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Sometimes, “simple” and “expected” trump “gourmet” and “unusual.” There are many recipes floating around that try to dress up this annual dish. The results are flavors that are foreign to both the meat and the occasion. The most unique thing about this recipe is the technique, which involves wrapping the bird in aluminum foil with a hole cut in the top. This step is beneficial in two ways: First, it helps to trap moisture and increases the humidity in the air around the turkey. Second, the hole in the foil allows in just enough true smoke to flavor the turkey so you don’t run the risk of ruining your feast with the harsh bitter flavor of an oversmoked turkey.

For a snack before, during, or after the ball game there is no better food than the chicken wing. The great thing about chicken wings is their versatility. Spicy, sweet, salty, sticky, saucy, or dry are all options when cooking wings on the grill. I generally prefer my chicken wings seasoned with a dry rub and grilled; in my opinion, sauce tends to cover up the crispy, salty-peppery flavor of dry wings. With that said, however, I do love this recipe. The glaze adds flavor that goes way beyond what you would expect from a grilled wing. For those who like a sticky molasses flavor with a fruity edge, you’ve just found your new favorite wing recipe.

If there is one fruit whose flavor melds perfectly with chicken, it is the apricot, but incorporating juice or fruit chunks into barbecue sauce can give grilled foods a charred fruit flavor. The alternative is a fruity marinade that can be tasted throughout the meat, not just on the skin. The recipe gives fruit lovers (and wing lovers) the best of both worlds in one simple step, as the marinade forms a sweet glaze while the chicken cooks.

A brine is a great way to ensure a moist and juicy chicken—or any other type of meat. Brines are simply liquid marinades with a high salt content. All meat contains salt, and when it is submerged in a liquid with a higher salt content, the liquid is absorbed into the meat through a process called osmosis. The meat retains the moisture, helping to yield juicy results on the grill. The following sweet brine recipe works well on skinless chicken breasts. The liquid brine not only prevents the chicken from drying out but provides extra flavor. When the meat is combined with the tangy white sauce, it makes a fantastic addition to salads and quesadillas, and it tastes great on its own as an entrée.

Lemons have a broad appeal for those who barbecue because of the variety of ways in which they can be used. Lemon slices heighten both the color and flavor of sop mops or bastes and sauces, and a sprinkling of lemon on fresh-cut fruits will prevent oxidation, which causes fruits to turn brown before they can hit the grill. A twist of lemon will neutralize the odor of fish, a must for cedar plank–smoked salmon. Perhaps most important, in a marinade the acid in lemon juice will help break down the meat’s collagen fibers, thus helping to tenderize tougher cuts. This recipe, cooked using the indirect heat method at high temperature, is easily one of the quickest and most flavorful recipes I know. Cooking with indirect heat at a high temperature on a closed grill will simulate an indoor oven without sacrificing smoke flavor and will prevent premature caramelization of the soy sauce.

Nine times out of ten when chicken is ordered in a restaurant, a breast will arrive at the table. Where is the love for dark meat? To my mind there is no comparison between the depth of flavors of dark meat versus white meat. On top of that, chicken legs and thighs stay moister and more tender and have a greater margin of error when cooking. For those reasons most competitive barbecuers prefer to submit dark meat rather than chicken breast to trained judges. For marinating chicken it is hard to beat a traditional Italian dressing. The marinade in this recipe stays close to this philosophy while adding a fresh punch with mixed herbs. Its earthy acidic profile complements the subtle smoke flavor of the chicken; there is nothing out-of-the-bottle about it.

A flourishing garden filled with home-grown vegetables was a source of pride to Big Bob, and his favorite area of the garden was the tomato patch, where he tended a variety of cultivars. By planting different kinds of tomato plants, he was ensured fresh ripe tomatoes all summer long. His favorite summer dish was a tomato salad made with whatever types of tomatoes were in season. This recipe combines two of Big Bob’s Southern favorites: grilled chicken and tomato salad. It is hard to beat the sweet taste of tomatoes in season combined with the charred flavors of chicken cooked outdoors. Each element of this dish can be served on its own, but together they form a signature dish that you’ll return to again and again all summer long.

For years Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q customers have wondered why their chicken breasts were sometimes served without a portion of the wing. Usually it’s because at some point during the process of flipping, basting, and moving the whole chickens around, the wing tips get caught in the cooking grate and break off. That being said, Big Bob loved chicken wings. While a skin-on chicken breast with only the drumette of the wing attached was called a “taster” in the early days of the restaurant, in the 1960s, back when commercial airlines still served real meals, they became known as “airline chicken.” Leaving a portion of the wing attached to a small chicken breast made the serving look larger while still allowing it to fit nicely into an airline food tray. The airline chicken breast is a perfect cut for the outdoor grill if cooked correctly. The best method is a combination of both direct and indirect cooking. With a portion of the wing removed, the skin covering the breast is exposed so it can become thin and crispy while acting as a protective barrier to the lean meat. Finishing the chicken in a pan over indirect heat protects the exposed breast meat.

