Ode to Carcinogenic Meat

Posted on by

Its summer. School is over (I am officially a Certified Professional Cook — whatever that means) so celebrating my amazing amounts of free time! One of my favorite things to do in the summer is light up my grill and cook ridiculous amounts of meat. I’ve messed around with different bbq rubs over the years but recently found one that is my current favorite. This is a slightly modified version from one of my chef’s — since I’ve had multiple requests for it in the past few days, I thought what better way to revive the blog?

BBQ Rub:

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup onion powder
  • 1/4 cup garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup celery salt
  • 1/2 cup paprika
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • Lemon zest from one lemon
  • 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Except that I didn’t have any leftovers because it ended up seasoning 20 pounds of chicken and a 10 pound pork roast. What leftovers I did end up with I whipped into a bbq sauce which was just 1/3 cup bbq rub, 2/3 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, and 1/3 cup brown sugar.

Another chef, who was slightly obsessed with bacon, had a slightly different take on bbq sauce. While my sauce is what you classically expect, his is a little different:

  1. Saute up a whole mess of bacon (I think we ended up using one whole sheet or 10 slices). Works better if you cut the bacon into smaller pieces before starting this.
  2. Using the fat rendered from the bacon, saute 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, and a few cloves of garlic. (Veggies should be chopped)
  3. Once veggies have cooked down, add 1 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup sugar, and then a splash of the following: Tabasco, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, and liquid smoke.
  4. Using either an immersion blender or food processor, puree until smooth.
  5. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper.

Upon hearing these instructions I really thought he was messing with me. But it turned out really good….a little more trouble than its worth for an everyday bbq but something to keep in mind for a special occasion.

Leave a comment