BBQ for Beginners
Chicken Thighs
In your kitchen oven, put thighs in lasagna pan, and bake, covered, at 350° until just barely done. If they’re crammed in, it may take more than an hour. Let them cool, and store in plastic bags in the fridge until ready to BBQ.
Set BBQ to medium, and put thighs on. Baste with Chicken & Rib Sauce, turning frequently, for about 20 minutes or until heated through and skin is looking yummy.
Marinated Flank Roast
Use flank or other long narrow cheap cut. Keep the shape long and tubular sort of, so it soaks up the marinade, and so it cooks through without burning outside too much.
Mix 85% Soy Sauce, 10% Terriyaki Sauce, 5% Worcestershire Sauce (see Tom's Marinade recipe) and make enough to soak the roast.
Keep rolling it every once in a while for even coverage, and keep it covered in the fridge for a day or two (flexible, but no more than 3 days).
With BBQ on medium, about 400°, turn frequently but don’t put more marinade on it – it already has enough flavour. The 3 or 4 lb. roast we did took about an hour. You may want to cut into it toward the end, so you can judge the rareness of the centre. It should be rare but not raw in the centre. It looks more done when cut on the plate than it looks out on the BBQ.
Another idea would be to marinate it in a BBQ style sauce and then baste it as you’re turning it out on the BBQ .
Hamburgers
Mix medium ground beef, salt, pepper, dried onions and make into patties. Wrap in waxed paper, keeping them separate so they’re easy to use individually. Freeze or store in fridge no longer than one day.
With BBQ on medium, cook them until they’re just barely done, no pink but not dried out. Toward end (say after 5 mins on each side), check with knife and fork to see middle of one or two of them.
Filet Mignon Type Steaks
1. Let meat stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Rib with oil, salt and pepper.
3. Preheat BBQ on high for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Sear the meat, on high, to quickly brown both sides.
5. Reduce heat to medium and close lid.
6. Cook, turning once or twice. It's medium rare when you press
it with a finger and it's no longer soft, but not yet firm.
(A 1 1/2" steak takes a total cooking time of about 8 minutes for medium rare.)
Spareribs
In kitchen, bake ribs, covered, in low oven, 325°, for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Add a little water to the pan so they stay moist. Check after an hour or so, and add more water as needed. The idea is to get them moist and tender, fully cooked. Remove them and store in fridge, or put them on BBQ right away.
Over medium heat, BBQ them, basting with lots of Chicken & Rib Sauce. This is pretty much the same method as the chicken thighs – they’re tender and just BBQd at the end so they get the BBQ flavour and sauce.
Beer Can Chickens
Buy small chickens.
Rub chicken and put under skin:
- garlic rub
- BBQ sauce
- or whatever seasoning you like
Pour out half a can of beer and put can (with other half)
inside chicken (in cavity used for stuffing) so it stands upright.
Sit it on a sturdy pie plate or small casserole to catch drips.
BBQ for about an hour – meat thermometer around 165 degrees when inserted.
BBQ should be set at 400 degrees, indirect heat, so back and front burners are on but the middle is not. Sit chicken in middle.
Keep lid closed as much as possible.
It takes a little over an hour to cook, but depends how much lid is lifted, could be more or less.
Pork Tenderloin
Set BBQ at 350° to 400°, 15 to 35 minutes, all burners on.
(e.g., 1 lb. tenderloins take 15 to 20 mins, and
2 ½ lb. tenderloins take 40 to 50 minutes)
Internal temperature should be 150°.
If you want to marinate it, cover it with marinade and put in
fridge for 1 to 3 hours.
Lightly brush tenderloins with oil and seasoning. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes at room temp.
Grill over direct medium heat with the lid closed as much as possible, until the outsides are evenly seared and the centers are barely pink, 15 to 35 minutes, turning about every 5 minutes. The internal temp of the tenderloins should
be 150° when fully cooked.
Remove pork from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut each tenderloin crosswise into thin slices.