Have you ever tried a beer-can chicken recipe? That’s when a whole chicken is perched atop a beer can and set on the grill, so the beer steams from the can and keeps the sitting bird from drying out. The results are tender and moist, but sometimes the flavor is washed out; and if the chicken falls over it can be a mess. Loaf-Pan Chicken is a dummy-proof alternative to beer-can chicken, although the technique is not as gimmicky. You simply set the bird in a loaf pan and place it, pan and all, on the grill. The loaf pan captures all the juices and increases the humidity surrounding the chicken. The result is tender and moist meat every time, and best of all, the flavor is full and undiluted.

This is one of the most popular menu items at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q and has been a staple in Decatur, Alabama, since Big Bob first started selling his ’Q in 1925. Most folks raised in North Alabama have firmly believed since childhood that barbecue sauce is white. Where did the rest of the country go wrong? The simple technique for cooking the chickens has not changed for more than eighty years, and the ingredients can be listed on one hand: salt, pepper, basting oil, and, of course, that creamy, tangy, peppery white sauce. An all-hickory fire on a closed brick pit is the only other necessity for duplicating the authentic Big Bob flavors. The type of oil used for basting has changed through the years. Big Bob used whatever oil was most easily available to baste the chickens as they cooked, including rendered lard. Excess fat was cut off the pork shoulders and heated in a pot until the lard liquefied. The rendered lard was stored in metal “lard buckets” until needed. No matter what type of oil is used, the chickens still taste fantastic.

Legend has it that mushrooms are the key to immortality. They have been said to stimulate and sharpen our senses, and feats of superhuman strength have been attributed to them. Early Egyptians considered mushrooms to be food for royalty, barring their consumption by the commoners. Here in Alabama we suspect the pharaohs were partaking of the psychedelic variety. We do agree with one thing, though: Those little suckers are good eatin’. There are very few foods that pair with beef as well as mushrooms do. Their savory and earthy flavors complement everything from steak and salads to satays. A marinade of soy, balsamic vinegar, and butter amplifies their natural gifts, while they caramelize on the grill. Serve these grilled delights with any recipe in this chapter. Also try topping them with Mustard Horseradish Sauce (page 229).

Few true barbecue recipes provide instant gratification, because time is the key element in producing magnificent results when cooking a whole beef brisket or pork shoulder. Baked bean recipes are similar in this regard. It takes time for all of the flavors to meld together to produce the perfect batch of beans. While these peppers cook on the grill, the brown sugar and maple syrup caramelize to form a crust on top of the beans. The pepper makes a perfect cooking dish and serving bowl, while adding flavor to the slow-cooked beans.

Traditionally barbecue involved cooking the toughest and largest cuts of meat—the cuts that nobody else wanted. Often when beef is butchered, scraps of meat are left piled on the cutting board. Some view this pile of discards as waste; others envision dinner. So it is with these beef skewers. For this preparation you can use beef chunks left over from any of the cuts in this chapter: tenderloin tips, top round chunks, tri-tip scraps, and more. By adding vegetables to the skewer, you can stretch a small amount of beef to serve an entire family. The marinade recipe figures prominently and fondly in my memories of the days before I joined the Big Bob Gibson family. When visiting my future in-laws Don McLemore (Big Bob’s grandson) and his wife, Carolyn, I was treated to beef kebabs in this wonderfully balanced marinade. The sweet ginger and soy flavor is as good on veggies as it is on meat. I added the mustard horseradish sauce to take this recipe to the next level.

The beef tenderloin is a major muscle that hangs between the shoulder blade and the hip under the rib cage. Because the tenderloin does very little work, it is the tenderest part of the cow. Weighing an average of six to eight pounds, the muscle is commonly cut into steak fillets, left whole, or cut into tenderloin roasts. No matter how it is prepared, it is considered a succulent deluxe cut, suitable for special occasions and celebrations. Two things need to be done prior to cooking a whole tenderloin. First, the silver membrane, also called silver skin, that covers a portion of the outside of the tenderloin needs to be removed with a sharp knife. Second, to ensure even cooking, the thin tapered tail end of the tenderloin should be folded back on itself and tied with cooking twine to create a long roast of equal thickness throughout. Although a very tender muscle, the tenderloin does not have the flavor depth of many other beef cuts. Too often people obscure its mild flavor with heavy rubs or marinades. Here a mushroom crust amplifies the flavor of the beef without compromising its natural flavors. With such a tender cut and the added flavor depth of the mushrooms, overcooking is the only way you can ruin this dish.

