Independence Day Suggestions

Great ideas for summertime fun!

The 4th of July is a time to get out the barbecue pit or gas grill and do some serious cooking. If you didn't do much for Memorial Day then you certainly will for the 4th! Many of you will choose burgers, dogs and chickens for their ease and comfort. We suggest stepping out of your "comfort zone" and move into new cooking territory. If you're not trying something new, then you may not be playing enough!

If you are cooking the "tried and true", we're sure it's great, but is it as good as you can get? One of the books we recommend, which sells 10 to 1 over all of our books, is Smoky's Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual. He takes you to new cooking levels, safely and with tons of humor.

If you are interested in trying something new, you might also try clicking on one of these resources for more excitement:

Barbecue'n Recipes	Try some new recipes - We have years of weekly recipes for your stretch. Take a look at several and choose one that looks great and may offer you room to try out your new talent of being the best chef on the block!	Barbecue'n FAQ's	Lost on a technique? - We have TONS of information on how to fix a particular meal, adjust for the right temperature, cook something really unusual. Find out about anything. Want more? Check out the NEW FAQ's!
Barbecue'n Chat	Want to Chat? - Take some time to visit with other barbecue'n folks on our Chat Line. Log in and spend some time visiting and asking others how they do this or that. Or simply do some chattin'	Barbecue'n Spices	The World of Spices - Spices can either make or break the meal. And there are thousands, if not millions, of flavors. See what Ann Wilder has to offer in the "World of Spices"!

Old Smokey Contest Winner

Winner of the Old Smokey Electric Smoker

In honor of the 4th of July, we thought it would only be fitting that we give away one heck of a smoker for the Independence Day weekend. By far, this is our largest selling backyard smoker because of its durability and ability to produce great tasting food. If you would like to know more, please feel free to read about the Old Smokey Electric Smoker!

We have 30,000 plus registered for The Smoke 'N Fire Enquirer and, if you are receiving this newsletter from us, you are automatically entered for this contest. There is only one winner each month! So, without further delay, the winner of this month's Old Smokey Electric Smoker is the honorable:

   Jim Holcombe     Hey Jimmy, if you will send us the email address used when you signed up for the Smoke 'n Fire Enquirer, we will validate your address (just in case there are two of you out there!) and get your brand new Old Smokey Electric Smoker out right away so you can fire it up on the 4th! Congratulations! For you other great folks, don't give up. We'll have a new contest next month and be drawing from the same list you are on!

The ABCs of Getting More Thrill From Your Grill

Get Ready To Enjoy The Summer!

Smoky has been on the road a lot the last few weeks and wanted to let you know that he will finish up this series in our next issue. He appreciates your patience and says to go have fun this coming 4th of July. If something went particularly well or bad and you need to let him know, you can give him a shout at cchale@telapex.com

Next time: “The rest of the alphabet”

Ready for Rib Tickling Fun?

A Primer for Pork Ribs

Bodacious BURGERS 'N DOGS, will probably the most common meal cooked this 4th of July, but, either loinback (babyback), spare or St. Louis cut pork ribs will surely be next on the list. They don't take that much time to prepare, are extremely tasty and family/friends will hear fireworks going off when they bite into those tasty morsels. To get you on the right footing, we suggest visiting the following pages for more great information:

 Championship Ribs in your Backyard 
 Smoky's Essay on Barbecued Pork Ribs 

ALL AMERICAN SHOW STOPPING JUICY PORK RIBS

 Begin with 2 (of any size) slabs of pork ribs
 1/3 cup salt
 1/3 cup fresh ground black pepper - we prefer tellicherry
 1/4 cup paprika
 2 Tbs sugar
 1 Tbs salt
 1 Tbs garlic powder
 1 Tbs chili powder
 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
 1 tsp cinnamon
 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
 yellow mustard

DIRECTIONS: The first thing to do is to remove the membrane from the inside (curved) portion of the rib(s). This is easily accomplished if you take a clean phillips head screwdriver and slide it under the membrane. Grab the loosened membrane with a clean paper towel and pull it from the ribs. Next, using the ordinary yellow mustard, rub or brush a thin layer on both sides of the ribs. You'll never taste the mustard, but it helps hold the seasonings on and sets up a tender crusty bark which is to fight over.

