Patio Daddio BBQ - Musings of barbecue, cooking, and life -- served hot, fresh and saucy

Tonight I had one of those kitchen alchemy moments. You know, a time where you need a quick recipe, something dawns on you, then you go with your gut and something incredible happens.

I was inspired by a friend to cook some wings this weekend and I wanted something sweet and hot, in addition to the standard barbecue wings for my ladies. I thought that jalapeno jelly would make a good base, but that would be a little too sweet all on its own. I was racking my brain trying to think of something to add a little savory heat to the party. Then it hit me... Tiger Sauce! If you've never tried it, I encourage you to pick up a bottle or six. It's hard to describe, but it will do wonders for just about anything barbecue.

The sauce that follows is the ultimate in sweet and heat. Click the picture for a closer look.

Labels: poultry, recipe

Tonight I was, once again, a guest on Greg Rempe's BBQ Central Radio program. I talked about my spiced-rubbed pork tenderloin with pomegranate chile lime glaze recipe, that I submitted to a national recipe contest.

We also talked about the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) and competition BBQ.

If you've never heard the program, I highly recommend that you peruse the podcast archives and hear what you've been missing. Tune in each Tuesday and hear the show live at 9PM EDT on LA Talk Radio Channel 1.

Note: The show is also available on iTunes. Just search for "The BBQ Central Show on LA Talk Radio" (without the quotes). You can also listen to last night's show here.

Labels: BBQ Central Radio, press

This time out I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Here are this weekend's food highlights. I'll save the PB & J and hot dog shots for another time.

Click the thumbnail to see a larger version.

Friday night my wife asked me to grill these incredibly simple, but incredibly good kabobs of bacon-wrapped chicken and pineapple, marinated in homemade Teriyaki sauce.

This recipe is a serious keeper. Way to go, honey!

Saturday night I smoked some beef back ribs over cherry wood and served them with some fire-roasted corn.

I know this is competition barbecue blasphemy, but I'll take beef ribs over pork ribs any day.


Our friends from church, Scott and Jackie, hosted a lunch at their home this afternoon. Here is a shot of Jackie's incredible lasagna. I absolutely love Italian food, and this was to die for!

I'll be hounding her for this recipe.


Here is a classic tossed salad that I contributed to the church gathering today. It's hard work, but someone has to bring the salad.

As you can see, Scott and Jackie's beautiful home provided a great setting for photos. Thanks, y'all.

I can't think of many better ways to spend a weekend than with good food and great company. As I say in my bio, food is a gift on a plate.

Here is a simple brine recipe that works very well with turkey. I have a more complicated recipe for Thanksgiving, but this gets the job done in short order.

Ingredients
1 1/2 gal Ice water (about 2/3 ice to 1/3 water)
1/2 gal Water
1 1/2 cups Kosher salt
2 cups Golden brown sugar
1/3 cup Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbsp Black peppercorns (whole)

Labels: brine, poultry, recipe

If you are a salmon lover, as I am, you have probably heard of the famed Copper River (sockeye) salmon. If not, you have a little while longer to get some, as the season runs from early May to early June. This is real deal wild Alaskan salmon and, yes, it lives up to the considerable hype.

As you can see in the picture (click it for a larger view), the flesh is very red. This is not a mild-tasting salmon. It has a full, rich nutty flavor. Those that are used to the sometimes anemic flavor of the typical farmed salmon might find it a little overpowering. If, however, you like your salmon to taste like salmon should, get some.

I chose to give my first Copper River of the year a good cedar plank grilling. I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say that it is about as easy as it sounds. Soak a cedar plank (food grade) in water for a couple hours, lay the filet on the plank (skin-side down), season and grill to perfection (medium-low, about 40 minutes for a 2 lb filet). This year I developed a new citrus seasoning that worked very well.

Folks, this is some seriously good eating. Time is running out, so hit the store and get on the business-end of some Copper River Salmon!

Labels: fish