I thought it fitting to smoke a few things this weekend. Corn, Burgers and Pork Ribs would be my choice. It is a good idea to always change your features as you grill your food. With that being said I’ll share what I usually do…
Moonshine will blur your vision, as noted in the above picture. This sauce was to be used as a marinade. The pork ribs are settled nicely in Ziploc bags. I do not usually marinate for super long. 45 minutes did the trick here.
With my hot coals to the front, the journey begins. The food is arranged in the order in which I would like them to be finished. I would like to feed those who are hungry now an appetizer, which will be the burgers. The corn, after coated with some organic olive oil, is placed on the grill. This is my experiment to see how well the olive oil performs. I did cheat and put more on the stove. However, it is not long until the burgers are being topped with all the fresh classic sliced veggies of your choosing. Bacon and grated cheddar cheese was an option of course!
With the exception of one last burger which I plan to Mesquite to all bloody blazes, the burgers and corn are removed. Now I can toss more wet wood chips onto the coals and amplify my barbecuing efforts as the sun sets and the moon starts to break through the clouds. Now I am rolling!!
Occasionally if you place your hand over these hardwood lump charcoal bits, you will have a bit of discomfort to the area of hand closest to these heat. This is good. It means your meat is under the right conditions. I do not use thermometer because this style of cooking for me is as original as it gets. Guaranteed that ol Bubba Saw down in those mountains grilling with his favorite smoke recipe, probably doesn’t even have a way to measure the heat. We do not need one and this doesn’t bother me at all.
Most of the time a simple slice to the bone on ribs is sufficient. Your looking to see no red bubbles or raw colors toward the edge of bone. I have been cooking this way all my life and never had a problem. If you prefer a thermometer, that is ok too. 145 degrees and they are done, not finished smoking, but done. Up to 195 degrees will melt fats that are a bit tougher to chew as well. I can promise you that over my smoking period, my meats sufficiently hit these temperatures, consistently. Do not worry.
It is almost trance like to smell the smells, feel the gentle heat, and see the quiet glowing coals. If you catch a buzz on your favorite Belgian Ale and have some great tunes softly playing then you get extra bonus points. the heat will be just enough to warm you if your sitting close by on a late summer night.
After a last minute coating of my black pepper moonshine sauce, which is all natural by the way, I am set. I give it another 30 minutes with the sauce on it. I did at this point put them on foil to allow my sauce to not be lost. Occasionally I will do this, depending on my mood, time and hunger levels! After I pull the pork off the grill, it is time to eat! I allow mine to sit at room temperature a a half hour longer to lock more flavor, but you may have yours whenever you like. Enjoy!!
**These pictures and events are all mine, reproduce if you would like **
