Dry Rubs For BBQ

Dry rub is a culmination of a variety of spices that can tickle your taste buds. It is not only used for seasoning your poultry or beef, but also added to invite those unconventional yet delightful flavors to vegetables, salads and casseroles. Moreover, how on earth can one avoid the spiced up sandwiches, thanks to dry rub.

Rubs are either used in their dry form or mixed up with some sort of liquid preferably oil. And if dry rub is mixed with oil it might as well be referred as wet rub or paste. Wet rub or paste for that matter brings that heavenly flavor for grilled or roasted meat. The oil simply helps the spices to stick to the respective meat furthering the roasting process.

A mixture of rubs with mustard and horseradish and the subsequent paste can be used to coat briskets prior to their long slow smoking. No wonder dry rub is an absolute ‘must’ especially in barbecues. If you are arranging for a bar-b-q then make sure that you have rubs because that’s how the cuisine will become more delectable.

If you have tasted dry rub for once, you would no longer cater to chilies or pepper for that matter. It is not only hot but the hottest of all in the tinsel town of hot sauces. There are no boundaries, no limits as regards the usage of rubs. Be it the rub for marinating meat or for fish or other delicate items, you just name it. It may sound unorthodox but the fact of the matter is that rubs mixed with mustard or mayonnaise can make a sandwich doubly sumptuous. Again it goes without saying that they add an extra touch of flavor in salad dressing.

Presumably adding some rub to your sour cream or yogurt would mean a culinary shock but in reality it works wonders. Sprinkling hot rubs on baked potatoes, rice, french fries, popcorn not only makes them tastier but also shows that it doesn’t get any easier than this.


Speaking of rubs, ones that come to mind are Corky's Dry BBQ Rub and the Jack Daniel's BBQ Rub. The former sets any bar-b-q perk right up & is ideal for ranch salad dressing. The secret to its taste lies in its ingredients like paprika, salt, spices and garlic. While the latter is both an incredible marinade for pork, beef, chicken, seafood and also an excellent seasoning for vegetables, soups and stews. Surprisingly we find natural hickory smoke flavor, flavoring and Jac Daniel's Black Label Whiskey amongst the ingredients other than the conventional combination of salt, sugar, spices, paprika, monosodium glutamate, onion powder and garlic powder.

Rubs are the ultimate culinary destination with its magical flavors that can transform ordinary taste to extraordinary. If you wish to pamper your appetite then you must indulge into rubs, it’s just a sprinkle away. So what are you waiting for? Run to your nearest store or login to the online stores to grab your rubs today!

Brazilian Cuisine

It began as most ‘ethnic food movements’ do – with small restaurants in the neighborhoods where immigrants settled, diners and lunchrooms and tea rooms opened by those who wanted to offer a taste of home to their fellow émigrés. Chinese, Italian, Middle Eastern, Thai – from family run bistros, the cuisine spread as those outside the cultures of the ‘neighborhood’ learned of the good food and the word spread. The latest ‘new cuisine’ that is spreading like wildfire is Brazilian – a delicious blending of three separate cultures that comes together in dishes and delicacies that aren’t found anywhere else in the world.

To understand the cuisine of Brazil, one must understand a little of its history. The base of Brazilian cuisine is in its native roots – the foods that sustained the native Brazilians – cassava, yams, fish and meat – but it bears the stamp of two other peoples as well: the Portuguese who came to conquer and stayed, and the African slaves that they brought with them to work the sugar plantations. Brazilian cuisine today is a seamless amalgam of the three influences that interweave in a unique and totally Brazilian style.


The staples of the Brazilian diet are root vegetables, seafood and meat. Manioc, derived from cassava root, is the ‘flour’ of the region, and is eaten in one form or another at nearly every meal. The bitter cassava root is poisonous in its raw state, but when prepared properly, the cassava root yields farinha and tapioca, bases for many dishes of the region. The Portuguese influence shows in the rich, sweet egg breads that are served at nearly every meal, and in the seafood dishes that blend ‘fruits de mer’ with coconut and other native fruits and vegetables. The national dish, bobo de camarao is one of these, a delicious mingling of fresh shrimp in a puree of dried shrimp, manioc (cassava) meal, coconut milk and nuts, flavored with a palm oil called dende.

