Smoke Signals from AmazingRibs.com ~ November 16, 2010
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QUICK LINKS

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Here are some of my most popular articles with direct links.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

anatomy of a rib

TECHNIQUE
For both the beginner and expert, here are articles on how to get 'er done right.

2-ZONE COOKING

BEST GAS GRILL SETUP

BEST CHARCOAL GRILL SETUP

BEST OFFSET SMOKER SETUP

BEST WEBER SMOKEY MOUNTAIN SETUP

MEAT SCIENCE

THERMODYNAMICS OF COOKING

MEAT TEMP GUIDE

pulled pork
RECIPES
Scores of tested restaurant quality recipes carefully explained so even novices can be great cooks.


LAST MEAL RIBS

RECIPES FOR THE CLASSIC REGIONAL BBQ SAUCES

MEATHEAD'S MEMPHIS DUST

PERFECT PULLED PORK

STEAKHOUSE STEAKS

TEXAS BEEF BRISKET

ULTIMATE SMOKED TURKEY

BUXOM CHICKEN BREASTS

SEARED SALMON ON A SALAD

LAMB LOIN CHOPS

CHICAGO ITALIAN BEEF SANGWICHES

HOT DOGS

HAMBURGERS

GRILLED PIZZA

BOURBON BAKED BEANS

THE ZEN OF SLAW

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

ULTIMATE CORN ON THE COB

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BUYER'S GUIDES
Unbiased recommendations for the best products for the back yard cook.


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About Smoke Signals

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Smoke Signals is the free email newsletter from AmazingRibs.com's resident Barbecue Whisperer & Hedonism Evangelist, Meathead. If you like my website, please click here to forward a copy of this to a friend. And remember: No rules in the bedroom or dining room!
The Ultimate Turkey
turkey

One of the great advantages publishing on the web has over publishing: I can constantly improve and update my articles, and often the ideas come from you.

Well I've tweaked my famous Smoked Turkey recipe/method over the past year (I don't know about you, but I cook turkey all year round), so it is time to take a look at it again, even if you are planning on cooking indoors. The article is loaded with ideas for everything from buying your bird to
thawing to seasoning to brining to cooking to the gravy. There are some tasty tips, so check it out.
Turducken: The Cajun Birdzilla
turduckenTurducken is a novelty item popularized by former football commentator John Madden, a turkey with a duck crammed into it, with a chicken crammed into it, with a stuffing, usually cornbread and andouille sausage, crammed into it. Except for the turkey's wings and legs, it is boneless, and after it is cooked, it is sliced like a giant meatloaf. Tur(key)-duck-(chic)ken. Get it?

Bottom line: It is a real pain to cook properly, and when you're done, it is really nothing special. My advice? Don't bother. But if you must, here's how.
Soused Apple Sauce
apple slices Here's a great alternative to applesauce. It looks different from any other apple sauce you've ever tasted, and, my oh my, it tastes different, too.

Rich, buttery and mellow. Depending on which type of booze you choose and how long you cook it, you can vary the flavor a lot. Use Amaretto or Frangelico for a nutty sweetness, or Grand Marnier for a slight citrus character. Use Bourbon or dark rum for a more austere, oaky, vanilla character.

Best of all, making my Soused Apple Slices is really easy. Click the link for the recipe.
Sweet Potato Steak Fries Sweet & Savory
sweet potato fries"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." 1 Corinthians 13:11

I know the kids love the sweet potatoes with gooey marshmallows and the casserole with brown sugar and ersatz maple syrup. But this recipe is sweet enough for kids and savory enough for adults. It produces crisp shards of deliciousness that are dulcet, but not so unctuous they should be dessert.

Naturally I cook them on my grill, but you can cook these babies in your oven. Click here for my recipe for
Sweet Potato Steak Fries Sweet & Savory.

Here are some other recipes that I love.

Classic Bread, Butter, and Sage Stuffing

Simple Bread Stuffing

Drunken Cranberries

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Crunchy French String Beans

Italian Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Moroccan Lamb Mechoui for Eid al-Adha
mechouiIn North Africa, especially Morocco, the Islamic cooking is refined, influenced heavily by settlers from France, Spain, and even Jewish culture.

In Morocco, Mechoui means "roasted on an open fire." Lamb is the most common animal used for mechoui, although the term can be used for other animals and even vegetables.

Mechoui is often served for Eid al-Adha is the Islamic holiday that commemorates the story from the Koran (and the Old Testament) of Ibrahim (Abraham), who was asked by his god to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Isaac) as a test of his devotion. At the last minute, as Ibrahim was about to consummate the sacrifice, god told him to stop, a lamb (or ram) appeared nearby, and was offered instead. This year the holiday is today, November 16.

Instead of a whole a whole lamb, a leg of lamb will feed at least a dozen hungry guests. It is the perfect party dish.

This meat is marinated overnight in charmoula, an all-purpose herb paste used as a marinade, sauce, relish, dip, and spread. It can be used as a sauce for meat or couscous or pasta, or as a spread on pita bread, or as a marinade. There are many different ways to prepare charmoula. Some are raw, some cooked, some coarsely chopped, some pureed.

The meat is then sprinkled with ras el hanout, a dry spice mix also common to the region, grilled, and served with harissa, a classic hot pepper paste.

Click here for this flavorful lamb recipe.
Fun Gifts for the Barbecue Fan
t-shirtDo your gift shopping for the barbecue lover at the AmazingRibs.com Gift Shop or just drop in for a chuckle. There are more than 30 BBQ-themed designs, about 30 steak-themed designs, about 20 hotdog-themed designs, and more than 30 wine-themed designs. Order aprons, hats, shirts, sweatshirts, intimate wear, and other apparel for men, women, kids and pets, beer mugs, posters, and other tschotschkes.

anatomy of a rib
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