Is that barbecue I smell?

Scare the winter weather away by getting your barbecue supplies together and put them to use! This time of year communities all over the country are throwing outdoor events and fun filled activities for the whole family. Get out and celebrate the end of a long winter!

BBQ blade steak papillotes

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4

2 blade pork steaks

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced
1/4 cup barbecue sauce, commercial or homemade
vegetable oil, for brushing meat
salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

Cut each blade steak into four chunks of approximately equal size. Salt and pepper the steak and brush with vegetable oil.

Heat grill and season grill with towel dipped in vegetable oil (use tongs for safety). Cook the pork pieces on the grill just enough to char both sides (about 1-2 minutes per side).

In the center of each foil square, divide the onion and lime slices, layering them evenly into four portions. Divide the pork among the foil pieces and top each with a tablespoon of barbecue sauce.

Close up the foil packets, leaving space between foil and meat for steam to circulate, but folded tightly to keep steam in. Cook foil packets on the grill over indirect heat for 45-60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degree F. Serve each person their own barbecue packet along with a grilled bun or baguette.

Firecracker barbecue pork

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4-6

2 pound pork loin roast, boneless
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon horseradish, freshly grated (optional)

Cooking Directions

Season roast with salt and pepper; place over indirect heat in medium-hot grill. Stir together remaining ingredients and baste every 8-10 minutes with mixture, until roast is done about 30-40 minutes (20 minutes per pound), until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 degrees F. Remove roast from oven; let rest about 10 minutes before slicing to serve. Discard any leftover basting mixture.

Did you attend the Roberts Ranch Smokin' Red Dirt Barbecue competition?
Each spring the folks from Roberts Ranch sponsor the Smokin' Red Dirt Barbecue competition in Enid. The competition is a Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned event which drew a crowd of more than 65 teams from across the country.

Beyond the smoked meat and competition visitors could find entertainment too. Friday night music could be heard originating from the event center's lawn and a kids' barbecue competition could be entered. The "People's Choice" tasting from the competitors also took place Friday night.

What was the most delicious part? Some would say it was the free grilled pork burgers Roberts Ranch shared with all hungry attendees. All afternoon a group of employees from the farms stood in the sun in front of a hot grill. What was the result of those hours? More than 700 pork burgers were snapped up and eaten in less than an hour.

On Saturday one could find a pony ride and some inflatables for the youngsters as well as a barbecue feed in the event center.

What does your community do to celebrate the coming of Spring? Do you get out and participate?

About Oklahoma Pork Council

The Oklahoma Pork Council, a producer organization consisting of Oklahoma pork producers, represents the interests of all pork producers. Partially funded by federally collected Pork Checkoff dollars, okPORK promotes pork and pork products, funds research, and educates consumers and producers about the pork industry. For more information about this or any other programs of the Oklahoma Pork Council visit www.okpork.org or call 1.405.232.3781.