If you haven’t tried smoked chicken wings, now is your time!  There’s nothing like the crowd pleasing taste of chicken wings that have slow cooked barbecue flavor.  This recipe uses traditional barbecue rub, however feel free to experiment with different rubs and sauces to create your own unique masterpiece! Ingredients Chicken wings Traditional BBQ rub Barbecue sauce 1 medium wood chunk How to Barbecue Chicken Wings  Step 1: Prepare the chicken wings If whole wings, cut each wing in half to separate the drumette from the flat. Rinse the pieces under cool water, then pat dry ..read more

Here’s a recipe for fantastic barbecue pork ribs, one that is sure to solidify your place as a backyard barbecue hero.   This is a traditional recipe for smoked BBQ ribs, not the 3-2-1 method which sometimes gets mixed reviews from pit masters.  This recipe will get you great results with all ribs, whether spare ribs, baby back ribs, or St. Louis style ribs. What are the different cuts of pork ribs?  Great question.  There are 5 traditional types of pork rib cuts.  Each have unique characteristics that you should consider before choosing a few slabs for barbecuin ..read more

We’re quickly nearing the end of Summer and you wouldn’t mind adding a little variety to our barbecue flavor palatte.  How about a few homemade barbecue sauces?   BOURBON & CHIPOTLE – I love southwestern flavors and I also love bourbon. So, it was only a matter of time that I combined those flavors into my barbecue.  This delicious barbecue sauce has a unique blend of smokiness, sweetness, and a little kick of heat.   Get the Recipe 2. SWEET & TANGY – This sauce recipe has a nice balance of sweet, tangy, and heat. Once you’ve tried this recipe, fee ..read more

I was born and raised in Georgia, the peach state, so I had fun creating a peachy barbecue sauce. It’s a nice, delicious change up for barbecue ribs and chicken. Ingredients 2 cups ketchup ½ peach (peeled and diced) 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cub firmly packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons hickory liquid smoke 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Instructions Combine all ingredients in a saucepan Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the saucepan fr ..read more

The Minion method for low and slow cooking Traditional barbecue requires indirect cooking at low temperatures for a long period of hours.  If you’re new to smoking meat, you might not have heard of the Minion Method.  It’s a tried and true method for building a fire that slowly ignites unlit coals, producing a long, stead burn that’s needed for smoking meet for many hours.  What’s in a name – “Minion” method? The Virtual Weber website cites the history of this popular method.  As legend goes, Jim Minion was cooking in a competition using his first Weber Smokey Mountain gri ..read more

Looking for an easy way to cook delicious side dishes?  Try grilling veggies.  There are a lot of choices for ingredients, preparation is easy, and who doesn’t like the showmanship of different colors and grill marks!  Not to mention the caramelized, smoky flavor that grilling adds to the vegetable’s natural flavors. What are the best Vegetables for Grilling:  Great question.  The answer is simple: you’re good to grill any vegetables except for leafy greens.  Below are my favorites, however the sky is the limit.  Feel free to try other vegetables s ..read more

These delicious shrimp skewers are easy to prepare and flavorful.  Garlic, honey, lemon, and herbs are front and center for the marinade.  Then, thread onto skewers for some easy grilling.  This is one of my “go to” recipes whenever my family craves shrimp.  Ingredients 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined 3 garlic cloves minced 1/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup honey 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper   How to Make Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Garlic, Honey, and Herb ..read more

Have you ever wondered when your meat was ready to take off the grill?  And, was it cooked enough to be safe?  Certainly, these are important questions.  No one wants the risk of undercooked meat causing foodbourne illness, so let’s cover guidance for ensuring minimum levels of doneness.   Want to safely grill meat?  Consider the USDA Guidelines for Food Safety . There are many websites that reference guidelines for food safety.  Most are pretty good, however I prefer use guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  ..read more

Ingredients 1 small package fresh rosemary 2 small bunches asparagus 4 caps portobello mushrooms 4 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper Instructions Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F. Step 2: Prepare the rosemary-garlic oil Peel and mince garlic; transfer to a small bowl. Pull the rosemary leaves off the sprigs; throw away the sprigs and mince the leaves.   Add to the bowl with the garlic, along with oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Step 3: Prepare the asparagus and mushrooms Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus. Transfer the spe ..read more

This delicious lamb recipe has great traditional flavors using garlic and extra virgin olive oil.  Although the ingredient list has only a few items, don’t let the simplicity fool you.  This dish is easy to make but sure to impress.     Ingredients 4 Lamb chops, about 3/4 inches thick 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper Fresh rosemary Instructions Step 1: Prepare the rosemary-garlic oil Peel and mince garlic; transfer to a small bowl. Pull the rosemary leaves off the sprigs; throw away the sprigs and mince the leaves ..read more