In the Grill of the Night

If there's one thing American women will admit American men can still do better, it's barbecue. Which is why the great barbecue chefs in this country have names like Sonny or Bubba, not Sharon or Lurleen. The open fire pit remains a primordial man's world. Fortunately, the stuff we grill has gotten more refined. Barbecue fare now includes not only ribs and steaks but also slow-cooked smoked game, seafood and vegetables. What's more, barbecue is just as likely to be accompanied by martinis on a silver tray as by a keg of beer in a washtub.

If you own a country house surrounded by ten acres, you can go whole hog--indeed, you can cook a whole hog in an open pit--without worrying about smoking out your neighbors. But for most of us, how we barbecue is determined by where we live.

Down South, pork is the preferred meat, whereas in Texas and the West, beef is the top choice. In North Carolina, there are two regional styles of pork barbecue. Good old boys in the eastern part of the Tarheel State opt for barbecued pork that's been pulled from the bone and doused with a strong but thin, vinegar-based hot-pepper sauce. In the western counties, pork is anointed with a sweet ketchup-style sauce. Texans, on the other hand, prefer a dry seasoning to a wet marinade or basting. Texas seasoning can call for more than a dozen spices such as cumin, coriander and cayenne or chili powder.

Recipes for Carolina and Texas barbecue sauces follow. But before we get to cooking instructions, let's get one thing straight: No matter how good your meat or sauce may be, without the right equipment you won't make tasty barbecue. Sure, you can spend upwards of $2500 on a jazzy appliance the size of a Miata, but our choice is a kettle grill, such as the ones made by Weber. With a kettle grill you can perform any barbecuing task from finishing off meat that's been precooked in an oven to 12-hour smoking. Here's how to throw a barbecue bash.

Let's Get Cooking

An hour before your guests arrive, build a fire in your kettle grill, placing one layer of charcoal under half of the grate. Once the coals have an ash exterior, add two or three small chunks of hardwood or a handful of chips that have been soaked in water for about an hour. (A source for hardwoods from alder to mesquite follows.) Each wood imparts its own smoky flavor to the meat. These chunks or chips should be replenished along with the charcoal every two hours or so during cooking.

Alongside the coals, place a pan of water to keep the meat moist and to catch the drippings. Cover the kettle and let it build up smoke for about 15 minutes, then place your meat on the grate directly over the drip pan. Cover the kettle and be patient. The ideal temperature for barbecuing is about 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and an hour per pound of meat is the cooking time needed.

How much should you flavor the meat before cooking? Some barbecuers contend that it needs to be rubbed only with dry seasonings. Others marinate the meat overnight. Our preference is to season the meat with salt, pepper and a little chili powder. Then proceed to barbecue it without basting until the final 15 minutes of cooking. At that point, the meat should be given a light coat of sauce. Serve additional sauce on the side.

You need to be more careful when cooking poultry and seafood. Chicken requires frequent basting so that the skin doesn't become bitter from the smoke. (Remember not to let cooked chicken come in contact with uncooked sauces that were used as marinades or with platters that have come in contact with uncooked chicken.) Turkey should be partially roasted in an oven before being placed on the grill. Otherwise it will acquire too strong a flavor from the smoke.

Because fish cooks quickly, we recommend frequent bastings to keep it from drying out. The cooking grate should also be lightly brushed with oil to keep the fish from sticking. To smoke a fish such as trout, first marinate it overnight (marinade recipe follows). Most fish (flounder, trout, bass, etc.) will require only several minutes of cooking per side, but tuna or swordfish steaks demand a slightly longer period on the fire. Shrimp are best cooked on a skewer so they can be turned easily. Figure five minutes on a hot grill and then sauté them briefly in a pan. Serve with a vinegar-based sauce. Clams, mussels and oysters should be placed in a pan on the grill and cooked until the shells open. Lobsters should be split in half, the claws cracked and the meat basted with butter or olive oil before grilling meat side down over hot coals. Baste vegetables such as leeks, zucchini, onions and peppers with olive oil or butter and cook on the grill for no more than two or three minutes. No matter what you're cooking, don't let the coals flame up. Grease fires make food taste horrible.