It is the African influence that is most felt, though – as is to be expected of the people who worked in the kitchens. Pineapple and coconut milk, shredded coconut and palm hearts worked their way into everyday dishes, flavoring meat, shrimp, fish, vegetables and bread. Brazilian food, unlike the cuisines of many of the surrounding countries, favors the sweet rather than the hot, and more than any other South American cuisine, it carries the savor of tropical island breezes rather than the hot wind of the desert.

The most common ingredients in Brazilian cuisine are cassava, coconut, dende, black beans and rice. Bacalao – salt cod – features in many dishes derived from the Portuguese, but flavored with typical Brazilian insouciance with coconut cream and pistachio nuts it becomes an entirely different food. It is typical of the Brazilian attitude toward food – an expression of a warm and open people to whom feeding and sharing food is the basis of hospitality. Brazilian cuisine is like its people – all are welcome, all are welcomed and all make their mark – without ever overwhelming the contributions of the other.

Homemade BBQ Sauces


We all know that for some reason there are a lot of people that volunteer to be responsible for the grilling and barbecue at every event that has this option, and many times the barbecue is destroyed for a wide variety of reasons, the fire was too strong, the wind increased the fire, the meat was not right etc.

To know how to grill successfully is not about being an expert at all kind of meat grilling and fire building, it is simply keeping some very basic rules to the way you use the grill and some advice regarding the fire. Control of the fire is a basic rule you must keep if you want a better chance of eating a nicely grilled meat, and if fact it is the most difficult to keep, you need to be slow and conscience of what you are doing.

Most people discover that grilling takes much longer than they thought it would, this brings a lot of problems to the barbecue table, the person in charge of the barbecue gets hungry, people come to visit the grill and offer a lot of advice and tips and some people just visit to see how it is doing, because they start getting hungry. The best thing to do is know your plan, find out the time that the meat is expected to be ready, and start the fire 20 minutes ahead of time since increasing the fire is not a problem, but decreasing it might be a very big problem.

Have a little something to eat before you start, or throughout the cooking to keep you focused on the quality and not the time it take to cook, take the meat out from anything that keeps it cool about 30 minutes before you will load it on the grill, this will help the meat to cook ideally.

In most cases you would want the barbecue not to have any fire but only heat and at that point you need to decide if its warm enough, or needs more heat. To increase the heat you can simply blow into the fire or use something you can wave to make it grow, if you want to decrease the fire you can use a small amount of water to kill some extra warm places and reduce the heat, do not use a lot of water because if you do you run a very good chance of killing the fire altogether. If you are unsure about the heat you can place a small piece of meat and wait 10 minutes to see the effect.

Take the fat off the meat before you cook it, the fat can increase the fire when it starts to drip into the barbecue, and in some cases, if the fire is too strong it can result in the meat actually catching fire which is a catastrophe for the person who is about to eat that piece of meat. In any case, when cooking some kind of meat you never had cooked before you should always test the fire before you introduce all the meat to the grill, so start the grill ahead of time, test the meat for about 15 minutes and see if it’s the right heat for it.

 Getting Your BBQ Food Grill On

Winter is over, spring has sprung, and summer is on its way. It’s the perfect time to take the cover off of the barbecue grill and get grilling. BBQ food is the perfect start to a great summer. As the smells of neighborhood grills begin wafting down the streets of towns all across America, there is a theme that permeates the breeze. Summer is here; it’s time for fun in the sun.

There is nothing that takes me back to my childhood quite like BBQ food. The smells, the flavors, and most importantly, the feeling of quality time spent with family and the knowledge that we are building memories for our children to someday share with their children. If you think about it, you can have BBQ food of some sort, almost any night of the week. As long as you are willing to use your grill, which has the benefit of keeping the heat of cooking on the outside of your home.

