A Spin On Southern Barbecue

Kentucky is known for many things - hot browns from Louisville,bourbon from the various distilleries across the state and their version of barbecue - well sort of barbecue. This fiery bite of pork shoulder is only known in the mid and southern part of the state - but it is catching on quick.

Steven Raichlen , the king of American barbecue and host/chef of such PBS shows as Barbecue University, Primal Grill, Project Fire , and Project Smoke wrote bout this variation of barbecue for today's New York Times Food section. He went to southern Kentucky to try this tasty and tongue searing roast.It does have roots, as other barbecues, in colonial America  where traditional barbecue was a favorite of George Washington and originated with the cooking of the enslaved. However this one is different from other roasts . There's no chopping or shredding. The meat isn't slow smoked.It does require to be thinly sliced and then put into the freezer before slicing.The meat also needs an electric bandsaw - a mean looking cutter that was a regular fixture in butcher shops until the Twentieth Century. As for the dip, that's unique too to Monroe County too. According to Anita Hamilton Bartlett, owner and chef at her restaurant,R&S Barbecue, her grandfather had told her that the recipe came from an old enslaved camp in Cave City, where his ancestors were enslaved. It's an hour northwest of them but the recipe probably migrated south as people searched for better lives. The most perplexing question is why pork shoulder.It could have originated in farm country. Pork shoulder is quick to cook and calorie dense , perfect for hungry field hands after a day of picking tobacco leaves.

The sauce is what makes it, although the pork shoulder on its' own would be delicious. The dip is made first, with distilled white vinegar,cayenne pepper, and kosher salt. Ketchup and mustard are also added along with butter and lard - yes lard. Home grillers may balk at the large amount of butter - two sticks - and half a cup of lard used.According to Mr. Raichlen it is vital to the recipe. Lard reinforces that sweet porky flavor along with keeping the steaks rich and moist.He also recommends subbing in more (!) butter if lard isn't available. The true recipe has brown vinegar which is merely distilled vinegar with caramel coloring. The barbecue sauce is cooked over a stove top and will be slathered onto the meat whilei t's still hot. Take out the grill if it's been put away for the season. The pork shoulder will be cooked on a grill oiled with vegetable oil. It's then taken off the grate and dunked in the sauce and finished grilling about three to five minutes each side. Do a second dunking with the cookd meat and served with a side of sauce. There's also a BBQ egg recipe which is pickling hard boiled eggs in the barbecue sauce for a week in the fridge. The butter and lard will congeal into a crust. Break this and drain the sauce. The extra sauce can be reheated and used for pork, chicken or steak.

This tasty variation of barbecue is a nice change up from regular ones. It may be fiery but it's a great chill chaser on an autumn night.Try it for a different spin and for a flavor that's both spicy and rich.

The Old Fashioned Way Of Grilling

Before charcoal there was wood.It stoked the home fires and cooked deliciously flavored meats.Now it's coming back thanks to a new generation of home grillers. They 're discovering that a few chips or sticks can make a big difference in a barbecue's success.

Steven Raichlen,  the host of the  shows Primal Grill and Project Smoke and  the guru on anything smoked wrote this in depth article for yesterday's New York Times Food section.As he points out this new trend is nothing new. Wolfgang Puck and Alice Waters have been using wood fuel for decades.This new generation of chefs are embracing it with an almost religious zeal. A growing number of home cooks are also making the switch. Grilling over wood is healthier and won't raise the  risk of getting cancer.The other plus is the taste.It comes from the high dry heat of a wood fire which caramelizes proteins in meat and the plants sugars in fruits and vegetables. Another plus is wood smoke contains more than a thousand flavor producing compounds., according to Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, once a Microsoft executive and now promotes modernist cooking. The list of chemicals include creosol which gives Scotch whiskey it's smoky peaty taste , syringol, responsible for the clovelike flavors and vanillin - the source of the vanilla sweetness in smoke. It's much more effective than charcoal in flavoring meats, However, he warns avoid evergreens like spruces and pines which emit a black, sooty smoke that has the repulsive taste of turpentine.

Before home chefs get on the wood bandwagon, there are a few things to keep in mind. According to another grilling expert, Aaron Franklin, use one kind of wood  When you mix wood, you really can't pinpoint the flavor. Keep in mind that different regions of this country use different woods that actually define then. Southerners use hickory, which is always associated with their outdoor cooking. The Southwest  along with Hawaii and Northern Mexico uses mesquite which not only gives grilled meat a distinctive flavor but also provides the added fun of pyrotechnic sparks. The Pacific Northwest has a fondness for cherry and alder. Any fruit tree will do. Home grillers should use split seasoned, appropriate logs (or hearty sticks). They should be between ten and twelve inches long and  two to three inches wide. Use seasoned, older wood instead of younger or green wood because it burns more effeciently. Also make sure it's split because it burns quicker. Grill affectionados may also want to get a parilla grill, This is a huge investment but worth it .It's basically building an outdoor kitchen in the backyard. You can also buy a smaller version from Home Depot or Lowe's.Wood grilling is also versatile. You can grill over flaming logs, like cooking on a campfire or over glowing embers like with a charcoal grill.

Wood grilling is a popular method for creating tasty barbecues. Try cooking over a fragrant wood for a delicious spin .It may be old school but it has a decidedly modern flavor.