Meat
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Garlic Ginger Wings
To brine or not to brine? To marinate or not to marinate? These are only two of the many questions folks who enjoy cooking have to ask on a regular basis. My answer: sometimes yes to one, sometimes yes to both, sometimes no to both…you get where this is going. Each method has a different benefit or even a downfall. For example, brining or marinating large cuts of beef such as a chuck roast or brisket I find has little effect simply because the fibers are so dense and tough. I find poultry on the other hand, being a much lighter protein, takes well to both brining and marinating. Which…
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Grilled Alligator with Crab Boil Gnocchi
People joke that there is nothing southerners won’t eat, provided of course it doesn’t eat us first. A pretty spot-on example of this is alligator. Even though alligator attacks are rare (I’m fairly certain there has never been a fatal alligator attack in Louisiana) it is still one of the more dangerous critters we can consume. Check out this Grilled Alligator with Crab Boil Gnocchi recipe.
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Roast Beef Poboy
Some things scream Southern cuisine without even trying. Gumbo, jambalaya, and poboys all let you know which region you're driving through if your GPS is broken and your sense of direction sucks. The Roast Beef Poboy is at the top of that list. The Roast Beef Poboy also has the distinction of being the first actual poboy. The two main versions of the Roast Beef Poboy you'll see around both contain a dark, beefy gravy. The difference lies in the meat. Some places serve the poboy with sliced, deli-style roast beef. While this version is still delicious, in my opinion, it takes a backseat to the number one way to…
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Baby Back Ribs
Ribs. The great backyard equalizer. Properly done, they are tough to beat no matter what delicious backyard bbq recipes are on your resume. On a BBQ scale of difficulty, I would rank these somewhere between pork shoulder (aka pulled pork) and brisket. While not quite as difficult as brisket, ribs still present their own challenges. Like shoulder and brisky, ribs are not too be rushed. This means, at least for me, these are definitely a weekend endeavor. You can expect anywhere from up to seven hours for spares or up to five or six hours for baby backs.
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Venison Roast
If you have a hang up with eating deer, all I can say is, you don't know what you're missing. If you don't hunt or don't know a hunter, these can be difficult to get. But if you ever have the chance, don't pass. It has a fantastic flavor.
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Roasted Prime Rib
Ah...the prime rib. The star of Christmas dinners and casino buffets across the country. More properly referred to as standing rib roast (not all rib roasts have to be deemed prime by the USDA) because you can stand it on its own bones while cooking. The rib roast is one of nine primal cuts of the cow and certainly one of the more sought after cuts.
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Fried Pork Belly
Of the many delicious cuts from our good friend, the pig, perhaps none are as famous as bacon. The belly of the pig is cured, smoked, then usually served alongside some eggs or in between two pieces of bread with lettuce and tomato. As yummy as bacon is, when you skip the steps of curing and smoking you're left with a different treat all its own.
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Pulled Pork
Easily one of the most recognizable forms of BBQ is pulled pork. Which, by definition, is a piece of pork that has been cooked to a temperature that allows itself to be pulled off the bone. Many cuts can be used but the most common is the shoulder, aka Boston Butt. A staple at every decent BBQ restaurant and competition. For first time smokers, pulled pork is an excellent option mainly because the shoulder is a very forgiving cut of meat.