid and see what we got.  Oh boy, it sure does smell good and starting to look pretty darn good too.  While the lid is off this would be a good time to mop a little sauce on the ribs. 

45 minutes later I repeat the process all over.

Oh we are so, so close now but you can't hurry perfection.  Another 45 minute wait, that's 3-1/2 hours for anyone trying to keep score, and we can finally open the lid on the smoker for the last time.  Let's get a close look this time, beans........

.....and baby back ribs.

I should note the ribs are finished off over hot coals and some of my "secret" barbecue sauce. 

On the traditional fork scale these ribs rate a 4.75 out of 5 forks.  I can't give them a 5 because they were a little saltier than I like.  I used a commercial seasoning mix, which I really like, but it contains 75% salt.  The good news is I found the recipe online and now I can start adjusting it more to my liking.  I believe this is the last item to complete for baby back rib perfection and entry into a bbq contest.  That will be one more item off my bucket list.

Asian Style Baby Back Ribs

One of my favorite meat groups, baby back ribs.  There was a time I was intimidated by pork ribs, I wasn't sure how to cook them, afraid they would turn out tough (actually happened) and overall just wouldn't measure up to the fine ribs the real barbecuers' cook.  Since then I have come along way with my rib cooking and I think I can cook ribs with the best of them when I have my grill, a real charcoal grill.  At this moment I don't have a grill so I have to make do with the next best thing, my oven.

 I am always looking for different ways to cook ribs so when the wife said there was a baby back rib recipe in her new Taste of Home magazine I was interested.  The photo certainly made the ribs look good as it should, the ingredients were easy to come by and the recipe had an asian flare, always a good thing in my book.  (If you are interested in the original recipe from Taste of Home magazine you can click here and print it.)

Let's get started with this weeks Sunday Dinner Episode with introductions of the cast of supporting characters.  Looks like a fairly normal cast this week of which most of the ingredients can be already found in most pantries.  Like I have said before I don't like looking all over creation for my ingredients.  It's the kiss principle Keep It Simple Stupid. 

Now of course if you are an astute reader you will notice one character has yet to be introduced and that of course is the baby back ribs.  I buy my baby back ribs from Whole Foods, simply put they have the best, always fresh, they aren't injected with anything, and a lot of times the tough skin on the back of the ribs is already removed for you.  Sure you pay a few extra cents per pound but in the end it is worth it.

The first order of business is to make an initial glaze to put on the ribs at the beginning of cooking.  This glaze starts with molasses, never a bad thing.  To be honest it's the molasses that got my attention when I read over the recipe.  The glaze gets brushed on, both sides of course.

Once the ribs are in the oven it's time to make the final glaze for the ribs.  It's pretty simple, toss all the ingredients in a sauce pan and reduce.  This is where I decided to change the recipe more to my liking.  I thought the sauce was a bit "tangy" for what I wanted so I made an executive decision and added 2 tablespoons of molasses and 2 tablespoons of honey.  Yep that did the trick for me, a little sweeter and I like sweet.

One hour later I pulled the ribs out of the oven, yep you read that right 1 hour later.  I'll admit I was a bit skeptical since I have always cooked my ribs the real barbecuers' way, low and slow.  That's the way I learned how to cook ribs but I was willing to try a new method, I was praying I wouldn't ruin them in the mean time too. 

Since I am without a grill at this time I put the ribs under the broiler for the final 10 minutes.  The outcome?  Well I was pleasantly surprised.  Were they as good as cooking them on the grill, no, but they are certainly a good alternative.  With keeping in mind they were cooked in the oven and trying not to compare them with ribs cooked on the grill I rate these a 4 out of 5 forks.  I'll certainly make them again and can't wait to cook them on a grill.  I think the grill will give them a completely different flavor.

Asian-Style Baby Back Ribs

(Adapted from Taste of Home Asian Style Baby Back Ribs)

(Printable Version)

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds pork baby back ribs
4-1/2 teaspoons molasses
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

GLAZE:
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons honey
Chopped green onion

Directions

Pat ribs dry. Combine the molasses, garlic salt, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce; spoon over meat. Place ribs on a rack in a small shallow roasting pan. Cover and bake at 350° for 90 minutes or until tender.

In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, pineapple juice concentrate, vinegar, hoisin sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, molasses, honey and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Brush ribs with some of the glaze; grill over medium heat for 8-12 minutes or until browned, turning frequently and brushing with additional glaze. Serve remaining glaze on the side.

Garnish with onion.

