New Books

Chad received a couple of new BBQ books for his birthday from my mom and dad. One of the books is Weber's Charcoal Grill, the art of cooking with live fire. It has been written by Jamie Puriance and photography is by Tim Turner. Chad likes this book because 95% of the recipes show a picture of the finished product. (love you honey) The thing I like about this book is that not only does it have over 115 recipes, it also has a ton of tips and tricks within it. I'd like to share a couple with you tonight.
There is a section about Rubs and Marinades. It explains that "if you leave a rub on for a long time, the seasonings intermix with the juices in the meat and produce more pronounced flavors, as well as a crust. It then explains that "a rub with alot of salt and sugar will draw moisture out of the meat over time, making the meat tastier, yes, but also drier. So how long should you use a rub?" Here are their guidelines.

1 to 15 minutes = Small food, such as shellfish, cubed meat for kabobs, and veggies.

15 to 30 minutes = Thin cuts of boneless meat, such as chicken breast, fish fillets, pork tenderloin, chops, and steaks

30 to 90 minutes = Thicker cuts of boneless or bone-in meat, such as leg of lamb, whole chickens, and beef roasts.

2 to 8 hours = Big or tough cuts of meat, such as racks of ribs, whole hams, pork shoulders, and turkeys.

They have a recipe for a Fennel Rub that caught my eye.
3 teaspoons ground fennel seed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 teaspoons pure chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

If you dare try this recipe, we'd love to hear what you used it for. It sounds yummy.

In the marinade section it explains that "the right times vary depending on the strength of the marinade and the food you are marinating." Soy sauce, liquor and hot chiles are intense flavors and shouldn't be over done. "A fish fillet should still taste like fish, and not a burning hot, salt soaked piece of protein." Also noted is that an acidic marinade can make the surface mushy or dry if left on too long. Here are the marinading times they suggest.

15 to 30 minutes = Small food, such as shellfish, cubed meat for kabobs, and veggies.

1 to 3 hours = Thin cuts of boneless meat, such as chicken breast, fish fillets, pork tenderloin, chops, and steaks

2 to 6 hours = Thicker cuts of boneless or bone-in meat, such as leg of lamb, whole chickens, and beef roasts.

6 to 12 hours = Big or tough cuts of meat, such as racks of ribs, whole hams, pork shoulders, and turkeys.

"Note: after a marinade has been in contact with raw fish or meat, either discard it or boil it for at least 30 seconds. The boiling will destroy any harmful bacteria that might have been left by the fish or meat. A boiled marinade often works well as a basting sauce."

I hope you found this information useful. If you have a question for The BBQ specialist, don't hesitate to send us an email. We look forward to hearing for you.