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March 17, 2010

Meat Lover's Paradise

Great American barbecue is defined by geography, but Bill Smithers of SugarHouse barbecue defies the map.

Somewhere in Louisiana, there’s a longitudinal line separating beef brisket from pulled pork. The divide between South Carolina mustard sauce and North Carolina vinegar sauce is as distinct as the state boundary. And once you’re in Tennessee, you’re expecting dry-rubbed, never wet, ribs.

But SugarHouse Barbecue Company in Salt Lake City has mastered it all. Without leaving your table, you can take a full-taste tour of barbecue’s geography.

Bill Smithers opened SugarHouse with his father, stepmother and late brother, but a melting pot of loyal customers helped SugarHouse attain regional authenticity.   

“Texans and Carolina natives would come in with a totally skeptical attitude; but once they’d tasted the meat, they were believers. Then they’d say, ‘What you really need is a South Carolina mustard sauce,’ And they’d bring in a bottle of Dixie Gold and we’d figure out how to make it. Or they’d say, ‘All this needs is a North Carolina vinegar sauce.’ Then they’d bring in a bottle of Scott’s and we’d try to duplicate that.”

But Smithers had figured out the number one requirement for great barbecue: “We start our pork butts and briskets the night before and we get here at 6:30 in the morning to start the chickens and turkeys. Barbecue takes lots of time,” he says.

Barbecue is the ultimate slow cooking. Traditional pit-masters may smoke their meat up to 30 hours. On the upside, that means you’ll have plenty of time to make your side dishes.

Great pitmasters are reluctant to share their secrets. Plus they work in huge quantities. So we have devised recipes suitable for the home cook.
2207 S. 700 East, SLC. 801-463-4800

• HICKORY SMOKED PULLED PORK
  2 to 3 pounds hickory chips
  Dry rub (recipe follows)
  8 lbs. pork butt roast
  
  1  Soak hickory chips in water for several hours. Rub pork with dry rub. Prepare grill for indirect heat. Sprinkle handful of soaked wood chips over coals, or place in smoker box of gas grill. Place pork roast on grate over drip pan. Cover grill and cook pork at least 6 hours, or until internal temperature reaches minimum of 195 degrees. Check hourly, adding hot coals and hickory chips as necessary to maintain heat and smoke.
  
  2  Remove pork from heat and place on cutting board. Allow meat to rest about 20 minutes, then shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
 

• MEMPHIS RIBS
  8 pounds pork spare ribs
  Dry rub (recipe follows)
  ½ cup white vinegar
  6-pack of lager beer (or more)
  2 to 3 pounds hickory chips, soaked several hours in water
  
  1  Rub ribs with dry seasoning and place in roasting pan. Cover ribs with vinegar and beer. Cover the pan with foil, and refrigerate for 8 hours.
  
  2  Follow directions for pulled pork, cooking 2 to 3 hours.


• TEXAS BRISKET
  10 cloves garlic, peeled
  8 lbs. beef brisket
  Dry rub (recipe follows)
  2 to 3 pounds mesquite chips, soaked several hours in water
  
  1  With point of small knife, make slits all over brisket and insert garlic cloves. Rub brisket with dry rub. Follow same directions for cooking pulled pork, but use mesquite instead of hickory chips.
  
  2  Let meat rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve on buns with a slice of onion.
  
  TIPS: Plan to start cooking the morning of the day you’re going to serve it—it will take up to 8 hours. Always cook brisket fat side up.


• DRY SEASONING RUB
  ¹⁄8 cup paprika
  1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  1 tablespoon white sugar
  2 teaspoons salt
  1 teaspoon celery salt
  1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  1 teaspoon dry mustard
  1 teaspoon garlic powder
  1 teaspoon onion powder
  
  Mix all ingredients. Use for barbecue and smoking meats.

• BARBECUE SAUCES
  Use these as a condiment, not to baste or marinate the meat.
 