Here are some great grilling ideas that will enable you to have BBQ food almost anytime you want.
1)    Veggies taste better when cooked on a grill. You can also have fun mixing flavors and seasonings. Kraft had a great idea of butter mix-ins for vegetables, I also like to marinate mine in Italian dressing and grill them in foil packets.
2)    Almost any meat you can purchase will taste better cooked on a grill. I even enjoy smoked sausage cooked on a grill with BBQ sauce.
3)    Make it a great night by allowing family members to make their own shish kabobs.
4)    Have theme nights for your BBQ food, you can do Italian BBQ, Mexican BBQ, Caribbean, be creative and have fun.

The real beauty of BBQ food is that it is an excuse we use to build lasting memories of good times with family and friends. There is no reason we can’t make meal times special each and every day, not just during the summer months.

  The Best BBQ Charcoal Grill 

 

 BBQ Charcoal Grills - Birth Of the Weber Kettle BBQ Charcoal Grill

 Retro Charcoal BBQ Grills Are Hot

It was in 1952 that George Stephen Sr., who lived in Mount Pleasant, Illinois, decided that he was fed up with his brazier's uneven and uncontrollable flames.He loved to grill in the backyard so he decided to build a grill of his own liking. He decided to build a grill with a cover on it so all those like him who liked to grill could do it in all kinds of weather. Mr. Stephan was not only an employee at Weber Brothers Metal Works, he was also part owner. This company, based in Chicago, made custom sheet metal half spheres that they then welded together to make buoys for the waters of lake Michigan. One day he decided to split open one of the buoys and make a dome shaped grill with a domed lid. This was the birth of the classic Weber Kettle Grill. Mr. Stephan's neighbor dubbed the new concoction "Sputnik". As word traveled of George's new invention, the demand for his bbq grill became so great that he couldn't keep up with the orders.

Since the Weber grill became so successful after he began selling it in 1952, Mr. Stephen decided to form a barbecue division of the Weber Brothers company. By the late 1950's, Stephen bought out the Weber Brothers factory and claimed the company for himself. His new passion now created for him a business that he could dedicate his time to building and selling the new Weber Kettle Grill. After awhile, Mr. Stephen decided to change the name to Weber-Stephen Products Company.

Coming into the 1960's and 70's, Weber became popular beyond the confines of the Midwest and became a nationally recognized brand name. Weber Kettle Grills were sold in retail markets all over the United States. The grill was so well received by the public that you didn't have to say grill any more. all you had to say was Weber and every one knew what you meant. Over the years, I noticed a lot of companies trying to copy the Weber Charcoal Grill. This is, of course said to be the highest form of compliment. do not be fooled by the look. Look for the Weber brand name. I have come to know the feel of a Weber Charcoal Grill just by picking it up. It always says, high quality my friend.

By the late 1980's, Weber opened it's first Weber Grill Restaurant in Wheeling, Illinois. After that, three more were opened. Weber -Stephen Products also bought assets in Ducane Company so now the Ducane grills carry the Weber Seal of Approval. Of course, the Weber itself is not a cast iron charcoal grill like the grill on the next page, but you can find cast iron grill grates on this page that will fit the Weber Kettle Charcoal grill perfectly.

Where's The BBQ Cast Iron Charcoal Grill?