The Ultimate Barbecue Chicken

First I must apologize to Tyler Florence for stealing the title to one of his shows but this really is the "Ultimate" bbq chicken. I'll admit this is similar to Tyler's recipe with one major change, I cook mine on a charcoal grille while he cooks his on a grille on top of the stove and finishes it in the oven. While his way of cooking chicken is excellent (I use his method in the winter when I want bbq chicken) let's face it, you can't beat chicken cooked on the grille. And if you ever get into a throwdown with Bobby Flay cooking bbq chicken using this method you will win, guaranteed.

So without further adieu "Are you ready for a throwdown?" Opps, sorry, I thought Bobby Flay was in the audience. Let's get started.

Start with a brine. "A brine you say?" Yes a brine, now don't be afraid of the salt, it doesn't soak up into the chicken in any way. From what I understand the brine or salt actually helps to seal the pores of the chicken to hold the moisture in to give the most moist bbq chicken you will ever have.

Here are the main players in this episode.


Start with a quart or so of water in a sauce pan, add a 1/2 of handful of Kosher salt (1/4 of a cup if you must measure), a 1/2 handful of brown sugar, and a table spoon or so of peppercorns (you can use just plain old black pepper too but peppercorns are suppose to do something, I'm just not sure what). Oh you want to know about the green stuff in the picture eh? Rosemary, I just happened to have it in my "garden" this year. I love the smell of that stuff but you can use any herb you like or none at all, use what you like and like what you use. Bring everything to a boil on the stove while stirring and turn off the heat. Next add the ice cubes and cool back down, after all if you add hot brine to the chicken it will start to cook and that is a bad thing. I should mention this is for one chicken, if you cook two chickens double it and three triple....aw forget it you get the idea.

Put everything in a one gallon zip lock bag.



Next add the brine mixture, cooled off of course.



Put everything in a bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably overnight would be better. Oh what is the bowl for? Just in case the bag springs a leak you don't want chicken brine all over your ice box. The chicken police would have to be called in and you would have to throw everything out in your refrigerator.

Fast forward to the next day.

Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and take out of the brine. Save the brine and serve it instead of milk during dinner. Just kidding, dump it down the sink. Dry the chicken off with paper towels. Another trick is after you dry it off is stick it back into the ice box on a platter for a 1/2 hour. You want the chicken dry because this will help to give a crispy exterior. Once the chicken is dry dust with Emeril's Essence.



Now do you know what time it is? It's time to "FIRE UP THE GRILL!!"



Move the charcoal over so it only covers 1/2 the charcoal grate and place the chicken over the charcoal and brown both sides.



DO NOT walk away. It will only take a minute or so to brown the chicken. If you don't watch the chicken it will burn fast, real fast, take my word, trust me, I'm telling the truth, I have the experience to prove it.

Now it is time to move it over to the indirect side of the grille, see that's why you only put charcoal under half of the cooking grate, smart eh? This is how chicken is cooked without burning it, take my word, trust me, I'm telling the truth, I have the experience to prove it.



This is where you separate the men from the boys, the women from the girls, and the dogs from the pups. This is the point where you make the ultimate bbq chicken, this is the point where people will tell you "This is the best bbq chicken I have ever had." How? Add a little bit of wood on top of the hot charcoal, soak the wood in water first. I prefer apple wood or hickory but you can use anything you want, just remember use what you like and like what you use. Cover the grille and let cook.

DON"T PEAK!



Keep the grille temperature around 350 degrees, 375 is ok and even 400 will work. I know it is hard to regulate the temperature of the grille but with a little practice it can be done. I would also suggest a thermometer mounted in the top of the grille for watching the inside temperature of the grille. I think this is the single most important piece of equipment you can have as a griller.



It will take about a hour to cook but I urge you to use a digital thermometer. Most recipes I have come across say to cook to 165 degrees but I cook chicken to 170 degrees just because I want to be sure it is cooked.

The chicken is done and now is the time to sauce it up. The way I do it is brush sauce on the top side and flip it over onto the coals and then sauce the bottom side. Wait for about a minute, could be more, might be less, just depends on how much heat is left in the coals, keep an eye on it and then turn it over and let the bottom side cook until done. You can sauce the skin side again if you want but it isn't necessary. Use any bbq sauce you like, the sauce I make is excellent on chicken, or use Sweet Baby Ray's or Billy Bones, just remember use what you like and like what you use.

Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes after it is taken off the fire and this is what you are left with.



Grandma Williams would be proud. Even the white meat is moist after cooking it like this, in fact you might only grill white meat after trying it this way.

There you have it my ultimate barbecued chicken, my secret is out, just might be the best you ever had.

After you cook chicken this way don't be surprise if someone comes up to you and says "Are YOU ready for a Throwdown?"