• [ South Carolina Mustard Sauce ]
  ¾ cup prepared mustard
  ¾ cup red wine vinegar
  ¼ cup sugar
  2 Tbsp. butter, melted
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  1 ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  1 ½ tsp.  black pepper
  ½ tsp. hot pepper sauce
  
  Stir all ingredients to blend. Refrigerate to store.


• [ North Carolina Vinegar Sauce ]
  2 cups cider vinegar
  2 tsp. salt
  1 tsp. cayenne
  1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
  2 Tbsp. molasses
  
  Combine all ingredients. Let stand four or five hours to meld.


• [ Texas Barbecue Sauce ]
  2 Tbsp. canola oil
  1 medium onion, finely chopped
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  ½ cup orange juice
  1 cup cider vinegar
  2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  1 cup real maple syrup
  ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  2 cups ketchup
  ¼ cup molasses
  ¼ cup brown sugar
  2 Tbsp. dry mustard
  1 tsp. chili powder
  ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  ½ tsp. ground cumin
  
  Cook onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until limp.  Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes. Cool and serve.

• The rest of the feast:
  
  Serve a  variety of  beer styles with barbecue, as well
  as iced tea and—if you’re a dedicated wine-sipper—
  a big California Zinfandel.


• [  Carolina Pig Pull  ]
  *Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork
  Sweet Potato Fries
  *Red & Blue Cole Slaw
  Banana Pudding


• [  Texas Smokehouse Supper  ]
  *Smoked Sliced Brisket Sandwiches
  Onion Rings
  *All-American Potato Salad
  *Pecan Pie


• [  Memphis Rib-fest  ]
  *Smoked Dry-rubbed Memphis Ribs
  Baked Beans
  *Cucumber Salad
  Corn Bread with Honey Butter
  
  * Recipes given for starred items.

• The best BBQ side dishes
  
  Red & Blue Cole Slaw
  6 cups red cabbage, shredded
  ½ pound seedless grapes, halved
  1 cup chopped parsley
  ¾ cup mayonnaise  
  5 Tbsp.  crumbled blue cheese
  4 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
  2 Tbsp. sugar
  2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
  
  In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, grapes and parsley. Stir together remaining ingredients in a small bowl, add to the slaw and toss well. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
 

• Pecan Pie
  1 9-inch unbaked pie crust  
  1 ½ cups pecans
  3 eggs, beaten
  ½ cup sugar
  ¼ tsp. salt
  2 tsp. vanilla
  1 cup dark corn syrup
  ¼ cup butter, melted   
  
  Place pecans in pie shell. Beat eggs in a large stainless steel bowl. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour over pecans to fill pie shell.
  
  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, then check, the pie shell should be slightly tanned: the pecans should be brown but not black, the surface may be puffed up but should not jiggle.


• Cucumber Salad
  4 cucumbers
  1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  1 small onion, thinly sliced
  ¾ cup sugar
  1 cup white vinegar
  1 cup bottled Italian dressing
  
  Wash cucumbers, score lengthwise with a fork, then slice thinly. Combine vegetables in a large bowl. Mix sugar, vinegar and Italian dressing in a separate container, then pour over vegetables and mix gently. Refrigerate and serve cold.


• All-American Potato Salad
  2 lbs. potatoes, peeled
  ¼ cup vegetable stock
  ½ tsp. salt
  ½ tsp. black pepper
  ½ tsp. dry mustard
  3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
  ¾ cup mayonnaise (may need more)
  ¾ cup red onions, finely chopped  
  ½ cup sweet pickles, finely chopped  
  1 cup celery, finely chopped
  
  Wash potatoes, and then drop in boiling water until just barely cooked. This means no resistance to a fork, but not falling apart. Drain and slice potatoes when barely cool: Put potatoes in a large mixing bowl while they are still hot, pour on the stock and stir gently. In another bowl, mix the salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar. Pour this mixture over the potatoes and stir gently. Let them rest 10 minutes. Let potatoes cool before folding in the mayonnaise. Gently mix in the chopped vegetables.

 

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