I have noticed that there are a few companies that have taken advantage of the fact that Weber may not have been doing it's homework. When you have a product like Weber Kettle Charcoal Grills, You must understand that all kinds of people like to use it, but they need versatility in their grills. People want to smoke meats, but everyone doesn't have the luxury of buying one of those cumbersome or expensive grills or smokers. They also want something that can give them professional looking marks on their grilled meats. They also want a grill they can take with them to outdoor events and activities. I believe it's just in a mans nature to want to cook outdoors. What do you think? The Weber Charcoal Kettle Grill is great for this because it is transportable. Now I personally like my grill grates to be cast iron. Cast iron holds heat longer than steel or aluminum and gets a higher temperature, hence better marks and better searing. Honestly speaking, as far as grilling is concerned, it doesn't get any better that cast iron grill grates. Like it's first cousin, the cast iron skillet, food just cooks and tastes better on cast iron. I grew up on cast iron cookware and as an Executive chef, I've used some of the best cookware known to man as far as professional cookware is concerned. I always come back to cast iron cookware for my own personal use. It's one of the cheapest and best heirlooms and will  last from generation to generation if taken care of properly. Now you can add cast iron grill grates to the Weber Kettle Grill. It's long overdo as i have been searching for this for years and am quite embarrassed that I didn't solve this problem myself. One of the things I just didn't like about the Weber Kettle Charcoal Grill was those stainless steel grates. They never seared like I wanted them to, they cooled down to fast and they could bend with a little careless handling. Now I have no excuse and neither should you. When you purchase the Weber OneTouch Gold Charcoal Grill, the Smokenator 1000 which Transforms 22-inch Weber Kettle's Into Smokers,and the cast iron grill grates, you have the ultimate versatility you need in a grill at a fraction of the cost. You also have great quality. You'll be so happy with this combination you may even want to have a bbq cook-off in your neighborhood where nothing but the Weber Kettle Charcoal grill and these accessories are used.

Review Of Weber Cast Iron Charcoal Grill

Weber's One-Touch Gold kettle grill is a great buy for anyone looking for a classic model with a few convenient extras. The design is sleek. The results are delicious. As with all Weber grills, this kettle's lid and bowl are constructed of premium porcelain-enameled steel--which means not only does heat radiate evenly, but the grill will survive if it's left out in the rain. The cooking surface (22-1/2 inches in diameter) is big enough to accommodate six large steaks, twice as many burgers, or up to a dozen kebabs, and the grill's classic kettle shape keeps flare-ups to a minimum.
When designing this grill, Weber clearly kept convenience in mind. The grill's nickel-plated grate has two built-in hinged side openings that make adding more charcoal briquettes easy and safe, and, when the lid's not in use, it can hang from the bowl by a handy hook. The grill is durable, too. The porcelain-coated steel bowl and lid are exceptionally strong and designed never to rust, fade, or peel. The grill's aluminum vents and ash catcher won't rust either, and its tripod base, nylon handles, and all-weather wheels--besides being exceptionally sturdy--make the grill remarkably easy to maneuver. Weber's patented One-Touch cleaning system--a clever setup of lever-activated blades--sifts ash out of the kettle and into a cooking-pot-shaped ash catcher. You never have to get your hands dirty--and emptying the kettle takes only a few seconds.
To top it all off, Weber throws in a 31-page owner's guide filled with cooking tips and time-tested recipes for grilling everything from pork chops to bratwurst to Cornish hens.

• Best Weber Cast Iron Charcoal Grill  
• Retro BBQ Charcoal Grill
• Tabletop Cast Iron Charcoal BBQ Grill 
• Marsh Allen Cast Iron Hibachi

Weber Kettle Cast Iron Charcoal Grill

Product Features:

• Heavy-gauge porcelain enamel prevents rust
• One-Touch stainless steel cleaning system and sweeper system
• Removable high capacity ash catcher
• Hinged cooking grate for easy re-fueling
• 10 year limited warranty

Cast Iron Grill Grate 

• Cast Iron gives off a more even heat and holds it far longer than steel - great for amazing grill marks/sears
• Seasoned Cast Iron Grates provide a non stick cooking surface - brush the grate clean in seconds
• Strong & resilient - Cast Iron Grates withstand higher temperatures than normal grates. And like other good Cast Iron product it will last a lifetime if cared for properly
• Modular - Add griddle, hotstone and chickenseat for ultimate versatility. Steaks, Wings, Pizza and a whole grilled chicken at the same time
• Fits Weber 22-1/2-inch charcoal kettle grills 

 

Smokenator 1000  Hovergrill Kit

 

• Innovative kettle accessory that converts your Weber kettle grill into water smoker
• Versatile, expands the use of your 22" Weber Kettle
• Perfect for Holidays - Smoke a 25 Pound Turkey, or 15 lbs of ribs or 7 chicken halves!
• Water Pan Location assures high humidity in kettle food won't dry out!
• Includes: Smokenator 1000 Baffle, Hovergrill, Water Pan, Skewer, Instructions