Article : Barbecue grill

By Ahmed Sy

Some of us are born with a fascination with the art of preparing food, or at least playing with it. There's something magical about mixing up some seemingly incongruous ingredients that looks like a mysterious mess, popping it in the oven and then removing a dish that looks, smells and tastes absolutely wonderful. When you go to a fancy dinner house, it's the chef who is ultimately responsible for the fine looking plate that's set before you. There's a certain mystique about the chef which makes him or her a romantic figure to the aspiring gourmet. If you dream of becoming a chef, let's take a look at what it takes. The professional chef has earned his status through years of dedication and training.

I have to confess that one of the things I like about this form of cooking is that it is so easy to get good results. As long as you have the rights barbeque sauce, you can not go wrong. Until recently, I never had to try a barbecue sauce recipe, because there was a locally made barbecue sauce called Memphis Minnie's that was just simply spectacular. Unfortunately, it recently went under.

I tried cooking with other locally available barbecue sauce recipes, but it was just not the same. People who had praised my cooking in the past were much less lavish with their praise. I just could not get the same results. I looked everywhere for a barbecue sauce recipe that would duplicate the flavor of Memphis Minnie's, but it was all in vain.

Of course, you can take things in a really fancy direction and get a barbecue rotisserie grill. A rotisserie barbecue, when used right, can make unbelievably delicious food. Until you have had rotisserie chicken, you do not know what you are missing. It is completely out of this world. It is well seasoned, well flavored, and much more juicy than other kind of barbecued chicken. Using this style of barbecue grill does take a little bit of effort and timing, but it is well worth the work. The meal you prepare will be one of the best ones you have ever eaten. We're all aware of the fact that we've got to watch our fat and cholesterol intake. No one wants a weight problem or heart problems. Making one simple and delicious change in your choice of meat can make a significant contribution to your good health. Many of us love beef, but the fat content is so high, you feel the need to cut back if you want to stay healthy. A wonderful alternative to beef is found in buffalo meat.

Preparing a barbecue sauce recipe is not as easy as you might think. You have to strike a delicate balance between preserving the flavor, and creating something that is delicious immediately after it is cooked. Almost any good barbecue sauce recipe, it turns out, has to be used within a week of being prepared. Otherwise, it will become stale.

In the end, becoming a chef requires a great passion and respect for food as well as a lot of hard work. However, then you'll be that romantic figure behind the veil, serving your guests the meal they'll be talking about for months to come. Not a bad reward.

They say that variety is the spice of life and this holds true in the kitchen most of all. Many people are looking for original meal ideas that can turn a regular Tuesday evening into a special occasion. Unfortunately, few people have time to pour hours and hours into creating unique meal ideas.

The condiment actually dates back to the 1600's, when some inventive soul discovered that the vinegar and tomato-based concoction, laden with sufficient spices, covered a panoply of unattractive and unhealthful problems with spoiled meat, while adding a zesty flavor.

Today, barbecue sauces come in many textures ranging from a runny liquid to sumptuously thick. Some barbecue purist gourmets look down on the addition of any external flavorings, but a glance at the grocery aisle offerings of available barbecue sauces attests that there are many people who disagree. There are barbecue sauce recipes flavored with fruit, ginger, cayenne, habaneros, chipotle peppers, teriyaki and a host of others.

The lack of fat requires that roasts be cooked slowly, braised or in a crock pot, to achieve a tender piece of meat. The crock pot is the perfect appliance for a buffalo meat roast. Pot roast in one swoop. Just pile in your vegetables with a little broth and place your roast on top. You walk away, and several hours later, dinners ready to serve. You may want some gravy to reward yourself for your new healthful choice. Just kidding or maybe not.

The basic ingredients in a barbecue sauce recipe are tomato sauce, a sweetener, spices, and vinegar. This basic list is for only the most unsophisticated of barbecue sauce recipes. Before you begin making your own barbecue sauce recipe, try several types of commercial sauces to get an idea of tastes you'd like to experiment with in your own kitchen creations.

Keep a stock of handy side dishes that can be whipped up in no time at all. Some of these side dishes have meal ideas and recipes right on the package. These can be some of the most useful resources that you can use in the kitchen.

Dont forget soups, too. There is a plethora of great meal ideas that stem from a regular can of soup. Cream-based soups are ideal for casserole recipes that are certain to be a hit each and every day of the week. The wonderful thing about these meal ideas is that they take very little time to prepare. There are plenty of other meal ideas available in a number of different places. Investing in some of these concepts will save you time and money in the long run.

