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Recipes tested---
Hobo Chuck
There's nothing wrong with pot roast, but the beef
chuck shoulder roast needs a break from the potatoes
and carrots and soupy broth treatment. Beef chuck
makes excellent barbecue, full of rich beefy flavor.
Like brisket, its connective tissue
requires slow barbecue-style cooking. Chuck isn't as
long and stringy as brisket, but it can pretty much
do anything a brisket can do and in less time. Also,
a good chuck roast on special is an easier find than
a brisket with a good fat cap. It's about choices
and good substitutes, and a chuck roast is one of
them.
Makes 8 to 10 Servings
One 3- to 4-pound boneless chuck shoulder roast,
trimmed of excess fat and cut into big chunks
3 tablespoons Cheater Basic Dry Rub (page 45)
1/4 cup bottled smoke
Put the roast in a medium to large slow cooker (at
least 4 quarts).
Spread the dry rub over the meat. Add the bottled
smoke.
Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low
for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat shreds easily.
Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred or
chop.
BBQ Garlic Shrimp
New Orleans-style barbecued shrimp, called
"barbecue" even though they have nothing to do with
smoke or a grill, are usually prepared in the oven.
We do ours in a big hot pot on the stove because
this dish is all about the buttery, garlicky sauce.
Mass quantities of crusty French bread are required
for sopping.
We plunk the big pot in the middle of the table and
go to town. It's an exceptionally good time tearing
into long baguettes and washing everything down with
plenty of cold white wine. Sometimes, we remember
the salad.
Makes 6 Servings
1/a cup bottled smoke
1/a cup kosher salt
2 pounds large shrimp (16 to 20 count), peeled and
deveined
For the BBQ Garlic Sauce
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1/a cup olive oil
1/a cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce 6 garlic cloves,
minced
Black pepper to taste
Combine 1 quart of cold water, the bottled smoke,
and salt in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt.
Add the shrimp to the bowl, cover, and chill for
about 30 minutes. Drain, pat the shrimp dry, and
discard the brine.
While brining the shrimp, Combine all the
ingredients for the BBQ Garlic Sauce in a small
bowl.
Toss the sauce with the brined shrimp. To make
ahead, cover and refrigerate, then cook the shrimp
just before serving.
To cook the shrimp, Heat a large cast-iron skillet
or enamel-coated cast-iron pot over high heat until
piping hot. Carefully place the shrimp in the pot
and cook, stirring frequently, until pink and opaque
throughout, 3 to 5 minutes depending upon the size
of the shrimp. Avoid overcooking the shrimp because
they will turn rubbery in a hurry.
Cuban Black Beans
Barbecue gets along with any bean cooked with a
little onion and garlic, including black beans.
Cuban Black Beans with a touch of sherry are
especially well suited for Cuban Fingers (page 176)
with Ultimate Cheater Pork Loin page 80). Serve the
beans over rice or add some water or broth and turn
them into a soup dressed with fresh parsley, chopped
onion, chopped hard cooked egg, and a dollop of
yogurt or sour cream.
makes 8 servings
1 pound dried black beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped celery, with leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry sherry
Kosher salt
Rinse and soak the beans according to the package
directions.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and celery and cook until tender, about 10
minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 2
minutes.
Drain the beans and combine them with the vegetables and
6 cups of water in a medium or large slow cooker (at
least 4 quarts). Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low
for 8 to 10 hours, until the beans are tender. Stir
occasionally, and add water as necessary. Stir in the
sherry and season with salt to taste.
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