BBQ Glazed Pork Kabobs with Apples
serves 6
Pork
1 ½ lb. pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp veg. oil
1 lbsp chopped fresh thyme
pinch salt and pepper
1 tbsp maple syrup
Toss pork with oil, season with thyme, salt and pepper. Skewer meat onto 6 soaked bamboo skewers. Grill over medium heat until tender and cooked through, turning as needed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, brush with maple syrup. Place on large platter.
Apples
2 tbsp maple syrup
3 apples, unpeeled, thickly sliced
2 tbsp. butter
Pour maple syrup over apples and toss to gently coat. Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat; cook apples, stirring often until tender and glazed, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve with pork.
Pork and Chicken Marinades and Rubs
Maple Rub
1 tbsp veg. oil
1 lbsp chopped fresh thyme
pinch salt and pepper
1 tbsp maple syrup
Maple Garlic Marinade
2 tablespoons mustard (Dijon would be nice)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (or other oil if you like)
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
Place pork in a shallow dish and coat thoroughly with marinade.
Cover, then chill in the refrigerator at least eight hours, or overnight.
Preheat grill for medium-low heat.
Remove pork from marinade, and set aside. Transfer remaining marinade to a small saucepan, and cook on the stove over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Brush grate with oil, and place meat on grate. Grill pork, basting with reserved marinade, for approximately 15 to 25 minutes, or until interior is no longer pink.
Avoid using high temperatures as marinade will burn.
Balsamic and Honey Marinade
2 tbsp tbsp liquid honey
2 tbsp grainy mustard
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pork tenderloins
In large bowl, combine honey, mustard, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper; add pork, turning to coat.
(Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
Barb's Kahlua Marinade
1 cup Kahlua
8 oz. of Apricot Jam
1 cup water (Barb says she eliminates water and likes it better)
This is a good marinade for a pork roast or tenderloin.
Mix ingredients together and coat the meat; set aside for a few hours in fridge.
Have a pan underneath to catch drippings.
In your kitchen oven, put thighs in lasagna pan, and bake, covered, at 350° until just barely done. If they’re crammed in, it may take more than an hour. Let them cool, and store in plastic bags in the fridge until ready to BBQ.
Set BBQ to medium, and put thighs on. Baste with Chicken & Rib Sauce, turning frequently, for about 20 minutes or until heated through and skin is looking yummy.
Marinated Flank Roast
Use flank or other long narrow cheap cut. Keep the shape long and tubular sort of, so it soaks up the marinade, and so it cooks through without burning outside too much.
Mix 85% Soy Sauce, 10% Terriyaki Sauce, 5% Worcestershire Sauce (see Tom's Marinade recipe) and make enough to soak the roast.
Keep rolling it every once in a while for even coverage, and keep it covered in the fridge for a day or two (flexible, but no more than 3 days).
With BBQ on medium, about 400°, turn frequently but don’t put more marinade on it – it already has enough flavour. The 3 or 4 lb. roast we did took about an hour. You may want to cut into it toward the end, so you can judge the rareness of the centre. It should be rare but not raw in the centre. It looks more done when cut on the plate than it looks out on the BBQ.
Another idea would be to marinate it in a BBQ style sauce and then baste it as you’re turning it out on the BBQ .
Hamburgers
Mix medium ground beef, salt, pepper, dried onions and make into patties. Wrap in waxed paper, keeping them separate so they’re easy to use individually. Freeze or store in fridge no longer than one day.
With BBQ on medium, cook them until they’re just barely done, no pink but not dried out. Toward end (say after 5 mins on each side), check with knife and fork to see middle of one or two of them.
Filet Mignon Type Steaks
1. Let meat stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Rib with oil, salt and pepper.
3. Preheat BBQ on high for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Sear the meat, on high, to quickly brown both sides.
5. Reduce heat to medium and close lid.
6. Cook, turning once or twice. It's medium rare when you press
it with a finger and it's no longer soft, but not yet firm.