The ideal implement for carving is a Chinese meat cleaver. It severs ribs neatly and intimidates hungry food thieves into keeping their distance before dinner is served. Of course, insulated cooking mitts are necessary, as are a pair of tongs (or, for fish, a long-handled spatula). Have a cutting board nearby, a heated platter for the food, and a stack of paper napkins--not your best damask.

The following are some regional ways to prepare barbecue, followed by a source for exotic wood chips.

[recipe_title]Texas Dry-Rub Seasoning[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 tablespoon black peppercorns[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon cayenne pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon cumin[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon coriander[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon dried oregano[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon dried thyme[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon dried marjoram[/recipe]

In a mortar bowl, crush spices together until mixture achieves the consistency of salt and pepper. Apply it to meat and let stand for an hour or so before barbecuing.

[recipe_title]Texas Wet Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 teaspoon cayenne pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon dried oregano[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon dried cumin[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon ground black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 stick butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cloves garlic, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large onion, diced[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup A.1. steak sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cups ketchup[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup white vinegar[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]juice of 1 lemon[/recipe]

In a bowl, blend the spices. In a saucepan, melt butter, then add garlic and onion. Sauté until onion becomes clear and garlic begins to brown. Add Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, ketchup, white vinegar, sugar and lemon juice. Cook until well blended, then add dry ingredients. Cook slowly over a low flame for at least 40 minutes, until sauce is reduced and thickened. Use as a marinade, basting sauce or side sauce with barbecued beef.

[recipe_title]North Carolina Eastern-Style Barbecue Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]3 tablespoons crushed red pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons freshly ground pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup molasses[/recipe]

[recipe]4 cloves garlic, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 quart white vinegar[/recipe]

In a bowl, mash together peppers, salt, molasses and garlic. Add vinegar and mix. Allow to stand for several hours. Use as a marinade or basting sauce for pork.

[recipe_title]North Carolina Western-Style Barbecue Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 stick butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large onion, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]6 cloves garlic[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup white vinegar[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon cinnamon[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cloves[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon dry mustard[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon chili powder[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup brown sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]2/3 cup ketchup[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup water[/recipe]

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add onion and garlic and sauté until they start to brown. Add white vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, dry mustard, chili powder, brown sugar and ketchup. Stir together, then add water and blend again. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. Best used on pork ribs.

[recipe_title]Southern Pork-Butt Barbecue[/recipe_title]

Rub a five-pound trimmed pork butt with salt and pepper, then place on grill to smoke for about six hours or until meat can be pulled apart in shreds. Chop up meat into pieces. Place in a saucepan, ladle on either of the North Carolina barbecue sauces and cook until sauce is blended with meat. Serve on hamburger buns or white bread with more sauce on the side. Have a bottle of hot sauce (such as Tabasco) on the table for those who want to give the sauce an additional kick.

[recipe_title]Texas-Style Beef Brisket[/recipe_title]

Rub a four-pound beef brisket with Texas dry rub (see above) and let it stand for an hour. Place it on grill with fat side up and smoke for about five hours. Check to see if meat is drying out. If it is, baste with Texas wet sauce (see above) and let it smoke another two to three hours until tender. Carve as you would roast beef. Serve with more wet sauce on the side, along with sliced white bread, pickles and jalapeño peppers.

[recipe_title]Fish Marinade[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1/4 cup vegetable oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup white vinegar[/recipe]

[recipe]1 carrot, shredded[/recipe]

[recipe]1 onion, thinly sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]5 crushed black peppercorns[/recipe]

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place fish fillets in marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple hours. (Don't overmarinate--it will ruin the delicate flavor of the fish.)

[recipe_title]Into the Woods[/recipe_title]

Hardwoods provide the aromatic smoky flavor essential to great barbecue. One of the best sources for barbecue-related items is The Grill Lovers' Catalog, which offers everything from barbecue tools and a $50 smoker to an assortment of wood chips, such as hickory, mesquite, alder, cherry and even ones made from 25-year-old white oak barrels used to age Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey. For a catalog or orders, call 800-241-8981. (Weber has a grill hotline to answer questions about outdoor cooking: 800-GRILL-OUT.)