The tri-tip comes from the bottom sirloin, located just forward of the back leg on the outside belly of the cow. This small cut of beef weighs between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 pounds and is two inches thick. In Europe this cut of beef is sometimes referred to as a “triangle steak,” because of its shape. In the past, butchers seldom marketed this obscure cut because there were only two small tri-tips per beef carcass. Typically it was ground or cubed for stews. But because it is lean and inexpensive it has recently become quite popular, especially on the West Coast. One of the most popular items at a California cookout is the beef tri-tip. Telling a Californian that grilling a beef tri-tip is not real barbecue may lead to fisticuffs. This cut packs big flavor, but it has a low fat content. For optimum taste, tri-tip is usually marinated and/or seasoned and grilled at a high temperature over direct heat. The tenderness of this cut is optimized by slicing the meat across the grain. This recipe stays true to the flavors of the West Coast.

This expensive cut of beef is a primal cut taken from the upper rib area. A whole rib roast consists of seven ribs and weighs close to fifteen pounds, which is enough beef to feed a party of twenty. More typically this cut is sold as three to four rib roasts or is cut down to single rib-eye steaks. Rib roasts are labeled many different ways at the grocery store, including as “standing rib roast” or “prime rib.” The term “prime” is used very loosely in this case and probably does not mean the meat has been graded “prime” by the USDA. Prime rib roasts have always been popular because of their tenderness and rich beef flavor. Usually the simpler preparation the better for this cut of beef. Many of the popular marinades today compromise the great taste of this cut by masking the natural beef flavor. This recipe uses mild seasoning accents to heighten and not diminish the flavor of this tasty beef roast.

Flank steak is the only steak that comprises a single large muscle. It is located in the underbelly muscles of a cow, between the rib and the hip. This oval-shaped cut ranges from 1 to 1 1/2 pounds and is long, thin, and very fibrous. Select a bright red flank steak that has plenty of marbling. If prepared incorrectly, flank steak is one of the toughest cuts of beef, but when cooked properly it is one of the best-tasting grilled meats. The large, thin cut results in more surface area to form a flavorful bark. The secrets to cooking a great flank steak are grilling quickly over a hot fire and slicing the meat across the grain. One of the most popular ways to flavor meat is marination. However, a marinade doesn’t need to be liquid to be effective; the same effect can be achieved with a dry rub or a paste rather than a highly seasoned liquid. In this recipe a long soak in a blend of fresh herbs and seasonings makes the thin steak explode with flavor.

Here’s a barbecue-style surf and turf! This recipe combines both barbecuing and grilling techniques, with slow-cooked brisket slices wrapped around fresh scallops and cooked on a hot grill. Our tasty way to use up leftover brisket slices was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly in 2007. Serve it hot off the grill as either an appetizer or a main course.

There are both pros and cons to wrapping meat during the cooking process. Kansas City pitmaster Paul Kirk has often referred to the process of wrapping your meat with foil during cooking as the “Texas crutch.” He maintains that wrapping is not needed to get tender, flavorful barbecue. Cooking in foil can dilute the barbecue flavors you have worked very hard to put into your meat, washing away the smoke flavor and natural caramelization of barbecue meat. The longer food stays in foil, the more it is cooked by steam. The obvious advantage to wrapping with foil is that the meat becomes more tender, but another plus is capturing the natural juices. These juices can later be drizzled over the barbecue or mixed with sauce to add an extra flair to your barbecue. Either cooking method can produce amazing results. For those who want to simplify the cooking process or retain maximum smoke flavor, this recipe is ideal. It utilizes a seasoning paste to flavor the beef. The paste will adhere to the brisket nicely during the smoking process, ensuring a great taste. No foil, no problem. Paul, this one’s for you.

The following brisket recipe was developed over a period of three years specifically for cooking competitions. It began after learning the requirements of the Kansas City Barbecue Association’s competition cooking circuit. I made a trip to my favorite Alabama butcher and asked to see the beef brisket. He proudly told me he had the largest selection of that particular cut in the area. The four varieties of corned beef looked good, but they were not exactly what I was looking for. It seemed we both had a little to learn about barbecue beef brisket. Many years and tears later I fell in love with the rich beef flavor of this recipe. In the restaurant we serve our brisket as thin slices with the juices drizzled over the fresh cuts of beef, but in competitions we separate the flat from the point and reserve the cooked point to make burnt ends (see page 86). Brisket has become one of our most consistent categories in cooking competitions, including wins at the American Royal Invitational Contest in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Best of the Best Invitational BBQ Cook-off in Douglas, Georgia.