(A 1 1/2" steak takes a total cooking time of about 8 minutes for medium rare.)
Spareribs
In kitchen, bake ribs, covered, in low oven, 325°, for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Add a little water to the pan so they stay moist. Check after an hour or so, and add more water as needed. The idea is to get them moist and tender, fully cooked. Remove them and store in fridge, or put them on BBQ right away.
Over medium heat, BBQ them, basting with lots of Chicken & Rib Sauce. This is pretty much the same method as the chicken thighs – they’re tender and just BBQd at the end so they get the BBQ flavour and sauce.
Beer Can Chickens
Buy small chickens.
Rub chicken and put under skin:
- garlic rub
- BBQ sauce
- or whatever seasoning you like
Pour out half a can of beer and put can (with other half)
inside chicken (in cavity used for stuffing) so it stands upright.
Sit it on a sturdy pie plate or small casserole to catch drips.
BBQ for about an hour – meat thermometer around 165 degrees when inserted.
BBQ should be set at 400 degrees, indirect heat, so back and front burners are on but the middle is not. Sit chicken in middle.
Keep lid closed as much as possible.
It takes a little over an hour to cook, but depends how much lid is lifted, could be more or less.
Pork Tenderloin
Set BBQ at 350° to 400°, 15 to 35 minutes, all burners on.
(e.g., 1 lb. tenderloins take 15 to 20 mins, and
2 ½ lb. tenderloins take 40 to 50 minutes)
Internal temperature should be 150°.
If you want to marinate it, cover it with marinade and put in
fridge for 1 to 3 hours.
Lightly brush tenderloins with oil and seasoning. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes at room temp.
Grill over direct medium heat with the lid closed as much as possible, until the outsides are evenly seared and the centers are barely pink, 15 to 35 minutes, turning about every 5 minutes. The internal temp of the tenderloins should
be 150° when fully cooked.
Remove pork from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut each tenderloin crosswise into thin slices.
BBQ Glazed Pork Kabobs with Apples
serves 6
Pork
1 ½ lb. pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp veg. oil
1 lbsp chopped fresh thyme
pinch salt and pepper
1 tbsp maple syrup
Toss pork with oil, season with thyme, salt and pepper. Skewer meat onto 6 soaked bamboo skewers. Grill over medium heat until tender and cooked through, turning as needed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, brush with maple syrup. Place on large platter.
Apples
2 tbsp maple syrup
3 apples, unpeeled, thickly sliced
2 tbsp. butter
Pour maple syrup over apples and toss to gently coat. Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat; cook apples, stirring often until tender and glazed, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve with pork.
Pork and Chicken Marinades and Rubs
Maple Rub
1 tbsp veg. oil
1 lbsp chopped fresh thyme
pinch salt and pepper
1 tbsp maple syrup
Maple Garlic Marinade
2 tablespoons mustard (Dijon would be nice)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (or other oil if you like)
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
Place pork in a shallow dish and coat thoroughly with marinade.
Cover, then chill in the refrigerator at least eight hours, or overnight.
Preheat grill for medium-low heat.
Remove pork from marinade, and set aside. Transfer remaining marinade to a small saucepan, and cook on the stove over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Brush grate with oil, and place meat on grate. Grill pork, basting with reserved marinade, for approximately 15 to 25 minutes, or until interior is no longer pink.
Avoid using high temperatures as marinade will burn.
Balsamic and Honey Marinade
2 tbsp tbsp liquid honey
2 tbsp grainy mustard
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pork tenderloins
In large bowl, combine honey, mustard, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper; add pork, turning to coat.
(Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
Barb's Kahlua Marinade
1 cup Kahlua
8 oz. of Apricot Jam
1 cup water (Barb says she eliminates water and likes it better)
This is a good marinade for a pork roast or tenderloin.
Mix ingredients together and coat the meat; set aside for a few hours in fridge.
Have a pan underneath to catch drippings.