Combine all the ingredients thoroughly and sprinkle on the ribs just a little heavier than you would with salt - say twice as heavy. Let the ribs sit covered until the dry rub is moist. While that process is going on, get your grill/pit heated and have a steady temperature of 225° to 230°. (Suggested Chamber Thermometers) The fire is to be on one side and the meat will be placed on the other (indirect cooking). Cook until tender. Loinback (babyback) ribs will take 4-5 hours and spare/St. Louis ribs will be looking at 5-7 hours depending upon their size. Before proceeding, take a look at the following suggestions:

Combine all the seasonings and coat the both sides of the ribs liberally (about twice what you would use as salt - Some like it even heavier). The heat from the grill will make the spices more mellow and flavorful.

NOTES & COMMENTS:

DON'T EVER, EVER, EVER par-boil the ribs! - See comments below DON'T ever slice the ribs before cooking DON'T wrap it in foil DON'T baste until 1/2 finished cooking or when the dry rub adheres to the meat DON'T use sugar or tomato products on the meat while cooking - see comments below DON'T GRILL your ribs over direct heat DO remove the membrane from the back side of the ribs DO leave the ribs as a whole slab when cooking DO use a dry rub which is low in sugar DO bring ribs to room temperature before placing on the pit DO pre-heat the pit to 225° to 230° DO use yellow mustard before adding seasonings DO sprinkle/rub/pat the spices onto both sides of the ribs DO allow the spices to sit on the meat for 2 to 4 hours DO cook indirectly DO baste every 30 minutes after the wait period DO keep the grill lid down to cook thoroughly DO use a rib rack if space is limited DO allow the pit to cool for the last 30 minutes - Then apply your finishing sauce (favorite barbecue sauce) - See discussion below Do allow the ribs to "rest" on a cutting board 10 minutes before slicing Do slice evenly between the ribs COMMENTS: Never par-boil your ribs! Par-boiling closes the pores and prevents the ribs from absorbing all the flavors. The sauce will also never set up to form a tender crust. If you simply remove the membrane, add the seasonings and cook over indirect heat for the prescribed times, your ribs will absorb far more flavor and be much more tender. NOTE: If your ribs "fall off the bone", THEN YOU HAVE OVER COOKED THEM - BOTTOM LINE. They should be tender, juicy and easily pull from the bone, but not have all the meat fall from the bone on the first bite. Only the place where you bite should the meat easily and gently release and leave the rest of the meat on the bone. This is a real challenge for the cook wanting perfect ribs. Should you want falling off the bone ribs (i.e. over cooked ribs) when the first bite is taken, just cook them several hours after you should have already taken them off the pit and you will have achieved your goal of overcooked ribs! We know some may disagree, but those dear folks are the facts. Sugar and tomato products will burn over lengthy cooking times so do not add them until the pit begins to cool (at the end of the cooking process). We suggest preparing a unique glaze to be applied near the end (being the last 20 to 30 minutes) of cooking. Suggestions might include such finishing glazes as: Cherry, Fig, Orange, Raspberry, Apricot, Honey or many other fruits combined with something like Habanero, Chili, Ginger, Allspice, Soy or any other flavoring you might enjoy. A really special book on preparing a variety of different types of ribs would be The Great Ribs Book.