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Article : Enjoying Southern Style BBQ At Home ( cooking article)

By Alison Wilcox

When cooking southern style bbq there are many methods that can be used. However, the one method that seems to be getting the most attention is the smoked bbq. A lot of the bbq restaurants in the south have their own smoke house to cook their meat in. You do not have to own a smoke house to get that fabulous flavor into your bbq.

You could always use your grill for smoking your bbq. However, if you are planning to do a lot of smoking then you could look into getting a smoker of your own. It is surprising just how affordable a smoker is. The many types you have to choose from is equally as surprising.

Your gonna need to choose a meat for your bbq. Down south we use pork shoulders a lot for our bbq. Your next step will be picking out a type of wood chip for smoking. This is an important step because the chip you choose will be giving your meat most of its flavor. If you ask a group of people to recommend a type of chip to use you will probably get several different answers. There are even people that combine different chips to come up with their own combination.

After you pick out your wood chips you have to move on to seasoning your meat. This step will vary depending on what you prefer. Some people choose to marinade their meat, while others choose to dry rub theirs. Even still there are some people that prefer to use little or nothing so that the meat has a natural flavor.

You may find that many of the bbq restaurants down south like to use dry rubs for their pork shoulders. That is not a problem if you do not like that type of bbq because these places usually have many different types of bbq to choose from. One of the favorites down south is the bbq chicken.

You can do your chicken many different ways, just like your pork or beef. You could choose to brine your chicken before cooking to help it stay juicy. You could also choose to marinade or dry rub. My favorite way to have bbq chicken is with wet bbq sauce smeared on top of it and then cooked slowly so that the sauce becomes sticky.

Another southern favorite is the bbq ribs. With the ribs it is up to you as to whether you want to use beef or pork. You will also have to choose a method of flavoring just like with the pulled pork and the chicken. So you see there are many different types of bbq to choose from and all of them are amazing.

The great thing about bbq is it is up to you as to how you flavor it. There is not one simple way to cook or flavor your bbq. Southern style bbq can be prepared a number of ways. You just decide what you like and make it. If you are having people over and are not sure what everyone likes, you can season your meats many different ways. You can also cook many different meats.

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Article : How Location Affects One's Definition Of Old Fashioned BBQ "how cooking"

By Grace Rivera

Barbeque is a process of slow cooking tough cuts of meat to ensure they are tender and tasty when done. Originally, the process was completed over an open pit in the ground. Today, most restaurants use an indoor pit to hold the fire and provide the heat needed to slow cook tender pieces of pork, beef or chicken. In the USA, the definition of old fashioned BBQ often depends on the region where dining.

Chain restaurants have made Memphis style barbecue common across the states. In Memphis, the barbecue joints slow cook pork shoulders and ribs. A mild, molasses based sauces are used sparingly on the meat just before removing from the grill. When pared with a sweet coleslaw, diners have a meal that may return them many years.

Most of the time, the barbecue joints in Alabama follow the Memphis tradition and use a molasses based sauce. Connoisseurs may notice that the sauce is slathered a little thicker on the ribs. However, when visiting the northern region of Alabama, it is possible to find a special white sauce barbecue sauce. This is made with vinegar and mayonnaise and certainly worth a try.

Kentucky is most famous for the hickory used to create the smoke and heat to cook the meat. It offers a stronger smoke flavor than some other woods and much stronger than you would get at home using briquettes. The meat has a bacon like undertone. When visiting this state, you will not want to miss burgoo, a hearty meat stew served as a side.

In Texas, the barbecue is made of beef. Thanks to the strong earthy flavor of Mesquite wood used to create smoke, the primary way to eat beef brisket is with no sauce at all. If you must have sauce for it to be a barbecue, then you will likely find it sitting in a squirt bottle on the table.

Kansas city was once the end of the cattle drive where beef cattle were loaded onto trains for shipping back east. They provide the Memphis like sauce on beef and other meats using the flavors found in Texas. Look for steak, brisket or ribs, but expect them to be dripping with sauce.

North Carolina is divided into two regions that can never agree on the sauce or best cuts. The East cooks whole hogs and does not include tomato in the vinegar based sauce. In Piedmont, sauce remains thinner than other areas, loaded with vinegar and included tomatoes. This region is also choosier about their meat and prefers pork shoulders that are pulled or chopped when finished.

In South Carolina there are several different traditions. The mustard based sauce is probably the best known variety. Whole hogs are cooked over the coals and diners remove bits of pork to dip in the yellow sauce, that also includes no tomatoes.

Regardless of your own definition of old fashioned BBQ, when visiting different regions, see what they have to offer. If you love good meats with or without sauce, you are not likely to be disappointed. You might even pick up a jar of the local eateries sauce to take home and enjoy.

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