4th of July Weekend Is Near! The Barbecue Store has the greatest selection of outdoor equipment found anywhere. Now is the time to be stocking up for a fun filled summer of great outdoor excitement. If you can't find it here, give us a shout! Shop now for great items for grilling and barbecuing. www.barbecue-store.com The Best Barbecue'n Products in The World The Safest Shopping Experience Everything You Need 701 TEMPERATURE DETECTIVE BBQ THERMOMETER The finest in high tech outdoor cooking allowing for complete control of your outdoor cooking. This breakthrough offers the ultimate in cooking convenience. A MUST HAVE ITEM! GOLF BALL BARBECUE GRILL The Golf Ball Barbecue Grill will be a big hit at your next barbecue. The grill's large 363 sq. in. cooking surface is big enough to cook for the whole neighborhood! A MOST POPULAR GRILL OREGON CEDAR PLANKS Get the original cedar plank direct from the Pacific Northwest. Each packet comes with 3 fresh cedar planks for grilling great salmon. If you are tired of the same old grilling or are an avid follower of cedar plank grilling, you'll love getting these great planks. GREAT NEW IDEA! OUR VERY BEST SELLER LIST EQUIPMENT: Cajun Grills, Bradley Smokers, SoJoe Fire Pits ACCESSORIES: Chicken Sitters, Hooks, Paws & Tongs, Buckaroo Barbecue THERMOMETERS: Remote Thermometers, Digital Thermometers, Pit Thermometers FLAVORING: Bone Suckin' Rib Rub, Holy Smoke BBQ Sauce , Wine-Garlic Spray Glaze WOOD & PELLETS: Western Hardwood Charcoal, Wood Chips, Smoking Pellets OTHER STUFF: Smoky's BBQ Manual, Rosewood Grill Brush, Smoke Cooking School FORGED TOOL SET The One Piece Forged Tool Set is made from strong stainless steel with elegant, polished hardwood handles. The set includes the spatula, tong and fork all made with full tong and rivet construction. KEEP THESE FOR LIFE! BEERMAN BBQ BASTER The BeerMan BBQ Baster is the neatest thing since sliced brisket! The Beer Can Baster is a self-contained basting brush which easily and neatly snaps onto any standard size beverage (read beer!) can. Simply mix your own sauce or marinade right in the can! Mix it, snap it, baste it! GET ONE FOR ALL YOUR FRIENDS! WE HAVE MORE NEW STUFF! BRAND NAMES: Patio Classic . Bone Suckin' Sauces & Rubs . The Spice Hunter PRODUCTS: Aprons, Aprons, Aprons . Hardwood Charcoal . BBQ'rs Delight Gift Set GREAT NEW PRODUCTS FOR YOUR OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE SMOKINTEX PRO SERIES ELECTRIC SMOKERS SmokinTex PRO Series Smokers and Slow Cook Ovens make old-fashioned pit barbecue and delicious natural wood smoked foods. This is genuine pit barbecue! Excellent smoke flavor; tender, moist product. A heavy duty electric smoker for all occasions

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Reader's Quips, Questions & Comments

Lou from NJ has been doing some serious thinking ...

Hello,

Great Grill Marks

Don't you just love grill marks the grilling grate leaves on your meats? Those marvelous marks come from placing the meat on a clean, VERY HOT grilling grid. The heat from the grilling grid actually burns its imprint into the meat. And a clean grill will make a better mark. Clean your grilling grates thoroughly each time before use with a clean, stiff wire brush. A new, inexpensive product on the market which is becoming extremely popular is the Grate Chef Grill Wipes Regardless, clean those grilling grates for better flavor and great grill marks!

Lou from New Jersey here. I made an improvement to my Brinkman smoker that is applicable to all similar types of smokers.

There are two lids, one lid on the firebox, another on the grill itself. Unfortunately both of these lids leak when they are closed. My solution was to take a high temperature caulk and run a thick bead of this around both door openings. Cover the wet caulk with a thin sheet of saran wrap, close the lids and let the caulk dry.

As the lids close the caulk will be pressed and will fill in the gaps between the lids and surfaces of the grill. This allows much less leakage of heat allowing for more accurate temperature control.

Thank you
Lou Sandler

Hi Lou,

Good thinkin' Lou! You are more than correct in stating the Brinkmans are notorious for leaking at joints, lids and other undesirable places. (Well made pits and grills have far fewer air leaks.) When smoke leaks out, then somewhere, air has to be coming in. As Lou mentions, if you cannot control the air flow in your pit, then you certainly cannot control your temperatures. We suggest using something to seal the leaks and regain control of the temperatures. Lou uses caulk. Make sure it provides for higher temperatures if used around the firebox. You might also consider using fireplace rope. A product that we have found useful is Stove Gasket Cement which stands up to 2000°+ temperatures. Any way you decide is acceptable, but be sure to plug your leaks!

Have fun!

---

Well, we've got to go back to work now, so enjoy the site and keep those comments (good and bad) coming along!

Keep Those Fires Hot!

Well, {FirstName}, we've done it again, come to the end. We hope you enjoyed this SPECIAL EDITION of The Smoke N' Fire Inquirer. Keep on SSSSsmokin'. . . . . Again, if you have any comments, please send them to ..............

Charlie @ barbecue@nottingham.com

Sincerely,

Your Barbecue'n hosts,
Charlie McMurrey (a/k/a/ "PC") & And Smoky

			Available

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